Level Up (A5E) Rules Question: Combat Directives

[Sepulchre]

I’m struggling to understand how this works with maneuvers. The relevant text is: “In addition, when a creature uses your Commanding Presence to make an attack, it can simultaneously use one Sanguine Knot combat maneuver that you know.”

How does this interact with maneuvers that let you take the Attack action? For example, the Sanguine Knot third-degree maneuver Look At Me let’s you take the attack action, including any attacks granted by Extra Attack. If I let my fighter friend use Look At Me as a reaction, how many attacks do they get to make?

My best guess is 3: one by default from Commanding Presence, plus two more from the Attack through the maneuver Look At Me.

Is that right? It seems like an awful lot for level 8 or 9.

Thanks!

 

[Stalker0]

I’m struggling to understand how this works with maneuvers. The relevant text is: “In addition, when a creature uses your Commanding Presence to make an attack, it can simultaneously use one Sanguine Knot combat maneuver that you know.”

How does this interact with maneuvers that let you take the Attack action? For example, the Sanguine Knot third-degree maneuver Look At Me let’s you take the attack action, including any attacks granted by Extra Attack. If I let my fighter friend use Look At Me as a reaction, how many attacks do they get to make?

My best guess is 3: one by default from Commanding Presence, plus two more from the Attack through the maneuver Look At Me.

Is that right? It seems like an awful lot for level 8 or 9.

Thanks!

So I think the attack you get with commanding presence is "consumed" by the maneuver, just as it would be if you are doing a regular maneuver.

That said, I think the more interesting question is whether you do get the extra attack bonus on the manuever, which gives you 2 attacks (or with high level fighters, 3 or 4). That is incredibly strong.

 

[Sepulchre]

So I think the attack you get with commanding presence is "consumed" by the maneuver, just as it would be if you are doing a regular maneuver.

That said, I think the more interesting question is whether you do get the extra attack bonus on the manuever, which gives you 2 attacks (or with high level fighters, 3 or 4). That is incredibly strong.

It might consume the commanding presence attack, true. But is that true with any maneuver, including something like Legion Stance? Can you even let an ally use a bonus action maneuver?

 

[VicWeave]

Extra Attack only grants additional attacks when you take the Attack action on your turn. You'd get the standard one attack granted by the action.

 

[Sepulchre]

Extra Attack only grants additional attacks when you take the Attack action on your turn. You'd get the standard one attack granted by the action.

Perfect answer, thanks. I had overlooked that.

One remaining corollary: can marshals use Commanding Presence on themselves? I.e., does the marshal count as “a friendly creature within range” for the purpose of the ability?

 

[MarkB]

Perfect answer, thanks. I had overlooked that.

One remaining corollary: can marshals use Commanding Presence on themselves? I.e., does the marshal count as “a friendly creature within range” for the purpose of the ability?

Commanding Presence specifies that you forego one of your attacks to use it. If you command yourself to attack, you're not foregoing any attacks.

 

[Sepulchre]

Commanding Presence specifies that you forego one of your attacks to use it. If you command yourself to attack, you're not foregoing any attacks.

I’m not sure I agree that’s how it works with the abstract concepts going on here because your reaction replaces one of your attacks. For instance, you could cast a cantrips instead of attacking. But that’s totally reasonable and consistent with what I expect is RAI.

I think the language could use just a little tightening.