Avoiding AOO via Readied Actions?

[two]

It this legal?

Player A and Player B are next to monster XXX.

Player B has been dishing out lots of damage and monster XXX is targeting that PC.

Player A wants to cast a spell but can't without drawing an AOO from the monster (can't move, bad concentration, etc.).

Can Player A ready the following action:

"When Monster XXX attacks Player B I cast spell YYY?"

So, just as Monster XXX attacks, this PC casts a spell.

Question: does the Monster get an AOO?

Yes: because the rules say so.
No: the readied action gives the monster essentially no "time" to take an AOO.

Your thoughts?

 

[Vraister]

Yes.

Otherwise the player could also say "When the monster attacks me I cast the spell x." which would be a bad thing.

As soon as player B gets his ready action its not the monsters turn and it therefore gets AoO.

Vraister

 

[MarkB]

Whether it's the monster's turn or not makes no difference - if an opponent provokes an AoO during your turn (which can happen), you still get to make the AoO, assuming you have one available.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The question gave me an interesting idea, but there are at least a couple of ways to read the rules so that it doesn't work.

Hinging on the concept of "Take your standard action to Ready a move, and while that action is readied, take your move action to move... potentially triggering your Readied action mid-movement."

As a way to move past someone without taking an AoO hit on the way, for example.

-Hyp.

 

[Joker]

Assuming no Combat Reflexes, Player B could do something to provoke a AoO, letting player A cast a spell.

 

[pawsplay]

Character A should just take a 5' step to gain cover from B.

 

[MarkB]

Character A should just take a 5' step to gain cover from B.

Assuming there's somewhere to step to.

 

[pawsplay]

Assuming there's somewhere to step to.

If not, character B needs to not put his back to the wall while the monsters eat his caster.

 

[MarkB]

<Deleted>

 

[pawsplay]

The question gave me an interesting idea, but there are at least a couple of ways to read the rules so that it doesn't work.

Hinging on the concept of "Take your standard action to Ready a move, and while that action is readied, take your move action to move... potentially triggering your Readied action mid-movement."

As a way to move past someone without taking an AoO hit on the way, for example.

-Hyp.

Wouldn't the readied move still trigger the AoO though?