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This scenario happened in our 4E game last night. A Troll (2x2) started in a non-threatened space and tried to move 2 squares to attack the cleric. With the first step, it entered a square threatened by the striker. With the next step, the back of it's body still occupied the threatened square but the striker argued that she got to make an opportunity attack. In my opinion, the Troll was not leaving the threatened square and therefore, did not provoke?

Scenario A

Does the troll provoke an opportunity attack on step 3?

('T' is the troll, 'R' being the player)

 TTx       xxx       xxx
 TTx  ->   TTx  ->   xxx
 xxR       TTR       TTR
 xxx       xxx       TTx

Scenario B:

What about here? (The threatened square being 'A')

 TTx       xxx       xxx
 TTx  ->   TTx  ->   xxx
 xAx       TTx       TTx
 xxR       xxR       TTR
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    \$\begingroup\$ Fritz, I added an illustration to try to show exactly what you're talking about. Please take a look and make sure I've got exactly what you're talking about. \$\endgroup\$
    – wax eagle
    Commented Mar 1, 2014 at 23:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ Actually this interests me more in how larger creatures might AoO other larger creatures \$\endgroup\$
    – CatLord
    Commented Mar 2, 2014 at 14:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Fritz Rotating doesn't cost movement in 4e, in fact facing does not matter at all. This may be where you are having the issue. In the scenario you describe (if your comment on my answer means what I think it means) the troll would only take 1 step. Let us know and I'll revise my answer and edit the illustration that Waxeagle started. \$\endgroup\$
    – Joshua Aslan Smith
    Commented Mar 2, 2014 at 16:19
  • \$\begingroup\$ Sorry about any confusion. Finally figured out how I could edit the diagram (picture worth 1000 words). The empty, threatened space in question is the 'A'. The troll enters it but does not leave it. Does R get an OA? \$\endgroup\$
    – Fritz
    Commented Mar 3, 2014 at 4:58
  • \$\begingroup\$ To answer other issues brought up: I was not concerned about rotation. I understand the 360 thing in 4th Ed., but the troll was just moving straight down. And yes, he does enter (or tries to enter) a 2nd threatened square where he intends to stop and it is on this move that the Striker claimed a provoke on square A. I guess he was claiming that the bottom-right part of the troll left the threatened square. I said the troll was one entity and had not tried to VACATE the square, so didn't provoke. This is unique to large creatures and wouldn't apply to mediums. clear as mud? :) \$\endgroup\$
    – Fritz
    Commented Mar 3, 2014 at 5:13

2 Answers 2

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Scenario A - YES

Attack of opportunity can be made, yes, since Troll left one of the squares adjacent to the player - the one up and left of them, specifically.

Scenario B - NO

Troll enters the threatened area, sure, but never leaves it. Troll is a big creature that occupies 4 squares, but this doesn't mean he's a 4 different creatures duct-taped together. He did not leave the occupied area.

It doesn't matter when Troll ended his turn only if he left that square. But since he didn't no attack of opportunity should take place.

Diagram explaining both scenarios

T - troll, A - threatened area, S - striker

not adjusted   enters area    still occupying same area    left area
  TTxx             xxxx          xxxx                        xxxx
  TTxx       ->    TTxx     ->   xxxx                    ->  xxxx
  xAxx             TTxx          TTxx                        xAxx
  xxSx             xxSx          TTSx                        TTSx
  xxxx             xxxx          xxxx                        TTxx
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Yes

Moving Provokes: If an enemy leaves a square adjacent to you, you can make an opportunity attack against that enemy. However, you can’t make one if the enemy shifts or teleports or is forced to move away by a pull, a push, or a slide. -Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 290, Rules Compendium, page(s) 246.

Since provoking an opportunity attack is triggered on leaving an adjacent square it does not matter if the troll is still adjacent to you at the end of the move.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Can you actually say the troll left the square, though? It never stopped occupying that square, even though which part of its body was in the square changed. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chris Hayes
    Commented Mar 2, 2014 at 3:30
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    \$\begingroup\$ Exactly, the creature didn't leave that square at all - it's still in it! \$\endgroup\$
    – mxyzplk
    Commented Mar 2, 2014 at 4:02
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Joshua, thank you for adding the illustration (I'm not quite sure how to do that myself) but my scenario was slightly different. In your pic, YES the troll leaves a threatened sq. - the one NW of 'R'. But what if the Troll started 1 sq. further north, and still moved only 2? He would end in the position that looks like the middle grid of your illustration. Hope that makes sense. \$\endgroup\$
    – Fritz
    Commented Mar 2, 2014 at 9:16
  • \$\begingroup\$ Did the troll enter two threatened squares of the striker? I can't see how he could enter only one square, be threatened, and then move his body and still continue to be in one of the threatened squares. If he entered two squares, by definition he would have had to leave one of them, granting the opportunity attack. \$\endgroup\$
    – silversociety
    Commented Mar 2, 2014 at 21:17
  • \$\begingroup\$ @silversociety I commented on the question. I think he's importing rules about facing and rotating in place from other editions of D&D and that may be the issue. \$\endgroup\$
    – Joshua Aslan Smith
    Commented Mar 2, 2014 at 21:18

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