Cleave ruling?

[Dredly]

Cleave says it hits one enemy and then hits another enemy adjacent to you.

I'm not sure if this is written correctly or if it should be hits an enemy adjacent to the target. I don't see how cleave would make sense if you can hit an enemy in front of you and behind you? Especially if you are completely surrounded by enemies

 

[Tale]

It says what it says. The rest is just up to having an agreeable imagination. Maybe the cleave went overhead. Maybe a ton of things.

 

[keterys]

You slash ahead with your sword, then snap it back to pommel smash the enemy behind you.

Your powerful smash into one enemy frightens the enemy behind you.

Etc. It doesn't have to be a clean swipe from one enemy into another. It doesn't even need to _hit_ the second enemy at all. Could just demoralize.

 

[DracoSuave]

Doesn't even have to be the weapon doing the actual work.

'You stab into one opponent and then kick the kobold behind you in his shin.'

 

[N0Man]

Cleave says it hits one enemy and then hits another enemy adjacent to you.

I'm not sure if this is written correctly or if it should be hits an enemy adjacent to the target. I don't see how cleave would make sense if you can hit an enemy in front of you and behind you? Especially if you are completely surrounded by enemies

Front? Behind? By rules, there is no front or behind.

However, in animation and in movies, it is quite common to see someone make a 180 degree arc with a sword. They might start slashing on the left and then follow through and slash through someone on their right, or they may lash someone in front of them and then follow through in an arc to their right and point the weapon directly behind them (perhaps letting the enemy impale themself).

I don't think the description (or rules) need to be adjusted, just your imagination.

 

[Ryujin]

If this one bothers you, then you REALLY don't want to start thinking too much about "Come and Get It."

 

[DreamChaser]

Cleave says it hits one enemy and then hits another enemy adjacent to you.

I'm not sure if this is written correctly or if it should be hits an enemy adjacent to the target. I don't see how cleave would make sense if you can hit an enemy in front of you and behind you? Especially if you are completely surrounded by enemies

A long-running joke in my games is how every D&D character spends a minute or more spinning in place to ensure that none of his enemies is ever behind him.

The actual idea is that (since few people take up a full 25 sq. ft.) you are constantly moving and dodging around in all areas of your space.

Thus, there is no behind.

Anyway, the idea that it might be adjacent to the enemy is even weirder...you could manage to damage a creature 10 feet away and on the far side of your target with your sword.

The only workable way is to allow for momentum to carry you into a minor blow against another enemy adjacent to you.

DC

 

[GeekKen]

I think another mistake is to think everyone is standing around, waiting their turn to take a whack at something.

Everyone is swinging, parrying, moving around in their 5 foot space, actively engaging an opponent. You make a stand out attack when you get an opening (i.e. your initiative turn comes around).

Don't shackle your imagination to text descriptions of powers or game mechanics. Combat has rules. You do certain things in a turn to give a melee some structure in a game, but D&D is far from a simulation (nor should it be).

 

[Garthanos]

Easiest skinnable re-visualize-able power on the list front top center.
D&D Fighter Powers - skinning on the fly.

 

[unan oranis]

while people are "re-skinning" powers, anyone got a way to describe "walking wounded" on a gas cloud?

How about a vampire that turns into a gas cloud - and should technically still be penalized by "walking wounded"?

My table was stumped, we let the vamp shake the effect while in gas form.