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Been looking for an answer for this scenario for a bit now. As the title suggests, it involves the interaction between the step up feat and crawling while prone.
Assume a PC and enemy NPC are fighting in melee combat and are adjacent, and the enemy NPC attempts to move action away. The PC, instead of taking a standard AoO, opts for a trip attempt, and succeeds. The enemy NPC is now prone on the ground after wasting the move action, and uses a second move in an effort to crawl away. Would step-up apply?
Since it takes a move action to crawl 5 feet while prone, it seems like Step-up would not apply here. However, it is still only 5 feet. I know this is a very niche case, but my DM is starting to catch on to my anti-caster tactics and I'd like to step up my game.
Step up would not apply as it specifically occurs when a five foot step is taken. Crawling five feet is not a "five foot step". That movement does not get any of the benefits of a five foot step not does it suffer any consequences (triggering step up).
While crawling your speed is effectively reduced to five feet.
Crawling: You can crawl 5 feet as a move action. Crawling incurs attacks of opportunity from any attackers who threaten you at any point of your crawl. A crawling character is considered prone and must take a move action to stand up, provoking an attack of opportunity.
If your speed is five feet or less you can not take a five foot step.
You can only take a 5-foot-step if your movement isn't hampered by difficult terrain or darkness. Any creature with a speed of 5 feet or less can't take a 5-foot step, since moving even 5 feet requires a move action for such a slow creature.