Skirmish?

[irdeggman]

The errata says the scout must, (1) move at least 10 feet away from where they started; and (2) the benefits only kick in after moving at least 10 feet.

If you move 15 feet away then 15 feet back, you have moved away and you have moved at least 10 feet. Both criteria have been fulfilled.

What the errata should say is that you end your movement at least 10 feet from where you started your turn.

Correct, it should have been worded that way.

Now if it is not "intended" to be worded that way, what was the point of adding the text in the first place since it provides no additional meaning if it is not read the way that others are reading it?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I don't know, but as a person who had no problem visualizing moving away then back to catch a foe offguard, I'm happy it's at least worded as it is (it'd be better if the errata didn't exist at all to make the Mongol Scout impossible, but eh).

One thing it does prevent: double 5 ft stepping back into the original square for your skirmish (and a full attack). This can be done as easily as with the boots of sidestepping (3/day take a 5 ft step and you can stil take your normally alloted 5 ft step / movement), along with more complicted options.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Correct, it should have been worded that way.

Now if it is not "intended" to be worded that way, what was the point of adding the text in the first place since it provides no additional meaning if it is not read the way that others are reading it?

We had a scout with a longspear, who would move back five feet and forward five feet - he'd thus moved ten feet and could use Skirmish.

Then the errata came out. If he moves back five feet and forward five feet, he doesn't qualify for skirmish - he never moves ten feet from his original position. If he moves back ten feet and forward ten feet, though, he does; by the time he makes his attack, he has (at some point in his turn) moved at least ten feet from his original position. Where he moves after that isn't important; once he qualifies for Skirmish, it applies to any attack he makes thereafter during his turn.

So the errata forced a change in how he conducted his combats. And in some circumstances, due to the layout of the room or whatever, there are cases where his old tactic would have worked but the new requirement is physically impossible, or at least results in provoking an AoO.

-Hyp.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Was he doing the 10 feet as two 5-foot steps (thru an ability/magic item?) or was he doing it as part of a move action?

 

[Shin Okada]

I see nothing wrong with returning to the start point and then attack. When using ranged weapons outdoor, that does not affect game balance much anyway.

When in a dungeon or when in a battlefield full of opponents, as Hypersmurf suggested, that maneuver is often not that easy.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Was he doing the 10 feet as two 5-foot steps (thru an ability/magic item?) or was he doing it as part of a move action?

Move action.

Before the errata, he'd take a move action to move ten feet - five back, five forward.

After the errata, he'd take a move action to move twenty feet - ten back, ten forward.

-Hyp.

 

[Will]

Of course, chances are this also triggers an AoO. I suspect that 'must end up 10' or more from original starting position' is intended, but I don't think the restriction is really necessary.

 

[Shin Okada]

Considering the fact that the movement is halved when tumbling (unless you can roll 25+ or more if threatened by many), moving 20 ft. in that way could be often difficult. So I don't see any problem allowing it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Considering the fact that the movement is halved when tumbling (unless you can roll 25+ or more if threatened by many), moving 20 ft. in that way could be often difficult. So I don't see any problem allowing it.

In many cases, though, only the first square will be threatened, so you're only tumbling 5 feet of that 20. Total movement 25 - well under the Scout's speed.

Even if he needs to tumble the entire distance, remember that Scouts have Fast Movement, so tumbling 20 feet (total movement 40 when you halve the speed) is still only a move action.

-Hyp.