Does the feat step up and attack allow a person with the step up and attack feat to attack a person using the burst of speed spell. I ruled no, but said I would get a second opinion for later use.
What book is that spell in?
If you got to use Step Up and Strike because of an AoO I would say no, but that feat has nothing to do with an AoO. You are not really making an AoO. The feat allows you to burn an AoO attempt to get a free attack.
Step Up and Strike doesn't have anything to do with casting a spell; it's about a foe trying to take a five-foot step away from you and you getting to hit the foe in response.
So if a magus tries to five-foot step away to cast Burst of Speed, the fighter will get to step up and attack him before the spell even casts. Then, if the fighter has Combat Reflexes, he'll get an AoO on the magus as he casts.
I'm guessing you refer to the fact that the burst of speed spell (Ultimate Combat) says your movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunities, while the "Step Up and Strike" feat says its attack counts as "one of your attacks of opportunity this round".
Since the attack from "Step Up and Strike" isn't the result of a provoked AoO, it can still be used even if the opponent has the benefits of the burst of speed spell.
Step Up and Strike doesn't have anything to do with casting a spell; it's about a foe trying to take a five-foot step away from you and you getting to hit the foe in response.
So if a magus tries to five-foot step away to cast Burst of Speed, the fighter will get to step up and attack him before the spell even casts. Then, if the fighter has Combat Reflexes, he'll get an AoO on the magus as he casts.
I'm not talking about casting the spell (which is a swifting action). I am talking about the movement after the spell is already cast.
Hmm, that's a hard one but I'm thinking no as well because if you took more than a 5 foot step, step up wouldn't trigger, so neither would following step and step up and strike.
Step Up
Burst of speed from Ultimate Combat.
I have to disagree with your initial ruling. Burst of speed overrides a general rule that moving from threatened square provokes attacks of opportunity. However, Step Up And Strike feat is not regular attack of opportunity - it is immediate action* triggred by 5-ft. step taken by opponent (as described in Step Up feat) that allows taking a 5 or 10-ft step and also allows making single melee attack at the expense of one attack of opportunity for that turn.
*
I agree that Burst of Speed wouldn't help in this case -- but, practically speaking, I also don't understand why the spell would ever be used in this way. Burst of Speed is almost always going to be used with either a run or a charge action.
Yes, I also find it difficult to believe that someone would cast burst of speed and then make a 5-ft step rather than a regular move, since the spell provides no practical benefits in that case.
If someone is using burst of speed I would think they will be moving more than a 5 foot step, so step up shouldn't trigger. But if for whatever reason you use burst of speed and only take a 5 foot step then yes step up, following step, and step up and strike would trigger and activate.
The NPC in this case was moving 50 feet.
So, move 5 feet fighter gets to step up and attack, move more than five feet the fighter does not get to attack.
Thanks alot, really appreciate the rules clarification.
The NPC in this case was moving 50 feet.
So, move 5 feet fighter gets to step up and attack, move more than five feet the fighter does not get to attack.
It's quite specific occurance - Step Up feats chain represents training to react to specific stimuli - opponent that does not move away but backs off defensively (5-ft. step) which is safe mode normally. On the other hand anyone can attack those who break off from melee exposing their back (attack of opportunity), however, with burst of speed the opponent leaves the melee too fast to leave the opening for AoO. And Step Up And Strike is not cut for dealing with it either.
The NPC in this case was moving 50 feet.
So, move 5 feet fighter gets to step up and attack, move more than five feet the fighter does not get to attack.
Thanks alot, really appreciate the rules clarification.
On the surface, this seems to settle things.
But it brings to mind an additional question: Could the character in question move five feet away, and avoid the Step Up? Moving 5 feet is not always the same thing as a five-foot step. In difficult terrain, this would certainly be the case. But what about in normal terrain? Step Up only triggers on a five-foot step. What I'd then be unsure about is being able to declare "I'm moving 5 feet" vs. "I'm taking a five-foot step." Generally, the five-foot step is more beneficial to the person moving, but in this case, it isn't.
You can always use your move action to move, even if you only use it to move five feet. There's a clear difference between declaring a move as a move action, and declaring a five-foot step.
If a person moves 15 feet or more can he be follwed with Step Up and Strike and be attacked?
If a person moves 15 feet or more can he be follwed with Step Up and Strike and be attacked?
No. Step Up, Following Step, and Step Up and Strike only function if the opponent makes the specific action of taking a 5-foot step (and an opponent who takes a 5-foot step can't move further that round). They don't function against any regular form of movement, no matter how far the opponent moves during that movement.