Post by Richard Loh on Mar 21, 2013 19:43:19 GMT 8
Combat Maneuvers and Weapon Special Features
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Page 199 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook says, ¡§When you attempt to perform a combat maneuver, make an attack roll and add your CMB in place of your normal attack bonus. Add any bonuses you currently have on attack rolls due to spells, feats, and other effects. These bonuses must be applicable to the weapon or attack used to perform the maneuver.¡¨ That last sentence implies that some weapons apply their bonuses on combat maneuver checks, and some do not. So how do you know which weapons do? The answer depends on what kind of combat maneuver you¡¦re attempting, and in some cases what kind of weapon you¡¦re using.
Disarm, sunder, and trip are normally the only kinds of combat maneuvers in which you¡¦re actually using a weapon (natural weapons and unarmed strikes are considered weapons for this purpose) to perform the maneuver, and therefore the weapon¡¦s bonuses (enhancement bonuses, feats such as Weapon Focus, fighter weapon training, and so on) apply to the roll.
For other maneuvers, either you¡¦re not using a weapon at all, or the weapon is incidental to making the maneuver and its bonuses shouldn¡¦t make you better at attempting the maneuver. For example, just because you have a +5 greatsword doesn¡¦t mean it gives you a +5 bonus on dirty trick checks (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player¡¦s Guide 320), and just because you have a +5 dagger doesn¡¦t mean it gives you a +5 bonus on grapple checks. Of course, the GM is free to rule that in certain circumstances, a creature can apply weapon bonuses for these maneuvers, such as when using a sap in a dirty trick maneuver to hit an opponent in a sensitive spot.
There is a special exception to the above rules. If you¡¦re using a weapon with the trip special feature, and you¡¦re attempting a drag or reposition combat maneuver (Advanced Player¡¦s Guide 321¡V322), you may apply the weapon¡¦s bonuses to the roll because trip weapons are also suitable for dragging and repositioning (this also means we don¡¦t have to add ¡§drag¡¨ and ¡§reposition¡¨ weapon properties to existing weapons).
Additionally, the polearm master fighter archetype (Advanced Player¡¦s Guide 106) has an ability called sweeping fend that allows the fighter to use any spear or polearm to make bull rush or trip maneuvers. For the bull rush, this is a specific exception that overrides the general rule of ¡§weapon bonuses don¡¦t apply on bull rushes.¡¨ For the trip, the text as written is redundant because anyone can already use a weapon as part of a trip attempt, so giving the polearm master this ability has no effect. This ability needs to be updated as follows.
Update: On page 106 of the Advanced Player¡¦s Guide, Polearm Master, Sweeping Fend ability, delete the second sentence. Replace the first sentence with ¡§At 13th level, a polearm master can use any spear or polearm to make bull rush maneuvers, though he takes a ¡V4 penalty on combat maneuver checks when making such attempts. When using a spear or polearm to make a trip maneuver, he treats these weapons as if they had the trip weapon feature.¡¨
Sean K Reynolds
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Page 199 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook says, ¡§When you attempt to perform a combat maneuver, make an attack roll and add your CMB in place of your normal attack bonus. Add any bonuses you currently have on attack rolls due to spells, feats, and other effects. These bonuses must be applicable to the weapon or attack used to perform the maneuver.¡¨ That last sentence implies that some weapons apply their bonuses on combat maneuver checks, and some do not. So how do you know which weapons do? The answer depends on what kind of combat maneuver you¡¦re attempting, and in some cases what kind of weapon you¡¦re using.
Disarm, sunder, and trip are normally the only kinds of combat maneuvers in which you¡¦re actually using a weapon (natural weapons and unarmed strikes are considered weapons for this purpose) to perform the maneuver, and therefore the weapon¡¦s bonuses (enhancement bonuses, feats such as Weapon Focus, fighter weapon training, and so on) apply to the roll.
For other maneuvers, either you¡¦re not using a weapon at all, or the weapon is incidental to making the maneuver and its bonuses shouldn¡¦t make you better at attempting the maneuver. For example, just because you have a +5 greatsword doesn¡¦t mean it gives you a +5 bonus on dirty trick checks (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player¡¦s Guide 320), and just because you have a +5 dagger doesn¡¦t mean it gives you a +5 bonus on grapple checks. Of course, the GM is free to rule that in certain circumstances, a creature can apply weapon bonuses for these maneuvers, such as when using a sap in a dirty trick maneuver to hit an opponent in a sensitive spot.
There is a special exception to the above rules. If you¡¦re using a weapon with the trip special feature, and you¡¦re attempting a drag or reposition combat maneuver (Advanced Player¡¦s Guide 321¡V322), you may apply the weapon¡¦s bonuses to the roll because trip weapons are also suitable for dragging and repositioning (this also means we don¡¦t have to add ¡§drag¡¨ and ¡§reposition¡¨ weapon properties to existing weapons).
Additionally, the polearm master fighter archetype (Advanced Player¡¦s Guide 106) has an ability called sweeping fend that allows the fighter to use any spear or polearm to make bull rush or trip maneuvers. For the bull rush, this is a specific exception that overrides the general rule of ¡§weapon bonuses don¡¦t apply on bull rushes.¡¨ For the trip, the text as written is redundant because anyone can already use a weapon as part of a trip attempt, so giving the polearm master this ability has no effect. This ability needs to be updated as follows.
Update: On page 106 of the Advanced Player¡¦s Guide, Polearm Master, Sweeping Fend ability, delete the second sentence. Replace the first sentence with ¡§At 13th level, a polearm master can use any spear or polearm to make bull rush maneuvers, though he takes a ¡V4 penalty on combat maneuver checks when making such attempts. When using a spear or polearm to make a trip maneuver, he treats these weapons as if they had the trip weapon feature.¡¨
Sean K Reynolds
Hi all,
A clarification on weapons with the trip property and the polearm master update.
Taken from: paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lcom?Combat-Maneuvers-and-Weapon-Special-Features
Regards,
The Administrator