Jumping over somebody?

[NewJeffCT]

If I am reading the Jump skill correctly, if you do a long jump, your vertical height is 1/4 that of the long jump distance...So, if you wanted to do a 25 foot long jump, you would be 6.25 feet in the air.

Would this enable the jumper to leap over somebody that was less than 6 1/4 feet tall?

I ask because last session, one party member had a summoned lion and had hoped it could jump over two party members engaged in melee with the bad guy. However, the two guys that know more about the rules than me said "no", but in looking at again, I think it could be done based on my reading of the Jump skill. (assuming the lion had 20 feet of space to run and 25 more to leap...)

The bad guy was in a corridor, so the lion had no other way to enter melee other than by squeezing past a PC or jumping over them.

 

[Herobizkit]

Hampered Movement

Difficult terrain, obstacles, or poor visibility can hamper movement. When movement is hampered, each square moved into usually counts as two squares, effectively reducing the distance that a character can cover in a move.

Condition/Additional Movement Cost
Obstacle*/×2

* may require a skill check

In this case, yeah, the Jump check. But if the lion has to pass through two PC's, that's 4 sqaures of cost right there. If the lion moved past the enemy, the enemy could get an AoO on the lion.

And, lastly:

Movement During a Charge

You must move before your attack, not after. You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward the designated opponent.

You must have a clear path toward the opponent, and nothing can hinder your movement (such as difficult terrain or obstacles). Here’s what it means to have a clear path. First, you must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent. (If this space is occupied or otherwise blocked, you can’t charge.) Second, if any line from your starting space to the ending space passes through a square that blocks movement, slows movement, or contains a creature (even an ally), you can’t charge. (Helpless creatures don’t stop a charge.)

If you don’t have line of sight to the opponent at the start of your turn, you can’t charge that opponent.

This means, simply, that the lion couldn't charge the NPC and the lion didn't have enough moment to get past the two allies. Based on this information, I would rule that the lion could not jump over his allies. As an aside, the lion does not have the Tumble skill (which is Trained Only; the lion could not 'default' the skill from its Dex) which would normally allow it to pass through occupied squares.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

The 1/4 check result height is at the peak of the jump, AFAIK, since the jump should be parabolic in shape. So yes, if the lion could leap high enough to clear the PC's it should be fine. I would not allow it to bypass an enemy unless you could completely clear his overhead reach (threatened range), as that sounds more like a use of Tumble, then.* In any case, jumping is movement, so leaving threatened squares provokes AoOs if that would apply.

As far as doing it as part of a charge...I only allow jumping charges if the creature has Leap Attack or some class feature like Swashbuckler or Drunken Master to do awkward/non-linear charges.

I disagree about Hampered Movement rules. If the Lion clears the PCs, its movement is not hampered. Of course, if it fails the jump check, I'd halt that particular move action / charge at the square before the PCs he tried to jump over. Or have the lion crash into them, whatever.

*Gah, not thinking straight. I WOULD allow jump through threatened area, it would provoke, of course, and if you wanted to also tumble to avoid an AoO (but why do you need to jump, then? To use Leap Attack on an enemy further back, I guess...) your movement would cost double, as normal for tumble. I would not allow jump to just barely clear the enemy's head or "hand spring" off a shoulder, etc... Or any other use to move through the creature's space.

 

[Physiker]

If I remember the movement rules correctly, the lion could have passed the players without hindering if they would have let him as he counts as an ally.

But to the question:
The Lion needs 20feets to run, then 12,5feets to the players to reach the needed high, than 12,5feets to land. I don't think he could attack immediatly because he needed his move action befor the jump and the standart action for the jump unless he is able to move 45feets with a single move action.

 

[Starbuck_II]

Should have just had the lion tumble. Tumble is an easier check to jump over someone then jump.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

I allow PCs to jump over living creatures if they can clear the creature's reach (8 feet for Medium tall creatures and 12 feet for Large tall creatures, for example). I allow them to do so without provoking and AoO if they can clear that number plus threatening reach (so 13 feet and 22 feet, respectively, usually).

 

[Ahnehnois]

Should have just had the lion tumble. Tumble is an easier check to jump over someone then jump.

Tumble is trained only I think; I doubt the lion has ranks.

If I remember the movement rules correctly, the lion could have passed the players without hindering if they would have let him as he counts as an ally.

True, though the DM can certainly rule there is insufficient space if the corridor is small enough,

I agree that jumping during a charge isn't really moving in a straight line, but if you were just moving a 25 jump check would get you over a 6 ft. person.

 

[Herobizkit]

I allow PCs to jump over living creatures if they can clear the creature's reach (8 feet for Medium tall creatures and 12 feet for Large tall creatures, for example). I allow them to do so without provoking and AoO if they can clear that number plus threatening reach (so 13 feet and 22 feet, respectively, usually).

Those numbers aren't divisible by 5! Does not compute... *fzzt*

 

[Michael Silverbane]

Assuming that the lion had plenty of space to get a running start, and could clear the height, I'd allow it. The enemy would get an attack of opportunity.