Scenario 1:
An enemy is on a ledge 15-feet above you and they jump down into a square next to you. Do they provoke an AoO as they fall through your squares?
Scenario 2:
An enemy is flying above you and their flying spell is dismissed. They fall (at 60-feet safely), through your threatened squares, do they provoke an AoO?
I´d say it depends if it is a Surprise or not.
So my take is Scenario 1) Normally No, cause the Jumping Char is not literally Moving through a threatened Area, he is entering a Sqare next to a Char which is not causing an AoO.
2) As 1, but if the PC for example was notified by his Wizard Buddy who dispelles the Fly Spell, he could kind of Ready an Action to prepare to AoO the Enemy falling after his Fly dissipates.
But interesting Question i´d like to hear the effective Ruling for!
Creative Director
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Scenario 1:
An enemy is on a ledge 15-feet above you and they jump down into a square next to you. Do they provoke an AoO as they fall through your squares?
Scenario 2:
An enemy is flying above you and their flying spell is dismissed. They fall (at 60-feet safely), through your threatened squares, do they provoke an AoO?
The key to determining when AoOs work is to remember that they're NEVER provoked when someone enters a threatened square. They're ONLY provoked when someone LEAVES a threatened square.
So when you attack from above via a jump or a fall, you DO technically provoke an AoO unless you can somehow arrest your fall as soon as you come in reach of the target. For Medium targets, this basically means being 5 feet off the ground. Since the majority of jumping and falling creatures won't be able to arrest their descent, they'll continue down to the ground, and in so doing leave the "square" that the enemy threatens five feet above. Giving the enemy a chance to attempt an AoO before you land, basically.
Of course, Mobility and Acrobatics checks to avoid the AoO should still be an option for the jumping or falling character provided they're not helpless; you can still twist and writhe in the air to make yourself a harder target.
So my take is Scenario 1) Normally No, cause the Jumping Char is not literally Moving through a threatened Area, he is entering a Sqare next to a Char which is not causing an AoO.
Actually, the falling individual is moving through your threatened area.
Say the opponent falls directlty in front of the character, the first threated square would be diagonal front and above, for example...
An oponent falls from point-a to point-b, landing in front of the character, with the "v"s representing each 5' increment. The bolded "v" would be the first threatened square the opponent passes through.
A
v
v
v
B (character)
This one's easy.
Attacks of Opportunity
Sometimes a combatant in a melee lets her guard down or takes a reckless action. In this case, combatants near her can take advantage of her lapse in defense to attack her for free. These free attacks are called attacks of opportunity. See the Attacks of Opportunity diagram for an example of how they work.Threatened Squares
You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your turn. Generally, that means everything in all squares adjacent to your space (including diagonally). An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If you're unarmed, you don't normally threaten any squares and thus can't make attacks of opportunity.
Provoking an Attack of Opportunity
Two kinds of actions can provoke attacks of opportunity: moving out of a threatened square and performing certain actions within a threatened square.
Moving: Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening opponents. There are two common methods of avoiding such an attack—the 5-foot step and the withdraw action.
Performing a Distracting Act: Some actions, when performed in a threatened square, provoke attacks of opportunity as you divert your attention from the battle. Table: Actions in Combat notes many of the actions that provoke attacks of opportunity.
Remember that even actions that normally provoke attacks of opportunity may have exceptions to this rule.
It's very clear that it takes an action to provoke an AoO, and falling is not an action.
"moving out of a threatened square" is even in your big block of text.
-S
Scenario 1:
An enemy is on a ledge 15-feet above you and they jump down into a square next to you. Do they provoke an AoO as they fall through your squares?
So what you're saying in this scenario they would have to make an Acrobatics check at +10 (full speed), to avoid the AoO?
So my take is Scenario 1) Normally No, cause the Jumping Char is not literally Moving through a threatened Area, he is entering a Sqare next to a Char which is not causing an AoO.Penser, like Khan, is thinking 2-Dimensionally. Reach extends in all directions, and though we do not normally envision a cube of threatened space around a character, it does exist. James addressed this in his immediately following post.
The key to determining when AoOs work is to remember that they're NEVER provoked when someone enters a threatened square. They're ONLY provoked when someone LEAVES a threatened square.Note that if an enemy falls past you (Scenario #2) they are actually leaving multiple Threatened Squares and thus provoking multiple AoOs. Hello Combat Reflexes.
Of course, Mobility and Acrobatics checks to avoid the AoO should still be an option for the jumping or falling character provided they're not helpless; you can still twist and writhe in the air to make yourself a harder target.Arguably, a character jumping and landing would provoke a pair of AoOs as well. Not only do they provoke as they pass through the +5' Elevation Square, but they also would provoke when they land unless they have some way (last second feather fall?) to "stick the landing." This is where Acrobats and Mobility come into play, the later on the "pass" and the former on both the "pass" and the "landing". Otherwise ... oh, it's you again Combat Reflexes.
FWIW, I'd argue that "falling Acrobatics" has at least an additional +4 DC penalty (beyond the +10 "full speed") since there is no contact with the ground or any solid object. Even Olympic gymnasts have the parallel bars from which they launch themselves and don't need to alter their routine for random moving objects in mid-technique.
So Mobility/Acrobatics to avoid the AoO passing through the "elevated" square and Acrobatics to "stick the landing"...
You can only take one attack of opportunity per round per target per TYPE of action that provokes. No matter what your reach you don't get more than one attack of opportunity on someone for leaving one of your threatened squares. The point of Combat Reflexes is to get AoOs on multiple targets or, for example, on an archer that moves and fires while still being threatened by you.
Unless something has changed that I am not aware of.
Note that if an enemy falls past you (Scenario #2) they are actually leaving multiple Threatened Squares and thus provoking multiple AoOs. Hello Combat Reflexes.You can only take one attack of opportunity per round per target per TYPE of action that provokes. No matter what your reach you don't get more than one attack of opportunity on someone for leaving one of your threatened squares.Well, on checking I discover that we are both wrong, but about different things.
Both 3.5 and PF explicitly state that continued movement out of Threatened Squares does not provoke additional AoOs from the same opponent ... at least not after they've made an AoO. Presumably an opponent could allow you to pass out of one square, forgo their AoO and then attack you as you move out of a second square (maybe they had flanking on the second one).
OTOH, you are wrong about "type" of action. The only term in the rule book is "opportunity". If an archer with Rapid Shot looses two arrows while standing next two you, then he has provoked you twice with two different "opportunities" even though both are the same "type" of actions. Basically, they are separate acts as far as the rules are concerned, and thus separate "opportunities". Similarly, if I load two crossbows in a round (forgoing my Standard action for two Move-equivalent actions) they are two different "opportunities" and thus two AoO provocations, even though they are the same "type" of action.
Anyway, thanks for the heads-up on the movement thing. I was pretty sure I'd seen an illustration that supported my assertion, but clearly I was mistaken.
R.
Yeah you're right about that. I thought I was making a generalization that would stick recalling the rules from memory. I just didn't think of the situations where you could potentially do that. Like you can't really cast two spells in a round (or you can, with quicken spell, but those don't provoke yadda yadda).