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A while back a player of mine (barbarian, high speed, boots of speed) wanted to activate haste and try to jump and attack a creature that was about 15-20 feet up a wall (spider climbing). At the time I said yes, but thought about it and denied it for later. Why? It seems like this is the sort of thing that should stay with Spring Attack.
Normally, I do think that being able to jump and attack a flying creature seems ok. However it seems to open up a can of worms if I allow it. If I let a barbarian run and jump, trying to hit a flying creature (and thus landing a bit father by pure momentum), then what's to stop anyone from gaining the benefits of spring attack by just jumping every time they move? Perhaps you only get to do this if the target is flying, but that seems needlessly metagamey.
I think I've decided that it should be a Spring Attack thing only, but am interested on hearing other thoughts. Should a player be allowed to jump and attack something, or should he only be able to do that if he has spring attack? Barring some way for him to fly himself, he's coming back down and thus 'moving' after the attack.
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If the players really needed the extra offence I might allow it, but have all movement after the attack come out of their next turn's movement allotment (ie they lose whatever actions are required to get the extra movement from their next turn). This means spring attack is still useful without disallowing something that it seems everyone should be able to do.
Also, I'd likely give the charge penalty to AC for this.
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Did you consider having the impact of the weapon strike killing the momentum enough that the barbarian would fall pretty much straight down?
Even if I did, the point is that the character has run/jumped up to an enemy, and after the attack is no longer within 5 ft of the enemy. Normally the only way to get this advantage (as the enemy now has to move to get to you, likely not getting a full attack) is with Spring Attack.
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If the players really needed the extra offence I might allow it, but have all movement after the attack come out of their next turn's movement allotment (ie they lose whatever actions are required to get the extra movement from their next turn). This means spring attack is still useful without disallowing something that it seems everyone should be able to do.
Also, I'd likely give the charge penalty to AC for this.
Allowing it but taking away a move action from their next turn is actually not a bad idea.
I think this is a rare enough case and quite different from how spring attack is used usually.
Spring attack ignores AoO and gives generally much more freedom of movement.
Character will have to make a decent enough jump check. Which can be quite hard.
I'd apply some penalties to hit and on armor class till the next turn.
Not to mention the very real chance you fall prone after such an attack.
Despite the name spring attack seems to have little to do with jumping, and most of the stuff mentioned would still apply, except possibly the AoO.
I think this is a rare enough case and quite different from how spring attack is used usually.
Spring attack ignores AoO and gives generally much more freedom of movement.
Character will have to make a decent enough jump check. Which can be quite hard.
I'd apply some penalties to hit and on armor class till the next turn.
Not to mention the very real chance you fall prone after such an attack.
Despite the name spring attack seems to have little to do with jumping, and most of the stuff mentioned would still apply, except possibly the AoO.
Yeah, I'd say that a jumping character is using a move action to do the jump and get he chance to hit. Gravity takes over then and forces the character to leave the threatened space, provoking an AoO. if the character suffers damage from the AoO, they would then have to do an acrobatics check vs some base DC + damage dealt or fall prone and possibly suffer falling damage. A person with spring attack would not suffer the AoO and just have to make the first jump check.
I would work it like this. Anytime they could perform a Charge action they could run and jump for the attack.
If they have the spring attack feat they can then continue the jump and land safely as per the acrobatics check the character made to first attempt the attack.
If they do NOT have spring attack then at the end of the "Jumping Charge" they stop just like the would have on a charge... and then gravity takes over. Then have them make a second acrobatics check, possibly with a penalty, and suffer falling damage. If the check fails they fall prone and take full damage. If the check succeeds they still take damage as if they had jumped down from a ledge or what not and stick the landing with both feet on the ground.
Now the next trick is are you going to allow a jumping grapple to jump and hang on to the target. LOL
EDIT for Ninja - looks like Anburaid and I are on close to the same page.
Anburaid has the right of it.
First, Spring Attack doesn't necessarily require you to "spring". Haste and magic items aside, your typical human fighter can move 30' unless he's wearing bulky armor. I don't think anyone really expects him to "spring" through the air up to 30' to deliver his attack. Without magic, that would be quite impossible, even for Michael Jordan.
So the word "spring" is used losely, meaning to rush into striking range and then quickly move away.
Second, Spring Attack prevents an AoO for moving out of a threatened space. That's really the big benefit - ending up out of your enemy's reach without provoking.
So in the example, assuming you'll allow your barbarian to clear a 20' jump (the RAW will allow it, by the way), then sure, he can make that attack. And his momentum carries him past the square from which he attacked, through multiple threatened squares (at least two), both of which could provoke an (one) AoO.
This is all perfectly allowed by the RAW, and if people want to do it all the time, trading one standard attack for one AoO, I say let them.
Third, Spring Attack gives you control over your movement. You could move 10' toward an enemy, make an attack, then move 10' off to the side, then use your last 10' of movement to circle around a big rock and get into cover. You definitely cannot do that while arcing through the air in an uncontrolled (e.g. non-flying) jump.
So I say go for it. RAW allows it, and it won't be taking anything away from Spring Attack.