Acrobatics, Difficult Terrain and AoO

[Vakil Smallen]

So, making an Acrobatics check allows one to move past a foe without attracting an AoO, with one caveat:

"You cannot use Acrobatics to move past foes if your speed is reduced due to carrying a medium or heavy load or wearing medium or heavy armor."

One of my players is in difficult terrain and threatened and wants to move squares. However, the Core Rulebook says:

"Move 5 Feet through Difficult Terrain
In some situations, your movement may be so hampered
that you don’t have sufficient speed even to move 5 feet (a
single square). In such a case, you may spend a full-round
action to move 5 feet (1 square) in any direction, even
diagonally. Even though this looks like a 5-foot step, it’s
not, and thus it provokes attacks of opportunity normally."

He is knee-deep in a pool inside a cave complex, the floor is slightly slick. After posting a question earlier on this messageboard, I determined that counted as difficult terrain. However, the above paragraph says "in some situations..."

So, I have two questions: 1) It it ONLY the speed reduction caused by armor that negates that ability, or any speed reduction? 2) Would this be considered difficult 'enough' to hamper a player's movement to the degree that he attracts an AoO?

[Chemlak]

1) Yes, only armour or load prevents moving past foes using acrobatics and avoiding AoOs.

2) Lots of possible answers. However, let's take the worst-case: a gnome with medium encumbrance (speed 15').

If the GM determines that "knee deep in water" is one level of difficult terrain and that "slightly slick flooring" is another, the character must expend 4 squares of movement to move one square. Our gnome doesn't have 4 squares of movement, so must use a full round action to move even 5'. He can still choose to use acrobatics to avoid any AoOs he might provoke while doing so.

The next-worst case is an unencumbered halfling (speed 20').

Using a move action on a double-difficult terrain, he can move 5'. Using his standard action to move again, he can move another 5'. Both of these are move actions that provoke AoOs. If he uses acrobatics to avoid AoOs, he can only move 5' as a full round action, since his movement rate is halved doing so.

An elf with movement 30' is down to speed 5' in double-difficult terrain, and is in exactly the same boat as the halfling.

Normally, though, "slightly slick flooring" would simply add +2 to the acrobatics DC.

In that case, our gnome is still in potential trouble. His movement of 5' (7.5' rounded down) in difficult terrain will provoke AoOs, and to use acrobatics he would halve his movement again, forcing him afoul of the full-round action to move 5' rule.

Our halfling is a little better off (but not much), in that he can use acrobatics as a move action through difficult terrain to move 5' as a move action without provoking AoOs.

The character in the best situation (other than a high-level monk), would be a barbarian (let's use a half-Orc). With his movement rate of 40', double-difficult terrain plus acrobatics still let's him use a move action to move 5'. If it's not double-difficult, then he can move 10' per move action with acrobatics.

[Skylancer4]

Chemlak wrote:

1) Yes, only armour or load prevents moving past foes using acrobatics and avoiding AoOs.

2) Lots of possible answers. However, let's take the worst-case: a gnome with medium encumbrance (speed 15').

If the GM determines that "knee deep in water" is one level of difficult terrain and that "slightly slick flooring" is another, the character must expend 4 squares of movement to move one square. Our gnome doesn't have 4 squares of movement, so must use a full round action to move even 5'. He can still choose to use acrobatics to avoid any AoOs he might provoke while doing so.

I'm pretty sure you just got done saying he couldn't do that ;)

[Chemlak]

Curses! My one folly! Not thinking examples through before I write huge paragraphs of text about them!

Okay, substitute "slowed to 15' speed by some unspecified effect" in the gnome example. Everything else stands.

[EvilMinion]

If movement is so hampered that you can't 5' step, and you just want to move... use the Withdraw action. Avoid the AOO issue entirely.

Quote:

An elf with movement 30' is down to speed 5' in double-difficult terrain, and is in exactly the same boat as the halfling.

Wait... they're in a boat now? Those have their own movement rates! =)

[Chemlak]

Curses! My one folly! Using colloquialisms when there's a chance someone can make a joke out of them!