Combined Attack

[Fireg0lem]

I've been thinking about an answer you gave earlier, and I'm still a bit confused.

 

In response to: If a character does not have Two-Weapon Fighting, what (if anything) is there anything stopping him from making an attack with the Combined Attack rule under Multiple Attack with two different weapons? How would having TWF help with this - it seems all it does is cancel out the Multiple Attack penalties which would not apply to a Combined Attack.

 

You replied: Combined Attack specifically says it’s for powers or similar abilities, and *not* for Combat/Martial Maneuvers — and using a weapon is typically a Strike Combat Maneuver, or some Martial Maneuver. So a character making two weapon-based attacks is using Multiple Attack in its standard form, and thus derives some benefit from negating OCV penalties.

 

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What I'm confused about is exactly how to determine when two or more things can and can't be used in a Combined Attack. I get that you cannot do something like Combined Attack a Martial Strike and an Offensive Strike, but I'm not clear on why, say, the example robot under Combined Attack can CA its RKA and Blast, but a character with a gun (RKA) and a blaster (Blast) can't Combined Attack with them and needs to Multiple Attack.

 

Does the distinction have anything to do with weapons being Foci? Or is melee vs. range involved? Or is it if the weapons are heroic Equipment and are both built with the same power, they can't Combined Attack? I think where I am getting confused is the question of needing to use Combat Manuevers to attack with powers. What is the distinction between a HKA being a power, and using a HKA being a Strike?

 

I'm not sure if I made my question clear enough for you to clarify - I am hoping I can extrapolate if you wouldn't mind answering for these following example cases. Can you Combined Attack:

 

1) Two seperate HKA's, or two HA's, both bought as unadvantaged/limited powers.

2) As 1), if they are Foci.

3) As 1), if they are equipment in a Heroic game.

4) One HKA and one Blast, both bought as unadvantaged/unlimited powers.

5) As 4) if they are Foci.

6) As 4) if they are equipment in a Heroic game.

7) Do any of these answers change with RKA instead of HKA and Blast instead of Hand Attack?

8) Does 4),5), or 6) change if it is a HKA and a Drain instead of a HKA and a HA?

9) Does 4), 5), or 6) change if it is a RKA and a Entangle instead of a HKA and a HA?

10) Does 1), 2), or 3) change if it is two Entangles instead of two HKA's?

 

This is a really long post, so thank you very much for reading it and for any answer you can provide.

[Steve Long]

Re: Combined Attack

 

Let's take a step back here. I think I've unnecessarily confused you.

 

IIRC, and assuming I understood your original question, you were basically asking, "What's the point of buying Two-Weapon Fighting, since Combined Attack exists?". I was trying to point out that there are situations where Combined Attack is not allowed or appropriate, and therefore that the ability to cancel some Multiple Attack penalties was useful.

 

The primary restriction on Combined Attack in the rules is that it can't involve Combat/Martial Maneuvers (armed or unarmed). IOW, a character can't Combined Attack with, say, Martial Strike and Offensive Strike. Basically what he has to do is use two abilities -- whether they're weapons, innate powers, or what have you -- as a Strike maneuver (and sure, technically, that's a Combat Maneuver, but we all know the difference between what I discussed above and Strike, methinks ). It looks to me, on quick inspection, that any of your listed examples would be valid Combined Attacks, barring some Limitation or GM ruling that restricts things.

 

Hopefully that clarifies things for you. If not, please post another follow-up.