Post/Author/DateTime	Post
kSquared 09-30-04, 02:50 PM	You're adjacent to a caster. Your turn comes first. You ready an action to disarm the material components from his hand if he casts a spell. When the caster's turn comes up, he casts a spell (nondefensively) with material components. This provokes an AoO. Which happens first? The AoO, because it's in response to his spellcasting, or the action you readied, because it matches the trigger conditions you set for the ready action?
Tony Vargas 09-30-04, 03:00 PM	Both need to be resolved before the wizard can finish casting his spell, so it shouldn't make too much of a difference. Whichever one is done first, if it spoils the spell, it might be argued that the other didn't go offf (if the AoO ruined his concentration, he's not casting anymore, so the Ready doesn't go off - if the Ready succeeds and he no longer has components, he's not casting anymore, so doesn't provoke). Technically, I don't think that's the case, regardless of the order, or the success of whichever one is resolved first, both should happen. Then, once both attacks have been resolved, the wiz can finish casting his spell - if he's still able to...
Beamup 09-30-04, 03:04 PM	I basically agree with Tony, both will go off. But that doesn't mean the question isn't relevant. In this particular case, if the AoO kills him first, you just don't do the disarm since there is no valid target. But if the disarm goes off first, the wizard gets an AoO - so if your AoO kills him, does he get his or not? Or if you'd readied an attack instead of a disarm, and your first attack (of the two allowed) kills him, did you use up the AoO or not? Personally I'd let the player decide which order he wanted to take them in if such a thing happened. I'm pretty sure there is no rule covering it, though.
Tony Vargas 09-30-04, 03:38 PM	But if the disarm goes off first, the wizard gets an AoO - so if your AoO kills him, does he get his or not? The wiz is casting a spell with a material component - he's probably not threatening at the same time. Or if you'd readied an attack instead of a disarm, and your first attack (of the two allowed) kills him, did you use up the AoO or not? Personally I'd let the player decide which order he wanted to take them in if such a thing happened. I'm pretty sure there is no rule covering it, though. Fair enough.
FitzNighteyes 09-30-04, 04:39 PM	Why ready a disarm? Why trigger with "spell with material component"? Just ready an "attack" for trigger "casts spell". Then use that attack to Disarm when it triggers.
Tony Vargas 10-01-04, 12:41 PM	Some DMs might insist on that level of precision in a ready...
FitzNighteyes 10-01-04, 01:57 PM	Ouch. Fair enough. I personally require a little bit more most of the time, but given that you are already using a pretty specific trigger (particular enemy casts a spell) that can only work in specific circumstances (casts within your threat area or within a 5ft step of it), you may be risking a good chance of loosing the action.
Thorak 10-01-04, 03:23 PM	Technically, a Readied action precedes it's trigger, while an AoO interrupts it's trigger. So, when he grabs the spell components, but before he starts casting, your Readied Disarm goes off. Which is then interrupted by the AoO. When the AoO is resolved, your Disarm is then resolved, and then finally he can (maybe) start casting the spell.
Tony Vargas 10-01-04, 06:50 PM	Interesting, I hadn't seen anything to indicate that readied actions & AoO don't both happen in response to another's action. And, both are described as being resolved before that action... ...but, the scenario you describe does make sense: With a readied attack, you'd start swinging as soon as it was obvious he was casting, while with an AoO, he migh not 'leave himself open' with the first syllable...
Thorak 10-01-04, 09:26 PM	For readied actions, page 160; "The action occurs just before the action that triggers it." AoOs are less clear, because it's not as specifically spelled out. However, for AoOs, page 137; "Some actions, when performed in a threatened square, provoke attacks of opportunity as you divert your attention from the battle." and "An attack of opportunity 'interrupts' the normal flow of actions in the round. If an attack of opportunity is provoked, immediately resolve the attack of opportunity, then continue . . ." So, AoOs are provoked when an action is performed in a threatened square. They are reacting to the action being performed, which is impossible unless the action has already started. And, at the moment it's provoked, you immediately interrupt the provoking action, after it has started but before you've actually resolved it, and resolve the AoO first.
Nom 10-02-04, 08:12 AM	I'd actually resolve it the opposite way to Thorak. The readied action happens "just before", so it goes first. The readied character's round is now over. If the character is still able to perform the spellcasting action and wants to do so, they then provoke an AoO which "interrupts" the spellcasting action.