Combat style master and Crane style

[Elnarak]

When a monk is attacking in a style such as dragon style as part of a full attack action, can he use combat style master to swap to crane style at the end of his turn as a free action. Crane style says "While using this style and fighting defensively or using the total defense action", Can he swithch to crane at the end of combat, or does he have to spend an additional action to fight defensivly befor he can activate crane.

[Mojorat]

Nothing prevents you from switching, however fighting defensively is a modifier to your attack. You would have to do an attack without te benefits of crane style so -4 in the other style. Probably not worth it.

[GâtFromKI]

You can use a free action at any point point of your turn; but the crane style has no effect if you're not fighting defensively (therefore, you can activate the crane style at the end of your turn, but it does nothing except if you were fighting defensively with an other style).

@Mojorat: it seems that the crane style feat reduce the penalty from fighting defensively even when you're not using crane style.

[Elnarak]

So in. order to benifit from crane, i would have to be FD the whole turn with -4 intll end of turn when iswitch to crane?

[Brodyz]

@ GâtFromKI: Crane Riposte reduces the attack penalty to -1.

@ Elnarak: You would either need to be fighting defensively the entire turn, or perform a move action and then fight defensively as the Standard Action when you attack.

From Core:
Fighting Defensively as a Standard Action: You can choose to fight defensively when attacking. If you do so, you take a –4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 to AC for the same round.

So theoretically you could move while in Dragon or Panther without the penalty for fighting defensively (helpful with the Panther AoO counterattack, then switch to Crane and fight defensively when you attack. You would then be able to use Crane Wing/Crane Riposte between your turns.

Just make sure you always announce which style you are currently using so there is no confusion (or better yet, role-play it). If I were your GM (oh wait, I am) I would always assume that you are in the last stance you announced.

[Dabbler]

Elnarak wrote:

So in. order to benifit from crane, i would have to be FD the whole turn with -4 intll end of turn when iswitch to crane?

Yes.

[Elnarak]

Dabbler wrote:

Elnarak wrote:

So in. order to benifit from crane, i would have to be FD the whole turn with -4 intll end of turn when iswitch to crane?

Yes.

Actually, reread crane. Mojorat is correct in that you DO get the bonuses to hit defensivly even if not in the stance activly. You just dont get the AC bonus unless active

[GâtFromKI]

Brodyz wrote:

From Core:

Fighting Defensively as a Standard Action: You can choose to fight defensively when attacking. If you do so, you take a –4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 to AC for the same round.

And the effect of the crane style feat:

Quote:

Your unarmed fighting techniques blend poise with graceful defense.

Prerequisites: Dodge, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +2 or monk level 1st.

Benefit: You take only a –2 penalty on attack rolls for fighting defensively. While using this style and fighting defensively or using the total defense action, you gain an additional +1 dodge bonus to your Armor Class.

The feat has two effect; the second effect works only when you use the crane style; the first effect doesn't have this requirement.

Therefore, if you have the crane style feat, and you fight defensively while using the boar style, you have -2 to hit (the penalty for fighting defensively with the feat) and +2 AC (the normal bonus from fighting defensively while not using crane style).

[lipeb7]

Hi!

I need help with that question:

My monk have 2 combat styles(boar style and dragon ferocity) and i want to take the Combat Style Master feat( can switch your style as a free action).

With this 3 feats, can i switch the styles, combining them at the same round?

Ex: I have 3 or more attacks. I start the round with Boar Style, make two attacks(and use effect if i hit two) and switch to Dragon Ferocity before the 3º attack?

Thanks!

P.S - Sorry my english... im not "proficient" with that language! lol

[lipeb7]

up!

[RafaelBraga]

To say the truth, you could even change instance after an attack roll and before a damage roll... like you can take free actions after one actions just ocurred.