Superior Disarming vs. Improved Disarm

[Pazu]

Hi all --

Can someone clarify the "Superior Disarming" ability (from the Watch Detective in _MOTW_) for me? The text says (paraphrased) that the character is always considered armed for purposes of disarming, and gains a +4 on attempts to disarm.

However, the _PHB_ rules make no distinction between being armed or unarmed when making a disarm attempt, except that if you do so barehanded, you end up holding the weapon. So what's the benefit of being considered "armed", except to suggest that you can't end up holding the disarmed weapon?

Improved Disarming, by contrast, eliminates the AoO from disarm attempts. I wonder if that was what the Superior Disarming ability was supposed to do.

Any ideas? Thanks.

-- Pazu

 

[hong]

If you attempt a disarm with an unarmed attack, that's considered to be using a size Tiny weapon, which is basically a -8 to your roll. The watch detective ability negates that penalty.

 

[Macbrea]

I am not sure that it doesn't. Hands are still tiny weapons. Unless you are using the optional rule in Sword and fist, Which states a double handed disarm counts as your size class.



Now, what it does do is Stop the AoO for attacking something without a weapon. If you are unarmed and make an attack on a person you provoke an AoO. This doesn't help with the disarm unless you also have improved disarm.

If you choose to disarm with improved disarm and no weapon you provoke an AoO for making an attack while Unarmed. Its only really a fluff ability. The +4 means far more then the always considered armed.