I think I understand what you‘re saying (correct me if I’m wrong). You are interpreting it as saying that you spend your 2 exertion points, and as long as you have 1 point remaining you can now use your reaction to make the melee attack. In other words, you have to have actually have 3 points to initiate it.
Yes, and again, I think that's a dumb requirement, especially since it means someone can't use this as a last-gasp measure (i.e., when they only have two points of exertion left), and I'd likely not include that requirement unless the book gives a
really good explanation as to why. But yes, you spend your exertion and then use your reaction to make an attack.
(Hey, @Morrus, can you tell us the reasoning?) Never mind, Mike Myler explained it.
The problem I’m seeing here is that in order to read it that way, you have to separate the exertion expenditure from the action used to activate the maneuver.
I don't know if you have to. I mean, you don't have to separate spending a spell slot from the action used to cast a spell. It's just kind of a thing you do when you cast a spell. Yes, it's two steps, but it's so ingrained that it's just an automatic thing.
Using a maneuver is therefore:
1) Choose maneuver
2) Spend points
(Maneuver is now active)
3) Meet requirements in text
4) Take specified action or otherwise derive benefit
That seems a really weird process, because it has to artificially split the exertion expenditure (step 2) from the action used (step 4) so that you can see if requirements (step 3) are met in between them. That may be the process maneuvers use (I don‘t know how the maneuver rules read), but I definitely would not assume it.
What makes more sense is for the order to be more like 1,3,(2+4 simultaneous).
I'm not so sure those are actually as separate as you think.
For instance, the Exploit Footing maneuver. The requirement is that you're attacked by someone who has either advantage or disadvantage on the roll and both rolls miss. So, the Narrator here has to tell the player that the foe has (dis)ad, and that the foe missed. At which point, the player says "Did
both rolls miss? If so, I spend my two points and activate Exploit Footing (that's steps 1, 2, and 3 in one sentence). The foe now has to make a Dex save or fall prone (that's step 4)." (Personally, I think that because of the excessive requirements, it should be 1 point but oh well).
Or Twist the Blade. The requirement is that you roll an 18 or 19 when using a melee weapon. You make that roll (step 3), then you spend 2 points to use your reaction to turn it into a crit (steps 1, 2, and 4).
So the way I see it, each of these maneuvers is done in basically two steps. Or three, if you include step 0 (remember that you have the maneuver in the first place).
