Attacks of Opportunity Provoking Attacks of Opportunity

[Don]

We had a situation in our last gaming session where an action from a villain (moving thru a threatened aread) provoked an AoO from one of the players. The player tried to grapple the villain and provoked an AoO on himself...we think.

What are the exact rules on AoO that provoke other AoO? Obviously it can't go on forever.

Note: We ruled that AoO cannot provoke additional AoO.

 

[IceBear]

An AoO can provoke an AoO. But since you can only take one AoO per round against an opponent, it shouldn't get too bad.

(Even with my house rule of only one AoO per opponent per opportunity, it doesn't get out of hand).

IceBear

 

[milo]

I think AoO's can provoke AoO's. There is a limit of one AoO per round per person unless they have the combat reflexes feat. There is still a limit to the number a AoO's in a round though based on dex, so it wouldn't go on forever just until both or one person ran out of AoO's for the round. I think.

 

[Artoomis]

There is a limit of one per round normally, and one per opponent when using the feat: Combat Reflexes (with the number of AoOs limited by your Dex modifier).

If you read combat reflexes pretty loosely and generously and squint your eyes a bit, you can get more than that - one per opportunity (of course, that's only the PHB version - the released SRD version contains no even slightly ambiguous language).

And yes, an AoO can trigger an AoO, but, as you can see, this is not a serious problem at all.

 

[IceBear]

I agree that is the way to use Combat Reflexes. My house rule was a conscious houserule to beef up Combat Reflexes a little (in our campaigns there are rarely more than one AoO per round, and the few times it did come up it was the same opponent, and the player that took the feat was a good whiner ).

Anyway, I identified it as my house rule so I hope it didn't cause any confusion.

IceBear

 

[Don]

Wow! So many informative replies appeared so quickly! I'll definately relay this info with my DM. Thanks.

 

[CapnZapp]

What does this thread got to do with "digital dams", I wonder...?

 

[Greenfield]

Character A moved through a square threatened by character B. Or Character A tries to cast a spell, or use a ranged weapon, or rise from a prone position. Doesn't matter.

AoO only happens if character B is armed with a melee weapon (or a natural weapon, when applicable). The AoO must be taken with that weapon.

You don't get to draw your weapon and attack, even with Quick Draw, because if that weapon isn't already in hand then no AoO was actually provoked.

Armed with a bow or sling? You can't take AoO with a ranged weapon.

So in the example given no AoO should have occurred if character B (the grappler) didn't have a weapon in hand. If he did, then he attacks with that weapon. If he has Improved Unarmed Strike, or some natural weapon then the attack can be made with that. If he (or she, to be fair) has Improved Grapple then they can use that to attack. They're proficient and "armed".

No Unarmed Strike or Improved Grapple, and no melee weapon in hand? No opportunity, no AoO.

And yeah, I know, this is over a decade old.