Chain Devils & AoO?

[Ogrork the Mighty]

From the SRD:

Dancing Chains (Su): A chain devil’s most awesome attack is its ability to control up to four chains within 20 feet as a standard action, making the chains dance or move as it wishes. In addition, a chain devil can increase these chains’ length by up to 15 feet and cause them to sprout razor-edged barbs. These chains attack as effectively as the devil itself...

Do the chains get AoO and, if so, does every chain (up to 4) get an AoO if someone passes through a space threatened by the chains?

 

[Darklone]

I always treated them as animated objects...

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

But neither the animate objects spell or the animated object monster provide much help in answering the specific questions at hand...

 

[Darklone]

About the reach? I kept the reach at 10ft ... treated them simply as spiked chains.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I am strongly leaning towards No.

They are not independent creatures, so the logic of animated objects do not apply IMO.

It is not obvious from the description that the chains under the effect have a Threat Zone. So the key question is whether you want to extend such qualities for something that "attack as effectively" as the devil itself in a situation that is ambiguous.

At best, I would model the chains as a physical extension of the chain devil, so the usual limitation on number of AoOs per round would apply.

I would personally not go that route, as it would give an immense threat zone to a creature whose ability is already very powerful for its CR under circumstances that the power applies.

In actual play, the effect is as if to give a boosted full iterative attack to the chain devil for the cost of a standard action on its home turf. Do we need to give more than that?

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

About the reach? I kept the reach at 10ft ... treated them simply as spiked chains.

Yeah. A 15 foot reach would mean it could attack more effectively than the chain devil itself, which could be argued to contradict the description directly.