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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hypersmurf" data-source="post: 690467" data-attributes="member: 1656">Or you roll for every swing that has a chance of actually causing damage.It seems unlikely that the 20th level fighter can swing his greataxe four times faster than the 5th level fighter.  It's just that the swings he makes are more consistently dangerous.This analogy only works for melee, of course - arrows and thrown weapons are definitely one launch per attack roll.  There's no parrying and footwork going on.Spring Attack, Tumble, Cast Defensively are all ways that you can avoid provoking an AoO with an action that normally would.  I don't see this as the opponent deciding "Oh, he's tumbling... I guess I won't try and hit him after all" - I see it as just reducing the chance that he'll actually hit to zero.  In a cinematic view, it's easy to imagine the villain taking a swipe at the rogue with his axe, and the rogue diving over the blade, rolling, and continuing past.  The movement would normally provoke an AoO - but because of Tumble, there was no chance for the villain to actually hit him.  Rules mechanics say don't bother rolling, don't use up an AoO... but that doesn't mean the axeman just stands there and watches him go past without making an effort to chop him down...-Hyp.</blockquote>