Free steppin' and Freestylin'

[Kaeso]

As a DM I've come across a problem. My player is currently engaged in combat with a large creature, but has a reach weapon to prevent getting an AoO for passing through a threatened square. However, now he wishes to move out of combat. He argues that taking a 5 ft. step backwards, which is a free action, allows him to move out of combat with impunity. Is this true, or does he still take an AoO for moving out of combat? As far as I know the rules are a bit unclear on that.

Thanks in advance.

[ArcturusV]

Well, a 5 foot step doesn't provoke AoO at all. So he's right there. However, you cannot use a move action the same turn that you use a 5 foot step. So it's not like he could 5 foot step, then run away.

What he needs to do is use the Full Round Action, Withdraw, which does not provoke either, but allows him to move up to his movement rate.

[sonofzeal]

Your player is correct - with the caveat that if he takes a 5-foot-step, he can't use other forms of movement that turn, so it's not really good for disengaging. But it does indeed allow him to back away slightly without provoking an AoO.

He could ALSO use a "Full Round Withdrawal" action, to actually get away. During a FRW, he gets to double-move and the square he starts on - and only the square he starts on - is considered non-threatened. If he were adjacent to a creature with reach, he'd still bite an AoO from the outer tier of threatened squares he has to leave, but assuming his reach is as large as the monster's, and he's attacking from his maximum distance, he can FRW safely. Unless there's others, or he has to move laterally through other threatened squares.

[Kaeso]

Your player is correct - with the caveat that if he takes a 5-foot-step, he can't use other forms of movement that turn, so it's not really good for disengaging. But it does indeed allow him to back away slightly without provoking an AoO.

Well, what my player (a cleric) is doing, is this:
1. Back up 5 feet with a free action
2. Summon a monster
3. Make that monster (medium size, no reach) move 5 ft forward as a free action
4. Full attack by the summoned creature

I'm kind of iffy on how it would work, but it seems more or less compatible with RAW.

[Psyren]

Well, what my player (a cleric) is doing, is this:
1. Back up 5 feet with a free action
2. Summon a monster
3. Make that monster (medium size, no reach) move 5 ft forward as a free action
4. Full attack by the summoned creature

I'm kind of iffy on how it would work, but it seems more or less compatible with RAW.

How fast is he doing (2)? Most summons spells take a whole round, which means his minion typically won't come out until the next turn, by which time the monster may be right back up in his grill. In fact, if it does take him a round to summon, the monster can 5-foot back in range and whack him before the spell goes off.

Even if he can summon faster than a round, that just means the minion he is summoning won't get a full round worth of actions when it comes out. This will prevent it from full-attacking.

[sonofzeal]

Psyren's got the right of it. He can certainly back up 5 feet and cast a spell. Yes, this means that Wizard rarely have to worry about their spells being disrupted even if someone manages to engage them in melee. It's one of the (many) reasons why casters are considered overpowered in 3.5 when they weren't in earlier editions.