A world in darkness OOC

[Zerth]

Nah, the only AoO were when people moved into the creature or past it. You cannot move into combat range to a creature without entering its threatened area unless you have a reach weapon. Melee combat is close quarters stuff when using non-reach weapons.

Actually, if two combatants have the same reach, no AoO's are provoked for closing in to attack. Two types of actions usually provoke an AoO:
1) Moving out of a threatened square
2) Performing a distracting act

You don't have to move out a threatened square, when you have the same reach as your opponent and therefore no AoO's are drawn. So someone with for example 5 feet reach has to only move in a threatened area, if the opponent has only 5 feet reach. The attacker does not have to move out a threatened square and as a result does not provoke an AoO.

 

[Ghostknight]

Actually, if two combatants have the same reach, no AoO's are provoked for closing in to attack. Two types of actions usually provoke an AoO:
1) Moving out of a threatened square
2) Performing a distracting act

You don't have to move out a threatened square, when you have the same reach as your opponent and therefore no AoO's are drawn. So someone with for example 5 feet reach has to only move in a threatened area, if the opponent has only 5 feet reach. The attacker does not have to move out a threatened square and as a result does not provoke an AoO.

Threatened Squares: You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your action. Generally, that means everything in all squares adjacent to your space (including diagonally). An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If you're unarmed, you don't normally threaten any squares and thus can't make attacks of opportunity.

There were two AoOs in this combat. One where you grappled (specifically stated under grapple that this draws an AoO) and Sychella moving to flank the creature.

With Sychella she was moving in the squares adjacent to the creature and thus threatened by it as stated in the SRD. To me, when something is directly in front of you, breathing in your face and you move around to the sode of it, you are going to draw an AoO - I mean how much more of an opportunity do you want to give an opponent? You are in its reach and move around, while within its reach to try and place yourself better. So she moved out of the threatened area in front of the creature and thus provoked an AoO.

Heh, rules debates - now this even feels like a table top game (without having the debate disrupt the game!)

 

[Zerth]

My quotes are from 3.5 PHB, page 137. The SRD text you quoted does not say, that you draw an AoO moving inside someone's threatened square, whereas it is stated very clearly in the PHB, that you only draw AoO's by moving out of a threatened square. Here's the same text from the SRD:

Provoking an Attack of Opportunity: Two kinds of actions can provoke attacks of opportunity: moving out of a threatened square and performing an action within a threatened square.

Moving: Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes an attack of opportunity from the threatening opponent. There are two common methods of avoiding such an attack—the 5-foot-step and the withdraw action (see below).

Performing a Distracting Act: Some actions, when performed in a threatened square, provoke attacks of opportunity as you divert your attention from the battle. Table: Actions in Combat notes many of the actions that provoke attacks of opportunity.

Remember that even actions that normally provoke attacks of opportunity may have exceptions to this rule.

Grappling follows the same rule - you are moving in the same square as your opponent and without Improved Grapple feat that'll draw an AoO. Basically, you are moving out of an threatened square to enter the same square with your opponent. When Racid grappled the creature, he provoked an AoO, that is correct.


Sychella should not have drawn an AoO, when she moved behind the creature to flank it. She was not inside the creature's threatened area, when her move began and could have moved in a flanking position without moving out of a threatened square, unless the creature had a reach of 10 feet or more. She only needed to enter the creature's threatened square, when she finished her move, which does not provoke an AoO.

But you are the DM and if you like your way of handling AoO's better, then that's the way it is and I'm fine with it. I just want to know the rules we are using

 

[Ghostknight]

My quotes are from 3.5 PHB, page 137. The SRD text you quoted does not say, that you draw an AoO moving inside someone's threatened square, whereas it is stated very clearly in the PHB, that you only draw AoO's by moving out of a threatened square. Here's the same text from the SRD:

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Grappling follows the same rule - you are moving in the same square as your opponent and without Improved Grapple feat that'll draw an AoO. Basically, you are moving out of an threatened square to enter the same square with your opponent. When Racid grappled the creature, he provoked an AoO, that is correct.


Sychella should not have drawn an AoO, when she moved behind the creature to flank it. She was not inside the creature's threatened area, when her move began and could have moved in a flanking position without moving out of a threatened square, unless the creature had a reach of 10 feet or more. She only needed to enter the creature's threatened square, when she finished her move, which does not provoke an AoO.

Actually she was in the creatures threatened - at the start of the combat it was right in front of her.

Sychella is confronted by a srange creature jumping out of the bush in front of her.

So as I stated before she moved out of the threatened square in front of it and into the threatened square on the side. I don't know what the official position is as far as this goes, but to me this is definite AoO time, moving around inside of the creatures threatened area in order to change facing on it is enough of an action to draw an AoO (at least in my interpretation). So take it as a general ruling - if you are in a threatened square of a creature and move to its flank it will provoke an AoO.

 

[Zerth]

Actually she was in the creatures threatened - at the start of the combat it was right in front of her.

So as I stated before she moved out of the threatened square in front of it and into the threatened square on the side. I don't know what the official position is as far as this goes, but to me this is definite AoO time, moving around inside of the creatures threatened area in order to change facing on it is enough of an action to draw an AoO (at least in my interpretation). So take it as a general ruling - if you are in a threatened square of a creature and move to its flank it will provoke an AoO.

General rule is ok, unless you can do it with a 5 foot step or make a succesful tumble check...

Ok, I misunderstood the situation. I didn't realize the creature was so close to Sychella, when we first saw it. If and obviously when Sychella was already in a threatened area, when she began her move, she does indeed provoke an AoO. She had to move out of a threatened square, which usually does draw an AoO. But the reason for the AoO is moving out of a threatened square, not moving in at a later time like I understood was your ruling.

I'm not at all concerned, what might have went wrong or not in the battle - this happens all the time in games I DM myself - I'm only trying to explain what does provoke an AoO and what doesn't. If two creatures have the same reach and the attacker moves in to strike at the defender, the defender does not get an AoO, because the attacker is only moving in (and not out of) a square threatened by the defender.

But now I rest my case and refrain from further rules-lawyering. At least in this case.

 

[Ghostknight]

General rule is ok, unless you can do it with a 5 foot step or make a succesful tumble check...

But now I rest my case and refrain from further rules-lawyering. At least in this case.

Yep to the first point . The rest about moving in vs moving out - yep as well. No AoO for moving into a threatened area, only moving out of one.

As to rules lawyering, it only bothers me when it disrupte the game. An excellent feature of PbP is that these discussions can happen in parralel and not only can the game go on but everyone gets to be happy at the same time! Of course, if you do ever overstep the line I will freely use Rule 0 - the DM is always right (even when he is wrong - thus speaketh the DM)

Still, to me rule 0 is very much a last resort thing to keep a game going, far happier to explain my thoughts and interpretations (and if necessary take heed for the future - generally, unless it has had a major impact it is pointless going back into the past)

 

[Ghostknight]

Replacement Players needed

Allright- two of our players have gone AWOL with no posts for a few weeks eacho I am opening up their spots.

I would like to keep the deva in the game (Argentus Whitesoul), but wif you want a new character you can replace the monk.

Any takers?

 

[Thanee]

I might be interested. Have only checked the background information briefly, so I can't say yet, what kind of character I'd like to play.

Maybe some kind of cleric or druid? After a quick check of the RG, there doesn't seem to be one yet.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Ghostknight]

I might be interested. Have only checked the background information briefly, so I can't say yet, what kind of character I'd like to play.

Maybe some kind of cleric or druid? After a quick check of the RG, there doesn't seem to be one yet.

Bye
Thanee

Whatever you like. In the IC thread a recent suggestion has given me a good way to get both players out in story without messing up the eveloving plot- so go ahead (the deva was essentially going to fill in as cleric- so cleric/druid is open as is anything else you wish to create within the guidelines posted!)

For cleric- it is a case of creating your own Church faction - essentially choose active domains and ethos and I will fit it in (and decide iof they are fringe or mainline or considered heretical by the rest....)

 

[Thanee]

Is everything there underground (kinda like Underdark)?

I have this impression, but couldn't find any real confirmation yet, except for the mentioning of a series of caverns, where that city is located.

Bye
Thanee