|
Hello everyone and sorry for the noobish question. I just started DMming Pathfinder to my local group, and we don't have any former experience with pathfinder or D&D (is that forbidden name to mention?)
The problem we been having is with full attack, especially on monsters. For example Skeletons offense block read: broken scimitar +0 (1d6), claw -3 (1d4+1) or 2 claws +2 (1d4+2).
So if skeleton does a full attack it can either use its scimitar and claw or 2 claws? If it does use scimitar is second claw attack with -3 or -8 because core rules say that secondary attacks are always with -5 or is that already factored in in -3? Same with the claws, are they both with same attack bonus or does second get penalties?Golem also says that it has 2 slams are they both with same attack bonus?
Also sorry for bad grammar and repetition :o and thank you for the answers.Positive
The penalties are already in place in the stat block, so it would be -3.
Claws are primary weapons, regardless of how many attacks you get. The only exception is when they are used in conjunction with a weapon attack.Same applies to Slam attacks. And bites, but most creatures don't get multiple bites.
This is covered under "Natural Attacks" in the Universal Monster Rules, or here in the PRD
Hello everyone and sorry for the noobish question. I just started DMming Pathfinder to my local group, and we don't have any former experience with pathfinder or D&D (is that forbidden name to mention?)
The problem we been having is with full attack, especially on monsters. For example Skeletons offense block read: broken scimitar +0 (1d6), claw -3 (1d4+1) or 2 claws +2 (1d4+2).
So if skeleton does a full attack it can either use its scimitar and claw or 2 claws? If it does use scimitar is second claw attack with -3 or -8 because core rules say that secondary attacks are always with -5 or is that already factored in in -3? Same with the claws, are they both with same attack bonus or does second get penalties?Golem also says that it has 2 slams are they both with same attack bonus?
Also sorry for bad grammar and repetition :o and thank you for the answers.Positive
The penalties are already in place in the stat block, so it would be -3.
Claws are primary weapons, regardless of how many attacks you get. The only exception is when they are used in conjunction with a weapon attack.Same applies to Slam attacks. And bites, but most creatures don't get multiple bites.
This is covered under "Natural Attacks" in the Universal Monster Rules, or here in the PRD
I'll piggyback on this old thread because it answered most of my questions except one: Why would a skeleton even bother with the scimitar? The double-claw attack seems superior in all regards. Is it flavor? Or am I not understanding something?
flavour baby! /cast summon pirate to this thread
I'll piggyback on this old thread because it answered most of my questions except one: Why would a skeleton even bother with the scimitar? The double-claw attack seems superior in all regards. Is it flavor? Or am I not understanding something?Hello everyone and sorry for the noobish question. I just started DMming Pathfinder to my local group, and we don't have any former experience with pathfinder or D&D (is that forbidden name to mention?)
The problem we been having is with full attack, especially on monsters. For example Skeletons offense block read: broken scimitar +0 (1d6), claw -3 (1d4+1) or 2 claws +2 (1d4+2).
So if skeleton does a full attack it can either use its scimitar and claw or 2 claws? If it does use scimitar is second claw attack with -3 or -8 because core rules say that secondary attacks are always with -5 or is that already factored in in -3? Same with the claws, are they both with same attack bonus or does second get penalties?Golem also says that it has 2 slams are they both with same attack bonus?
Also sorry for bad grammar and repetition :o and thank you for the answers.Positive
The penalties are already in place in the stat block, so it would be -3.
Claws are primary weapons, regardless of how many attacks you get. The only exception is when they are used in conjunction with a weapon attack.Same applies to Slam attacks. And bites, but most creatures don't get multiple bites.
This is covered under "Natural Attacks" in the Universal Monster Rules, or here in the PRD
You're missing the fact that they have no Intelligence scores. Opponents should be played accordingly. Not every creature should be a master tactician. Creatures with no intelligence should be played that way.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Sure, but the wizard who made them has a good intelligence and it's cheaper to not give them weapons as well.
With a non-broken sword they do okay, but you're right, the broken one is a bit pointless.
Of course, many skeletons have, say, been guarding a tomb so long their once very nice sword is broken now, and their master is long dead.
Also as a GM you can use the sub-optimal scimitar to make the fight a little easier or if you feel the fight is too easy switch to the claws to up the challenge. How you play the monsters has a lot to to with how challenging an encounter really is.
You're missing the fact that they have no Intelligence scores. Opponents should be played accordingly. Not every creature should be a master tactician. Creatures with no intelligence should be played that way.Sure, but the wizard who made them has a good intelligence and it's cheaper to not give them weapons as well.
Who said anyone made them? They could be simply animated by the negative energy of dark deeds done in the past, and are automatons acting the way they would have acted in life.
Maybe they originally had decent swords but over time those swords are now broken. Maybe their better weapon was disarmed or sundered but they just picked up the nearest sword because they were told to "attack with your sword." Also, arming skeletons with even regular swords will start to get expensive. Broken weapons are often free. Nothing said it was a wizard that animated them either. There are plenty of ways they could have been animated. Even then, your question was about the tactics a skeleton would employ. Skeletons shouldn't be using tactics any more complex than "attack" and "don't attack."
Skeletons used to be people. People don't generally fight with claws.
claw -3 (1d4+1)(Avg damage: 3)
2 claws +2 (1d4+2) (Avg damage: 4)
Did you forget to double the average damage for 2 claws, since there's two of them?
Okay this confuses me now...
Seems to me broken scimitar could be better tactically, depending on the situation, why are people saying otherwise?
Full Attack with Scimiatar:
broken scimitar +0 (1d6) (Avg damage: 3)
claw -3 (1d4+1)(Avg damage: 3)
No, that's 3.5 damage from the scimitar and 3.5 from the claw, for 7 total.
Quick rule of thumb: when you have min-to-max damage, the average is the minimum plus the maximum divided by two. So 1d4+2 means 3 to 6 damage, halved is 4.5. Average 1d6 is (1+6)/2 = 3.5
Average damage: 6. Penalty to hit (-3 on the claw, 0 for the sword)
Full Attack with 2 Claws:
2 claws +2 (1d4+2) (Avg damage: 4)Average damage: 4. Bonus to hit (+2)
Two claws are average 4.5 per hit, which is 9 total.
So scimitar allows higher damage with lower chance to hit, claws are more likely to hit but cause lets damage. Makes sense to me, am I reading this wrong?
There are two of them, with better average damage than the scimitar, and better chances to hit. Also, another rule of thumb to bear in mind, +1 to hit is usually worth +2 to damage.
Thanks, everyone. Personally I have no problem with the flavor of a skeleton that uses a sub-optimal strategy. Perhaps it is "remembering" how it used to behave in its prior life or something.
Now I have one more question: If the skeleton attacks with the scimitar ONLY (because it moved, for example), do I use the attack statistics as written? Or do the written statistics assume a two-weapon attack, and therefore the two-weapon penalty needs to be removed in the case of a single-weapon attack?
(I'm assuming that a skeleton's base attack should be +2, and that it is only +0 in the case of the scimitar because of a -2 two-weapon fighting penalty, or something -- but perhaps I'm wrong.)
If the skeleton attacks with the scimitar ONLY (because it moved, for example), do I use the attack statistics as written? Or do the written statistics assume a two-weapon attack, and therefore the two-weapon penalty needs to be removed in the case of a single-weapon attack?
He's not using Two-Weapon Fighting because his other attack is a natural attack. Two-Weapon Fighting only applies to manufactured weapons and unarmed strikes. In short, there's no penalty on his sword due to attacking with his claw.
(I'm assuming that a skeleton's base attack should be +2, and that it is only +0 in the case of the scimitar because of a -2 two-weapon fighting penalty, or something -- but perhaps I'm wrong.)
The -2 is because the Scimitar is Broken.
Skeletons used to be people. People don't generally fight with claws.
You've never seen two high school girls throw down, have you?
The -2 is because the Scimitar is Broken.
Ah-ha! I understand now. I thought the word "broken" was flavor; I hadn't read the rules on broken equipment yet. (Like Shivore up above, I'm new to the game too.)
Thanks for your help!
I remove an offensive post.