Here's a question for the community: If someone casts Strangling Hair and they grapple an opponent from say 30' away, are they considered to be threatening that opponent for the purposes of an ally rogue or a Twilight Knife spell scoring sneak attack damage for flanking the opponent grappled by Strangling Hair?
Well your hair engages in a grapple with a creature. When grappling you cannot make attacks of opportunity.
Flanking says
When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by another enemy character or creature on its opposite border or opposite corner.Threatened says
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.
I think based on this its reasonable to say that since you can't make an AoO, you don't threaten any squares. This is the case in 3.5 at least. If you don't threaten, you can't provide flanking opportunity.
Edit: At MacGurcules, Strangling Hair specifically says it can't be used to pin or move the opponent, so you would have to move next to your opponent to threaten them.
True, and I tend to agree with all of that. However, its been argued that since the spell can make an attack into those squares the spellcaster sort of threatens the opponent. It's tricky because the one spell provides a form of reach attack (that's technically not a melee attack), while the other is an oddity in that Twilight Knife kind of skirts the flanking rules because it is neither a creature or an ally, nor does it provide the spellcaster a flanking bonus.
For the purpose of this spell, your hair is effectively another creature, though it cannot be targeted as such. The caster is not involved in the grapple at all. The hair might be considered to have the grappled condition, though that wouldn't change the statistics presented in the spell. In any case, the hair cannot threaten, flank, or take attacks other than as presented in the spell.
Based on the context, I read the provisions against allowing Strangling Hair to move an enemy as a restriction on taking the move option when maintaining a grapple. I wouldn't see it as unreasonable to to interpret it as a restriction on the initial movement as well, but that's not how I read it.
I agree, Strangling Hair cannot move or pin an opponent. If the spellcaster concentrates, they can still use their move action to move adjacent to and threaten someone.
The question then becomes, if they are concentrating to maintain the spell as a standard action, can they make Attacks of Opportunity? If not,does that mean they cannot make a melee attack and therefore do not threaten?
For the purpose of this spell, your hair is effectively another creature, though it cannot be targeted as such. The caster is not involved in the grapple at all. The hair might be considered to have the grappled condition, though that wouldn't change the statistics presented in the spell. In any case, the hair cannot threaten, flank, or take attacks other than as presented in the spell.
Excellent point Thanis! That makes the most sense to me so far.
The question then becomes, if they are concentrating to maintain the spell as a standard action, can they make Attacks of Opportunity? If not,does that mean they cannot make a melee attack and therefore do not threaten?
There is nothing in the rules for concentrating or attacks of opportunity that would prevent a caster from making attacks of opportunity while concentrating (presuming they are wielding a weapon).
The question then becomes, if they are concentrating to maintain the spell as a standard action, can they make Attacks of Opportunity? If not,does that mean they cannot make a melee attack and therefore do not threaten?There is nothing in the rules for concentrating or attacks of opportunity that would prevent a caster from making attacks of opportunity while concentrating (presuming they are wielding a weapon).
That's what I thought. So technically, if the spellcaster is using Strangling Hair on someone 30' away, they would then use their standard action to maintain the spell, and their move action to move 30' and become adjacent.
At that point, they would be able to take an attack of opportunity with a melee attack, so they threaten the opponent, allowing an ally or Twilight Knife to flank.
Would that be considered legal RAW then?
Yep. Not sure if the hair actually occupies a square should that be relevant - I'd say no, but I could see it either way.
Yep. Not sure if the hair actually occupies a square should that be relevant - I'd say no, but I could see it either way.
Agreed. I understand that it is effectively another creature for the purposes of the spell, but if it's not able to be targeted as a creature, I would adjudicate that it does not take up a square for the sake of simplicity. I can see it going either way, but that makes the most sense in terms of game mechanics.
Thanks for all your feedback Thanis!
The question then becomes, if they are concentrating to maintain the spell as a standard action, can they make Attacks of Opportunity? If not,does that mean they cannot make a melee attack and therefore do not threaten?There is nothing in the rules for concentrating or attacks of opportunity that would prevent a caster from making attacks of opportunity while concentrating (presuming they are wielding a weapon).That's what I thought. So technically, if the spellcaster is using Strangling Hair on someone 30' away, they would then use their standard action to maintain the spell, and their move action to move 30' and become adjacent.
At that point, they would be able to take an attack of opportunity with a melee attack, so they threaten the opponent, allowing an ally or Twilight Knife to flank.
Would that be considered legal RAW then?
That would definitely be considered legal by RAW. Because it's as simple as you are now on one side of the enemy, and your ally (or Twilight Knife) will be on the opposite side. Your strangling hair is irrelevant in the situation (for flanking). Do remember though, your character will need to have a weapon in hand or improved unarmed strike, as otherwise you don't threaten with just a regular unarmed strike.