Moon-Lancer said:
What is the definition of melee damage? Ruby Nightmare blade says it doubles melee damage. is this the same as double damage? if i had a character using a lance, would i use double rules, so an attack with a lance using spirited charge and ruby nightmare blade would be 4x damage?
With leading charge work with spirited charge?
would leading charge bonus count as melee damage for ruby nightmare blade, and would be be tripled with spirited charge?
How do feats Interact with maneuvers, I remember their was something odd about it, or that someone pointed out that it mentions this in the book, but i cant seem to find it.
Can I power attack with maneuvers?
Leading the Charge will apply to any charge attack by allies within range, including mounted charges and such. As far as I know, the initiator counts themselves as an ally (.....you aren't your own worst enemy by any chance, are you?).
Note that, as always, the core rules apply every time except when a newer rule specifically trumps them.
So with a multiplier to the damage, you use the same method as noted in the core rules for damage multipliers, like with critical hits; if you use Ruby Nightmare Blade, and score a critical hit with a longsword for example, then you deal 3x normal damage (x2 for the crit, and x2 for the RNB; as noted in the core rules, the way you stack these multipliers leads to a total multiplier of x3, not x4). If you use Diamond Nightmare Blade with a greataxe and score a critical hit, you deal 6x normal damage (x3 for the axe crit, and x4 for the DNB; by the core rules, you stack these multipliers to get x6, not x7 or the like).
Likewise, you use the same core rules to determine how to handle the damage multiplier. Let's say your PC is a Warblade, wielding a magical +3 longsword of flaming and shock in one hand (and a shield in the other hand), using the Punishing Stance at the moment (+1d6 bonus damage with each melee hit), initiating Ruby Nightmare Blade (double normal melee damage if it hits and the Concentration check succeeds), and have an 18 Strength (+4 mod).
If you hit, you deal the normal 1d8 damage (base), +3 from the enhancement bonus, +1d6 fire from Flaming, +1d6 electricity from Shock, +1d6 from Punishing Stance, and +4 from Strength. If Ruby Nightmare Blade is successful, then as described in the core rules, you apply the damage multiplier of x2 to the base weapon damage, the enhancement bonus to damage, and the Strength bonus to damage, but you
don't apply it to any of the
bonus dice of damage.
And as noted in the core rules, you re-roll the base damage dice for the multiplier, rather than just doubling the initial rolled result of the base damage dice. So your total damage is 2d8+6+8+1d6+1d6+1d6.
ALSO, separate but important point...... Maneuvers have their own activation actions, like spells do. You do not just choose to use Ruby Nightmare Blade or whatnot
any ole' time you make a melee attack; you have to
specifically spend a standard action on initiating Ruby Nightmare Blade (or whatever kind of action is required by the maneuver you use; some maneuvers use full-round actions, others use move actions, others use swift actions, etc.).
You cannot just charge an opponent and use Ruby Nightmare Blade with it (so there's no way you can use a lance with Spirited Charge at the same time as initiating Ruby Nightmare Blade, for example). You have to spend a
standard action on RNB itself, so you'll normally have only a move action left on that same turn (plus a swift action available), which means you can't take the 'charge' action.
Feats generally work as normal with maneuvers, but there are some restrictions.... For example, since initiating a maneuver is not a use of the 'attack action' or 'full attack action', you cannot make a sunder attempt, grapple attempt, disarm attempt, trip attempt, or other such things as part of a maneuver's attack. Instead you can only do those things with a 'strike maneuver' when it specifically tells you to make one of those special attacks (like how Disarming Strike specifically tells you to make a free disarm attempt against an opponent if you hit them with the Disarming Strike's normal attack).
You CAN Power Attack when using attacks from maneuvers, due to the way that Power Attack works. You CANNOT use Spring Attack with a strike maneuver, however, because of the way Spring Attack specifically works and because of the fact that maneuvers
are never just melee attacks or attack actions; they are their own specific type of standard, full-round, move, swift, or immediate action. Neither can you use Ride-By Attack or Shot on the Run with a maneuver.
Note, however, that not all maneuvers are 'strike' maneuvers. You could, for example, initiate the Burning Blade 'boost' and then make a Spring Attack, dealing the bonus fire damage from Burning Blade with your attack. You could even initiate Burning Blade and then follow up with a normal 'full attack action' that involves trip attempts, grapple attempts, and whatnot (though of course, only some of those types of attacks would apply the Burning Blade's bonus fire damage; you can't really burn someone with your sword when you're just disarming them, for example).
Also note that there are
some maneuvers which specifically grant you a charge attack or full-attack, or which
count as charges (such as Bounding Strike for the latter, or Pouncing Charge for the former). Those ones will allow you to make full use of the normal stuff that's available with charges or full-attacks, respectively, with some exceptions (some of those maneuvers specify that you must make a particular kind of attack; and many specify that your target during that 'strike' maneuver must be 'one creature', in which case you can't attempt any disarms or sunders, since those kinds of attacks are directed at objects).
