AoO against people out of reach?

[myradale]

Ok, using Trip, Disarm or Sunder without the relevant "Improved..." feat provokes AoO from the target. But what if you are using a reach weapon? If your opponent doesn't have a reach weapon, it would seem impossible for him to strike at you. Striking the weapon would seem possible though, so a responsive disarm or sunder seems ok... although if the target didn't have the requisite feats he too would provoke AoO's and set up the fun Combat reflexes "who flinchs first" scenario. So assuming the target DID have the feats, and didn't provoke AoO's of his own, it would go...

1 I swing my spiked chain at him to disarm.
2 He gets an AoO, which he uses to try a sunder... sunder does 5hp damage to chain
3 I try the disarm, and fail.
4 He now gets a chance to disarm me in return.

Sound right?

Now if no one had "improved..." I would get an AoO that occurs just before 2, where I could hit him, sunder or disarm?
And assuming no one has combat reflexes it stops there?

Am I missing something, or do I end up getting MORE chances to disarm him if neither of us have improved disarm, as opposed to just me having it?

Just a mental exercise for those smarter than I.

 

[Hypersmurf]

But what if you are using a reach weapon? If your opponent doesn't have a reach weapon, it would seem impossible for him to strike at you.

That's right.

"Performing a Distracting Act: Some actions, when performed in a threatened square, provoke attacks of opportunity as you divert your attention from the battle."

If you're not in a threatened square when you perform the action - like Disarm - you don't provoke an AoO.

-Hyp.

 

[myradale]

even against the weapon?

 

[0-hr]

even against the weapon?

A common house rule (and one that makes sense), but still a house rule.

 

[Sheng Long Gradilla]

By the RAW, out of melee reach = no AoO

It's that simple. Only those who threaten you with a melee weapon can make AoO against you.

 

[UltimaGabe]

even against the weapon?

Well, if the weapon (and inanimate object) has a threatened space, and if the weapon diverted its attention enough to incur an Attack of Opportunity (such as by drinking a potion, casting a spell, or standing up from prone) then the enemy could very well make an Attack of Opportunity against the weapon.

However, the weapon didn't incur the attack of opportunity- the creature wielding it did. (In fact, in this case, the creature didn't even provoke an attack of opportunity, since you have to be in a threatened square to provoke an attack opportunity.)

Reach weapons are very effective ways to eliminate Attacks of Opportunity. That's kinda why they're there.

 

[Testament]

The opponent doesn't threaten you, so no dice for him. As UltimaGabe said, that's the point of reach weapons.