Shift Optional (A DM Newbie Question)

[pjrake]

A player controlling a Fighter attacked a creature and its effect was to shift the creature 1 square. Is the shift optional? The player was flanking and shifting would have taken the creature out of flank and did not want to do this. I ruled that the Fighter had the option.

-PJ

 

[MerricB]

Yes, all forced movement is optional. You can move the opponent *up* to that distance or not at all.

Cheers!

 

[Nikosandros]

There are a few rare instances in which this kind of movement is not optional, such as the unfettered power feature of a wild magic sorcerer, but those are clearly indicate by writing something likeyou must push each creature within 5 squares of you 1 square.

Otherwise, as Merric says, forced movement on opponents and bonus movement granted to you or to an ally is always optional.