Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Arcolin 02-25-07, 12:37 PM	Hi! I had a question about the Spring Attack feat from PHB. Maybe it's simply me who isn't that proficient in the jargon of battle movements in dnd, but I find the description of this feat a little lacking. We are a couple of warriors in my party about to take on a vicious huge mountain troll in our next session, we both have the Spring attack feat, and we were wondering what the movement limitations were on this feat? Now it does say; "provided that your total distance moved is not greater than your speed", which possibly should be clear enough for even a person whose brain matter consists of mostly bread. However, it says "when using the attack action". Does this mean that spring attack is a standard action, and so you also get a move action? One is a fighter6/dervish3 with 35ft speed, the other is a fighter6/weapon master3 with boots of speed (ie 60ft speed).
jaelis 02-25-07, 12:49 PM	The idea is that you can combine a move action and an attack action, so that you move some distance, attack once, and then move again. The total distance moved has to be your speed or less, and you have to move both before and after the attack to get the benefit of avoiding AoOs. The whole thing adds up to a full round action (a move + a standard). Note that the only action you can take is a normal melee attack. No casting spells, no charging, no ranged attacks.
Dheran 02-26-07, 12:08 AM	However, it says "when using the attack action". Does this mean that spring attack is a standard action, and so you also get a move action? One immediate problem with Spring Attack is that "attack action" isn't defined by the rules. It could be any of the following: full attack Attack of Opportunity standard action attack bonus attack The first two won't work (at least without special class abilities or feats). That leaves the other two, of which the standard action attack is the one that's easiest to satisfy. (Feats like Snap Kick providing bonus attacks could work, too, permitting movement bracketing the bonus attack.) The next problem is that Spring Attack doesn't say what type of action is required to use it. Some people read it as granting bonus movement with an attack action. However, Spring Attack doesn't say that it's done as a standard action, so most people interpret the feat as just letting you split the normal move action available in a turn around any melee attack.
Big_Mac 02-26-07, 08:55 AM	The way it is meant to be used and the way the feat is written is that you must move at least 5ft before a single attack and 5ft after. The situation that you are about to encounter is the whole reason for spring attack. It allows you to run up to creatures with reach and not suffer AoO's, then move away far enough, Hopefully, so as to not receive a full attack in return. Fighter 1 Speed 35 could move 15ft up to troll single Attack move 20ft away fighter 2 speed 60 could move 15ft to the troll single attack move 20 ft away or more. The reason the 20ft away is important is because it will force the troll to move 10ft to get within reach. It will then not be able to get a full attack with just a 5 ft step.
Arcolin 02-26-07, 01:58 PM	Thanks for the help guys =) I figured it probably was as was explained, but I had to ask anyway ;) The troll was huge with 15ft reach, but we managed still. The dervish bought boots of speed and got the feat acrobatic strike *love*, and we simply pummeled him to death daring him to hit us. Thankfully it worked out well as he could have killed any of us in one round by hitting with 2/3 strikes ^^