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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Herremann the Wise" data-source="post: 5945988" data-attributes="member: 11300">I can understand where you're coming from here but I'm not so sure I totally agree. Firstly, an opportunity attack or attack of opportunity is pretty much conceived as a single attack and not part of the back and forth of a round. It is when a combatant let's down their defenses when directly threatened by another combatant (or stops being able to counter-threaten the threatening combatant more precisely).I think a basic given for most creatures is that if they are being threatened, they are in danger. I think a prime motivation here for the creature is not to get whacked if being threatened. Now if disengaging safely is the prime motivation, then this should be achievable unless the threatening combatant is ready to follow them. Otherwise, incautious movement in, through, away or around a threatening combatant is something that a combatant simply will not do unless pushed with a very good reason. The kobold may scamper past if it thinks it can but under normal circumstances, it is more likely going to wait for an opening to do such things. (Aside: I think a lot of DMs over-optimize their combatants actions when in battle, many creatures are perhaps better represented with less efficiency).However, a big issue here is the turn-based cyclic initiative and the general unwillingness of a DM to separate one combatant from it's group when more believably, combatants are going to be a little more spontaneous (and even chaotic) to such combat openings. The game as presented does not easily allow this and so you need a game-mechanic to represent this "normal" behaviour. And thus, you are always going to have to deal with such meta-mechanics as turns, opportunity attacks and so on to try and represent this natural, believable behaviour. It is inescapable. So when a kobold backs away from a threatening character, it is up to the DM to decide which meta-mechanic to use to best represent the natural behaviour (did they withdraw, shift, or did they recklessly move). And so while the kobold does not know such things, the DM (and players) are left with the meta-mechanics to best represent and roleplay their combatants and characters.Best RegardsHerremann the Wise</blockquote>

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