D&D (2024) Simplify opportunity attacks to deal flat damage?

[mellored]

Random thought.

To prevent out of turn disruptions, and keep the game flowing..

What if opportunity attacks where just a bit of auto-damage? No rolling,
just running past the cleric and you take 5 damage.
Fighters could deal 5 without using their reactions or something.
Wizards deal 2, rogues might deal 5+1/2 their level or whatever.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Random thought.

To prevent out of turn disruptions, and keep the game flowing..

What if opportunity attacks where just a bit of auto-damage? No rolling,
just running past the cleric and you take 5 damage.
Fighters could deal 5 without using their reactions or something.
Wizards deal 2, rogues might deal 5+1/2 their level or whatever.

I am quite happy that you can now grab or shove as opportunity attack.

So maybe have the actor make a str or dex save to avoid a trip or shove or avoid damage?

 

[ChameleonX]

Random thought.

To prevent out of turn disruptions, and keep the game flowing..

What if opportunity attacks where just a bit of auto-damage? No rolling,
just running past the cleric and you take 5 damage.
Fighters could deal 5 without using their reactions or something.
Wizards deal 2, rogues might deal 5+1/2 their level or whatever.

If that's your goal, why not just remove opportunity attacks altogether and assume that character's aren't dumb enough to just turn their back and run away in the middle of a fight?

 

[aco175]

If that's your goal, why not just remove opportunity attacks altogether and assume that character's aren't dumb enough to just turn their back and run away in the middle of a fight?

This is basically what I was thinking, but can see reasons where a PC might want to move past someone, such as a monster blocking a hall and the PC wants to move past.

Might be simplest to just use average weapon damage.

Not sure what to do if you want to do away with the attack roll. I can see sometimes wanting to stop the movement and other times just trying to kill the mover before he gets through.

Not sure if some of this is taking away player choice to make some things easier. The whole OAs do not come up that much in my games to make big changes needed. I can see where sometimes players get confused on whos turn it now is where others go out of turn.

 

[Stalker0]

Might be simplest to just use average weapon damage.

This is what I would do if I was going to change anything. Frankly OAs are so rare in the games I run that I don't mind a few extra rolls, but if you do want to simplify, going with average seems an easy way to do it.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

This is what I would do if I was going to change anything. Frankly OAs are so rare in the games I run that I don't mind a few extra rolls, but if you do want to simplify, going with average seems an easy way to do it.

OAs might seem rare because they are a battlefield control mechanic based on the threat of retaliation. People don't like triggering them, so they may not be seen often. But that also means they are doing their job. If the threat of an OA prevents the rogue from just walking past the Iron Golem guardian to pry the jewel from the eye of the statue, then it's doing its job.

If a PC had meta knowledge that walking by the Iron Golem just resulted in 15 damage, but it did not otherwise hinder them, then it's not really a hard choice. You have absolute understanding and control during that normally chaotic or unsure decision point. But if the enemy can crit you, or grapple you, then that choice is not sure or automatic.

I like the tension of unsurity that OAs bring. I've been dropped by an OA crit, and I've crit on an OA myself. Both furthered the story better than a flat X damage.

But if OAs really slow down your game, or if that uncertainty is unappealing, an average damage is certainly a way to go. Though if you added a Dex save, certain Dex-based characters would rarely ever be hindered by OAs.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I don't find OAs to be a disruption to the flow of the game. So the proffered rule is unnecessary for me personally.

 

[tetrasodium]

I too don't find AoOs to be a disruption & find them to be a positive thing. Personally I wish that the rules didn't try so hard to make them irrelevant & would like to see oned&d go back to having more ways of provoking them in combat.

 

[Retreater]

Players are paralyzed with fear of Opportunity Attacks. They think it's literally the worst thing that can ever happen.
Want to cast a spell to destroy the enemy? Oh no, there's a chance for an OA so I won't do it.
Do you need to move away from an enemy that's ripping you apart? No, I'll just stay and die because I don't want to provoke an OA.
Will you cast a healing spell to save the life of another character? Hell no, OPPORTUNITY ATTACK!!!
Will you go to the kitchen and grab me a ---- Opportunity! ATTACK!!!
Whimps. Take a chance of getting hit for 5 points of damage and have some fun with the game.

 

[tetrasodium]

Players are paralyzed with fear of Opportunity Attacks. They think it's literally the worst thing that can ever happen.
Want to cast a spell to destroy the enemy? Oh no, there's a chance for an OA so I won't do it.
Do you need to move away from an enemy that's ripping you apart? No, I'll just stay and die because I don't want to provoke an OA.
Will you cast a healing spell to save the life of another character? Hell no, OPPORTUNITY ATTACK!!!
Will you go to the kitchen and grab me a ---- Opportunity! ATTACK!!!
Whimps. Take a chance of getting hit for 5 points of damage and have some fun with the game.

I think that a big part of this is because 5e removed basically all of the things with a clear cost/benefit to weigh against the cost of provoking an AoO (ranged attacks, cast a spell, object interactions, aid another, read a scroll, use a skill that takes an action, most movement, etc). Players chasrge up with their full move speed at no cost to their attack chain & stand there playing rockemsockemrobots till they need a new target.