5-foot step and AoO? [Archive] - Wizards Community

5-foot step and AoO? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
YoMammasAjedi
12-22-03, 06:04 PM My gaming group needs help on this rule. On page 144 in the 3.5 PHB, it reads: "You can move 5 feet in any round when you don't perform any other kind of movement. Taking this 5-foot step never provokes an attack of opportunity. You can't take more than one 5-foot step in a round, and you can't take a 5-foot step in the same round when you move any distance." Here's the situation, in game we were fighting some baddies when one moved out of my threatened square (taking a 5-foot step) and attacked my fellow adventurer. I said that it provoked an AoO because he attacked, if he had just moved that 5-foot step I couldnt get the attack. So who's right? Thanks
Mirtek
12-22-03, 06:08 PM You were wrong. He did not provoke an AoO. That's the reason behind the 5 foot step. If it brings you out of the threatend area you can do whatever you like thereafter (except for moving any more) and you do not provoke an AoO
TonePoet77
12-22-03, 06:56 PM I'm the DM in YoMammas case (if you've read anything recently from either of us, you'll see the other nimnew 90% of the time...)......

My take on this is that "movement" applies only to that - movement. Anything else is generally referred to as an "action," whether that be to cast a spell, drink a potion, make an attack, or dance a jig (which can be quite the devestating thing for opponents prone to confusion).

The distinction is there so that any creature can reasonably and defensively take almost any action it can muster in it's tiny brain.
YoMammasAjedi
12-22-03, 09:51 PM I'm getting this action confused with the withdraw action. Thanks for clearing it up. :behold:
Kyaran
12-23-03, 01:54 AM Just so there's no future confusion about Withdraw... it only makes the first 5' you start in free of AoOs. Any other threatened squares you exit still provoke AoOs.

And yes, your DM was right. A single 5' step, if the only move action taken in a round, is always free of AoOs.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
YoMammasAjedi 12-22-03, 06:04 PM	My gaming group needs help on this rule. On page 144 in the 3.5 PHB, it reads: "You can move 5 feet in any round when you don't perform any other kind of movement. Taking this 5-foot step never provokes an attack of opportunity. You can't take more than one 5-foot step in a round, and you can't take a 5-foot step in the same round when you move any distance." Here's the situation, in game we were fighting some baddies when one moved out of my threatened square (taking a 5-foot step) and attacked my fellow adventurer. I said that it provoked an AoO because he attacked, if he had just moved that 5-foot step I couldnt get the attack. So who's right? Thanks
Mirtek 12-22-03, 06:08 PM	You were wrong. He did not provoke an AoO. That's the reason behind the 5 foot step. If it brings you out of the threatend area you can do whatever you like thereafter (except for moving any more) and you do not provoke an AoO
TonePoet77 12-22-03, 06:56 PM	I'm the DM in YoMammas case (if you've read anything recently from either of us, you'll see the other nimnew 90% of the time...)...... My take on this is that "movement" applies only to that - movement. Anything else is generally referred to as an "action," whether that be to cast a spell, drink a potion, make an attack, or dance a jig (which can be quite the devestating thing for opponents prone to confusion). The distinction is there so that any creature can reasonably and defensively take almost any action it can muster in it's tiny brain.
YoMammasAjedi 12-22-03, 09:51 PM	I'm getting this action confused with the withdraw action. Thanks for clearing it up. :behold:
Kyaran 12-23-03, 01:54 AM	Just so there's no future confusion about Withdraw... it only makes the first 5' you start in free of AoOs. Any other threatened squares you exit still provoke AoOs. And yes, your DM was right. A single 5' step, if the only move action taken in a round, is always free of AoOs.