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

[Remathilis]

AoO's should be dropped when it comes to movement. Here is why. Fighter X and Fighter Y are in melee Rogue X (on the X team) moves past them. He is not running or throwing caution to the wind and is no more vulnerable to attacks than Fighter X. The result is Fighter Y should not get an attack when it is not his turn just because someone moved past him.

The reasoning for this is so a fighter can "hold the line" against multiple foes. By the laws of grid-based combat, if a fighter is holding the line against three charging foes (each wants to get past him to get to the mage who fireballed them a round ago) The fighter could only block one (the one he's litterally standing in front of) but the other two get a clear pass.

M = Mage
F = Fighter 1
1, 2, 3 = Rival Fighters
X = Open Square

X X M X X
X X X X X
X X F X X
X X X X X
X 1 2 3 X

2 is dead blocked, 1 and 3 are going to make mage-kabobs. However, that AoO makes fighter 1 (or 3, or both if he has combat reflexes) think twice about it. F is going to get at least one AoO (which could be a crit, or just a solid hit) and dead block 2 (unless 2 overruns, which is something else entirely). So lets say he AoOs 3, stops 2, and lets one 1. He didn't drop 3 with his AoO, but 3 is now more messed up than normal. The mage still is screwed, but maybe his shocking grasp can finish off 3...

Now, in my scenario (and your rogue/flanker one) there are still plenty of ways to avoid F's AoO or minimize it. Perhaps 3 has tumble; DC 15 tumble gets you past F's threat zone. 2 could pull a 25 tumble and avoid F also. Or they could take the first and last rows (all Xs on the chart), which will prevent the AoO, but foils a charge attempt (no longer a straight line). Or 1 and 3 can use mobility to have the AoO miss. There are plenty of options for those who don't wish to provoke AoOs, but they require some investment (skills, feat, or movement).

 

[frankthedm]

May Attacks of Opportunity die a slow painful death...


but be fully dead before 4e.

So what do you expect to stop the foes from going right part the tanks to the unarmored characters?

 

[Numion]

AoO's should be dropped when it comes to movement. Here is why. Fighter X and Fighter Y are in melee Rogue X (on the X team) moves past them. He is not running or throwing caution to the wind and is no more vulnerable to attacks than Fighter X. The result is Fighter Y should not get an attack when it is not his turn just because someone moved past him.

But he was throwing caution to the wind. He decided to prance past the fighter in a few seconds. If he had gone past him slower (over several turns) he could've kept his guards as up as fighter X.

Example #2 Fighter X and Fighter Y are in melee, easch is using a bastard sword. Ranger Y is 15' away from them outflanking (not to be confused with flanking) team X and is trying to shoot Wizard X. Fighter X moves 15' away from Fighter Y to attack Ranger Y since he is out of reach immediately IE in 5'. Fighter Y should not get an attack of opportunity because there is no opportunity.

Fighter X, instead of keeping his guard fully on Fighter Y leaves to whack someone else. He let his guard down. That's opportunity.

They did some study on a bones in an ancient battlefield and noticed that most lethal blows were from behind, i.e. on targets moving away from the enemy. Not that realism had anything to do with this, though.

 

[Remathilis]

AoOs keep the game's combat anchored in D&D's wargaming roots. Hopefully AoOs in 4E will deny dex and dodge bonuses.

Well, that would make mobility redundant; it grants a +4 DODGE bonus to AC vs AoOs.

 

[KB9JMQ]

I like them and will add them back if they are taken out.

 

[Yellow Sign]

AOO are great! Keep them.

 

[pogre]

I would like to see AoO replaced with zones of control and overwatch.

 

[DragonLancer]

Attacks of Opportunity. Boy-howdy, what a concept.

Do you think AoO needs to be kept or discarded when the next iteration of DnD is developed?

Not dropped but they should be scaled back a lot so not everything draws an AoO.

 

[Psion]

Yes, kept, absolutely. AoO's prevent people magically running past each other because everybody else is "frozen in time" because it's not their turn.

Yup.

They could pare it down a bit, but I don't see them as a huge problem as is. In 3.0, the explanation was rather convoluted. They simplified the explanation in 3.5 considerably.

 

[Psion]

I would like to see AoO replaced with zones of control and overwatch.