Beholder's Eye Rays & AoO

[sullivan]

The key point is that for a Beholder firing an eye ray is a free action. Free actions never provoke AoOs. The part about firing a ray as a ranged weapon merely indicates what modifiers apply to the attack roll.

Ah, the way it read I thought it was his "opinion" that they were free actions. The 3.0 Beholder definately has no mention of free actions. So ya, no brainer. The SRD actually says Free actions rarely incur attacks of opportunity. Still I can't think of any single one senario off hand. So since they are Free Actions that shifts the burden of proof to to something explicitly stating that an AoO can occur with this very specific action (all the stuff we were talking about was to do with Standard actions).

 

[Shin Okada]

The SRD actually says Free actions rarely incur attacks of opportunity. Still I can't think of any single one senario off hand. So since they are Free Actions that shifts the burden of proof to to something explicitly stating that an AoO can occur with this very specific action (all the stuff we were talking about was to do with Standard actions).

I haven't noticed that sentence. That is not in PHB, right?

And, is it actually a rule? For example, Snake's Swiftness spell (from Miniatures Handbook) allow a character to make an attack as an immediate action. Immediate action is, basically, a free action which can be taken in other character's turn. Then, I have been assuming that the attack itself still provoke AoO if that is a ranged attack or some special melee attack (say, unarmed attack without improved unarmed attack feat).

 

[Hypersmurf]

The SRD actually says Free actions rarely incur attacks of opportunity. Still I can't think of any single one senario off hand.

Rapid Reload of a crossbow (PHB).
Standing as a free action with a Tumble check (CAdv).

-Hyp.

 

[Mekabar]

I dont see how a floating eyeball without limbs would defend itself in the first place. Even less why would firing an eye ray cause it to 'let it's defences down' so that you get an AoO?

 

[sullivan]

Rapid Reload of a crossbow (PHB).

*slaps forehead* Ah ya, that one. It says it explicitly though right in the Feat description I believe.

Standing as a free action with a Tumble check (CAdv).

-Hyp.

This one I hadn't seen before. Haven't gotten around to reading though that skills chapter yet.

 

[sullivan]

I haven't noticed that sentence. That is not in PHB, right?

It's in the Combat chapter of the 3.5 SRD. That should put it in the 3.5 PHB as well.

FREE ACTIONS
Free actions don’t take any time at all, though there may be limits to the number of free actions you can perform in a turn. Free actions rarely incur attacks of opportunity. Some common free actions are described below.

And, is it actually a rule? For example, Snake's Swiftness spell (from Miniatures Handbook) allow a character to make an attack as an immediate action. Immediate action is, basically, a free action which can be taken in other character's turn. Then, I have been assuming that the attack itself still provoke AoO if that is a ranged attack or some special melee attack (say, unarmed attack without improved unarmed attack feat).

Likely no AoO unless specificaly stated otherwise in the description.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Why all the splitting hairs? Just consider this: "He's looking at me, I get an AoO!!!" Does it sound silly? If you said yes, then you know that the eye rays don't provoke AoO's. The Voyeur - sorry, Beholder - does nothing more than invoke a supernatural ability (which doesn't provoke an AoO) and then look at you (which doesn't provoke an AoO, either). He may make a ranged touch attack, but he doesn't have to use a weapon for it, standing relatively still, carefully aiming via along the arrow. He just looks at you.

 

[dcollins]

A little off-topic, but can a Beholder use his powers as a melee touch attack by smacking people with his stalks?

No. Oddly, I had a player last year who was determined that he'd seen some ruling that ranged touch attacks could be turned into melee touch attacks -- but no such rule actually exists (and would be pretty silly if it did).

 

[Hypersmurf]

Likely no AoO unless specificaly stated otherwise in the description.

I don't agree... grappling or attacking with a ranged weapon provokes an AoO. Making it a immediate action won't change that unless the spell states "This attack does not provoke an AoO". Like the Quicken Spell feat does.

-Hyp.

 

[helium3]

The key point is that for a Beholder firing an eye ray is a free action. Free actions never provoke AoOs. The part about firing a ray as a ranged weapon merely indicates what modifiers apply to the attack roll.

Thank the gods. Someone got to it before I did.