Movement in combat

[Malakye]

My DM says you can't move through an ally's square if that character is in melee. He says it would require a tumble check. I can't find anything in the books that specifically says either way but it sounds wrong to me.

Just so I'm clear, we are talking about normal movement through an ally's square while your ally is in melee combat.

Does this sound right?

 

[buchw001]

My DM says you can't move through an ally's square if that character is in melee. He says it would require a tumble check. I can't find anything in the books that specifically says either way but it sounds wrong to me.

Just so I'm clear, we are talking about normal movement through an ally's square while your ally is in melee combat.

Does this sound right?

I think you CAN move through the ally's square, although you should draw an AoO from the enemy that your ally is in melee with (if your ally is in a threatened square then so are you if you pass through his square).

I mention this only because the SRD states that your ally will NOT grant you any cover bonus (I assume this means from the AoO you are going to provoke).



Here is the relavant passage from the SRD

Moving through a Square
Friend: You can move through a square occupied by a friendly character, unless you are charging. When you move through a square occupied by a friendly character, that character doesn’t provide you with cover.
Opponent: You can’t move through a square occupied by an opponent, unless the opponent is helpless. You can move through a square occupied by a helpless opponent without penalty. (Some creatures, particularly very large ones, may present an obstacle even when helpless. In such cases, each square you move through counts as 2 squares.)
Ending Your Movement: You can’t end your movement in the same square as another creature unless it is helpless.
Overrun: During your movement or as part of a charge, you can attempt to move through a square occupied by an opponent.
Tumbling: A trained character can attempt to tumble through a square occupied by an opponent (see the Tumble skill).
Very Small Creature: A Fine, Diminutive, or Tiny creature can move into or through an occupied square. The creature provokes attacks of opportunity when doing so.
Square Occupied by Creature Three Sizes Larger or Smaller: Any creature can move through a square occupied by a creature three size categories larger than it is.
A big creature can move through a square occupied by a creature three size categories smaller than it is.
Designated Exceptions: Some creatures break the above rules. A creature that completely fills the squares it occupies cannot be moved past, even with the Tumble skill or similar special abilities.

 

[shilsen]

My DM says you can't move through an ally's square if that character is in melee. He says it would require a tumble check. I can't find anything in the books that specifically says either way but it sounds wrong to me.

Just so I'm clear, we are talking about normal movement through an ally's square while your ally is in melee combat.

Does this sound right?

No. That's a house rule. You can move through an ally's square in combat with normal movement.

 

[Hypersmurf]

No. That's a house rule. You can move through an ally's square in combat with normal movement.

In a recent Rules of the Game article, the Sage stated that it costs double-movement to move through an ally's square (counting the ally as an obstacle)... but we pointed out to him that he was wrong, and he revised the column to remove the erroneous statement.

-Hyp.