Stunned characters can't act. Can they take AoOs?

[Cedric]

Interestingly enough...I checked out the 3.0 srd and stun has changed. In 3.0 you didn't drop what you are holding.

3.0 SRD-

The character loses her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) and can take no actions. Foes gain a +2 bonus to hit stunned characters.

Cedric

 

[spunky_mutters]

The only point of threatening that I can see is the ability to get AoO's. If you have used all of your AoO's for the round then there is no longer any point of threatening, so no, you would not threaten. And if you can't take an AoO while flat-footed (unless you have Combat Reflexes) you don't threaten when flat-footed, otherwise you would be able to. This is, of course, just my opinion.

Of course you still threaten, otherwise flanking wouldn't work.

 

[Andromeda Sprain]

Actually...

Interestingly enough...I checked out the 3.0 srd and stun has changed. In 3.0 you didn't drop what you are holding.

Cedric

Actually you did drop what you were holding in 3.0 when stunned. It was left out of the condition summary in the DMG, but was right in the glossary in the PH.

AS

 

[Camarath]

Sure, I can explain it...most of my answer is just basic common sense and intent of the rules though. Since you cannot take most actions while stunned, the intention of the rule is to prevent you from being able to attack. Especially an attack of opportunity which implies you are alert and attent to the current situation. No matter how the technicalities of this may be worded, I feel that the intent is crystal clear.

You only get "attacks of opportunity" because you are alert and aware of the changing battlefield and have the benefit of taking advantage of those opportunities.

I'll dig into the SRD and see if I can something more crunchy to explain this though...

Cedric

Sorry I misunderstood what you meant. I thought you were responding to my query not the original question. I asked if this meant that after a characters takes all of the AoO that they are entitled to in a round would they cease to threaten. It though you meant that they would still threaten which is what I wanted you to explain to me. Sorry for my confusion on this point.

I agree that a stunned character should not get AoO.

 

[clark411]

Creatures denied their dex to ac do not get the chance to perform AoOs.

and..

Stunned creatures are denied their dexterity to ac.

so..

Creatures that are stunned do not get the chance to perform AoOs.

 

[Camarath]

My quandary now is if you have no AoO left do you still count as being able to make melee attacks for the purposes of threatening space even though technically you no longer possess the ability to make any additional attacks.

From SRD
Threatened Squares: You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your action.

 

[Camarath]

I think the correct stance is that if a character would be able to take an AoO if they had an AoO left (regardless of whether or not they actually have an AoO left) then they still threaten. But I can't seem to formulate a good rule based argument for why that is?

[I can start of new thread if this is too far off topic]

 

[Caliban]

My quandary now is if you have no AoO left do you still count as being able to make melee attacks for the purposes of threatening space even though technically you no longer possess the ability to make any additional attacks.

From SRD
Threatened Squares: You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your action.

You can make an AoO because you threaten an area.

Running out of Aoo's doesn't stop you from threatening, because you are still theoretically capable of making a melee attack if it was your turn. You just can't make anymore AoO's.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Creatures denied their dex to ac do not get the chance to perform AoOs.

I'm afraid that is not, and has never been, a rule.

Flat-footed creatures cannot make AoOs (without Combat Reflexes), but being denied one's Dex bonus does not make one flat-footed.

-Hyp.

 

[Storm Raven]

The only point of threatening that I can see is the ability to get AoO's.

That, plus the ability to provide flanking when you coordinate with an ally.