Exchanging spots in combat

[GoldEdition42]

Let's assume no teamwork feats of any kind and that all involved are Medium size.

So my front line fighter, in a 5 foot wide tunnel, is in combat and getting beaten to death. He wants to let the paladin behind him to trade spots and the paladin agrees.

Is there any Attack of Opportunity on either of them from the single enemy (say he has combat reflexes).

Thanks!

[Sonea Evareska]

Other than using feats or abilities this is how it could be done.

Paladin delays actions until fighter's turn
Fighter makes a withdraw action to leave the square without taking AOO (cant 5 foot step because paladin is in the way, and hard corners)
Paladin comes out of delay and steps up to plug the hole. No AOO for him too.
This assumes the mobs dont have reach

You could also just have the melee stay at the tunnel entrance so you have 3 people making attacks against 1 mob

[Grovestrider]

I guess my question is, if the paladin were adjacent to you, could it ready an action to take a five-foot step forward when the fighter takes a five-foot step back? If the paladin can, then I would assume that the fighter can safely withdraw allowing the paladin to hold the line.

[Sonea Evareska]

Yes you can have the paladin ready a move action to step in after the fighter leaves from what i can see with the rules.

[kinevon]

If the Fighter takes a 5' step back, he won't provoke, but he would be unable to move any farther in that turn, as he took a 5' step.

And, as mentioned above, while a Ready would work, especially a "5' step when the Fighter leaves the line, then attack the enemy.", it could also be done by the Paladin Delaying, as long as none of the enemies has a Ready to step up, as well.

If both the Pally and an enemy have Readies for when the Fighter leaves an opening, things can get ugly.

And there is a non-Teamwork feat that could do what you really want, which allows someone to trade places with someone else who is willing. Only the active character would need the feat, since it isn't a teamwork feat. Friendly Switch, from Seekers of Secrets.

[Byakko]

While the rules don't really cover it, a kind GM may also allow the paladin to use the reposition combat maneuver to move the fighter into his square and then step forward.
The paladin could also try to move the fighter behind him with the reposition maneuver, but again, afaik the rules are silent on determining how much you can beat the CMD of a willing target.

[TriOmegaZero]

Something to make it even easier on you is Friendly Switch.

[Sonea Evareska]

Thanks. Thats good to know, wish I could spare the feat for it though :(