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I've read through it several times and I'm trying to grasp the mechanix and use. It seems fairly obvious but I'm certain I'm missing something in my attempt to understand it well.
One Square = 5 feet.
'Withdrawing' is a full-round action (unless the only actions available is standard which in that case, 'withdraw' is std. action) with allows you to exit melee combat
... which allows you to move double your movement. No 5-ft step can be taken in the same round when you have withdrawn, not that you can because 5 ft steps cannot be executed when another movement action is taken)
Origin
Clarification: Is the space you exit from still considered a threatened square?
Origin Square -> First Square
(Exit using normal movement away from a melee threatened square (5 ft) provokes Attacks of Opportunity).
First Square
The first space you enter into after exiting melee combat with withdrawal is not considered threatened (any opponent that you can see) so when you move from this first square to another - you provoke NO Attacks of Opportunity even if there is an opponent right next to you in the first square. Is this accurate?
Second Square
Movement from the second square onwards may provoke AoPs if moving out of any opponents threatened square.
Confusion
However, when I read "If during the process of withdrawing, you move out of a threatened square (other than the one you started in), enemies get AoPs as normal."
Doesn't this indicate that at any space besides the Origin Square always provokes AoPs? (if it is in a threatened space) In this understanding, the First Square is still considered threatened is there is an opponent within 5 ft which allows them an AoP when moving to the second Square - is conflicts with the earlier reading.
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Perhaps English isn't my strongest language for understanding this, so could I ask for some help in clarifying this. I would appreciate it.
Thank you. :D
Basically, the situation is this:
- withdraw is a full-round action (or, as you correctly stated, a standard action in cases where you are restricted, say by a Slow spell, to standard actions only)
- when you withdraw, the FIRST square only is considered free (moving out from that square do not provoke attacks of opportunity EVER - it's like a blank, safe spot on the grid); this, of course, is valid for ALL the creatures that threaten that square (with Withdraw, all of them do not threaten it during this action)
- if the SECOND square where you pass is still a threatened square, however (let's say, you are trying to escape from an Ogre, who has a threatened area of two squares around him), leaving that second square provokes attacks of opportunity (again, from ALL creatures that threaten it, if they still have AoO in this round)
It's worth noting that going closer to creatures that have a large threatened area around them follows a similar procedure: if you simply ENTER the first threatened square, you do not provoke an AoO (it's the act of LEAVING that square to enter their second treatened, closer square, that provokes the AoO). So, basically, you can attack the same Ogre with a reach weapon going closer to the creature (= entering his first threatened square) and attacking him (thanks to your reach) WITHOUT taking any AoO (of course, the next round, good luck with the Ogre's Full Attack action...)