What are the biggest rules debates?

[Scion]

My experience has been different. In the game I currently play in--which started a bit over a year ago--our druid is played by a girl who'd never played D&D before. She's not a "hard-core" gamer. Pretty much, she spends minimal (if any) time outside of the game thinking about it. But she's managed to catch onto the concept of AoOs fairly quickly. I have to agree with Storm Raven on this one.

While I have seen one guy who played d&d for 'years' and still didnt know which die to roll for initiative I'd still have to agree here, anyone who takes the game seriously at all and is decently intelligent should be able to realize that 'moving away from an enemy and performing another action' or 'pulling a potion out of your pocket and drinking it next to someone who wants to do you harm' will be bad

 

[Hypersmurf]

Ride-by is definitely possible by my interpretation. In fact, I am arguing that ride-by paths and charge paths are mutually exclusive. There are paths that you can use for ride by, and there are paths that you can use for charging, but there exists no path that allows you to choose between the two.

Huh?

RIDE-BY ATTACK [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.

Benefit: When you are mounted and use the charge action, you may move and attack as if with a standard charge and then move again (continuing the straight line of the charge). Your total movement for the round can’t exceed double your mounted speed. You and your mount do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the opponent that you attack.

Special: A fighter may select Ride-By Attack as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Since a Ride-By Attack is a charge, how can you use a path that is illegal for a charge?

-Hyp.

 

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

Huh?

Since a Ride-By Attack is a charge, how can you use a path that is illegal for a charge?

-Hyp.

OK, so I really put my foot in my mouth on that one. I retract that line of reasoning.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Except that missile weapons don't have a threat area, which makes the whole question moot.

And what does threatening have to do with anything?

Note that, even under the 3.0 definition of flanking, I don't have to threaten in order to flank something. You do.

 

[Storm Raven]

Perhaps for a hard-core gamer. I had a close friend, but a casual gamer, who ran several warrior characters perfectly well, but could never-ever-ever remember the rules for AOOs.

The rules for AoOs fropm movement can be boiled down to four simple sentences (which I have put on cards for new players). If you can't remember four simple sentences, you aren't even a casual gamer.

For reference, the four sentences are:

1. You do not draw an AoO for moving into a threatened area.
2. You do draw an AoO for moving through or out of a threatened area.
3. If the only action you take in a round is a move or double move, you do not draw an AoO for the first five feet of your movement.
4. You do not draw an AoO as a result of a five foot step.

That's it. How hard is that to remember?

 

[dcollins]

The rules for AoOs fropm movement can be boiled down to four simple sentences (which I have put on cards for new players). If you can't remember four simple sentences, you aren't even a casual gamer.

The fact that you need to make up special explanatory cards for AOOs indicates they are an unusually complex addition to the game.

Furthermore, your sentences are not self-complete. The casual gamer can now ask:
(1) What is a threatened area? How do I know if I'm in one or not?
(2) When am I moving "through" a threatened area?
(3) What's a "double move"? Where exactly is the first five feet?
(4) What's a "five foot step"?

And actually, you've only dealt with AOOs from movement! Then there's also ranged attacks, spells, drinking potions, running, etc. etc. etc.

 

[Hypersmurf]

3. If the only action you take in a round is a move or double move, you do not draw an AoO for the first five feet of your movement.

Although that's no longer strictly true in 3.5; you can take a move action, do nothing else, and still draw an AoO since you didn't take the Withdraw action.

It's usually not an important distinction, but it's crucial when someone's nauseated.

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

And actually, you've only dealt with AOOs from movement!

He did specifically note that that's what the card covers

-Hyp.

 

[Storm Raven]

The fact that you need to make up special explanatory cards for AOOs indicates they are an unusually complex addition to the game.

I only give them to people who are new to gaming, people who have played other rpgs before don't need the help.

Furthermore, your sentences are not self-complete. The casual gamer can now ask:

Only if he is dim-witted.

(1) What is a threatened area? How do I know if I'm in one or not?

You can't run any kind of combat oriented character unless you know what threatened areas are.

(2) When am I moving "through" a threatened area?

When you are not moving into or out of one.

(3) What's a "double move"? Where exactly is the first five feet?
(4) What's a "five foot step"?

Basic movement rules. If you don't know these, you aren't a casual gamer. You are either (a) very new, or (b) a real dim bulb.

And actually, you've only dealt with AOOs from movement! Then there's also ranged attacks, spells, drinking potions, running, etc. etc. etc.

I only said the four lines covered AoO from movement, and in any case, those kinds of AoOs are easier, since they are a binary system. An action draws an AoO, or it doesn't. There's an easy to use list.

 

[Infiniti2000]

And what does threatening have to do with anything?

Note that, even under the 3.0 definition of flanking, I don't have to threaten in order to flank something. You do.

But, you're still not flanking unless you're "making a melee attack."