Karmic Strike and Reach

[Artoomis]

Actually it's still quite clear. Readied actions are not AoO's of any sort. Karmic Strike allows an AoO to be taken.
...Can you ready an action to sunder the weapon? Most assuredly...

Answer to the last question - not by the rules. Most assuredly not allowed by the rules.

How many times must I state that the rules by the book are clear and I am strictly discussing a way to handle a situation that may (or may not) have been overlooked - the case of how to attack a weapon when you cannot reach the wielder? It is of no value to point out what the rules are in this case - we all know the relevant rules.

The question on the table is:

If, and only if you allow a readied action to attack a weapon with reach that is swung at you (a not uncommonly-used house rule), should you also allow it with a Karmic Strike.

HOW does Karmic Strike let you take this extra attack that counts against you AoOs for the round? I submit that the AC penalty implies you are dropping you defenses to prepare to strike someone who is striking you.

Those circumstances are very similar to the readied action circumstance when you strike a weapon.

Obviously a rules analysis will not help - since the rules don't even allow the readied action we are trying to compare against Karmic Strike.

If you disagree with me about why you get the extra strike in Karmic Strike, then, by all means, don't allow a reactive sunder in your campaign.

But don't tell me the answer is obvious or clear - it's not. You have to think through WHY the feat works to come up with an answer - reciting rules just won't do it - how could it? We are talking about whether or not to apply something that is not in the rules in the first place! It could not possibly have been considered in the original design of the feat, so we have to look at the design of the feat and decide if it "fits" or not.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The MiniHB feat is called Sidestep IIRC... allows you to take one 5ft extra per round while making an AoO.

So the AoO has to be provoked within your normal reach for you to be eligible to take it, but you can make a 5' step in conjunction with the attack?

If someone tries to Disarm your longsword with his longspear, he doesn't provoke an AoO since he's not in a threatened square... but if he tries to Disarm with his own longsword, you can 5' step to achieve a flanking position with your ally before taking your AoO, or you can take your AoO and 5' step back?

Or does the feat allow you to 5' step if such a movement would allow you to threaten the creature taking the provoking action and thus gain an AoO you would not normally be eligible for?

-Hyp.

 

[Gadsden]

In my opinion, the -4 penalty is an indication of a willingness to fight more recklessly and therefore find more opportunities to strike.

Lowering your guard to goad someone into attacking you is more of a bluffing maneuver and this feat is not something I see a finesse fighter taking. This is more for damage-sponge barbarians willing to go toe-to-toe with anything and trade hits with it until one of them drops. My personel experience bears this out, as I have never seen anyone but barbarians or high hit point fighters take this feat.

 

[Hypersmurf]

My personel experience bears this out, as I have never seen anyone but barbarians or high hit point fighters take this feat.

My first experience with it was a NPC Invisible Flying Fire Giant Monk covered in magical tattoos.

So he wasn't a barbarian or a fighter, but he did have buckets of hit points and fast healing.

He hit damned hard, too, especially considering he was stacking Flurry, Haste, and Heroic Surge for about six attacks a round before AoOs.

-Hyp.

 

[Artoomis]

In my opinion, the -4 penalty is an indication of a willingness to fight more recklessly and therefore find more opportunities to strike.

Lowering your guard to goad someone into attacking you is more of a bluffing maneuver and this feat is not something I see a finesse fighter taking. This is more for damage-sponge barbarians willing to go toe-to-toe with anything and trade hits with it until one of them drops. My personel experience bears this out, as I have never seen anyone but barbarians or high hit point fighters take this feat.

Looking at it that way, one would not allow attacsk on weapons with this feat.

It all depends on how you view the feat.

Unless, of course, you are following the cores rules - in which case no weapon attacks are allowed if you do not threaten the weilder.