Can dire wolves charge and trip?

[Cinderfoot Bristlebeard]

I know trip takes the place of an attack dire wolves normally have + 7 to hit but to do a trip it is +8 CMB. Do they get plus to to CMB to trip when charging? How is a charging trip played out? Thanks!

[GM 1990]

Cinderfoot Bristlebeard wrote:

I know trip takes the place of an attack dire wolves normally have + 7 to hit but to do a trip it is +8 CMB. Do they get plus to to CMB to trip when charging? How is a charging trip played out? Thanks!

The "plus trip" means it gets to use the universal monster ability "trip" when it makes a successful bite attack (which would include biting at the end of a charge).

PRD Universal Monster Rules wrote:

Trip (Ex) A creature with the trip special attack can attempt to trip its opponent as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity if it hits with the specified attack. If the attempt fails, the creature is not tripped in return.

Format: trip (bite); Location: individual attacks.

So it actually doesn't take the place of, its in addition to. When it makes a successful bite, immediately roll a trip attempt using its +8 CMB. If it beats the opponents CMD the opponent is prone.

This can get really nasty if there is a pack of them, since normally standing up from the prone provokes AoO (at +4 due to you being prone when you provoke).

What I'm not totally sure about is if -during that AoO- bite, if successful, does the wolf get its free action trip as well. Since it gets the trip as free action on a successful bite, it would seem to indicate it does have a good chance of just continuing to keep you mauled on the ground and you might be better off attacking back from the prone until help arrives than getting into that "gnawing circle of death".

[Jeraa]

Quote:

This can get really nasty if there is a pack of them, since normally standing up from the prone provokes AoO (at +4 due to you being prone when you provoke).

What I'm not totally sure about is if -during that AoO- bite, if successful, does the wolf get its free action trip as well. Since it gets the trip as free action on a successful bite, it would seem to indicate it does have a good chance of just continuing to keep you mauled on the ground and you might be better off attacking back from the prone until help arrives than getting into that "gnawing circle of death".

Doesn't matter if it gets the free trip or not. As an AoO occurs before the action that triggered it, the target is still prone and tripping them again would do nothing. After the AoO, the target would then finish his action and stand up (as nothing prevents him from doing so).

You can't keep someone down this way.

[Chess Pwn]

Unless you could somehow ready an action to attack them once they finish standing, which would then let you trip them again on a successful hit. But if you attack and get them down, then there is nothing you can do to stop them from getting up except killing them on the AoO.

[GM 1990]

Jeraa wrote:

Quote:

This can get really nasty if there is a pack of them, since normally standing up from the prone provokes AoO (at +4 due to you being prone when you provoke).

What I'm not totally sure about is if -during that AoO- bite, if successful, does the wolf get its free action trip as well. Since it gets the trip as free action on a successful bite, it would seem to indicate it does have a good chance of just continuing to keep you mauled on the ground and you might be better off attacking back from the prone until help arrives than getting into that "gnawing circle of death".

Doesn't matter if it gets the free trip or not. As an AoO occurs before the action that triggered it, the target is still prone and tripping them again would do nothing. After the AoO, the target would then finish his action and stand up (as nothing prevents him from doing so).

You can't keep someone down this way.

Good point - hence the +4 bonus on the AoO when they're "trying to stand". That makes sense.

The deadly part about a couple of them on you is you may end up taking your 1 attack once you stood up (having been bitten on their attack, and bitten again on their AoO), then end up prone again on their attack sequence. So it can still turn you into a chew-toy fast if you and your buddies don't hand out some beat-down, which is tough to do if you're only getting 1 attack/round and eating those AoO's.