Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ravenshadow 02-14-06, 10:18 PM	In the following setup: A X B C Character A and Character B are flanking Monster X, and thus receive the +2 bonus to attacks and the capacity for sneak attack. What about Character C? Does C still receive the benefits of attacking a flanked opponent despite the fact that it is not providing flank itself?
Romanus_Mortus 02-14-06, 10:23 PM	In the following setup: A X B C Character A and Character B are flanking Monster X, and thus receive the +2 bonus to attacks and the capacity for sneak attack. What about Character C? Does C still receive the benefits of attacking a flanked opponent despite the fact that it is not providing flank itself? If a character is not flanking, it does not gain the flanking bonuses. In your example, assuming all medium creatures, C is not flanking. The PHB has two diagrams that very clearly illustrate how this works. It is worth noting that if the creature at X is large enough that you could draw a straight line from C to B and cross opposite sides of X's square, then A-B are flanking, as well as C-B.
tarkin 02-15-06, 11:04 AM	Flanking is something you do, it is not something that is done to you. Here, let me explain how flanking an AoO's work. When you use a melee weapon, you don't get one shot per attack. It is more like boxing. You put in several jabs, most of which are weak fake outs and only one of which is a real attack. These fake jabs are what threatening is. When you take an AoO, you were originally planning on just doing a fake jab, but the idiot is drinking a potion and can't see you very well, so you put some weight into it and convert it into a real blow. When you are flanking someone, you must be using a melee weapon and the person on the other side must be threatening them. That is, they must be doing these fake jabs. So what happens is, Person A waits till one of his possible attacks happens to occure at the EXACT same time that Person B was doing a fake attack. At that time, to prevent Person B from getting a free AoO on them, Target X has to give some of his attention to Person B, which is ENTIRELY on the opposite side. That kind of simulataneous attacks from both sides is what causes the flanking bonus. Person C does not have someone on the exact opposite side. So target X never has to split is attention a full 360 degrees, and can still defend against C even if person A or B which are relatively close to C happen to be attacking at that same time.
Rulebook 02-15-06, 11:24 AM	it might be worth noting in shorter words that "Flanked" is not a condition applied to an enemy, but rather a bonus given to the attacker. ie: You have flank on them, rather then them being flanked... does that make sense?
Romanus_Mortus 02-15-06, 11:28 AM	You'll find Tarkin has a way of restating the RAW with alot of vivid imagery. He also seems to imply that his preferred imagery is why the rule works as it does. In all though, the fact still stands. C is not flanking in the diagram, as drawn, unless the enemy is large. Whether or not he is making "fake jabs" is entirely up to you and the player, and how you choose to describe the action :D He also has insisted in several posts that boxing/fighting involves lots of "fake outs". Last time I checked, any fighter worth his salt will tell you even a "fake out" should be a dedicated attack capable of causing damage should it land. A seasoned foe won't bother to dodge something "fake". Now 'feinting' as an action is a different matter, but that's why there are bluff checks involved. Feel free to rebuke me, Tarkin, you usually do :D