5 Foot Step Question

[Markn]

I was asked by one of my players if it was legal to do the following:

The player is a druid and is wildshaped into something with the burrow abilitiy. He uses the free 5 foot step to burrow. Under the burrow ability for the creature it says it is his choice if he wants to fill in the hole or not (in other words it fills in the hole behind him giving him cover).

Based on the rules that I have read, it says you can take a 5 foot step using any mode of movement that you have (it specifically mentions fly and climb). The other portion that I have read is that you can not take a 5 foot step if the terrain is difficult but there is nothing saying that burrowing is movement into difficult terrain.

By the rules, would you allow this? Why or why not?

 

[RigaMortus2]

I think it can do either way. The DM has to decide if they consider it to be difficult terrain or not. As a player, I would be fine w/ either ruling, I can see both sides.

 

[frankthedm]

If he is 5' adjusting, the square behind him is above ground. Only once he gets 10' in would the hole start to be filled in behind him.

 

[Markn]

If he is 5' adjusting, the square behind him is above ground. Only once he gets 10' in would the hole start to be filled in behind him.

I had a similar thought as well. I was curious if anyone else was going to mention that. Assuming we viewed it this way, would you allow it to work if he was 5' down already and then went to 10' down?

 

[Someone]

It's a 5 foot hole, filled or almost filled with a critter. Unless he's burrowing in sand or similar material I can't see how the hole will naturally close itself, no matter wat the rules say (the author was probably thinking on horizontal tunnels when writing that rule)

 

[frankthedm]

It's a 5 foot hole, filled or almost filled with a critter. Unless he's burrowing in sand or similar material I can't see how the hole will naturally close itself, no matter wat the rules say (the author was probably thinking on horizontal tunnels when writing that rule)

[imagel]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/4408/burrowinisinorderir0.gif[/imagel] The dirt has to go somewhere, once the critter is through the sqare I can see it not being passable for a non burrower. Signifigantly easier to dig through compared to normal dirt, but still not fast enough to matter in a combat situation.

TBH, It works by the rules, but the more i think about it, the less i like the idea of a 5' adjust with burrowing. Those burrow speeds are darn low as if accounting for a "5' adjustment" preventing speed hit and the "Creatures cannot charge or run while burrowing." really backs that up.

 

[frankthedm]

[imagel]http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2237/kheggerby9.th.gif[/imagel]

would you allow it to work if he was 5' down already and then went to 10' down?

That would work.

I know it looks like I'm "trying to keep the playa down", but whatever 'trick' a PC can do with burrowing, ankhegs and other burrowing grabbers can do a LOT worse. Bite, grab, then adjust downward in the surprise round is deadly.

 

[atom crash]

Can you make a 5-foot step while burrowning? Can you take a 5-foot step while swimming, climbing or flying?

My inclination is that you couldn't take a 5-foot step while burrowing. If you could pass through solid objects, then you could take a 5-foot step, but the act of burrowing (which implies to me that you're digging as you move, not just moving effortlessly through nothing) would hinder you at least a little bit, even in the softest of materials.

Of course, the rules don't specifically address this, but it seems reasonable to me.

 

[Markn]

[imagel]http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2237/kheggerby9.th.gif[/imagel]That would work.

I know it looks like I'm "trying to keep the playa down", but whatever 'trick' a PC can do with burrowing, ankhegs and other burrowing grabbers can do a LOT worse. Bite, grab, then adjust downward in the surprise round is deadly.

I know what your saying. I have some reservations about this myself. I think I am going to allow it (at the 10' mark and not the 5'). I think the limitation is that they can only do this every other round. Technically they could do it every round if they used a move action so a 5' step every second round (once underground the first round and the second time the second round to come up for air again) shouldn't be that bad. The only caveat to that is - does it make sense to allow it for a druid who is also using a full round spell? Actually the more I think about it, that wouldn't work either as the spell "goes off" prior to his next action and he would have no line of effect....so it may be balanced after all.

 

[Markn]

Can you make a 5-foot step while burrowning? Can you take a 5-foot step while swimming, climbing or flying?

My inclination is that you couldn't take a 5-foot step while burrowing. If you could pass through solid objects, then you could take a 5-foot step, but the act of burrowing (which implies to me that you're digging as you move, not just moving effortlessly through nothing) would hinder you at least a little bit, even in the softest of materials.

Of course, the rules don't specifically address this, but it seems reasonable to me.

I think the issue is, burrowing, swimming, climbing or flying are all modes of movement. Nothing specifically or otherwise states that burrowing should be treated different. Having said that, I used that line of thinking when we originally discussed it.