Mob moves at me and finally, the DM gets to corner my ranged DPS! Nope, as per Skirmisher I get to move (as a reaction) half my speed.
Me: Ok....I fly up 10 feet.
DM: What?
Me: Skirmisher lets me move half my move speed if an opponent closes on me. You can't attack me. Plus, I put a whip in my hand end of my last turn, bow held in my off hand. If the mob doesn't just sit there and do nothing....I'll get an Opportunity attack with sneak attack damage.
DM: Well I have you next round, you can't fire your bow AND hold a whip.
Me: I drop my whip (free action), fire my bow. If the enemy below me is still alive....draw my backup whip.
Mob moves at me and finally, the DM gets to corner my ranged DPS! Nope, as per Skirmisher I get to move (as a reaction) half my speed.
Me: Ok....I fly up 10 feet.
DM: What?
Me: Skirmisher lets me move half my move speed if an opponent closes on me. You can't attack me. Plus, I put a whip in my hand end of my last turn, bow held in my off hand. If the mob doesn't just sit there and do nothing....I'll get an Opportunity attack with sneak attack damage.
DM: Well I have you next round, you can't fire your bow AND hold a whip.
Me: I drop my whip (free action), fire my bow. If the enemy below me is still alive....draw my backup whip.
Are you asking for clarification on the rules for the skirmisher ability? Your example of play is incorrect.
Starting at 3rd level, you are difficult to pin down during a fight. You can move up to half your speed as a reaction when an enemy ends its turn within 5 feet of you. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
I added the bold formatting to highlight the relevant part. So for your example:
The monster moves up to your character.
The monster uses any melee attacks it has on your character.
The monster ends its turn.
Your character uses their reaction to move up to half their speed away from the monster.
It's a useful ability for certain and I play a Scout in a game currently, but it isn't immunity to being attacked in melee.
If it worked the way you describe, then this class feature would be worthless....what's the point at all? The Skirmisher feat (to me) is to prevent a mob from moving up on you.
If it worked the way you describe, then this class feature would be worthless....what's the point at all? The Skirmisher feat (to me) is to prevent a mob from moving up on you.
edit: to address your edited comment.
There are a number of uses.
Consider an example from the last session I played, where 3 monsters burst through a door.
The first monster ran 25 feet up to my character and made an attack (it missed luckily for me). As a reaction, my character was able to move 15 feet further away from the door. My character is now 40 feet from the door, so the remaining two monsters can no longer run up to my character and attack. In this case, they opted to take a dash and move all the way up to my character, in an attempt to surround me. Being a Wood Elf scout, next turn I just disengaged and outpaced them easily.
If it worked the way you describe, then this class feature would be worthless....what's the point at all? The Skirmisher feat (to me) is to prevent a mob from moving up on you.
Only worthless to you as it doesn’t work the way you want it it.
RAW, it is very clear. It gives you limited movement and a limited disengage as an reaction.
So if a mob moves up into my face, he/she gets to do whatever he/she can do...and then, only AFTER the mob finishes can I get to use this Scout archetype ability?
This seems like a slap in the face considering how powerful other 3rd (or even 2nd!) archetype abilities are.
I get to move half my speed AFTER being attacked? Not even just one attack, if the mob has 5 attacks....I can't use my reaction until after all 5 attacks?!
So if a mob moves up into my face, he/she gets to do whatever he/she can do...and then, only AFTER the mob finishes can I get to use this Scout archetype ability?
This seems like a slap in the face considering how powerful other 3rd (or even 2nd!) archetype abilities are.
I get to move half my speed AFTER being attacked? Not even just one attack, if the mob has 5 attacks....I can't use my reaction until after all 5 attacks?!
What is a "mob" here? Is that one monster, or some sort of house-ruled "swarm" of goblins or something? If it is a single monster then yes, it approaches and attacks and when it is done then you fly away. If it is a house-rule thing then you may need to discuss this class feature in more detail with your DM, since it is supposed to kick in as soon as the very first single enemy reaches and attacks you. 5 attacks seems like quite a few for the average single monster in a single attack...
Yes, but if there are five creatures, the first one attacks you, ends its turn next to you, and then you move away without provoking opportunity attacks; the other four don't automatically get attacks on you. When a creature ends its turn next to you, it happens. If you're a Wood Elf, that means you get half your speed (15 feet). If another enemy gets close to you and attacks you in melee, you get to move again; there's nothing in the rules that says "and this only happens once per turn". EVERY time an enemy ends its turn next to you, you get to move, instantly, right away.
At 9th level, you get 10 more feet of movement. Heck, let's say you pick up the Mobile feat at some point; suddenly you've got 55 feet of movement, and can move 25 feet away every time an enemy ends its turn next to you. That is astoundingly handy.
If another enemy gets close to you and attacks you in melee, you get to move again; there's nothing in the rules that says "and this only happens once per turn". EVERY time an enemy ends its turn next to you, you get to move, instantly, right away.
Actually, there is a rule that says that: the one that says you only get one reaction per round.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
What is a "mob" here? Is that one monster, or some sort of house-ruled "swarm" of goblins or something? If it is a single monster then yes, it approaches and attacks and when it is done then you fly away. If it is a house-rule thing then you may need to discuss this class feature in more detail with your DM, since it is supposed to kick in as soon as the very first single enemy reaches and attacks you. 5 attacks seems like quite a few for the average single monster in a single attack...
Sorry, a "mob" is meant to be one monster/opponent. Our party has recently been fighting Xill...and some of them get 5 attacks (claw, claw, claw, claw AND bite).
...5 attacks seems like quite a few for the average single monster in a single attack...
Sorry, a "mob" is meant to be one monster/opponent. Our party has recently been fighting Xill...and some of them get 5 attacks (claw, claw, claw, claw AND bite).
Ah. They are things not in this list of monsters so I know nothing of them. Then, I think the solution is for you to not fight those things. Fight other things. If you see those things just say "nope" and boots-of-flying your way outa there...
I feel like if/when they do bring them across they will probably max out around 3 attacks. That's the most you tend to see in 5e I think, and the Scout's Skirmisher feature will appreciate that. It is at its most effective when the enemies have one big attack rather than 5 little ones - since it serves mainly to avoid the single attack of opportunity rather than all the attacks during their turn. Its best value is against a horde of small creatures with single attacks, as you would possibly only face one of those attacks total rather than getting an attack from each, then surrounded by people waiting to opportunity attack you (forcing you to use your bonus action to disengage).
Thanks a bunch for everyone on here for helping me see how Skirmisher works.
Edit: So our DM has been porting this 3.5 campaign to 5E. Pretty sure he's given some of the Xill Monk levels, so they're using Flurry of Blows to get 5 attacks a round.
Mob moves at me and finally, the DM gets to corner my ranged DPS! Nope, as per Skirmisher I get to move (as a reaction) half my speed.
Me: Ok....I fly up 10 feet.
DM: What?
Me: Skirmisher lets me move half my move speed if an opponent closes on me. You can't attack me. Plus, I put a whip in my hand end of my last turn, bow held in my off hand. If the mob doesn't just sit there and do nothing....I'll get an Opportunity attack with sneak attack damage.
DM: Well I have you next round, you can't fire your bow AND hold a whip.
Me: I drop my whip (free action), fire my bow. If the enemy below me is still alive....draw my backup whip.
Are you asking for clarification on the rules for the skirmisher ability? Your example of play is incorrect.
I added the bold formatting to highlight the relevant part. So for your example:
It's a useful ability for certain and I play a Scout in a game currently, but it isn't immunity to being attacked in melee.
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"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
If it worked the way you describe, then this class feature would be worthless....what's the point at all? The Skirmisher feat (to me) is to prevent a mob from moving up on you.
Pun-loving nerd | Faith Elisabeth Lilley | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
That....is something I'll have to apologize to my DM about. We both read it wrong.
Pun-loving nerd | Faith Elisabeth Lilley | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
Thanks for the clarification. My DM will be happy to know he can still attack me before I get my move reaction....
So if a mob moves up into my face, he/she gets to do whatever he/she can do...and then, only AFTER the mob finishes can I get to use this Scout archetype ability?
This seems like a slap in the face considering how powerful other 3rd (or even 2nd!) archetype abilities are.
I get to move half my speed AFTER being attacked? Not even just one attack, if the mob has 5 attacks....I can't use my reaction until after all 5 attacks?!
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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"Mob" is MMORPG-speak for "enemy creature". Comes from old MUDs, where it stood for "mobile", as in "object that can move".
Yes, but if there are five creatures, the first one attacks you, ends its turn next to you, and then you move away without provoking opportunity attacks; the other four don't automatically get attacks on you. When a creature ends its turn next to you, it happens. If you're a Wood Elf, that means you get half your speed (15 feet). If another enemy gets close to you and attacks you in melee, you get to move again; there's nothing in the rules that says "and this only happens once per turn". EVERY time an enemy ends its turn next to you, you get to move, instantly, right away.
At 9th level, you get 10 more feet of movement. Heck, let's say you pick up the Mobile feat at some point; suddenly you've got 55 feet of movement, and can move 25 feet away every time an enemy ends its turn next to you. That is astoundingly handy.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
Xill haven't been ported to 5E yet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xill
Reading through the ability, I now see my error.
Thanks a bunch for everyone on here for helping me see how Skirmisher works.
Edit: So our DM has been porting this 3.5 campaign to 5E. Pretty sure he's given some of the Xill Monk levels, so they're using Flurry of Blows to get 5 attacks a round.
They DO have 4 arms/hands.
There is already a 4 armed creature in ToA that has a multiattack with bite and 4 arms so it wouldn't be unheard of.