Piercers and charging

[Sejs]

I don't believe that you can normally jump down during a charge (without a special feat), and falling directly down is generally treated differently (i.e. it is unreliant on strength for either distance or damage).

Battle Jump, right.

Had to re-check the actual text on that one to see if it said "if you drop" versus "you can drop". Looks like it's 'you can drop'. Actually, hell, I'll just post the feat.

"You can execute a charge by simply dropping from a height of at least 5 feet above your opponent. (...) You can't jump from more than 30 feet above your opponent, nor can you effectively battle jump while under the influence of a fly or levitate spell or effect as you have to hurl yourself down on your foe."

(Now for the chunky bit.)

"If you hit, you can choose either to deal double damage with a melee weapon or natural attack, or to attempt a trip attack. You are treated as one size category larger than normal if you try to trip your opponent with the battle jump. After you attack, you take falling damage as normal for the distance you jumped. You are entitled to a Jump check (DC 15) to take less damage as if you had falled 10 feet less than you actually did. If you fail this Jump check, you fall prone 5 feet from your opponent. You can also use Battle Jump to begin a grapple attempt instead of making a normal attack. If you do, you are treated as one size category larger than normal for the first grapple check following the battle jump."

Normal: Anybody can try to jump down on an enemy, but it's not considered a charge, and they do not gain double damage or the size bonus for th ensuing attack."


So, guess that sort of answers that question. Personally, I'd still let a piercer charge, particularly if they are propelling themselves as they detatch from the ceiling, instead of just dropping passivly. Or I'd just give 'em Battle Jump as a racial bonus feat.

 

[mvincent]

Personally, I'd still let a piercer charge, particularly if they are propelling themselves as they detatch from the ceiling, instead of just dropping passivly.

I was under the impression that they dropped passively. Here is a conversion of them.

 

[Sejs]

I was under the impression that they dropped passively. Here is a conversion of them.

Oooh, conversion! Thanks!

That's a keeper.

 

[Notmousse]

I thought they were in the 3.5 MM.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I thought they were in the 3.5 MM.

You may be thinking of the Darkmantle.

-Hyp.

 

[kenobi65]

You may be thinking of the Darkmantle.

Flavor text from the darkmantle:

Scholars believe the darkmantle has recently evolved from a similar but far less capable subterranean predator.

That just cracks me up. Someone decided the piercer was too dumb to live, I guess.