Trippie questions

[Azonalanthious]

I've got about nine months of rust to knock of my skills since I left the game and those skills were generally focused on caster types who were sorta vaguely aware that there were friendly folks with sharp pointy things between them and the enemies, so sorry in advance for the somewhat basic nature of some of these questions.

I'm considering putting together a trip focused PC - I simply like the idea - and have a number of questions that I am hoping for some advice on. Some of these I can (and probably will) test myself, but since some of the others are impractical to test quickly, I figured I may as well ask them all.

1) Is trip even viable throughout the game? Or am I going to find that the majority (or large minority) of foes are either immune or making every save? I'm not obsessed with having the absolutely best build, but I don't want a non-functional one.

2) Its my understanding that trip props on 2h glancings - can anyone confirm this for me?

3) From the persepctive of maximizing trippage - better to go with a dwarf for higher DCs or a warforged for higher chance to prop on glancings?

4) Do I need to keep the DC maxed (basicly run a kensai fighter with all the right enhancements, in which case I would probably run pure fighter) for trip to work? Otherwise, I'm thinking a 13 rogue/6 fighter/1 monk. Sneak attacks vs prone mobs (prone IS an auto-sneak in game, yes? I know it is in pnp) galore, really fast quarterstaff for lots of attacks while the enemies are down, etc, etc.

5) Trip/Improved trip: Am I correct in my understanding that the only difference between these is the cooldown time? And does IT replace T or is it in addition to it? In other words, can I use improved trip, then use trip while I am waiting out the cool down for improved?

6) Cleave/Great Cleave/Whirlwind: Am I correct in my understanding that cleave attacks all foes in a limited arch in front of your, great cleave a larger arch, supreme cleave is still broken, and whirlwind is all foes in a full 360 degrees? Do cleave attacks still do glancing on top of their regular attack? Cleave/great cleave stack (similar to the above question on Trip/Improved trip)? Not sure I'm going to go this route even if the answers are all positive, particularly whirlwind (feats, feats, my kingdom for feats), but if I go the thief build, the idea of tripping half a dozen mobs, then hitting them each with three sneak attacks in a row is very amusing.

[Emili]

I've got about nine months of rust to knock of my skills since I left the game and those skills were generally focused on caster types who were sorta vaguely aware that there were friendly folks with sharp pointy things between them and the enemies, so sorry in advance for the somewhat basic nature of some of these questions.

I'm considering putting together a trip focused PC - I simply like the idea - and have a number of questions that I am hoping for some advice on. Some of these I can (and probably will) test myself, but since some of the others are impractical to test quickly, I figured I may as well ask them all.

1) Is trip even viable throughout the game? Or am I going to find that the majority (or large minority) of foes are either immune or making every save? I'm not obsessed with having the absolutely best build, but I don't want a non-functional one.
I trip from start to end game...
2) Its my understanding that trip props on 2h glancings - can anyone confirm this for me?
I've not run my barb enough pans mod 9 to really notice... (she the only 2HF I have)
3) From the persepctive of maximizing trippage - better to go with a dwarf for higher DCs or a warforged for higher chance to prop on glancings?
My human Kensai trips even Elite Orthons in TOD seemingly without problems.
4) Do I need to keep the DC maxed (basicly run a kensai fighter with all the right enhancements, in which case I would probably run pure fighter) for trip to work? Otherwise, I'm thinking a 13 rogue/6 fighter/1 monk. Sneak attacks vs prone mobs (prone IS an auto-sneak in game, yes? I know it is in pnp) galore, really fast quarterstaff for lots of attacks while the enemies are down, etc, etc.
All I have on my Kensai is Kensai adding to DC ... I've no AP's directly devoted to tripping ... I do have improved trip feat however - which increases, but really I suspect is only the STR and To-Hit making the effect... Improved trip for me is just allowing for a longer time the mob stays down and a shorter cooldown of the key.
5) Trip/Improved trip: Am I correct in my understanding that the only difference between these is the cooldown time? And does IT replace T or is it in addition to it? In other words, can I use improved trip, then use trip while I am waiting out the cool down for improved?
Replaces trip, shorter cooldown, and mob stays down longer - a few seconds.
6) Cleave/Great Cleave/Whirlwind: Am I correct in my understanding that cleave attacks all foes in a limited arch in front of your, great cleave a larger arch, supreme cleave is still broken, and whirlwind is all foes in a full 360 degrees? Do cleave attacks still do glancing on top of their regular attack? Cleave/great cleave stack (similar to the above question on Trip/Improved trip)? Not sure I'm going to go this route even if the answers are all positive, particularly whirlwind (feats, feats, my kingdom for feats), but if I go the thief build, the idea of tripping half a dozen mobs, then hitting them each with three sneak attacks in a row is very amusing.
Decent feat for a SnB, not so good at all for a 2HF or a TWF. Sneak attack with a cleave will be very situational as the agro must be on someone else thus most the group of mob then is surrounding your agro magnet - not you, thus you hit fewer.One nice trick I like doing with any melee is point between two mob without actually targeting any of them... dual full damages, dual smites etc... even dual vorpals.

Notes added... am sure I could elaborate more... but be these just some points come to mind as am busy at work.