Dimensional step and AoO

[Franc Crosses]

Does a dimensional step provoke any attack of opportunity?

From the rules:

Dimensional Steps (Sp)

At 8th level, you can use this ability to teleport up to 30 feet per wizard level per day as a standard action. This teleportation must be used in 5-foot increments and such movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You can bring other willing creatures with you, but you must expend an equal amount of distance for each additional creature brought with you.

However using a SP does provoke an AoO...

What is the movement that doesn't provoke an AoO referred in the description?

[Zaister]

The movement itself does not provoke attacks of opportunity – because it's not actually movement, but teleportation. Concentrating to activate the spell-like ability does.

[Franc Crosses]

Zaister wrote:

The movement itself does not provoke attacks of opportunity – because it's not actually movement, but teleportation. Concentrating to activate the spell-like ability does.

Ok, but what is the need to specify that? In all other teleportation spells/effects it is not specify that "teleportating away" doesn't provoke an AoO...

[Zaister]

Probably because of the description that the teleportation uses 5-foot increments, which might imply a path of movement, which other teleportation effects don't, and which might lead people to believe it could provoke attacks of opportunity. It's just a clarification.

[andreww]

The playtest version required you to actually move 5' before the teleportation. That seems to have been removed but the language dealing with it hasn't.

[wraithstrike]

Franc Crosses wrote:

Zaister wrote:

The movement itself does not provoke attacks of opportunity – because it's not actually movement, but teleportation. Concentrating to activate the spell-like ability does.

Ok, but what is the need to specify that? In all other teleportation spells/effects it is not specify that "teleportating away" doesn't provoke an AoO...

Teleportation is not a form of movement(locomotion). Movements that have a move speed such as flying or swimming would provoke an AoO. With teleportation you just vanish and appear somewhere else.

[Under A Bleeding Sun]

Zaister wrote:

The movement itself does not provoke attacks of opportunity – because it's not actually movement, but teleportation. Concentrating to activate the spell-like ability does.

This is actually a supernatural ability, so no it does not provoke at all. With Dimensional agility you can pull off some really cool tricks with this, and its great to increase caster survivability.

[Gauss]

Under A Bleeding Sun, you may want to check again, it is a spell-like ability (sp) and thus provokes.

[wraithstrike]

Under a Bleeding Son was likely thinking about "Shift" the from the wizard subschool that has it.

[Create Mr. Pitt]

Yes, Shift is a (SU), it does not provoke attacks of opportunity. I believe Dimensional Steps is a bit less clear. The line, "such movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity" is just a poorly written line. It is unnecessary, all teleportation-type movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity. I believe the most reasonable way to read it is that the use of dimensional steps, despite being an (SP), does not provoke attacks of opportunity; the movement itself is the teleportation and it is unnecessary to specify the lack of need for an attack of opportunity unless it refers to the entire process. I admit there is some clear ambiguity here. I don't feel like searching now, but at some point I will look to see if there's been an FAQ on this point, because I think it would be appropriate here.

[Under A Bleeding Sun]

wraithstrike wrote:

Under a Bleeding Son was likely thinking about "Shift" the from the wizard subschool that has it.

Jumped the gun, yeah Shift! Thats what I rock, very useful. My bad!

[Gauss]

Yeah, I love Shift. It is great for delivering touch spells (cast, walk up, touch, shift away).