Spring attack and AoOs

[Olive]

Just a quick question... we always used to play that spring attack allowed you to get within reach weapons without provoking an AoO...

but reading the text, i can't think why we said that. surely it only prevents the AoO that would be provoked from moving away from a foe, reach weapon or no?

 

[Dr_Rictus]

No, it prevents any AoO occasioned by the attacker's movement, on the part of the individual being attacked. So it does let you get in past reach weapons.

 

[Olive]

Ok from the SRD:
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Spring Attack [General]
Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Dodge, Mobility, base attack bonus +4 or higher.
Benefit: When using the attack action with a melee weapon, the character can move both before and after the attack, provided that the character's total distance moved is not greater than the character's speed. Moving in this way does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender the character attacks. The character can’t use this feat if the character is in heavy armor.
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it seems to me to be a bit ambiguous... it says 'does not provoke an AoO from rhe defender the character attacks' sure, but after it says 'moving in this way'.

so i read it as 'does not provoke the AoO that would usually be provoked by moving out of the threatened square'.

 

[Hypersmurf]

it seems to me to be a bit ambiguous... it says 'does not provoke an AoO from rhe defender the character attacks' sure, but after it says 'moving in this way'.

As long as you're Spring Attacking:

"Moving in this way" is "moving before and after the attack".

So "Moving before and after the attack does not provoke and AoO".

So "Moving before the attack does not provoke an AoO and moving after the attack does not provoke an AoO".

So "Moving before the attack does not provoke an AoO".

Advancing on the creature with reach is "moving before the attack", and does not provoke an AoO.

-Hyp.

 

[AGGEMAM]

"Moving in this way" is "moving before and after the attack".

That is your opinion. I do not see it like that.

 

[Hypersmurf]

That is your opinion. I do not see it like that.

Oh, sorry - I accept that the official interpretation seems to be that you can move just-before or just-after and still avoid AoOs.

I was phrasing it in that way to explain to Olive that Spring Attack can prevent an AoO provoked by moving before the attack as well as one provoked by moving after...

-Hyp.

 

[AGGEMAM]

I was phrasing it in that way to explain to Olive that Spring Attack can prevent an AoO provoked by moving before the attack as well as one provoked by moving after...

Sorry, I thought you were saying that you HAD to move both before and after the attack.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Sorry, I thought you were saying that you HAD to move both before and after the attack.

No, no, I said that yesterday.

Do keep up

-Hyp.

 

[Olive]

I was phrasing it in that way to explain to Olive that Spring Attack can prevent an AoO provoked by moving before the attack as well as one provoked by moving after...

and i appreciate it, but what i'm askign really is whether it applies to ALL AoOs or just ther standard moving ones...

 

[Hypersmurf]

and i appreciate it, but what i'm askign really is whether it applies to ALL AoOs or just ther standard moving ones...

A character executing a Spring Attack does not provoke an AoO from the person they are attacking.

Think of it being like an automatically successful Tumble check with respect to that opponent.

In other words - yes, you can Spring Attack an opponent who has reach without provoking an AoO, either on the way in or on the way out.

-Hyp.