Are You Considered Flat-Footed When You Are Prone?

[el-remmen]

YEp. According to RAW you are not flat-footed if prone. According to my house rules, you are.

But I also use a "knockdown" mechanic and do not play that standing draws an AoO.

 

[irdeggman]

Also technically you are only flat-footed at teh beginning of the round before you act.

 

[Corsair]

True: Flat Footed -> Loss of dex to AC

False: Loss of dex to AC -> Flat Footed

 

[SlagMortar]

True: Flat Footed -> Loss of dex to AC

False: Loss of dex to AC -> Flat Footed

Now if only we can get WoTC in the sources like the FAQ and Rules of the Game to agree to that.

 

[hong]

Also technically you are only flat-footed at teh beginning of the round before you act.

Or when balancing, if you don't have 5 ranks in Balance.

 

[Mistwell]

Or when balancing, if you don't have 5 ranks in Balance.

You're gonna hurt his brain Hong!

 

[Hypersmurf]

Or when balancing, if you don't have 5 ranks in Balance.

Don't forget Flick of the Wrist, Raptor School, Confound the Big Folk...

-Hyp.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

Do you threaten while prone? This comes up all the time for one of my groups, someone is tripped, ends up prone, but can still take AoO's and provide the flank for another character. I've had a few battles where once a character is prone they stay that way until they are no longer threatened by an enemy and then stand without drawing an attack of opportunity. I haven't seen anything in the rules disallowing it (and the players will often gladly take the -4 AC/to hit, just so they can get their full attack action).

 

[hong]

Yeah, you threaten when prone.

The craziest use of going prone I've seen was just 2 sessions ago, when the dwarf crusader got shot by an archer. He charged up to the archer, but missed, so he... dropped prone. The archer is at -4 for attacking a prone target, unless he's adjacent, in which case the dwarf gets an AoO on him (also at -4). In retrospect, I should have just kept the archer there and let the dwarf have his AoO.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

Do you threaten while prone? This comes up all the time for one of my groups, someone is tripped, ends up prone, but can still take AoO's and provide the flank for another character. I've had a few battles where once a character is prone they stay that way until they are no longer threatened by an enemy and then stand without drawing an attack of opportunity. I haven't seen anything in the rules disallowing it (and the players will often gladly take the -4 AC/to hit, just so they can get their full attack action).

A very good question. I would say that you do threaten.

This what the rules say in regards to threatening a square.

[sblock=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. [/sblock]

Since you can make melee attacks to all adjacent squares (or further if you have reach) I would say that you do threaten those squares and can still make AoO's. I don't necessarily agree with it but that's what the rules say. Of course I have been wrong before!

Olaf the Stout