Things to do when you're prone.

[Zen]

Here's a follow-up to my improved trip question...

I know that prone characters are in a bad way, being attacked at +4 and provoking AoO when they try to stand up. My question is, can a prone character tumble away w/o standing and w/o provoking an AoO, if they beat the Tumble DC?

Also, does a prone mage suffer -4 on to hit on ranged attack spells such as Ray of Enfeeblment?

Thanks,

--Z

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

RAW, no to your first question. Crawling 5' is a full-round action that provokes an AoO.

No to your second question, as well. You only suffer a -4 on melee attacks, and most ranged attacks cannot even be attempted. On those that can be attempted, there is no penalty.

 

[Trainz]

Here's a follow-up to my improved trip question...

I know that prone characters are in a bad way, being attacked at +4 and provoking AoO when they try to stand up. My question is, can a prone character tumble away w/o standing and w/o provoking an AoO, if they beat the Tumble DC?

DC 35 to get up from prone as a move action without provoking an AoO.

Also, does a prone mage suffer -4 on to hit on ranged attack spells such as Ray of Enfeeblment?

Nope.

Now *I* have a question.

When prone:

- Can you take a 5 ' step ?
- What's your movement rate when prone ?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Note that Trainz's suggested Tumble DC to get up from prone without provoking is not RAW - it's a suggestion from the FAQ (I think - possibly some other source).

Ah! Here it is:

Q: Is there any way to avoid the attack of opportunity provoked by standing up? Oriental Adventures and the Epic Level Handbook both say that you can stand from prone as a free action with a DC 35 Tumble check. However, they make no mention of avoiding attacks of opportunity since standing did not provoke attacks of opportunity when those rules were written. Free actions don’t provoke attacks of opportunity, do they?

A: Anyone who has seen a Jackie Chan movie knows that one can spring to one’s feet quickly without making yourself too vulnerable to attacks. With a DC 35 Tumble check, you can stand up from prone as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity.

The game currently includes no defined free actions that provoke attacks of opportunity; however, not provoking attacks of opportunity is not a general feature of free actions. It’s conceivable that there could be a free action that does provoke attacks of opportunity (although the Sage can’t think of one that would right now).

Note that the *Epic* rules allow Free Stand at DC 35 (standing from Prone as a Free Action), but it says nothing about ignoring the AoO.

It's also listed as an "Epic Use" of the skill - in other words, something only Epic characters can accomplish.

 

[Trainz]

Note that Trainz's suggested Tumble DC to get up from prone without provoking is not RAW - it's a suggestion from the FAQ (I think - possibly some other source).

In the SRD actually, but you *really* have to know where to look for it.

It's an epic use for the tumble skill.

Can someone tell me where and at what page the rule that stipulates that a 5' step while prone is a full round action ?

 

[atom crash]

I know that prone characters are in a bad way, being attacked at +4 and provoking AoO when they try to stand up. My question is, can a prone character tumble away w/o standing and w/o provoking an AoO, if they beat the Tumble DC?

As far as I can tell, the rules don't specifically address this situation. I'd allow it, setting the DC at 20 -- a compromise between tumbling past (DC 15) an opponent and tumbling through (DC 25) an opponent -- to tumble 5' away with no AoO. Since a prone character can only crawl 5' in a round, I can't see someone tumbling more than 5' from a prone position as a move action.

Of course, then you're only 5 feet away and still prone.

 

[Trainz]

I went to check the SRD, and the DC 35 tumble check is to stand up from prone as a FREE action. It doesn't stipulate if it provokes an AoO or not...

Darn...

Can someone please tell me where and at what page the rule that stipulates that a 5' step while prone is a full round action ?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Sorry - crawling 5' is a move action that provokes an AoO:

Crawling: You can crawl 5 feet as a move action. Crawling incurs attacks of opportunity from any attackers who threaten you at any point of your crawl.

 

[Henrix]

Crawling is on p.142 of the PHB, under Move.

And I say, sure you can tumble when crawling, but you won't get further than 5' unless you take the full round and accelerated tumble at -10.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Note that the *Epic* rules allow Free Stand at DC 35 (standing from Prone as a Free Action), but it says nothing about ignoring the AoO.

It doesn't need to. Free actions don't provoke AoOs as a general rule.

It's also listed as an "Epic Use" of the skill - in other words, something only Epic characters can accomplish.

I see nothing at all which states that only epic characters may make use of the epic rules in general.

'epic' skill uses have no specific "you cannot use these if you are below level 21" clause.

Epic feats, for instance, do. So does epic magic and epic item creation.

It stands to reason then that anyone who can hit the 'epic' DC's has access to the 'epic' results, assuming the DM allows them.

Mind you, if I were a player, I'd ask my DM to be very choosy about which epic DC's he uses.

Balance for instance has a really dumb-ass writeup. Apparently to balance on a tightrope you need to hit a DC 40, which to me is more than a little ridiculous.