Not thinking things through: Combat Maneuver Combinations

[Anonymous]

Last night I allowed a combination of combat maneuvers that made sense on the surface as being according to the rules, but now in sober afterthought wasn't thought through.

Our Nomad, Akim, did a Cat's Parry. When the opponent missed, he took his opportunity attack, but used "Decapitating Slash". He scored a crit (not too hard with Improved Critical on a Scimitar) and off went the head.

Makes sense at first, but later I realized "Cat's parry" is specifically aimed at the wrist, not the head.

Oh well.

 

[BhilJhoanz]

From my reading of the rules, this combo should be fine. Cat's Parry merely specifies how the blow is parried, not how the AoO is delivered.

I could read the Cat's Parry as sort of getting inside your opponent's swing -- which lowers your defenses somewhat but if your gamble works, you can return a devastating attack.

Remember, these are very high level characters and in a Hyborian setting where death and glory are a mere sword's breadth apart, your players should be killing their foes quickly and dramaticly. Also remember: whatever your players can do, so too can their foes!

 

[Anonymous]

Actually the combo probably shouldn't be allowed since the rule says you can only use one Combat Manuever per round (page 185) unless the it states otherwise. However none of the listed CM have this statement.

I think that in a case such as this I would porbably allow it as long as it didn't have a major impact on the adventure (such as being the first strike at the Big Bad thus ruining the story).

But then I think if you allow it to be used once you fairly can't rule that he can't use it later.

I believe that we will need a rules clarification from a Mongoose on this one. :shock:

 

[InsomNY]

But then I think if you allow it to be used once you fairly can't rule that he can't use it later.

This sets a bad precedent that if the GM is wrong once in the players' favor, he must always be wrong. In this case, the GM should say, "Sorry guys, I screwed up in that last combat. The rules state you can only use one combat maneuver per round, and even if that was not the case I feel that using Cat's Parry to set up a Decapitating Slash would be an abuse of the system."

 

[rook111]

No, thats not what I meant at all. If I allowed the combo without knowing that it was "illegal" and then later found out it was and explained this to the players I would expect them to go along with the rule.

What I was saying about allowing the attack as described, is even knowing what the rule says, It makes sense to be able to use the parry to set up the attack so I would have probably, if it made for a good addtion to the story, allow it. But then If I allowed it once I would have a hard time dissalowing it if it came up again. It seems that this is a rule which might need some clarification or the GM should decide before hand whether or note to ignore that aspect of the rule (1 CM onle per turn).

 

[Anonymous]

"He took off the the guardsman's arm with a single slash...and his follow through took off the fellows head!"

"A deadly customer, then."

"Indeed. But like I was saying, whelp...this is why we do not cut Himlin purses."

 

[Kostchtchie]

:? My understanding of the cat's parry is you parry the arm. I would be happy with just an arm severing with this rule combo. It's probably almost as lethal.. very few fighters would continue if still concious... and even then they need to draw another weapon in their off hand.. :twisted:

 

[rook111]

Yes, you parry the wrist of the person attacking you which gives you the set up for an Attack of Opprotunity. Cats parry is not an attack on your opponents arm. The Attack of Opprotunity is seperate from the parry and if your character is good enough should allow for the Decapitating strike attempt IMO (one CM rule not withstanding).

 

[GhostWolf69]

I'd probably stick with the rules. i.e. ONE combat maneuver per round.

Cause I can see where this is going if I don't... player will opt in the most bizzar combos...

Then again... maybe it is all in the Sword & Sorcery Spirit to allow it?

I don't know wich way to go.

maybe you could do it like this and have the player "pass" on using a combat maneuver the following round? Like a "loan" so to speak that you pay back the round after?... maybe...

/wolf

 

[Johannixx]

Well, I can see one other combo that I'd love to try:

Leaping Charge + To The Hilt.

Or, even better, Hooking Parry + Leaping Charge + To The Hilt. Neutralize the pikeman's weapon, charge in, hit twice with your primary weapon, and leave it stuck in the guy so that every time he tries to free his pike and back away, he takes damage from the sword in his gut.

 

[Stygian Devout]

Sorry to dredge up an ancient thread - but the topic may once again be pertinent in the context of 2E.

Near as I can tell, 2E does not have the limitation of one Combat Manoeuvre per round. On pg 204, they are now called Special Attacks and Manoeuvres and there is no mention of how many a character is limited to per round. In which case I would assume a character is limited by his standard number of move actions, attacks, etc.

If that's incorrect let me know, otherwise I am looking forward to pulling off some devastating combos (Riposte+Decapitating Slash anyone?)

 

[LucaCherstich]

Actually the combo probably shouldn't be allowed since the rule says you can only use one Combat Manuever per round (page 185) unless the it states otherwise. :shock:

As far as I know this does not work in Conan 2E.
I never played Conan 1E but the combinations of manouvres is one of the first things which came to my mind.
I asked something similar in another thread (do not remember where but I'l find out) and the answer was that Conan 2e is specifically designed to have combinations of maoeuvres (if the types of actions can be combined).
After all, in narrative terms, combining various maoeuvres looks very Conanesque.
This is justified even in rules terms.
One should reason in terms of types of actions.
In Conan 2e Cat's parry (page.204) and Decapitating Slash (p.207) are both Immediate Actions.
It does not matter whether Cat's parry blocks the wrist (and in narrative terms the combination "feinted attack to the wrist turned to attack to head" looks interesting and heroic!).
Immediate actions in Conan 2E are free actons which can be taken at any time (conan 2E: page.181).
And you can have as many Free actions per turn as you want (Conan 2E .180).
Immediate and Free actions in Conan 2E are NOT exactly like those in normal d20 (somebody answered me in the other thread...).
In conclusion I would allow such a combination.