Regarding Reach...

[Ruvion]

I had always thought that if someone triggers an Aoo from your having a greater reach (say your 10 ft. reach vs his 5 ft.) then stepping back 5 ft. will allow you to have a new Aoo should he close in again. Then I thought: "Wait a minute, doesn't your opponent taking a 5 ft. step to close into melee again not triggering Aoo because he only moved 5 ft.?"

What is the verdict?!

 

[Black Knight Irios]

You never trigger an AoO for a 5ft. step.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I had always thought that if someone triggers an Aoo from your having a greater reach (say your 10 ft. reach vs his 5 ft.) then stepping back 5 ft. will allow you to have a new Aoo should he close in again. Then I thought: "Wait a minute, doesn't your opponent taking a 5 ft. step to close into melee again not triggering Aoo because he only moved 5 ft.?"

Right.

That's why Spring Attack is so good for someone with Reach - if he gets adjacent, then you Spring back five feet, hit him, and Spring back another 5'. If he wants to close, he draws an AoO and can only make a single attack (since he's moved more than 5'). Repeat.

If he keeps coming, you consistently get two attacks (one standard, one AoO) to his one.

-Hyp.

 

[Ottergame]

You never trigger an AoO for a 5ft. step.

Only if that 5 foot step was the -only- movement in the round.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Only if that 5 foot step was the -only- movement in the round.

Well, that's what makes it a five foot step.

If you move five feet, and it's not your only movement in the round, it's not a five foot step; it's just five feet of movement.

-Hyp.

 

[Ruvion]

Thanks for clearing that out for me Hyp...you're da new Caliban (meant as a compliment)!

I must say reading certain threads and responses therein some board members are still under the same presumption that I *used* to have! Realizing that reach weapons (and no spring attack) only really give just 1 extra attack against any given shorter reach foe...and this is as long as you don't attack him first (he has to move in on you). Hope this message of enlightenment reaches everyone who are not clear on this aspect of Aoo.

 

[Keith]

“Realizing that reach weapons (and no spring attack) only really give just 1 extra attack against any given shorter reach foe...and this is as long as you don't attack him first (he has to move in on you).”

Using only 5’ steps, yes. Don’t forget, though, that you can attack, move 10 or 15 feet away, and wait for the opponent to come to you. If they want to melee, they have to. Then, you do get an AOO. They attack (once, having moved more than 5’), then you attack, move 15’ away…

As long as that opponent wants to get at you, the 2 attacks to their one set-up is available. Particularly if the combatant with reach only has one attack anyway, and their opponent has more than one if they are able to make a full attack, it is a nice tactic, I think.

Unless I am out to lunch, that is. This seems right to me...

 

[Ruvion]

“Realizing that reach weapons (and no spring attack) only really give just 1 extra attack against any given shorter reach foe...and this is as long as you don't attack him first (he has to move in on you).”

Using only 5’ steps, yes. Don’t forget, though, that you can attack, move 10 or 15 feet away, and wait for the opponent to come to you. If they want to melee, they have to. Then, you do get an AOO. They attack (once, having moved more than 5’), then you attack, move 15’ away…

As long as that opponent wants to get at you, the 2 attacks to their one set-up is available. Particularly if the combatant with reach only has one attack anyway, and their opponent has more than one if they are able to make a full attack, it is a nice tactic, I think.

Unless I am out to lunch, that is. This seems right to me...

remember though...if you attack and move more than 5ft. then you incur attacks of opportunity. So with your tactic, you are trading blow for every blow as both you and your opponent each gets one Aoo against each other.

 

[Keith]

Well, there you go. I thought I might be missing something. Thanks. I was confusing this with moving to keep an opponent at reach distance even if they move to follow. Cheers.

 

[Ruvion]

Well, there you go. I thought I might be missing something. Thanks. I was confusing this with moving to keep an opponent at reach distance even if they move to follow. Cheers.

np. good gaming!