So I was asking a question about riptide, hydraulic maneuvers and ranged combat maneuvers when I realized I kind of hit an unintentional snag.
The Drag maneuvers states:
If your attack is successful, both you and your target are moved 5 feet back, with your opponent occupying your original space and you in the space behind that in a straight line. For every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD, you can drag the target back an additional 5 feet. You must be able to move with the target to perform this maneuver. If you do not have enough movement, the drag goes to the maximum amount of movement available to you and ends.
An enemy being moved by a drag does not provoke an attack of opportunity because of the movement unless you possess the Greater Drag feat. You cannot move a creature into a square that is occupied by a solid object or obstacle. If there is another creature in the way of your movement, the drag ends adjacent to that creature.
So while performing the maneuver, you have to MOVE WITH the target. Now the criteria for a 5ft step are...
You can take a 5-foot step before, during, or after your other actions in the round.
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.
You may not take a 5-foot step using a form of movement for which you do not have a listed speed.
1) Sooooo, it would appear that i cannot 5ft step up to the wizard that stepped away and drag the old man back into the party, because that 5ft step would seem to invalidate the movement that i need to make during the maneuver. Similarly, when you have been stationary, one could never ready a drag maneuver with a 5ft step.
Is this correct? It seems a bit off to me that this maneuver is so limited.
2) Further more, while we are on the subject of drag and movement, when moving up to a target using your move action, and then performing a drag on your target. Does it count you maximum movement as your speed for ONE move action, or a one move+surplus movement? EG: if a speed 20 dwarf walks 10 ft, and then exceeds the drag with 25 (like with true strike, or a tiny opponent), does he get to move the target 30 (20+10) ft, or only the 20 ft a single movement (standard action) allows?
3) And this movement, is it even considered voluntary? The maneuver description says that: If your attack is successful, both you and your target are moved 5 feet back, with your opponent occupying your original space and you in the space behind that in a straight line. and: You must be able to move with the target to perform this maneuver.
Could i read this as meaning that the movement BOTH you and your target make during the maneuver is considered forced movement and does not provoke from either your, or your victim's allies? It only states that need to be able to move with (so not be hindered in movement like stuck to the ground, entangled, or barred by terrain that is impassable only for you)
If we consider it forced movement with a distance cap of your available speed, wouldn't this circumvent the 5ft step restriction? (because technically you would not be moving, but are BEING moved)
And lastly 4).
I'ts completely legit for anything that can fly and hover, to drag something into the air right? Like an large air elemental dragging the gnome mesmerist onto a ledge, 20 ft into the air, or even 15 off the edge of a 100ft cliff. Provided you have the lift capacity ofc.