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Message: <blockquote data-quote="atom crash" data-source="post: 1899451" data-attributes="member: 22162">Not at all. Getting blasted by a fireball because I was in the area of effect would be fine and dandy, even if I was invisible. What would be unfair is if I got hit by a second fireball, which the caster was only allowed to cast because my buddy decided to drink a potion in a threatened space.Or if that trap hit me a second time because someone else ran away from it.Risks are a normal part of the game, and I gladly accept them. But I have a reasonable expectation that for every risk I take, I stand to gain some benefit as well. And that if I do not take a risk, I won't get hurt. but I also won't gain anything.A reasonable expectation is that an AoO is going to give me a benefit weighed against a risk.A reasonable expectation is that I will get a turn for every turn my opponent gets. On his turn, he might get more attacks, or more powerful attacks, than I do, but we will get an equal number of turns.In the normal flow of battle, everyone gets a turn -- unless something else comes up and they are either denied by spell (which would allow me a saving throw) or by attack (which would have to succeed against my AC) or by choice their rightful turn. If I am playing a fighter and my buddy is playing a rogue, and we are flanking an enemy fighter, I have a reasonable expectation within the framework of the rules to get one turn for every one that my opponent gets.Now, suppose the opponent just attacked me. I have no reason to believe that he'll get another shot at me until after I get another turn. If he cuts down the rogue and Cleaves into me on his turn, then that's the risk I have to take. But I have every reason to believe I'll get a chance to act before he gets another chance.Now the rogue isn't doing so well, being a rogue going toe-to-toe with a fighter. He could back off and drink a potion, but he also knows I need the flanking bonus. So he decides to take the risk and drink a potion, giving the opponent an AoO. After all, the fighter has a decent chance of missing his attack roll. And he really needs the HP (or the buff in a bottle, or whatever). Lo and behold, the opponent gets lucky and lands a blow. It drops my buddy, and now my opponent Cleaves into me. My opponent has now gotten a second attack against me -- before I get a chance to act again -- without me having to put myself in a position of danger or having the opportunity to gain some benefit. I didn't get to drink that potion. I was just standing there. Maybe some blood splashed into my eyes, but I'm not buying it. I didn't open myself up for that extra attack out of turn, so I don't see why I should have to take the penalty. Maybe it is some sort of special training, but it seems really fricking powerful for two feats (Power Attack, Cleave). Show me another feat that allows my opponent to attack me out of turn.In my opinion, the AoO+Cleave combo upsets both reasonable expectations above, thus breaking the player-DM contract of the game; that's why I claim it is "unfair" or "unjust." That's why I won't be allowing it.</blockquote>

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