Rules question--unconscious ally

[MrGrenadine]

Hi!

If one of my allies falls unconscious during a fight, can I step into his or her square?

And if so, what happens when the unconscious ally is healed? Does one of us just take a 5' step to get clear?

Thanks,

MrG

 

[irdeggman]

Yes you can occupy the square with an unconscious ally.

Ending Your Movement: You can’t end your movement in the same square as another creature unless it is helpless.

Since an unconscious character is considered "helpless.

 

[MrGrenadine]

Thanks, thats what I thought!

But then after I had moved into my ally's space, (and attacked), our cleric moved up and healed her, which is where we got a bit befuddled.

Since she was no longer helpless after the heal, but still prone, we figured I should take a penalty to my attacks since I had to dance around a now conscious person in the same square.

On my next turn, (assuming I went before her), should I have been forced to take a 5' step to get clear? Or should I have automatically moved when she was healed?

And if her turn came before mine, would she have to take the 5' step to get clear when she stood up?

MrG

 

[Urbannen]

Yes, you can step into an unconscious ally's space.

They are essentially an object lying on the ground at that point and do not require space to move or fight.

If the ally regains consciousness, then you are sharing a space with them. The PHB is not clear about what to do when this occurs. What I get from the PHB is that you cannot fight if you are sharing a space. This probably includes taking most actions in combat, including spellcasting. However, the PHB doesn't say that anyone is required or forced to take a move out of the shared space.

Basic interpretation of the rules: you can share a space, but while you do so, you can't take any actions except moves to leave the space.

 

[irdeggman]

The FAQ addressed this exact situation - so use it for "guidance".

In a combat, Bob the fighter is unconscious from
wounds, and Grog the orc moves into Bob’s square. A
friendly cleric heals Bob so that Bob regains consciousness.
So the orc and prone Bob are now occupying the same
square. Now what happens? The rules say that Bob and
Grog can’t be in the same square, right? So, what happens?
Is Grog somehow prevented from entering Bob’s square?
Does Grog have to leave when Bob wakes up?

You can enter another creature’s square and even stop there
if the creature is helpless, or if that creature is much bigger or
smaller than you are (see Moving Through a Square in Chapter
8 of the PH).

Assume that Bob is prone (no rule says you’re prone when
you lose consciousness, but common sense demands that it be
so), and that he can remain in Grog’s square so long as he
remains prone. If he gets up, he must leave Grog’s square first,
which provokes an attack of opportunity from Grog.

 

[Urbannen]

The difference between the example from the FAQ and the example from the OP is that in the example from the OP, the two people are allies.

One problem with the FAQ answer is that you can still do a lot of things while prone - you even threaten squares around you. The FAQ answer implies (but doesn't say!) that this isn't true - the only action a prone person sharing a square can take is to move out of the square.

However, it is a simple and elegant solution to the question (even though it would still have been nice for WotC to give rules for sharing spaces).

 

[MrGrenadine]

I second the motion for an official ruling on shared space--for both enemies and allies!

Until then, the FAQ implies a pretty good solution, if I understand it correctly:

Someone can enter a square occupied by some (or something) prone. When the prone person (or thing) wants to stand (or otherwise become un-prone) he, she or it must move from the square first. The movement out of the square is subject to an AoO, as would standing, once free of the square.

Its also probably fair to give anyone (or thing) with ranks in Tumble an opportunity to tumble out of the square, and then stand, thereby avoiding the first AoO.


MrG

 

[Urbannen]

Remember that an additional reason you provokE an AoO when leaving a shared space while prone is because you are crawling. Each time you leave a space while crawling you provoke an AoO from enemies that threaten you. Crawling takes double normal movement. This means that leaving the space cannot count as a 5-ft. step.

It seems correct to allow a DC 15 Tumble check to avoid the AoO. However, leaving the space will then count as quadruple movement: x2 for crawling, x2 for Tumbling. In normal terrain it would count as 4 squares of movement.

 

[Griego]

The FAQ gives a little more information on Tumbling while prone:

Can a character use the Tumble skill from a prone
position? Specifically, if my character is prone, can he use
Tumble to move out of a threatened square without
provoking an attack of opportunity?
According to a strict reading of the rules, no. The key
phrase in the Tumble skill description is this: “Tumble at one-
half speed as part of normal movement. . . .” You can’t move
“normally” while prone, thus you can’t use Tumble in this
manner while prone.
The only “normal” movement allowed while prone is to
crawl 5 feet as a move action that provokes attacks of
opportunity. I don’t think it stretches the rules unreasonably to
allow a character to use Tumble while crawling, but since you
can’t crawl at half speed (half of 5 feet is less than a full
square), you’d have to take the –10 penalty on the Tumble
check for using accelerated tumbling. Thus, a character could
make a “crawling Tumble”—think of it as an “action roll” if
you prefer—to move 5 feet as a move action without provoking
attacks of opportunity; such an action would require a DC 15
Tumble check with a –10 penalty.

 

[nathreet]

I'd consider it a space that restricts movement (much like a narrow corridor). See the combat section for the appropriate penalties.

Technically (per the rules) you can always have up to 4 people in a space. It's just not "allowed" in combat b/c it'd be impractical to allow it. So treating multiple people in the same space as the same as being in a restricted space (i.e., less than 5 feet wide) seems reasonable to me.