Recovering from a Trip Attack

[bubba99]

Something came up durring play and i'm just not sure I know how to rule on it. When a creature/character is tripped, getting up from prone provokes an Attack of Opportunity. This much I'm sure about but you see I got some pretty tricky characters in my dungeon! I don't want to penalize them for being smart and I don't want them running rip-shod over me either.

1. Can a character take a 5' step while prone then get up?
2. Can a character preform a full round combat action while prone? Like oh i dunno WHIRLWIND!?
3. Does Mobility Feat apply when getting up from prone? It is a move action.
4. Does Combat expertise apply even though it's technicly preformed after the Attack of Opportunity?
5. Like #4 does fighting defensively help or is it a question of timing and it just comes too late?
6. Am I a complete ignoramous because all these things have been delt with but I was too inept to be able to find then in the forums? Seriously I'm interested in the official rulings not house rules. Please help.

On an unrelated note - if a wizard gets initiative and casts a fireball on some flat-footed enemies, do they get their Dex to help save for 1/2 damage?

 

[Egres]

1. Can a character take a 5' step while prone then get up?

Nope.

2. Can a character preform a full round combat action while prone?

Yes.

3. Does Mobility Feat apply when getting up from prone? It is a move action.

Nope.

It's a move action, but you don't move "out of or within a threatened area".

Even drawing a weapon is move action: would you apply Mobility to it?

4. Does Combat expertise apply even though it's technicly preformed after the Attack of Opportunity?

I beg your pardon, but I don't understand your question.

5. Like #4 does fighting defensively help or is it a question of timing and it just comes too late?

See above.

On an unrelated note - if a wizard gets initiative and casts a fireball on some flat-footed enemies, do they get their Dex to help save for 1/2 damage?

Yes.

The flat footed condition prevents him from doing AoO and negates his Dex bonus to AC.

Reflex saves are fine.

 

[shilsen]

1. Can a character take a 5' step while prone then get up?
2. Can a character preform a full round combat action while prone? Like oh i dunno WHIRLWIND!?
3. Does Mobility Feat apply when getting up from prone? It is a move action.

What Egres said above.

4. Does Combat expertise apply even though it's technicly preformed after the Attack of Opportunity?
5. Like #4 does fighting defensively help or is it a question of timing and it just comes too late?

Both of those are a question of timing. If the character rises and then makes an attack using Combat Expertise or fighting defensively, then the bonus to AC occurs after the AoO for rising has been drawn, so they don't help. If, however, he makes an attack using Combat Expertise or fighting defensively while prone and then tries to rise, the bonus to AC will apply.

6. Am I a complete ignoramous because all these things have been delt with but I was too inept to be able to find then in the forums? Seriously I'm interested in the official rulings not house rules. Please help.

Nope. Rules are complicated things. And lots of people who know the rules backwards and forwards forget or are unaware of little details. And yes, the above is all RAW and not house rules.

On an unrelated note - if a wizard gets initiative and casts a fireball on some flat-footed enemies, do they get their Dex to help save for 1/2 damage?

What Egres said.

 

[kolikeos]

6. Am I a complete ignoramous because all these things have been delt with but I was too inept to be able to find then in the forums?

Which reminds me that I too, failed my search check when looking for the Search function.
Is there a Search botton anywhere here? it would make searching the forums that much easier. At least for me.

 

[shilsen]

Which reminds me that I too, failed my search check when looking for the Search function.
Is there a Search botton anywhere here? it would make searching the forums that much easier. At least for me.

There's a Search button at the top of the screen, between Help and Miscellaneous Links, but you can only search if you're a Community Supporter.

 

[MarkB]

Which reminds me that I too, failed my search check when looking for the Search function.
Is there a Search botton anywhere here? it would make searching the forums that much easier. At least for me.

Search is available if you upgrade to a Community Supporter account by making the requisite donation (see the Support the Site! link at the top of the page).

 

[Piratecat]

You can also use google to search -- a little less convenient, but still effective.

And I concur with Shilsen!

When tripping, remember that while rising from prone provokes an AoO, if the attacker decides to trip during that AoO it still doesn't stop the defender from rising; the AoO trip technically happens before the defender is on their feet, so they can still get up at the cost of a move action.

 

[accipiter]

I was wondering these same things, actually. Last session, my druid player's summoned wolves tripped, mobbed, and murdered a pair of leucrottas that should have been a serious challenge for the entire party.

Admittedly, I was rolling poorly all night (lost initiative, 2s for opposed checks), but once it was on the ground, what else could I do except have the leucrotta try to stand up? I did a quick search at the table and found rules in the FAQ for crawling away, but I really don't think that maneuver would have changed things much in either case.

The druid player suggested what he said was a fairly common house rule, that you can make a jump check to stand up from prone without taking AOPs? I told my players it was fine to leave it as is, but that what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Not that I plan on suddenly populating the dungeon entirely with tripping creatures or anything (that'd be silly, petty, and no fun for anyone), but I'm definitely going to use the trick when appropriate. I also gave the main melee fighter a few weeks to think about whether or not he wanted to use the house rule, since it'll hit him hardest.

 

[hong]

I was wondering these same things, actually. Last session, my druid player's summoned wolves tripped, mobbed, and murdered a pair of leucrottas that should have been a serious challenge for the entire party.

Admittedly, I was rolling poorly all night (lost initiative, 2s for opposed checks), but once it was on the ground, what else could I do except have the leucrotta try to stand up? I did a quick search at the table and found rules in the FAQ for crawling away, but I really don't think that maneuver would have changed things much in either case.

The druid player suggested what he said was a fairly common house rule, that you can make a jump check to stand up from prone without taking AOPs? I told my players it was fine to leave it as is, but that what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Not that I plan on suddenly populating the dungeon entirely with tripping creatures or anything (that'd be silly, petty, and no fun for anyone), but I'm definitely going to use the trick when appropriate. I also gave the main melee fighter a few weeks to think about whether or not he wanted to use the house rule, since it'll hit him hardest.

Just go back to the 3.0 rule where standing up doesn't provoke AoOs. Works just fine.

 

[accipiter]

Just go back to the 3.0 rule where standing up doesn't provoke AoOs. Works just fine.

We considered that, but I didn't want to nerf the druid's summoned wolves and wasn't sure if just eliminating the AOPs would do so, or make monsters with trip less powerful? Or maybe that's not factored in to the CRs?

It was a pretty frustrating experience, I'll admit (kind of like losing a fighting video game because the other player with the whip knocks you down and rapid-fire button-mashes to prevent you from getting back up again), but I think I'm okay with it as long as my players are okay getting smacked with it sometime too.