Attack of Opportunity -- does it deserve to survive to v.4?

[Plane Sailing]

It's hard for me to think up an AoO-less system that still works the way 3.5 combat does that doesn't involve everyone scurrying right past the fighters and killing the mages *or* the fighters standing there doing nothing but guarding the mages. Either one makes the game more boring.

Check out some of my suggestions earlier in the thread.

One that I've found works exceptionally well is this: You just run through the area that someone can reach - you can only do it in 5ft steps. So in a 15ft wide corridor the linebacker fighter stands in the middle and nobody can "just run past him and smite the mage". They basically have to deal with him first.

Or tumble.

Or have the mobility feat (which allows normal movement through areas within someones reach).

Works great. We've played lots of Star Wars d20 with just those rules and it works a treat. No worries at all.

Works fairly well in narrative combat too.

Cheers

 

[Mortis]

AOOs should stay.

The idea of 4E should be discarded.

QFT

Regards
Mortis

 

[Numion]

Are you saying combat strategy wasn't part of the game before 3E?

In my experience it wasn't.

Movement wasn't of tactical importance. It also was much more about personal prowess of each combatant instead of team play where some members are protected by others. Mind you, I liked it, but I like 3E combat so much more.

YMMV, you can quote some obscure rules, and all that.