AoO...Cleave...again...

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

If it's just what it says (RAW), then it's superfluous because all trip attacks are melee attacks and by definition you're in melee combat.

Not true.

I don't have IUS, and you don't have IUS, and in round 1, you attack me. In round 2, I attack you and decide to trip you as an unarmed attack.

We are not in melee, by the RAW definition of it.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Not true.

I don't have IUS, and you don't have IUS, and in round 1, you attack me. In round 2, I attack you and decide to trip you as an unarmed attack.

We are not in melee, by the RAW definition of it.

Note that the premise I responded to is that an AoO was provoked (the question is about tripping during an AoO), so we are indeed in melee combat. I apologize for having implied a broader generalization than that in my response.

 

[Quasqueton]

So, if I'm standing there with my sword out, and you run past me, I can trip you (unarmed touch attack, opposed Str/Dex check).

If I'm standing there without my sword out, and you run past me, I cannot trip you.

Even though the sword is not used at all in the trip.

Quasqueton

 

[Infiniti2000]

Right.

 

[Nim]

So. I'm a caster with a sword in my hand. I cast a spell while in a threatened area, provoking an attack of opportunity. My opponent uses his AoO to take an action that itself provokes an AoO (such as trying to disarm me). If I take the Attack of Opportunity, do I disrupt my casting?

And what if I respond by trying to Disarm HIM? And he responds by trying to Disarm ME? And....

 

[Dimwhit]

AoOs do provoke AoOs. Remember, though, that unless you have Combat Reflexes, each person only gets one per round, so you won't usually have a long chain of AoOs.

 

[Infiniti2000]

So. I'm a caster with a sword in my hand. I cast a spell while in a threatened area, provoking an attack of opportunity. My opponent uses his AoO to take an action that itself provokes an AoO (such as trying to disarm me). If I take the Attack of Opportunity, do I disrupt my casting?

And what if I respond by trying to Disarm HIM? And he responds by trying to Disarm ME? And....

You cannot take an AoO while casting a spell because "While casting a spell, you don’t threaten any squares around you."

 

[Nim]

Hmmm. Good point. How far does that go, though? Would you get an AoO at someone who moved THROUGH your square (say, someone who failed their Tumble check)? If someone tries to disarm a caster and fails, can the caster make the followup Disarm check? It doesn't actually say you have to threaten their square to do so.

 

[irdeggman]

Hmmm. Good point. How far does that go, though? Would you get an AoO at someone who moved THROUGH your square (say, someone who failed their Tumble check)? If someone tries to disarm a caster and fails, can the caster make the followup Disarm check? It doesn't actually say you have to threaten their square to do so.

You can't make an AoO unless you threaten. Casting a spell prevents you from threatening so no AoO it doesn't matter how close the opponent is.

Tumble at one-half speed through an area occupied by an enemy (over, under, or around the opponent) as part of normal movement, provoking no attacks of opportunity while doing so. Failure means you stop before entering the enemy-occupied area and provoke an attack of opportunity from that enemy.
Check separately for each opponent. Each additional enemy after the first adds +2 to the Tumble DC.

Now the one who failed his tumbel check stops before entering the occupied square. he would generate an AoO from anyone threatening there.

So if the sword wielding spellcaster hadn't started casting yet he would threaten so could take the AoO but once he starts casting he no longer threatens so can't.

 

[Hypersmurf]

AoO are not generated by threatening.

Well, now, I'd disagree there.

If I move out of a threatened square or take certain actions while threatened, I provoke an AoO.

If I move out of a non-threatened square or take certain actions while not threatened, I don't provoke an AoO.

It's not that I provoke an AoO, but nobody can make one on me; unless I'm threatened, I don't provoke one in the first place.

-Hyp.