Does this provoke an AoO?

[Tilla the Hun (work)]

Query:

From what I understood of your picture, the B moved to b, right?

From:

- - |
o B BG
- - |

To:

- - | B
o o BG
- - |

Correct?

Moving a total of 10'? Through an allied occupied square (first 5' east) to unoocupied square (2nd 5' move to the N)?

Moving throught the allied occupied square is movement through a threatened square. You're moving more than 5'. You are subject to melee attacks of opportunity as you leave that square in this case. Ranged attacks you have some cover against as Thanee pointed out with the RAW quotes.

Better organization would have been for the easternmost B to move 5' SE, then the second B to move 5' E. Next round, one moves 5' to ensure flanking.

Hope I got the situation right

 

[Thanee]

From:

==||o o o
o B..B G o
==||o o o

To:

==||B o o
o o..B G o
==||o o o

Now it's right.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Pielorinho]

Better organization would have been for the easternmost B to move 5' SE, then the second B to move 5' E. Next round, one moves 5' to ensure flanking.

Hope I got the situation right

Thanee corrected your drawing appropriately. The bad guys were skeletons, and their actions went:

Easternmost bad guy: MEA to open the door to the room with good guys; 5' step forward; attack.
Westernmost bad guy: move forward into square with first bad guy; move north into empty square; attack.

Daniel

 

[Hypersmurf]

Moving throught the allied occupied square is movement through a threatened square.

No, it isn't. G has a reach weapon; he doesn't threaten the ally-occupied square.

-Hyp.

 

[glass]

a related thought

Does all this mean that a massed rank of pikemen will not work, as only the front rank get AoO against approaching enemies, because the front rank provides cover against the others?

Does this strike anyone else as a little strange? It basically removes the point of reach weapons.


glass.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Does all this mean that a massed rank of pikemen will not work, as only the front rank get AoO against approaching enemies, because the front rank provides cover against the others?

Right... but then, the second rank wouldn't get AoOs anyway... since the approaching enemies don't pass through a square they threaten...

-Hyp.

 

[Darklone]

That's where you get to use Hold the Line, Aid Another and LONGER SPEARS

 

[Thanee]

Does this strike anyone else as a little strange? It basically removes the point of reach weapons.

Well, the rules are not really built for formation fighting.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Pielorinho]

Glass, I think I agree with you. Lemme see if I can explain:

Jim and Bob are trying to kill Anita the Awful, famous for her spectacular use of a glaive (reach weapon). Jim can tumble. They really don't want Bob to get hit by her, so they move as follow:
-Jim tumbles next to Anita.
-Bob moves straight toward Anita, right behind Jim. He's behind Jim's space when he's 10' away from her, so he incurs no AoO. Then he moves next to her, still gaining no AoO.

This seems like it should be a common tactic against folks with reach weapons, but it seems very counterintuitive to me.

I'm thinking of adding in a couple minor houserules: you incur your AoO for leaving a threatened square at the edge of the square. And in order to pass through an ally's square, the ally has to smush to the side.

The first point means that, if you're moving diagonally away from a square that has cover from an ally, you're not getting the cover any more. Presto: AoO on your butt!

The second point means that when you enter a square occupied by an ally, immediately prior to entering that square, the ally does not provide cover. Presto: AoO!

That would, I think, make the whole process more sensible.
Daniel

 

[Tilla the Hun (work)]

Thanee corrected your drawing appropriately. The bad guys were skeletons, and their actions went:

Easternmost bad guy: MEA to open the door to the room with good guys; 5' step forward; attack.
Westernmost bad guy: move forward into square with first bad guy; move north into empty square; attack.

Daniel

Okay... Now I am confused. Why didn't the 'westernmost bad guy' move NE 5' (diagonally) and solve the whole question?

Or, to put it a different way, why are you limiting their movement to the grid squares sides instead of using the diagonals as well?