Knights Code re flat-footed ... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Knights Code re flat-footed ... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
viceregal
07-03-07, 10:24 PM The knights code specifies that 'a knight never strikes a flat footed opponent. Instead you allow your opponent to ready himself before attacking'.

Is this just for the initial initiative section or could an evil wizard with <5 ranks in balance surrounded by a group of knights happily cast grease in his own area and gleefully toss flat footed spells at them to his hearts content with no risk of retaliation?

(btw I looked but could not find - is there a search option in this forum?)
Jay_Ibero_911
07-03-07, 10:47 PM The knights code specifies that 'a knight never strikes a flat footed opponent. Instead you allow your opponent to ready himself before attacking'.

Is this just for the initial initiative section or could an evil wizard with <5 ranks in balance surrounded by a group of knights happily cast grease in his own area and gleefully toss flat footed spells at them to his hearts content with no risk of retaliation?

(btw I looked but could not find - is there a search option in this forum?)

Being flat footed and being denied your dex are not the same thing. Being flat footed means you are denied your dex, but not the other way around. The only time you are flat footed is when you have not yet acted in combat. All other times you may be denied your dex bonus, but you are not flat footed.
Munchausen
07-03-07, 10:56 PM Interesting idea.. but remember.. for a Knight yes they are honorable.. but they can still strike.. they just loose one of the Knight Challenges for the day for each rule that they break.. and if they have no challenges to loose well, it is going to be a ruff day for the knight.

So it comes down to either Tactical aspect or Roleplay aspect.. as for me I like the roleplay aspect and I have a Knight, or a Kniggit as i like to call him (All hail The One True GOD.. Pholtus) yet not broken the 3 sacred rules of the Knight's.. but then I always put myself in a position so that the bad guy charges me (I go either partial of full defense for that round).. no longer is he flat footed.

Now that I think of it.. reading the Knight for the penalties if he/she has no challenges left.. if they keep breaking the code.. does the penalties stack? I would not think that they would and the wording is greyish.. but as a DM i would have to say they would not stack..

but if you run into a player that went out of his way and never ever followed the code.. what would a DM do?
Arcane Guyver
07-04-07, 01:25 AM This part of the code is pretty easy to work around. Just ready an action for when the bad guy is about to act. Once it becomes their turn, they are no longer flat-footed. Kinda screws your initiative, but you still get the first strike in anyways.
JJeff
07-04-07, 03:25 AM Being flat footed and being denied your dex are not the same thing. Being flat footed means you are denied your dex, but not the other way around. The only time you are flat footed is when you have not yet acted in combat. All other times you may be denied your dex bonus, but you are not flat footed.

But Jay,

Grease tells you to reference the Balance skill and Balance states
"You are considered flat-footed while balancing, since you can’t move to avoid a blow, and thus you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). If you have 5 or more ranks in Balance, you aren’t considered flat-footed while balancing. If you take damage while balancing, you must make another Balance check against the same DC to remain standing. "
I believe you are Flat Footed while balancing on Grease....
Timlagor
07-04-07, 06:43 AM The Evil wizard could do that.

As a GM I'd rule that the knight could attack with impunity at that point.
draxynnic
07-04-07, 08:45 AM The Evil wizard could do that.

As a GM I'd rule that the knight could attack with impunity at that point.

Aye. If a friendly spellcaster had done it, then the knight might have to hold off, but if someone is deliberately gimping themselves in order to try to abuse the code than I think it's fair for the knight to shrug, point out that they brought it on themselves, and clobber them.

Although one thing that comes to mind...

If the enemy is stuck on a grease patch, would the knight be able to strike with impunity if (s)he steps into the patch in order to even the odds?
Banor
07-04-07, 10:37 AM Aye. If a friendly spellcaster had done it, then the knight might have to hold off, but if someone is deliberately gimping themselves in order to try to abuse the code than I think it's fair for the knight to shrug, point out that they brought it on themselves, and clobber them.

Although one thing that comes to mind...

If the enemy is stuck on a grease patch, would the knight be able to strike with impunity if (s)he steps into the patch in order to even the odds?

I'd say that it would be fair imo. Knight code says he must not take unfair adventage, they are both flat footed nobody got an actual adventage :)
Jay_Ibero_911
07-04-07, 10:39 AM But Jay,

Grease tells you to reference the Balance skill and Balance states
"You are considered flat-footed while balancing, since you can’t move to avoid a blow, and thus you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). If you have 5 or more ranks in Balance, you aren’t considered flat-footed while balancing. If you take damage while balancing, you must make another Balance check against the same DC to remain standing. "
I believe you are Flat Footed while balancing on Grease....

Huh...well that's odd...
LGMoses
07-04-07, 12:14 PM why do people consider honorable to be STUPID or lawful to be completely bound by the rules? No, that is manipulating words out of the book to affect silly stuff in game. Those knights would have that wizard(who I'm sure is a gnome wizard) on the ground in a heartbeat.
ThaiGQ
07-04-07, 12:16 PM but if you run into a player that went out of his way and never ever followed the code.. what would a DM do?

I know this is slightly off-topic...but I've actually got a friend who was talking about doing Knight build and then changing his alignment from Lawful so that he wouldn't have to follow the code any more. And then switching it back to Lawful to take Dwarven Defender w/o resuming the Knight's Code (cheese, I know). Can he do that? Or does becoming Lawful again automatically force him to abide by the code again?
bitznarf
07-04-07, 12:31 PM why do people consider honorable to be STUPID or lawful to be completely bound by the rules? No, that is manipulating words out of the book to affect silly stuff in game. Those knights would have that wizard(who I'm sure is a gnome wizard) on the ground in a heartbeat.
Nobody is saying that honorable=stupid here LGMoses. Nor are they saying that the Knight *cannot* hit a flat footed opponent. They are considering the consequences of not following the Knights Code as laid out in the book.
ithardin
07-04-07, 02:08 PM Grapple the wizard, move him out of the grease spell area and then backhand him into unconsciousness.

"A mangy cur who uses coward tactics such as these does not deserve the honorable death I would grant him."
Hariman
07-05-07, 12:28 AM Considered flat footed and denied your dexterity bonus AFTER you have netered combat is different from being flat footed in the surprise round because your initiative roll was lower than the knight's.

The key here is a knight doesn't allow his enemy to keep acting when they try to take advantage of his being honorable. (IE: The idiot wizard who greases himself deserves the beating he gets.) He waits until the enemy is ready to fight (and no longer flat footed because the enemy has had no chance to act yet) to strike at his foe.

Were I DM, I would never even try to have an enemy caster try to abuse that section of the knight's code. But if the enemy were in a grease spell, I wouldn't penalize the knight for striking an enemy, not unless he violated a specific section of the knight's code.

The key here is once a character (PC or otherwise) takes his first action in combat, he is "readied for action". Thus, being CONSIDERED flat footed DURING is different from BEING flatfooted at the START of combat.

Othewise, you allow some pretty cruel abuses of the knight class via unscrupulous NPCs.

Also, if a Knight readies for an enemy to take an action, the enemy would get his dex bonus to AC. Otherwise there goes a use of knight's challenge.
Gwumph
07-05-07, 01:42 AM Sorry Folks

But isn't that the whole point!!! Evil NPC's abuse a Honorable PC code of conduct to their advantage!!!

I would hope a Evil Npc uses that code to his advantage as much as possible.

A knight follows the code because it defines him, it is what he believes...... just because an evil npc is using it against him, doesn't mean he can ignore it for the moment to get rid of the evil Npc. He would continue to follow it, because by following it, it sets him apart and above those who don't.

If the code hinders his combat ability and his must suck up damage to follow it, then that is the price a knight must pay for being honorable. Smart knights find ways around problems like a wizard being greased. Grappling, bullrushing, sundering his spellpouch, disarming his wand, using a net etc. etc.

But if a wizard is in grease he is flat-footed, yes it is a sneaky abuse of the knights code, but a knight expects that and should not put their code aside because an enemy is sneaky and abusive.

Think of a knight like a Samuria following Bushido, they live the code, they don't follow it when it suits them.
gomeztoo
07-05-07, 03:32 AM But isn't that the whole point!!! Evil NPC's abuse a Honorable PC code of conduct to their advantage!!!

I don't have problem with people abusing the code.
I do have a problem with this specific one, because it is actually not related to IC knowledge of the code, but to a interpretation of how the game rules apply to it.
A wizard doesn't think "If I grease myself, then _according to the game rules_ I am flatfooted, so I can still attack with impunity and the knight can never strike me <insert evil laugh>."
They are a loop in the game rules. IC, a wizard shouldn't look for those, as it is ridiculous.
Now, a wizard COULD make it appear that he is helpless, or incapable of fighting, and with it count on the knight's honor code to (re)gain initiative on a knight. But once he acts he would expect the knight to strike.

Would this occur in game, as a DM I would not actually count the wizard as flat-footed for the rest of his turn the moment he acxts (i.e. casts a spell).
awroe
07-05-07, 07:48 AM Considered flat footed and denied your dexterity bonus AFTER you have netered combat is different from being flat footed in the surprise round because your initiative roll was lower than the knight's.

I hope this is the case, otherwise if you're fighting on ice or on wet slippy ground, a knight would only be able to hit foes with >= 5 ranks in balance.

"I'll just wait while the ground dries. Please don't hit me in the mean time."
JJeff
07-05-07, 09:05 PM I think that what Hariman said is not very right. Flat-footed is flat-footed no matter what. The rules don't place such a caveat and unless it's something the DM declares is true, I wouldn't bet that it would hold for any given table.

The Paladin's CoC is supposed to be just as stringent, just because the Knight's affects combat more than RP doesn't mean it should be less stringent.

In such situations, it is up to the knight to find a way to rectify the situation and restore what I believe the CoC's original intent of "fairness".

I would say that it's up to the DM to say what is the method to rectify the situation; The knight could equal the odds by also fighting on the same surface (I feel that such a method would be acceptable as the whole Knight's Code is about not taking advantage of your opponent, but if you subject yourself to the same conditions, you are not taking advantage at all).

Or the knight could grab the offending enemy and remove him/her from the terrain as long as he deals no damage in the grapple and releases him after removing the enemy from the terrain..

But that's just my opinion.
draxynnic
07-06-07, 12:45 AM It's a good one.

Possibly the key thing here is for the knight to do what he can to offer a fair fight. You could even have some fun with the knight doing things like offering the enemy a hand out of the grease before getting back into the fight and things like that (or at least standing aside and making it clear that (s)he's not going to take an AO until the enemy is out).

That said, there's a line. If the knight has, in the DM's opinion, done everything they can to offer a fair fight and the enemy has refused, I don't think the knight should be penalised for going "Well, I offered. I'm not going to just stand here while you stick daggers into my kidneys" and hitting back.

Basically, I think DMs should be looking to the spirit of the code, not the letter.
LGMoses
07-06-07, 02:39 AM well, if the knight is also caught in the grease spell and both are considered flat-footed, then its fair and wonderful ain't it.
Hariman
07-06-07, 08:53 PM well, if the knight is also caught in the grease spell and both are considered flat-footed, then its fair and wonderful ain't it.

Not if the enemy is a rogue...

Darn, rereading the text keeps me unsure. The actual code doesn't say one way or another. And the Flat-Footed definition in the PHB glossary only mentions at the beginning of a battle. Grease means that the enemy is considered flat footed, but he's already readied himself for battle AND can still fight.

I would call it in favor of the Knight, especially if the wizard deliberately tried to take advantage.

The only time it would be a major issue is if the knight was the last one standing and HAD to kill the wizard.
Eric Anondson
07-06-07, 11:33 PM Grease means that the enemy is considered flat footed, but he's already readied himself for battle AND can still fight.Isn't it more accurate to say that someone who is balancing is flat-footed (per the Balance skill), though someone with 5+ ranks in Balance is never flat-footed while balancing. And grease only causes creatures to balance if they try to move in the area of the spell. If someone just stands still and casts a spell at the knight it's not a flat-footed caster and the knight can smack the caster around.

Plus, the knight's code says he will never strike a flat-footed opponent. How about grappling, is grappling "striking"? Maybe the knight could give the opponent a helping hand by bull-rushing right out of it!
Jay_Ibero_911
07-07-07, 12:00 AM Isn't it more accurate to say that someone who is balancing is flat-footed (per the Balance skill), though someone with 5+ ranks in Balance is never flat-footed while balancing. And grease only causes creatures to balance if they try to move in the area of the spell. If someone just stands still and casts a spell at the knight it's not a flat-footed caster and the knight can smack the caster around.

Plus, the knight's code says he will never strike a flat-footed opponent. How about grappling, is grappling "striking"? Maybe the knight could give the opponent a helping hand by bull-rushing right out of it!

Actually if you check the FAQ you are considered balancing as long as you are standing in the greased area. You can drop prone to avoid having to balance, but that has it's own issues.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
viceregal 07-03-07, 10:24 PM	The knights code specifies that 'a knight never strikes a flat footed opponent. Instead you allow your opponent to ready himself before attacking'. Is this just for the initial initiative section or could an evil wizard with <5 ranks in balance surrounded by a group of knights happily cast grease in his own area and gleefully toss flat footed spells at them to his hearts content with no risk of retaliation? (btw I looked but could not find - is there a search option in this forum?)
Jay_Ibero_911 07-03-07, 10:47 PM	The knights code specifies that 'a knight never strikes a flat footed opponent. Instead you allow your opponent to ready himself before attacking'. Is this just for the initial initiative section or could an evil wizard with <5 ranks in balance surrounded by a group of knights happily cast grease in his own area and gleefully toss flat footed spells at them to his hearts content with no risk of retaliation? (btw I looked but could not find - is there a search option in this forum?) Being flat footed and being denied your dex are not the same thing. Being flat footed means you are denied your dex, but not the other way around. The only time you are flat footed is when you have not yet acted in combat. All other times you may be denied your dex bonus, but you are not flat footed.
Munchausen 07-03-07, 10:56 PM	Interesting idea.. but remember.. for a Knight yes they are honorable.. but they can still strike.. they just loose one of the Knight Challenges for the day for each rule that they break.. and if they have no challenges to loose well, it is going to be a ruff day for the knight. So it comes down to either Tactical aspect or Roleplay aspect.. as for me I like the roleplay aspect and I have a Knight, or a Kniggit as i like to call him (All hail The One True GOD.. Pholtus) yet not broken the 3 sacred rules of the Knight's.. but then I always put myself in a position so that the bad guy charges me (I go either partial of full defense for that round).. no longer is he flat footed. Now that I think of it.. reading the Knight for the penalties if he/she has no challenges left.. if they keep breaking the code.. does the penalties stack? I would not think that they would and the wording is greyish.. but as a DM i would have to say they would not stack.. but if you run into a player that went out of his way and never ever followed the code.. what would a DM do?
Arcane Guyver 07-04-07, 01:25 AM	This part of the code is pretty easy to work around. Just ready an action for when the bad guy is about to act. Once it becomes their turn, they are no longer flat-footed. Kinda screws your initiative, but you still get the first strike in anyways.
JJeff 07-04-07, 03:25 AM	Being flat footed and being denied your dex are not the same thing. Being flat footed means you are denied your dex, but not the other way around. The only time you are flat footed is when you have not yet acted in combat. All other times you may be denied your dex bonus, but you are not flat footed. But Jay, Grease tells you to reference the Balance skill and Balance states "You are considered flat-footed while balancing, since you can’t move to avoid a blow, and thus you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). If you have 5 or more ranks in Balance, you aren’t considered flat-footed while balancing. If you take damage while balancing, you must make another Balance check against the same DC to remain standing. " I believe you are Flat Footed while balancing on Grease....
Timlagor 07-04-07, 06:43 AM	The Evil wizard could do that. As a GM I'd rule that the knight could attack with impunity at that point.
draxynnic 07-04-07, 08:45 AM	The Evil wizard could do that. As a GM I'd rule that the knight could attack with impunity at that point. Aye. If a friendly spellcaster had done it, then the knight might have to hold off, but if someone is deliberately gimping themselves in order to try to abuse the code than I think it's fair for the knight to shrug, point out that they brought it on themselves, and clobber them. Although one thing that comes to mind... If the enemy is stuck on a grease patch, would the knight be able to strike with impunity if (s)he steps into the patch in order to even the odds?
Banor 07-04-07, 10:37 AM	Aye. If a friendly spellcaster had done it, then the knight might have to hold off, but if someone is deliberately gimping themselves in order to try to abuse the code than I think it's fair for the knight to shrug, point out that they brought it on themselves, and clobber them. Although one thing that comes to mind... If the enemy is stuck on a grease patch, would the knight be able to strike with impunity if (s)he steps into the patch in order to even the odds? I'd say that it would be fair imo. Knight code says he must not take unfair adventage, they are both flat footed nobody got an actual adventage :)
Jay_Ibero_911 07-04-07, 10:39 AM	But Jay, Grease tells you to reference the Balance skill and Balance states "You are considered flat-footed while balancing, since you can’t move to avoid a blow, and thus you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). If you have 5 or more ranks in Balance, you aren’t considered flat-footed while balancing. If you take damage while balancing, you must make another Balance check against the same DC to remain standing. " I believe you are Flat Footed while balancing on Grease.... Huh...well that's odd...
LGMoses 07-04-07, 12:14 PM	why do people consider honorable to be STUPID or lawful to be completely bound by the rules? No, that is manipulating words out of the book to affect silly stuff in game. Those knights would have that wizard(who I'm sure is a gnome wizard) on the ground in a heartbeat.
ThaiGQ 07-04-07, 12:16 PM	but if you run into a player that went out of his way and never ever followed the code.. what would a DM do? I know this is slightly off-topic...but I've actually got a friend who was talking about doing Knight build and then changing his alignment from Lawful so that he wouldn't have to follow the code any more. And then switching it back to Lawful to take Dwarven Defender w/o resuming the Knight's Code (cheese, I know). Can he do that? Or does becoming Lawful again automatically force him to abide by the code again?
bitznarf 07-04-07, 12:31 PM	why do people consider honorable to be STUPID or lawful to be completely bound by the rules? No, that is manipulating words out of the book to affect silly stuff in game. Those knights would have that wizard(who I'm sure is a gnome wizard) on the ground in a heartbeat. Nobody is saying that honorable=stupid here LGMoses. Nor are they saying that the Knight cannot hit a flat footed opponent. They are considering the consequences of not following the Knights Code as laid out in the book.
ithardin 07-04-07, 02:08 PM	Grapple the wizard, move him out of the grease spell area and then backhand him into unconsciousness. "A mangy cur who uses coward tactics such as these does not deserve the honorable death I would grant him."
Hariman 07-05-07, 12:28 AM	Considered flat footed and denied your dexterity bonus AFTER you have netered combat is different from being flat footed in the surprise round because your initiative roll was lower than the knight's. The key here is a knight doesn't allow his enemy to keep acting when they try to take advantage of his being honorable. (IE: The idiot wizard who greases himself deserves the beating he gets.) He waits until the enemy is ready to fight (and no longer flat footed because the enemy has had no chance to act yet) to strike at his foe. Were I DM, I would never even try to have an enemy caster try to abuse that section of the knight's code. But if the enemy were in a grease spell, I wouldn't penalize the knight for striking an enemy, not unless he violated a specific section of the knight's code. The key here is once a character (PC or otherwise) takes his first action in combat, he is "readied for action". Thus, being CONSIDERED flat footed DURING is different from BEING flatfooted at the START of combat. Othewise, you allow some pretty cruel abuses of the knight class via unscrupulous NPCs. Also, if a Knight readies for an enemy to take an action, the enemy would get his dex bonus to AC. Otherwise there goes a use of knight's challenge.
Gwumph 07-05-07, 01:42 AM	Sorry Folks But isn't that the whole point!!! Evil NPC's abuse a Honorable PC code of conduct to their advantage!!! I would hope a Evil Npc uses that code to his advantage as much as possible. A knight follows the code because it defines him, it is what he believes...... just because an evil npc is using it against him, doesn't mean he can ignore it for the moment to get rid of the evil Npc. He would continue to follow it, because by following it, it sets him apart and above those who don't. If the code hinders his combat ability and his must suck up damage to follow it, then that is the price a knight must pay for being honorable. Smart knights find ways around problems like a wizard being greased. Grappling, bullrushing, sundering his spellpouch, disarming his wand, using a net etc. etc. But if a wizard is in grease he is flat-footed, yes it is a sneaky abuse of the knights code, but a knight expects that and should not put their code aside because an enemy is sneaky and abusive. Think of a knight like a Samuria following Bushido, they live the code, they don't follow it when it suits them.
gomeztoo 07-05-07, 03:32 AM	But isn't that the whole point!!! Evil NPC's abuse a Honorable PC code of conduct to their advantage!!! I don't have problem with people abusing the code. I do have a problem with this specific one, because it is actually not related to IC knowledge of the code, but to a interpretation of how the game rules apply to it. A wizard doesn't think "If I grease myself, then _according to the game rules_ I am flatfooted, so I can still attack with impunity and the knight can never strike me <insert evil laugh>." They are a loop in the game rules. IC, a wizard shouldn't look for those, as it is ridiculous. Now, a wizard COULD make it appear that he is helpless, or incapable of fighting, and with it count on the knight's honor code to (re)gain initiative on a knight. But once he acts he would expect the knight to strike. Would this occur in game, as a DM I would not actually count the wizard as flat-footed for the rest of his turn the moment he acxts (i.e. casts a spell).
awroe 07-05-07, 07:48 AM	Considered flat footed and denied your dexterity bonus AFTER you have netered combat is different from being flat footed in the surprise round because your initiative roll was lower than the knight's. I hope this is the case, otherwise if you're fighting on ice or on wet slippy ground, a knight would only be able to hit foes with >= 5 ranks in balance. "I'll just wait while the ground dries. Please don't hit me in the mean time."
JJeff 07-05-07, 09:05 PM	I think that what Hariman said is not very right. Flat-footed is flat-footed no matter what. The rules don't place such a caveat and unless it's something the DM declares is true, I wouldn't bet that it would hold for any given table. The Paladin's CoC is supposed to be just as stringent, just because the Knight's affects combat more than RP doesn't mean it should be less stringent. In such situations, it is up to the knight to find a way to rectify the situation and restore what I believe the CoC's original intent of "fairness". I would say that it's up to the DM to say what is the method to rectify the situation; The knight could equal the odds by also fighting on the same surface (I feel that such a method would be acceptable as the whole Knight's Code is about not taking advantage of your opponent, but if you subject yourself to the same conditions, you are not taking advantage at all). Or the knight could grab the offending enemy and remove him/her from the terrain as long as he deals no damage in the grapple and releases him after removing the enemy from the terrain.. But that's just my opinion.
draxynnic 07-06-07, 12:45 AM	It's a good one. Possibly the key thing here is for the knight to do what he can to offer a fair fight. You could even have some fun with the knight doing things like offering the enemy a hand out of the grease before getting back into the fight and things like that (or at least standing aside and making it clear that (s)he's not going to take an AO until the enemy is out). That said, there's a line. If the knight has, in the DM's opinion, done everything they can to offer a fair fight and the enemy has refused, I don't think the knight should be penalised for going "Well, I offered. I'm not going to just stand here while you stick daggers into my kidneys" and hitting back. Basically, I think DMs should be looking to the spirit of the code, not the letter.
LGMoses 07-06-07, 02:39 AM	well, if the knight is also caught in the grease spell and both are considered flat-footed, then its fair and wonderful ain't it.
Hariman 07-06-07, 08:53 PM	well, if the knight is also caught in the grease spell and both are considered flat-footed, then its fair and wonderful ain't it. Not if the enemy is a rogue... Darn, rereading the text keeps me unsure. The actual code doesn't say one way or another. And the Flat-Footed definition in the PHB glossary only mentions at the beginning of a battle. Grease means that the enemy is considered flat footed, but he's already readied himself for battle AND can still fight. I would call it in favor of the Knight, especially if the wizard deliberately tried to take advantage. The only time it would be a major issue is if the knight was the last one standing and HAD to kill the wizard.
Eric Anondson 07-06-07, 11:33 PM	Grease means that the enemy is considered flat footed, but he's already readied himself for battle AND can still fight.Isn't it more accurate to say that someone who is balancing is flat-footed (per the Balance skill), though someone with 5+ ranks in Balance is never flat-footed while balancing. And grease only causes creatures to balance if they try to move in the area of the spell. If someone just stands still and casts a spell at the knight it's not a flat-footed caster and the knight can smack the caster around. Plus, the knight's code says he will never strike a flat-footed opponent. How about grappling, is grappling "striking"? Maybe the knight could give the opponent a helping hand by bull-rushing right out of it!
Jay_Ibero_911 07-07-07, 12:00 AM	Isn't it more accurate to say that someone who is balancing is flat-footed (per the Balance skill), though someone with 5+ ranks in Balance is never flat-footed while balancing. And grease only causes creatures to balance if they try to move in the area of the spell. If someone just stands still and casts a spell at the knight it's not a flat-footed caster and the knight can smack the caster around. Plus, the knight's code says he will never strike a flat-footed opponent. How about grappling, is grappling "striking"? Maybe the knight could give the opponent a helping hand by bull-rushing right out of it! Actually if you check the FAQ you are considered balancing as long as you are standing in the greased area. You can drop prone to avoid having to balance, but that has it's own issues.