Tiny creatuers, step up, and AoO's


Rules Questions


It is my understanding that a tiny creature can use step up to follow an opponent whose square they previously occupied, once again existing within their square.

For those who see differently, think hypothetically for a second.

Does this provoke an AoO?


Hypothetically? Yes. The feat makes your movement non-provoking by making it a 5' step. It does nothing to nullify other provocations, like entering a creature's square. But at least you only provoke once not twice.


gonna be running a CoT game soon where in the 1st sewers bit there's a possible encounter with 8 diminutive creatures and 4 PCs (maybe 2NPCs), there's gonna be a lot of provoking for the enemies to attack! also the enemies have 1 hp, just gotta hope they're not all hit as they enter a PC/NPC square or it's gonna be a short fight


dharkus wrote:
gonna be running a CoT game soon where in the 1st sewers bit there's a possible encounter with 8 diminutive creatures and 4 PCs (maybe 2NPCs), there's gonna be a lot of provoking for the enemies to attack! also the enemies have 1 hp, just gotta hope they're not all hit as they enter a PC/NPC square or it's gonna be a short fight

if any of your pcs have combat reflexes....


at lvl 1, possible but unlikely


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This is like... a whole big thing. From someone who has partook in several and started at least one long thread on the issue suffice it to say that the rules are not clear. If it is for PFS expect table variation. If it is for a home game clear it up with the GM first.

But most importantly ponder the fact that both options are good for your party. If you don't provoke an AoO from Stepping Up into their square then that is good for you. If you DO provoke an AoO then it is good for your party. Most Tiny creatures have pretty stellar ACs. And honestly, if they don't then they are doing it wrong. Wasting your enemy's AoOs on a target that they aren't going to hit is a good thing.


If a 5 foot step (which allegedly never provokes) provokes then anything that isn't specifically entering a square and not provoking will provoke.


FAQ wrote:

Tiny and smaller creatures: In the section on Tiny and smaller creatures, it says that entering a creature’s space provokes an attack of opportunity, but typically 5-foot steps don’t provoke an attack of opportunity. If a Tiny or smaller creature took a 5-foot step into a creature’s space, would it provoke an attack of opportunity?

Yes. Even with a 5-foot step, a Tiny or smaller creature entering a creature’s space provokes an attack of opportunity (unless it is using a more specific ability to avoid the attack of opportunity such as the Monkey Shine feat). This doesn’t mean that a Tiny or smaller creature entering a creature’s space and moving out of a threatened square with a move action provokes two attacks of opportunity from that creature, for the same reason that moving out of multiple of a creature’s threatened squares in the same move action doesn’t provoke two attacks of opportunity.

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