Can you still use Disarming Attack on a tarket that doesn't carry anything?

[NiklasWB]

Hi playground.

In an upcoming campaign I will get to play a multiclassed battlemaster/swashbuckler.

I am now looking at what maneuvers I'm going to take at battlemaster level 3.

I think I have two of the spots nailed down for 1. Riposte and 2. Precision attack.

The last maneuver is likely to be either Disarming attack or Trip attack, but I'm not sure which one I should take. Both are awesome flavor-wise and fit the swashbuckling duelist I had in mind. But one thing bugs me.

My question is this: Can I still do the additional superiority die (d8/d10/d12) in damage with Disarming attack even if the enemy has no item to drop? Meaning; can I apply the extra damage even if there is no roll for the disarming effect and the target cannot physically drop and item?

If not, then Trip attack is obviously a much better (more consistent) damaging option even when disregarding the two different status effect. You can (almost?) always try to trip an opponent (even slimes and snakes can get knocked prone I believe), but not every enemy can be disarmed, since they may not carry anything.

Personally I would probably rule that you can still add the damage even if the disarm automatically fails to take effect, otherwise the maneuver would be strictly inferior not only in terms of status effect it provides, but also in damage. Sometimes you don't need to have the status effect take effect, you just need the extra damage. In that case I would probably say that the disarming attack turns into a more damaging regular blow to a hand or something.

What do you guys think?

[Vorpalchicken]

If they have no weapons then you physically remove one of your tarket's arms. Who needs a sword of sharpness? Stupid tarket!
If the tarket is the armless variety then you "disarm" it with your winning smile. You have effectively charmed it, no saving throw is possible.

Against other sorts of opponents, you simply do the extra damage and feel shame for blowing one of your precious superiority dice on something so boring.

[Mandragola]

I'd let you do it. Just nothing happens from the attack. That said, I don't think I'd ever use a superiority dice simply to do extra damage.

I think the best manouevres are riposte and the one that scares people, since that gives them disadvantage to hit. That's often better than disarming them, and it works on bears and other unarmed stuff - if they fail their save. Bonus marks for throwing something at a fire giant and scaring it, so it can't come and hit you with its greatsword.

[NNescio]

Hi playground.

In an upcoming campaign I will get to play a multiclassed battlemaster/swashbuckler.

I am now looking at what maneuvers I'm going to take at battlemaster level 3.

I think I have two of the spots nailed down for 1. Riposte and 2. Precision attack.

The last maneuver is likely to be either Disarming attack or Trip attack, but I'm not sure which one I should take. Both are awesome flavor-wise and fit the swashbuckling duelist I had in mind. But one thing bugs me.

My question is this: Can I still do the additional superiority die (d8/d10/d12) in damage with Disarming attack even if the enemy has no item to drop? Meaning; can I apply the extra damage even if there is no roll for the disarming effect and the target cannot physically drop and item?

If not, then Trip attack is obviously a much better (more consistent) damaging option even when disregarding the two different status effect. You can (almost?) always try to trip an opponent (even slimes and snakes can get knocked prone I believe), but not every enemy can be disarmed, since they may not carry anything.

Personally I would probably rule that you can still add the damage even if the disarm automatically fails to take effect, otherwise the maneuver would be strictly inferior not only in terms of status effect it provides, but also in damage. Sometimes you don't need to have the status effect take effect, you just need the extra damage. In that case I would probably say that the disarming attack turns into a more damaging regular blow to a hand or something.

What do you guys think?

The way I read it, you can always attempt a Disarming or Trip Attack even if the the target can't be disarmed (holds nothing or doesn't have appendages) or tripped (immunity to prone), because they are triggered "when you hit a creature with a weapon attack". Same goes for Menacing against fear-immune targets. You'll get the extra damage regardless because it is not contingent on the Disarm/Trip/Fear succeeding -- it happens regardless when you make your attempt.

It's possible to rule the other way, but applying this consistently to other game effects means Green Flame Blade's flame would hit the caster as well if there's no other valid targets nearby (or that the GFB would fizzle, if the caster is using it in conjunction with Spell Sniper and a reach weapon, or he chooses not to target himself).

[Drackolus]

Throwing something out there - do you have a rogue or barbarian? Especially if you have a rogue, commanding strike is too good to miss out on. They get to sneak attack again if it's you're turn and not their turn.

[Addaran]

I'd let you do it. Just nothing happens from the attack. That said, I don't think I'd ever use a superiority dice simply to do extra damage.

I think the best manouevres are riposte and the one that scares people, since that gives them disadvantage to hit. That's often better than disarming them, and it works on bears and other unarmed stuff - if they fail their save. Bonus marks for throwing something at a fire giant and scaring it, so it can't come and hit you with its greatsword.

When i played mine, i was using it even when there was nothing to disarm and i'm pretty sure it's the RAW, even if a bit inelegant.

Sure it seems like a waste of the dice, but sometimes you really need the extra damage or when you crit since it will be doubled.
I had Commanding Strike (for the friendly rogues), Ripost and Disarm. Took disarm so i could deal with big orcs leader and the like, but in pratice, i rarely ended up fighting monsters with weapons. =/
Since it was the only maneuver i could do to had damage, i used it in tough fights just for the damage.

[RickAllison]

When i played mine, i was using it even when there was nothing to disarm and i'm pretty sure it's the RAW, even if a bit inelegant.

Sure it seems like a waste of the dice, but sometimes you really need the extra damage or when you crit since it will be doubled.
I had Commanding Strike (for the friendly rogues), Ripost and Disarm. Took disarm so i could deal with big orcs leader and the like, but in pratice, i rarely ended up fighting monsters with weapons. =/
Since it was the only maneuver i could do to had damage, i used it in tough fights just for the damage.

I've always kind of wanted to play someone like how I played Ezio in AC2. Despite actually having weapons, I preferred to just disarm enemies and leave their weapons stuck in their corpses so they were difficult to retrieve. Something is just entertaining about killing a man with his own axe...