Press to the wall clarification

[Helmore]

Hi there, just to clarify, when using Press to the wall there can not be anyone threatening the creature. Does this also include creatures threatening the target who are not allies with you? I'm considering this feat and just want to make sure I fully understand it. Thanks in advance.

[zza ni]

"If you are the only character threatening an opponent..."

it's very clear. to gain the benefit of this feat only the feat user can be the one threatening the target. not allies or 3rd party or even flying hornets (well those normally lack reach so no threat there).

the word 'character' show up both in pc (PLAYER CHARACTER) and npc (NON-PLAYER CHARACTER). don't fixate on it to mean only player's characters.

[Anguish]

Flanking
"When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by another enemy character or creature on its opposite border or opposite corner."

In this case, either a enemy character or creature qualifies.

Press to the Wall
"If you are the only character threatening an opponent, you can treat solid, immovable objects that occupy a square (such as columns, tree trunks, and walls) and are adjacent to that opponent as allies threatening the opponent when determining whether you flank the foe."

In this case, the text refers only to characters, not even enemy characters. RAW if the person you want to use Press to the Wall with has an ally of their own capable of making melee attacks on them, the feat doesn't work.

I'd say that's pretty clearly not RAI. It should at the very least specify enemy characters. So it's poorly edited. Which is grounds for you to discuss this with your DM.

[zza ni]

Anguish wrote:

Flanking

"When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by another enemy character or creature on its opposite border or opposite corner."

In this case, either a enemy character or creature qualifies.

Press to the Wall
"If you are the only character threatening an opponent, you can treat solid, immovable objects that occupy a square (such as columns, tree trunks, and walls) and are adjacent to that opponent as allies threatening the opponent when determining whether you flank the foe."

In this case, the text refers only to characters, not even enemy characters. RAW if the person you want to use Press to the Wall with has an ally of their own capable of making melee attacks on them, the feat doesn't work.

I'd say that's pretty clearly not RAI. It should at the very least specify enemy characters. So it's poorly edited. Which is grounds for you to discuss this with your DM.

you are mixing flanking and threatening. while to flank one must threaten. the other way around is not necessary. (for example you need to threat to make an aoo, but do not have to flank)

you can threaten without flanking. and anyone who threaten the target beside the feat user make it unusable.(even if they are not flanking. like standing side by side next to the target)

and as i mentioned above pC and npC are all Characters (player\non-player non-withstanding)

[Belafon]

If you want to be hyperliteral about it, the CRB never explicitly says that you aren't threatened by your allies.

If you want to be sane about it, the CRB only refers to being threatened in the context of "opponents."

So, if you're in a three-way fight (Teams A, B, and C) and you (Team A) want to use this feat against an opponent on Team B, they can't be threatened by someone from Team A OR Team C - both are opponents. If they are only next to someone else from team B, you can use Press to the Wall.

[zza ni]

right, I agree that allies are not meant to be threatened by each other (unless they are a halfling and a kobold..), so if an ally of the target is also at threatening distance it doesn't prevent use of this feat.

threatening (and flanking, aoo etc) is done by opponents. not allies or innocent bystanders.