Question about Reach

[Stalker0]

I've heard some differing opinons on this so I thought I'd get it cleared up.

I thought that against charging characters, a normal reach weapon would not get an AOO unless it was actually readied against the charge. Only the spike chain (with a natural reach) could make AOO in this fashion.

Is that how it works, or can normal reach weapons make AOO in such a fashion?

 

[mikebr99]

A charge provokes an AoO from whatever threat range you move out of... including normal reach weapons.

 

[AuraSeer]

I think you've been confused by a special case.

Most reach weapons threaten squares at their max length only, in an area shaped like a donut. For instance, a spear with 10' reach threatens an area like this:

[color=yellow]TTTTT
T---T
T-*-T
T---T
TTTTT[/color]

(with * being the wielder, and T marking a threatened space). If somebody is standing in one of the squares marked -, the spear-wielder does not threaten him.

A spiked chain, on the other hand, threatens squares at its max reach, and also adjacent foes. Its threatened area is a solid disk, like this:

[color=yellow]TTTTT
TTTTT
TT*TT
TTTTT
TTTTT[/color]

That's the major difference between a spiked chain and other reach weapons. Either way, an advancing opponent would pass through the outer ring of squares on the way in, and would thus provoke an AoO.

Certain weapons gain double damage if set (readied) to receive a charge, but that's just a bonus. You still get your normal AoO even if you didn't ready.

 

[mikebr99]

Also note that if the mounted opponent is using the Spirited Charge/Ride-by-Attack feats... he doesn't provoke an AoO from his movement out of the reach weapon's threat range.

 

[Stalker0]

That brings up a new question for me then. When does the AOO take place?

When bullrushing, your opponents get attacks of oppurtunity as your moving in to one opponent's space. They each have a chance of targeting their friend, which seems to me that there actually attacking me when I'm in the opponent's space.

If you apply that situation to reach weapons, the act of charging through your threatened area does provoke an AOO, but since I'm moving closer to you, wouldn't it mean you can't make the attack because your weapon can't hit things that close?

 

[AGGEMAM]

That brings up a new question for me then. When does the AOO take place?

The AoO takes place and is completed just before the action that provoked the AoO. Simple.

 

[Dreaddisease]

Your threatened are doesn't work. 4 of those squares are 15 ft from the character. So it would be more like this

-TTT-
TTTTT
TT*TT
TTTTT
-TTT-

Leaving the defender open to a 5 ft move in 4 different places without getting a AoO

 

[Dr. Zoom]

But you still get the AoO if they come at you from the diagonal, because you still move from 10 to 5 feet, even if the grid does not show this well.

 

[AuraSeer]

Your picture is technically correct; I should have blanked the corners. However, sneaking in through a corner does not let you avoid AoO. A spearman actually threatens a solid ring, even though a square map doesn't accurately represent it.

If I start out 15' from a spearman, and then close in to 5', we must at some point be 10' apart. So, he gets his AoO before we become adjacent. In practice, it's easiest to assume that he threatens the corner squares for this purpose.

If I instead move through the corner on a tangent-- not approaching the spearman, but going around him-- I can leave that square without drawing an AoO.