Attacking during a jump


Rules Questions


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

All the post-FAQ chatter in another nameless thread has got me thinking. How does a non-flying character attack a flying creature? Barring ranged/reach weapons, naturally.

In home games I would allow attacking at the top of a jump, but by RAW that should require Spring Attack. Is there any rules support for doing something like that without extensive feat requirements?


Well I guess that a jump would just be considered movement, but since you can't stop moving midair maybe spring attack would be necessary?

Sovereign Court

For a long jump it'd require a housrule (though one I'd use), but it would be RAW to do at the top of a high jump.

After all - falling back to the ground alone doesn't count as part of the character's movement.

For a long jump - there'd be an argument that you could attempt a grapple by RAW (I'd certainly allow it) - though it's not as definite and I'd expect table variation. After all - you'd be attempting to keep moving - but if your check fails you basically grab onto your foe. Very effective against small flyers, as your character's weight will likely put them over their weight limit and drag them to the ground.

Scarab Sages Developer

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Posting as GM, rather than a developer, I have allowed a jump to end mid-air and an attack to come at the end of that. If the character doesn't land on solid ground when his move ends, he then falls. I generally allow you to treat this as an intentional fall so you can Acrobatics to reduce damage, but most folks still end up prone.


Frankly, I don't know why the Spring Attack feat is not just a standard combat thing we can all do. A whole feat to learn how to hit someone while you move past them; a simple, normal, easy thing to do. Heck, IRL, it's what cowardly people figure out on their own the first time they get into a fight they can't run away from.

If you don't want to simply house-rule that Spring Attack is a normal thing to do in combat, no feat required, then your options are limited. Owen's interpretation is close enough to RAW to work, as long as you don't try to take momentum into the equation (clever players might exploit momentum to gain extra distance on their moves) - unless you want that to be part of the fun.


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Rules just say that you make an acrobatics check as part of another action. So why can't you just make the acrobatics check to jump as part of your standard action attack. IE you high jump while taking a swing.


Owen K. C. Stephens wrote:
Posting as GM, rather than a developer, I have allowed a jump to end mid-air and an attack to come at the end of that. If the character doesn't land on solid ground when his move ends, he then falls. I generally allow you to treat this as an intentional fall so you can Acrobatics to reduce damage, but most folks still end up prone.

As a GM how do you feel about falling back down provoking an AoO? Yes, it does, or no it doesn't?


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

end your movement in the air, then take your standard action. next round you can fall again. :P


My opinion is that it provokes: involuntary or voluntary movement provokes attacks of opportunity normally if you move through threatened squares.

In regards to ending your turn in the air - I don't believe you can. In fact I don't believe you can even attempt the leap if your total movement - including the fall exceeds your base speed ...but hey, I could easily be wrong on both!


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber
Havoq wrote:

My opinion is that it provokes: involuntary or voluntary movement provokes attacks of opportunity normally if you move through threatened squares.

In regards to ending your turn in the air - I don't believe you can. In fact I don't believe you can even attempt the leap if your total movement - including the fall exceeds your base speed ...but hey, I could easily be wrong on both!

well nothing says you fall if you run out of movement speed. :P


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I appreciate all the perspectives. I hadn't thought about the notion of running out of/ending movement while at the top of the jump. That's a cute way of sidestepping it within what I can see of RAW off the top of my head.

My only gut concern about something like that is setting a precedent that a particularly springy person (able to get a 40 reliably since 5' off the ground isn't really meaningful given reach) could remain perpetually off the ground in between turns. It's a neat solution to the problem, though, and I really like it.

Edit: Thanks also for the house-rule perspectives. I haven't really thought this about Spring Attack before, but this thought experiment is really making me think about that.

Sovereign Court

Berinor wrote:
My only gut concern about something like that is setting a precedent that a particularly springy person (able to get a 40 reliably since 5' off the ground isn't really meaningful given reach) could remain perpetually off the ground in between turns. It's a neat solution to the problem, though, and I really like it.

Just because you end your movement in the air doesn't mean you'll still be there at the beginning of your next turn. You'd still fall after your move/attack.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber
Berinor wrote:
My only gut concern about something like that is setting a precedent that a particularly springy person (able to get a 40 reliably since 5' off the ground isn't really meaningful given reach) could remain perpetually off the ground in between turns.

wizards can fly...

WHY CAN'T MARTIALS HAVE NICE THINGS?


Use a standard action to ready to attack the target when it comes within reach.

Use a move action to jump at the target.

(There are some minor possible rules nit picks about triggering readied actions on your own turn, but I believe most GMs will allow this to fly.)

Scarab Sages Developer

Havoq wrote:
Owen K. C. Stephens wrote:
Posting as GM, rather than a developer, I have allowed a jump to end mid-air and an attack to come at the end of that. If the character doesn't land on solid ground when his move ends, he then falls. I generally allow you to treat this as an intentional fall so you can Acrobatics to reduce damage, but most folks still end up prone.

As a GM how do you feel about falling back down provoking an AoO? Yes, it does, or no it doesn't?

Yes it does, unless you have some option that prevents it from doing so.

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