Threaten/Flank with Melee then use missiles?

[sinmissing]

Setup
You and another character are flanking an opponent. Both of you are armed with melee weapons. On your turn, can you take a 5' step back, use quick draw as a free action to ready a bow, then attack with the bow, while taking advantage of the flanking situation?

 

[FrankTrollman]

No. The "flanking position" is a transient bonus which applies only so long as the attack lasts.

The definition is that one character is making a melee attack right now, while the ally opposite threatens with a melee weapon.

Now it is perfectly possible for an ally who was using a ranged weapon to also be armed with a melee weapon (perhaps a lizardfolk, who threatened with a bite even while firing a bow), and thus for your ally to give you a flanking bonus even if they personally were firing bows or casting spells. But the bonus only lasts as long as the attack lasts.

And yes, this does mean that the whole thing about some creatures not being flanked unless they all are is a complete nonsequitor that makes no sense at all. Eh.

-Frank