Combat Patrol + Cleaving finish / Great cleave?!

[redrice]

Got a couple questions regarding combining the effects of combat patrol and the cleave feat tree...

1. Can I combine the extended threatened area of combat patrol to apply to the cleaving finish specifically? I know cleaving finish can work off of an AoO cause its a "melee attack", but does that then mean I can move and then make my extra attack because cleaving finish is worded unlike cleave. It uses "reach" not "adjacent". If so, then I can also assume improved cleaving finish works this way til you stop one hit killing.

2. Does cleaving finish technically count as a "cleave"? - if so, would I be able to continue using the great cleave feat after an AoO and cleaving finish? I assume no, but want clarity.

[LordKailas]

in both cases, so long as you've met the conditions that trigger cleaving finish then you can use cleaving finish. But as per the feat, even if those conditions are met multiple times you could only benefit from the feat once per round.

I'm not sure what you mean by cleaving finish "counting" as cleave. Great cleave requires that you use a standard action to activate and allows you to attack everyone that's within reach when you activate the feat. Even if you moved as a result of cleaving finish (and therefore brought new enemies into range) they would not be eligible targets for attacks that round via great cleave since they were not initially in range.

Maybe you're getting cleaving finish through an ability like a ranger's combat style?

In that case cleaving finish counts as cleaving finish and would satisfy the requirement of having cleaving finish. However, if you are also required to have cleave then you would still need to meet that requirement separately (eg. Improved Cleaving Finish).