Saving Shield Question

[Driver 325 yards]

Quote:

Saving Shield (Combat)

You deflect attacks that could mean your ally’s death.

Prerequisite: Shield Proficiency.

Benefits: Whenever an adjacent ally is the target of an attack, you can, as an immediate action, grant that adjacent ally a +2 shield bonus to AC. You must be wielding a light shield, heavy shield, or tower shield to use this feat.

Three questions

1) It says "adjacent ally." Does this mean that the target must be in an adjacent square or just next to you. In other words, could two tiny creatures standing side by side, but in the same square, use this feat. Could a person use this on his mount while mounted and occupying the same square?

My thought is that adjacent would include those in an adjacent square or closer, but I could be wrong.

2) Does the person you are using this on have to be an ally? Maybe they are just assuming that you would not use it to help an enemy. I am thinking, however, that their or many categories, short of ally, that you might want to use this feat on. Maybe and innocent bystander that does not know you from Adam. Heck, in some rare instances, you may want to use it for an enemy.

3) When do you use this feat? Do you have to declare you are using it before the die roll is made for the attack? Obviously, the feat would be more useful if you could wait until after the attack roll is made.

[Tiehunter]

I would assume that the answer to 1 is what common sense says, but who knows. It's probably any ally that you can reach with a melee touch.
2 and 3 have clearer answers, For 2, you decide who your allies are, so you can use it on bystanders or enemies, if you really wanted to (say you wanted to make sure that someone you captured lives). For 3, you must declare using it when the "ally" is targeted, so it's before the attack roll (though DMs may be more lenient if they tend to give little to no notice for attacks).

[Driver 325 yards]

Thank you, and you do raise a point that I did not think of. Adjacent could mean anyone within reach.

[Hzardus]

Agree with tiehunter. According to the description its when they are targetted. Cause if they are already hit before damage is rolled, its kinda late to block for them. GM might wave it a bit if its to determine if the "ally" will actually die (unexpected crit on first attack of combat).