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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Anti-Sean" data-source="post: 2592782" data-attributes="member: 11797">Excellently stated - 3.x's "quantum facing" can take a bit of adjusting to. Also, bear in mind that, assuming two adjacent combatants of Medium size, they don't fill up their respective 5' squares entirely. If you mark off a 5' square on the floor (perhaps not literally - a large tiled kitchen is handy for this purpose), you'll see that's a fairly large area. If you were to have a sword in your hand and swing it around, though, that area tends to shrink a bit. The 5' square is a convenient abstraction. At any point in each round, the two combatants might be face to face with their swords locked together, one lunging after another, backing away to provide enough room for a wide swing, making rude comments about their foes mother etc. etc. At least for myself, keeping the fact that these are simply abstractions meant to streamline the adjutication of rules makes it easier for me to fill in the gaps with something much more descriptive.When the individual moving through the threatened area moves in such a way as to provoke an AoO, his defenses are down. He's more concerned with moving than with defending himself while he moves - thus, an AoO is provoked. There are ways to move (Tumble, for instance) without provoking said AoO. Following my earlier example, you may have run past me heedlessly at a moment where my enemy had been thrown off balance, or stepped back or had his weapon in a guarded position, allowing me just enough time for a quick sword thrust/eye poke/slap/pinch/bite/etc. whatever as you ran by. Like others have already said, it helps to ensure that all parties involved have as clear of a shared view of the scenario as possible, and that combatants know that there are consequences for their actions. The comment above stating that AoOs let you know what *not* to do in combat is an excellent one.</blockquote>

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