How often do you see Attacks of Opportunity in your 5e game?

[DeanP]

I really like using minis and battle maps for the added fun of the cool visuals, providing a common understanding of the situation and employing specific tactics. We tend to have more opportunity attacks when we do. We tend to have general agreement on opportunity attacks when using theater of the mind but there are fewer when we use theater of the mind.

 

[Li Shenron]

Pretty straightforward question with a, hopefully, straightforward poll.

Thinking about certain feats (Sentinel in particular) started me thinking about how their effectiveness varies greatly depending on frequency of AoOs.

I'd also appreciate some additional info - do you use a battlemat and mini's, theater of the mind only? I think play style would have a big impact here.

I use TotM maybe half of the times and gridless battlemat the other half (but increasing). I haven't used the grid except in some PbP.

I rarely see OA. All my players basically always avoided provoking them. I think the only OA I have seen were provoked by monsters, when I decided to play them a bit lousy.

 

[abirdcall]

I think the only OA I have seen were provoked by monsters, when I decided to play them a bit lousy.

That's interesting. I think monsters that freely provoke OA are the scariest.

 

[Bacon Bits]

Very rarely do AoO get made in our games. It's even more rare now that we're mostly using theater of the mind.

 

[Mort]

Hiya!

I'm the guy who chose "Why is this even a poll?" because it was the closest to my answer.

"Anytime it seems appropriate".

I don't use etched-in-stone situations for determining AoO's. If the situation dictates that it makes sense, I allow it. If a situation dictates that it makes sense, but with some risks/bonus, I allow that. If a situation dictates that it doesn't make sense, I disallow it. Some of the time it's the first one. Most of the time it's the second one. Some of the time it's the third.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

How often does it "seem appropriate?"

Nearly every combat? roughly half of combats? Etc. Poll still seems to apply.

Do you play with theater of the mind only? With grid combat, AoOs are generally evident by player and monster action. The DM doesn't have to determine appropriateness.

 

[abirdcall]

How often does it "seem appropriate?"

Nearly every combat? roughly half of combats? Etc. Poll still seems to apply.

Do you play with theater of the mind only? With grid combat, AoOs are generally evident by player and monster action. The DM doesn't have to determine appropriateness.

This thread shows how much variation there is in play.

My guess would be that in games without OAs ranged characters are very powerful.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

How often does it "seem appropriate?"

Nearly every combat? roughly half of combats? Etc. Poll still seems to apply.

Do you play with theater of the mind only? With grid combat, AoOs are generally evident by player and monster action. The DM doesn't have to determine appropriateness.

1. How often?
I'd say...maybe 20% of the time a combat happens? It also almost always happens 'before' combat; like a total surprise where the target/victim has no clue another combatant is around. If/when it happens in combat, it's usually factored in because of a PC's "focus/goal" than any RAW specification.

2. Every combat?
Nope.

3. Roughly half of combats?
Nope.

4. Grid or no Grid?
No grid. Usually. Sometimes I'll whip out the whiteboard and draw out the 'area', then we use tokens for everyone/thing (Pro Tip: If you go to a hardware or big box store, those "floor-protector-stick-on-felt-pads" that go on the bottom of table legs and stuff?...They come in all sizes and shapes, and I use a Sharpie marker to list a number or a letter; PC's are Letters, monsters are Numbers; works really well! ).

5.With grid combat, AoOs are generally evident by player and monster action. The DM doesn't have to determine appropriateness.

Ahhh...and here is where my "It depends, as appropriate" needs a bit more explanation I guess.

I/we generally don't "use" the AoO as written in the game. I take what the game says (which generally tends towards the 'not seen' or otherwise 'if X, then Y'). For example: A PC is fighting an Orc. Another orc runs past his 'buddy' and the PC in order to get out the door and go for help. Normally, iirc, the RAW basically says the PC gets an AoO on the orc running past him. In my game, no...at least not without possible consequence. The way I see it, the orc engaged with the PC is looking for any opening in the PC's defenses in order to get a shot in...the PC is likewise doing the same. Another target (the running orc) is a VERY big "opening in the PC's defenses"; if that PC chooses to try and hack him to prevent him from getting to/out the door. My ruling in this situation is basically that the PC can either keep his focus on the original orc. Or he could take a swipe at the running orc, but if he does this, he is basically switching his focus...meaning his original orc target can get an AoO on him ​as well (so PC gets AoO on running orc, other orc gets AoO on PC). The one running by doesn't get to attack anyone...he's trying to not get into combat.

So, as I said, "when appropriate". Usually my players tend towards not taking an AoO in this sort of situation.

However, in a situation where the original orc (not the running one) decides to follow his buddy, then the PC gets an AoO on him. Additionally, the PC can choose to immediately either run after the orc, OR he can get one more swing, but the orc then moves his full 'run distance' away from the PC.

Also, just to note, an AoO in my games doesn't use a "Bonus Action". An AoO in my game is 100% 'free' from the action economy...there are other drawbacks/factors/risks that take that 'economic cost' in a players decision. My DM'ing style and our general preference is more towards the "loose/flowing rules" than "tactical/RAW" style, obviously.

Hope that clears it up. As I said..."As appropriate".

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Eltab]

I hardly ever see AoOs in our campaign. We don't have many melee-loving characters, so most of us try to get around enemies at a distance.
Edit: we usually use 5-foot-square maps for combat; also unusual-shape rooms.
If I figure out how to translate my 4e Halfling Tempest / Nerath Heavy Infantry Fighter into 5e, I might slip around more bruisers and provoke AoOs* by chasing after Team Monster's squishies in the back rows.

* especially if an ally picks up Sentinel so he can smack anybody who swings at me !

 

[Ashrym]

It often depends on the creatures, PC's, and circumstances.

A PC who takes an ability for disadvantage on OOA against him or her us likely to use it. Unintelligent monsters who choose to flee take the dash action instead of disengage and provoke the OOA. Intelligent monsters who use disengage but find the PC's moving right back into melee range will eventually use dash instead to try and flee. Abilities like turn undead or spells like dissonant whispers, compulsion, crown of madness, or sometimes confusion generate OOA's. Sometimes it just makes tactical sense to risk it.

I am used to TotM for simple encounters and pulling out the grid for complex encounters. I find OOA's to be common, particularly with dissonant whispers taken by a character.

 

[Li Shenron]

How often does it "seem appropriate?"

Nearly every combat? roughly half of combats? Etc. Poll still seems to apply.

Do you play with theater of the mind only? With grid combat, AoOs are generally evident by player and monster action. The DM doesn't have to determine appropriateness.

I also don't see much need for adjudication about OA... if you move out of reach of an enemy you provoke an OA, what else do I need to adjudicate?

Anyway, we've played TotM mostly for a while and then gradually switched to gridless combat, but with regard to OA I didn't actually see much difference. Even without a map, and without tracking distances, playing TotM for us always meant to be very aware whether your PC was within melee reach of an enemy or not. That's because some PCs want to do melee attacks. Just because we were playing TotM didn't mean we were ignoring who was in melee reach and could therefore provoke an OA if moving away.

The reason why we don't see many OA at all in either TotM or gridless, is because you always choose to provoke an OA, and all my players never chose to do so... they rarely flee for instance, and when they have to do so they still prefer to Disengage rather than Dash.