Slayer Bounty Hunter Dirty Tricks, Ranged?


Rules Questions


Can this ability be used with ranged attacks?

Quote:
Dirty Trick (Ex): At 2nd level, anytime a bounty hunter is able to deal sneak attack damage to a studied target, he can instead attempt to hamper the target. The bounty hunter must declare that he’s using this ability before the attack roll is made. If the attack hits, it deals damage normally, but instead of rolling sneak attack damage, the bounty hunter can attempt a dirty trick combat maneuver against the studied target as a free action, adding 1 to the combat maneuver check for each die of the bounty hunter’s sneak attack damage. This combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity. This ability replaces the slayer talent gained at 2nd level.


So, I think the limitation is whether or not Dirty Trick can be performed at range or not. If a dirty trick combat maneuver can be performed at range, then this could as well.

However, the fighter archer archetype establishes quite well that at the very least you can't perform the following combat maneuvers without either the archetype or some feats that open up the possibilities from ranged tactics toolbox.

Quote:

Trick Shot (Ex): At 3rd level, an archer can choose one of the following combat maneuvers or actions: disarm, feint, or sunder. He can perform this action with a bow against any target within 30 feet, with a –4 penalty to his CMB. Every four levels beyond 3rd, he may choose an additional trick shot to learn. These maneuvers use up arrows as normal.

At 11th level, he may also choose from the following combat maneuvers: bull rush, grapple, trip. A target grappled by an arrow can break free by destroying the archer's arrow (hardness 5, hit points 1, break DC 13) or with an Escape Artist or CMB check (against the archer's CMD –4). This ability replaces armor training 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Unfortunately, it's not clear what if any combat maneuvers can default be applied through ranged attacks. I used to think at the very least sunder could be done, but it cannot without the archetype.

This leads me to support a more conservative interpretation that without special permission to say you can, you cannot perform combat maneuvers at range.


It's actually the description of combat maneuvers themselves which limit most of them (barring archtypes or other exceptions) to melee attacks:

prd wrote:
Performing a Combat Maneuver: When performing a combat maneuver, you must use an action appropriate to the maneuver you are attempting to perform. While many combat maneuvers can be performed as part of an attack action, full-attack action, or attack of opportunity (in place of a melee attack), others require a specific action.

(bold/italics added for emphasis)

While the archer's description specifies it is an exception to the general rule about combat maneuvers at range, the Bounty Hunter does not include the same level of exception. I can see the validity in arguments supporting either way, but think the way it is written that it remains melee-only barring some other way to overcome the normal melee-only restriction.

-TimD

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