Flanking question based on KotS

[baberg]

Page 4 of the quick-start guide says:

"To flank an enemy, you and an ally must be adjacent to the enemy and on opposite sides of the enemy's space. You and your ally must be able to attack the enemy (with a melee or ranged weapon, or with an unarmed attack)"

When I read "adjacent" I think "next to" which means that a Ranger or Warlock can't flank an enemy at a distance. In other words, with a Fighter (F) and a Ranger (R) versus a Kobold (K) looks like this:

.......
.R...KF
.......

the Kobold is not flanked. Is that accurate?

 

[Family]

You are correct.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

thats so silly. If a guy is shooting arrows at my back, you better believe i will be diverting my attention to both targets.

How do you threaten with a ranged weapon if it inspires opportunity attacks if its used?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I accept that it works that way, but I agree that the range weapon would be LESS threatening adjacent then it would be at range. So why it's threatening enough to flank while adjacent and not while at range, I dunno.

Fitz

 

[Surgoshan]

What if you have more than two people? Say you have one at 8, one at 1, and one at 3, with the monster at 5? Are all three flanking? Just two of them?

 

[Vaeron]

Yeah, being opposite from someone but far away isn't flanking. You have to literally be on someones flank to flank them! No virtual flanking!

Not having the rules in front of me yet, tho, I'm not sure if that means no combat advantage tho...

 

[Mostlyjoe]

You think that's a headache. Try applying diagonals and AoO's using a Defender.

 

[Xorn]

Huh?

 _ _ _ _ _
|_|x|x|x|_|
|_|x|D|x|_|
|_|x|x|x|_|
|#|_|_|#|#|
|#|_|_|#|#|

Defender wants to stand *here*, and gets an OA against anything leaving an "x" square. What's complicated?

 

[Talon Stormwarden]

Huh?

 _ _ _ _ _
|_|x|x|x|_|
|_|x|D|x|_|
|_|x|x|x|_|
|#|_|_|#|#|
|#|_|_|#|#|

Defender wants to stand *here*, and gets an OA against anything leaving an "x" square. What's complicated?

And it's the same as 3.5 anyway.

 

[Storminator]

I accept that it works that way, but I agree that the range weapon would be LESS threatening adjacent then it would be at range. So why it's threatening enough to flank while adjacent and not while at range, I dunno.

Fitz

It's not the ranged weapon that's flanking, it's the guy holding it. Anyone wielding anything flanks from adjacent squares, but no one flanks at ranged.

Reasonably sensible.

PS