Post/Author/DateTime	Post
SureFoot 05-30-07, 12:56 PM	Hail. Apologies if this has been asked, but I ain't trudgin' thru all threads. :P I've got a Dervish who uses a guisarme. My DM is suggesting that one may not use a trip attack during a Dervish Dance because the trip attack isn't a slashing attack. My argument is twofold: 1) From a RAW standpoint, the dervish description states that the dervish dance requires "wielding a slashing weapon." A guisarme is a slashing weapon. Period. 2) From a "rationalizing" standpoint, using the guisarme's hook for a trip attack can easily use the same flowing motion of the guisarme's slashing attack (particularly since the trip likely requires a follow-through) I would point out that I tend *not* to trip while using the DD, since if the trip fails and the countertrip succeeds, the DD ends (since you're prevented from completing your move) and you're fatigued. But it came up in an out-of-game disucssion, and I thought I'd post the question here.
Kalarus 05-30-07, 07:46 PM	Huh. Something just struck me as funny. Dervish says in the Dervish Dance description: "If a dervish wields a slashing weapon while in a dervish dance..." Next paragraph of the same description says: "A dervish may only perform a dervish dance while wielding a slashing weapon..." What gives? Anyways, we'll assume that you indeed need to wield a slashing weapon. The Guisarme qualifies. If you read the Guisarme description it says "Because of a guisarme's curved blade, you can also use it to make trip attacks." There's nothing in fact there about a hook or some non-sharp part of the weapon being used to trip. You're using a sharp blade to trip someone. No problems there. Incidentally, you may want to point out to your DM that you need to wield a slashing weapon and only slashing weapons to start a Dervish dance, but nothing actually states you have to attack with only slashing attacks. You could legitimately make an unarmed strike in a Dervish dance if you so wished, though you'd forego the attack/damage bonuses from the dance. Saying you cannot trip during a Dervish dance because it is not a slash attack makes as much sense as saying you can't forego your attacks in a Dervish dance because not attacking is not attacking with a slashing weapon. Either way. You're not making unarmed attacks, you are in fact using your slashing weapon to trip. Making a trip is, as per the description of Trip on P158 of the PHB, a melee touch attack. Using your slashing weapon in a Dervish dance to make a melee touch attack sounds perfectly legit to me. Keep in mind however that it is ultimately up to the DM to interpret the rules and decide what will and will not work in his campaign. If he's not convinced, be prepared to accept his answer if you want to play a Dervish in his campaign.