Post/Author/DateTime	Post
PeelSeel2 09-15-05, 07:06 AM	Since for some dumb reason I cannot search these forums to find this answer.... In the rules it states about the 5-foot step: "Taking this 5-foot step never provokes an attack of opportunity." It also states: "1 Regardless of the action, if you move out of a threatened square, you usually provoke an attack of opportunity. This column indicates whether the action itself, not moving, provokes an attack of opportunity." My dilemma: A pc in melee combat with Orc wants to take a 5-foot step and then cast spell. He thinks he should get to do that without provoking an attack of opportunity, because he is out of the threat range of the orc then. My argument is, the orc gets one because the pc started the round in threat, and the action itself is what provokes the attack of opportunity, regardless of the free action he gets to take before or after the action. Which is correct and why?
LCD2YOU 09-15-05, 07:26 AM	You may always take a 5' step if room allows. Mages do this all the time. It is so they aren't be beaten to death when they try to cast a spell. How it works is this: A Mage and an Orc are face to face. The Mage's turn comes and he wants to cast a spell. If the Mage is able to take a 5' step backwards, out of the range of the Orc's weapon, the mage can do so without provoking an attact of opportunity. Now, if the Orc is using a reach weapon, they can still take an AoO when the wiz casts a spell. Now, if the Orc is using a reach weapon and the Mage wants to get out of the threatened area, they have a problem. If they move 5' back, the Orc is not able to take an AoO. The Mage still has an issue with casting though. If the Mage were to take another 5' step in the same round, ie they just move 10' in the round, the Orc gets an AoO because the Mage moved through a threatened square by moving more than 5'. So a 5' step does not incur an AoO. I'm fairly sure it never does if someone knows something, let me know. Hope that helps.
VerinBlod 09-15-05, 07:35 AM	LCD2YOU is correct! You never get an AoO for a 5 foot step. So your player is right.
Escef 09-15-05, 08:05 AM	A 5 foot step Never provokes an AoO. However, any circumstance that impedes movement (being prone, mud, thigh deep water, etc.) prevents a 5 foot step from being taken. Under these circumstances a PC can use a move action to move 5 feet, but it counts as a move action and not a 5 foot step. And provoking an AoO with a non-movement action (such as casting or using a ranged attack) is based on where the character is when the action is performed, not where the turn was started.
Nom 09-15-05, 08:10 AM	In the rules it states about the 5-foot step: "Taking this 5-foot step never provokes an attack of opportunity." It also states: "1 Regardless of the action, if you move out of a threatened square, you usually provoke an attack of opportunity. This column indicates whether the action itself, not moving, provokes an attack of opportunity."The table is a summary. It cannot hope to cover every permutation and still be vaguely readable. If there is something in the rules text that is more specific than the information given in the table, use the rules text. To further illustrate the point, note that the entry "move : yes" is technically incorrect. The move action itself does not provoke AoOs, though using it to move out of a threatened square does. For example, if you move into a threatened square you do not provoke an AoO. However, an entry of "no" would confuse people no end, and thus it is listed as "yes".
PeelSeel2 09-15-05, 01:04 PM	Cool! Thanks! That clears it up. Whew! Another question laid to rest.
orionm42 09-15-05, 01:34 PM	A 5 foot step Never provokes an AoO. However, any circumstance that impedes movement (being prone, mud, thigh deep water, etc.) prevents a 5 foot step from being taken. Under these circumstances a PC can use a move action to move 5 feet, but it counts as a move action and not a 5 foot step. I'm not sure that "prone" is appropriate in your example. Notice this from the SRD... Move Action: A move action allows you to move your speed or perform an action that takes a similar amount of time. See Table: Actions in Combat. You can take a move action in place of a standard action. If you move no actual distance in a round (commonly because you have swapped your move for one or more equivalent actions), you can take one 5-foot step either before, during, or after the action. Emphasis is mine. As I read it, standing up from prone is a move equivalent action. When you stand up, you do not move any actual distance. As such, you can still take the five foot step. However, standing from a prone position in and of itself provokes an attack of opportunity.
StormCrow42 09-15-05, 01:42 PM	Yes, you can stand from prone (a move equivilant action provoking an AoA), then 5 foot step (not provoking an AoA) and still perform a standard action. Remember that attacks of opportunity aren't a right, they're a bonus for when your opponent does something truely stupid or dangerous. Stepping back 5 feet to cast a spell, drink a potion, or fire a missile weapon are all perfectly valid tactics that can be combated by using terrain and numbers to reduce your opponent's movement options.
Escef 09-16-05, 08:18 AM	I'm not sure that "prone" is appropriate in your example. You can't 5-foot while prone. You are free to rise and then take a 5-foot, but that's a different story. :)
clarkvalentine 09-16-05, 08:29 AM	Yes, you can stand from prone (a move equivilant action provoking an AoA), then 5 foot step (not provoking an AoA) and still perform a standard action. No, I don't think you can. You can't take both a move action and a 5' step in the same round. (Unless the "move-equivalent" language exempts it, but I don't think it does) Edit: Yes, the "move-equivalent" language does seem to exempt it.