A percent chance of getting AOO instead of automatic

[Stalker0]

One thing I've never liked about AOO, is that they are automatic. You do A, you get B punishment. That doesn't really fly with me when you think of dueling and such, sure trying to disarm your opponent leave you a bit more open, but the opponent doesn't get a chance to capitalize EVERY time you do it.

So I was thinking, why not assign a percentage to each action that provokes AOO. For instace, leave movement at 100%, it would get too complex otherwise.

Disarm could have a 75% of so chance, grappling like 50%, tripping could have a 20% chance (I'm just throwing numbers out there). You could then make feats that would allow you to increase the percentage or decrease it. For example improved disarm could decrease the percentage by x amount, that way there's still a risk for that as well.

Benefits:
1) People might use complex combat moves more often since there's a chance of getting away with it clean.

2) Those moves become more interesting. At high levels of combat, when the first attack is a guarranteed miss, then trying a combat maneuver practically means you take damage. With percents, that doesn't always happens, so there's the tension of seeing if you take an AOO or not.

3) It helps to curb the AOO cycle, where one AOO uses a move that provoke an AOO etc.

Drawbacks:

1) More dice rolling, slows down combat.

2) May make certain combat moves too powerful.


What do you all think?

 

[Geoff Watson]

AoO's aren't automatic. They need to roll to hit.
Your suggestion makes the anti-AoO feats like Improved Disarm too weak. Maybe combine two or three into one feat.

Geoff.

 

[Stalker0]

AoO's aren't automatic. They need to roll to hit.
Your suggestion makes the anti-AoO feats like Improved Disarm too weak. Maybe combine two or three into one feat.

Geoff.

But as I pointed out, often times at higher levels the highest BAB (which the enemy gets) is almost always a hit. This helps to curb that. I agree that improved disarm would have to be tweaked.

 

[Phaedrus]

I think I agree with Geoff... they have to roll to hit.
But then again, you're right... high levels, high BAB = hit.

What about a Feat that increases your AC against AoOs? Something like this perhaps?

Improved Mobility
PreReq: Dex 13+, Dodge, Mobility
Benefit: When you do something to provoke an AoO, you receive a +4 Dodge bonus to AC. This bonus does not stack with Mobility, but rather expands the circumstances under which the Mobility bonus applies.

 

[Drawmack]

This mechanic is very wonky under the d20 system. It should be kept to a d20 roll instead.

My two suggestions are a reflex save with different actions having different DC.

Or a wisdom check to see if the person notices it.

You could do a roll off of some sort as well, maybe the target makes a reflex save vs. the attackers initiative or something like that.


But the % chance is just wonky.

 

[Stalker0]

I think I agree with Geoff... they have to roll to hit.
But then again, you're right... high levels, high BAB = hit.

What about a Feat that increases your AC against AoOs? Something like this perhaps?

Improved Mobility
PreReq: Dex 13+, Dodge, Mobility
Benefit: When you do something to provoke an AoO, you receive a +4 Dodge bonus to AC. This bonus does not stack with Mobility, but rather expands the circumstances under which the Mobility bonus applies.

The problem with this is that what about using disarm for AOO? IT doesn't use AC. I could change it to AC and attacks or something, but then that's a better chance that a person could counter disarm you, which is not what I'm trying to do.

But I guess there's not a lot of support for this idea.

 

[Khorod]

You could create an expertise type of structure.

You may take -x/+x to action roll/AC vs. AoO up to +/-5.

I would only make this a feat if , oh, Improved Disarm & Improved Sunder were combined into 1, and Improved Bull Rush with Improved Trip. Otherwise, I would just leave it as a combat rule.