Different Shield spell question

[Mikhail]

Sorry guys, one more time. We had this situation come up:

Sorcerer has shield spell running. He chooses to tumble through an opponents space. He misses his tumble roll.

Where does the AOO happen? If it happens in the space he started in, he's fine with the shield oriented to protect him. If it happens in the space after his opponent, then the shield is in the wrong position. If it happens in the space occupied by his opponent, I don't think there *is* an appropriate orientation for his shield spell.

Anyone?

 

[Mr.Binx]

The AoO is taken by each valid attacker as soon as the player moves through the first threatened area and into the next. Each threatened area moved through afterwards also provokes AoO's as well, but not by those who have already made there AoO's. If the player is moving through an antogonist's square the player would probably not get the shield bonus unless it was the third threatened area or greater since the opponent would most likely be within the confines of the shield spell.

 

[Artoomis]

The answer is easier than you think (mostly):

Failure means the character tumbles 20 feet and can move through enemy-occupied areas but suffers attacks of opportunity normally.

Normally, you suffer an AoO for leaving a threatened square. In this case, the threatened square was the one (I assume) right in front of the bad guy - the same one protected by the shield spell.

Mind you, the bad gut can choose which square - for an AoO is provoked for each threatened square the sorcerer leaves. So the bad guy could choose to:

1. Take the first possible AoO (shielded)
2. Ignore the first one, and take the one for leaving his own square - the attack occurs in his own square, so you'd have to decide if shield orientation makes any difference. It does not really matter, as the bad gut could instead choose:
3. Take the AoO for moving out of the first threatened square on the opposite of him (assuming the sorcerer moves that far. In this case, the shield spell's orientation is wrong and the sorcerer get no benefit from it.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

If you fail your Tumble check (DC 25), you provoke AoO's normally. This means that you provoke an AoO for the first 3 spaces of movement. One when you move into his space, one when you move to the opposite space, and one when you leave his threatened area (one more if he has reach). He may make an AoO at any of those times, although not more than once against a single opponent (you). He does not have to take it in the first space.

I would think the shield spell protects you when you move in to his space, but once you leave his space, he is free to make his AoO.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

It's also important in this case to know, when the AoO occurs, which of the two spaces the moving character is considered to be in. That's actually quite simple if you think about it, since the space you're leaving is the only one that is guaranteed to be threatened. So that's the one you must be in, or else we arrive at a potential contradiction (an attacker attacking into a space he does not threaten).

 

[AGGEMAM]

Just to round this of.

Shield does not protect you from AoOs anymore, it is errated in the new version of the D&D FAQ.

(Although that is a strange place to put errata.)

 

[Artoomis]

Just to round this of.

Shield does not protect you from AoOs anymore, it is errated in the new version of the D&D FAQ.

(Although that is a strange place to put errata.)

True, but it still adds to your AC vs. an AoO (or any other attack).

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

If you use the combat grid system, I would say that the AoO for tumbling happens in your opponents square, if you tubling past him for a flank or whatever. He would not deal with the shield because you would be side to side.

If backing away, I would say it does count.

If you don't use the grid, I would say it just dosn't count, as you are out of position.

You might change the orientation of the shield BEFORE making the tumble, but that would be risky afterwards.

 

[Jack Haggerty]

Assuming your Sorcer was trying to get out of a bad situation (he was flanked?), into a good one (he isn't flanked?), it doesn't sound like he knew what his spell could do...

SRD:

The character can change the defensive direction of the shield (that is, rotate the dividing line) once as a free action on each of the character's turns.

SRD:

Free Action: A combatant can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally. However, the DM puts reasonable limits on what a combatant can really do for free.

In other words, Keep the Shield facing the enemy, and once you tumble past him (halfway through the tumble), immediately rotate it 180 to face him again. You end up protected both going into and out of the tumble. The only iffy part would be when you actually share your opponent's space.