EricNoah
Adventurer
I'm gonna give these options a try in a game when I get a chance and I'll let you know how it goes:
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Reactive Movement: Under certain situations you may move when it is not your turn, as an immediate action. In all cases where a 5’ step is allowed as a reaction, you give up your ability to make a 5’ step on your next turn, and you may never take more than one 5’ step as a reaction. You also can’t perform a reactive movement if you are flatfooted. The three Reactive Movements are Hit the Deck, Take Cover, and Give Ground.
Hit the Deck: Any time you are forced to make a Reflex save to avoid an area effect, you may opt to “hit the deck.” This adds +2 to your Reflex save, but it leaves you prone until your next action. You may only “hit the deck” if you are not already prone. Once you are prone, you suffer all appropriate penalties for being in that state.
o Evasion: If you have Evasion, “hit the deck” grants you +4 instead of +2 to the save.
o Tumble: If you have ranks in Tumble, you can attempt a Tumble check vs. the original Reflex DC; success means you “hit the deck” but kip/flip right back up to a standing position; thus you are not prone after this move.
o Example: Vangkor the Wizard sees a fireball incoming and really, really doesn’t want to suffer full effects. He hits the deck, gaining a +2 to his Reflex save, which he makes (taking half damage). Until his turn comes up, Vangkor is prone – he gains a +4 to his AC vs. ranged attacks but a -4 penalty to his AC vs. melee attacks; furthermore, he can’t “hit the deck” any more this round because he’s already as low as he can go. When his turn comes up, Vangkor stands up (drawing an attack of opportunity and using a move-equivalent action), and then casts a fireball of his own in retaliation.
Take Cover: You can take a 5’ step once per round outside of your normal turn to move to a position of cover (if there is any cover within 5’), granting you a +4 cover bonus to AC until your next turn. When you Take Cover, you lose your 5’ step when your next turn comes up. This cover also grants you a +2 cover bonus on Reflex saves against attacks that originate or burst out from a point on the other side of the cover from you. Note that spread effects can extend around corners and thus negate this cover bonus. If there is no cover within 5’ of you, this action doesn’t help you but still costs you the 5’ step.
o Shield Maneuver: You can crouch down behind a readied heavy shield or tower shield once per round to gain a cover bonus on Reflex saves (same conditions as above); a heavy shield grants a +1 cover bonus, while a tower shield grants a +2 bonus. This maneuver counts as a 5’ step, depriving you of that option on your next turn.
o Example: Kurdor the Rogue is under fire from a crossbowman. As the crossbowman aims, Kurdor spies a barrel 5’ away. He nimbly leaps behind it and instantly gains a +4 cover bonus to his AC, which helps him avoid a painful experience. When Kurdor’s turn comes up, he pulls out his shortbow and fires an arrow from behind the barrel; not surprisingly, the crossbowman takes cover behind a nearby pillar, gaining his own +4 cover bonus.
Give Ground: You can take a 5’ step once per round outside of your normal turn to back away from an attacking opponent. This grants you a +1 Dodge bonus to your AC vs. one adjacent opponent you select until your next turn. Your opponent selects the direction of your move, but it must be away from the opponent. If your opponent hasn’t moved during his turn, he may be able to follow you with a 5’ step of his own to attack; otherwise, this tactic may end your opponent’s ability to attack you for the round. When you Give Ground, you lose your 5’ step when your next turn comes up.
o Fighting Defensively and Total Defense: If you are Fighting Defensively or on Total Defense when you Give Ground, your opponent doesn’t automatically get to direct your movement. Instead, the two of you make opposed attack rolls – the winner gets to determine the direction of the move. The move must still be away from the opponent (generally into one of the three squares to your rear).
o Combat Expertise: Giving Ground grants you a +2 Dodge bonus to AC instead of +1 if you have the Combat Expertise feat. Also, your opponent doesn’t direct your movement if you have the Combat Expertise feat – unless he also has this feat. In that case, you make opposed attack rolls as described above. Finally, if you have Combat Expertise, you can select any adjacent 5’ square, not just the ones to your rear.
o Example: Rand the Fighter is in over his head, as a superior swordsman is raining blows on him left and right, when to his horror he notices that one of the swordsman’s blades is poisoned. Rand is already fighting defensively but he decides he really, really wants to avoid that blow, so he gives ground. The combatants make opposed attack rolls to see who is directing the movement – Rand fails, and so the swordsman forces Rand back and to the left, five feet closer to a nearby river of lava. But Rand gains a +1 dodge bonus to his AC in addition to the bonuses for fighting defensively, and the swordsman is forced to take a 5’ step of his own in order to keep up the attack. Rand avoids being hit. When Rand’s turn comes up, he’s in a bit of a pickle – he can’t take a 5’ step now, so he can either perform a full attack and stay in place, or he can attack and move (which draws an AoO during the move), or he can back out of the area and take no other action (avoiding the AoO).
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Reactive Movement: Under certain situations you may move when it is not your turn, as an immediate action. In all cases where a 5’ step is allowed as a reaction, you give up your ability to make a 5’ step on your next turn, and you may never take more than one 5’ step as a reaction. You also can’t perform a reactive movement if you are flatfooted. The three Reactive Movements are Hit the Deck, Take Cover, and Give Ground.
Hit the Deck: Any time you are forced to make a Reflex save to avoid an area effect, you may opt to “hit the deck.” This adds +2 to your Reflex save, but it leaves you prone until your next action. You may only “hit the deck” if you are not already prone. Once you are prone, you suffer all appropriate penalties for being in that state.
o Evasion: If you have Evasion, “hit the deck” grants you +4 instead of +2 to the save.
o Tumble: If you have ranks in Tumble, you can attempt a Tumble check vs. the original Reflex DC; success means you “hit the deck” but kip/flip right back up to a standing position; thus you are not prone after this move.
o Example: Vangkor the Wizard sees a fireball incoming and really, really doesn’t want to suffer full effects. He hits the deck, gaining a +2 to his Reflex save, which he makes (taking half damage). Until his turn comes up, Vangkor is prone – he gains a +4 to his AC vs. ranged attacks but a -4 penalty to his AC vs. melee attacks; furthermore, he can’t “hit the deck” any more this round because he’s already as low as he can go. When his turn comes up, Vangkor stands up (drawing an attack of opportunity and using a move-equivalent action), and then casts a fireball of his own in retaliation.
Take Cover: You can take a 5’ step once per round outside of your normal turn to move to a position of cover (if there is any cover within 5’), granting you a +4 cover bonus to AC until your next turn. When you Take Cover, you lose your 5’ step when your next turn comes up. This cover also grants you a +2 cover bonus on Reflex saves against attacks that originate or burst out from a point on the other side of the cover from you. Note that spread effects can extend around corners and thus negate this cover bonus. If there is no cover within 5’ of you, this action doesn’t help you but still costs you the 5’ step.
o Shield Maneuver: You can crouch down behind a readied heavy shield or tower shield once per round to gain a cover bonus on Reflex saves (same conditions as above); a heavy shield grants a +1 cover bonus, while a tower shield grants a +2 bonus. This maneuver counts as a 5’ step, depriving you of that option on your next turn.
o Example: Kurdor the Rogue is under fire from a crossbowman. As the crossbowman aims, Kurdor spies a barrel 5’ away. He nimbly leaps behind it and instantly gains a +4 cover bonus to his AC, which helps him avoid a painful experience. When Kurdor’s turn comes up, he pulls out his shortbow and fires an arrow from behind the barrel; not surprisingly, the crossbowman takes cover behind a nearby pillar, gaining his own +4 cover bonus.
Give Ground: You can take a 5’ step once per round outside of your normal turn to back away from an attacking opponent. This grants you a +1 Dodge bonus to your AC vs. one adjacent opponent you select until your next turn. Your opponent selects the direction of your move, but it must be away from the opponent. If your opponent hasn’t moved during his turn, he may be able to follow you with a 5’ step of his own to attack; otherwise, this tactic may end your opponent’s ability to attack you for the round. When you Give Ground, you lose your 5’ step when your next turn comes up.
o Fighting Defensively and Total Defense: If you are Fighting Defensively or on Total Defense when you Give Ground, your opponent doesn’t automatically get to direct your movement. Instead, the two of you make opposed attack rolls – the winner gets to determine the direction of the move. The move must still be away from the opponent (generally into one of the three squares to your rear).
o Combat Expertise: Giving Ground grants you a +2 Dodge bonus to AC instead of +1 if you have the Combat Expertise feat. Also, your opponent doesn’t direct your movement if you have the Combat Expertise feat – unless he also has this feat. In that case, you make opposed attack rolls as described above. Finally, if you have Combat Expertise, you can select any adjacent 5’ square, not just the ones to your rear.
o Example: Rand the Fighter is in over his head, as a superior swordsman is raining blows on him left and right, when to his horror he notices that one of the swordsman’s blades is poisoned. Rand is already fighting defensively but he decides he really, really wants to avoid that blow, so he gives ground. The combatants make opposed attack rolls to see who is directing the movement – Rand fails, and so the swordsman forces Rand back and to the left, five feet closer to a nearby river of lava. But Rand gains a +1 dodge bonus to his AC in addition to the bonuses for fighting defensively, and the swordsman is forced to take a 5’ step of his own in order to keep up the attack. Rand avoids being hit. When Rand’s turn comes up, he’s in a bit of a pickle – he can’t take a 5’ step now, so he can either perform a full attack and stay in place, or he can attack and move (which draws an AoO during the move), or he can back out of the area and take no other action (avoiding the AoO).
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