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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Caliban" data-source="post: 564370" data-attributes="member: 284">Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Quicker than the Eye and AoOAnd this has nothing to do with making AoO's, which is what is under discussion. But you don't necessarily know that they have even dropped their guard to allow an AoO to take place. Hey, you started with it. *shrug*Where do you get that this is what the rules are supposed to represent? That's pretty much my point.    I'm glad you agree. Stop attacking empty air, keep your guard up, and ready an attack against the first thing that attacks you.   If they attack you in melee, you know what square they are in for that instant.  You also know what direction a ranged attack is coming from, and can charge the square you think it originated from.In addition, almost anything they do that can provoke an AoO should have a spot or listen check associated with it, to at least give you a clue that they are doing something out of the ordinary.    In many cases it won't be a high DC.   So if you are targetting the square in front of you, and they are actually behind you,  how do you know they provoked an AoO? Since by your reasoning you are already making constant attacks, how do you know which attack suddenlty become an AoO?    By your reasoning, if you have an invisible person in your threatened area and guessed wrong about which square they occupy,  it will still take your only AoO for the round if they take an action that would normally provoke an AoO and you choose to attack. Even though you didn't see or hear anything that would distinguish that particular attack from any of the other "threatening attacks" that you have been making, you can no longer make AoO's for the rest of the round.And if someone you actually can see moves through your area after that magic moment, you can't take a whack at them, because you suddenly made a "real" attack against something you couldn't see or hear.   (This of course assumes that you don't have Combat Reflexes.)I can just see it:  DM:  You know there is an invisible creature nearby.Player:  Where?   DM: You don't know.  You heard him off to your left somewhere, but he's within reach of your sword. Player: I start attacking all the squares to my left side.   Even though I only have one attack per round. DM: What square are you attacking? Player: To my left, and up one. DM: You hit air. Player:  I keep up a constant stream of attacks against the air in case he drops his guard.DM:  He's doing something that will provoke an AoO.Player: What is he doing? DM: You have no clue.  You just somehow sense that his guard is down.   What square are you attacking? Player:  Uh... the one directly to my left!DM: You hit empty air.   Suddenly, an Orc  Fighter runs out from cover, right past you, and stops about 5 feet away.Player: I attack it!DM: You can't, you already used your AoO for the round.Player: Against what!  I didn't see or hear anything!DM: *shrug* It's your turn.Player: I attack the orc.DM: You hit it, but it manages to survive the blow. DM:  The invisible orc arcane trickster attacks you from the right.  You blew your listen check last round as he tumbled past you last round and cast a Silent and Stilled spell right next to you. Player:  Then how did I make an AoO against him when I didn't hear him move past me or cast the spell?  DM:  You just sensed that he had a vulnerable moment.  Even though you didn't know where he was and couldn't see or hear him.    PC's are clairvoyant that way.   PHB, page 122. "Sometimes, however, a combatant in a melee lets her guard down, ans she is not on the defensive as usual.  In this case, combatants near her can take advantage of her lapse in defense  to attack her for free."That's under normal circumstances.   Now, if you are not aware of their lapse in defense, how can you know to  take advantage of it?</blockquote>

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