Flanking, Partial

[Shain Edge]

Normal flanking is that you must be on exact opposite sides of an enemy to grant them flat-Footed status. A third party can not take advantage of it.

Home Brew consideration-
If three or more creatures threaten an enemy, and at least one of those threats is on the opposite half of the enemy, they get a minimum of Partial Flanking status on the enemy creature.

The reason for this is this. Once you have people on near opposite angles from you, any more attackers then that will degrade your ability to defend against them.

Partial Flanking is a -1 AC on the threatened individual, not stackable with the Flanked Status.

Example- ( O=Empty Space, E=Enemy, #=Threatening Creatures )

A__ B__ C__ D__
O1O 123 O1O 12O
OEO OEO OE2 OE3
2O3 OOO O3O OOO

A. In this case 1,2 & 3 get partial flanking
B. No flanking benefits.
C. 1 & 3 are flanking E. 2 gets Partial Flanking
D. Because 1 and 3 are on opposite halves (diagonally split) 1,2 & 3 all get Partial Flanking benefits.

[Captain Morgan]

You're lowering the value of feats like gang up with that, though that might be fine with you.

[AlastarOG]

I allow flanking from a 45 degree angle as a house rule.
So in this scenario

X
XYX
X

All X PC's would get flanking on y monster.

Players like this but this is often more to the advantage of the monsters, as they often outnumber PC's.

[Shain Edge]

Captain Morgan wrote:

You're lowering the value of feats like gang up with that, though that might be fine with you.

I did reduce the value of those who do not have a 180 degree flank.

[The Gleeful Grognard]

Captain Morgan wrote:

You're lowering the value of feats like gang up with that, though that might be fine with you.

The main benefit of gang up is flat-footed rather than just the -2ac flat footed provides though.

[Themetricsystem]

Just a warning echoing AlastarOG: Your party of adventurers are going to be on the receiving end of this houserule far more often than the party will be able to take advantage of this unless you decide this is a ruling that only the party can take advantage of and it WILL make a big difference in the kind of chip damage that encounters which have a large number of goons will deal.

Encounters, where the party is outnumbered, are way more common than situations in which the party is fighting an even or lesser number of opponents.

This also has a slight benefit in that it makes summoning more useful too as you have way more flexibility in terms of summon placement.

[AlastarOG]

Themetricsystem wrote:

Just a warning echoing AlastarOG: Your party of adventurers are going to be on the receiving end of this houserule far more often than the party will be able to take advantage of this unless you decide this is a ruling that only the party can take advantage of and it WILL make a big difference in the kind of chip damage that encounters which have a large number of goons will deal.

Encounters, where the party is outnumbered, are way more common than situations in which the party is fighting an even or lesser number of opponents.

This also has a slight benefit in that it makes summoning more useful too as you have way more flexibility in terms of summon placement.

I am aware and list those factors to my players, they often choose to go with it because it enables them more placement.

Most of my houserules are voted before campaign begins :-)