Tie on Trip, Who Wins?

[DMFTodd]

PC hits monster for his trip attack. For the "Str Vs. Str" (or the Str Vs. Dex) roll, you get a tie. What happens - monster is tripped or not?

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Whoever has the higher Ab Score I guess.

 

[Tonguez]

PC hits monster for his trip attack. For the "Str Vs. Str" (or the Str Vs. Dex) roll, you get a tie. What happens - monster is tripped or not?

personally I'd treat it as a grapple - but I have no idea what the rules say

 

[Sejs]

Tie goes to the defender, I'd say.

 

[MichaelH]

PC hits monster for his trip attack. For the "Str Vs. Str" (or the Str Vs. Dex) roll, you get a tie. What happens - monster is tripped or not?

When opposed rolls for skill or ability checks tie, the one with the higher skill or ability modifier wins. If this is a tie, roll again. See page 64 in the PH under opposed rolls in the Skill chapter. Also, this is how ties with grapple checks are resolved (PH 156, Step 3, Hold). So the one with the higher Str bonus wins in this situation.

 

[Jdvn1]

Tie goes to the defender, I'd say.

Agreed. Tie always goes to the defender.

 

[Thundering_Dragon]

I would also rule the winner based on the ability score modifier. It would be the most consistent and logical ruling given other similar situations.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Agreed. Tie always goes to the defender.

You know, a lot of people say this, but I'm not sure why. After all, ties don't go to the defender when resolving an attack roll against AC.

The way I see it, any time there is a clear attacker and a clear defender--an attack roll in combat, a trip, a grapple, etc.--the defender sets the DC for the attacker's action. (For instance, an AC of 16 is essentially the same thing as saying "Your attempt to attack me has a DC of 16.")

Since you only have to equal a DC, not exceed it, ties should go to the attacker.

(Of course, as someone else pointed out, the rules have their own way of handling the trip/grapple/whatever issue. I'm just addressing the "defender wins" issue, independent of anything else.)

 

[Jeff Wilder]

When opposed rolls for skill or ability checks tie, the one with the higher skill or ability modifier wins. If this is a tie, roll again.

Before 3.5, this was unresolved, and we created a house rule that I still feel is superior to the above rule, because it matched the general "roll to hit DC/AC" mechanic of D20. Our rule was that the active/attacking player was attempting to hit a DC set by the passive/defending player. So effectively ties went to the acting player. (Just like with an attack roll. Defender doesn't win ties there, either.)

(I guess I shoulda read to the end of the thread. Mouseferatu is very wise.)

 

[werk]

Agreed. Tie always goes to the defender.

I think this comes from playing too much Risk.

I resolve against AB (like grapple), then STR modifier (like an opposed skill check), and if those are all ties, roll again.