How Many Attacks ?


Rules Questions


OK stupid question.

When a monster has multiple attacks listed e.g. bite, claw x 2 and tail swipe does it get to use all those attacks in the same combat round or do I choose one of them each round ?


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Not stupid question. Very common question

If the monster moves more than 5 feet it can only pick one.

If the monster moves 5 feet or less ALL of them. This makes standing next to monsters very dangerous.


Oops - my players have been getting away lightly - very lightly. Still it can be a nice new years suprise :-)

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BigNorseWolf wrote:

Not stupid question. Very common question

If the monster moves more than 5 feet it can only pick one.

If the monster moves 5 feet or less ALL of them. This makes standing next to monsters very dangerous.

Really? I thought you only picked one, but any of them that require more than one attack roll, you have to do a full attack.


Multiple natural attacks function kinda like iterative attacks, in that you only get one attack in you do a move action, but all of them if you Full-Attack.

Thing is, ALL primary natural attacks are made at Full BAB, where only secondary are made at a -5 and that's all there is to it.


If you do a full attack, then you will generally use all of them listed. So you can full attack for 2 claws, a bite, a tail slam, and anything else they've got, all together.

That requires a full-round action though, meaning you'd have to use your Move and your Standard together to do so. So if you've already spent your move action to, say, move, you only have your standard action left, meaning you can make one attack, whether it be a claw, a bite, or whatever.

A 5-foot step is not an actual move action though, so if they just 5-foot step to get into range, or don't move at all, they still have both actions, can take their full attack, and put a lot of hurt down on whoever's hanging out next to them (preferably the party's tank...).

Hopefully that helps?


Yeah, with things like dragons, it's often better to hit them once and retreat, provoking an attack of opportunity, than it is to full attack them and giving them a chance to full attack you.

BigNorseWolf wrote:
If the monster moves more than 5 feet it can only pick one.

Unless the creature has 'pounce' in which case it can charge and use all of them.


waiph wrote:

Multiple natural attacks function kinda like iterative attacks, in that you only get one attack in you do a move action, but all of them if you Full-Attack.

Thing is, ALL primary natural attacks are made at Full BAB, where only secondary are made at a -5 and that's all there is to it.

im gonna jump in and ask a question. say u have a hald orc that uses 2 weapons. on a full attack does he get both main and off hand attacks along with that natural attack they have (something to do with their horns 1d4? may be a trait, cant remember). for a total of 3 attacks?


You're probably thinking of bite, and yes, that would work alright (assuming he has Two-Weapon Fighting anyway, or he's taking huge penalties on the attack rolls. Still possible though).

However, things to note when mixing manufactured and natural weapons:

A creature generally can't use both if they are with the same limb. So, a half orc can attack with two weapons in their hands and bite simultaneously, but a catfolk, who gets claws, can't make attacks with weapons in their hands, and also claw with their hands (though they can mix them up, such as 1 weapon and 1 claw, or 2 weapons, or 2 claws).

Also, primary natural attacks generally use full BAB for their attack bonus, and full Strength modifier on Damage rolls. Secondary Attacks use BAB-5 and add Half Strength on damage rolls. If you're mixing Manufactured and Natural attacks though, the primary and secondary designation doesn't apply, and all of the natural attacks are treated as secondary, regardless of whether they normally would be or not.

Sczarni

I know you can't combine natural attacks with a flurry of blows, but could a tengu monk get off one unarmed strike and a claw/claw/bite during a full attack action? I'm thinking that with multi attack that wouldn't be half bad...


Nefreet wrote:
I know you can't combine natural attacks with a flurry of blows, but could a tengu monk get off one unarmed strike and a claw/claw/bite during a full attack action? I'm thinking that with multi attack that wouldn't be half bad...

Yes, but all the attacks would be at his normal 3/4 BAB (granting extra unarmed attacks if he's 8th level or above), not his special flurry BAB, and the claw/claw/bite would be at the -5 and half strength of secondary weapons. It's legal, but sub-optimal under almost all circumstances. Either the monk would be better ignoring his unarmed attack and getting all his natural weapons as primary, or he would be better off doing a flurry.

Sczarni

-2, not -5. Bab/-2/-2/-2 sounds better to me than -2/-2. All you would need is one level of Monk and then go Rogue and watch the d6s fly!


Flurry is -2, but secondary attacks are -5 unless you have the Multiattack feat. And you can't flurry with natural weapons unless you have the right feat (which requires you to only pick one).

Sczarni

*hands Bobson gold star*


Shiny!

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