attack actions: to take, or not to take

[Negative Zero]

the question:
can you take an attack action, and then elect not to take your attack(s)?

the situation:
fighter runs into a room, discovers enemies and decides he wants to fight defensively, and use his expertise feat. none of the enemies are within melee range.

can he do that? (i'm sure that expertise and fighting defensively stack.) but, as per aforementioned Q, can you? what if you are in melee range, does that change the anwer?

~NegZ

 

[Hypersmurf]

Attack the floor...

-Hyp.

 

[Kitha]

Hmmm...

... given a scenario where he runs in and sees "enemies" and then decides he wants to fight defensively I would argue that the DM would have to determine if he gets the benefit of a surprise round or not (i.e are they aware of him at the same moment as he is aware of them)... and if no surprise round is available then it would go by initiative.

He can't simply see them and decide to do that if they are able to react to the siutation before he gets to even try to do that. Just because they are not in melee range doesn't mean they can't react first...

I don't see a problem with the character on his turn deciding to fight defensively even if they are out of range. Basically he's preparing himself defensively for someone entering into melee range and attacking him...

 

[Stalker0]

Yes you can elect to utilize expertise w/o actually making an attack. This is covered in the FAQ, somewhere.

Basically, you still spend the attack action, so you would only get a move action, but you can do it.

 

[Mahali]

Yes it's legal.

Any AoO you take will be at the penalty chosen.

 

[Negative Zero]

sorry about the delay in responding, i've been having all kinds of trouble logging in to the site.

thanks for the responses guys. is there a section in the PHB that states this specifically/clearly? i seem to recall seeing it once, but i can't find it.

Kitha, combat had already been initiated. our DM has a house rule that if you enter a new situation, i.e. running into or out of a room and encountering enemies, you have to make a spot check to be able to act against them that round. otherwise it takes you the rest of the round to get your bearings.

in any event, i'd really appreciate it if someone could point me to the relevant passage in the PHB, or the FAQ as Stalker0 mentioned.

thanks
~NegZ

 

[Gunslinger]

It's on the second to last page of the exerp from Dragon magazine in the PHB, 3rd column, at the top.

 

[Negative Zero]

thank you so much Gunslinger. i knew i'd seen it in there!

i also found out that fighting defensively was changed from a full attack action, to an attack action, between the first and second printings of the PHB. that's a HUGE difference! makes me wonder what else was changed.

turs out my DM had the first printing of the PHB. imma have to get him an updated version ... soon!

~NegZ