[3.5] Wyvern Full Attack Issue

[Natulyre]

Hi there,

I was reading up on the Wyvern (d20srd) and I'm quite confused about how I'd go about using its full attack.

As described in the Wyvern stat block:

Full Attack: Sting +10 melee (1d6+4 plus poison) and bite +8 melee (2d8+4) and 2 wings +8 melee (1d8+2) and 2 talons +8 melee (2d6+4)

But then once you read its description it specifies:

A Wyvern can slash with its talons only when making a flyby attack... I'm quite confused.

[Yogibear41]

There are a few other mistakes in the wyvern as well, like applying full str bonus to secondary attacks damage as well.

I would go with no-rakes unless flying, and even while flying if you do a flyby attack you can only normally make 1 attack anyway, and you are probably better of using its Sting attack.

If for some reason you are hovering mid air, and can still attack something, I would say you can attack with everything.

Then again its hard to make wing attacks if you are using them to fly, so you probably just swap wings for talons or vice versa based on if you are flying or on the ground.

[Duke of Urrel]

Unlike most dragons, a wyvern has no forelimbs apart from its wings. Therefore, when a wyvern is landbound, it stands on its two clawed hind feet and cannot attack with them, though it can attack with everything else: bite, wings, and tail. When a wyvern attacks from the air and uses the Fly-By Attack feat, it makes a single claw attack as a standard action, but it typically uses this attack to grapple. If it gets a hold, it can also sting with its tail.

I think this is how it works.

[Fizban]

There are at least a couple other monsters that apply full strength on more than one set of attacks, so I take that as a feature myself. The wyvern actually has rather low strength for a bruiser so it'd be pretty underwhelming otherwise.

For talon attacks, I generally assume that even if they're on land a creature can flap/hop/whatever enough into the air to bring it's talons into play, otherwise they wouldn't be listed. Creatures with special "can only/cannot use attack while X" are the exception.

The direct contradiction between full attack line and general combat entry is a problem. Text trumps table, except most monsters have data that's only in the table. And it's obvious the writer doesn't know the difference between flyby attack, attacking while flying, and full attacking while hovering. You can rule pretty much however you want. I run the wyvern as is in the stablock, the sizeable full attack keeps it on par with later monster manuals and makes up for the terrible flight ability: it's a full attacker with improved grab for targets of opportunity, not a skirmisher.

[KillianHawkeye]

The thing to note about the Wyvern is that its aerial maneuverability, listed as "poor", means that it is incapable of taking a Full-Attack action while flying because it cannot stop in mid-air. It does not have the Hover feat, either.

I might, however, consider interpreting the line about using its talons during a Flyby Attack to allow it both talon attacks instead of just one. It would never be able to use them both at the same time otherwise.