Do you threaten while moving


Rules Questions


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

Question, When conducting your move action, do you still threaten areas around you while moving?

Player 1 is moving 30ft towards his destination
Enemy 1 has readied once Player 1 is within melee range, he will drink a potion which provokes an attack of opportunity (stupid but prudent for the example)
Will player one be able to stop his movement and take an attack of opportunity against the enemy or does he simply not threaten?

Grand Lodge

Suz wrote:

Question, When conducting your move action, do you still threaten areas around you while moving?

Player 1 is moving 30ft towards his destination
Enemy 1 has readied once Player 1 is within melee range, he will drink a potion which provokes an attack of opportunity (stupid but prudent for the example)
Will player one be able to stop his movement and take an attack of opportunity against the enemy or does he simply not threaten?

PRD, Combat, Attacks of Opportunity wrote:
An attack of opportunity "interrupts" the normal flow of actions in the round. If an attack of opportunity is provoked, immediately resolve the attack of opportunity, then continue with the next character's turn (or complete the current turn, if the attack of opportunity was provoked in the midst of a character's turn).


Yes, you still threaten.


PRD - Combat - Attacks of Opportunity wrote:
Threatened Squares: You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your turn.

If you were to do an action that would prevent you from attacking, even AoOs, or specifically states you don't threaten squares around you, then you wouldn't threaten squares: such as while casting a spell you don't threaten; there's debate if doing Total Defense action (which means no AoO can be made for the round) would leave one still threatening or not, but I say it would mean no threatening since no attack can be made (unless one has a swift action attack or something I guess. The situation is weird and unclear). So even if moving, by default you still threaten.

If Person A is moving and Person B readies an action that provokes while in threatened area around Person A, B provokes an AoO from A. The AoO is a free action that Person A didn't stop movement for, but is performed during the movement.

For example: Bugbear readies an attack if Adam the knight moves into range for a melee attack (let's say 5 ft with no reach weapons). Adam charges a Hobgoblin near Bugbear and would have to go through the Bugbear's threatened area. Adam does so and triggers Bugbear's readied action. Bugbear decides to trip Adam with his readied action (since that particular maneuver can be used in place of an attack). Bugbear doesn't have Improved Trip or another method of avoiding an AoO, so he provoked an AoO from Adam. Adam performs his AoO first (if he hits, the damage provides a penalty to the Bugbear's CMB roll), then Bugbear makes his trip attempt. If the Bugbear fails to trip Adam, Adam will continue his charge against the Hobgoblin.


Threatening does not rely on being able to take an AoO, otherwise you wouldn't threaten once you've used your AoO(s) for a turn.
There are (painful) threads on this already.

I can't think of any reason why moving would stop you threatening (with the possible exception of running, or something that removes your DEX bonus, as that suggests you're busy concentrating on the movement - however, that'd be a house rule)

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

A more interesting way of questioning this would be; could I AoO if I moved past someone casting a "one round" casting time spell, e.g. Summon Monster I, and still make an attack when I finished my movement?


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

Another version of this would be

Player 2 readies an action to attack Enemy 1 when Player 1 enters a flanked position.

Player 1 enters a flanked position during his/her movement and the readied action goes off.

Does that player 2 gain flanking bonuses for the attack, even if the attack resolves before the movement of Player 1 has ended.


Suz wrote:

Another version of this would be

Player 2 readies an action to attack Enemy 1 when Player 1 enters a flanked position.

Player 1 enters a flanked position during his/her movement and the readied action goes off.

Does that player 2 gain flanking bonuses for the attack, even if the attack resolves before the movement of Player 1 has ended.

Readied actions resolve prior to the triggering action.

The readied action resolves prior to the moving person moving into the flanking position.

Hope you can reach the moving person prior to their movement.


Snowlilly wrote:
Suz wrote:

Another version of this would be

Player 2 readies an action to attack Enemy 1 when Player 1 enters a flanked position.

Player 1 enters a flanked position during his/her movement and the readied action goes off.

Does that player 2 gain flanking bonuses for the attack, even if the attack resolves before the movement of Player 1 has ended.

Readied actions resolve prior to the triggering action.

That can be fixed by changing the choice of triggering action. Player 2 readies an action to attack Enemy 1 as Player 1 moves out of flanking position or as Enemy 1 makes an attack of opportunity against Player 1 while Player 1 is in flanking position. The second part of that trigger is because Player 1 moving out of flanking would trigger an attack of opportunity from Enemy 1 and Player 2 wants to make sure he has his attack before the attack of opportunity.

Or for simplicity, have Player 1 promise to yell, "Now!" once he is in flanking position, and Player 2 readies an action to attack Enemy 1 when Player 1 yells, "Now!"

Once we correct the triggering condition, it would work. Threating and flanking are matters of position,
and the duration of the positioning is irrelevant.

Informally, I rempresent flanking as the disadvantage of not being able to watch two foes on opposite sides. Since Enemy 1 would definitely want to watch Player 1 in case Player 1 provokes an attack of opportunity, he has the disadvantage from being flanked.

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