Ranged AoO

[Eye Tyrant]

A ranged AoO seems possible in some situations... anyone house ruled this or did I miss something in the Core Books?

 

[AGGEMAM]

A ranged AoO seems possible in some situations...

When?

An AoO is a single melee attack, so that rules it out automatically, except if you got a special ability that allows it.

 

[drunkmoogle]

AoOs can only be provoked if they are in your threatened area. Ranged weapons don't normally threaten areas, though I think there was some feat or class feature in Complete Warrior that allowed you to threaten the squares around you.

 

[Hypersmurf]

AoOs can only be provoked if they are in your threatened area. Ranged weapons don't normally threaten areas, though I think there was some feat or class feature in Complete Warrior that allowed you to threaten the squares around you.

The Peerless Archer from Silver Marches gets Ranged Threaten (10 feet away, like a longspear) with his longbow at 8th level.

The 3E Lasher (whose whip was a ranged weapon) could threaten within 5' at some point.

-Hyp.

 

[Eye Tyrant]

Hmmm... maybe it was a 3E splatbook, that or I'm mistaken. At any rate, the reason I asked is that I allowed a PC to take a shot at an enemy (as an AoO) to prevent him from sounding an alarm (blowing a horn)... looks like my spur of the moment ruling will end up being just that, spur of the moment. :\

BTW, I picked up the Complete Warrior today, I haven't seen anything in there yet, but will post if I do.

 

[Chupacabra]

I could see the situation being more properly a "cover" action. The PC basically stating "I shoot whoever moves towards the alarm" and will hold their action until the bad guy jumps for the lever, horn, gong, whatever. If no one moves towards the alarm that round, the PC can continue to cover the area, maybe even moving up in the initiative order next round (but only for the purposes of covering the alarm, not for movement, or spell casting, etc., and ONLY if the PC takes no other action besides covering).

Example:
Bad guy's initiative is 20, PC's is 10.
First round:
Bad guy quaffs potion, but otherwise stands still.
PC declares that he will shoot anyone that moves but the PC otherwise takes no other action.
Second round:
Bad guy casts spell on self, but stands still.
PC continues to cover.
Third round:
Bad guy moves towards alarm.
PC interrupts Bad guy's move by shooting (even though PC is 10 initiative ranks down, his action from last round is effectively "held over")
Bad guy finishes move towards alarm.

If in round 2, the PC decides to do anything other than cover the alarm, such as move, cast a spell, dodge, etc, he loses his ability to act out of initiative order in round three.

I think allowing a AoO on a bad guy who is simply moving towards an object is a bit too generous. How is he really dropping his guard? Making the PC stand there and "cover" a space or a group of people seems a bit more realistic. The PC can basically take no other action and may (if in a threatened square) be subject to an AoO himself (even if they do not fire their missle weapon), since they are concentrating on aiming their weapon and are not taking active measures to defend themselves.

Just an idea.

 

[AGGEMAM]

I could see the situation being more properly a "cover" action. The PC basically stating "I shoot whoever moves towards the alarm" and will hold their action until the bad guy jumps for the lever, horn, gong, whatever.

That not an AoO, that's the Ready action.

 

[Eye Tyrant]

Well, the bad guy already had the horn in his possession (slung across his chest as I envisioned it) and merely brought it up and blew it... I guess the reason for allowing the shot was more for dramatic effect then anything else (it was only a 5hp Orc and a 10th level party) and the party had alreay done enough to alert the BBEG of their presence (Rolling Rock Trap set off w/ rock rolling throughout a large portion of the cavern complex).

So, I suppose my biggest blunder was allowing it as an AoO (now I will have to explain that there are no ranged AoOs which I had thought was possible in certain instances ).

Not a huge deal, but will definitely have to be remedied .

 

[drunkmoogle]

Don't cha hate it when you make a ruling blunder and all the PC's hop to it and use it as precedence, never letting you forget it, causing you to argue against your own previous arguement?

I do . That's why my rulings on difficult topics I make during sessions last only for THAT session, we look up the actual ruleset and do the (majority of) the arguing away from the game table.

BTW, I was thinking of the OotBI Close Combat Shot, but just looked it up and found you don't threaten squares. :\

 

[Eye Tyrant]

Don't cha hate it when you make a ruling blunder and all the PC's hop to it and use it as precedence, never letting you forget it, causing you to argue against your own previous arguement?

I do . That's why my rulings on difficult topics I make during sessions last only for THAT session, we look up the actual ruleset and do the (majority of) the arguing away from the game table.

BTW, I was thinking of the OotBI Close Combat Shot, but just looked it up and found you don't threaten squares. :\

yeah... but we're getting together again tonight (which was not expected), so it's still fresh in everyone's head and I can take of all the neccessary damage control sooner rather then later...

thanks for all the clarifications guys!