Taren Seeker
First Post
OK, I've been doing trip attacks the same way for the last couple of years, but I ran into a new interpretation yesterday.
My understanding:
A trip is a melee attack that can be made armed or unarmed. If you wish to make it armed, then you must be using a weapon that specifically allows trip attacks. If you are doing it unarmed, you generate an AoO.
From the SRD:
Emphasis added.
So now I hit a problem. Under the description for unarmed attack there is no mention that you can trip with one, meaning that Monks cannot use unarmed attacks to take advantage of their improved trip ability and indeed the ONLY way to trip would be with an allowed weapon. This seems ridiculous. So now I start to question whether the entries in the equipment section are meant to be a complete list.
I've played with people now who claim that any melee weapon may be used to make a trip attack. The entries under the different weapons are always accompanied by the "weapon can be dropped to avoid a counter trip" proviso and that is actually the entire purpose for the lines to be in those descriptions.
So, can any weapon be used to trip? What am I missing?
Thanks.
My understanding:
A trip is a melee attack that can be made armed or unarmed. If you wish to make it armed, then you must be using a weapon that specifically allows trip attacks. If you are doing it unarmed, you generate an AoO.
From the SRD:
Chain, Spiked: A spiked chain has reach of 10 feet. In addition, the weapon can be used against an adjacent foe.
Because the chain can wrap around an enemy's leg or other limb, a trip attack can be made with it. If a character using a Spiked Chain is tripped during the character's trip attempt, the chain can be dropped to avoid being tripped.
Emphasis added.
So now I hit a problem. Under the description for unarmed attack there is no mention that you can trip with one, meaning that Monks cannot use unarmed attacks to take advantage of their improved trip ability and indeed the ONLY way to trip would be with an allowed weapon. This seems ridiculous. So now I start to question whether the entries in the equipment section are meant to be a complete list.
I've played with people now who claim that any melee weapon may be used to make a trip attack. The entries under the different weapons are always accompanied by the "weapon can be dropped to avoid a counter trip" proviso and that is actually the entire purpose for the lines to be in those descriptions.
So, can any weapon be used to trip? What am I missing?
Thanks.