Ratfolk, Swarming, Allies & Squeezing

[Echoen]

I am currently playing as a ratfolk rogue, with the Swarming racial trait. I would like to take the Scurrying Swarmer combat feat, which allows me to enter the square of a willing ally, granting me the benefits of Swarming, but granting the ally no benefits.

However, this creates an issue with the Squeezing rules, and would inflict Squeezing penalties (-4 attacks, -4 AC) on my ally.

Combat - Terrain and Obstacles - Squeezing
In some cases, you may have to squeeze into or through an
area that isn’t as wide as the space you take up. You can
squeeze through or into a space that is at least half as wide
as your normal space. Each move into or through a narrow
space counts as if it were 2 squares, and while squeezed in
a narrow space, you take a –4 penalty on attack rolls and
a –4 penalty to AC.

When a Large creature (which normally takes up 4 squares)
squeezes into a space that’s 1 square wide, the creature’s
miniature figure occupies 2 squares, centered on the line
between the 2 squares. For a bigger creature, center the
creature likewise in the area it squeezes into.

A creature can squeeze past a creature while moving but
it can’t end its movement in an occupied square.

To squeeze through or into a space less than half your
space’s width, you must use the Escape Artist skill. You can’t
attack while using Escape Artist to squeeze through or into a
narrow space, you take a –4 penalty to AC, and you lose any
Dexterity bonus to AC.

My request for advice is thus: Must feats like Scurrying Swarmer specifically say that the ally I swarm with does not suffer any penalties in order to avoid suffering Squeezing penalties? Or the flipside, if I can find a way to swarm in an enemy's square, will that enemy also suffer Squeezing penalties?

Alternatively, is Squeezing limited to *only* terrain and creatures cannot inflict Squeezing penalties on another creature?

[Sarah_Kerrigen]

> A creature can squeeze past a creature while moving but
> it can’t end its movement in an occupied square.

It says that a creature can 'squeeze' past, and if it is occupied they cannot stay there.

If feats like Scurrying Swarmer change the ability to stay in that square then it would be this section that did apply.

There are references that do make note of creatures being obstacles, like the "Paralyzed" condition, like the operation and definition of "Crowds" as being just common everyday coming and going and not just a huddle of masses, like 'Charge' combat option, and the 'Burst Through' text in Champion class ability.

[MrCharisma]

RATFOLK

SCURRYING SWARMER

TERRAIN AND OBSTACLES

From what I can see there nothing says you're squeezing while using the Swarming racial trait. The squeezing rules say you can squeeze past someone but can't remain in their square. However that's pretty much identical to how movement works while not squeezing (you're not supposed to share squares), so you could infer that entering their square is squeezing (honestly that makes sense to me and apparently that' how you read it as well).

If you are squeezing then I see nothing that changes this for your ally, sorry.

You could invest in a wand of SQUEEZE, or try a Sping Attack build or something, but otherwise your allies probably won't like this.