I want everyone to double-check my reading of Mighty Cleaving:
A mighty cleaving weapon allows a wielder using the Cleave feat to make one additional attack if the first attack hits, as long as the next foe is adjacent to the first and also within reach. This additional attack cannot be against the first foe. Only melee weapons can be mighty cleaving weapons.
I would expect it to be the weapon ability of 'Greater Cleave', but here's the text from that:
As a standard action, you can make a single attack at your full base attack bonus against a foe within reach. If you hit, you deal damage normally and can make an additional attack (using your full base attack bonus) against a foe that is adjacent to the previous foe and also within reach. If you hit, you can continue to make attacks against foes adjacent to the previous foe, so long as they are within your reach. You cannot attack an individual foe more than once during this attack action. When you use this feat, you take a –2 penalty to your Armor Class until your next turn.
My reading of both of these leads me to believe that 'Mighty Cleaving' is more powerful than 'Greater Cleave'. The description of 'Greater Cleave' makes it clear that you must be attacking three different targets, whereas I'm reading 'Mighty Cleaving' as being able to attack one target, and an additional target twice. So, does that mean when I get 'Greater Cleave' with a Mighty Cleaving weapon, I can have four attacks? One against 3 distinct targets (per Greater Cleave), then one more against any one target that is not the first (per Mighty Cleave)?
Greater Cleave affects an infinite number of targets, as long as A) you keep hitting, and B) you don't run out of targets within reach that you havn't already attacked.
It isn't limited to three targets.
I want everyone to double-check my reading of Mighty Cleaving:
A mighty cleaving weapon allows a wielder using the Cleave feat to make one additional attack if the first attack hits, as long as the next foe is adjacent to the first and also within reach. This additional attack cannot be against the first foe. Only melee weapons can be mighty cleaving weapons.I would expect it to be the weapon ability of 'Greater Cleave', but here's the text from that:
My reading of both of these leads me to believe that 'Mighty Cleaving' is more powerful than 'Greater Cleave'. The description of 'Greater Cleave' makes it clear that you must be attacking three different targets, whereas I'm reading 'Mighty Cleaving' as being able to attack one target, and an additional target twice. So, does that mean when I get 'Greater Cleave' with a Mighty Cleaving weapon, I can have four attacks? One against 3 distinct targets (per Greater Cleave), then one more against any one target that is not the first (per Mighty Cleave)?
As a standard action, you can make a single attack at your full base attack bonus against a foe within reach. If you hit, you deal damage normally and can make an additional attack (using your full base attack bonus) against a foe that is adjacent to the previous foe and also within reach. If you hit, you can continue to make attacks against foes adjacent to the previous foe, so long as they are within your reach. You cannot attack an individual foe more than once during this attack action. When you use this feat, you take a –2 penalty to your Armor Class until your next turn.
Mighty Cleaving seems a bit confusing I'll admit, but here's how it seems to read. I'll used Bob the barbarian and 6 surrounding goblins.
Bob being surrounded by goblins and only having the Cleave feat attacks the first goblin and hits, deals damage, then moves on to the second adjacent goblin, rolls to hit, deals damage, then finishes up his round.
Bob is again surrounded by goblins, but now has a Mighty Cleaving weapon, so he decides to cleave again. Bob attacks the first goblin, rolls a hit, deals damage, then moves on to the second adjacent goblin, rolls to hit, misses, then gets an additional attack on the second goblin, hits, deals damage. (This isnt exactly how I think it's meant to work, but that seems to be how the text reads)
Bob is now a great scourge of goblins and has the Great Cleave Feat. Surrounded once more, he yawns and swings again. He rolls the first attack and hits, deals damage, then swings on into the second adjacent goblin, rolls a hit, deals damage, swings on into the third adjacent goblin, deal damage, swing on into the fourth adjacent goblin, deals damage, then he rolls a miss, Great Cleave ends. He's still got 1 goblin he hasn't dealt damage to. If he'd have hit the fifth goblin it would have had a chance to hit the sixth.
From the description, it doesnt seem like a Mighty Cleaving weapon would work with Great Cleave, not sure.
My interpretation of how Mighty Cleaving is meant to work (or at least worked in 3.5) is that Bob with the cleave feat rolls with his cleave, damages the first goblin, swings on into the adjacent goblin, hits, deals damage, then the Mighty Cleaving weapon allows him an extra attack on the third adjacent goblin. By the printed text of the PFCRB it doesnt state the requirement that the extra attack has to be against a third target, only that it can't be against the first. Perhaps the change was so that it is useful in situations where there is less than 3 foes near you and so you get a cleave and a normal attack, seems pretty useful.
I'm interested to hear other interpretations.