Reach Weapons and AoO

[Saeviomagy]

OH MY GOODNESS THE WORLD IS ENDING

1ST LEVEL WARRIORS GET AN ATTACK AGAINST A CHARGING FOE IF THEY'VE SPENT A FEAT TO DO SO AND CARRY A GREATSPEAR

WHAT WILL WE DO!!!!!!???!!!??!?!

Honestly. The tactic doesn't work if you're surprised (unless you have combat reflexes), or if multiple creatures rush you (again, unless you have combat reflexes). If you're not surprised, they get there, make their attack and you drop the spear before drawing a weapon and making an attack.

And of course if you just use the longspear, then you could just 5' step backwards and take a full attack.

It's hardly abusive. And if you think it is, maybe you should try playing instead of DMing, or you're going to have to make half the monsters in the book cower in a ball for fear that their abilities may be abusive...

 

[Fangor the Fierce]

But still a thought I had when I read this. Will a person with Spiked Chain and the Feat Hold the Line get 2 AoO against a charging enemy?

Actually, the answer would be no. Hold the Line states that it grants you an AoO for an opponent entering your threatened square. Simple enough, that is when the enemy charges and reaches ten feet in front of you. You then use your spiked chain to grant you the AoO. Then, the enemy completes his charge, moving out of the threatened square, and into another threatened square of five feet. The only bad thing about this is that charging opponents would only incur one AoO for each opportunity. Charging is only one opportunity. It doesn't matter how many squares you threaten for that one opponent, as the charge would only grant you the same opportunity.

Although, to remedy this, your spiked chain fighter can ready an action to attack the first enemy within 5 feet of him, and not ten feet. Thus, when the enemy charged, he gets the AoO from ten feet away, and then his regular attack when he moves to within 5 feet. Full attack can not be used, as it is a full action, and only standard actions can be readied....

 

[smetzger]

I once built a character around the premise of getting extra AoO by using a reach weapon....

My 8th lvl Monk is all about this. He has an extending-Glaive and a magic-item that can enlarge him 3/day. This gives him a max reach of 20ft.

 

[Fangor the Fierce]

My 8th lvl Monk is all about this. He has an extending-Glaive and a magic-item that can enlarge him 3/day. This gives him a max reach of 20ft.

Just for my notes, how much would that magic-item that enlarges him 3/day cost you? Sorry for Hijacking, but I would really like to know...

 

[Hypersmurf]

It doesn't matter how many squares you threaten for that one opponent, as the charge would only grant you the same opportunity.

The AoO rules state that leaving any number of squares threatened by the same opponent in the same round is only one opportunity.

Hold the Line grants an AoO when you enter a threatened square, so it isn't rolled into the same opportunity as the AoO you provoke for leaving a threatened square.

-Hyp.