Total Defense: did you notice?

[Hypersmurf]

Well if it is not an attack action it does not appear (to me) to be any kind of action at all, since no action type other than melee attack is specified in the text.

That's right.

Like a trip, grapple, or disarm - by definition - a melee attack can be performed once in an attack action, one or more times in a full attack action, once on a Charge, once on an AoO, or occasionally via a feat such as Cleave or Expert Tactician. Its action type - like trip, grapple, or disarm - is "varies".

-Hyp.

 

[Camarath]

Like a trip, grapple, or disarm - by definition - a melee attack can be performed once in an attack action, one or more times in a full attack action, once on a Charge, once on an AoO, or occasionally via a feat such as Cleave or Expert Tactician. Its action type - like trip, grapple, or disarm - is "varies".

Ok, I see your point now.

 

[Li Shenron]

Total Defense (add bonus), then move, what happens to AoO? Do you get your Total Defense bonus? I would think not, if that were the case, every character would go TD + move. I would imagine as soon as you moved the TD would be negated. I could see QS + move + TD, or move + QS + TD, thus ending in a defensive stance.

Once in Total Defense, you have the AC bonus until your turn in the next round, why shouldn't it work against AoOs? If you go Total Defense and then move out of a threatened area, you get the bonus against the AoO you provoked by moving.

What do you mean "every character would go TD + move"? TD requires you to waste a standard action, which means that you are giving up the main action of your turn (because you can't attack or cast spells or use abilities that require at least a standard action). It is a huge cost!

If a character is moving away and decides to accept whe won't attack/cast but just move, she basically has 2 options: to Withdraw (no AoO at all from the first square, double move but no other bonuses) ot Total Defense (doesn't prevent AoO, single move only but gives the AC bonus against every attack). I think both options make sense and either may be more useful in different times.

Other bonuses (Dodge, Mobility) granted by feat will still stack with Total Defense, plus you can use them without TD at all whenever you wish.