Man do i miss the old version of Taunt. At least it was actually pretty useful.
Taunt is pretty useful as-is. It gets to a pretty good-sized AOE pretty quickly and -2 AC is nothing to sneeze at. Since each additional attack your characters get is at a cumulative -5 penalty it's very hard to get to the point you're always hitting with all of your attacks. A level 16 Fighter can kinda be thought of as having one attack as a level 16, one as a level 11, one at level 6, and one at level 1. How often would a level 1 fighter miss against a level 16 opponent? That 4th attack needs all the help it can get. I notice a HUGE difference in damage output from melee characters between having a Bard PC throwing out a Mass Curse of Impending Blades (-2 AC) followed up by a Curse Song (-5 AC at level 16) running Inspire Courage (+3 AB) vs running a Sorceress nuker with Khelgar just sitting there as a meat shield. Khelgar can be buffed into a monster and it's a HUGE help when your 30STR fighter with 5 hasted attacks (+ Cleave) running Improved Power Attack wielding a two-handed Adamantine Holy Greatsword with +1d6 cold for which he has Greater Weapon Specialization, buffed with Greater Magic Weapon +5 and +1d8 Flame Weapon damage and Inspire Courage +3, can actually hit on every hit and confirm every 17-20 crit with all those attacks. That's 63 average damage per attack not counting crits. Mod him into a Frenzied Berserker and it gets even more ridiculous with +12 additional IPA damage, +1 or +2 from frenzied strength, an additional frenzied attack, and Supreme Cleave. (though you take out -2 damage because you lose Greater Weapon Specialization). There's really nothing that Khelgar has better to do while still at range than Taunt. It may only last 5 rounds, but there isn't much left after 5 rounds. 174.180.108.112 16:48, 28 April 2024 (UTC)
Proposed description (seems initial target range may have been confused with radius of additional enemies)
Taunt is used to provoke provoke an enemy into dropping his guard for a short time. As your Taunt skill improves, this ability is more difficult to resist and can possibly effect multiple opponents.
Modifying ability: Charisma
Classes: Barbarian, Bard, Fighter, Rogue, Warlock; Arcane Trickster, Duelist, Harper Agent, Shadow Thief of Amn, Swashbuckler, Warpriest and Weapon Master
Requires training: No
Check: The enemy must make a Will save against a difficulty class equal to 5 + the attacker's Taunt skill or suffer -2 to AC and -2 to concentration for 30 seconds.
Special: Initial target range of 10ft and at five ranks, the Taunt effects all enemies within 5 feet of the initial target. This radius increases by 5 feet for every additional five ranks the character has.
Note: Using Taunt within 5ft of opponents may provoke an Attack of Opportunity and Taunt penalties are not cumulative.
Use: Selected; 3 seconds to activate with a 6 second cool down before this ability can be used again.
NWN2 Tip: Avoid using Taunt once in close combat, gifting an attack of opportunity is unwise or suggest activate Combat Expertise if available during Taunt. Recommended Taunt skill progression 5 + 1.1 per level, however the skill still has some value in dialogue interactions or just to provoke hostile actions towards user even if below par.
Gameplay: Taunt cannot be used by someone trying to remain unseen (as its use involves being seen). That is, it cannot be used while invisible or in stealth mode; even if it becomes clear that the target has seen through the attempt to remain unseen. May also be used to provoke aggro from targeted enemies, this may potentially save weaker allies from attacks or by Parrying characters who are wanting to attract more attackers.
D&D Note: Taunt is a NWN2 skill. It is not a part of the D&D game experience.
Ragimund (talk) 06:07, April 14, 2019 (UTC)
Thanks for your research into this skill. It's one of those skills that seems useful but turns out to be basically doodoo. (I'm so happy when enemies gift me a free attack by using their Taunt skill!) As you said in your notes, you have to be really close to activate the skill so you tend to miss out on an attack or more while usually at least one enemy gets a free attack of opportunity in. Even if enemies do fail their Will save, I generally wish I had done anything else (for example, get a few bow shots in or uses of Minor Circlet of Blasting, cast Divine Might, etc) instead of using the Taunt skill. HolyGuardian80 (talk) 22:52, December 30, 2019 (UTC)
I think it didn't get much popularity, due to lack of skill investment and its not an "opposed" Difficulty Check. You should be using half a round but also be aiming to start at distance. It can be effective but due to the cost/benefit, you need high (skill) success rate for effective gain and practise also helps but even with failure or zero skill it can be useful. However I'd probably not go Taunt with a ranged character, its more a Cleaving melee type. Ragimund (talk) 13:22, January 1, 2020 (UTC)
Taunt ranges from not worth casting to being pretty freaking good depending on your composition/playstyle. Unless you're nuking everything with 2+ casters it's a very good thing to have to increase your weapon damage dealers' DPS by a not-insignificant amount. Reminder that Power Attack is a DPS decrease unless you have a significant AB advantage, and Taunt alone negates 2/3rds of the Power Attack penalty. I'm doing a playthrough and my level 10 Khelgar has a +23/+18 AB with Power Attack running. Taunt effectively raises that to +25/+20. So he hits on every swing and he chews through any group in 2 rounds of Great Cleaves. Kuchikirukia1 (talk) 20:39, 16 January 2025 (UTC)
On 01-02-20 Ragimuind wrote some notes on the Taunt Page. Since these were comments, they were moved here. However, as the conversation progressed, the format of the conversation has been edited by me (Raelind) to make it easier to follow. My replies are in italics :
Likely character will move to 10 feet, any examples of this message for range?
- Since you are the one who made the original edit about the 10 foot range, I figured you would know. From gameplay, I can tell you the PC does not automatically move to be within range, the Taunt does not occur and a dialogue message appears instead.
My characters auto move to range to start and I do not get the message, that's why I asked for an example. Otherwise provide proof, as you constantly demand?
- That may have to do with AI for the companions and the PC. I almost always have it off for everyone. I tried your way and it was as you say - if you keep puppet mode off. I made changes to the notes for this. I'm disinclined to make changes based on hunches, but I have done this before (eventually, usually with you since you're the most active contributor) mostly beause some of your arguments on a given subject over time just made sense - and there was little or no evidence to the contrary. Your occasional snarkiness can sometimes delay my coming around in momemts like those but, again, how you choose to interact is your perogative. Probably because your not dealing with yourself, I check my work and try to keep my edits appropriate. You don't seem to practise what you preach. If you're contradicating me all the time, suggest some evidence with it?
just like the other actions that provoke AoO
- This was clearly implied in the statement.
Nothing special about it, so why include?
- You tell me. I just put into writing your suggestions as they made sense to include. The confusion over your behavior grows.
any examples of being one flurry?
- Repeated gameplay with several rounds in independent sessions of Taunt attackers of specific discrete BAB in parralell with a non-taunt attacker demonstrated the loss of exactly one flurry.
Provide proof, I have different and just a time delay. Sometimes I could get a Taunt to 2 seconds but not always, if its a flurry that's significant. But I'm not losing attacks, they are just postponed. https://imgur.com/IJOGZla (only one attack plus cleave with a few seconds left on cycle clock, sometimes I get the second attack but then I usually get 2 attacks in 6 seconds)
- I was at this for almost an hour with different companions and PCs, where characters with the same BAB fought at exactly the same time. One taunted and one did not. I did sometimes see a taunt take slightly longer, but the impact on attacks was always exactly the same for all of them: the loss (not a delay) of one flurry for the taunter; if the attacker makes only 1 or 2 attacks per round, there may be no loss. Your screenshot does not show otherwise and I stand by my research.
The screenshot has been timed for start of round and shows BAB for the attack after Taunt is still the first attack, not the second Flurry. Again that will make it very significant, dropping 5 BAB per attack lost.
- From the use of the combat debug utility as per your suggestion, it appears we were both right in a way. You are right in the sense that attacks indeed are not lost - they are only delayed (although it was unusual to see other spellcasters in my party having spells delayed, standing around while the delayed attacks were tagged on after the round should have been over - I guess cleave can have a similar effect). I was right in the sense that damage from delayed attacks may spill over into the next combat round. Again, I suppose cleave and great cleave may have a similar effect; I haven't tested that but i now believe that's possible. In any case, I have made changes to reflect your and my observations. Raelind (talk) 03:00, February 14, 2020 (UTC)
- It's going to be very difficult for players to remember the extensive notes on the main page, suggest make the info more concise. Like combat rounds is getting deep, there's no set rounds in NWN2 its real time with 6 second cycles for character actions, a round can be less and not concurrent with opponents. Yes the order of the events/damage may get jumbled in the log but thats only a record, not actual. Ragimund (talk) 04:18, February 14, 2020 (UTC)
- Per your suggestion, I did some clean up to make it more concise Raelind (talk) 22:39, February 15, 2020 (UTC)
no-one likes will checks, suggest more than just initial target
- "no-one likes will checks." <---- I'm not sure what you're getting at. If you have evidence the use of Taunt will cause enemies that were not the initial target to attack the taunter when they would not have otherwise done so, that note can always be changed. Raelind (talk) 15:58, January 2, 2020 (UTC)
The Taunt may effect mutiple targets, not just the initial target. A Parrying character being ignored may be the best example, that'll take some time to get a screenshot.
- Not neccessary. Proof isn't always possible, or at least not easy. Your statement now makes sense and I changed the notes to reflect this. Raelind (talk) 03:11, January 3, 2020 (UTC)
On 04/08/2020 Elrendel wrote on the main Taunt page:
Does this only work on intelligent humanoids? Am I correct in assuming that this does not work on creatures such as undead and elementals? Does it work on animals? Sorry, this probably doesn't belong here but I'm new to the forum and couldn't figure out how to edit Talk : Taunt.
My (sort of) answer is: I suspect it works on any intelligent creature, human or not, undead or not. But I don't know. It shouldn't be too hard to test, though. Raelind (talk) 02:30, April 9, 2020 (UTC)
Good question. https://nwn2.fandom.com/wiki/Mind-affecting avoid wasting your time taunting "most" animals as well as constructs, elementals, plants, undead and vermin (including insects). However umber hulks and werewolves are susceptible; as are trolls, especially when online. Ragimund (talk)
Taunt works on the Wolves in the Eyegouger Lair. I added that it doesn't work on certain enemies, but my knowledge isn't comprehensive. If someone wants to add exactly what's immune and what isn't that would be great. Kuchikirukia1 (talk) 20:05, 25 September 2025 (UTC)
"Regardless of success, Taunt may provoke the initial target (and others, if in range) to attack the user instead of his allies." Is this actually true? If so it would make taunt usefly for a tank to distract enemies from other party members.