Fighter Cleave Carryover Damage

Overview

Carryover cleave turns overkill into pressure against grouped enemies. The rule rewards positioning and fighter commitment to front-line engagement.

Procedure

1. Resolve a fighter attack normally.
2. If the target is reduced to 0 hp or less, compute excess damage.
3. Apply excess damage to the next eligible enemy in reach.
4. Stop when no excess damage remains or no valid target is in reach.

Table Effects

• Speeds resolution of weak-enemy swarms.
• Makes formation and adjacency matter.
• Gives fighters a distinct anti-mob niche.

Guardrails

• Carryover applies only through legal melee reach.
• Does not bypass immunity, armor interaction, or special defenses.
• Does not create additional attack rolls by itself.

See Also

• Fighter Chain Cleave Extra Attack
• Monster Concept to Encounter Pipeline
• Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy Rules Tome