keiokiki
2014-01-19, 08:21 PM
Hello and greetings folks!
I've been trying to wrap my head around this particular character trait, defensive strategist: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/religion-traits/defensive-strategist
Benefit: You are not flat-footed when you are an unaware combatant. This includes a surprise round that you don’t get to act in, and before you get to act at the start of a battle.
I had a situation come up in which I disagreed with a ruling. The ruling will obviously still stand in the particular game but I searched for a FAQ/thread that addressed this, and unable to find one, hopefully someone on this forum can help me.
Essentially, I read the rules as essentially having three effects.
1. As an unaware combatant, when I am surprised, I am still not considered flat foot against attacks.
2. During a surprise round, I am not flat foot.
3. Before I act in normal combat, I am not flat foot.
The important part of the text of this trait, I feel is 'This includes'. The situation in question had occurred as such:
The party and I were traveling along a road, flanked on either side by forest thick enough to be considered difficult terrain. We found our path blocked by an enormous felled logged, upon which a masked man was standing. It turned out to be an ambush, and archers who had total concealment from us fired blind on our position (Which thinking back on it is strange.. I'm fairly certain you cant fire upon a target you cant see. Even if you can pick a random square to fire upon like blind fighting, all the arrows were rolled normally.).
Regardless, that isn't the main issue here. The main issue is that, like normal, Defensive Strategist at that point worked as I figured it would. Only one arrow hit me thanks to not being considered flat foot in this surprise round.
However, since there was very thick cover of forest, and we needed to get on the other side to get at those archers, and my strength modified isnt so much a good thing as a bad thing for climbing, I decided to move immediately into the forest. This is where I have a problem with how my Defensive Strategist was handled.
I came across a very conveniently placed foe, who was (rightfully so) granted an attack of opportunity, as I failed to spot them, and I moved through their threatened space. However, the GM decided I was unaware of this attack, and therefore flat foot. I still have a major issue with this. Initiatives had been rolled and we were in normal combat rounds, but again, refer to the Defensive Strategist writing: "Benefit: You are not flat-footed when you are an unaware combatant. This includes a surprise round that you don’t get to act in, and before you get to act at the start of a battle.
The key work in there is 'Includes'. Isnt the entire point of Defensive Strategist to help preserve my Dex/Dodge bonuses to AC due to situations just like that? The trait doesnt say 'Only during a surprise round or before I act in combat' It includes them.
What is your folks opinion on the matter? Am I in the right? In the wrong? I think its an inappropriate and incorrect ruling, and perhaps even a spiteful ruling, as the GM had tried to talk me out of the class I was playing because of 'Too heavy a reliance on dodge bonuses'. When I found a nice little work around to mitigate that, perhaps this was his way of still proving he was right and I was wrong.
More information and kind critique would be appreciated!
I've been trying to wrap my head around this particular character trait, defensive strategist: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/religion-traits/defensive-strategist
Benefit: You are not flat-footed when you are an unaware combatant. This includes a surprise round that you don’t get to act in, and before you get to act at the start of a battle.
I had a situation come up in which I disagreed with a ruling. The ruling will obviously still stand in the particular game but I searched for a FAQ/thread that addressed this, and unable to find one, hopefully someone on this forum can help me.
Essentially, I read the rules as essentially having three effects.
1. As an unaware combatant, when I am surprised, I am still not considered flat foot against attacks.
2. During a surprise round, I am not flat foot.
3. Before I act in normal combat, I am not flat foot.
The important part of the text of this trait, I feel is 'This includes'. The situation in question had occurred as such:
The party and I were traveling along a road, flanked on either side by forest thick enough to be considered difficult terrain. We found our path blocked by an enormous felled logged, upon which a masked man was standing. It turned out to be an ambush, and archers who had total concealment from us fired blind on our position (Which thinking back on it is strange.. I'm fairly certain you cant fire upon a target you cant see. Even if you can pick a random square to fire upon like blind fighting, all the arrows were rolled normally.).
Regardless, that isn't the main issue here. The main issue is that, like normal, Defensive Strategist at that point worked as I figured it would. Only one arrow hit me thanks to not being considered flat foot in this surprise round.
However, since there was very thick cover of forest, and we needed to get on the other side to get at those archers, and my strength modified isnt so much a good thing as a bad thing for climbing, I decided to move immediately into the forest. This is where I have a problem with how my Defensive Strategist was handled.
I came across a very conveniently placed foe, who was (rightfully so) granted an attack of opportunity, as I failed to spot them, and I moved through their threatened space. However, the GM decided I was unaware of this attack, and therefore flat foot. I still have a major issue with this. Initiatives had been rolled and we were in normal combat rounds, but again, refer to the Defensive Strategist writing: "Benefit: You are not flat-footed when you are an unaware combatant. This includes a surprise round that you don’t get to act in, and before you get to act at the start of a battle.
The key work in there is 'Includes'. Isnt the entire point of Defensive Strategist to help preserve my Dex/Dodge bonuses to AC due to situations just like that? The trait doesnt say 'Only during a surprise round or before I act in combat' It includes them.
What is your folks opinion on the matter? Am I in the right? In the wrong? I think its an inappropriate and incorrect ruling, and perhaps even a spiteful ruling, as the GM had tried to talk me out of the class I was playing because of 'Too heavy a reliance on dodge bonuses'. When I found a nice little work around to mitigate that, perhaps this was his way of still proving he was right and I was wrong.
More information and kind critique would be appreciated!