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<blockquote data-quote="Raven Crowking" data-source="post: 2774492" data-attributes="member: 18280">Hence, flat-footed against the other opponent.&nbsp; Hence, unable to react with an AoO to that opponent if that opponent does step into his space and grab his sword arm (initiate a grapple).RCEDIT:&nbsp; BTW, increasing the options from one to two, with the second almost never a good decision, is hardly throwing away flanking.&nbsp; If you really want to test it (as I did), get some players together and run some mock combats.&nbsp; I guarantee you that your players will not find the &quot;Ignoring an Opponent&quot; rule to be an easy fix against sneak attack.&nbsp; In fact, what you will find is that players might appreciate being able to choose to be flat-footed against a rooster animal companion pecking at their legs when a dire bear is trying to kill them.&nbsp; This sounds like an extreme situation, I know, but it is really the only type of situation where this sort of rule is tactically sound.&nbsp; (And, sad to say, this sort of thing does come up in game play.&nbsp; Unless you allow such a rule, any druid with half a brain will get one souped up animal companion and one dinky one, then use the dinky one to flank so that the souped up one can cause damage.&nbsp; Even if the dinky one cannot cause damage, such as with the proverbial mouse and the 20th level fighter, the RAW allow it to provide a flanking bonus.)&nbsp; (Of course, some would let that mouse initiate a coup de grace, killing the 20th level fighter 5% of the time....)RC</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Raven Crowking, post: 2774492, member: 18280"] Hence, flat-footed against the other opponent. Hence, unable to react with an AoO to that opponent if that opponent [I]does[/I] step into his space and grab his sword arm (initiate a grapple). RC EDIT: BTW, increasing the options from one to two, with the second almost never a good decision, is hardly throwing away flanking. If you really want to test it (as I did), get some players together and run some mock combats. I guarantee you that your players will not find the "Ignoring an Opponent" rule to be an easy fix against sneak attack. In fact, what you will find is that players might appreciate being able to choose to be flat-footed against a rooster animal companion pecking at their legs when a dire bear is trying to kill them. This sounds like an extreme situation, I know, but it is really the only type of situation where this sort of rule is tactically sound. (And, sad to say, this sort of thing [I]does[/I] come up in game play. Unless you allow such a rule, any druid with half a brain will get one souped up animal companion and one dinky one, then use the dinky one to flank so that the souped up one can cause damage. Even if the dinky one cannot cause damage, such as with the proverbial mouse and the 20th level fighter, the RAW allow it to provide a flanking bonus.) (Of course, some would let that mouse initiate a coup de grace, killing the 20th level fighter 5% of the time....) RC [/QUOTE]

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