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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AuraSeer" data-source="post: 1777274" data-attributes="member: 1331">That's not relevant. Flanking doesn't care how many attacks you get, only whether you threaten the square.If you're (in game terms) threatening the square, you're (in English) threatening the person in that square. You've got your weapon ready to attack; you're attempting to find an opening in the opponent's defense. You may be too slow to take advantage of such an opening more than once per round-- but then again you might be fast enough, and either way it's something the opponent must take into account.*When you go on total defense, all you are worried about is defending yourself. You're holding your weapon in an entirely defensive manner; you're prepared to parry rather than attack; you're watching the opponent not for holes in his defense, but for attacks you'll need to avoid. When you are using total defense, that should be as obvious as when you lack a ready weapon with which to attack. In either case, you are obviously unable to attack and should therefore not grant flanking bonuses.(*Whether this makes complete sense is another question, as keeps coming up when people use summon monster i to gain flanking bonuses against a great wyrm. But it's how flanking works in the RAW, and changing the basic mechanic goes well into the realm of house rules.)</blockquote>