How do you start/stop Kneeling and Sitting?

[Darklone]

I always houseruled: kneeling down = free action, getting up= ME action without AoO. From prone to kneeling = free action with AoO.

Not nice, but works.

 

[Ferret]

Sitting down is move equivilent action and is nescessary for drinking tea. Once sitting down one may take a free action to sip the tea, even though you may be able to see over the cup you still encounter an attack of oppertunity. if you wish you make drink the tea in one go, it imposes a -2 on social checks for the remaining encounter and stops tyyou from talking for one round. Chuging takes a full-round action.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Getting up from prone, whether to the kneeling or the standing position, provokes an attack of opportunity. The only way to avoid an AoO when getting up is using the tumble skill as part of the withdrawl action.

Of course, your Withdraw action can't be performed while prone, since the only form of movement while prone is crawling... which provokes an AoO. And tumbling to avoid AoOs can only be performed as part of normal movement.

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Grar, that makes my head hurt. One on the one side, I thankfully lack Trip Monkeys. On the other, that's no reason to ignore the situation. Any suggestions, Hyp, or anyone else?

It depends if you want to keep the AoO or not.

If you do, then Darklone's suggestion works.

If you don't, then make kneeling-from-prone a Move action that does not provoke as well.

That way, people can either stand from prone as a Move action and provoke an AoO, or stand from prone via kneeling as two Move actions and not provoke.

-Hyp.

 

[Darklone]

That way, people can either stand from prone as a Move action and provoke an AoO, or stand from prone via kneeling as two Move actions and not provoke.

-Hyp.

Hmm. You know, that sounds good. PC gets up, gets tripped again, gets up...

 

[CombatWombat51]

I think I like the two move actions to get up with no AoO's mechanically. Unfortunately, I don't like the logic of standing from kneeling taking as much time as moving 30 feet Then again, it does take that long to draw a weapon... Yeah, I think I'll use that. Thanks all!

 

[CombatWombat51]

Custserv got back to me. Here's my email, followed by Darrin's reply.

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Welsh [mailto:combatwombat51@hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2004 7:44 PM
To: Wizards Customer Service
Subject: ERRATA Players Handbook pg. 151


Last session, a PC was kneeling to take advantage of cover with his
crossbow, and then was charged by an enemy. The PC wanted to stand on his
action, and I got to thinking about how kneeling, and sitting, works in D&D.
Table 8-6 in the PHB says that characters who are sitting or kneeling
suffer a -2 penalty to Armor Class against melee attacks, and gain a +2
bonus to AC against ranged attacks. I can't find any other references to
sitting or kneeling in the core rule books.
What kind of action is it to sit or kneel? What kind of action is it to
stand from sitting or kneeling? Does "kneeling" mean with one knee on the
ground, or does kneeling mean both knees on the ground (effectively sitting
on one's calves)? Does sitting or kneeling provoke an attack of opportunity?
Does standing from sitting or kneeling provoke an attack of opportunity?
Thank you for your time,
Rick

Ultimately this is up to the DM to adjudicate, becaus it can vary depending on
the situation. It should normally be a move equivalent action to kneel or stand
from a kneeling position, but if the character is coming out of a tumble, or has
skills that focus on acrobatics, then it could reasonably become a free action.

Thanks!

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