Why Knock Someone Prone Anymore?

[SDOgre]

One of my players made a dwarven fighter and took the exploit Spinning Sweep. He was excited. It was a tactic he used often in 3E, knocking foes prone.

When we reached our first battle he knocked a kobold prone. When it got up he asked, "Don't I get an Opportunity Attack on it?" He emphasized the correct usage of the free attack.

I looked it up. It doesn't say anything about OAs against targets standing up. So I said no.

He looked at me and said, "Then what good is it?"

I'm here to ask the same question. Could it be that being able to move in combat now is so important that just being knocked prone is enough of a penalty that an AO is overkill? Besides slowing your opponent why would you want to waste an encounter exploit on it?

 

[keterys]

They lose a move action and melee folks gain combat advantage on them, so rogues can sneak attack.

That's useful. It's also quite easy to knock someone prone.

 

[DevoutlyApathetic]

Knock prone, shift away and they don't get to attack you next turn barring reach.

 

[SDOgre]

Ah, combat advantage. I missed that. That is huge. As long as you have someone that can take advantage of it.

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[SDOgre]

Ah, knock down and shift away. That could be really useful.

Thanks Devout.

 

[Surgoshan]

Yeah, knocking someone prone is still very useful, given the fact that 4e is very, very movement oriented. When you knock someone prone, not only do you give people combat advantage, but you restrict them to either taking a move action, or taking an attack action, or attacking with a -2 penalty and only moving at half speed and remaining prone, or moving full speed and getting a normal attack at the cost of an action point.

No matter what, you've done someone a disservice, plus given your allies an advantage.

 

[Aegir]

In 4e, CA basically replaces flanking: in other words, if you have CA on a monster, you get the "flanking" bonus (+2 to attack) even without flanking.

 

[Subedei]

Yeah, it's still quite useful, you just have to think about how to make use of it a little more now.

 

[ravenight]

Also, bear in mind that 4e is about teamwork - knocking someone prone is sweet if everyone else piles into melee on them.

Flanking is still useful too, there are just other ways to get CA.

 

[Kishin]

It's a good way to keep things under a Defender's control and away from the more squishable members of the party.

Also, there really need to be some powers that gain additional benefit when used on prone opponents...

Picturing a Warlord-led kick circle here.