10 Foot Reach

[DanMcS]

Isn't there a rule that weapons or creatures that can reach 10 feet (or have a 10' range increment) don't follow the standard rule for diagonals for their first squares? IE, instead of a spiked chain threatening:

_XXX_
XXXXX
XXOXX
XXXXX
_XXX_

They would get the squares marked with an underscore as well? Similarly for large creatures with regular weapons, and so on? I can't find it in the PHB, or the SRD, but I was pretty sure I'd read that somewhere.

 

[drunkmoogle]

It's true. Think about it like this:

If someone is up against a longpear wielder, they'd have a "safe spot," where they don't provoke AoOs and can just dance around.

Also, by those rules, it's impossible for a reacher (non-spiked chain) to achieve a diagonal line flank.

I second that I read it somewhere before, but can't find it.

 

[DanMcS]

It's true. Think about it like this:

If someone is up against a longpear wielder, they'd have a "safe spot," where they don't provoke AoOs and can just dance around.

Also, by those rules, it's impossible for a reacher (non-spiked chain) to achieve a diagonal line flank.

I second that I read it somewhere before, but can't find it.

Hmm. Those are both true, but could be equally solved by special case rules. For instance, someone crossing from that diagonal square INTO one you also threaten or are adjacent to provokes, moving a different way doesn't.

And you could special-case allow diagonal flanking like that too.

But you're right, a blanket rule is easier to use than special-casing stuff.

 

[Camarath]

Page 308-310 3.5 DMG has reach templates. It apears that reach is calculated just like spell area except that if reach only touches the near edge of a square that square is considered within reach. With spell area the far edge must be within the spell area to be considered within the spell's area of effect.

From SRD

"You can count diagonally across a square, but remember that every second diagonal counts as 2 squares of distance. If the far edge of a square is within the spell’s area, anything within that square is within the spell’s area. If the spell’s area only touches the near edge of a square, however, anything within that square is unaffected by the spell.'

 

[the Jester]

3.5 PHB, pg. 137, under "Threatened Squares." It spells out that reach weapons reach two diagonal squares.

 

[Pax]

I can do one better than pointing you at text rules: I'll point you to visual aids!

The 3.5 DMG, pages 308-310, has diagrams that show the precise threatened areas of creatures of all sizes from Medium to collossal, in both Tall and Long varieties (i.e., a dire wolf is Large(long), an Ogre is Large(tall) - with and without reach weaponry.

Top that ...!

 

[Camarath]

Top that ...!

I did not think I was still on your ignore list Pax.

 

[Pax]

You're not, Camaranth - and never were, that I recall. It simply took me forever to actually post. I am sorry for the impression that gave; - I have two very new, and at times VERY attention-hog-inclined, kittens. ^_^ Who are quite able to get up to the top of the desk, already ... at just over three and a half months old, no less. ^_^ They climb their three-entry "Cat condo" (those circular things, carpeted on all surfaces, with two or more holes each leading to little "rooms"/perches ...), hop up to the foot-wide windowsill, and walk right over to the desk.

It's both unutterably adorable, andinsufferably annoying. At the same time. ^_^

 

[Camarath]

I was just teasing because I posted the same reference you did. Your kittens sound cute. ^_^


Did my explanation of how they figured the reach in those diagrams make sense?

 

[Quasqueton]

This kind of confusion is why I just rule that all squares are 5'. Sure, fireballs come out square shaped, but it makes calculations on the fly *soooo* much easier.

Quasqueton