Can you trip someone standing up?

[jessemock]

It'd seem pretty obvious to me that he's still prone untill he finishes standing up. +4 to be hit in melee.

I'd say that, if the attacker gets the prone bonus, the dude is prone and can't be tripped, else the cake is eaten and had, too.

If no prone bonus, then goto trip.

 

[Camarath]

Here is an old thread some people might find interesting. Trip and Stay down At the point at which this was written I had not considered that the Concentration rules might apply to this situation.

Edit: Here are some more old threads while I am at it
[3.5] check my logic: a way to stand up from prone without being tripped again
[3.5] Standing up from prone draws AoOs?

 

[Korak]

Works for me. Of course, if you don't accept the Sage as official, what do you accept? Unfortunately, he's the doorway that all erratta and FAQs pass though.

Aye, unfortunate indeed. I would take an article in Dragon, or the online PHB errata, or the next printing of the PHB as official enough.

But, hey; as long as we are each enjoying our games, along with the other players involved, of course, then that's what's important. Here's to a more solidly written rule in the next printing.

 

[Bauglir]

I'm sorry, but you actually misquoted him here. It says:

"If an attack of opportunity is provoked, immediately resolve the attack of opportunity, then continue with the NEXT character’s turn..."

Emphasis on NEXT character's turn. Not the current character's turn who you just tried to trip. Now obviously it wouldn't be fair to the person who you just interrupted to just skip over their turn (unless of course your AoO completely nullified the rest of their turn), so if you continue to read it says:

"(or complete the current turn, if the attack of opportunity was provoked in the midst of a character’s turn)."


It was provoked in the midst of their turn, so we will complete that character's current turn... and assuming the trip was successful, that makes him fall back down. So he just expended his action to get up and can not do it again this turn.

Apologies, I made the post in a hurry and paraphrased a little. Taking the quote in its entirety then:

An attack of opportunity “interrupts” the normal flow of actions in the round. If an attack of opportunity is provoked, immediately resolve the attack of opportunity, then continue with the next character’s turn (or complete the current turn, if the attack of opportunity was provoked in the midst of a character’s turn)

(highlights mine)

As I read it, this passage describes a distinct sequence of events, ie:

1. "immediately resolve the attack of opportunity"
then
2. "continue with the next character’s turn (or complete the current turn, if the attack of opportunity was provoked in the midst of a character’s turn)"

 

[Ottergame]

I'd say that, if the attacker gets the prone bonus, the dude is prone and can't be tripped, else the cake is eaten and had, too.

If no prone bonus, then goto trip.

Yes, but you don't NEED to trip him to keep him down. Just do damage to him from the AoO with a normal attack, and it'll prevent him from standing.

 

[James McMurray]

Only if you take a very questionable view of the AoO rules.

 

[Ottergame]

Only if you take a very questionable view of the AoO rules.

Read up, I already have.

 

[James McMurray]

I know. Seeing the reasoning behind it is what makes me call it questionable.

 

[Ottergame]

Read the entries for both AoOs and Concentration carefully, they seem to pretty solidly back up my stance.

 

[James McMurray]

Only if you ignore the very specific list of what types of actions are cancelled by AoOs in the concentration skill description.

Such actions include casting a spell, concentrating on an active spell, directing a spell, using a spell-like ability, or using a skill that would provoke an attack of opportunity

Does standing from prone appear in that list? No? Then concentration checks don't apply, nor does anything else appearing in the description of the concentraion skill.

The applicable rule would then be "complete the current turn, if the attack of opportunity was provoked in the midst of a character’s turn." That doesn't say "cancel the action and then complete the turn."

If it meant that, and if all successful AoOs always ended the actions that triggered them, there would be no need to lay out special cases for disarm and grapple.

You are of course free to rule it that way in your own games, but trying to espouse that stance as being a core rule is spurious at best.