Attacks of Opportunity, your opinion of [Archive] - Wizards Community

Attacks of Opportunity, your opinion of [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
geministranger
09-23-04, 11:35 PM :confused: Is it just me or is the AoOp just a clumsy game mechanic?
Its like a "speed bump" in evey combat situation. After 5 years of d20, it still doesn't seem to flow smoothly in our games. I've suggested to my group doing away with it but to no avail. The fear is doing so would upset the balance of combat game mechanics.

What do you think?
Thorak
09-24-04, 01:27 AM I personally love the AoO. It finally gives D&D combat that reactive edge it always lacked in 2nd edition. Regardless of what you did, the enemy couldn't react to it. You could run up to a dragon, moon it, and then run away, and it had to stand there during your turn and let you get away with it. I much prefer the AoO system, where the dragon would turn your exposed rear into so much flayed meat.
Sphyre
09-24-04, 06:17 AM I personally love the AoO. It finally gives D&D combat that reactive edge it always lacked in 2nd edition. Regardless of what you did, the enemy couldn't react to it. You could run up to a dragon, moon it, and then run away, and it had to stand there during your turn and let you get away with it. I much prefer the AoO system, where the dragon would turn your exposed rear into so much flayed meat.

:rofl:

Price to hire mercenaries to slay the dragon: 100 gold each
Supplies used on trip to the dragon's lair: 5 gold
Value of the pants the crazy mercenary moons the dragon with: 2 silver
The look on the crazy mercenary's face when the dragon takes it's AoO on the his bare ass: Priceless.

There are many things that gold can't buy, for everything else there's Mage'sCard.
geministranger
09-24-04, 06:29 AM I much prefer the AoO system, where the dragon would turn your exposed rear into so much flayed meat.But only once per round unless he has combat reflexes. So 99 out of 100 mercenaries could moon attack a dragon in a single round without fear. :D
Zelphi
09-24-04, 06:50 AM Not if he picked up great cleave.

Wouldn't he just use Dragons breath the next round and toast them all anyway?

To sphyre - you knows it bra.
Sphyre
09-24-04, 07:19 AM To sphyre - you knows it bra.

Bra? Hmmm, unless you used a Dvorak keyboard, like me, o and a aren't right next to each other... So did you mean to call me a bra or mean to call me bro... or who knows... bri?

I guess it could be possible you do use a dvorak keyboard like me...
tarkin
09-24-04, 08:41 AM The feat the Dragon needs to get more AoO's is Combat Reflexes.

Cleave (particularly Great Cleave) on an AoO is almost always abusive and a lot of DM's just outlaw it. Some DM's would allow it in this situation (I would), but it is still debatable.
Grox
09-24-04, 10:44 AM Its like a "speed bump" in evey combat situation. After 5 years of d20, it still doesn't seem to flow smoothly in our games.

Exactly, that's WHY IT'S COOL!

One of the things I hated about 2e was how it could sometimes take FOREVER to wait for your turn to come up during a battle. All too often, half the PCs were concentrating on a separate conversation, hollering back "Whatever, call me when it's my turn" --- they'd only lumber back to the table when their turn came up, then require a 20-minute battle update before making up their minds what to do.

Now you have a damn good reason to pay attention during battles. IMCs if the player misses his chance to take his AoO when the situation presents itself, he loses it. You snooze you lose baby!
Pliny
09-24-04, 11:11 AM Exactly, that's WHY IT'S COOL!

One of the things I hated about 2e was how it could sometimes take FOREVER to wait for your turn to come up during a battle. All too often, half the PCs were concentrating on a separate conversation, hollering back "Whatever, call me when it's my turn" --- they'd only lumber back to the table when their turn came up, then require a 20-minute battle update before making up their minds what to do.

Now you have a damn good reason to pay attention during battles. IMCs if the player misses his chance to take his AoO when the situation presents itself, he loses it. You snooze you lose baby!

That is a problem with the players not the combat system.
The Legendary Two Sandals
09-24-04, 12:27 PM you can only abuse cleave if your dm is dumb and sends 6,000 kobolds aginst 10 lvl master samuri
brum
09-24-04, 12:46 PM A rogue in my campaign has the opportunitist class ability. Any rogue with that ability appreciates their "daily allotment" of AoO. :)
Grox
09-24-04, 11:44 PM That is a problem with the players not the combat system.

Maybe it is --- what does it matter? The point is, I like this SOLUTION better.

I suppose I could have embarked on a project to expand everyone's attention span and make them more mature. OR use a combat system that penalizes those who don't pay attention! :devil:

The first solution is dull, hard work, low chance of success; the second one opens up whole new frontiers of fun and dirty tricks . . . seems a simple enough choice to me.
wolfhawk
09-25-04, 03:12 AM If you really need a quick reminder on how this works, play a few games of Magic the Gathering, and you will get the hang of instant/interrupt level reactions.
It's pretty straight forward in most cases.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
geministranger 09-23-04, 11:35 PM	:confused: Is it just me or is the AoOp just a clumsy game mechanic? Its like a "speed bump" in evey combat situation. After 5 years of d20, it still doesn't seem to flow smoothly in our games. I've suggested to my group doing away with it but to no avail. The fear is doing so would upset the balance of combat game mechanics. What do you think?
Thorak 09-24-04, 01:27 AM	I personally love the AoO. It finally gives D&D combat that reactive edge it always lacked in 2nd edition. Regardless of what you did, the enemy couldn't react to it. You could run up to a dragon, moon it, and then run away, and it had to stand there during your turn and let you get away with it. I much prefer the AoO system, where the dragon would turn your exposed rear into so much flayed meat.
Sphyre 09-24-04, 06:17 AM	I personally love the AoO. It finally gives D&D combat that reactive edge it always lacked in 2nd edition. Regardless of what you did, the enemy couldn't react to it. You could run up to a dragon, moon it, and then run away, and it had to stand there during your turn and let you get away with it. I much prefer the AoO system, where the dragon would turn your exposed rear into so much flayed meat. :rofl: Price to hire mercenaries to slay the dragon: 100 gold each Supplies used on trip to the dragon's lair: 5 gold Value of the pants the crazy mercenary moons the dragon with: 2 silver The look on the crazy mercenary's face when the dragon takes it's AoO on the his bare ass: Priceless. There are many things that gold can't buy, for everything else there's Mage'sCard.
geministranger 09-24-04, 06:29 AM	I much prefer the AoO system, where the dragon would turn your exposed rear into so much flayed meat.But only once per round unless he has combat reflexes. So 99 out of 100 mercenaries could moon attack a dragon in a single round without fear. :D
Zelphi 09-24-04, 06:50 AM	Not if he picked up great cleave. Wouldn't he just use Dragons breath the next round and toast them all anyway? To sphyre - you knows it bra.
Sphyre 09-24-04, 07:19 AM	To sphyre - you knows it bra. Bra? Hmmm, unless you used a Dvorak keyboard, like me, o and a aren't right next to each other... So did you mean to call me a bra or mean to call me bro... or who knows... bri? I guess it could be possible you do use a dvorak keyboard like me...
tarkin 09-24-04, 08:41 AM	The feat the Dragon needs to get more AoO's is Combat Reflexes. Cleave (particularly Great Cleave) on an AoO is almost always abusive and a lot of DM's just outlaw it. Some DM's would allow it in this situation (I would), but it is still debatable.
Grox 09-24-04, 10:44 AM	Its like a "speed bump" in evey combat situation. After 5 years of d20, it still doesn't seem to flow smoothly in our games. Exactly, that's WHY IT'S COOL! One of the things I hated about 2e was how it could sometimes take FOREVER to wait for your turn to come up during a battle. All too often, half the PCs were concentrating on a separate conversation, hollering back "Whatever, call me when it's my turn" --- they'd only lumber back to the table when their turn came up, then require a 20-minute battle update before making up their minds what to do. Now you have a damn good reason to pay attention during battles. IMCs if the player misses his chance to take his AoO when the situation presents itself, he loses it. You snooze you lose baby!
Pliny 09-24-04, 11:11 AM	Exactly, that's WHY IT'S COOL! One of the things I hated about 2e was how it could sometimes take FOREVER to wait for your turn to come up during a battle. All too often, half the PCs were concentrating on a separate conversation, hollering back "Whatever, call me when it's my turn" --- they'd only lumber back to the table when their turn came up, then require a 20-minute battle update before making up their minds what to do. Now you have a damn good reason to pay attention during battles. IMCs if the player misses his chance to take his AoO when the situation presents itself, he loses it. You snooze you lose baby! That is a problem with the players not the combat system.
The Legendary Two Sandals 09-24-04, 12:27 PM	you can only abuse cleave if your dm is dumb and sends 6,000 kobolds aginst 10 lvl master samuri
brum 09-24-04, 12:46 PM	A rogue in my campaign has the opportunitist class ability. Any rogue with that ability appreciates their "daily allotment" of AoO. :)
Grox 09-24-04, 11:44 PM	That is a problem with the players not the combat system. Maybe it is --- what does it matter? The point is, I like this SOLUTION better. I suppose I could have embarked on a project to expand everyone's attention span and make them more mature. OR use a combat system that penalizes those who don't pay attention! :devil: The first solution is dull, hard work, low chance of success; the second one opens up whole new frontiers of fun and dirty tricks . . . seems a simple enough choice to me.
wolfhawk 09-25-04, 03:12 AM	If you really need a quick reminder on how this works, play a few games of Magic the Gathering, and you will get the hang of instant/interrupt level reactions. It's pretty straight forward in most cases.