Attack of Opportunity: Difference between revisions
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==== Performing a Provocative Act ==== | ==== Performing a Provocative Act ==== | ||
: There are a number of actions that, when performed during combat, are too distracting to the acting creature to | : There are a number of actions that, when performed during combat, are too distracting to the acting creature for them to simultaneously act to defend themselves. These are considered 'provoking actions'. Broadly speaking, if the action you are taking forces you to take your eyes off the battlefield for long enough that doing the action requires a standard or move action to perform, it is likely a provoking action. | ||
{| class="ep-default" | : Another way to think of it is: if it isn't a melee attack or an action that could be considered some form of defending yourself (such as drawing a weapon, donning a shield, escaping a net or grapple, taking the full defense action) is likely to be considered a provocative action. If you have to take your eyes off the battlefield, it probably provokes. | ||
: Swift actions, immediate actions, free actions, or "part of a move action" actions rarely, if ever, provoke an attack of opportunity. This includes casting spells that have an immediate action casting time, or spells that have been augmented with the [[Quicken Spell (Feat)|Quicken Spell]] metamagic feat. | |||
: Touch attack spells are an odd case. While touching an opponent in combat is a melee attack, and therefore does not provoke, casting a spell while threatened does provoke. Despite the fact that most touch spells allow you to cast the spell and touch an opponent as part of the same action, the act provokes attacks of opportunity. If however, you cast the spell outside of any threatened area, move to a space adjacent to a foe, and then make your touch attack, you do not provoke. | |||
: Every skill use explicitly states on their respective skill pages whether or not they provoke attacks of opportunity when used in combat. Generally, most skill uses provoke attacks of opportunity when used in combat. This is even true of combat maneuvers, despite the fact that these actions are largely melee-oriented. Because of their non-traditional nature, it takes practice and skill to perform combat maneuvers without provoking attacks of opportunity, which is to say, you need to take the appropriate combat maneuver feat to overcome this weakness. In all cases, refer to the skill pages for details. | |||
: The table below provides some examples on the sorts of actions that might provoke attacks of opportunity, and some examples of actions that do not. The GM is the final arbiter, in all cases. Furthermore, there are many exceptions to these general rules. Any feat, class feature, racial trait, or other ability that specifically states it doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity should take precedence over these general rules. | |||
::{| class="ep-default" style="text-align:left; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse;" | |||
|- | |||
! width="350" align="center" | Standard Actions || width="75" align="center" | Provokes? | |||
|- | |||
| Attack (melee) || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Attack (ranged) || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Attack (unarmed) || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Attack (improvised melee) || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Attack (improvised range) || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Aid another || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Cast a spell (w/ standard action casting time) || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Channel divinity || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Charge || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Draw a hidden weapon (w/ [[Sleight of Hand]] skill) || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Drink a potion or apply an oil || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Escape a grapple || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Feint || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Light a torch || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Lower spell resistance || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Perform a combat maneuver || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Read a scroll || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Ready an action || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Stabilize a dying creature (w/ [[Heal]] skill) || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Total defense || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Trigger command word on a magic item || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Use extraordinary ability || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Use feat || align="center" | Varies | |||
|- | |||
| Use skill that takes a standard action || align="center" | Usually | |||
|- | |||
| Use spell-like ability || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Use supernatural ability || align="center" | No | |||
|} | |||
<p> | |||
</p> | |||
::{| class="ep-default" style="text-align:left; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse;" | |||
|- | |||
! width="350" align="center" | Move Actions || width="75" align="center" | Provokes? | |||
|- | |||
| Move || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Control a frightened mount || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Direct or redirect an active spell || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Don a shield || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Load a hand crossbow or light crossbow || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Mount/dismount a steed || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Move a heavy object (w/ [[Might]] skill) || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Sheathe a weapon || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Stand up from prone || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Retrieve a stored item || align="center" | Yes | |||
|} | |||
<p> | |||
</p> | |||
::{| class="ep-default" style="text-align:left; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse;" | |||
|- | |||
! width="350" align="center" | Part of a Move Action || width="75" align="center" | Provokes? | |||
|- | |||
| Draw a weapon || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Open or close a door || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Pick up an item || align="center" | No | |||
|} | |||
<p> | |||
</p> | |||
::{| class="ep-default" style="text-align:left; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse;" | |||
|- | |||
! width="350" align="center" | Full-Round Actions / Full-Attack Actions || width="75" align="center" | Provokes? | |||
|- | |||
| Full attack || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Deliver coup de grace || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Escape from a net || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Extinguish flames || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Load a siege weapon || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Donning or doffing a weapon/shield with the [[Attached (Quality)|Attached]] quality || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Run || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Use skill that takes a full round || align="center" | Usually | |||
|- | |||
| Use a touch spell on up to six friends || align="center" | Yes | |||
|- | |||
| Withdraw || align="center" | No | |||
|} | |||
<p> | |||
</p> | |||
::{| class="ep-default" style="text-align:left; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse;" | |||
|- | |||
! width="350" align="center" | Free Actions || width="75" align="center" | Provokes? | |||
|- | |||
| 5-foot step || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Cease concentration on a spell || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Delay your action || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Drop an item || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Drop prone || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Prepare spell components to cast a spell || align="center" | No | |||
|- | |||
| Speak || align="center" | No | |||
|} | |||
<p> | |||
</p> | |||
::{| class="ep-default" style="text-align:left; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse;" | |||
|- | |||
! width="350" align="center" | Swift Actions || width="75" align="center" | Provokes? | |||
|- | |||
| Cast a quickened spell || align="center" | No | |||
|} | |||
<p> | |||
</p> | |||
::{| class="ep-default" style="text-align:left; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse;" | |||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! width="350" align="center" | Immediate Actions || width="75" align="center" | Provokes? | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | Cast spell (w/ immediate action casting time) || align="center" | No | ||
|} | |||
Cast | |||
Note that a single action, such as a move action, can never provoke more than one attack of opportunity per enemy creature provoked, even if that creature is capable of making more than one attack of opportunity per round. For example, if you move in such a way that you are leaving more than one square threatened by the same enemy, you only provoke from that enemy a single time, because you only took one move action. Note that this "one attack of opportunity per action performed" rule applies '''per enemy''', meaning that multiple enemies can each perform an attack of opportunity on you, if provoked, per action you perform | : Note that a single action, such as a move action, can never provoke more than one attack of opportunity per enemy creature provoked, even if that creature is capable of making more than one attack of opportunity per round. For example, if you move in such a way that you are leaving more than one square threatened by the same enemy, you only provoke from that enemy a single time, because you only took one move action. Note that this "one attack of opportunity per action performed" rule applies '''per enemy''', meaning that multiple enemies can each perform an attack of opportunity on you, if provoked, per action you perform that provokes. A full attack action is also considered a single action, for purposes of provoking an attack of opportunity, even though it could technically be severed. | ||
===Making an Attack of Opportunity=== | ===Making an Attack of Opportunity=== |
Revision as of 20:29, 6 November 2019
Attack of Opportunity
Sometimes a combatant in a melee lets her guard down or takes a reckless action. In this case, combatants near her can take advantage of her lapse in defense to attack her for free. These free Bonus Attacks are called attacks of opportunity.
Threatened Squares
You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your turn. Generally, that means everything in all squares adjacent to your space (including diagonally). An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If you're unarmed, you don't normally threaten any squares and thus can't make attacks of opportunity.
- Reach Weapons
- Most creatures of Medium or smaller size have a reach of only 5 feet. This means that they can make melee attacks only against creatures up to 5 feet (1 square) away. However, Small and Medium creatures wielding reach weapons threaten more squares than a typical creature. In addition, many creatures that are sized-large or larger have a natural reach of 10 feet or more.
Provoking an Attack of Opportunity
Two kinds of actions can provoke attacks of opportunity: moving out of a threatened square and performing certain actions within a threatened square.
Leaving a Threatened Square
- Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening opponents. There are two common methods of avoiding such an attack — the 5-foot step and the withdraw action. Note that moving into a threatened square does not provoke an attack of opportunity, only leaving a threatened square.
Performing a Provocative Act
- There are a number of actions that, when performed during combat, are too distracting to the acting creature for them to simultaneously act to defend themselves. These are considered 'provoking actions'. Broadly speaking, if the action you are taking forces you to take your eyes off the battlefield for long enough that doing the action requires a standard or move action to perform, it is likely a provoking action.
- Another way to think of it is: if it isn't a melee attack or an action that could be considered some form of defending yourself (such as drawing a weapon, donning a shield, escaping a net or grapple, taking the full defense action) is likely to be considered a provocative action. If you have to take your eyes off the battlefield, it probably provokes.
- Swift actions, immediate actions, free actions, or "part of a move action" actions rarely, if ever, provoke an attack of opportunity. This includes casting spells that have an immediate action casting time, or spells that have been augmented with the Quicken Spell metamagic feat.
- Touch attack spells are an odd case. While touching an opponent in combat is a melee attack, and therefore does not provoke, casting a spell while threatened does provoke. Despite the fact that most touch spells allow you to cast the spell and touch an opponent as part of the same action, the act provokes attacks of opportunity. If however, you cast the spell outside of any threatened area, move to a space adjacent to a foe, and then make your touch attack, you do not provoke.
- Every skill use explicitly states on their respective skill pages whether or not they provoke attacks of opportunity when used in combat. Generally, most skill uses provoke attacks of opportunity when used in combat. This is even true of combat maneuvers, despite the fact that these actions are largely melee-oriented. Because of their non-traditional nature, it takes practice and skill to perform combat maneuvers without provoking attacks of opportunity, which is to say, you need to take the appropriate combat maneuver feat to overcome this weakness. In all cases, refer to the skill pages for details.
- The table below provides some examples on the sorts of actions that might provoke attacks of opportunity, and some examples of actions that do not. The GM is the final arbiter, in all cases. Furthermore, there are many exceptions to these general rules. Any feat, class feature, racial trait, or other ability that specifically states it doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity should take precedence over these general rules.
Standard Actions Provokes? Attack (melee) No Attack (ranged) Yes Attack (unarmed) Yes Attack (improvised melee) No Attack (improvised range) Yes Aid another No Cast a spell (w/ standard action casting time) Yes Channel divinity No Charge Yes Draw a hidden weapon (w/ Sleight of Hand skill) No Drink a potion or apply an oil Yes Escape a grapple No Feint No Light a torch Yes Lower spell resistance No Perform a combat maneuver Yes Read a scroll Yes Ready an action No Stabilize a dying creature (w/ Heal skill) Yes Total defense No Trigger command word on a magic item No Use extraordinary ability No Use feat Varies Use skill that takes a standard action Usually Use spell-like ability Yes Use supernatural ability No
Move Actions Provokes? Move Yes Control a frightened mount Yes Direct or redirect an active spell No Don a shield No Load a hand crossbow or light crossbow Yes Mount/dismount a steed No Move a heavy object (w/ Might skill) Yes Sheathe a weapon Yes Stand up from prone Yes Retrieve a stored item Yes
Part of a Move Action Provokes? Draw a weapon No Open or close a door No Pick up an item No
Full-Round Actions / Full-Attack Actions Provokes? Full attack No Deliver coup de grace Yes Escape from a net Yes Extinguish flames No Load a siege weapon Yes Donning or doffing a weapon/shield with the Attached quality Yes Run Yes Use skill that takes a full round Usually Use a touch spell on up to six friends Yes Withdraw No
Free Actions Provokes? 5-foot step No Cease concentration on a spell No Delay your action No Drop an item No Drop prone No Prepare spell components to cast a spell No Speak No
Swift Actions Provokes? Cast a quickened spell No
Immediate Actions Provokes? Cast spell (w/ immediate action casting time) No
- Note that a single action, such as a move action, can never provoke more than one attack of opportunity per enemy creature provoked, even if that creature is capable of making more than one attack of opportunity per round. For example, if you move in such a way that you are leaving more than one square threatened by the same enemy, you only provoke from that enemy a single time, because you only took one move action. Note that this "one attack of opportunity per action performed" rule applies per enemy, meaning that multiple enemies can each perform an attack of opportunity on you, if provoked, per action you perform that provokes. A full attack action is also considered a single action, for purposes of provoking an attack of opportunity, even though it could technically be severed.
Making an Attack of Opportunity
An attack of opportunity is a single melee attack, and most characters can only make one per round.
You don't have to make an attack of opportunity if you don't want to.
The to-hit roll of an attack of opportunity is always made at your highest attack bonus, even if you've already attacked this round.
An attack of opportunity "interrupts" the action of the creature which provokes the attack, meaning it is resolved immediately. Only if the provoking creature survives the attack can it finish performing its action. In most cases, actions which are interrupted by an attack of opportunity can only be stopped by reducing the acting creature to 0 or fewer hit points. The attack of opportunity itself does not prevent the action from occurring, nor does it (usually) inflict any penalties on the action.
Attacks of opportunity are only basic melee attacks. You cannot use a combat maneuver, cast a spell, or make a ranged attack as your attack of opportunity, unless you have an ability which specifically allows you to do so.