Large creatures and attacks of opportunity


Rules Questions


How does the movement of creatures that are larger than a single 5' square provoke attacks of opportunity?

PRD wrote:
Moving: Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening opponents. There are two common methods of avoiding such an attack—the 5-foot step and the withdraw action.

At our game tonight, I was introduced to a different way of interpreting this sentence as it pertains to creatures that occupy more than one space.

If a large creature is standing next to a medium creature in such a way that only one square of the large creature is threatened:
|_|_|_|
|_|_|M|
|L|L|_|
|L|L|_|

and then moves 10' north

|_|_|_|
|L|L|M|
|L|L|_|
|_|_|_|

|L|L|_|
|L|L|M|
|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|

at which point of that movement does it "move out of a threatened square"? After the first 5' of movement, the creature, as a whole has not left the threatened square. After 10' of movement, it definitely has. I'd always assumed that it would provoke after the first 5' of the movement, and I think that some other rules are written in such a way as to imply that this is what is intended. Our GM believes that until the entire creature leaves the threatened square it doesn't provoke. This has significant implications when fighting large creatures (and they get more significant the larger the enemy is) - especially for the player at our table who will find that Stand Still will be nigh-useless in this case.

I honestly don't know which is the way that the rules are intended to be read.


Image 2 would just have been a 5 foot step. Image 3 I'd say provoked as both the top right and bottom right moved out of a threatened square.


1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.

Image 2 is a transitional position during the 10' move, not a distinct action. Really, one could assume that this is as part of a larger movement, and that the first image isn't the starting position, just the point at which it first enters a threatened square.

The best way I can think to phrase my question is "Does a Large+ creature move out of a threatened square as soon as part of it passes through that square, or only when the entire creature vacates that square?"


its part otherwise it would screw a lot of things up. The intent is if you move more than 5 feet (5 foot step) you provoke.

Grand Lodge

It's an interesting point that from the first to second image, creature L has not left any square that M threatens.

From the second image to the third, it does, and if that was its first 5 feet of movement it would definitely provoke from M, as it would if it moved away diagonally to the southwest.

The practical effect of this ruling seems limited, unless it matters in which square the Large creature takes enough damage to drop.


The RAI is almost certainly "using/continuing a Move Action while being threatened in melee"

RAW, I concede this is somewhat ambiguous as Large creatures can move while continuing to occupy the space in question.

However, I want to nitpick one of your(seeming) assumptions.
While the 10ft move you detailed should be considered to provoke from the initially threaten square, the opponent may delay his AoO and attack at any position he threatens during that Move Action (provided it is a square that was actually moved through, not just into). This is best adjudicated 1 square at a time.

Liberty's Edge

Actually it matter a lot. Let's say I am charged by a large quadruped.
It has no reach while I have a reach weapon.

Creature Size Space Natural Reach*
Large (long) 10 ft. 5 ft.

With the normal interpretation of the rules I get a AoO before before it attack me, with this interpretation I don't get it.


That is a fascinating point. I have always assumed that moving in someone else's threatened space provoked, but I can see a case for interpreting it as not provoking if you're large and there is no threatened square which you were previously in during your move, and are not in now.

Note that even moving only 5' will provoke if it is not A Five Foot Step. Say, moving 5' on difficult terrain.


Yeah, there's a lot of implications like that, pretty much all of which will empower large creatures. (That example is a particularly good one. Charging riders would have nothing to feat from a pike wall.)


Any part of a large creature (i.e. the northeastern leg) leaving a threatened square qualifies for purposes of AOOs.


Rules are pretty clear: if you move within our outside from a threatened square, you provoke. This is the same of "If you leave from a threatened square, you provoke", aside the 5 ft step. If you're large and you move out of a threatened square of a medium creature, you provoke, and the aoo come in the first square you left.


Yes how we play is:

If you only move 5ft total: No AOO

If you move 10ft, you provoke at the initial movement if it's a threatened square.

So, in this case if the monster moves 10ft, his first 5ft movement provoked.


This was a good article that addressed this issue if you want a nice house-rule option. Skip the part about flanking and get to the 5' step commentary on different sized creatures.


Stand Still wrote:
When a foe provokes an attack of opportunity due to moving through your adjacent squares, you can make a combat maneuver check as your attack of opportunity.

If in a position where the large creature can take a 5' step (not difficult terrain, etc) and that is the only movement made, then going between image1 and image2 would not provoke.

However, if the large creature is not taking a 5' step, then it provokes as soon as it starts its movement. For the purposes of Stand Still, I believe that a successful check would keep the large creature in its original position from image1.

Quote:
If an attack of opportunity is provoked, immediately resolve the attack of opportunity, then continue with the next character's turn (or complete the current turn

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