Jumping over Opponents

[demonsquidgod]

I have one player that really enjoys leaping over rows of minions or soldiers to get at the squishy bad guys behind them. I don't want to prevent the character from doing so since the player clearly enjoys it, but i want to make sure it's being done properly and won't become overpowering.

Are there any more specific rules about this beyond the one's for Vertical Jump in the skill chapter?

Does Jumping provoke an opportunity attack?

Does landing?

Does any one have any encounter building advice for encouraging or discouraging this kind of jumping behavior?

 

[Vaslov]

This is built right in the basic acrobatic stunt.

"Make an Acrobatics check to swing from a chandelier, somersault over an opponent, ...."

I do this all the time with my rogue and love the flexibility of movement. Base DC 15, with the DM adding in modifiers as they see fit. I'm only 3rd level so far and constantly using this to gain combat advantage.

There is nothing I have read that suggests this stops any AoO. Best thing the rogue can do is take feats to help minimize the damage. I've found Bloodcut armor to be a great asset to maximize my movement potential.

Good gaming to you.

 

[King Nate]

While the jump itself doesn't provoke the AoO, leaving a space adjacent to a creature does. Even the space directly above the creature (or minion in this case).

 

[Ahglock]

you just got to jump 3 squares high.

 

[malraux]

Hmmm, doing something like that logically should be difficult. At a minimum, the jump (acrobatics) check should be the hard DCs. I'd also be tempted to impose the penalties from the run rule (grant CA and -5 to attacks till start of next turn), but I'm not sure if that's in the spirit of "Do Something Awesome!" that I like to guide my games.

 

[Armadillo]

The Rogue Tumble Utility Power will allow you avoid attacks of opportunity. Otherwise, it's just an Acrobatics stunt.

 

[Khur]

Jumping is movement, and if the movement through a square jumped through would provoke, so does the jump.

The encounter advice I'd give is twofold:

1) Use terrain that aids the jumper from time to time, and use hindering terrain at others. Make the player be creative, and sometimes feel like he or she outsmarted you somehow. Build the scenario with loopholes to exploit on purpose, even if those loopholes take some exploration to discover.

2) What's good for the player is good for the monster. I realize we've been discussing jumping over an opponent as an Acrobatic stunt, and that's a valid use of Acrobatics. But jumping is also part of Athletics. My players hate hobgoblins even more now, since hobgoblins often use Athletics to change position on the battlefield or cut off escape routes by jumping and climbing.

Using monsters in this way also encourages the players to be creative with PC skills. That's increasing the fun at my game, at least.

 

[CapnZapp]

Having a static DC for this kind of stunt was, is and will be pure stupid.

DC 15 to jump past Tiamat? Please.

At least add half level of monster to the DC.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

CapnZapp, check the DMG pg 42... that is exactly what the rule is. Vaslov's comment of DC 15 is based on his 3rd level character.

I would recommend using the Moderate column as this is a tactic I would want my Rogues to attempt, with the understanding that it draws OAs as normal movement and the bad guys will be using the same DCs on occasion.
I might even look at using applying a -2 to the PC's defenses due to 'squeezing' while enroute. But not likely. Minor mods like this tend to get forgotten to easily.


If you don't like the idea of Rogues bouncing past your minions, use the Hard DC and add further restrictions {like granting CA for the remainder of the turn}. Make it hard enough and no-one will bother.

 

[davinei4c]

I do this all the time. I play in every Monday night at an LFR game. I have a level 4 Drow Artful Dodger with 16 CHA and Defensive Mobility, giving me a 23 AC against OAs.

I took Great Leap as my Lvl 2 Utility, I have a +11 Athletics modifier with training, +1 STR modifier, and Skill focus and 1/2 level.

I regularly get jump checks of 20 or 25, which provides me a jump action of 4-5 squares, clearing 1 square in height.

The DM's usually read this as that I can clear 1 square through the whole jump, since 4e ignores trigonometry everywhere else.

I of course take OAs from every enemy I pass, but that's ok, because they rarely hit me.

So I usually just use my first round to jump past the front-line and SA the NPC Controller/Leader, then minor Darkness and stealth it so it's harder for them to gank me, then SA the NPC C/L again next round and jump back into the main fight.

I don't even have training in Acrobatics, because I've found that Great Leap basically allows me to forget about it. Of course, this is in LFR games at a store, so imaginative DMing is rare.

If you want to discourage this, I would recommend not leaving the guy in back alone. I know I don't do this as often if I'm going to land in the middle of a bunch of bad guys, even if they are minions. Rogues specialize in dropping one guy; without a Defender around, I don't want to be surrounded.