Elusive Target

[Demonic Doudou]

Hi,

I play a fighter on my campaign and have a discussion with my DM about the Elusive target feat. I encounter a group of 4 orcs. on my turn, I decided to move around them to grant them attack of opportunity, i.e. one each. For each missed attack, I stated that I had a free trip attempt from Elusive target and for each such success, I have a free attack, as stated in improved trip. Nothing to say that all 4 orcs died, and I did'nt finish moving, in addition to not attacking.

What do you think about my interpertation of the rules?

Thank you

 

[Nebten]

If you trip them, then you get to make a melee attack against that opponent from Improved Trip.

If you still have a standard action after moving, you can then take it.

It would be an unlikely situation, but it could happen.

Of course, why you are still fighting orcs you can kill with one shot at level 6 or above is sad on your DM's part.

 

[Vegepygmy]

For each missed attack, I stated that I had a free trip attempt from Elusive target and for each such success, I have a free attack, as stated in improved trip.

Improved Trip says "you immediately get a melee attack against that opponent as if you hadn't used your attack for the trip attempt."

Does Elusive Target give you a free attack that can be a trip if you choose, or does it give you a free attack that must be a trip attack? (The latter.) So if you hadn't used your free attack from Elusive Target to make a trip attempt, what else could you have used it for? (Nothing.)

So no, you don't get a free melee attack against each tripped orc. You just get to trip them.

 

[HoboGod]

What, it's not good enough to knock them all down in a single round? The rest of your party will mop the floor with them in a matter of rounds! They have to waste their move action to stand, so all non-adjacent combatants get free attacks. Standing from prone provokes an attack of opportunity, so any adjacent combatants get immediate extra attacks. And all melee combatants who attack before they stand up get a +4 to hit. Your ability to trip all of your enemies has won your party an easy battle, take pride in that and listen to your DM's call on this VERY shaky ground for rules interpretation, Personally, I'd say it can go either way and you should be thankful the DM doesn't just throw a dragon with the same feat combo at you.

Gotta love dragons... they are the DM's way of keeping game mechanic abusers in check. A one-level-dip into lion totem barbarian looks pretty good on that Half-Giant Psychic Warrior, but you know who it looks really good on? A dragon.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

OP, I agree with your interpretation. Not allowing Imp. Trip's extra attack because of a wording technicality is unnecessary hair splitting, IMO, and I really hate absurdly strict RAW outlooks.

They're weak mooks. He wouldn't have batted an eye if the caster nuked them, I guarantee you. People have this odd, very physical, regurgitation-like reaction to the notion of melee characters having mob-slaying capabilities.

This really isn't problematic. You're giving the enemies free shots at you in return for this combo. Nothing is compelling them to take those AoOs if they start seeing what happens to fools. The entire Elusive Target feat, all 3 tactics is like a giant "Fool me once..." All 3 tactics, once witnessed, can be rendered inconsequential simply by enemies refusing to play into your mind games and traps (don't flank you, don't AoO you for moving, don't power attack you).

 

[kitcik]

OP, I agree with your interpretation. Not allowing Imp. Trip's extra attack because of a wording technicality is unnecessary hair splitting, IMO, and I really hate absurdly strict RAW outlooks.

They're weak mooks. He wouldn't have batted an eye if the caster nuked them, I guarantee you. People have this odd, very physical, regurgitation-like reaction to the notion of melee characters having mob-slaying capabilities.

This really isn't problematic. You're giving the enemies free shots at you in return for this combo. Nothing is compelling them to take those AoOs if they start seeing what happens to fools. The entire Elusive Target feat, all 3 tactics is like a giant "Fool me once..." All 3 tactics, once witnessed, can be rendered inconsequential simply by enemies refusing to play into your mind games and traps (don't flank you, don't AoO you for moving, don't power attack you).

This.

(sorry, cannot XP)

 

[Wyvernhand]

Not to mention, you paid 2 horribly terribad prereq feats for Elusive Target and one pretty bad prereq feat for Imp Trip. Opportunity cost vs reward. If a player is going to invest 5 freaking feats into one combat tactic, it should be rewarded by actually...you know...working as intended.

At least he's not Shocktroopering.

 

[Dandu]

They're weak mooks. He wouldn't have batted an eye if the caster nuked them, I guarantee you.

But the wizard only gets to cast Fireball a few times per day, while a melee character can do it 24/7!

 

[orion90000]

But the wizard only gets to cast Fireball a few times per day, while a melee character can do it 24/7!

That doesn't sound like Dandu at all. Usually he would say something about wizards rocking and putting fighters on the bench to keep it warm. Did Dandu just imply that fighters can outperform wizards in at least 1 field? Dear God, the world must be coming to an end!!!!!!!

 

[Demonic Doudou]

My character is in fact a monk. Il I add snap kick to the kit, this character can do a lot of collateral damage by simply moving around monsters, i.e. move, AOO, miss, trip attempt followed by attack and add snap kick in extra each time (2 attacks by AOO), after your first full move, just continue and repeat against other creatures. At level 9, the PC can sweep the battlefield in only a round. It's important to have an excellent AC...

I think its a lot of fun and spectacular and I agree that the cost is high in feats. But playing D&D without fun is not worth it.

Imagine adding cleave later...

I know that fireball or something else can do a lot of damage, but it's magic and I try to be useful against more than one opponent as a melee warrior.

Thanks for your answers!