2 Questions- AoO & Tower Shields

[Fenros]

I'm sure these are old questions that have already been talked about, but I hope you don't mind me bringing them up again. I couldn't find any recent threads that delt with these two questions I had.

Attack of Opportunity : I couldn't print out the PDF file I downloaded from the WotC site for the PHB errata. I assumed they may have explained the AoO a bit better in there. Could someone kinda re-explain it to me?

In the PHB it says, " If you move within or out of a threatened area, you usually provoke an attack of opportunity. If all you do is move (not run) during your turn, the space that you start out in is not considered threatened, and therefore enemies do not get attacks of opportunity against you when you move from that space."

Okay, I've put the words that I have trouble with in bold. So, if I'm using hex maps (each hex is 5 feet), the enemy threatens the hexes around his hex right? So, let's say I'm already in that threatened ring of hexes around that enemy. I'm basically standing next to him in combat. Then I move to the next hex over, which is also in his threatened area. According to the book, that's moving within a threatened area. Does he get an AoO on me?

But since the move I just made is a 5' step, it says on Table 8-1(pg.122) that a 5' move doesn't provoke an AoO. If that's so, then if I maintain my movement each round to only move 5' inside a threatened area, I'm okay right?

Also, if I move 2 hexes in his threatened area, he gets an AoO on me right? Basically, that ring of hexes around his hex is threatened. I'm in one hex within the ring. I then move around him, in that ring of threatened hexes. I move 2 or 3 hexes for example, all within that ring, basically circling him, ....then he gets an AoO on me? Because i'm moving within his threatened area?

Does moving into a threatened area cause a AoO? Example: The enemy threatens that ring of hexes around him. I'm outside that ring. I move (not run) into that ring to stand beside him and attack. Does he get an AoO on me?

Okay, let's say I'm already in his threatened area. Then I move out of it. I shuffle back like 4 hexes (because I wanna back up and throw my dagger or whatever). He gets an AoO on me first right?

The PHB says, " If you move within or out of a threatened area, you usually provoke an attack of opportunity. Usually? When does moving out of a threatened area not provoke a AoO then?



Tower Shields: PHB says, " Basically, it is a portable wall meant to provide cover. It can provide up to total cover, depending on how far you come out from behind it."

So I assume I treat the Tower Shield not as armor, but as cover? If so, the PHB says (in the section concerning Cover), " Cover provides a bonus to your AC. The more cover you have, the bigger the bonus. In a melee, if you have cover against an opponent, that opponent probably has cover against you , too."

Probably? Does he or doesn't he? I assume he does. I player in my campaign has a tower shield. First time I've had to deal with this. If he is in melee, and is in half cover behind his tower shield he gets a +4 AC cover bonus from his attacker right? But, when he goes to attack the guy he is in melee with, that guy also has a +4 AC cover bonus too?


Thankyou for reading my long post. Thanks for any rules advice you can give me.

 

[SylverFlame]

Okay, for the AoO's (assuming the enemy has no feats to increase his number of AoO's)...

The space you are in is NOT threatened if you move (not running), cast defensively, etc. When you move from that normally threatened space into another threatened space you do NOT draw AoO's from anyone but your next move (if into another threatened space) draws AoO's from everyone you threatens. So, your second and later steps that round draw them. You also don't draw from leaving a space unless you run.

The Tower Shield only draws attacks if your character is gaining the bonus. You can declare that you are "lowering the shield." You would lose the bonus and so would the opponent.

This is my interpretation of the rules. If anyone finds out I am wrong, please let me know.

 

[Stalker0]

For AOO, follow this guideline. Assume whenever you move, you provoke AOO. There are a few exceptions to this:

1) If your move is a 5ft step, you do not provoke an AOO.
2) If all you do is move (meaning no attacking, casting spells, whatever) then the inital square you are in is not threatened for AOO. Here's an example.

Edit: deleted because my diagrams came out wrong

For tower shields, I highly recommend looking at the faq, there's a great segment in it that explains almost all tower shield questions.

 

[Fenros]

Okay, I think I understand AoO now. I went to the Articles section on the front page of EN World.

However, I can't seem to find anything concerning Tower Shields in the EN World faq section. Or did you mean the WotC faq section? Went there too. Tried to read with Microsoft Word and it can't do it. What am I doing wrong here?

 

[The It's Man]

(...). Tried to read with Microsoft Word and it can't do it. What am I doing wrong here?

The WotC's FAQ's are pdf's. You'll need adobe acrobat reader for that. If you don't have it installed on your computer, it's.. a free download: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

(changed URL, was pointing to the not free version of AA 5 )

 

[Squire James]

I think it is reasonable to assume that the opponent is getting exactly the same amount of cover from a Tower Shield as you are. If you're hiding behind the shield for Total Cover, things on the other side of the shield have Total Cover as well. If you use it for Half Cover, so is the opponent.

Of course, anyone not constrined to attack from one direction is likely to simply walk around the shield and attack normally.