What is kiting

[nickl_2000]

I've seen it used several times recently.

What is a kiting character? What does that mean?

[2D8HP]

My guess is a wood-elf archer Fighter/Rogue or someone with the Mobile Feat, the basic idea is a PC who strikes at foes, but stays out of range of counter attacks.

[holywhippet]

Basically it means hitting any enemy that is slower than you from outside of it's attack range and to keep moving away from it so it never gets an attack in.

[Hruken]

It refers to not engaging in melee combat, utilizing ranged attacks and movement to keep ahead of a for, whittling them down before they can fully attack you. Like flying a kite.

[Jama7301]

It's a hit and run tactic where you land your hits from range, then back off, so they have to spend their time moving towards you, which allows you to hit, step back some, and avoid taking damage. Useful against enemies with no ranged options.

[Cygnia]

I've seen it used more in MMORPGs where a character is basically trying to get a mob/monster/NPC to follow them to a particular area in combat. Usually it's done by someone skilled in ranged abilities, but not always.

Like, in "World of Warcraft", you'd usually have a hunter kite a mob to the tank.

[LudicSavant]

I've seen it used several times recently.

What is a kiting character? What does that mean?

Kiting means using tactics that make it so that you're in range to do what you want to do, but enemies are not in range to do what they want to do.

[Man_Over_Game]

I've seen it used several times recently.

What is a kiting character? What does that mean?


Basically it means hitting any enemy that is slower than you from outside of it's attack range and to keep moving away from it so it never gets an attack in.

Yup, that! Backpedal away, shoot at bad guy. By the time he reaches you, you're dead.


My guess is a wood-elf archer Fighter/Rogue or someone with the Mobile Feat, the basic idea is a PC who strikes at foes, but stays out of range of counter attacks.

Solid example. Kensei Monks, Warlocks with a knockback Eldritch Blast, flying characters with a ranged attack, Battlemasters who knock enemies prone with a Longbow, all fit the concept of a "kiting" character.

[Xetheral]

In the most general sense, "kiting" refers to tactics that depend on exploiting a simultaneous advantage in both speed and range.

[Sigreid]

What they said. But as I understand it it became called kiting because people thought the player character with the mob chasing him looked like a kid running with their kite trailing behind them in the breeze.

It's basically a particular type of asymmetrical combat that relies on you being able to stay out of the effective attack range of your opponent. Any opponent who is not a moron will pick up on what is happening quickly enough and start looking for ways to force you to abandon the fight or engage from a range they find more to their advantage. For example, ducking into some cover that will force you to close to have a line of attack.

[Chronos]

Even if you don't quite have superior speed, you can still pull it off. If an encounter starts at a sharpshooter archer's maximum range, but the enemy has 35' movement to the archer's 30', the enemy will be able to close eventually... but not until the archer has had a chance to get off hundreds of shots, which is probably enough to kill the enemy.



It's basically a particular type of asymmetrical combat that relies on you being able to stay out of the effective attack range of your opponent. Any opponent who is not a moron will pick up on what is happening quickly enough and start looking for ways to force you to abandon the fight or engage from a range they find more to their advantage. For example, ducking into some cover that will force you to close to have a line of attack.
Yeah, it's great if you're fighting in Kansas, but more interesting terrain can limit the effectiveness, and it also depends on who else is in your party. But it still has its benefits (for instance, if your ranged character can always stay out of range of the enemy, you can afford to be a lot squishier).

[Sigreid]

Even if you don't quite have superior speed, you can still pull it off. If an encounter starts at a sharpshooter archer's maximum range, but the enemy has 35' movement to the archer's 30', the enemy will be able to close eventually... but not until the archer has had a chance to get off hundreds of shots, which is probably enough to kill the enemy.


Yeah, it's great if you're fighting in Kansas, but more interesting terrain can limit the effectiveness, and it also depends on who else is in your party. But it still has its benefits (for instance, if your ranged character can always stay out of range of the enemy, you can afford to be a lot squishier).

Yeah, I've got a character that's intended to be based off it. His plan is warlock 2 monk x on a bird man. A very specific niche character.

[Naanomi]

Unless your speed/range Advantage is particularly huge (enough so that no amount of their dashing can either catch up with you, or get away from your attacks) foes can usually find a way to break it... of course, truly unintelligent enemies (golems, some undead, some swarms, etc) may fall for a more basic version

[krugaan]

very useful in flat open areas, spectacularly useless in most enclosed areas.

[Mordaedil]

very useful in flat open areas, spectacularly useless in most enclosed areas.
Sounds like you've never played Snake.

[manyslayer]

Some characters are better at kiting than others.

https://boundingintocomics.com/files/2018/07/KiteMan.png

[Sigreid]

Just thought I'd note that the term kiting is largely associated with video games, there's nothing new about it. People have been trying to strike an enemy from outside the enemy's ability to fight back since the first monkey, ape or hominid threw that first rock at a rival.

[GlenSmash!]

It useful even if the enemy gets an AoO on you, if you can get far enough away that they can't follow closely enough to us a Multiattack next round.

[KorvinStarmast]

In the most general sense, "kiting" refers to tactics that depend on exploiting a simultaneous advantage in both speed and range. Concisely put.
One of our rogues discovered that it's sorta hard to kite orcs, particularly when that hide action failed.
Why?
Aggressive. As a bonus action, the orc can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. But for a lot of mobs, it can work if terrain permits.

[druid91]

It's honestly stupidly effective in 5e.

Just buy a horse.

[opaopajr]

It is a style of fighting derived from the bird species named (genus, IIRC) Kites. They vigorously protect their nests by rapid, often surprising, attacks that then immediately flee... to later wheel back and attack the same way again. By high speed and surprise, you are re-engaging combat after 'fleeing', and this wears opponents down many times greater than your size. (It may entail ranged attacks, but not necessary to its definition.) :smallcool:

It is literally jargon for the phrase "Hit and Run Tactics." :smallamused:

[opaopajr]

very useful in flat open areas, spectacularly useless in most enclosed areas.

Absolutely incorrect. :smallsmile: Rogues and other sneaky critters make spectacular use of "hit and run" tactics with more hiding holes. The point is "fleeing after hitting hard and fast, ideally with surprise... to only come back and do it again until you go away or die."