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Message: <blockquote data-quote="frankthedm" data-source="post: 5272123" data-attributes="member: 1164">FAQ is supposed to be interpretation of the rules, not changing of the rules. That is what errata is for. FAQ has no business making judicial legislation as it has done often.I'd say the Bob and Grog debacle is a fine example of FAQing brilliance that completely ignored rules already in place.In a combat, Bob the fighter is unconscious fromwounds, and Grog the orc moves into Bob’s square. Afriendly cleric heals Bob so that Bob regains consciousness.So the orc and prone Bob are now occupying the samesquare. Now what happens? The rules say that Bob andGrog 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 thereif the creature is helpless, or if that creature is much bigger orsmaller than you are (see Moving Through a Square in Chapter8 of the PH).Assume that Bob is prone (no rule says you’re prone whenyou lose consciousness, but common sense demands that it beso), and that he can remain in Grog’s square so long as heremains prone. If he gets up, he must leave Grog’s square first,which provokes an attack of opportunity from Grog.Earlier, you talked about Bob the fighter, who wasunconscious and later woke up, prone, to find Grog the orcstanding in his space. You said Bob has to stay prone solong as he remained in Grog’s space, and that Bob wouldD&D FAQ v.3.5 74 Update Version: 6/30/08provoke an attack of opportunity upon leaving that space.Suppose Bob made a grapple attack on Grog? He cangrapple Grog, can’t he? Bob would be at a negative forbeing prone but would not provoke an attack ofopportunity, would he? Assuming Bob establishes a hold onGrog, how long does the prone penalty last?Sure, Bob can grapple Grog. Bob’s initial grab attackprovokes an attack of opportunity from Grog unless Bob hasthe Improved Grapple feat or some other circumstance preventsGrog from threatening Bob. (For example, Grog would notthreaten Bob if Grog were wielding a reach weapon.) If Grogdeals damage to Bob with an attack of opportunity, Bob’sgrapple attempt is over.If Grog doesn’t damage Bob, Bob’s initial touch attackwould suffer a –4 penalty for being prone. If the grab succeeds,Bob is still prone and still suffers the –4 penalty for beingprone for the ensuing opposed grapple check. (Some DMs Iknow would give Bob an offsetting bonus wrapping himselfaround Grog’s ankles, but I don’t recommend doing so; it’spretty easy to kick loose from somebody lying on the groundwhen you’re standing up).If Bob gets a hold on Grog, he normally would have tomove into Grog’s space to maintain the hold. This movementwould provoke attacks of opportunity from foes that threatenBob. However, Bob is in Grog’s space already, so he doesn’thave to move to maintain the hold, and he is spared attacks ofopportunity from Grog’s allies.You can move when grappling (see page 156 in the PH).Normally you drag foes along with you when you move duringgrappling, but there’s no reason why Bob can’t just use a moveaction to stand up in Grog’s space once he has hold of Grog.Bob has to win an opposed grapple check against Grog (still at–4 for being prone) to stand up. This doesn’t provoke an attackof opportunity from Grog (who doesn’t threaten Bob or anyoneelse while grappling), but it does from Grog’s allies if theythreaten Bob (see page 143 in the PH). Once on his feet, Bobcan keep grappling without the prone penalty, or just let Groggo. If Bob lets go, he can leave Grog’s space with a 5-foot stepand not provoke any attacks of opportunity. (Getting up is amove action, but it’s not “movement” for purposes of taking a5-foot step because Bob isn’t actually moving any distance, seepage 144 in the PH).All of which is worthless since the PHB already had rules precedence for <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/movementPositionAndDistance.htm" target="_blank">winding up in an illegal space</a>.Accidentally Ending Movement in an Illegal SpaceSometimes a character ends its movement while moving through a space where it’s not allowed to stop. When that happens, put your miniature in the last legal position you occupied, or the closest legal position, if there’s a legal position that’s closer. Simply saying "Healed and prone, Bob's mini is placed in the nearest <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/movementPositionAndDistance.htm#measuringDistance" target="_blank">{Random}</a> legal space." would have fit rules precedence and saved space and saved face for the FAQ.</blockquote>

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