5-foot-step

[kenobi65]

That's right, but it seems quite ridiculous that a fighter, who is threatening a wizard, just scratches his head helplessly, while the spellslinger takes a step back and begins mumbling and gesticulating undisturbed.

Do keep in mind that D&D combat is, in many ways, an abstraction. Initiative, and the sequential nature of actions that comes from it (the fighter does his actions, then the wizard does his) is a necessary evil, a way to keep manageable what are nearly-simultaneous actions.

 

[Mekabar]

That's only because you've got a problem in your visualization chip.

Allow me to help you reboot.

The proper way to describe the scene is not:

"The fighter attacks, swinging once, and misses. He stands there waiting for you to act. You take a step away, and cast Finger of Death at him. He dies."

A better way is:

"The warrior charges you, his greatsword darting about, seeking your flesh. You parry once, twice, three times with your staff, and the final block is enough to take his greatsword out of line. You push forward, momentarily, your staff across his chest, and he stumbles, momentarily out of balance. Seizing the opportunity, you scramble back over the small stones at your heels and pull the skeletal finger from the band of your belt. You point, say the magic words, and a crackling beam of dark energy leaps from your hand, striking him in the heart. In your mind, you hear his heart stop, instantly, and you know before the warrior does that he is eneffably dead."

Oh well, I know that combat is just an abstraction. You don't stare at the enemy immobilized, while he is charging across half the battlemap. What I was complaining about is that there seems to be a serious flaw in the abstraction.

Imagine the following:
The fighter closes by, pointing his longsword menacingly to your chest.
"One wrong move and your dead, wonderboy!"

Now how do you explain that the mage manages to escape unscathed anyway, without the fighter getting the chance to react at all? He can ready his action for spellcaster distraction, but to no effect, because the mage can simply back away.

 

[Maniac]

Imagine the following:
The fighter closes by, pointing his longsword menacingly to your chest.
"One wrong move and your dead, wonderboy!"

Now how do you explain that the mage manages to escape unscathed anyway, without the fighter getting the chance to react at all? He can ready his action for spellcaster distraction, but to no effect, because the mage can simply back away.

Could the fighter not ready an action to attack if the wizard moves away? That way if the wizards steps back he gets attacked and if he decides to cast a spell without the step and without casting definsively, there is a AOO.

In my experience, there are plenty of times when the 5 foot step does not take you out of AOO territory. I don't think its really a problelm.

M.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Imagine the following:
The fighter closes by, pointing his longsword menacingly to your chest.
"One wrong move and your dead, wonderboy!"

The wizard responds, "My what?," and when the warrior responds with a confused look, the wizard quickly knocks the sword out of line with the palm of his hand.

Proceed as above.

Seriously, if you aren't actually attacking someone, you aren't really threatening them (in the game sense). A warrior pointing his sword at you and daring you is something that happens outside of initiative. Inside of initiative, it's assumed you are actively attacking and defending against every creature you threaten.

Now how do you explain that the mage manages to escape unscathed anyway, without the fighter getting the chance to react at all? He can ready his action for spellcaster distraction, but to no effect, because the mage can simply back away.

Because the fighter, at this point, has surrendered the initiative to the wizard. He's stopped attacking with his sword in the hopes that the wizard, when faced with such a threat, will act appropriately.

If the wizard doesn't, it'll take the warrior a brief moment to regain the offensive - and that brief opening is all the wizard needs to work his mojo.