Changing Attacks of Opportunity

[Templeton580]

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[DungeonmasterCal]

IMO, the mechanic for AoO's as written just don't fly. Back in college, before I became old and fat, I was a fencer, and not half bad at it. We had some days where groups of us would get together for fun and just have big fencing free for alls, and I can speak from experience if you're engaged with one opponent, but turn to make an attack at someone else who wanders into your "zone" you're left wide open for your opponent to make an attack.

I'd tweak them to at least give the attacker making the AoO a -2 to his AC on the next turn, or maybe suffer a -2 on his initiative until the next turn is resolved. I've just never been able to justify the RAW with what I've experienced.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Not terribly realistic but, yes useful.

If you're trying to close with me, and I poke you in the eye with a long stick, it'll encourage you to keep your distance...

AoOs are one of those things where I really like the concept but the execution is a bit weak at times, more due to the HP mechanic than AoOs themselves. At higher levels, the threat of an AoO generally isn't great enough to outweight the benefit of the better tactical position gained. At low levels, though, it seems to work quite well.

 

[Psychic Warrior]

If you're trying to close with me, and I poke you in the eye with a long stick, it'll encourage you to keep your distance...

If I'm charging you unless you kill me with your AoO momentum will ensure I slam into you anyways. Your flimsy pointed stick isn't going to stop me

 

[TheGM]

I'm not a fan of the mechanic because it assumes too much. Just because a person is leaving or drinking a potion doesn't mean they're wide open to you and ignoring your sword.

So we don't push it too hard. If you turn to run from a fight, yeah they get an AoO. If you cast right next to them (which takes immense concentration), yeah they get an AoO. Otherwise it's case-by-case.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

While I don't know if this is a change or a clarification (see many rules threads), I would explicitly restrict an AoO to a single melee attack. ie, no cleave, no improved trip, no followup moves of any sort.

 

[Hjorimir]

If I'm charging you unless you kill me with your AoO momentum will ensure I slam into you anyways. Your flimsy pointed stick isn't going to stop me

"Come, father! Let us embrace!"

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

"Come, father! Let us embrace!"

Now I need to watch that movie.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

"Come, father! Let us embrace!"

Kinda gotta consider that one a tie, though, and certainly not a tactic I'd blow a feat on.

 

[Zander]

The way in which 3.x handles space and time needs to be revised to be both simpler and more realistic. How? Allow only one action per round (possibly cutting rounds down to 3 seconds) or one action per two rounds and have a system of initiative modifiers.

Anyone who wants to drink a potion (a two round action) in combat is going to have a large initiative penalty and is likely to be attacked by any adjacent opponents while trying to drink the elixir. In contrast, someone armed with a pike will get a substantial initiative bonus as long as their opponent hasn't closed. Turning away from an opponent is your action for the round. So if you do that, an opponent you had just been fighting will likely attack your back as his next action.