waking up in an occupied square

[0-hr]

How do you handle the case where an incapacitated person wakes up in a square with an enemy standing over them? Are they automatically "squeezing", does the waking person automatically move to the closest open square? Or is it somethng different.

An while I'm here, if a character has 5ft reach, does that mean he can pick up, touch, and/or drop items in adjacent squares? I'm not talking about attacks, but other mundane actions (like healing, or picking up/ dropping a weapon). Would it provoke to try and touch something (like an incapacitated person) in an enemy-occupied square?

 

[blargney the second]

This comes up more often than the rules account for. I still haven't found any particularly good solutions to that problem.

 

[brehobit]

I wing it. Once one of the two of them have an action, they need to move or I apply the squeezing rules. No penalties until then (or if the prone one stays unmoving).

Mark

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

You can move through a square occupied by a friendly character, unless you are charging. When you move through a square occupied by a friendly character, that character doesn’t provide you with cover.

You can’t move through a square occupied by an opponent, unless the opponent is helpless. You can move through a square occupied by a helpless opponent without penalty. (Some creatures, particularly very large ones, may present an obstacle even when helpless. In such cases, each square you move through counts as 2 squares.)

You can’t end your movement in the same square as another creature unless it is helpless.

So when you wake up in an occupied square you must either:
A) crawl 5 feet as a full-round action, which provokes an attack of opportunity, and stand up in your next turn, which also provokes an attack of opportunity
- or -
B) stand up in the occupied square, which provokes an attack of opportunity, and take a 5-foot-step out of the square. If you can't reach a free square with your 5-foot-step you will provoke another attack of opportunity, but at least you won't be prone anymore.

Arguably you can't make a 5-foot-step when in an occupied square since the squeezing rules would possibly apply, making movement cost double, so then you would always provoke at least two AoOs from this situation, which seems harsh but reasonable considering that your enemy is standing right on top of you.

Maybe it would be appropriate to allow enemies to occupy the same square as long as at least one of them are prone, perhaps increasing the attack and AC penalties of the prone character by 2 for being even more disadvantaged. I might also allow a prone character to initiate a grapple against an enemy standing in its square in an attempt to pull himself up or the enemy down. When grappling you enter your opponent's square so this would seem to be allowed. You can make a second grappling attempt to release your opponent in an adjacent square, which I would interpret as pushing the enemy away.

 

[irdeggman]

So when you wake up in an occupied square you must either:
A) crawl 5 feet as a full-round action, which provokes an attack of opportunity, and stand up in your next turn, which also provokes an attack of opportunity
- or -

But you could withdraw, couldn't stand up but could "move" without generating an AoO from the creature that shared your space for the first square of movement.

 

[irdeggman]

How about starting a grapple since you are already in the same square - no AoO for that part?

 

[Kmart Kommando]

The AoO is from starting a grapple. You have to move into their square to maintain a grapple.

But grappling is a good idea if you're not armed and have a chance of actually being able to do something to the guy in the square with you.

Although, if you stay in the square with him, forcing him to squeeze, your allies may have an easier time hitting him. You can't end your movement in an illegal square, but if you're already there, and aren't moving, then that rule doesn't apply.

'I stay where I am, and go full defense.' or ' I go full defense, and stand up. git 'em, guys!'

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

You don't necessarily have to do anything to make yourself beneficial when waking up in an occupied square. If you DO try to do anything you seem to draw all kinds of undesired dangers and penalties. If, however, you just lie there you do not draw AoO's, etc - but your enemy, simply by virtue of YOU now being awake, MUST do something or face penalties like squeezing, etc. If you try to move you are OBLIGATED by the rules not to end your movement in an occupied square which means you're largely screwed. So don't move, don't take any action.

I'd say just lie there, let your change in status from defenseless to awake force your ENEMY out of YOUR square, and then take action.

 

[mvincent]

How do you handle the case where an incapacitated person wakes up in a square with an enemy standing over them?

From the 3.5 FAQ:
"In a combat, Bob the fighter is unconscious from
wounds, and Grog the orc moves into Bob’s square. A
friendly cleric heals Bob so that Bob regains consciousness.
So the orc and prone Bob are now occupying the same
square. Now what happens? The rules say that Bob and
Grog can’t be in the same square, right? So, what happens?
Is Grog somehow prevented from entering Bob’s square?
Does Grog have to leave when Bob wakes up?
You can enter another creature’s square and even stop there
if the creature is helpless, or if that creature is much bigger or
smaller than you are (see Moving Through a Square in Chapter
8 of the Player’s Handbook).
Assume that Bob is prone (no rule says you’re prone when
you lose consciousness, but common sense demands that it be
so), and that he can remain in Grog’s square so long as he
remains prone. If he gets up, he must leave Grog’s square first,
which provokes an attack of opportunity from Grog."

An while I'm here, if a character has 5ft reach, does that mean he can pick up, touch, and/or drop items in adjacent squares?

You can definitely grab an item in an adjacent square. Presumably, you could also manipulate (pick up, push, drag, etc.) many objects in an adjacent square... indeed for some items (doors, tables, carts, etc.) this might be the only way to do so.

 

[Kmart Kommando]

From the 3.5 FAQ:
"In a combat, Bob the fighter is unconscious from
wounds, and Grog the orc moves into Bob’s square. A
friendly cleric heals Bob so that Bob regains consciousness.
So the orc and prone Bob are now occupying the same
square. Now what happens? The rules say that Bob and
Grog can’t be in the same square, right? So, what happens?
Is Grog somehow prevented from entering Bob’s square?
Does Grog have to leave when Bob wakes up?
You can enter another creature’s square and even stop there
if the creature is helpless, or if that creature is much bigger or
smaller than you are (see Moving Through a Square in Chapter
8 of the Player’s Handbook).
Assume that Bob is prone (no rule says you’re prone when
you lose consciousness, but common sense demands that it be
so), and that he can remain in Grog’s square so long as he
remains prone. If he gets up, he must leave Grog’s square first,
which provokes an attack of opportunity from Grog."

You can definitely grab an item in an adjacent square. Presumably, you could also manipulate (pick up, push, drag, etc.) many objects in an adjacent square... indeed for some items (doors, tables, carts, etc.) this might be the only way to do so.

Either standing up is moving, and you can tumble while doing so, or standing is not moving, and you don't count as moving for illegal movement and do not have to leave that square.
Which is it?

I say stay prone and drop caltrops in your square.