Dropping prone

[Michael Brock]

Page 188 core.
Drop Prone. Dropping to a prone position in your space is a free action.

If a character is hit at the beginning of a round before his turn ( for instance a surprise round), is he able to drop prone as a free action?

[harmor]

You can only take free actions on your turn. So if you are not surprised and able to act in the Surprise round on your turn you may go prone.

[Has'Kar]

Does going prone provoke AoO?

[Shifty]

I say 'no' Has, because otherwise tripping someone would give you an extra AoO as they went down.

[Callarek]

Shifty wrote:

I say 'no' Has, because otherwise tripping someone would give you an extra AoO as they went down.

+1

That is what Greater Trip is for. ;)

[TwilightKnight]

Speaking is also a free action (isn't it?) and most allow it outside of your turn. Although that is not really an action comparable to physically falling down.

[Howie23]

TwilightKnight wrote:

Speaking is also a free action (isn't it?) and most allow it outside of your turn. Although that is not really an action comparable to physically falling down.

Speaking is a free action that explicitly can be done outside of your turn as an exception. Dropping prone doesn't have the exception.

[Verse]

Heh, when I was visiting the site I recalled that we forgot to discuss this last night and thought in my head it would be good to bring up here, and lo and behold, you were way ahead of me!

The reasoning I was going to bring up follows along with Howie's above, and a specific from page 180 that "You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally." Contrast that with the skinny on immediate actions shortly after (indicating they make be done out of turn) and the specific exemption for speaking and you've got the base I was going to work off of for disallowing dropping items or going prone out of turn (unless forced due to being knocked out / killed).

[RathJinx]

Verse wrote:

Heh, when I was visiting the site I recalled that we forgot to discuss this last night and thought in my head it would be good to bring up here, and lo and behold, you were way ahead of me!

The reasoning I was going to bring up follows along with Howie's above, and a specific from page 180 that "You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally." Contrast that with the skinny on immediate actions shortly after (indicating they make be done out of turn) and the specific exemption for speaking and you've got the base I was going to work off of for disallowing dropping items or going prone out of turn (unless forced due to being knocked out / killed).

I figure anyone should be able to drop prone as a free action at any point during anyone's turn (perhaps an immediate action) before an attack roll has been made against them. (once an attack is made however your reaction time isn't good enough to judge whether or not dropping prone will allow you to dodge the attack) You have plenty of time in which to drop prone during anyone else's turn. Especially if you can see them take a move action to draw a bow or to move into position. If a player makes a habit of doing this I would have them roll perception or sense motive. If you do this, your dm might have monsters start doing this too though.

Core Rulebook: Free Actions wrote:

Free actions don't take any time at all, though there may be limits to the number of free actions you can perform in a turn. Free actions rarely incur attacks of opportunity. Some common free actions are described below.

[Oladon]

RathJinx wrote:

Verse wrote:

Heh, when I was visiting the site I recalled that we forgot to discuss this last night and thought in my head it would be good to bring up here, and lo and behold, you were way ahead of me!

The reasoning I was going to bring up follows along with Howie's above, and a specific from page 180 that "You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally." Contrast that with the skinny on immediate actions shortly after (indicating they make be done out of turn) and the specific exemption for speaking and you've got the base I was going to work off of for disallowing dropping items or going prone out of turn (unless forced due to being knocked out / killed).

I figure anyone should be able to drop prone as a free action at any point during anyone's turn (perhaps an immediate action) before an attack roll has been made against them. (once an attack is made however your reaction time isn't good enough to judge whether or not dropping prone will allow you to dodge the attack) You have plenty of time in which to drop prone during anyone else's turn. Especially if you can see them take a move action to draw a bow or to move into position. If a player makes a habit of doing this I would have them roll perception or sense motive. If you do this, your dm might have monsters start doing this too though.

Core Rulebook: Free Actions wrote:

Free actions don't take any time at all, though there may be limits to the number of free actions you can perform in a turn. Free actions rarely incur attacks of opportunity. Some common free actions are described below.

You realize you're responding to a post that's over two years old, right?

[Michael Sayre]

What's up with the sudden round of thread necros lately?

[Speaker for the Dead]

Has'Kar wrote:

Does going prone provoke AoO?

Possibly, if your opponent has the Vicious Stomp feat

[LazarX]

Michael Brock wrote:

Page 188 core.

Drop Prone. Dropping to a prone position in your space is a free action.

If a character is hit at the beginning of a round before his turn ( for instance a surprise round), is he able to drop prone as a free action?

What you're asking about would not be a free action but an immediate action. You'd need a feat or quality that would let you drop prone as an immediate action. (which would use up your next turn's swift action.)

[Oladon]

Ssalarn wrote:

What's up with the sudden round of thread necros lately?

I suspect it has to do with the current bug wherein the forums sometimes load older pages instead of the newest... but that's still no excuse.

[Ruggs]

Oladon wrote:

Ssalarn wrote:

What's up with the sudden round of thread necros lately?

I suspect it has to do with the current bug wherein the forums sometimes load older pages instead of the newest... but that's still no excuse.

I've my fingers crossed that it's use of the search feature.

[RathJinx]

Ruggs wrote:

Oladon wrote:

Ssalarn wrote:

What's up with the sudden round of thread necros lately?

I suspect it has to do with the current bug wherein the forums sometimes load older pages instead of the newest... but that's still no excuse.

I've my fingers crossed that it's use of the search feature.

I looked it up specifically because I wanted to know. Next time I'll look at the date, though I don't feel they answered the question fully anyways.

[stuart haffenden]

You get flamed for not using the search option, and now you're getting comments because you did...

[Speaker for the Dead]

What difference does it make how old the post is? If someone has a question shouldn't they ask it? Personally I'm happy to see someone take the time to search through the old posts rather than ask questions that have already been beaten to death.

[Gauss]

Speaking for the deceased Thread now Ender? :)

- Gauss

[HangarFlying]

This is what the spell raise thread is for.

[Xaratherus]

Gauss wrote:

Speaking for the deceased Thread now Ender? :)

- Gauss

Asa Butterfield plays Pathfinder? :)

[Gauss]

Xaratherus, until I see how well the movie is made I will not accept it as an acceptable Ender's Game substitute for the book. :P

- Gauss

[Speaker for the Dead]

Gauss wrote:

Speaking for the deceased Thread now Ender? :)

- Gauss

Yes. Yes I am. :-)