attacking a withdrawing opponent without ranged attack?

[Don Saint -GM]

Hi, I have a question that may seem rather stupid (?)

Suppose an opponent has higher initiative and withdraws and you can't do a charge, how can you ever hit him if you can't reach him with a single move and you don't have a ranged attack? (his speed not being faster than yours)

Could he just continue to withdraw without that you ever get a chance to hit? If your speed is 30ft and he has 20ft, you still lack 5ft to hit after a single move without reach weapon.

[Aeshuura]

Yes he can. However, that is when the GM would turn it into a chase! ;) Remember, these withdraw rules are here for you as well.

EDIT - Remember, withdraw only provides protection against AoOs in the first square that target leaves. With tactics, you can force the target to pass through multiple threatened squares, provoking at least one attack.

[Jay the Madman]

This may not be real helpful.

There is a barbarian Rage Power called No Escape. It allows you to make a double move when an adjacent opponent withdraws, so long as you can end your double move adjacent to that enemy.

My barbarian has used this to great effect, running down enemies that try to flee. Our GM has also used his rage power (and penchant for unintended suicide) to great effect. Luring him into traps. Just picture that scene in A New Hope when Han and Chewie chase down storm troopers, only to be led to a room filled with enemies.

[Mojorat]

You can run to him use the environment. It simply changes the type of challenge.

[Don Saint -GM]

Thanks for the replies. So I guess I do understand the basic mechanics correctly and so a human with a stick (and without special feats like 'no escape') may never be able to hit a dwarf inside a maze (unless using the chase rules?) without dead ends if that dwarf rolls higher on his initiative hmm..

I have the situation with a party chasing a skeletal champion with speed 20ft and since ranged attacks do little damage because of DR/bludgeoning, it can look rather silly. I actually came up with some house rules to turn combat more 'real time' overall and I decided to allow AOO while doing a double move running after someone as if your target is continuously leaving a threatened square..