Feat question

[Dan'L]

Does this means a character can generaly avoid taking an opportunity attack by declaring the action as a readied action?

For example, can a ranged character use a ranged attack on a adjacent opponent without taking an attack of opportunity, by declaring the attack as a readied action: "Whenever the opponent taks a minor, move or standard action" ?

That seems a bit gamey and cheap to me. :-/

It really depends on how specific your DM wants you to be in choosing a trigger for the readied action. For example, I don't think it would be too out of line to request that you be more specific than minor/move/standard. A trigger such as "this enemy attacks myself or an ally" would be more in line than simply "takes a standard action."

A few other considerations:

-The readied action is an immediate reaction. If your attack would kill the enemy, you've just let it do it's nastiness anyway. Not much difference if their on-turn attack is the same as their opportunity attack, but if they have conditions/effects/riders to their on-turn attack, then they get the extra opportunity to inflict it upon you & your allies.

-Similarly, if you are inflicting an effect, inflicting it during the enemy's own turn can weaken its effectiveness.

-If your target has allies who can get in melee around you before the target takes the triggering action, your attack will still draw OAs from these other baddies.

Overall, you could ready an action to avoid allowing one creature one chance at an OA, but usually there are much better things you could be doing than attacking in this fashion.

-Dan'L

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

Actually, it does work (unless you have a rules quote where it does not?).

Your solution is even better. Zero opportunity attacks instead of one.

Would this be the rules quote you are looking for perhaps?????

Immediate Reaction: A readied action is an immediate reaction. It takes place after your enemy completes the action that triggers it.

If you read the entire section it refers only to the ENEMY and never anything else. The monsters would have to Delay or do as Nail had described.

 

[Nail]

Does this means a character can generaly avoid taking an opportunity attack by declaring the action as a readied action?

Yep!

That seems a bit gamey and cheap to me. :-/

Are sound tactics cheap?

Concider these two things:

• Readied actions are often inferior to a full set of actions, given that you often must charge, and thus have only a basic melee attack. You also lose your place in initiative.

• There are plenty of ways to describe cinematicly how this would look. "All of them wait for you to make a move, then spring by you while you are distracted." Using the rules to move tactically doesn't have to be cheesy.

 

[Nail]

Actually, it does work (unless you have a rules quote where it does not?).

I *think* that it doesn't work because the moves are still occuring on a turn other than the OA guy's turn, therefore he still gets to make OAs. I could be wrong.

 

[Talysian]

I think if it's not RAW this is probably RAI.

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

I *think* that it doesn't work because the moves are still occuring on a turn other than the OA guy's turn, therefore he still gets to make OAs. I could be wrong.

Pssst read my post a couple above yours

 

[Nail]

Pssst read my post a couple above yours

Our two posts are saying different things, so it's all good.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

So if all the enemies readied their actions to take place when the Ranger took an action...

1. The Ranger now has an incredible Power available: "Do Nothing". The power effectively stuns all the enemies for an entire turn. Not much fun, but powerful.

2. Question: If the DM readies an action (or delays, I suppose) should the DM communicate this to the players?

 

[Thundershield]

So if all the enemies readied their actions to take place when the Ranger took an action...

1. The Ranger now has an incredible Power available: "Do Nothing". The power effectively stuns all the enemies for an entire turn. Not much fun, but powerful.

2. Question: If the DM readies an action (or delays, I suppose) should the DM communicate this to the players?

As for your question, there was an interesting article about game transparency in Dragon recently. There's multiple ways of handling this depending on what level of game transparency you want to use in your game.

You can have:
No transparency (the DM says nothing - generally discouraged)
Mild transparency (the DM describes how the creature prepares for something)
Moderate transparency (the DM describes how the creature focuses its eyes on you, raising its blade to assault you)
Full transparency (the DM explains what action it readied and with what trigger)

So, really, pick one that fits with your playstyle, but stay consistent about it.

 

[Klaus]

So if all the enemies readied their actions to take place when the Ranger took an action...

1. The Ranger now has an incredible Power available: "Do Nothing". The power effectively stuns all the enemies for an entire turn. Not much fun, but powerful.

2. Question: If the DM readies an action (or delays, I suppose) should the DM communicate this to the players?

1 - Well, it IS a daily power.

2 - Unless the opponents have a hivemind of sorts, I think they'd have to communicate amongst themselves, and the characters should hear something like "wait for my signal".