Opportunity Attacks

[GoodKingJayIII]

Ran my first session of 4th Ed. on saturday. All and all a great experience, but of course we had some rules questions come up, particularly about things that do and do not draw opportunity attacks.

My paladin player thought that Lay on Hands might draw OAs. A quick glance in the PHB indicated no such thing, so I said no. I took a closer look at Lay on Hands and the Opportunity Attack rules, but nothing seemed to indicate that the power draws an OA. Cleric Healing doesn't draw an OA, so I'm ok with that.

But I also looked at quaffing a potion (similarly, a minor action), and as far as I can tell that doesn't draw OAs either! That seemed odd to me. Is there a rule I'm missing, perhaps? Maybe a keyword I missed or don't understand?

 

[James McMurray]

Very few things draw OAs in 4e. It simplifies the way things worked in 3.x, losing a little bit of realism but saving a whole ton of remembering lists and exceptions.

For the most part only moving out of a threatened square or making a ranged or area attack while threatened will provoke.

They also removed the reach issues by shrinking a creature's threatened radius down to only those squares adjacent to it unless the creature has the Threatening Reach ability.

 

[Larrin]

Drinking a potion of healing causing oppurtunity makes drinking a healing potion in combat a pretty unattractive gamble, it can end up costing more health than it heals. In 4e, combat is the only time (for the most part) healing potions are needed/useful, since during short rests you can just check off surges. Since you're supposed to be using the potions in the middle of combat, its a good idea to make their use combat friendly, or else they're pretty unreliable to the sort of characters that needs them most (mellee guys). The fighter shouldn't have to gamble "if i drink this 10hp potion, will i get hit and only net gain 1 hp or maybe even lose some?" Realism making potions unreliable/dangerous to use is bad for potions, bad for players, bad for the game. This is why they don't attract OA, IMO.

 

[Mr. Teapot]

Lay on Hands is a melee power. Melee powers never provoke.

There are four (five if you count personal) power types: Melee, Close, Area and Ranged. Melee and Close never provoke, whereas Ranged and Area do.

 

[Kordeth]

Lay on Hands is a melee power. Melee powers never provoke.

There are four (five if you count personal) power types: Melee, Close, Area and Ranged. Melee and Close never provoke, whereas Ranged and Area do.

This is also why you'll see a lot of ally-buffing powers expressed as "close burst X, Target: one creature in burst" rather than "Ranged X, Target: One creature."

Unlike 3.X, 4E has a very small, strictly-defined list of what provokes an OA. If it's not normal movement (i.e, not a shift, teleport, or forced move) or a ranged or area attack, it does not provoke. Period.