Enlarge Person vs. Charge into combat

[Christian]

Tower shields are handy for this, too. You can move up while taking total cover from the shield ...

 

[MarkB]

The original reason for my question was to see if there were any other means, aside from high ranks in tumble skill, to avoid provoking attacks of opportunity from large sized creatures when first going into melee with them. Yes, I know its only one AoO per creature per round, but what happens when you come across a Giant with high DEX and combat reflexes - all your buddies that want to help in melee might as well put a bullseye on their heads. As I said, large sized creatures just became tremendously annoying.

Get yourself enlarged and/or wield a reach weapon. Anything which provides concealment (blur, invisibility, fog, etc.) also negates AoOs.

 

[irishfast]

it doesn't negate the AoO from charging a Large-or-larger enemy, but the feat Mobility is useful in this situation. it gives you a +4 bonus to AC when you move within or out of a threatened square, effectively raising your AC by 2 during a charge. designate the creature you are charging as the creature you are dodging, and this raises to +3 (it seems like you shouldn't be able to do that, but i didn't see anything in the Dodge feat description or the charge description that says you can't... is it wrong?) you still draw the AoO, but that +3 is a big help.

 

[irishfast]

Anything which provides concealment (blur, invisibility, fog, etc.) also negates AoOs.

this is almost true. total concealment doesn't allow AoOs. regular concealment does. so, use a smokestick. you won't be able to charge, but you will have concealment (for a 20% miss chance) within 5 ft., and total concealment (for a 50% miss chance and no AoOs) past 5 ft. you toss the smokestick, let it billow out, and close. since you're more than 5 ft. away from the creature when you enter it's outmost threatened squares, you are not subject to AoOs. you are, however, subject to them after you close to within 5 ft., so be careful about not provoking them within that range.

keep in mind that any creature over 20 ft. tall will have it's head's above the clouds, so to speak, and isn't likely to be subject to the movement penalty (half-movement rate), but a decent DM should rule that it can't charge.

 

[MarkB]

this is almost true. total concealment doesn't allow AoOs. regular concealment does.

Sorry, I was conflating concealment with cover there, and thinking that any amount would deny AoOs. My bad.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Yes, I know its only one AoO per creature per round, ...

That's not true. It's one attack per opportunity, with movement provoking only one opportunity. A creature can provoke multiple attacks of opportunity against the same opponent in the same round. So, if a medium PC moves up to a giant and tries to disarm him (no improved disarm), the PC provokes two attacks of opportunity. If the giant has combat reflexes and a Dex of 12 or higher, the giant can take two attacks.

 

[wedgeski]

Also, I'm a little worried about you mentioning "two" threatened squares. Why are there two and what does that have to do with your question? Specifically, are you aware that movement only provokes one opportunity per opponent, regardless of how many squares?

I'm interested in this - are you sure you're correct, and do you have a source? The SRD explicitly states that moving out of a threatened square provokes an AoO. If you move out of two threatened sqaures in the course of one round, why should that not provoke two attacks (irregardless of whether the threatening enemy can actually make more than one)...?

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'm interested in this - are you sure you're correct, and do you have a source?

Pretty sure, and yes

The SRD explicitly states that moving out of a threatened square provokes an AoO.

It does indeed.

If you move out of two threatened sqaures in the course of one round, why should that not provoke two attacks (irregardless of whether the threatening enemy can actually make more than one)...?

Because it goes on to explicitly state:
Combat Reflexes and Additional Attacks of Opportunity: If you have the Combat Reflexes feat you can add your Dexterity modifier to the number of attacks of opportunity you can make in a round. This feat does not let you make more than one attack for a given opportunity, but if the same opponent provokes two attacks of opportunity from you, you could make two separate attacks of opportunity (since each one represents a different opportunity). Moving out of more than one square threatened by the same opponent in the same round doesn’t count as more than one opportunity for that opponent. All these attacks are at your full normal attack bonus.

-Hyp.

 

[wedgeski]

Because it goes on to explicitly state:

Well, buggery! I guess I've never read that paragraph properly. I think that annotation should probably be in the section that talks about attracting AoO's from moving, rather than in the section that talks about Combat Reflexes.

Rules knowledge suitably modified.

 

[glass]

If yes, does the large defender effectively gain the +2 bonus to hit that the charger loses from his armor class as part of his charge attempt?

This is being debated in this thread. I would have said 'yes', but Hyp raises some good points. Now I think the answer might be 'no'.


glass.