New Revision Spotlight: Attacks of Opportunity

[Dark Jezter]

You go now!

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rs/20030506a

 

[dcollins]

Actually, that does look pretty good... in fact, this may be the single most satisfying piece of 3.5 text that I've personally seen.

Things I like:
- The new "distraction" qualifier to certain actions to show they provoke AOOs.
- Asserting that reach weapons do threaten 2 diagonals away as an exception to normal diagonal measurement (which I've recommended for some time, but was rejected by the Sage).
- Naming the get-out-for-free move action "withdraw" (I just hope that this full-round action only allows a single unit of movement).

Unfortunately:
- They still didn't come up with a shorter name than the clunky "attacks of opportunity" (more: www.superdan.net/dndmisc/terminology_changes.html )

 

[Jens]

First impressions:

- They have specified/clarified that the area threatened by reach weapons is square (despite the (new) general rule of counting two diagonal squares as 15').

- There is a specific withdraw (full round) action.

- If you have Combat Reflexes, you may make more than one AoO per round against a single enemy. This is a change (or at least the 3.0 rules were very ambiguous).

- Despite a lot of text about using 'normal' attack bonus, there is no mention of whether attack penalties from fighting with two weapons, fighting defensively, or power attacking affect the attack bonus for the AoO (as I expect they will)

- They use a lot of parentheses (about as many as I do)

 

[Hypersmurf]

Things I like?

"If you're unarmed, you don't normally threaten any squares and thus can't make attacks of opportunity (but see Unarmed Combat)."

Finally.

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

- If you have Combat Reflexes, you may make more than one AoO per round against a single enemy. This is a change (or at least the 3.0 rules were very ambiguous).

Ouch. Karmic Strike just became very powerful.

And Hold the Line is much more attractive suddenly.

-Hyp

 

[Nareau]

I think that's pretty well written. However, I'd like to see them address why a paralyzed person doesn't provoke an AoO.

Spider

 

[fba827]

While I can't add more on the specific topic that hasn't already been said ... did you see the pictures at the bottom? That Balor looks scarey...




we now return you to the topic of AoOs themselves...

 

[Celtavian]

Re

Nice improvement. The single attack of opportunity limitation against a single target was unncessary.

We always used the rule that unarmed characters without unarmed strike didn't threaten surrounding squares.

 

[Dark Jezter]

I think that's pretty well written. However, I'd like to see them address why a paralyzed person doesn't provoke an AoO.

Spider

I have always wondered this as well. I mean, if a wizard provokes an AoO by taking his attention away from his opponent while he casts a spell, you'd think that a held, paralyzed, or unconscious person would provoke an AoO, since they can't defend themselves from attack at all.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I have always wondered this as well. I mean, if a wizard provokes an AoO by taking his attention away from his opponent while he casts a spell, you'd think that a held, paralyzed, or unconscious person would provoke an AoO, since they can't defend themselves from attack at all.

Well, it's even worse, now.

You have a Spiked Chain, and the Combat Reflexes, Hold the Line, and Karmic Strike feats. Your opponent is 3.5 Hasted.

He charges you, entering a threatened square (AoO - Hold the Line), then leaving a threatened square as he closes (AoO - movement). He throws a punch (AoO - unarmed attack) and hits (AoO - Karmic Strike). Then, with his Hasted attack, he punches again (AoO - unarmed attack) and hits (AoO - Karmic Strike).

If you can get six AoOs on someone who isn't unconscious, why can't you get six AoOs on someone who is?

And of course, the one-per-opportunity rule means that two people with high Dex and Combat Reflexes can get into the insanely-long disarm-provoke-disarm-provoke-disarm-provoke-disarm-counterdisarm-counterdisarm-counterdisarm-counterdisarm cycle that used to cap at one AoO each...

Bad ruling. Bad.

-Hyp.