"Pack Attack" Teamwork Feat: Ambiguous, Unusable?

[Purgatus233]

From Ultimate Combat:

"Benefit: When you are adjacent to an ally with this feat, the first time you melee attack an opponent, you can spend an immediate action to take a 5-foot step, even if you have otherwise moved this round.

Normal: You can take a 5-foot step only if you have not otherwise moved in a round."

So I can't tell if this feat is simply incredibly poorly written, or whether I am missing some critical portion of the rules which makes it clear.

The way I had read and played this feat is that if I was adjacent to an ally who also had this feat when I first attacked an opponent during a round, I was able to use an Immediate action to take a five foot step, in addition to my normal movement if any for that round. I also recognize that as an immediate action, I could take that five foot step out of my own round, for instance if I make an attack of opportunity.

Mostly though I was using this to make multiple five foot steps within a round (two) so that I could get into flanking positions against enemies, which fits the feat's flavor text "You are skilled at surrounding your enemies."

Now, my friend who is a GM read this description and is convinced that this only applies once per encounter, because it doesn't say "the first time each round" or else that it only applies the first time you attack a specific enemy, because it says "the first time you attack AN ENEMY."

I don't think either of those readings are reasonable, but he's the GM and I'm not going to argue with him about it. I just swapped out the feat for another.

But this feat is very flavorful and handy, and fits with my character very well. I would like to be able to use it, but sadly am unable given its ambiguous wording. Help.

[Cheapy]

It doesn't say once per encounter either. Technically, and with a smidge more strict reading than your friend, this feat will only be useful exactly once as once you've satisfied the conditions, your attacks will no longer be the first time.

Things don't default to once per encounter either. I agree that itcould use some better phrasing though.

[Weirdo]

I think your interpretation is correct - it's a pretty useless feat otherwise.

[Purgatus233]

Cheapy wrote:

It doesn't say once per encounter either. Technically, and with a smidge more strict reading than your friend, this feat will only be useful exactly once as once you've satisfied the conditions, your attacks will no longer be the first time.

Things don't default to once per encounter either. I agree that itcould use some better phrasing though.

Ahah! I love it. The "once per campaign" interpretation. :D

[Cheapy]

I do think that once per opponent (per encounter) is a reasonable interpretation though. It's still useful that way and it does represent how an pack would initiate an attack. But I'm not sure on the intent.

[Purgatus233]

Cheapy wrote:

I do think that once per opponent (per encounter) is a reasonable interpretation though. It's still useful that way and it does represent how an pack would initiate an attack. But I'm not sure on the intent.

I don't really think it's the correct read though. In this case saying "an opponent" is just general language that sounds more natural than "any opponent."

[Purgatus233]

So how does this get put in front of the developers for clarification? Or someone with the actual power to do something about it? There is an old thread on this forum asking the exact same questions and it was never answered or addressed.

[Grayfeather]

Purgatus233 wrote:

From Ultimate Combat:

Benefit: When you are adjacent to an ally with this feat, the first time you melee attack an opponent, you can spend an immediate action to take a 5-foot step, even if you have otherwise moved this round.

Normal:

Normal: You can take a 5-foot step only if you have not otherwise moved in a round.

So I can't tell if this feat is simply incredibly poorly written, or whether I am missing some critical portion of the rules which makes it clear.

The way I had read and played this feat is that if I was adjacent to an ally who also had this feat when I first attacked an opponent during a round, I was able to use an Immediate action to take a five foot step, in addition to my normal movement if any for that round. I also recognize that as an immediate action, I could take that five foot step out of my own round, for instance if I make an attack of opportunity.

Mostly though I was using this to make multiple five foot steps within a round (two) so that I could get into flanking positions against enemies, which fits the feat's flavor text "You are skilled at surrounding your enemies."

Now, my friend who is a GM read this description and is convinced that this only applies once per encounter, because it doesn't say "the first time each round" or else that it only applies the first time you attack a specific enemy, because it says "the first time you attack AN ENEMY."

I don't think either of those readings are reasonable, but he's the GM and I'm not going to argue with him about it. I just swapped out the feat for another.

But this feat is very flavorful and handy, and fits with my character very well. I would like to be able to use it, but sadly am unable given its ambiguous wording. Help.

Its actually a pretty good NPC monster feat for custom creatures that attack in packs.

[Oladon]

Purgatus233 wrote:

So how does this get put in front of the developers for clarification? Or someone with the actual power to do something about it? There is an old thread on this forum asking the exact same questions and it was never answered or addressed.

See the "FAQ" button on the upper-right of the OP? Click that.

[bodhranist]

It gets put in front of the developers by a bunch of people clicking the FAQ button at the top right of the first message. For what it's worth, I also would use the 'once per round' interpretation.

[Cheapy]

Yep, just click the FAQ button.

Keep in mind that it'll take a while for the devs to get to this, if they do, so don't expect anything near immediate results. One of my FAQ'd posts was around for just under a year before it got answered.

[Purgatus233]

Cheapy wrote:

Yep, just click the FAQ button.

Keep in mind that it'll take a while for the devs to get to this, if they do, so don't expect anything near immediate results. One of my FAQ'd posts was around for just under a year before it got answered.

Thanks!

[Grelmsh]

claims to be answered in FAQ but I'm not finding it in the ultimate combat FAQ. where else should i be looking?

[WhiteDrag0n]

I too am having trouble finding where this question was answered.

[James Krolak]

I can't find it, either, in the FAQ. Here's another thread about this question where you can click the FAQ link, though:

Pack Attack Feat - Ultimate Combat