[Practical Tactical] Provoking Opportunity Attacks for more Damage;Use that Defender!

[keterys]

I actually think just moving right into flank and hellish rebuking is a great tactic for Infernal warlocks. They've got the temp hp and surges to spare, and +3 to hit (+2 for flank, +1 for prime shot) is very solid.

 

[Quemaqua]

Awesome article, thanks for posting! One member of my current group was smacking his forehead by the end of it, heh. I try to play my monsters well as a DM, but I love when the party surprises me with good tactics, because then I can throw even more at them while remaining confident that they're capable of overcoming it all, and that ups the stakes and excitement for everyone.

 

[knightofround]

This is absolutely brilliant. Great write up!

 

[Syrsuro]

"the players reduce the need for the monsters to ‘intentionally’ make poor tactical decisions."

Why wouldn't an intelligent monster just refuse to take to the Opportunity Attack - at least after getting hit the first time? And wouldn't allowing this to work more than once or twice - at least for a semi-intelligent creature - be just another example of 'poor tactical decisions'?

Carl

 

[Orcus Porkus]

I think this is good, but couldn't the DM argue that any move action that's only one square is always a shifting?

 

[keterys]

No, he can't. Any more than a player can argue that standing is a shift because it didn't move more than one square.

 

[Syrsuro]

I think this is good, but couldn't the DM argue that any move action that's only one square is always a shifting?

Why does this matter - Opportunity Attacks are optional.

Rather than argue with the player about whether the move is a shift or not, just don't take the OA.

Carl

 

[ff6shadow]

Of course, if the DM isn't taking opportunity attacks, then you've already gained an advantage in battle, since you are free to move around the enemy without worry.

 

[Syrsuro]

Of course, if the DM isn't taking opportunity attacks, then you've already gained an advantage in battle, since you are free to move around the enemy without worry.

Not really, because the movement being described is designed soley to trigger OAs and isn't useful in itself.

If the DM restricts himself to taking OAs to discourage movement that is 'useful' (prevent flanking) and ignores movement designed to simply 'provoke', then the situation is exactly as it would be without the outlined strategy.

Make no mistake - I think this is a great strategy for animals and low intelligence foes. It just shoudn't work well against opponents with any intelligence (such as a report on the boards awhile ago where a variant of this was used to take down a Dragon).

Carl

 

[keterys]

Except, it is a good tactic when it lets you always have flank. Even on ranged attackers.

And rangers and warlocks get a +1 to ranged attacks this way too.