Dragon's Tail Cut?

[Cadfan]

I like it.

It had to have some kind of name, and "Dragon's Tail Cut" is vastly better than "wallop."

 

[hazel monday]

Why not just "Knockdown" ?

 

[Bishmon]

It's too clumsy, WAY too clumsy. Falls in line with the phrase "attack of opportunity"; it is just too long and too cumbersome.

Agreed.

I also think it gets uncomfortably close into the realm of wuxia, which is definitely not what I think of when I'm playing D&D, especially at 1st level.

Edit: I guess it could be a good name for a monk power.

 

[Delta]

Very anime - I think I preferred "Wallop". It knocks you prone.

What? How dare you call this anime! How DARE you!

 

[mach1.9pants]

Yep it is a def dorky, very 12 years old kid name -no insult to those of you out there at that age, but it is the sort of thing I would have used and thought cool, WAAAY back then.
Then again wallop is just as bad, I place another vote for knockdown, leg-sweep or sumfin that says exactly what it does in plain english. If you are the type that wants to call it footpaddin' (with a deliberate lack of 'g') then help yourself to "Evil Scything Tail Swing Dragon Knockover Slice Blow to the Lower Extremeties...of Death (TM)"

 

[TwinBahamut]

Italian terms:

http://www.cs.unc.edu/~hudson/saviolo/glossary.html

imbroccata: a thrust with the hand pronated (knuckles forward, palm outward) passing over the opponent's hand and downward; also foin

inquartata: a sideways or backwards step with the rear foot together with a lowering of the body underneath the incoming blade, dropping the left hand to the ground for support, followed by a counterattack with line; also passata sotto.

mandritta: a horizontal cut delivered with the palm upward and the knuckles leading, from right to left

punta riversa: a thrust with the hand in supination (knuckles down, palm inward), delivered from the inside line, passing on either side of the opponent's ward, usually delivered on a step

riversi: a horizontal cut delivered with the palm downward and the knuckles leading, from left to right

stoccata: a thrust with the hand supinated (knuckles down, palm inward) rising from underneath the opponent's ward; also thrust

stramazone: a vertical cut to the head, palm to the left

The rest of your post is very interesting, but are there translations available on these terms? It is hard to evaluate (ridicule?) them properly if you don't speak Italian...

I certainly don't mind a change away from the name "wallop". Anything that avoids the stereotype of fighters being big brutes just bashing away clumsily with brute strength is great, if you ask me. Also, I have no objection to flashier names (I am a fan of anime, after all). However, "Dragon's Tail Cut" just sounds cheesy. It is too descriptive to be plain and functional, but not poetic enough to stand on its own as a flashy name.

Either change the name to something basic (like Leg-Cutter), or something more poetic and properly descriptive (Falling Tree Slash is what I can come up with).

 

[Monkey King]

Italian terms: http://www.cs.unc.edu/~hudson/saviolo/glossary.html

imbroccata: a thrust with the hand pronated (knuckles forward, palm outward) passing over the opponent's hand and downward; also foin

Very cool, Baduin! I think historical names and perspective are a lot of fun, and the Western martial arts should definitely have a place in D&D.

 

[hong]

I like it.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Yep it is a def dorky, very 12 years old kid name -no insult to those of you out there at that age, but it is the sort of thing I would have used and thought cool, WAAAY back then.

Well, I always hated such names... even at 12. That name is... dorky? Goofy? I don't know, but that's the 2nd thing in 4E, I don't like (1st thing was the revised wizard-implement article, the revised one, mind you).

The mechanics sound grand... but I cringe at almost every name they produce (okay, the cosmology names were fine).

Cheers, LT.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

or is it just thought to be asian, but is actually universal?

Most maneuvers and stances in western sword fighting have names. In princes bride they point out echothers attacks and defenses as they fight. The name conventions sound different (from the east to the west) but are really the same. Japan very in depth with sword lengths and stances but they don't sound at all the way we make them out to be.

I would have called the maneuver Sweeping tail strike, or sweeping dragon strike. it fits the imagery i think the writer was going for and flows better. I like the maneuver visual but not the name.