D&D 5E Splitting your Move - The Move-Attack-Move Dynamic

[The Human Target]

Sounds like a good idea. Is there any reason not to allow this in 4e?

It for sure some what devalues a lot of movement based powers.

How big of a deal that is, I dunno.

 

[ForeverSlayer]

more common at range may be but not melee, because doing so will provoke opprotunity attacks.

That's when you will see all the reach builds come into play, especially those using polearms.

 

[Mistwell]

That's when you will see all the reach builds come into play, especially those using polearms.

What would be the point? They can close with you and attack, without drawing an opportunity attack. Then for you to leave again, you would draw an opportunity attack.

 

[Dausuul]

What would be the point? They can close with you and attack, without drawing an opportunity attack. Then for you to leave again, you would draw an opportunity attack.

Exactly. This is the sort of rule change that makes me instinctively skeptical--it seems like it would enable a lot of abusive tactics--but beyond "sniping from cover," which should be a strong tactic, I'm having trouble coming up with much. Even if you have a reach weapon and more than twice your opponent's movement, they can charge to get in range, and once they close with you, you're eating an OA to get clear.

You have to have four times their movement, so you can get so far away they can't even close the gap on a double move. (I thought at first they could counter this by readying a charge, but it turns out charging is not on the list of readyable actions in 5E.) At that point, I think you've earned your victory. After all, an archer could accomplish the same thing with far less investment in speed, simply by retreating outside double-move range every round.

...And now that I think about it, even that isn't enough against a clever foe. Let's say your enemy has a speed of 20 and you've somehow wangled yourself a speed of 80. You start 50 feet away, dart in to a position 10 feet away, jab with your polearm, dart back out, and end up 50 feet away again. The enemy can't get to you even on a double move. But while you stand there looking smug, the enemy double-moves... away from you! Now you're 90 feet away. If you try your trick again next round, you'll use all your movement closing to attack range, with nothing left at the end to get clear.

To do hit-and-run attacks and not expose yourself at all to melee retaliation, you need, not twice your enemy's movement, not four times, but six times. This is getting absurd. Just buy a horse and learn to shoot a bow.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Even if you have a reach weapon and more than twice your opponent's movement, they can charge to get in range, and once they close with you, you're eating an OA to get clear.

Coming into someone's reach doesn't provoke an opportunity unless you a a specific feat (Polearm Master) and weapon because OA are not provoked when leaving a square, but when leaving your reach..

Also the reach property weapon don't increase your reach in D&D Next, it let you attack 5 feet further away. Most creature have a reach of 5 feet, and larger creature usually have greater reach.rther. So a reach weapon doesn't increase the range at which you can make opportunity attacks.

 

[Dausuul]

Coming into someone's reach doesn't provoke an opportunity unless you a a specific feat (Polearm Master) and weapon because OA are not provoked when leaving a square, but when leaving your reach..

Also the reach property weapon don't increase your reach in D&D Next, it let you attack 5 feet further away. Most creature have a reach of 5 feet, and larger creature usually have greater reach. So a reach weapon doesn't increase the range at which you can make opportunity attacks.

It's you provoking the OA, not your opponent.

1. You use a split-move to dart in, strike, and dart away. You are using a reach weapon, which allows you to do this without triggering an OA, because you never come within the enemy's reach.
2. Your opponent charges and whacks you. You are now adjacent to the enemy.
3. If you try your trick again, you will eat an OA when you move out of the enemy's reach. The alternative is to slug it out toe-to-toe, but presumably you don't like that option or you wouldn't be trying split-move shenanigans in the first place.

 

[Plaguescarred]

How is this different than other edition though? (Attacking from a distance and letting enemy close in)

EDIT And sorry for misunderstanding you.

 

[Dausuul]

How is this different than other edition though? (Attacking from a distance and letting enemy close in)

The only difference is in step #1. In previous editions (barring Spring Attack or the equivalent) you could move before you attacked, or after you attacked, but not both; if you started at a distance and closed to 10 feet away, you would have to end your turn there. In 5E, you can start at a distance, close, strike, and retreat again.

At a glance, this would seem to enable nasty hit-and-run tactics with a polearm, where you both start and end your turn outside your enemy's attack range. However, it turns out you have to have a very high movement rate to get any benefit from such tactics, and to avoid any retaliation at all requires a movement rate well into munchkin territory. When you think about it, 3E proved that the ability to split-move wasn't a problem. Otherwise every fighter would have picked up a polearm and Spring Attack.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Oh i mean that its not much different than in previous edtitions where the enemy either moved and stop 10 feet away to attack or started from 10 feet away and reteated after attacking. It leaves the target able to close on you on its turn and being melee. At that point, you'll provoke an OA if leaving.

Unless like you said if you have a high speed. Then it becomes a nasty tactic i agree.

 

[ExploderWizard]

more common at range may be but not melee, because doing so will provoke opprotunity attacks.

It will make seeking and staying behind cover during missile fire a more attractive option which is good.