Tengu Swordmaster Trance (ARG)

[Blueskier]

When mantaining a swordmaster Tiger trance, how exactly do you resolve the charge? What kind of action is the CMB check?

My guess is that you can check as a free action once per turn. If you succeed, you can pounce. If not, you can do whatever you want. There is nothing RAW to support this interpretation, I know, but "seems" right, because the way it's currently written you get to make as many checks as you want, even many times against the same enemy, because

Core wrote:

Using an extraordinary ability is usually not an action because most extraordinary abilities automatically happen in a reactive fashion.

The other sensible possibility is that you make the CMB check as part of the charge, and you get to pounce if you succeed and if you fail you make a normal charge. This is, however, vastly inferior.

So, what do you think?

Tiger Trance:

Ex: The swordmaster pounces upon her opponents, striking with the ferocity and brute force of a wild tiger. While in this trance, a swordmaster can make a combat maneuver check against an opponent within charge range. If she succeeds, she may charge that opponent and make a full attack against that opponent.

[Mort the Cleverly Named]

There is a similar issue with Monkey Stance

Monkey Stance:

As the monkey springs, the swordmaster leaps from the reach of her enemies. While in this trance, a swordmaster can make an Acrobatics check opposed by an opponent's CMD. If she succeeds, she may move 5 feet as a swift action within the opponent's threatened area; this movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity and does not count as a 5-foot step.

I have the same interpretation as you, for both cases. It seems like the best point balance wise, as requiring a standard action for the CMB check would be a bit lame, while allowing as many checks as you wanted until one landed would be silly. Should probably be FAQed, though.

[Kryzbyn]

FAQ'd to help out.

[Hsuperman]

Another question regarding the Tengu swordmaster trance: can a tengu with the "claw attack" alternate racial trait still be a swordmaster? As far as I can tell, there is no stipulation that the swordmaster must use "swords," despite the name of the archetype. If this is true, a swordmaster scout tengu rogue with claw attacks can execute a Tiger Trance to deal 3 attacks (claw, claw, bite) all with sneak attack... at 3rd level.

[Siddhartasam]

With tiger stance, can you pick the combat maneuver (i.e. trip, overrun) and apply any bonuses from other sources, or is this just a straight CMB check?

As DM, I would house rule it the latter way. It would seem within reason to allow supplemental CMB variants of this (even though they would not trip or overrun) to add flavor; I charge him, swipe legs and go for stabby time!

[galahad2112]

@ Hsuperman

No, I don't think that the racial trait "Swordtrained" is required. The Swordmaster Scout can totally sneak attack pounce with 3 natural attacks at third level.

@ Siddhartasam

I believe it to be an untyped combat maneuver. Although, from the resolution forthcoming on the "Is using tiger trance a standard action? Part of a charge?... etc.???" question, if it's part of a charge, I would say that it gets the +2 bonus for charging.

For bonus points, let's take a level dip into an arcane casting class for true strike. Because, seriously, I want to make that maneuver check.

[dumptruckman]

This says it is answered in the faq but for the life of me I cannot find it. Can anyone link to the answer?

[Brew Bird]

A bit late to the party here. By about a year... But has anyone found the aforementioned FAQ?

[Cavall]

I tried to find it but failed.

However, I think the OP quoted the relevant text from core to answer this, which is why it was considered answered.

Free action to check. Answered their own question.

[Chess Pwn]

They used to say answered when they meant, we're not giving an answer now. Because they wanted it out of their list and the only had the one response