Threatening (and AoOs) with "improvised weapons"...

[RigaMortus]

Let me see if I understand this right.

A bow is a ranged weapon, and you do not threaten with it in melee combat.

You can only take an AoO when you threaten.

However, you can use a weapon in a fashion it wasn't inteded (such as using a bow as a melee weapon) as an "improvised weapon" by taking a -4 to hit. By the same token, you can stab with an arrow.

So in actuality, you could threaten with a bow if you wish to take a -4 to hit.

Could the same not be true for unarmed attacks? If you do not have Improved Unarmed Strike, then you do not threaten anyone with your fists. But could you not take a -4 to hit and then threaten with your fists?

 

[Flyspeck23]

If you're armed with a ranged weapon, for example a bow, and you're not using the bow as an improvised (melee) weapon, you can't make AoOs.

OTOH, if you're using the bow as an improvised weapon, you can make AoOs as long as you don't use the bow to make ranged attacks.

For example:
Round 1: you fire your arrow. An opponent tries to sunder your bow - no AoO.
Round 2: you stop firing arrows and use your bow as an improvised weapon to smack that opponent with it. Your opponent then makes another sunder attack, and you make an AoO.
Round 3: you step back 5 feet and shoot at your opponent. The opponent steps up and makes another sunder attempt - again, no AoO.

Unrealistic example, I know. Your bow would be broken in round 1


Hope that answers your question...