Coup De Grace [Archive] - Wizards Community

Coup De Grace [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Malkaf
03-25-08, 11:42 AM Can you Coup de Grace while fighting defensively?
Slimgauge
03-25-08, 12:10 PM By RAW, apparently not.

Here's what the SRD says about a Coup de Grace

Coup de Grace
As a full-round action, you can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless opponent. You can also use a bow or crossbow, provided you are adjacent to the target.

Here's what the SRD says about Fighting Defensively

Fighting Defensively as a Standard Action
You can choose to fight defensively when attacking. If you do so, you take a -4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for the same round. See also: Fighting Defensively as a Full-Round Action.

The Coup de Grace is a full-round action, so that leaves out Fighting Defensively as a Standard Action, but leaves us Fighting Defensively as a Full-Round Action. (Emphasis is mine).

Fighting Defensively as a Full-Round Action
You can choose to fight defensively when taking a full attack action. If you do so, you take a -4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for the same round.

By RAW, unless you're Fighting Defensively as a Standard Action, you can only Fight Defensively as a Full-Round action when taking a Full Attack Action, not any other sort of Full-Round action.
StevenO
03-25-08, 04:28 PM NO.

Coup-de-Grace is a full round action which means you couldn't use the Fighting Defensively action during the same round. Even with the Death Blow feat in CAdv that just turns your full round coup into a standard action which still provokes.
heffroncm
03-25-08, 04:31 PM You can't use Fighting Defensively or Combat Expertise, because you aren't attacking anyone. Sounds silly, but a Coup de Grace is not an attack. It's a deliberate execution.
Lukas_the_Dead
03-25-08, 05:36 PM You can't use Fighting Defensively or Combat Expertise, because you aren't attacking anyone. Sounds silly, but a Coup de Grace is not an attack. It's a deliberate execution.

This. If a person is worried about defending, they are not in a position or have the time to be undertaking that kind of action.
darkflamebringer
05-31-08, 08:36 PM I was wondering about something, though. can you use power attack in a coup de grace, considering that there is no attack roll?
Cowczar
05-31-08, 08:42 PM Yes. But there's (almost) no point, seeing as even if the target survives the first, it will still probably be helpless for the next round. And you can't ever coup de grace unless the target is helpless.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Malkaf 03-25-08, 11:42 AM	Can you Coup de Grace while fighting defensively?
Slimgauge 03-25-08, 12:10 PM	By RAW, apparently not. Here's what the SRD says about a Coup de Grace Coup de Grace As a full-round action, you can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless opponent. You can also use a bow or crossbow, provided you are adjacent to the target. Here's what the SRD says about Fighting Defensively Fighting Defensively as a Standard Action You can choose to fight defensively when attacking. If you do so, you take a -4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for the same round. See also: Fighting Defensively as a Full-Round Action. The Coup de Grace is a full-round action, so that leaves out Fighting Defensively as a Standard Action, but leaves us Fighting Defensively as a Full-Round Action. (Emphasis is mine). Fighting Defensively as a Full-Round Action You can choose to fight defensively when taking a full attack action. If you do so, you take a -4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for the same round. By RAW, unless you're Fighting Defensively as a Standard Action, you can only Fight Defensively as a Full-Round action when taking a Full Attack Action, not any other sort of Full-Round action.
StevenO 03-25-08, 04:28 PM	NO. Coup-de-Grace is a full round action which means you couldn't use the Fighting Defensively action during the same round. Even with the Death Blow feat in CAdv that just turns your full round coup into a standard action which still provokes.
heffroncm 03-25-08, 04:31 PM	You can't use Fighting Defensively or Combat Expertise, because you aren't attacking anyone. Sounds silly, but a Coup de Grace is not an attack. It's a deliberate execution.
Lukas_the_Dead 03-25-08, 05:36 PM	You can't use Fighting Defensively or Combat Expertise, because you aren't attacking anyone. Sounds silly, but a Coup de Grace is not an attack. It's a deliberate execution. This. If a person is worried about defending, they are not in a position or have the time to be undertaking that kind of action.
darkflamebringer 05-31-08, 08:36 PM	I was wondering about something, though. can you use power attack in a coup de grace, considering that there is no attack roll?
Cowczar 05-31-08, 08:42 PM	Yes. But there's (almost) no point, seeing as even if the target survives the first, it will still probably be helpless for the next round. And you can't ever coup de grace unless the target is helpless.