Using Ready to get out of the way ?

[DarkMaster]

I agree with you completely. That last minute dodge thing is what we call Armor Class, not a Readied Action.

I'm still for only letting interrupts happen at action boundaries wherever possible - and letting the interrupted folks adjust remaining actions if it makes sense. Hard to believe that they made a "revision" to the rules and didn't clarify any of this. Makes me start to suspect that there may have been some other (cough)money(cough) motivation to the new edition....

I usually do that. the readied action is just an interrupt that happens before the standard action. I ruled that since the standard action was not yet executed the polearm bearer can adjust it. Makes much more sense

 

[Artoomis]

It doesn't matter if the 5' step is the last thing you do, if you moved in the round a 5' step can't be part of your readied action.

I think you misunderstood Hypersmurf's scenario.

Round 1. Start 20' apart.

Defender wins initiative and readies action to attack attacker if he closes and attacks.
Attacker moves 20' and starts to attack.
Defender's readied action is trigger. He attacks and moves back 5'
Attacker has no target for his attack, wasted action.

Round 2.

Defender goes just before attacker.
Defender readies action to attack attacker if attacker closes and attacks.
Attacker does.
Defender's readied action is triggered - he attacks and moves back 5'

Rinse and repeat ad nauseum.

At no time does the defender move more than 5' in one round.

This does indeed work well, if the attacker is foolish enough to keep coming. If the attacker simply chooses another course of action, the defender has wasted his round.

 

[James McMurray]

Screw all that mess anyway, I just use Greater Planar Ally to get myself a Tulani Eladrin friend. He sings like a bard and readies actions to toss up walls of force any time you attack me. 5' step your way around that!

 

[Darklone]

Bah James. You choose the thingy you get with Planar Ally? I thought your god (the DM) chooses appropriate to the reason for which you need it.

And I don't know any 5ft step variant that costs 100 XPs

 

[James McMurray]

Ah, but if we're talking about tactics in a one-on-one combat, we must be discussing an arena (since that's almost the only time a one-on-one combat will occur in D&D). And in an arena, the GM usually just sits back and watches. Besides, you request the creature you want. If my request is "something that can cast wall of force at will" then I'm limited to only a few responses.

An who cares if it costs 100xp (or 250 in the case of GPA)? I'm going to get the full award for killing your smarmy butt, and all without taking a single point of damage, because you can never get off an attack without having it bounce off of an invisible wall.

And yeah, I've used this cheesy tactic in an arena in the past, but it was no fun for my opponent, so it won't be happening again (unless absolutely necessary ).