Knockback + Large and in Charge = ?

[blargney the second]

If a creature has both Knockback and Large and in Charge, what would happen on a successful power attacking AoO?
-blarg

 

[blargney the second]

Bueller... Bueller...

 

[s-dub]

Double Post

 

[s-dub]

Could you spell out the apparent connundrum? I think I understand but am not sure.

 

[blargney the second]

Large & In Charge: on an AoO, push target back to square it left, and it stops movement. Requires Str check (+4 per size larger, +1 per 5 damage).

Knockback: when using power attack, you can bull rush on a successful hit with +1 or +2 per point of PA.


Can you use both on a single attack, and if so how do you resolve them?
-blarg

 

[Infiniti2000]

Knockback says you get a "free bull rush attempt" which should be read as a free action. You can't take free actions outside your turn unless explicitly stated otherwise (like for speaking). Thus, you can't use knockback on an AoO.

 

[blargney the second]

Knockback says you get a "free bull rush attempt" which should be read as a free action.

Really?

 

[Infiniti2000]

Really?

It really says that and that's quite frankly how I recommend you interpret it. It doesn't explicitly say "free action", but I can't imagine it being read in any other way.

You are using the Races of Stone version, right? Is there another version?

 

[blargney the second]

Yep, I'm looking at the RoS version. I wouldn't have thought it would take a free action, but I can see how it can be interpreted that way. Let's assume for the sake of this thread that it doesn't take a free action to do the bull rush.

How do you see the two feats interacting?

 

[Infiniti2000]

In the case where one of the feats is not rendered moot, you cannot arbitrarily pick one over the other. I.e. you cannot say knockback occurs first or vice versa. Therefore, they both must apply. I would move the target back to the previous square or as far as the knockback rules allow (whichever is greater) and prone.