Heal check in combat

[Smurtis]

Here's the scenerio that came up:

Our Warlord dropped below 0 and was dying. There were 2 enemies adjacent on either side of him in flanking positions. Our druid was able to shift next to the Warlord, but now also adjacent to the two enemies as well. The druid rolled a Heal skill check to allow the warlord to spend his second wind to heal.

Question:

Does the druid provoke opportunity attacks for performing a heal check with two enemies adjacent to him?

We couldnt find a ruling on this anywhere in the books.

 

[Larrin]

Read the entry on heal in the skill section of any of the books that has one. if it says nothing about Opurtunity attacks, then it causes none. OAs are rare, and heal checks are encouraged, so i'm betting they don't provoke. You're already spending a standard action.

Visually though, i can see where you might think CPR might lower your guard as much as making a ranged attack

 

[DEFCON 1]

Visually though, i can see where you might think CPR might lower your guard as much as making a ranged attack

But then again... based upon how many different things hit points actually represent (not just health)... the Heal check might also be just the druid rushing over and pushing the warlord out of the way from a pair of falling weapons, inspiring him to get up... as the warlord was not actually unconscious but just on his hands and knees out of breath and looking at the floor.

Although the skill is called 'Heal'... not everything it does should technically be considered first aid.

 

[OnlineDM]

I'm with you on thinking creatively about the flavor. However, while I don't have the books in front of me, I'm pretty sure that performing a Heal check in combat to either stabilize the dying or let an ally use their second wind is technically called "First Aid" in the books. Still, it's fine to interpret it creatively anyway.

 

[moxcamel]

Nope, heal checks don't provoke opportunity attack.

 

[Riastlin]

as the warlord was not actually unconscious but just on his hands and knees out of breath and looking at the floor.

Although the skill is called 'Heal'... not everything it does should technically be considered first aid.

I'm all in favor of reflavoring, but below 0 hp is technically unconscious per RAW and thus is subject to coup de grace, etc.

 

[malraux]

I'm all in favor of reflavoring, but below 0 hp is technically unconscious per RAW and thus is subject to coup de grace, etc.

Well, 0 or lower hitpoints means that a creature has the Status called Unconscious, but like all things that may or may not be linked to actually being unconscious vs being down on the ground completely winded. Such a reflavoring wouldn't bother me, but I can understand others not liking it.

 

[moxcamel]

I wouldn't house-rule a heal check to be subject to AoO. The PCs have already been penalized with the (however temporary) loss of a character, not to mention the loss of an action by the healing character. It's enough I think.

 

[Riastlin]

Well, 0 or lower hitpoints means that a creature has the Status called Unconscious, but like all things that may or may not be linked to actually being unconscious vs being down on the ground completely winded. Such a reflavoring wouldn't bother me, but I can understand others not liking it.

Aye, perfectly fine reflavoring. In either event, I would not rule that it provokes since there's nothing in the rules that states it does. As pointed out above, the PCs have already been penalized by the loss of the character and are being further "penalized" by using a standard action for a chance at a heal rather than using it to attack.

 

[BobTheNob]

I appreciate the points presented, but I am generally not a big fan of actions not backed by class abilities (Personal opinion only)

There is the other point in this that the definition of what prompts an opportunity action is when you fail to actively defend yourself, and I think giving someone first aid definitely qualifies for that.

I would be tempted to house rule it that heal checks draw AOP, but I would also allow that the "combat medic" feat trumps it.