Niche D20Creatures can attempt to perform various types of maneuvers to hinder, cripple, or move a foe rather than directly damaging it. Each maneuver has a different function and effect, but uses a similar set of stats and mechanics to determine success or failure. When an ability or feature refers to a maneuver it may refer to the specific type of maneuver only for ease of reference (such as a class feature allowing a character to make a “Sunder check” rather than a “Sunder maneuver save attack roll”).
Maneuver Save Bonus
A creature’s Maneuver Save Bonus (or MSB) value represents a creature’s aptitude at performing maneuvers, and is determined using the following formula:
MSB = Base Attack Bonus(BAB) + Strength modifier + Size Modifier + Other Misc Bonuses.
Any features (such as feats or class features) that grant a bonus to your MSB apply to all types of maneuvers performed. If a feature grants a bonus only to a specific type of maneuver, other maneuvers do not gain that bonus. Some types of maneuvers may gain bonuses from features on a held weapon (such as the Pushing special feature which grants a bonus to Reposition maneuvers), but general bonuses or penalties to weapon attack rolls (such as from an enhancement bonus on a weapon) do not also grant this bonus to MSB.
If a creature is capable of using another ability score when making attack rolls with a weapon that is used to perform a maneuver (such as with the Weapon Finesse minor perk, or if a ranged weapon can be used to perform the maneuver), or with an unarmed strike if no weapon was used to perform the maneuver, it may instead calculate its MSB using that ability score modifier rather its strength modifier.
| Author’s Note |
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| Why not allow all attack bonuses to apply to MSB? Maneuvers are opposed by save rolls, which are more difficult to raise than attack bonuses or AC bonuses. If all potential bonuses that could apply to an attack roll were able to apply to a maneuver, it would quickly become almost impossible to resist maneuvers even on a character that invested every option to raise their saves, even against manuevers |
Performing a Maneuver
When performing a maneuver, the creature performing the maneuver makes a save attack (1d20 + its MSB) against the target of the maneuver; the target opposes this by making a saving throw of the type specified by the maneuver, usually a Physical save. If the creature performing the maneuver rolls equal or higher than the defender’s save result, the maneuver is a success; while a save attack roll lower than the defender’s save results in a failure. Some maneuvers may have effects that scale based on degrees of success or failure.
Automatic Success and Failure
Similar to saving throws, maneuvers can result in an automatic hit or miss depending on the roll of the dice.
- A natural 20 from the attacker or a natural 1 from the defender is always a success.
- A natural 20 from the defender or natural 1 from the attacker is always a failure.
- If both the attacker and defender roll a natural 20 or both roll a natural 1, calculate success or failure normally based on final values.
- Even if a weapon is being used to perform the maneuver, the maneuver itself cannot critically hit nor cause a critical threat.
- If an ability would allow a creature to perform a maneuver in addition to an attack, the attack itself can result in a critical threat, but the maneuver performed subsequently or separately from the attack gains no benefits from the critical and usually requires a separate roll for the maneuver save attack.
Types of Maneuvers
Each type of maneuver has its own rules and restrictions on how it may be used.
Maneuvers that are separate, individual actions normally cannot be combined with other types of actions, though some features may allow these maneuvers to be performed as a part of, or as a Reaction following, another action.
Some maneuvers can be performed in place of an attack roll (usually a melee attack); these types of maneuvers can be substituted in place of any attack that would normally be allowed (whether this was granted by a Focused Attack action, an attack of opportunity, or as part of another action) rather than making the attack normally. With the exception of the Sunder combat maneuver, most maneuvers do not deal damage and cannot be combined with features which modify attacks (such as Vital Strike and Power Stance). When performing a maneuver in place of an attack, the maneuver uses the base attack bonus value of the attack it is substituting to determine its MSB.
| Example |
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| A 6th level Fighter with the Two-Weapon Fighting feat could spend 4 AP to make a Focused Attack with an extra set of attacks, to make attacks at a +6, +6, +1, and -4 BAB. If the Fighter decided to substitute the second attack with a Trip maneuver and the third attack with a Disarm maneuver, their Trip attempt would be made using +6 BAB and the Disarm attempt would be made using +1 BAB to determine the save attack values. |
Unless otherwise noted, performing a maneuver provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of the maneuver; though some features (such as the Maneuver Training feat) may allow a maneuver to be performed without provoking. If the target of a maneuver is Unconscious or is otherwise helpless (such as from the Paralyzed condition), the maneuver automatically succeeds as if the defender had rolled a 1. If the defender has the Stunned condition, it receives a -4 penalty to its saving throws against maneuvers.
Some maneuvers may be used with weapons, others may require special circumstances to use a weapon. The following table details which maneuvers may be used with weapons, and the action point cost required:
| Maneuver | Usable With Weapons? | Action Cost | Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirty Trick | No | 3 AP | Physical(Agi) |
| Disarm | Yes | In place of any melee attack | Physical |
| Grapple | No (Yes with grapple weapon) | 3 AP | Physical(Str) |
| Reposition | No (Yes with pushing weapon) | 3 AP | Physical(Str) |
| Sunder | Yes | In place of any melee attack | Physical |
| Trip | Yes | In place of any melee attack | Physical(Agi) |
Dirty Trick
A Dirty Trick maneuver attempts to hinder a foe in some way by manipulating the environment or a piece of equipment.
A Dirty Trick maneuver can be attempted as for 3 AP against a foe within reach, and can apply the Blinded, Entangled, Fatigued, or Sickened condition to a target (or other options which may be granted by various features).
Dirty Trick maneuvers are opposed by Physical(Agi) saves.
A Dirty Trick attempt is an invitation to creativity to describe the action taken and how it would result in the intended status ailment; this can take many forms, such as throwing sand into a foe’s eyes, kicking a sensitive spot, cutting an opponent’s belt, or other possibilities.
On a success the target is afflicted with the chosen status ailment for 2 rounds, plus an additional round for each degree of success. As a 2-point action that provokes an attack of opportunity, the target may remove a single condition imposed by Dirty Trick; if multiple Dirty Trick maneuvers have applied separate penalties, a separate action must be taken to remove each.
Disarm
A Disarm maneuver allows a creature to knock away an item that is held or carried by an opponent.
A Disarm maneuver can be used in place of a melee attack, and may be performed with a melee weapon against a foe within that weapon’s reach. A creature may apply the bonus to attack rolls from performing a Charge (normally +2) to its MSB for this maneuver.
Disarm maneuvers are opposed by Physical saves.
When attempting a Disarm maneuver, the creature chooses a target item before the check is made; and it must be aware of the item it is targeting when the attempt is made. This maneuver may target an item held in the opponent’s hand or a loosely attached item such as a necklace or a dagger carried in a bandolier without penalty. Firmly fastened items such as cloaks, sheathed weapons, or belt pouches are more difficult to remove, and targeting these items incurs a -5 penalty to the attempt. Worn items such as clothing, armor, backpacks, rings, etc. cannot be removed by this maneuver unless they have the Broken condition, and even then still are treated as firmly fastened items.
If the maneuver is successful, the targeted item is knocked into a space adjacent to the opponent; for every degree of success the item may be moved an additional space. If the initiating creature has a free hand or attempts the maneuver unarmed, it may instead end this maneuver with the item in its hand.
Grapple
A Grapple maneuver is utilized to restrain and potentially pin a foe, to hinder their mobility and available options in combat.
A Grapple maneuver can be attempted for 3 AP against a foe within reach. Unless granted the ability to do so by a feature, creatures suffer a -10 penalty on the Grapple attempt if it does not have at least one free hand or a weapon with the grapple special feature. A creature that is bound or shackled but not helpless may attempt a Grapple maneuver but takes a -10 penalty to the attempt.
Grapple maneuvers are opposed by Physical(Str) saves.
If the maneuver succeeds, the initiating creature and the target both gain the Grappled condition. If the target is not adjacent when a grapple is successfully initiated, the target is immediately moved into the nearest adjacent open space to the initiating creature; if no adjacent space is available, the grapple immediately ends. The Grappled condition is immediately removed from both creatures the moment the grapple ends.
When a creature successfully initiates a grapple, it is treated as in control of the grapple. The creature in control can always choose to immediately end the grapple as a free action taken on its turn, or as a Reaction taken outside of its turn. At the start of the controlling creature’s turn, it must choose to either release the grapple or maintain it.
When in control of a grapple, a creature may maintain it as a 3-point action, making a Grapple check and gaining a +5 circumstance bonus to its MSB (although this may include different modifiers than initiating the grapple). A creature that is already grappled may make an Escape Artist skill check in place of its Physical(Str) save to oppose an attempt to maintain. If the attempt to maintain is unsuccessful, the opposing creature may choose either to immediately end the grapple or for it to become the controlling creature; or it may allow the creature which failed to maintain to remain in control (but this is not treated as successfully maintaining a grapple for the purpose of effects which trigger on successfully maintaining, and does not grant the additional actions listed below).
When a creature successfully maintains a grapple, it can also perform one of the following actions as a free action (which may be taken outside of its turn):
- Move: A creature may move itself and its grappled target up to ¼ its speed using any movement method available to it. For each degree of success, it may move an additional ¼ of its speed (up to a maximum of its speed). In addition, at the end of the movement it may place the target into any adjacent space. If the target would be placed in a hazardous location, such as over a pit, the target immediately receives a free attempt to escape the grapple with a +5 morale bonus. This movement is involuntary for the grappled creature, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity, though the grappling creature may still provoke attacks from creatures other than its target for this movement.
- Damage: A creature may damage the target as if it had successfully hit the target with an attack using a weapon that is either currently wielded or can be drawn before the end of its turn. For each degree of success, this deals additional nonlethal damage equal to ½ the original damage. If the creature is capable of dealing nonlethal damage with that weapon, it may choose to do so. A creature may only choose to deal damage in this way with unarmed strikes, natural weapons, light weapons, or one-handed weapons; if a weapon with the Grapple special feature was used to initiate the grapple, it may be used to deal damage regardless of its category. Dealing damage in this way is not treated as an attack for the purpose of features that modify attacks (such as Vital Strike or Power Stance) but is affected by features that modify weapon damage (including unarmed damage).
- Pin: The target gains the Pinned condition in place of the Grappled condition, but the grappling creature retains the Grappled condition. The grappling creature is considered Flat-Footed while pinning a target.
- Tie Up: If the target has the Pinned condition, the grappling creature can use a rope or other available object to tie up the target. A creature that is tied up can attempt to escape, similar to escaping a pin, but its roll is opposed by the grappling creature’s MSB + 20. Unlike with a grapple, a natural 20 does not automatically succeed on this escape attempt, meaning that a creature cannot escape if rolling 20 does not achieve a high enough final result on the check (although it may attempt other means of escape such as using a Strength check to burst the rope). A tied up creature gains the Helpless condition.
If the creature in control of a grapple is forcibly moved (such as through a Reposition maneuver), it drags along the creature that it is holding in the grapple. This functions similarly to the forced movement when a grapple is initiated on a non-adjacent creature, and the dragged creature is moved into the closest available adjacent space to its original position at the end of the forced movement.
Escaping a Grapple
If a creature is grappled (or pinned) and not in control, it can choose to attempt to escape the grapple or take control of it; or it may choose to do neither of those things and act normally (subject to the restrictions of the Grappled condition). Attempting to escape or take control uses the same action as maintaining a grapple (which is normally a 3-point action but may be modified by features such as the Improved Grapple feat).
When attempting to escape a grapple, a creature may roll its Physical(Str) save or an Escape Artist skill check against the opponent’s MSB roll (including the +5 circumstance bonus from maintaining the grapple, but failing to escape is not treated as the opponent successfully maintaining the grapple). If the escape attempt is successful, the grapple immediately ends (even if the creature is pinned).
When attempting to take control of a grapple, a creature makes a Grapple check as if attempting to maintain, but does not gain the +5 circumstance bonus or any other bonuses granted by being in control of the grapple. If successful, the creature takes control of the grapple and may choose to immediately release it or may attempt to maintain the grapple with subsequent actions or turns. Additionally, if the creature is pinned this also removes the Pinned condition and restores the Grappled condition.
Multiple Creatures
If more than two creatures are involved in a grapple with one another, each instance of the grapple could be tracked separately. In this situation, all creatures that are engaged in an ongoing grapple with another creature gain the Grappled condition, and in each ongoing grapple one creature is in control (but that creature may not be in control of all ongoing grapples that it is currently engaged in).
When a creature is engaged in multiple separate ongoing grapples, it still must choose to release or maintain any or all grapples that it is in control of at the start of its turn. Features such as the Improved Grapple feat can allow a creature to maintain a grapple multiple times in a single turn, which would allow a creature in control of multiple grapples to maintain more than one on its turn.
Creatures with the Grappled condition normally cannot perform voluntary movement, except when choosing to move when successfully maintaining a grapple; a creature that is engaged in multiple ongoing grapples may only move in this way if it is in control of all of the grapples that it is currently engaged in. When initiating, maintaining, or attempting to take control of a grapple, a creature must devote at least one free hand to that grapple (or one wielded weapon with the grapple special feature). If the creature does not have a free hand (such as if it were grappling with three or more creatures) it takes a -10 penalty on that attempt. At the start of the creature’s turn it may decide which ongoing grapples it wishes to assign a free hand to for this purpose.
If a creature that is in control of a grapple is forcibly moved (such as through the action of another creature successfully maintaining a different grapple against it), it drags along with it any targets it is holding in grapple which it is in control of. This functions similarly to the forced movement when a grapple is initiated on a non-adjacent creature, and the dragged creature is moved into the closest available adjacent space to its original position at the end of the forced movement.
Reposition
The Reposition maneuver is utilized to quickly push, pull, or generally move a target to a different space. A Reposition maneuver may be attempted for 3 AP against a foe within reach. Reposition maneuvers are opposed by Physical(Str) saves.
If a creature succeeds at a reposition combat maneuver, it may decide if it wishes to move with the target or perform a Shove.
Moving With The Target
When choosing to move with the target, a creature gains much more control over how and where the target is moved. Firstly, upon success it may choose to move the target to any open space adjacent to itself. Then, it may move the target up to half its speed to a new location. For every degree of success, it may move the target an additional 5 feet (up to the creature’s maximum movement). The target must remain within the creature’s reach at all times during this movement.
The creature may not move its target into a location occupied by a solid object or obstacle. If the space the target is moved to would be hazardous (such as over a pit), the target may make a new save check with a +5 morale bonus to immediately end the movement and the Reposition before entering the hazardous space.
Shove
If a creature chooses to not move with the target, it may instead perform a Shove. When a creature succeeds at a Reposition maneuver to Shove, it does not move with its target and the target is pushed in a straight line away from it by 5 feet, plus an additional 5 feet for every degree of success.
If this movement would force the target into the space of a solid object (such as a wall, or another creature that it cannot share a space with) the movement immediately ends and the target takes damage equal to ½ of the repositioning creature’s Strength modifier for each 5 feet of movement that was prevented. If the creature may use an ability score other than Strength to determine its MSB, that ability score’s modifier may be used instead of Strength to determine this damage.
Forced Movement
A target moved by Reposition does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the forced movement caused by the maneuver. If the repositioning creature chooses to move with the target, it may still provoke attacks of opportunity from creatures other than the target as part of this movement.
Sunder
The Sunder maneuver allows a creature to target and destroy an opponent’s equipment rather than attacking it directly.
A Sunder maneuver can be used in place of a melee attack, and may be performed with a melee weapon against a foe within that weapon’s reach (which may include a natural weapon or unarmed strike). In addition, as Sunder maneuvers deal damage, features that improve weapon damage rolls are compatible with Sunder maneuvers unless otherwise specified (such as Power Stance), but any feature that would apply a penalty to your attack roll also applies this penalty to your MSB. A creature may apply the bonus to attack rolls from performing a Charge (normally +2) to its MSB for this maneuver.
Sunder maneuvers are opposed by Physical saves.
When attempting a Sunder maneuver, the creature generally targets a specific piece of held, worn, or carried equipment, or an opponent’s natural weapon or natural armor. On a success, the attack damage of the weapon used to perform the maneuver is dealt to the target object.
Damaging Objects
Damage dealt to an object by a Sunder maneuver is reduced by the object’s hardness value. Some features may allow a creature to ignore some or all of an item’s hardness. Items that are reduced to half their hit points or less gain the Broken condition. If an attack would reduce an object to 0 or fewer hit points, the creature may choose not to destroy it; if so, the object is left with 1 hit point. A Sunder maneuver cannot critically hit against an object, although a natural 20 can still be considered an automatic hit.
Stationary, unattended items can be sundered without the need for a check and are considered to be automatically hit; only attended items or objects that are in motion (such as a thrown item) require a Sunder maneuver to successfully strike the target item.
Damaging Natural Weapons and Armor
Rather than targeting an opponent’s equipment, a Sunder maneuver may be utilized to damage and hinder the opponent’s natural weapons or natural armor (chosen at the time the attempt is made).
On a success, the Sunder deals half its damage to the opponent (minimum 1), which may be further reduced by any DR other abilities possessed by the opponent. If the Sunder deals at least 1 damage after all reductions, the Sunder is a success.
When sundering a natural weapon, a creature must target a specific one of the opponent’s natural weapons. A sundered natural weapon suffers a -2 penalty on its attack rolls, plus an additional -1 for each degree of success. A natural weapon may be sundered multiple times, but this penalty does not stack with itself, and only the highest penalty applies. If the opponent has multiple natural weapons, even of the same type (such as 2 claws), Sunder affects each natural weapon separately. When the opponent regains hit points (whether through magical healing or natural rest) it may reduce the penalty on all of its natural weapons by 1 point; if the opponent returns to full hit points all penalties are fully removed.
When attempting to Sunder natural armor, the opponent may add its natural armor bonus to its saving throw. Sundering an opponent’s natural armor reduces the bonus it provides by 1 point, plus an additional point per degree of success (to a minimum of +0). If the opponent is wearing heavy armor, its natural armor cannot be sundered unless the armor is first Broken or destroyed. When the opponent regains hit points (whether through magical healing or natural rest) it may restore 1 point of its natural armor bonus (up to its normal maximum value); if the opponent returns to full hit points the bonus is fully restored.
Trip
A Trip maneuver allows a creature to quickly knock a target to the ground, putting it at a disadvantage in combat.
A Trip maneuver can be used in place of a melee attack, and may be performed with a melee weapon against a foe within that weapon’s reach.
Trip maneuvers are opposed by the target’s Physical(Agi) save, or the target may instead make an Acrobatics skill check at a -6 penalty in place of the save.
If the Trip attempt is successful, the target gains the Prone condition. Swimming creatures, creatures without legs, and creatures currently flying cannot be tripped. Targets with more than two legs gain a +2 bonus to their saving throw for each additional leg possessed.
Overrunning A Foe
When performing a Trip maneuver as part of a Charge, a creature may choose to perform an Overrun and topple over one or more opponents in its path as it continues the Charge. The creature may apply the bonus to attack rolls from performing a Charge (normally +2) to its MSB for this maneuver.
On a success, the target is knocked prone as if performing a Trip normally, but the charging creature may continue the movement through the tripped creature’s space rather than being blocked by it (and may continue to attempt to Overrun other opponents in its path up to the maximum distance of the Charge). A Reaction must be spent for each creature beyond the first that a Trip attempt is made against during a Charge. On a failure, the target is not knocked prone and the movement immediately ends in front of the target. If the Trip fails by two degrees or more, the charging creature is also knocked prone.