AoO - Moving through friendly spaces

[Metus]

One rule situation currently has been popping up in my gaming group, that being:

If an ally of yours is in a space threatened by a baddie, and you move through that space that your ally occupies, and moving there would normally provoke an AoO, does the baddie get to hit you? Basically, if you're moving through the space, does having an ally in the same space as you prevent an AoO? If not, might they also hit your friend?

 

[blargney the second]

I think it depends if you're moving through a square the is adjacent to the creature or if it requires reach to strike.

 

[Abraxas]

See page 147 of the PHB - "Friend: You can move through a square occupied by a friendly character, unless you are charging (page 154). When you move through a square occupied by a friendly character, that character doesn’t provide you with cover (see page 150)."

The friendly character doesn't provide cover, and thus doesn't prevent AoOs.
There is no chance to accidentally hit the friendly character instead of you.

 

[Metus]

I think it depends if you're moving through a square the is adjacent to the creature or if it requires reach to strike.

In the example I'm discussing, it's adjacent.

See page 147 of the PHB - "Friend: You can move through a square occupied by a friendly character, unless you are charging (page 154). When you move through a square occupied by a friendly character, that character doesn’t provide you with cover (see page 150)."

The friendly character doesn't provide cover, and thus doesn't prevent AoOs.
There is no chance to accidentally hit the friendly character instead of you.

Alright, good to know. I find it kind of odd that the book doesn't just come out and say, "You can be hit by AoOs while moving through friendly spaces." I say that just because I'm sure my players will give me grief about even that small leap of logic of "not providing cover = AoOs." Thanks for the info.

 

[Abraxas]

It is a round about way of saying it.

I say that just because I'm sure my players will give me grief about even that small leap of logic of "not providing cover = AoOs."

If they were assuming no AoO because they thought the friendly creature provided cover it isn't a leap of logic at all.
Oh as an aside its Abraxas, not Abraxes

 

[Metus]

If they were assuming no AoO because they thought the friendly creature provided cover it isn't a leap of logic at all.

Touche, good sir. Touche.

Oh as an aside its Abraxas, not Abraxes

Whoopsie!

 

[blargney the second]

Nice catch, Abraxas. The game I'm DMing has 3 PCs with reach, so AoOs & cover come up all the time.

 

[TheGogmagog]

One rule situation currently has been popping up in my gaming group, that being:

If an ally of yours is in a space threatened by a baddie, and you move through that space that your ally occupies, and moving there would normally provoke an AoO, does the baddie get to hit you? Basically, if you're moving through the space, does having an ally in the same space as you prevent an AoO? If not, might they also hit your friend?

No, it does not prevent the AoO. AoO occur before the action that provokes them is resolved. Drinking a potion or Casting a spell, the AoO is resolved before the action is complete. LEAVING a threatened square provokes an AoO, so the attack is resolved before you complete you move out of the square. This is important when standing at a corner in a hall, if you are incorrectly resolving the AoO, then they can move around the corner, gain 50% cover and negate the AoO.

 

[glass]

Alright, good to know. I find it kind of odd that the book doesn't just come out and say, "You can be hit by AoOs while moving through friendly spaces."

To paraphrase an example I used the other day, it doesn't come out and say "You can be hit by AoOs while wearing turquoise", either. Does this mean you doubt whether a turquoise tabbard protects you from AoO?

Moving out of a threatened square provokes an AoO. For there to be an exception, theta exception would have to be spelled out. They can't spell out every non-exception, because there are infinitely many of them.


glass.