I don't think the rules really address this one, but here goes:
Let's say someone is sitting in a chair. They aren't prone, but they aren't standing either.
What are the effects of sitting in a chair?
What kind of action is it to stand up from sitting in a chair?
I house ruled that you suffer the usual "prone" penalties when sitting in a chair, but could stand up as a five foot step.
I wonder if I should have ruled the other way -- fewer penalties, but the same move action to stand up.
What do you think?
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The effects of sitting or kneeling are listed in the Combat chapter and are essentially half those of being prone (-2 AC versus melee, -2 to melee attacks, +2 AC versus ranged). I don't think it's specified, but I've said that it's a free action to kneel or sit and a move action that provokes AoO to stand up from such.
Before anyone else mentions it, the effects and action economy of riding a mount are considerably different.
I'd agree with Starglim on most aspects, but realistically, I would say kneeling may not be a free action.
I know when I kneel, I'm far more careful than if I were to plop to the ground.
The effects of sitting or kneeling are listed in the Combat chapter and are essentially half those of being prone (-2 AC versus melee, -2 to melee attacks, +2 AC versus ranged). I don't think it's specified, but I've said that it's a free action to kneel or sit and a move action that provokes AoO to stand up from such.
Before anyone else mentions it, the effects and action economy of riding a mount are considerably different.
Sounds good to me, except I'm not sure that standing up from a chair should necessarily consume a whole move action. A player should be able to stand up from a chair and still be able to move at least half their movement speed as the same move action, in my opinion. Either way, any player should be able to reduce standing up from sitting or kneeling to a swift action with an acrobatics check (maybe DC 5 or 10). I'm also not sure dropping to your knees or butt should be a free action, but I guess that depends on the situation.
Per Kayerloth's comment, one might think that aging effects should apply here, but they don't affect things like movement speed or any other actions, so even a venerable adventurer can be expected to be reasonably fit. They do take penalties to physical stats though, so an acrobatics check to stand up in one swift motion would naturally be more difficult for an older character.
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The effects of sitting or kneeling are listed in the Combat chapter and are essentially half those of being prone (-2 AC versus melee, -2 to melee attacks, +2 AC versus ranged). I don't think it's specified, but I've said that it's a free action to kneel or sit and a move action that provokes AoO to stand up from such.
Now that I look at it, I don't see any modifier to attack rolls for kneeling or sitting. It probably should penalise melee attacks though, maybe as much as being prone does, since taking a swing or thrust from such a position seems very awkward.
I ruled that there is no "cost" to standing up from a kneeling position. Yes, it is harder than just walking, but most able bodied individuals (which all our characters usually are) can keep their balance and begin their momentum form a kneeling or sitting position with very little effort.
I think we all agree that the cost would be less than a move action as that is the cost for standing from prone. Swift and Free actions are our only other choices. As such, I just figured a free action was the only logical choice.