Claw Attacks, Pole-arms, and AoO


Rules Questions


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Hey folks, sorry to bother everyone with this question, but it seems my search-fu is not strong tonight...

Can my alchemist using his feral mutagen make a single claw attack and a single bite attack in a round and then make his AoO in that same round with his longspear?

Please cite your sources, and thank you for your time.


Yep.

Assuming he starts the turn with 2 hands on the polearm, he could remove a hand as a free action. Then claw with the free hand, bite, return his hand to the longspear and end his turn, letting any AoO work with the longspear. And bite if anyone got through his reach before provoking. The only relevant FAQ I could find is here allowing free action release and regrab of a 2-handed weapon.


Advanced Player's Guide, Alchemist, Discoveries wrote:
Feral mutagen: Whenever the alchemist imbibes a mutagen, he gains two claw attacks and a bite attack. These are primary attacks and are made using the alchemist's full base attack bonus. The claw attacks deal 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if the alchemist is Small) and the bite attack deals 1d8 points of damage (1d6 if the alchemist is Small). While the mutagen is in effect, the alchemist gains a +2 competence bonus on Intimidate skill checks.

I presume that your alchemist took only one claw attack because he is holding his longspear in one clawed hand, rendering that hand unable to claw. This is the right thing to do to gain the AoO.

The alchemist on his turn uses a full-attack action to make a natural attack, one claw attack and one bite attack. After the full-attack action, but before the turn ends, he uses a free action to shift his grip on his longspear to wield it in two hands. The proper two-handed grip on the longspear lets him threaten with it, so that he can have Attacks of Opportunity when the opportunity is provoked.

What is not possible is to threaten with the claws and the longspear at the same time. But he can threaten adjacent foes with his bite, so he does not need to threaten with his claws.

The Core Rulebook FAQ at Can I use my longspear to attack at both 10 feet and 5 feet? ... states, "The rules are silent on how long it would take to shift between the two, but switching between a one-handed and a two-handed grip with a one-handed weapon like a longsword is a free action (and can thus be only taken on your turn), so it should take at least as long as that, thus preventing you from simultaneously threatening all of the squares at once."


He can make both claws and his bite while holding the long spear. As long as he isn't attacking with it as part of his Full Attack Action, just holding it, that's no problem.


Why would you lose your ability to take AoO's with the long spear? As long as you are wielding it 2 handed at the end of your turn you threaten with it and can take AoOs. What else you do during your turn is irrelevant. It does not fall within the ambit of the metaphysical 'hands of effort' FAQ for instance.


Mathmuse wrote:
What is not possible is to threaten with the claws and the longspear at the same time. But he can threaten adjacent foes with his bite, so he does not need to threaten with his claws.

Not so. It is impossible to Full Attack with both the Claws and the Spear, but just to Threaten? That's fine. Remember that to remove your hand from your Longspear is only a Free Action. I linked to the relevant FAQ in my last post on this thread.

I was actually thinking of having a character kind of like this: a Tengu with Claws who uses a Longbow. When she's in melee, she'd attack with her Claws and Bite. When she's at Range, she'd attack with her bow. Since removing and replacing hands from her bow are Free Actions, she'd just Full Attack with the Bow in her hands. It would be only be a problem if she wanted to Full Attack and shoot somebody.


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Scott Wilhelm wrote:
Mathmuse wrote:
What is not possible is to threaten with the claws and the longspear at the same time. But he can threaten adjacent foes with his bite, so he does not need to threaten with his claws.

Not so. It is impossible to Full Attack with both the Claws and the Spear, but just to Threaten? That's fine. Remember that to remove your hand from your Longspear is only a Free Action. I linked to the relevant FAQ in my last post on this thread.

I was actually thinking of having a character kind of like this: a Tengu with Claws who uses a Longbow. When she's in melee, she'd attack with her Claws and Bite. When she's at Range, she'd attack with her bow. Since removing and replacing hands from her bow are Free Actions, she'd just Full Attack with the Bow in her hands. It would be only be a problem if she wanted to Full Attack and shoot somebody.

There's a FAQ that you can't do most free actions off your turn, so swapping hands can't be done off your turn. So you can't threaten at reach and melee with claws at the same time.


Chess Pwn wrote:
Scott Wilhelm wrote:
Mathmuse wrote:
What is not possible is to threaten with the claws and the longspear at the same time. But he can threaten adjacent foes with his bite, so he does not need to threaten with his claws.

Not so. It is impossible to Full Attack with both the Claws and the Spear, but just to Threaten? That's fine. Remember that to remove your hand from your Longspear is only a Free Action. I linked to the relevant FAQ in my last post on this thread.

I was actually thinking of having a character kind of like this: a Tengu with Claws who uses a Longbow. When she's in melee, she'd attack with her Claws and Bite. When she's at Range, she'd attack with her bow. Since removing and replacing hands from her bow are Free Actions, she'd just Full Attack with the Bow in her hands. It would be only be a problem if she wanted to Full Attack and shoot somebody.

There's a FAQ that you can't do most free actions off your turn, so swapping hands can't be done off your turn. So you can't threaten at reach and melee with claws at the same time.

Interesting, I recall an FAQ that says that Free Actions often are taken in conjunction with other actions, such as the Free Grapple that comes with the Grab Ability. I'm really pretty sure you can take your Free Action Grapple if you make an Attack of Opportunity with a Tentacle.

I'd appreciate a link if you can put your finger to it.

I suppose it's a small matter for the OP or for me, though. I was talking about the Full Attack Action for my character, all durning my turn, and both the OP's character and mine also have Bite Attacks. So even if you are right that neither character can make Attacks of Opportunity with Claws that are holding long Bows or Spears, both characters can just Bite for their close AoOs instead.

No problem.


Scott Wilhelm wrote:

Interesting, I recall an FAQ that says that Free Actions often are taken in conjunction with other actions, such as the Free Grapple that comes with the Grab Ability. I'm really pretty sure you can take your Free Action Grapple if you make an Attack of Opportunity with a Tentacle.

I'd appreciate a link if you can put your finger to it.

I suppose it's a small matter for the OP or for me, though. I was talking about the Full Attack Action for my character, all durning my turn, and both the OP's character and mine also have Bite Attacks. So even if you are right that neither character can make Attacks of Opportunity with Claws that are holding long Bows or Spears, both characters can just Bite for their close AoOs instead.

No problem.

That FAQ you're thinking of is the one that says most free actions can't be done off your turn, and these are the exceptions that you can do off your turn.

"While you can’t take most free actions off your turn, Grab, Trip, Pull, Push, and Rock Catching’s free actions can all be used off-turn. "


Thank you all for your input and fact-finding skills.


If your an alchemist, just grown an extra arm to you can hold your spear two-handed and still have an unoccupied claw.


Chess Pwn wrote:
Scott Wilhelm wrote:

Interesting, I recall an FAQ that says that Free Actions often are taken in conjunction with other actions, such as the Free Grapple that comes with the Grab Ability. I'm really pretty sure you can take your Free Action Grapple if you make an Attack of Opportunity with a Tentacle.

I'd appreciate a link if you can put your finger to it.

I suppose it's a small matter for the OP or for me, though. I was talking about the Full Attack Action for my character, all durning my turn, and both the OP's character and mine also have Bite Attacks. So even if you are right that neither character can make Attacks of Opportunity with Claws that are holding long Bows or Spears, both characters can just Bite for their close AoOs instead.

No problem.

That FAQ you're thinking of is the one that says most free actions can't be done off your turn, and these are the exceptions that you can do off your turn.

"While you can’t take most free actions off your turn, Grab, Trip, Pull, Push, and Rock Catching’s free actions can all be used off-turn. "

There it is. Thanks.

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