Can anyone help out with this? The Universal Monster Rules says that the trample monster ability works like an overrun maneuver minus the need for a CMB check, but then it says a bunch of wacky other stuff that makes this previous statement very hard to parse.
Overrun is done as a standard action as part of moving, or as part of a charge (one assumes without needing to spend a standard action, since this would be impossible). Trample says it takes a full-round action to use. What does this mean? It doesn't say how far you can move via this full-round action or anything. Since the trample ability doesn't involve a CMB check, is it not possible for a trampling creature to render the creature it tramples prone, or does this happen automatically or what? Can a trampling creature trample any number of creatures in the way of its movement (however long this movement turns out to be allowed to be)?
Any insight into any of these issues would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
- Gears
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It's pretty simple really. Try not to focus on the Overrun reference as it just confuses things.
Basically, the trampling creature takes a full-round action to move over and through creatures at least one size smaller than it. The affected creatures get two options: they could take an AoO with a -4 penalty and take full damage from the trample or they could forego the AoO to try a reflex save for half damage. The trampling creature must end its movement in open spaces (it can't stop on top of the creatures).
Hope that helps.
Trample (Ex) As a full-round action, a creature with the trample ability can attempt to overrun any creature that is at least one size category smaller than itself. This works just like the overrun combat maneuver, but the trampling creature does not need to make a check, it merely has to move over opponents in its path. Targets of a trample take an amount of damage equal to the trampling creature's slam damage + 1-1/2 times its Str modifier. Targets of a trample can make an attack of opportunity, but at a –4 penalty. If targets forgo an attack of opportunity, they can attempt to avoid the trampling creature and receive a Reflex save to take half damage. The save DC against a creature's trample attack is 10 + 1/2 creature's HD + creature's Str modifier (the exact DC is given in the creature's descriptive text). A trampling creature can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.
Format: trample (2d6+9, DC 20); Location: Special Attacks.
Thanks for the input, but I'm still not fully clear on it. I realize it's a unique type of full-round action to trample, but how far can the creature move? Since it's a full-round action I'd be tempted to think double move speed, as for a charge, but this is nowhere specified. Also, while I agree that your take on it seems like a reasonable interpretation for a home game, the RAW of this ability is completely unusable.
Aha! Much obliged. That solves that, at least. So, basically, that FAQ combined with anthonydido's RAI of "ignore the part where it mentions overrun maneuvers" actually sorta kinda results in a basically workable ability. If only I can convince my GM this is the right way to rule the trampling animated objects I'll be controlling shortly, I'm golden!
I agree. It also still seems wrong to me that trample (which seems like a more powerful version of overrun, in a way) cannot knock creatures prone, while overrun can. If I were to redesign this, I'd remove the -4 penalty on the target's attack roll if they choose to take the AoO, but add in like, I dunno, a Reflex save to avoid becoming prone or something.
Maybe trample and overrun should just be a single ability.