Running and AoO

[MerakSpielman]

No, that does not provoke an AOO.

It wouldn't provoke an AoO if you were just moving into the square, but running is a specific action that provokes an AoO. They are taking this AoO-provoking action within a threatened area, so they get attacked, just like if they moved into a threatened area and started casting a spell.

 

[dcollins]

It wouldn't provoke an AoO if you were just moving into the square, but running is a specific action that provokes an AoO. They are taking this AoO-provoking action within a threatened area, so they get attacked, just like if they moved into a threatened area and started casting a spell.

Not so. All AOOs must come before the action which provoked them. If the runner stops as soon as they reach the first threatened space, then the action is over at that point and there was never an opportunity for an AOO.

That is, they are not "taking this AoO-provoking action within a threatened area". Rather, they are taking this AOO-provoking action exactly one square away from a threatened area. So no AOO.

 

[kwiqsilver]

I agree with dcollins. But I doubt it will ever come up. Who would be dumb enough to run into a threatened square? You lose your Dex bonus until your next turn, so you'd be an easier target to the guy who is now threatening you. Especially if he has sneak attack dice.

 

[MerakSpielman]

My new counter-example is: A wizard is casting a spell with a full-round casting time. Before he finishes, another character teleports him so that he is next to an enemy. For whatever reason, the enemy is not surprised - and might in fact be expecting him to arrive. Does the enemy get an AoO on the casting wizard?

(Of course it's never going to come up. That's not the point!)

 

[dcollins]

That's a completely different and incomparable situation.

Nontheless, the answer is "no" to that as well. It's been well established that spellcasting only provokes AOOs at the initiation of the spell, even if it takes a full-round action to cast.

 

[Darklone]

That's a completely different and incomparable situation.

Nontheless, the answer is "no" to that as well. It's been well established that spellcasting only provokes AOOs at the initiation of the spell, even if it takes a full-round action to cast.

Right. Take into account though that an attack that causes damage may interrupt the spellcasting nonetheless.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Not so. All AOOs must come before the action which provoked them.

If I start fifteen feet away from someone, and move 30 feet past them, they get an AoO when I leave a threatened square.

The action was "Move", but the AoO does not occur before the action; it occurs at some point during the action.

Someone can crawl five feet as a Move action. They provoke an AoO from anyone who threatens them "at any point during their crawl".

Since you can only crawl five feet, there are only two points during your crawl - the square you start in, and the square you end in. "Any point in your crawl" includes those two squares. If I crawl into someone's threatened area, I provoke an AoO.

If I have the Hold the Line feat, I get an AoO when someone charges into a square I threaten. If you consider the provoking action to be "Charge", then I can't take the AoO before they Charge - they're too far away. Even if you consider the provoking "action" to be "charge into a square I threaten", I still can't take the AoO before they enter the square I threaten... because until they enter it, I don't threaten them! This AoO must, of necessity, occur after they enter the square... even if they stop in that square.

If I have the Karmic Strike feat, I receive an AoO when someone successfully hits me with a melee attack... and the AoO explicitly occurs at the same instant as the attack, not before. And besides, before the attack roll is evaluated, it's unknown as to whether or not the attack is successful.

Bull Rush, Overrun, and Charge don't provoke an AoO; only leaving a threatened square in the course of one of those actons does. But the Run action provokes an AoO in and of itself. If I enter a square while Running, I am performing the Run action in that square, and I provoke an AoO.

-Hyp.

 

[Artoomis]

.the Run action provokes an AoO in and of itself. If I enter a square while Running, I am performing the Run action in that square, and I provoke an AoO.

-Hyp.

Quite right!

 

[dcollins]

The action was "Move", but the AoO does not occur before the action; it occurs at some point during the action.

I do not mean "action" in such a narrow technical sense. Allow me to re-state: All AOOs must come before the thing-that-provoked-it.

Moving out of a square, while not an entire action unto itself, is nontheless the thing-that-provokes an AOO. It occurs at the point that they are starting to move out a particular square. Running out of a square is no different.

You note some specific exceptions which I'll accede to: Karmic Strike and apparently the 3.5 Crawl. But Run is not one of those exceptions.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Running out of a square is no different.

But it's not running "out of a square" that provokes the AoO.

It's running.

That action takes place in both the square you are leaving, and the square you are entering.

-Hyp.