Cleaving with different weapons

[Cronax]

Consider the following scenario:

A Half Orc with Toothy has Cleave, is wielding a pole arm and is adjacent to an enemy who is adjacent to a second enemy who is 10' from our hero.

The Half Orc declares a Cleave, and hits the second enemy with his pole arm. Is making a bite attack against the first enemy a valid second attack from the Cleave?

[SwiftyKun]

Cleave:

You can strike two adjacent foes with a single swing.

Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: 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 first and also within reach. You can only make one additional attack per round with this feat. When you use this feat, you take a –2 penalty to your Armor Class until your next turn.

Even though there's nothing in the feat description that says you can't make your second attack using a separate weapon, the flavor text is quite specific. I'm going to have to say no.

[TGMaxMaxer]

It doesn't actually say you can't, but some people will argue it as was shown above.

However, you can hit the first one, then 5ft step back to hit the second one with the polearm, and be completely legal so long as you didn't move to begin with.

Note: Also, check the cover rules, you take a -4 for attacking the farthest one if he's directly in line behind the other enemy, reach weapons use the ranged attack penalties regarding cover.

[Cronax]

TGMaxMaxer wrote:

However, you can hit the first one, then 5ft step back to hit the second one with the polearm, and be completely legal so long as you didn't move to begin with.

I'm fairly sure that is incorrect. The 'Normal' line on Cleave Through from the ARG strongly implies otherwise.

[wraithstrike]

The idea behind the feat is to hit two people with one swing. Since you are trying to do something the rules did not intend, it is a GM call.

[TGMaxMaxer]

The OP stated that enemies were adjacent, but one was directly in front, the other 5ft back. Being Adjacent, and both within reach, covers the requirements of cleave. You can take a 5ft step anytime during your round, even between attacks. However, both targets have to have been legal at the beginning of the cleave action.

The cleave through line allows you to step 5ft after a cleave attack and if that brings another target within reach that wasn't before, you can swing on him then.

If you are standing in a square, and there are two enemies standing together, one diagonally from you within 5ft, and the other one next to him but within 10 ft of you, you can swing on the second one with a reach weapon, and then step diagonally to be 2 squares from the first one, and take your cleave attack.

The cleave through line, lets you start 10 ft from the first target, 15 ft from the other target(out of reach), you can swing on the first one, and then step to bring the other enemy within reach, and attack him. Different situation.