Slam & Free-Hand?

[Wolffenjugend]

Do the rules specify that a monster requires an empty hand to make a slam attack? For instance, could a monster wielding a weapon make an attack with its weapon and then slam (say, with the forearm) with its secondary attack (assuming it has one)? I'm thinking of an energy draining monster...

 

[Mewness]

It doesn't specify that a creature needs its hand empty in order to slam as far as I can see. The definition of slam in the glossary is something like "the monster batters its opponent with an appendage".

 

[shilsen]

Do the rules specify that a monster requires an empty hand to make a slam attack? For instance, could a monster wielding a weapon make an attack with its weapon and then slam (say, with the forearm) with its secondary attack (assuming it has one)? I'm thinking of an energy draining monster...

Funny. I was thinking of this very question an hour ago. Can you be more specific about what kind of monster or situation you had in mind?

 

[the Jester]

Good question.

I'd say it prolly depends on the creature- some could probably slam with their leg/foot, tail or head.

 

[Wolffenjugend]

There's two vampires: a human monk and a human fighter. The monk uses a quarterstaff and the fighter uses a buckler and sword. I know he could choose not to use the buckler but I'd rather not go that route. The reason I'm thinking it might be possible to slam with the forearm is that a monks' unarmed attack doesn't assume that a fist is being used. The vampire gets a slam attack so I don't know if that can be used in conjunction with a monk's unarmed attack. And either way, could a slam be used without an open hand?

If the rules don't specify, I'll just house rule that it will work. But I don't want to go against a specific ruling that prohibits using energy drain through a slam attack from an appendage that's holding a weapon.

I guess it all comes down to what constitutes a slam attack...

 

[Mewness]

Under Attack, in the vampire description: A vampire armed with a weapon uses its slam or a weapon, as it desires.

Under Natural Weapons, Slam in the glossary: the creature batters opponents with an appendage...

Seems to indicate that the vampire can slam with stuff in its hands.