How should standing on top of a prone enemy be ruled in 3.5?

[Wolfswift]

So recently in my 3.5 game my character aquired Leap Attack, he already had Knockdown, so I was thinking, if I leap at them, hit them midair, knock them down, then land on them, how should standing on top of that prone enemy work? Could I stand on their hands? Would that do anything special? Would they get an opportunity attack for me moving into their square as part of a leap charge attack while they fall?

My DM said it'd be like a pin, but thus far everything I attack died before I got the chance to try it. I thought it'd be really effective against casters,(if they survive the attack) but not so much vs beefier targets as they could probably easily throw me off.

But I can't find any rules for a character standing atop a prone enemy. It might be partly because searches keep returning results about standing up from prone and such. But if there are rules for this sort of thing somewhere, how should it be ruled? If not, then if you were DMing, how would you rule it?

[KillianHawkeye]

According to the rules, you can't stand in another creature's space except in a few circumstances. Normally, if your movement would end in an occupied space, you are forced back the way you came to the first available square.

Situations in which you're allowed to be in the same square include: being three or more sizes smaller or larger than the other creature, being size Tiny or smaller (regardless of the size of the other creature), or when you're grappling.

It sounds as though you're trying to get a free grapple by combining Leap Attack and Knock Down, but it doesn't work like that. There's a lot more to grappling than just standing on someone.

[Gruftzwerg]

Under normal circumstances you don't stand after a Leap Attack/Knockdown on the enemy.

Leap Attack doesn't enter the enemy square by default. The Charge stops in front of the enemy. So that doesn't work as you think.

Standing on an enemy can be ruled with Grapples "Pinning" rules. But IIRC you need to be bigger than your opponent and a feat (from MM) to pin him with just your feet/foot, otherwise your need to be full grappling.

[ksbsnowowl]

According to the rules, you can't stand in another creature's space except in a few circumstances. Normally, if your movement would end in an occupied space, you are forced back the way you came to the first available square.


This last little bit isn't correct, at least not in all circumstances.

From the Bull Rush rules, p. 154 of the PHB:

If you fail to beat the defender’s Strength check result, you move 5 feet straight back to where you were before you moved into his space. If that space is occupied, you fall prone in that space.
From the Overrun rules, p. 157-158 of the PHB:

If you fail but are not knocked prone, you have to move 5 feet back the way you came, ending your movement there. If that square is occupied, you fall prone in that square.

[Wolfswift]

Eh, it's not a huge deal, I'm kind of doubting most enemies that'd survive would be trippable anyhow. Strongly considering swapping out improved trip and knockdown.

[Mordaedil]

"I put my foot on his hand." There, now it's your DM's job to figure out the rest.

Rules are just a stand-in for actions undertaken by the game and it really comes down to "can I do this?" and if the answer is "feasibly, but" then you make a roll and if the answer is "no, that's not possible" you don't roll.

And if the answer is "oh yes, easily" you auto-succeed.