Stalker Talent Up Close and Personal, timing questions

[ShieldLawrence]

Up Close and Personal is very strong, as you get an automatic Hidden Strike in regardless. I do have a question about the timing...

"WHEN you ATTEMPT an Acrobatics check to move through an opponent’s space during a move action, he can make a single melee attack against that opponent as a SWIFT ACTION."

Does this mean that I can trigger my own attack before the Atack of Opportunity is triggered? Can I roll the acrobatics d20 and attack d20 simultaneously? Some supporting text from the CRB combat section:

"You can take a swift action anytime you would normally be allowed to take a free action."

"You can perform one of more free action WHILE performing another action normally."

(Emphasis mine all around.)

So I attempt my acrobatics as a move action, which triggers a swift action attack that I take during the move action. My attack strikes as the success or failure is determined and then I am hit by an attack of opportunity. Is this correct/legal?

[Mike Lindner]

It would be nice if the timing was more clearly defined. If I'm trying to move through the enemy's square to get a flank, can I take the swift action attack after I move into that square to get the flank bonus?

[Vrog Skyreaver]

It almost seems like instead of a swift action, it should be an immediate action.

[Mark Seifter]

It's during the attempt. Essentially, basically while you are on the move between the last not-them square and the first them-square. So on a success, if you have an inner cinematic world of the game (and I hope you do!) you can do something like stab the foe in the gut as you tumble under, and even on a failure, you take a swipe, but not in as awesome of a spot.

[ShieldLawrence]

So the swift action attack happens in the square before you actually move through them and happens before the attack of opportunity?

That would mean no acrobatics through into flank, but the possibility of dropping a foe before they retaliate with their AoO.

[Mark Seifter]

ShieldLawrence wrote:

So the swift action attack happens in the square before you actually move through them and happens before the attack of opportunity?

That would mean no acrobatics through into flank, but the possibility of dropping a foe before they retaliate with their AoO.

AoOs interrupt other actions, so it'll happen after the AoO, should you fail.

[ShieldLawrence]

Thank you sir!

[Vrog Skyreaver]

You could actually combine it with panther style (all three feats) and get something like the following:

1) I attempt to tumble through your square and fail.
2) You go to take your attack of opportunity on me
3) I panther strike you before your attack
4) you take a -2 penalty to hit me
5) I then take my attack from up close and personal, and return to the last square that I left when attempting to tumble through your square.

That means I've generated two attacks with one move action, followed by a 3rd attack as my standard, all at my highest bab.

[Trekkie90909]

Stalker could use an unarmed strike talent. I like spring attack, Circling Mongoose, and whirlwind, but they only marginally compliment the existing talents and a couple of the style feats would be better.