Tripping Weapons

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Reviewing the "special attacks" section and weapons in the PHB, I noticed an odd (to me) inconsistency:

Can trip attacks only be made with "tripping weapons" (eg. halbard, guisarme, whip, etc)?

Since only specific weapons mention the ability to trip, I would assume that they are the only ones that can -- unlike disarm attempts, where any weapon can be used to disarm, but some weapons are better at it than others, conferring a bonus. I'd think that if you could trip with any weapon, the "tripping" weapons would confer some sort of bonus instead of it being worded the way it is. But then again, if only tripping weapons could trip, why not specifically say that in the section on trip attacks?

Overall, it leads me to conclude that only tripping weapons can trip. It hasn't come up in any game I've played except with a tripping weapon or creature with a Trip ability, but I'd like to be prepared in case it does.

Thoughts?

 

[JChung2003]

No.

Tripping weapons confer this advantage: if you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop your weapon to avoid being tripped.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

So you can trip with a longsword, but you can't drop it?

Doesn't that seem, well, silly?

 

[JChung2003]

You can drop your tripping weapon to avoid being tripped.

That is, you can elect to drop your weapon instead of falling to the ground, if you are tripped while making a trip attack with a tripping weapon.

If you use a long sword and are tripped while making your trip attack, you are tripped. You cannot elect to drop your long sword to avoid being tripped.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I understood you the first time, but I still find it to be an odd inconsistency -- it would be more consistent to allow "tripping" weapons to work like disarm, with a +4 bonus to trip attacks, or something.

"I've got two hands on my halberd, and it's hooked around my opponent's leg, but it's easier to drop than my longsword" just doesn't seem like the sort of thing a canny rules designer would come up with (not that there aren't plenty of other inconsistencies). Maybe in 3.5 ...

 

[JChung2003]

The long sword has no effect on your trip attack. It is not a tripping weapon so it has no effect on your trip attacks.

However, you do not have to use a tripping weapon to make a trip attack. For instance, you can use your foot to trip your enemy. The best example of this are monks who, coincidentally, gain the Improved Trip feat at 6th level, even though none of the weapons on their weapon proficiency feat list are tripping weapons.

Tripping weapons give you the advantage of having the option to drop the weapon to avoid being tripped, because you use them instead of parts of your body to make the trip attack.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

So your interpretation is that you either (1) make a trip attack with a tripping weapon (which you can drop), or (2) make it "unarmed" -- with a foot, arm, or the like -- and which of course can't be dropped. Is that correct?

If that's the case, though, why wouldn't (2) generate an attack of opportunity (except for monks)? Trip is the only special attack that doesn't -- which sort of implies it's an armed attack (either with a weapon, or a monk's attack.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Incidentally, I got this answer from Andy Collins about the 3.5 revision, which is mostly what you said, JC, and clears up the inconsistencies:

A fine question, and one near the top of my list of combat issues all those many months ago.

Trip is clarified in 3.5 to be an unarmed touch attack (which provokes an AoO), *unless* you have the Improved Trip feat (in which case there's no AoO for the attempt), or if you're using a weapon specifically designed to trip (such as the halberd), in which case it's an armed attack and you don't provoke the AoO.

If you're using a tripping weapon, and would be tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the weapon instead.

Andy Collins
Senior Designer
Wizards of the Coast Roleplaying R&D

Clear enough for me, now: a trip attempt IS an unarmed attack unless you either have Improved Trip (or are a monk), or a tripping weapon -- which gives a benefit to having the tripping weapon (no tripping with a longsword), and explains how you get tripped in your own attempt.

Thanks for the help, JC.