Moving in Combat

[Hawkeye]

Little disagreement yesterday on the Moving in Combat rules. The majority of the people in our group are new to 3ed. Our resident play-tester expert wasn't there to fall back on, so the DM made a call and we went with it. I am just looking for a bit of clarification.

WHen you do nothing but move during your action, you do not provoke an attack of opportunity, but at what speed is that movement? Can you take the full run action of X4(x3 in some situations) and still avoid AOOs or is it your standard move or somewhere in between?

Just to give some reference: Our party paladin was engaged in combat with an opponent. The opponent disengaged from the Paladin and did nothing bu double his noraml move to engage another opponent. DM said he did not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Hawkeye

 

[Hypersmurf]

Read the "Attacks of Opportunity" section again.

"If all you do is move (not run) during your turn..."

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

DM's call was correct - a double-move is fine.

Note that in this case, only the first space is not considered threatened - if the paladin had Reach, or if the opponent moved through someone else's threatened area, an AoO could result.

-Hyp.

 

[Hawkeye]

The Paladin was grappling the creature, so he did not have reach. He normally carries a Halbred. Question on that though. If you have a reach weapon and an opponent closes with you, do you have to set to receive a charge to get the AOO with a reach weapon?

Hawkeye

 

[Hypersmurf]

No.

Assuming you have a reach weapon:

If you are set to receive a charge (ie readied action to attack with set longspear the first creature that charges into my threatened area), then when they move into your threatened area (two squares away) you make your readied attack at double damage.

When they leave your threatened area (eg by moving to the square one square away from you, you get an AoO. This does not get doubled damage... but the AoO occurs whether you had set to receive the charge or not. As long as you aren't flat-footed.

-Hyp.

 

[Hawkeye]

The Paladin was aware of the attacker. that is what I thought. The DM wouldn't allow him to take the AOO as the monster in question closed with him. (Into the 5 foot sqare closest to him)

Hawkeye

 

[Hypersmurf]

The Paladin was aware of the attacker. that is what I thought. The DM wouldn't allow him to take the AOO as the monster in question closed with him. (Into the 5 foot sqare closest to him)

Well, flat-footed and unaware are two different conditions.

If it's the first round of combat and the Paladin loses initiative, then unless he has Combat Reflexes, he cannot make an AoO until after his first action.

If he has already acted in the combat, then he is no longer flat-footed, and someone passing through the threatened area of his reach weapon incurs an AoO, unless they are tumbling or have the Spring Attack feat.

Be aware, though, that a halberd is not a reach weapon.

-Hyp.

 

[Hawkeye]

It wasn't the first round of combat. It was the 2nd. I am simplifing things a little.. I didn't realize that the Halbred is not a reach weapon and I am sure that the Paladin in our party does not. I think it was still an ssumption that the Halbred is a polearm and all the polearms are reach weapons. Need to let him know that.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I didn't realize that the Halbred is not a reach weapon and I am sure that the Paladin in our party does not.

All reach weapons in the PHB have the little "dagger" symbol on Table 7-4, p98.

Heavy Lance
Glaive
Guisarme
Longspear
Ranseur
Spiked Chain

-Hyp.

 

[Hawkeye]

I looked after I read your first post. Thank you for that info.

Hawkeye