Hello, I'm working with a Whip Kensai Magus and have some questions about CM's.
1. Are Combat Maneuvers, like trip, sunder, and disarm, considered attacks?
2. If so, can I make multiple trips (assuming I have more than one attack available) on a full-round attack action using a whip?
3. Can I use the trip action if I get an attack of opportunity?
4. If trips are considered attacks, can feats like Pin Down, Second Chance, and Serpent Lash take advantage of them? If I use the Pin Down feat, with a whip, and choose to trip that foe as my AOO, would my Greater Trip feat allow any threatening allies to get an AOO vs that foe?
PCR, pg 183 says, “Some combat maneuvers substitute for a melee attack, not an action. As melee attacks, they can be used once in an attack or charge action, one or more times in a full-attack action, or even as an attack of opportunity. Others are used as a separate action.”
Pin Down says, “Whenever an opponent you threaten takes a 5-foot step or uses the withdraw action, that opponent provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If the attack hits, you deal no damage, but the targeted creature is prevented from making the move action that granted a 5-foot step or the withdraw action and does not move.”
Second Chance says, “When making a full attack, if you miss on your first attack, you can forgo making any other attacks for the rest of your turn to reroll that attack at your highest base attack bonus.”
Serpent Lash says, “When you successfully trip a creature with your whip, you get an immediate extra attack with the whip against another opponent. You cannot take a 5-foot step before making this extra attack. The extra attack is at the same bonus as the attack that tripped the previous creature. You can use this ability once per round.”
Greater Trip says, “You receive a +2 bonus on checks made to trip a foe. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by Improved Trip. Whenever you successfully trip an opponent, that opponent provokes attacks of opportunity.”
On a related question, as a whip magus, if I have my whip embued with one of the arcane pool abilities, like Flaming, and I trip an opponent, does the non-immune foe take that flame damage? I’m assuming that, even with Whip Mastery, I won’t do any normal lethal weapon damage on a trip. But, what if I’m holding a touch spell, like Shocking Grasp, in the whip when I trip that foe? Does it discharge and damage the foe? If so, did my successful CMB trip attack roll qualify as the melee attack hit usually necessary to transfer the touch spell through my weapon? Or, would I have to compare that CMB trip attack roll with the AC of the foe to see if it would have hit, in which case, if it didn’t then the spell is still being held or is it lost all together?
1. In most cases, yes. However, "attack" is used a little differently at different places. But mostly it's a clear yes.
2. Yes.
3. Yes.
4. Yes on all accounts.
Basicly if the Combat Manouver says "you do this in place of a melee attack" you can do them multiple times as part of a full-round attack and in place of AoOs or any other attacks you gain.
You even could be TWF and gain additional off-hand attempts for it, but at the usualy TWF penalties.
If it says "as a standard action", then no. Unless you take the Quick Bull Rush feat (as example), in which case you can again.
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. That helps a lot.
Any comments or replies concerning the related topic near the bottom?
Yes, they would take the flaming damage. It can be found in the core rulebook under damage reduction:
Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury poison, a monk's stunning, and injury-based disease. Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.
This logic would dictate that the touch is all that is needed to apply the energy damage or touch spell. If you make a successful trip attack, you have surely touched the target.
i don't really think DR rules are at all relevant here.
what is relevant is what the flaming quality says 'a flaming weapon is sheathed in fire that deals an extra 1d6 points of fire damage on a successful hit.'
i have no ideas what RAI is, but that should count IMHO (i.e. flaming IS triggered by a trip attack).
re: touch spell (held/via magus ability), it should also discharge on a trip, all that it cares about is that you are making an attack (with a weapon), and a trip attack is still accomplishing that, just applying the affects of Trip in place of the attack's normal damage. The touch spell is on top of the weapon's normal damage, not a part of it, such that it would be replaced as well by Trip.
EDIT: i assume you know that Whips can't normally take AoOs unless you specifically gain that ability (a Feat does that I think), so you need some way to be able to use your whip for AoOs before you can use a Whip in conjunction with Pin Down.
Yes, the feat you are refering to is Improved Whip Mastery, which allows you to threaten 10' (as a medium-sized character). If you threaten, then you can get AOO's. It's unfortunate that, as a Magus, you have to wait till BAB +5, or a minimum of 7th level, to qualify.