Opportunity Attack Limit?

[NewJeffCT]

This came up in game last night, but is there a limit to Opportunity Attacks? If player X is hidden near an open door. If the bad guys are outside the door & charge the PCs in the center of the room, is the hidden PC allowed an opportunity attack against each foe as they cross through the hidden PC's threatened space? So, if the bad guys' speed allows six of them to move and enter the room in one round, would the hidden PC get six opportunity attacks that round against the six foes that enter the room? That seemed excessive to me, but the rules the players quoted to me seemed it was unlimited.

I know in 3.5E, you are limited to one per round.

We're still pretty new to 4E overall. And, I know the players would not purposely take advantage of me - it just seemed excessive to me that it was basically unlimited free attacks.

 

[malraux]

In 4e, you're limited to 1 per turn (ie one creature's standard, move and minor actions), not one per round or other cap.

That said, I have ruled before that effectively all the creatures are just moving en mass, that is all going on one's move action, so only one OA. But that was a DM call, and contrary to the rules.

 

[Bold or Stupid]

Yes your players were right. The limit is one per turn - each creatures actions are a turn.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Yes your players were right. The limit is one per turn - each creatures actions are a turn.

thanks for the info - that seems kind of excessive to me since they were all moving on the same initiative.

 

[TDarien]

thanks for the info - that seems kind of excessive to me since they were all moving on the same initiative.

Note though, that the PC would under most circumstances not remain hidden once the first enemy came past him.

Since each of the enemies has their own individual turn (even if you move them all at once), those following the first would see the first was attacked, and could plan their moves accordingly.

You could rule that the act of attacking the first enemy causes enough noise so that the PC is no longer hidden to the rest of them or the PC does remain hidden to the monsters until they have line of sight to him. Remember that invisible != hidden.

 

[DracoSuave]

To be more specific:

You're allowed one opportunity action per turn. Opportunity attacks use that up, but you might have others.

 

[spayne]

5 of the enemies can ready an action to move on the sixth enemy's turn. Then they all move on the same turn and the PC gets a single OA.

 

[Nullzone]

5 of the enemies can ready an action to move on the sixth enemy's turn. Then they all move on the same turn and the PC gets a single OA.

I'm not sure about that. They readied an action which then triggers on the 6th; they are still resolved in the order they readied. Turn order applies and then is reset as a result of the ready trigger, by my take.

 

[DracoSuave]

I'm not sure about that. They readied an action which then triggers on the 6th; they are still resolved in the order they readied. Turn order applies and then is reset as a result of the ready trigger, by my take.

Readied actions are, when triggered, immediate reactions, and they occur on the turn they are triggered.

That said, using readied actions like that to evade Opportunity Actions just because OpActs are usable often is missing the point: OAs are supposed to be usable, and there exist conventional means to evade them: Shifts, teleports, and that sort of thing.

 

[NewJeffCT]

To be more specific:

You're allowed one opportunity action per turn. Opportunity attacks use that up, but you might have others.

So, technically, if 50+ mindless undead rushed through the threatened space of a nonliving good guy towards the living players (the only way into the room), the nonliving good guy could get 50+ attacks that round.