Flanking and Reach Questions?

[Stalker0]

I believe a whip has a 15' reach.

But you can't flank with a whip because a whip is considered a ranged weapon.

Personally I think that's BS and changed it IMC, but there you have it.

 

[Dimwhit]

That's true, although it works well as a reach weapon for getting AoOs when people move in to attack. But you're right, it does not good for flanking.

 

[dcollins]

That's true, although it works well as a reach weapon for getting AoOs when people move in to attack. But you're right, it does not good for flanking.

If it doesn't threaten (as for any ranged weapon), you get no AOO with it.

 

[Dimwhit]

Oh yeah. Brain fart. Been a long, very boring, day at work.

 

[AuraSeer]

I thought he didn't threaten the inside ring...

You're correct. A Medium-size character using a reach weapon does not threaten adjacent squares.

A fighter with a glaive threatens this area:
XXXXX
XoooX
XoFoX
XoooX
XXXXX

...where 'F' is the fighter, 'X' is a threatened square, and 'o' is non-threatened square into which the fighter cannot attack.

If somebody wants to approach the fighter and hit him with a non-reach weapon, he probably draws an AoO.

The attacker can move to an X square with no problems. When he continues his advance to an inner square, he is leaving a threatened space, which provokes an AoO.

If the attacker starts his turn in an X square, then he may take a 5' step to close in without drawing an AoO.

Natural reach is a bit more powerful. If we replace the fighter with a giant, who has 10' natural reach, then he threatens all squares within 10' (and we use maddman75's map). It's no more difficult to close in on the giant, but once you're adjacent to him, it's hard to retreat.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

The one core rules weapon exception is the spiked chain which threatens at 5' as well.