How often do you see Opportunity Attacks?

[Forrester]

In the limited number of battles I've run so far, opportunity attacks have been *very* rare, perhaps limited to one or two per encounter for each side -- at most -- and it's usually the monsters drawing them, not the characters.

The reason I ask this question is that the rarity of OAs makes racial abilities, class abilities, and feats that reference combat advantage relatively useless. I mean, for pete's sake, there's a feat that gives characters +1 to OAs -- I can't imagine anyone taking that, ever.

On the racial/class ability side of things, halflings get +2 against OAs, and Artful Dodgers get a bonus to AC equal to their Charisma score. I suppose if the rogue has to always walk past the bad guys in order to flank, they need this protection, but so far, frankly, I just haven't seen the need, not with the way characters don't draw OAs even when they're within reach (unless the monster is one of the few that has threatening reach).

(Which, of course, suggests that any rogue worth his salt should go the Brutal Scoundrel route -- extra damage per sneak attack, and rogues make a *lot* of sneak attacks, always good.)

Anyway, I thought I'd ask those of you who have seen more than a couple of battles . . . how often do you see monsters and characters drawing OAs?
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[Uruush]

I can't properly judge your specific circumstances, but I'm given to suggest that if a GM doesn't see many opportunity attacks it's possible that their combats have only been about who lives and who dies. Since 95% of the time (give or take) that question is pretty much a given (the NPCs are going to die, the PCs are going to live), that question isn't all that interesting over the long haul.

Some combats should be about the PCs needing to get past their opponents to prevent something that holds more interesting stakes. Some combats should be about the NPCs needing to get by the PCs and do something the PCs want very badly to prevent.

If one threatens something other than the PCs, the players may find combat even more compelling and there may be more opportunity attacks as well.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

In the limited number of battles I've run so far, opportunity attacks have been *very* rare, perhaps limited to one or two per encounter for each side -- at most -- and it's usually the monsters drawing them, not the characters.

The reason I ask this question is that the rarity of OAs makes racial abilities, class abilities, and feats that reference combat advantage relatively useless. I mean, for pete's sake, there's a feat that gives characters +1 to OAs -- I can't imagine anyone taking that, ever.

On the racial/class ability side of things, halflings get +2 against OAs, and Artful Dodgers get a bonus to AC equal to their Charisma score. I suppose if the rogue has to always walk past the bad guys in order to flank, they need this protection, but so far, frankly, I just haven't seen the need, not with the way characters don't draw OAs even when they're within reach (unless the monster is one of the few that has threatening reach).

(Which, of course, suggests that any rogue worth his salt should go the Brutal Scoundrel route -- extra damage per sneak attack, and rogues make a *lot* of sneak attacks, always good.)

Anyway, I thought I'd ask those of you who have seen more than a couple of battles . . . how often do you see monsters and characters drawing OAs?
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My players are pretty aware, especially with the minis on the table, they try to provoke combat advantage as much as they can as well as trying to use the baddies tactics to get OAs as often as they posibly can.

I've ran 7 battles and they seem to get OAs about every 2 encounters or so. The characters have triggered 1 OA in all of those encounters, and I'm quite proud of them.

 

[AtomicPope]

I recently dropped a character with two AoO, and it was an Artful Dodger Rogues really need these abilities because they often get "stuck in" and can be away from the defender. That is precisely what happened in this case.

But AoO are very rare in 4e. Also, the number or AoO available in a single round are limited to one (with very, very few exceptions). I noticed that it makes the combat flow more smoothly by reducing the AoO to a few triggers and one per round. Players don't have to work as hard to avoid getting hit out of turn unless they're fighting a certain kind of monster.

My experience with monsters: I play monsters very differently than I did in 3e because different monsters have very different abilities. When I'm playing monsters that react to damage (Bone Shard Skeletons or Berserkers) then I'll play them recklessly. I want them to get hit to give me extra attacks. That sort of mechanical support increases the feel that Berserkers are suicidal warriors swinging wildly. So in that respect as a DM my monsters will get hit with more AoO that in 3e.

 

[Jeph]

Occasionally, we try to provoke an OA on purpose. When the paladin's laid his divine challenge and Enfeebling Strike or Fearsome Smite on someone, and the Fighter with his high AC or halfling wizard with his bonus against oportunity attacks and reroll power provokes an OA, the average damage usually works out in our favor.

Also, the threat of opportunity attacks is often more important than the attacks themselves. They influence our decisions even when nobody actually makes one.

In today's session, we had two fights. One saw zero OAs, the other I think 3.

 

[TheNovaLord]

had a few in a combat with some dark creepers last night (on the creepers not the party), but for the most part i dont recall any others in the 3 sessions we have thus far played

 

[Jhaelen]

Also, the threat of opportunity attacks is often more important than the attacks themselves. They influence our decisions even when nobody actually makes one.

This.

I also think, that OAs will be more common at higher levels. It's a calculated risk to allow an enemy to get an OA in order to get into a superior position or be able to attack a more dangerous foe or a 'softer' target.
The risk involved will be lower at higher levels since the expected damage will be lower compared to the total hp of a character.

 

[el-remmen]

I can't properly judge your specific circumstances, but I'm given to suggest that if a GM doesn't see many opportunity attacks it's possible that their combats have only been about who lives and who dies. Since 95% of the time (give or take) that question is pretty much a given (the NPCs are going to die, the PCs are going to live), that question isn't all that interesting over the long haul.

Some combats should be about the PCs needing to get past their opponents to prevent something that holds more interesting stakes. Some combats should be about the NPCs needing to get by the PCs and do something the PCs want very badly to prevent.

If one threatens something other than the PCs, the players may find combat even more compelling and there may be more opportunity attacks as well.

Your style of devising combat encounters (i.e. determine the objective of the fight) and advice matches my own.