Opportunity Attacks (flat footed?)

[brunswick]

Hiya folks,

In 4th Edition, if you havent acted yet in the initiative order in the 1st round of combat, are you entitled to Opportunity Attacks if an enemy provokes one? I note that page 290 of the PHB states that "You can't make an opportunity attack unless you are able to make a melee basic attack" so I presume that the answer is no, but I don't see it explicitly stated anywhere in the PHB that you can't make an OA if your turn hasn't yet come up in the 1st round of combat.

Thanks, in advance, for your replies,


Bruns.

 

[Kinneus]

Hiya folks,

In 4th Edition, if you havent acted yet in the initiative order in the 1st round of combat, are you entitled to Opportunity Attacks if an enemy provokes one?

Yes. "Flat-footed" doesn't really exist in 4e.

 

[Grydan]

Unless you have something specifically preventing you from making Opportunity Attacks, you can make them.

The conditions Dazed, Dominated, Removed from Play, Stunned, Surprised, and Unconscious all prevent Opportunity Actions. Some monster abilities or PC abilities may also specifically prevent OAs without imposing one of those conditions, but those will include wording to the effect of "target may not take Opportunity Actions". If none of those conditions or abilities are in play, then there is nothing preventing a character from making OAs.

To specifically answer the question

In 4th Edition, if you havent acted yet in the initiative order in the 1st round of combat, are you entitled to Opportunity Attacks if an enemy provokes one?

Yes, you are entitled to Opportunity Attacks.

 

[brunswick]

Thank you.

 

[wlmartin]

Hiya folks,

In 4th Edition, if you havent acted yet in the initiative order in the 1st round of combat, are you entitled to Opportunity Attacks if an enemy provokes one? I note that page 290 of the PHB states that "You can't make an opportunity attack unless you are able to make a melee basic attack" so I presume that the answer is no, but I don't see it explicitly stated anywhere in the PHB that you can't make an OA if your turn hasn't yet come up in the 1st round of combat.

Thanks, in advance, for your replies,


Bruns.

Limiting you in this way is covered in the surprise round.
If players/DMs say "Well, you arent ready to attack yet so how can you be ready to use an OA" they are false.. the only time you are not prepared to attack is during the surprise round...