Knight's Move spell

[Ogrork the Mighty]

The knight's move spell (Spell Compendium, p. 129) basically allows you to teleport a short distance so long as you end up in a "square that leaves you flanking an enemy."

We ran into an interesting situation: the caster wanted to use this spell to teleport behind a beholder that had another PC in front of it. Beholders cannot be flanked. By a strict reading of the spell, it seems it could not be used. Looking back, I tend to agree with this. But at the time we ruled that the creature was in a flanked position, but just wasn't flanked b/c it couldn't be.

What would you have done?

 

[moritheil]

The knight's move spell (Spell Compendium) basically allows you to teleport a short distance so long as you end up in a "square that leaves you flanking an enemy."

We ran into an interesting situation: the caster wanted to use this spell to teleport behind a beholder that had another PC in front of it. Beholders cannot be flanked. By a strict reading of the spell, it seems it could not be used. Looking back, I tend to agree with this. But at the time we ruled that the creature was in a flanked position, but just wasn't flanked b/c it couldn't be.

What would you have done?

- Know (arcana) check to see if he realizes his error before he casts.
- Spell fails.

I'd accept what your DM did also, though.

 

[Darklone]

I agree. You can flank someone, that's to me simply a question of positioning. Whether it disturbs him or not doesn't matter to me (similar to Uncanny Dodge).

 

[TheGogmagog]

I agree with Darklone. Flanking, the combat condition, is a condition of the attacker not the defender. So the ability to flank (or at least be in a flanking position) would be independant to a defenders ability to not be flanked.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

It also simplifies things since a spellcaster might not know that the target creature can't be flanked and therefore might not realize why the spell failed.

 

[foxwick]

I think this points out a problem with the rules language. Creature descriptions should not state "can't be flanked". Those entries should instead read "opponents do not gain bonuses when flanking".