D&D 5E Question about moving and attacking

[Jeff Albertson]

As others have said, you cannot move into your buddy's space, linger for a bit and take an action, and then move, you gotta hustle right through.

Also, the conga-line factor.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Did characters get fat between editions? In AD&D 3 men could fight abreast in a 10' wide corridor as long as their weapons didn't require a lot of space. If they were holding the position against threats from both sides then you would have SIX MEN in a 10 foot square.

Now, each character, even a gnome or halfling requires 5 feet of personal space?

 

[El Mahdi]

Did characters get fat between editions?

Now, each character, even a gnome or halfling requires 5 feet of personal space?

Yes...that's what happens when "civilization" happens to a fantasy world. I blame McDonald's Auroch-burger chain...


In all seriousness though, I don't like this either. I'd rule more on the side of common sense, as you pointed out. A five foot square is actually a pretty big area when you see it for real. Even a combatant moving around inside it leaves a little bit of room for someone to be able to momentarily squeeze in for a second, cast a spell, and move away.

That's my ruling though. Rulings, not Rules.

 

[Sunseeker]

Most medium characters are not a solid 5'x5' and I don't feel the rules text isn't so cut and dried.

An unmoving human takes up about a 2x2x5 block of space, yes. However your players are not unmoving. They a dodging and weaving and swinging swords and raising shields, which is why you have to make checks for a character to squeeze into any space smaller than a 5x5 box.

The "space" a character takes up accounts for the fact that they're moving. It's not to suggest that the characters are 5x5x5 in size.

 

[Shiroiken]

You can enter an allies space and take an action; you just can't end your turn there. I use the Squeezing rules to adjudicate this, however, to keep it from being too strong.

 

[redrick]

Yeah, I generally rule that actions taken while in the space of another character are taken at disadvantage. You have less elbow room and less room to establish proper footing. We don't actually play with a strict "grid" (ie characters don't occupy squares), but we do adhere to the idea that characters need a roughly 5' radius to do whatever it is they do in their personal bubble. It comes up in narrow corridors, doorways, etc. I guess that is a modern edition-ism, but it works for me. (I guess, if characters wanted to establish some sort of tighter formation, I'd probably allow it, but I might ask for something in return. Maybe an action to "get into formation"? Also might look at disadvantage on dex saves. Hard to dodge a fireball when you're in a tight formation in a hallway.)

Now, if you are moving into position on top of an ally, as stated in the OP, because that ally is prone and incapacitated, then you're all good. Difficult terrain penalties if you want to move on top of him without breaking his fingers under your wizard slippers.

 

[S'mon]

You can enter an allies space and take an action; you just can't end your turn there. I use the Squeezing rules to adjudicate this, however, to keep it from being too strong.

Yeah, that's what I do. I'll allow 3 characters to fight abreast normally in a 10' corridor if they are all using thrusting weapons like spears or shortswords suited to close formation, or if they are Small. I don't think a strong focus on 'squares' suits 5e at all.

Mind you I don't allow move-attack-move. I do allow attack-move-attack if you're a melee fighter with multiple attacks and have killed everything around you. I want characters to be able to hold choke points; no conga line of doom IMC.

 

[CapnZapp]

So, if I cast Fireball, do you get advantage on your save? (there's no roll for me to get disadvantage on)

 

[miniaturehoarder]

So, if I cast Fireball, do you get advantage on your save? (there's no roll for me to get disadvantage on)

No, just like other times a caster is inconvenienced, saves don't flux from most circumstance as attack rolls can.

 

[CapnZapp]

No, just like other times a caster is inconvenienced, saves don't flux from most circumstance as attack rolls can.

Sorry, I meant to reply to shoiriken and redrick. Your point is mine too:

(Imposing disadvantage on the wizard's action does nothing when you cast Fireball)