Slam Attack
Slam Attack
Hi,
I'd like to know what is a slam attack. I keep seeing that in lots of monsters but I've looked for a definition in MM, PHB and DMG (all 3.5) and found none. What does it mean, then, to say that
"a vampire gains slam attack" ?
Ail
I'd like to know what is a slam attack. I keep seeing that in lots of monsters but I've looked for a definition in MM, PHB and DMG (all 3.5) and found none. What does it mean, then, to say that
"a vampire gains slam attack" ?
Ail
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From the SRD, under Natural Weapons:
Natural weapons have types just as other weapons do. The most common are summarized below.
Bite: The creature attacks with its mouth, dealing piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage.
Claw or Talon: The creature rips with a sharp appendage, dealing piercing and slashing damage.
Gore: The creature spears the opponent with an antler, horn, or similar appendage, dealing piercing damage.
Slap or Slam: The creature batters opponents with an appendage, dealing bludgeoning damage.
Sting: The creature stabs with a stinger, dealing piercing damage. Sting attacks usually deal damage from poison in addition to hit point damage.
Tentacle: The creature flails at opponents with a powerful tentacle, dealing bludgeoning (and sometimes slashing) damage.
Natural weapons have types just as other weapons do. The most common are summarized below.
Bite: The creature attacks with its mouth, dealing piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage.
Claw or Talon: The creature rips with a sharp appendage, dealing piercing and slashing damage.
Gore: The creature spears the opponent with an antler, horn, or similar appendage, dealing piercing damage.
Slap or Slam: The creature batters opponents with an appendage, dealing bludgeoning damage.
Sting: The creature stabs with a stinger, dealing piercing damage. Sting attacks usually deal damage from poison in addition to hit point damage.
Tentacle: The creature flails at opponents with a powerful tentacle, dealing bludgeoning (and sometimes slashing) damage.
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Regarding slam attacks, I have always wondered if you can apply the Monk's Unarmed Attack Bonus or the Unarmed Damage bonus like, say if you had a vampire monk. Has anyone ever done this? And if so, how did it turn out? I know that vampires are traditionally chaotic evil but in my Ravenloft campaigns I am more lenient. It keeps the PCs on their toes.[/i]
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I'd say that monk abilities wouldn't apply to an attack like a slam. The monks unarmed strike is a different attack than the slam. One is a series of precise blows made by the fist, fingers, foot, knee, elbo and head, while the other is a brute force slap. Consider the situation similar to a monk using a bite attack - sure its a natural attack without weapons, but the technique is completly different.
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As ScS said.Stygian Inquirer wrote:Regarding slam attacks, I have always wondered if you can apply the Monk's Unarmed Attack Bonus or the Unarmed Damage bonus like, say if you had a vampire monk. Has anyone ever done this? And if so, how did it turn out? I know that vampires are traditionally chaotic evil but in my Ravenloft campaigns I am more lenient. It keeps the PCs on their toes.[/i]
But remember that it would still be able to energy drain with the unarmed attacks and have the strength bonuses so a high level monk/vamp might be be better served by not using the slam.
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I don't remember which issue of Dragon Magazine it was covered in, but the sage gave a very similar answer. Basically, the unarmed strike of a monk doesn't stack with a monster's slam attack.ScS of the Fraternity wrote:I'd say that monk abilities wouldn't apply to an attack like a slam. The monks unarmed strike is a different attack than the slam.
I don't remember if this portion was directly covered in the question, but David's comment makes sense. While the slam attack might not apply, a vampire monk could still make an energy drain attack each round.David of the Frat wrote:But remember that it would still be able to energy drain with the unarmed attacks and have the strength bonuses so a high level monk/vamp might be be better served by not using the slam.
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