avoiding unforseen AoO's

[lightful]

Do you have to be aware of an incoming attack of opportunity in order to attempt Tumbling past it ?

Can you use tumble to avoid an AoO from an invisible opponent ?

Can you use it to avoid one if you’re moving 10 ft. away from a guy with a greatsword when the guys wizard friend uses his readied action to cast enlarge person on his ally so he now has 10 ft. reach and can attack you ?

Could you use it against an archer that had a feat granting him attacks of opportunity within 30 feet ? Would it matter if you knew the archer had the ability to take attacks of opportunity at range ?

Thanks in advance 

 

[KarinsDad]

You have to state when you are using Tumble.

You cannot use it in response to an attack.

If you are unaware that an AoO might occur and you do not state that you are Tumbling when moving through the square, then you are not tumbling.


Anything you are aware of, you can then decide to tumble.

 

[shilsen]

Do you have to be aware of an incoming attack of opportunity in order to attempt Tumbling past it ?

Or more specifically, the question really donesn't make sense. You have to choose to tumble when you are making the choice to move. If the tumbling is successful, you do not draw AoOs. So your choice to tumble or not is what controls whether you draw AoOs for movement. If an AoO has been incurred, you can't retroactively choose to tumble.

Can you use tumble to avoid an AoO from an invisible opponent ?

Sure. Of course, if you're unaware of the invisible opponent, then you might move normally and draw an AoO, at which point it's too late.

Can you use it to avoid one if you’re moving 10 ft. away from a guy with a greatsword when the guys wizard friend uses his readied action to cast enlarge person on his ally so he now has 10 ft. reach and can attack you ?

Yes. Some DMs might restrict you based on how you originally chose to move, but since the wizard's readied action presumably occurs during or just before your movement, I'd say tumbling is an option then.

Could you use it against an archer that had a feat granting him attacks of opportunity within 30 feet ? Would it matter if you knew the archer had the ability to take attacks of opportunity at range ?

Yes. As mentioned before, you have to choose to do so when moving. If you didn't know the archer had the ability and only realized it when you incur an AoO, it's too late to tumble then.

Thanks in advance 

You're welcome.

 

[KarinsDad]

Yes. Some DMs might restrict you based on how you originally chose to move, but since the wizard's readied action presumably occurs during or just before your movement, I'd say tumbling is an option then.

This is questionable.

Do you allow a Wizard to not cast a spell when the Readied action to counterspell the spell stops it?

Readied Actions resolve before the action that triggers them, they do not prevent the attempt of the action that triggers them. That action that triggers still attempts as stated.


In the example the OP stated, the character attempts to move 5 feet away (i.e. he was already 5 feet away, so he moves another 5 feet to get 10 feet away), the Wizard then Enlarges the Fighter, the character then has options as to what he wants to do from then on including Tumble. However, he could not Tumble (nor Withdraw) out of the first 5 foot square since he did not declare it. So unfortunately, he now gets an AoO from the Fighter for leaving a threatened square. Course, he provoked here regardless of the Fighter being enlarged.

Even if he would have done this with a 5 foot step, he still could not tumble afterwards.

The character cannot change his actions for the first 5 foot of movement to become a tumble.


This also means that if he does anything which provokes in his new square 10 feet from the Fighter, it will provoke a second AoO. The only exception to this is if he continues his movement beyond 10 feet (since the Fighter already got an AoO for movement).


If he would have done his original 5 foot movement as part of a Withdraw, then he could withdraw the first five feet, but then cannot tumble on his second five feet because you cannot Tumble/Withdraw (i.e. Tumble is not a type of movement for which a character has a speed listed).

 

[lightful]

Thanks for the quick replies !

I'd just like to note/ point out that since tumbling really doesn't cost you anything (it's just part of your normal movement) then there is no reason for a character to not simply state that he's always tumbling when it comes down to tactical movement.

Am i right ? Is that what playing by the RAW lerads to ? Because that just seems wrong

 

[MichaelH]

Thanks for the quick replies !

I'd just like to note/ point out that since tumbling really doesn't cost you anything (it's just part of your normal movement) then there is no reason for a character to not simply state that he's always tumbling when it comes down to tactical movement.

Am i right ? Is that what playing by the RAW lerads to ? Because that just seems wrong

I suppose you could always tumble. However, tumbling is always at half your speed, so you would always move at half. Anyone whose speed is reduced due to armor or encumbrance cannot tumble at all. Also, tumble cannot be used untrained, so anyone wanting to use the skill must have at least 1 rank in it.

Plus, you would look foolish doing cartwheels, somersaults, and other various tumbling moves when it is unnecessary.

 

[Christian]

Plus, you would look foolish doing cartwheels, somersaults, and other various tumbling moves when it is unnecessary.

OK, I've got my next character concept. The jester bard!

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Can you use it to avoid one if you’re moving 10 ft. away from a guy with a greatsword when the guys wizard friend uses his readied action to cast enlarge person on his ally so he now has 10 ft. reach and can attack you ?

You can't Ready an action to cast enlarge person, because it requires a full-round action.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I suppose you could always tumble. However, tumbling is always at half your speed, so you would always move at half.

This is the big penalty. For the average human, you'd be moving 15' per round, or 3 squares, instead of the regular 6 you'd normally be allowed. That's a massive disadvantage. So unless you're a high-level monk who can afford to burn movement, always tumbling is not a smart decision for most characters.

 

[lightful]

This is the big penalty. For the average human, you'd be moving 15' per round, or 3 squares, instead of the regular 6 you'd normally be allowed. That's a massive disadvantage. So unless you're a high-level monk who can afford to burn movement, always tumbling is not a smart decision for most characters.

Yeah, that's pretty much the case I'm thinking of

But I've got another one for you: Can you tumle to avoid the attack of opportunity that comes from getting up from prone ?

That is to say, can you tumble while prone, because the AoO comes from standing up, and until you DO actually stand up you're prone, right ?