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This weekend my group went through a scenario where we were attacked by a group of four harpies (what's the word for that anyway? A murder? A quartet?) As the first harpy used its flyby attack on me I asked the GM if I got an attack of opportunity.
...This caused quite a spirited debate, mostly about whether flyby attacks are treated the same as ride-by attacks, and everything stopped for a few minutes. Books were consulted, grognards tapped on the shoulder, and no one really had a clear yes or no. The GM eventually decided by fiat that the attack didn't provoke and moved on.
It's absolutely within the GM's purview to make this call, but I believe the ruling was incorrect. I don't care about the adventure itself - we all made it out okay - but for future reference should *I* run a scenario with harpies I want to make sure I'm not making the game unnecessarily difficult on my PCs because of a misunderstanding of the rules.
I'd like someone with more knowledge than I to definitively answer this, and give page numbers and book names to back it up so if it ever comes up again I can say, "It's this way because XXX rule on page YYY says so."
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This isn't a PFS specific question, so it should be asked in the Rules form.
My mistake. Perhaps a mod can reassign it. It involved a dispute with the GM during PFS play, so I assumed it would go here.
To answer your question, however, just compare the wording of the two feats:
Benefit: When flying, the creature can take a move action and another standard action at any point during the move. The creature cannot take a second move action during a round when it makes a flyby attack.
Normal: Without this feat, the creature takes a standard action either before or after its move.
Benefit: When you are mounted and use the charge action, you may move and attack as if with a standard charge and then move again (continuing the straight line of the charge). Your total movement for the round can't exceed double your mounted speed. You and your mount do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the opponent that you attack.The bolded part is the important bit that Flyby Attack lacks.
Thank you. That's precisely what I was looking for.
Note that you would get the AO for the creature leaving a threatened square afterwards, not for the attack itself.
Correct, Flyby Attack does not prevent AoOs. FYI, 3.5 had "Improved Flyby Attack" which did do so.
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The issue is that both Ride-by attack and Spring Attack prevent AoOs from the target of your attack.
Since the "run past and hit someone" and the "ride past and hit someone" feats both prevent AoOs from the target, it seems clear that the intent is that the "fly past and hit someone" feat would work exactly the same way. I can't come up with a mechanical or logical reason for this one feat to be different from the other two. (Actually, I can't come up with any reason that Spring Attack and Fly-by Attack are two separate feats. Spring Attack just says "move"--it doesn't say what type of movement you have to use. If a PC had Spring Attack, I would let them use it with any movement type.)
So RAW, Fly-by Attack doesn't say it prevents AoOs from the target, so it probably provokes. RAI, I will always rule it the other way and call this an editing error. Since flying creatures have to make fly checks and have to deal with maneuverability, allowing Fly-by Attack to provoke AoOs should drop their challenge rating by at least 2.
Strategically, if you don't have a ranged attack against a flying creature, just ready an action to hit them when they get within reach. That way, you'll always get to hit them at least once, regardless of what the GM rules.
The issue is that both Ride-by attack and Spring Attack prevent AoOs from the target of your attack.
Since the "run past and hit someone" and the "ride past and hit someone" feats both prevent AoOs from the target, it seems clear that the intent is that the "fly past and hit someone" feat would work exactly the same way. I can't come up with a mechanical or logical reason for this one feat to be different from the other two. (Actually, I can't come up with any reason that Spring Attack and Fly-by Attack are two separate feats. Spring Attack just says "move"--it doesn't say what type of movement you have to use. If a PC had Spring Attack, I would let them use it with any movement type.)
So RAW, Fly-by Attack doesn't say it prevents AoOs from the target, so it probably provokes. RAI, I will always rule it the other way and call this an editing error. Since flying creatures have to make fly checks and have to deal with maneuverability, allowing Fly-by Attack to provoke AoOs should drop their challenge rating by at least 2.
Strategically, if you don't have a ranged attack against a flying creature, just ready an action to hit them when they get within reach. That way, you'll always get to hit them at least once, regardless of what the GM rules.
Flying is also a superior method of movement so you are normally out of reach anyway. That is why they did not give the feat anything extra, and kept it like the 3.5 version which did provoke so RAI it does not provoke. Otherwise 3.x would have made improved fly by attack, and Paizo would have just have its fly by attack just like improved fly by attack.
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The issue is that both Ride-by attack and Spring Attack prevent AoOs from the target of your attack.
Since the "run past and hit someone" and the "ride past and hit someone" feats both prevent AoOs from the target, it seems clear that the intent is that the "fly past and hit someone" feat would work exactly the same way. I can't come up with a mechanical or logical reason for this one feat to be different from the other two. (Actually, I can't come up with any reason that Spring Attack and Fly-by Attack are two separate feats. Spring Attack just says "move"--it doesn't say what type of movement you have to use. If a PC had Spring Attack, I would let them use it with any movement type.)
So RAW, Fly-by Attack doesn't say it prevents AoOs from the target, so it probably provokes. RAI, I will always rule it the other way and call this an editing error. Since flying creatures have to make fly checks and have to deal with maneuverability, allowing Fly-by Attack to provoke AoOs should drop their challenge rating by at least 2.
Strategically, if you don't have a ranged attack against a flying creature, just ready an action to hit them when they get within reach. That way, you'll always get to hit them at least once, regardless of what the GM rules.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility, base attack bonus +4.Benefit: As a full-round action, you can move up to your speed and make a single melee attack without] provoking any attacks of opportunity from the target of your attack.
4 prerequisites, allow only a melee attack.
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.
Benefit: When you are mounted and use the charge action, you may move and attack as if with a standard charge and then move again (continuing the straight line of the charge). Your total movement for the round can't exceed double your mounted speed. You and your mount do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the opponent that you attack.[/quote+
Two prerequisite (even if one is really low cost) and a hefty movement limitation.
Prerequisite: Fly speed.
Benefit: When flying, the creature can take a move action and another standard action at any point during the move.
1 prerequisite that either is part of your race package or you rarely get.
and
it give a standard action.Move and spellcasting? yes.
Move and use magic item or special ability? Yes
Move and make a ranged attack? yes.
It is not only a melee attack.
This benefit is a very large one and counterbalance the fact that the movement provoke.
Note: Flyby Attack is a Monster feat so was designed with the expectation PCs would not be taking them.
Flyby probably provokes AoOs because the Devs figured that PCs would find it unfair that flying monsters were essentially untouchable by melee characters
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Note: Flyby Attack is a Monster feat so was designed with the expectation PCs would not be taking them.
Flyby probably provokes AoOs because the Devs figured that PCs would find it unfair that flying monsters were essentially untouchable by melee characters
Monster Feats
Most of the following feats apply specifically to monsters, [b]although some player characters might qualify for them[b] (particularly Craft Construct).
3 kind of characters in the CRB can take fly-by attack: druids and a fifteen level sorcerer with the dragon or infernal bloodline, that number increase greatly as you add the different books.
Most people opinion notwistanding, the rules don't say that you need a GM authorization to take the monster feats, only that "some player characters might qualify for them", with teh implication that most characters don't qualify.
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Diego, I think that the Elemental: Air bloodline from the CRB for Sorcerers also gives a fly speed at higher levels.
And, I would think, once you qualify to be able to take ranks in the Fly skill (being able to reliably fly every day), you would also qualify to be able to take the Fly-By Attack feat. YMMV.