Level Up (A5E) Does Shoulder Check combat maneuver stop the attack?

[Anonymous3]

How do you handle a situation where a PC still has Stunning Assault active and an enemy attacks them and the PC uses Instinctive Counterattack and stuns the enemy? Does the enemy still get their attack?

 

[Anonymous3]

No, it takes place after the melee attack.

Could you use Shoulder Check against an enemy that does not attack? Say, before the melee attack.

 

[Morrus]

Could you use Shoulder Check against an enemy that does not attack? Say, before the melee attack.

I don't know how "After a creature within your reach makes a melee attack against an ally" can be clearer. But no. Before is not after.

 

[Anselm]

I must admit that I is how I have ruled reactions in general i.e., reactions change what someone is going to do into what someone is about to do - you get to react just before it happens.

That being said, I am not the person you go to for RAW.

In general a reaction specifies when it occurs relevant to the triggering action. (I think, I'm double checking a few.)

In the case where is ambiguous i think the ruling from WOTC in Xanathar's is good.

If two or more things happen at the same time on a character or monster’s turn, the person at the game table — whether player or DM — who controls that creature decides the order in which those things happen. For example, if two effects occur at the end of a player character’s turn, the player decides which of the two effect
happens first.

I don't think the AG has advice for simultaneous effects but someone point me there if I'm wrong.

 

[Morrus]

I must admit that I is how I have ruled reactions in general i.e., reactions change what someone is going to do into what someone is about to do - you get to react just before it happens.

That's not how reactions work in either O5E or A5E, though. The reaction itself tells you when it happens. In this case, after the attack.

(IIRC there was a 4E action type called an interrupt; that always happened before the trigger. But reactions vary case-by-case.)

 

[Anonymous3]

In general a reaction specifies when it occurs relevant to the triggering action. (I think, I'm double checking a few.)

I think this is correct. Had a look and found Combat Maneuver reactions are by and large worded with the strict words "after" or similar wording that infers the reaction happens afterwards.

After:

• Cleaving swing
• First blood
• Twist the blade
• Shoulder Check
• Wounded animal

Most other had this type of wording that infers "after":

• When a creature...
• When you hit ...
• When you fail ...
• When an effect ...

 

[Anonymous3]

That's not how reactions work in either O5E or A5E, though. The reaction itself tells you when it happens. In this case, after the attack.

(IIRC there was a 4E action type called an interrupt; that always happened before the trigger. But reactions vary case-by-case.)

Thanks. I am not sure where I got my understanding from but its imaginary at this stage.
To your point, I am struggling to find any "interrupts" in A5e or O5e.

Only thing I can think of is Warning Strike CM which uses wording like "When a creature..." but resolves before the creature's move. This kind of "interrupts" the creature's movement.