Trample (EX) against a Swarm (Tiny): Does Swarm get Reflex Save for Half Damage?


Rules Questions


Trample (Ex)
As a full-round action, a creature with the trample ability can attempt to overrun any creature that is at least one size category Smaller than itself. This works just like the overrun combat maneuver, but the trampling creature does not need to make a check, it merely has to move over opponents in its path. Targets of a trample take an amount of damage equal to the trampling creature’s slam damage + 1-1/2 times its Str modifier. Targets of a trample can make an attack of opportunity, but at a –4 penalty. If targets forgo an attack of opportunity, they can attempt to avoid the trampling creature and receive a Reflex save to take half damage. The save DC against a creature’s trample attack is 10 + 1/2 the creature’s HD + the creature’s Str modifier (the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). A trampling creature can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.

Swarm Subtype:
Swarms do not threaten creatures, and do not make attacks of opportunity with their swarm attack. However, they distract foes whose squares they occupy.

To me this reads that the swarm can't make the reflex save because swarms do not have an AOO to replace.


Huh, never thought about it. I guess it'd be the same answer as whether a creature (without Combat Reflexes) who has already made their attack of opportunity for the round attempt to avoid a trampling foe, or whether a creature who is flat-footed, grappled, confused, or without a means of attack can do the same.


Swarms get their reflex same.

Just because your target cannot make an AoO does not remove their other options.


If I do not have a day job, in PFS... I can still check off items on my Faction Card that say: Forgo your day job to do XYZ

And it doesn't technically say they don't get AoO... it just says they can not make one with their swarm attack.

Would you allow a player's tiny-sized familiar to avoid a trampling creature?
It doesn't get AoO's either because it has 0 reach... but certainly can dodge out of the way.

Same could be said of said swarm.


Its the specific language that says If they forgo an attack of opportunity, then they can attempt to avoid trampling for half damage.
If you don't have an aoo, then you can't forgo it. That's why I posted.

On the other hand, it doesn't say that they don't have an aoo, just that their swarm attack can't be use to attack on an aoo.

Edit: If forgo is used in the sense of surrendering, then my interpretation might be right. But if is more in the sense of omit, then yeah they probably get a reflex.

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