Flying Kick and Acrobatics


Rules Questions


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Hi, all!

In Pathfinder Unchained, regarding the Flying Kick style strike, it says:

"The monk leaps through the air to strike a foe with a kick. Before the attack, the monk can move a distance equal to his fast movement bonus. This movement is made as part of the monk's flurry of blows attack and does not require an additional action. At the end of this movement, the monk must make an attack against an adjacent foe. This movement may be between attacks. This movement provokes an attack of opportunity as normal." (pg 19)

The CRB tells us:

"You can move through a threatened square without provoking an attack of opportunity from an enemy by using Acrobatics. When moving in this way, you move at half speed. You can move at full speed by increasing the DC of the check by 10."

Since the free movement part of a flying kick provokes an attack of opportunity "as normal", may the monk use acrobatics "as normal" to avoid the AoO? Since when using acrobatics to avoid an AoO (with a DC of the threatening creature's CMD), you move at half speed, does this mean the monk may only move a distance equal to half his fast movement bonus as the free movement part of the kick?

May the monk "as normal" increase the DC of his acrobatics check by 10 to be allowed to move "full speed", or in this case his full fast movement bonus as part of the kick?

I couldn't find this addressed, and I hate to assume anything. I want to ensure I understand how this works before I decide whether to consider taking flying kick.

Thanks!!!


I would say yes. It refers to it as movement four times, presumably it behaves like normal movement (which lets you make an Acrobatics check).


I'm actually curious about this too. We are arguing right now that Pounce and Flying Kick are both considered "charge", since they allow you to make a full attack at the end of a move action. This would disallow acrobatics checks, since acrobatics hinders movement, which isnt allowed during a charge action. I am arguing that because charge is obviously charge, and pounce specifically says its a charge, while flying kick just says its a movement, that i should be able to use an acrobatics action.

Can we get an official ruling on whether or not Flying Kick is a "Charge" and disallows acrobatics to avoid attacks of opportunity?


I don't know how this is rules in PFS. But as I see it, this movement should use the Acrobatics rules as normal and not be excluded from it.

@standaloneghost: Flying Kick is not a Charge and does actually in no way work as a Charge (or Pounce). The rules for movement are compleatly different and the order of attacks are too. The only rules that are similar is the requirement that you perform the/an attack after you move and that they're both full-round actions. If Flying Kick was anything like Charge, it should referens Charge.


Not only would I say yes, but it makes for a really interesting happening in the fiction. Monk runs jumps into the air, does a backflip over an enemy then comes down with an axe kick into a guy behind him.


The way I'm reading it, it's just normal movement. If you have a Fast Movement bonus of 20' then you could acrobatics with flying kick at half the allowed distance (10') or accelerated acrobatics the full distance (20').

As far as using acrobatics with a charge, expect table variation. I think most GMs will allow it if you use +10 accelerated tumble. (you may encounter some who allow half speed charges and others who don't allow it at all)

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