D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] check my logic: a way to stand up from prone without being tripped again

[Waldo]

The easiest way to avoid the trip chain is to crawl five feet away as a move-equivalent (3.5 PHB, pg 142), then stand up as a standard action.

Anything wrong with that?

Well... the crawl still draws an AoO, and many of these folks seem to think a trip would eliminate your movement. No crawling for you.

Assuming you can crawl away after being tripped, it would be nice if I could actually attack eventually. If I keep crawling away and standing up (which is a move action, not a standard, btw), then my opponent just 5 foots and trips me again. I have gained nothing and still not attacked, plus he gets an AoO every time I crawl away.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Well... the crawl still draws an AoO, and many of these folks seem to think a trip would eliminate your movement. No crawling for you.

It wouldn't stop the crawl anymore than an AoO would stop regular movement - and since I'm not trying to get up at all and remaining prone, I can't be tripped.

Assuming you can crawl away after being tripped, it would be nice if I could actually attack eventually. If I keep crawling away and standing up (which is a move action, not a standard, btw), then my opponent just 5 foots and trips me again. I have gained nothing and still not attacked, plus he gets an AoO every time I crawl away.

But the tripper could attempt to trip you any round in any case. It's certainly not an ideal situation, but you'd have to wait for a trip miss and then either run away or make him hurt a great deal. Maybe go on the defensive and take the penalty to hit for extra AC - use expertise if you have it.

Of course, you could also always attack from your prone position. Take the penalty to hit, and there's no AoO.

 

[Enkhidu]

I've seen examples using spellcasting interrupted by AoOs multiple times in this thread, but I thought the consensus reached 18 months ago was that an AoO doesn't cause a concentration check - only readied actions do.

Has this changed in 3.5?

 

[Hypersmurf]

I've seen examples using spellcasting interrupted by AoOs multiple times in this thread, but I thought the consensus reached 18 months ago was that an AoO doesn't cause a concentration check - only readied actions do.

Buh? The three standard ways to force a Concentration check through damage have always been a/ AoOs, b/ readied actions, and c/ continuous damage (like alchemist's fire or Melf's Acid Arrow).

There are some other ways to force Concentration checks, but they don't use damage...

-Hyp.

 

[Lotus]

The easiest way to avoid the trip chain is to crawl five feet away as a move-equivalent (3.5 PHB, pg 142), then stand up as a standard action.

I think that works fine...

...and that's when the tripper busts out with Improved Disarm for that crawling AoO. Next turn, he'll step over and pick up the weapon you crawled 5' away from, and he won't take an AoO unless you've drawn another weapon and are still prone. In which case, instead of picking up the weapon he beats on you with the +4 power attack.

 

[Snipehunt]

I think Hyp's right, the only way it AoO makes sense is if it is simultaneous w/ the provoking action, which seems to allow a trip attack on the standing-from-prone guy. It follows directly from the disrupting-spell AoO, IMO.

Kind of off-topic, but weren't AoO's one of the things they were going to clean up in 3.5?

 

[the Jester]

For the sake of sanity, I like Spider's take on this: you're already prone when you provoke the aoo, so you can't be re-tripped. Makes sense to me in a 'balanced combat' sorta way.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Yes, the AOO occurs DURING the action, but for simplicity sake, almost every example I've seen assumes that the AOO occurs during the beginning part of the action. Thus, when you move FROM a threatened square you provoke an AOO. If you are tripped using the AOO, you are in the space you were leaving.

This logic applies to almost all things. If we apply it to the trips, we can assume that although it occurs DURING the standing action, it is in the early part of the action, say as soon as you see him sitting up from lying down and putting his hands in a position to boost him off the ground rather than when he is most of the way off the ground and therefore can be tripped again. This makes some sense logically as well, as once a character has regained at least some of his footing, he may be in the position to at least partially defend himself from the trip with his own weapon.

Majoru Oakheart

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I think that works fine...

...and that's when the tripper busts out with Improved Disarm for that crawling AoO.

At that point, if the guy has Improved Trip and Improved Disarm, he' s clearly spent all his feats on non-damaging tactics. Just hit him with the -4 penalty and take the full-round action to do it.

I mean, I see the point you're making, I just can't see it being terribly likely to ever occur in an actual game situation. In theory, you'd be screwed, but in reality, you'll be OK, especially since the guy isn't going to be guaranteed to hit you every time.

And remember he's giving up all those actual attacks to get AoO's so he' not gaining all that much, really.

 

[Caliban]

And remember he's giving up all those actual attacks to get AoO's so he' not gaining all that much, really.

Except that with Improved Trip, he does get an actual attack whenever he successfully trips you.