Big creatures "moving out" of threatened area

[Aaron]

Hi there.

This question came out in our last gaming session.

Does a large (or larger) creature "repositioning" itself, i.e. moving without exiting an opponent threatened area, provoke an AoO?

I'm attaching two images to make the question more clear.

In the images, B is making the last 5ft of his move action (30ft of movement).
It didn't take a 5ft step.
Does B provoke an AoO from A, since it's not technically leaving A's threatened area?

Thank you in advance.

 

[delericho]

I'm not aware of an exact rules reference, but I think the answer is technically no in the example you've posted.

You provoke an AoO if you move out of a threatened square - the key thing there being that it's done per-square, not based on the threatened area as a whole.

In the example you've posted, B is in one of the threatened squares in the first picture and is still in that square in the second picture. Since it hasn't moved out of the square, there's no AoO.

However... if B then proceeded one more square in any direction then it would leave at least on threatened square, and so would provoke an AoO.

(One last note: I don't have either the "Rules Compendium" or the most recent errata to hand, so I do stand ready to be corrected!)

 

[Shin Okada]

I second to delericho. What matter is, in this case, whether the creature B is "in" a particular square or not.

If having one square of B's space (composed of 4 squares) in a particular square (right most, lower most one) is enough for being "in a that square" (left picture), B should be still "in" the same square" in the right picture. So B is not "leaving" the threatened square B was in the left picture.

 

[Greenfield]

Technically, the AoO isn't triggered by leaving a creature's threatened *area*. It's triggered by leaving a threatened *square*.

Consider the example of advancing on or charging a large or larger creature with Reach. The attacker enters the area, as part of their charge. That doesn't provoke. Their movement takes them one square closer, so they (not having Reach) can strike. That provokes.

They aren't leaving the threatened area, just a threatened square, but it's the classic advantage of Reach for large creatures.

 

[Greenfield]

Reading back I think I got confused.

You were unclear whether you example is of the large creature moving or the small. Also you illustation shows the small creature standing, not in a square, but on a line junction.

Medium creatures "snap to grid" and are centered in a square.
Large creatures also "snap to grid" but stand in four squares.
Huge creatures "snap to grid" but occupy none squares.

Each commands an area around them that is usually equal to their base size. That is a Medium creature (5' base) threatens an area 5' around them. Large creatures with a 10' base usually have 10' reach as well. (Usually, but not always).

Presuming that Creature B in your first illustration was medium and snapped to grid inside creature A's threat range, any further movement would provoke.

If on the other hand creature B is Large and occupying one square in creature A's threat area, more movement wouldn't provoke. Every threatened square he was occupying in illustration 1 is still being occupied in illustration 2.

 

[Grogg of the North]

It's a bit unclear from the picture but if B is in the bottom right corner of the dark brown area, then yes. A threatens that area. When B moves from one threatened square to the next square it is leaving a threatened square. This provokes an Attack of Opportunity.

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.

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.

 

[Shin Okada]

It's a bit unclear from the picture but if B is in the bottom right corner of the dark brown area, then yes. A threatens that area. When B moves from one threatened square to the next square it is leaving a threatened square. This provokes an Attack of Opportunity.

But B is not leaving that square. After moving 5-feet, B is still in the bottom right corner square.

 

[Aaron]

You were unclear whether you example is of the large creature moving or the small.

A medium or smaller creature would occupy only a single square, and the thread, after all, is titled "Big creatures "moving out" of threatened area".

Also you illustation shows the small creature standing, not in a square, but on a line junction..

Both A and B are large creatures, and are positioned in the intersection of 4 squares to clarify this, just as they are depicted in the books. (the images are taken from a Rules of the game article).

The darker area is the area threatened by A, of course.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Moving from a NON-threatened square to a threatened square is not a problem. Moving from a threatened square to a NON-threatened square is similarly not a problem. Moving from a threatened square into ANOTHER threatened square is a problem and provokes AoO in doing so, with each and every such move, regardless of what other movement is, was, or will be involved. You can move 100 squares but if the last two is a move from one threatened square into another threatened square - AoO. Moving from one threatened square into another threatened square and then moving another 99 squares into and through non-threatened squares does not relieve you of the AoO from that first square of movement WHILE REMAINING WITHIN threatened areas.

If that movement while within a threatened area is a 5 foot step, however, then that single square of movement does not provoke.

 

[Greenfield]

Actually, moving from a threatened square to any square, threatened or not, is a problem. It provokes AoO unless the movement is involuntary or part of a 5 foot step. The other exception is the 1st five feet of a Withdraw action, or when Tumbling.

In the example illustrated, the Large creature B was advancing on A, and the squares he/she/it was leaving weren't in the threatened area. If I'm reading that right, that is.