Using a trip to destroy D&D forever

[RandomNPC]

Alright, we have character A and character B, character A decides that even though he does not have improved trip or IUS he is going to attempt to trip character B. So he makes his attempt opening an atack of opportunity, so character B (whom has IUS) decides to make a trip attempt as his AoO. character B fails to trip character A, now character A has a chance to return the trip attempt and is successful. So now character A no longer needs to make a trip attack because character B is already on the ground, but the only reason character B is down is because Character A provoked the AoO for an attack he is no longer making. What happens? Does he then get a normal attack? Is the attack somehow used up? Do I throw my DMG across the room stomp out and never roll another die in my life unless playing monopoly? Is this similar to what happens when you put a portable hole into a bag of holding? Did anythign I just said make sense?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I don't believe an AoO can provoke an AoO.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I don't believe an AoO can provoke an AoO.

That was never a rule in 3.0, and as far as I can tell, it has not changed in 3.5.

-Hyp.

 

[Eolin]

but nonetheless, you only get one AoO per round unless you have Combat Reflexes, in which case you can have a number equal to your dex modifier.

So there... or something.

Eolin.

 

[drnuncheon]

Alright, we have character A and character B, character A decides that even though he does not have improved trip or IUS he is going to attempt to trip character B. So he makes his attempt opening an atack of opportunity, so character B (whom has IUS) decides to make a trip attempt as his AoO. character B fails to trip character A, now character A has a chance to return the trip attempt and is successful. So now character A no longer needs to make a trip attack because character B is already on the ground, but the only reason character B is down is because Character A provoked the AoO for an attack he is no longer making.

Here's how it breaks down:

A begins his trip attempt. (<- this is the key that a lot of people miss - your character has actually started the action when you provoke an AoO, but it is not resolved until after the AoO is resolved.)
B begins his AoO (which is a trip attempt)
B's trip attempt is resolved (failure)
A's countertrip is resolved (success)
A's trip attempt is resolved - there is no effect, since B is already prone. He does not get another attack, because he's already declared this one. (If he had failed on the countertrip, he'd still have a chance to succeed on this one, though!)

In-character, what you'd see is something like this:

A moves in to legsweep B, B grabs his leg and tries to throw him off balance, A reverses and knocks B to the ground.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

That was never a rule in 3.0, and as far as I can tell, it has not changed in 3.5.

-Hyp.

Hmm. I recall it coming up with regards to two fighters without Improved Unarmed Strike, going at each other with unarmed strikes.

But now that I think about it more, I think it was pointed out that neither of them provoked an AoO, because neither was armed.

 

[Hypersmurf]

But now that I think about it more, I think it was pointed out that neither of them provoked an AoO, because neither was armed.

Yeah. In 3.0 there was always confusion as to whether someone like that threatened an area - books implied yes, Sage said no - but it was clearly spelled out that an unarmed attack against an unarmed opponent did not provoke an AoO.

-Hyp.