Spring Attack and other tough questions...

[hong]

The feat itself says you do not provoke the AoO when "Moving in this way." I would take this phrase to refer to the aforesaid benefit of moving before and after the attack. At least, that is how I read it. I would have to respectfully disagree with the sage on this one. I would like to know his reasoning, however.

I always took "moving in this way" to mean using the feat to split up your movement into before and after the attack. The feat says you _can_ move before and after the attack. It doesn't say you _must_ do so.

 

[burdett]

I agree with Hong.

It does not say that you "must" move before and after.

The word "may" allows a thing, the word "must" requires it.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Hong, that is exactly what I meant. If you have the feat, you can move before and after an attack, and if you do, you do not provoke an AoO from your target. If you do not move in this way, you gain no benefit from the feat.

 

[hong]

Hong, that is exactly what I meant. If you have the feat, you can move before and after an attack, and if you do, you do not provoke an AoO from your target. If you do not move in this way, you gain no benefit from the feat.

Okay, bad wording. I take the "moving in this way" clause to mean "moving in a way that uses Spring Attack". I see Spring Attack as kicking in whenever you move as part of an attack action. This could be before the attack, after the attack, or both. I don't think it requires you to move both before _and_ after the attack to negate the AoO. I think that's needlessly restrictive.