Blocking attacks with a readied action? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Blocking attacks with a readied action? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Pitiless_Interfector
06-07-07, 12:20 AM I know total defense and Combat Expertise were designed to simulate sacrificing offense for defense, but the static AC bonuses aren't very interesting. I was wondering if a more interactive method could be used, and cooked this up:

Blocking
You may ready an action to block an opponent's blow. You must declare which foe you choose to defend against before taking this action. When your foe makes a melee attack roll against you, you may make your own melee attack roll, using your highest base attack bonus and all the modifiers that apply to whatever weapon you currently wield (or your unarmed strike, if you have a free hand or don't carry a weapon). If your result is higher, your opponent misses, regardless of your AC, unless his result was a natural twenty. You may not block ranged attacks, nor may you block an attack made by a creature two or more size categories larger than you.

I think this is more flavorful, and balanced enough to not require a feat. However, it could become quite useful if combined with Defensive Throw, or perhaps Defensive Disarm or Defensive Grapple (theoretical feats that do the same thing as Defensive throw, but with a different follow-up attack). Any thoughts? Has anyone posted something similar?
Encard
06-07-07, 01:24 AM This is pretty much the standard parry mechanic that gets brought up now and then, although I've normally seen is as a feat that uses up AoO's instead of an actual action. I think it should be fine as a general combat option; frankly, it probably won't even be very useful at high levels, since melee-using enemies tend to have great attack bonuses and multiple attacks. If anything, I'd say that attack bonus is harder to raise than AC, so for most characters this is the worse option.

Now, combined with some feats that improved that and the right AoO-attack-generating stuff, it could be quite nice. That would definitely make for a fun lightly-armored character.
mharb
06-07-07, 01:31 AM Take Expertise and Improved Trip...

Then ready a trip attack. If you succeed, it's better than blocking an attack. The opponent is flat on their ass, and you get to attack them while their down with a +4 bonus vs. prone targets.
CrazyOzzy
06-07-07, 09:09 AM I know total defense and Combat Expertise were designed to simulate sacrificing offense for defense, but the static AC bonuses aren't very interesting. I was wondering if a more interactive method could be used, and cooked this up:

Blocking
You may ready an action to block an opponent's blow. You must declare which foe you choose to defend against before taking this action. When your foe makes a melee attack roll against you, you may make your own melee attack roll, using your highest base attack bonus and all the modifiers that apply to whatever weapon you currently wield (or your unarmed strike, if you have a free hand or don't carry a weapon). If your result is higher, your opponent misses, regardless of your AC, unless his result was a natural twenty. You may not block ranged attacks, nor may you block an attack made by a creature two or more size categories larger than you.

I think this is more flavorful, and balanced enough to not require a feat. However, it could become quite useful if combined with Defensive Throw, or perhaps Defensive Disarm or Defensive Grapple (theoretical feats that do the same thing as Defensive throw, but with a different follow-up attack). Any thoughts? Has anyone posted something similar?

I cooked up some feats a few weeks ago that let you actively block while in total defense. You had to equal the attacker's roll with a roll of your own (1d20+Attack Bonus + Shield AC) and if you did, you totally blocked your opponent's blow. It could only be used against certain sized creatures and every blow had a 25% chance of submitting the automatic effect of a sunder attack on your shield.

I thought I was cool until I found :

[Improved Combat Expertise] :

Prerequisite : Intelligence 13, Base Attack Bonus +6, Combat Expertise

Benefit : When you take an Attack Action or a Full Attack action, you may take -X to hit and get +X to your AC until your next action. X can be up to your Base Attack Bonus, with a maximum of your Base Attack Bonus (instead of +5).

This blows our Feats out of the water!

I think your idea is good though, it is flavourful, as is mine but Improved Combat Expertise just seems better, although it does have different pre reqs to what we had designed.

I would recommend you apply your feat to your games (are you DM?) because it does have flavour, although I would advise to maybe make it more attractive than other feats to some of your shield wielding players so that they would actually take it. Many times I have invented cool House Rules and cool Feats and the players didn't give a rat's behind about them!
Knightblde
06-07-07, 09:46 AM Wouldn't it be better to just roll a d20 as armor rather than using the 'take 10' rule that is applied normally? If you want it to be an opposed roll, just roll d20 and add all your modifiers to armor as normal. This will stay within the flavor of the rules.

If you want to 'stop' attacks, get a tower shield and set it for cover.
CrazyOzzy
06-07-07, 10:58 AM Wouldn't it be better to just roll a d20 as armor rather than using the 'take 10' rule that is applied normally? If you want it to be an opposed roll, just roll d20 and add all your modifiers to armor as normal. This will stay within the flavor of the rules.

If you want to 'stop' attacks, get a tower shield and set it for cover.

I like the opposed attack vs defence roll rule. However my players did not, they said it bogged down combat.

It's a nice rule that tends towards realism, but what we are suggesting is giving melee characters with shields an extra option, another combat ability they can use, to give them something extra, widen their repertoire of tactics in a fight in order for them to feel better adapted to different situations and feel more useful and most of all feel more like a Tank.
Woodforsheep
06-07-07, 11:22 AM The way I've always thought it to work is that you are perpetually "blocking" attacks. Just because an attack doesn't hit your AC and effect you or your hit-points, doesn't mean it didn't hit you.

AC of 19 and the enemy rolls a 17. That blow probably did "hit" you, but was deflected by your armor/shield/helmet/weapon.

I throw stuff in like this to spice up telling the story of battle.

Here's a tactic we use, but this might be a house rule thing. Ready an action to move if something attacks you. Something moves up to attack you and before that attack is resolved you move 30 feet backwards/to the side. Chances are, the enemy doesn't have enough movement left to get to you and attack.

<shrug>
neostrider
06-07-07, 06:49 PM This brings up an interesting point in the d&d mechanics.

SRD:
Readying an Action
You can ready a standard action, a move action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, any time before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character’s activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action.

Because you've interupted his actions, you could do any number of things that could prevent him from hurting you. Some of them are rather funny.

Ready an action against a person charging you, then when he's about to attack you shuffle 5 feet back and to the left. No longer a straight line huh?

Ready an action against an attack. Attacker declares a full attack and says he going to attack you. Make a single move action away from him (provoking a single AoO). I believe technically he'd already be commited to what he was doing, but your DM will probably say "well in that case..."

Ready an action against a spellcaster. She begins casting and you grapple her, probably ruining her somatic component. As a note, I want to say reading is MANDATORY to solo a spellcaster. Without readying they can keep shuffling 5 on their turn out of range. Assuming you're already in melee, don't attack now but ready an attack against them casting a spell. They shuffle five and start, you shuffle five and attack.

If you're paranoid about being attacked while still in RP mode and out of initiative just tell your DM you ready an action against someone drawing a weapon to draw your own weapon.

Readying is a powerful tool, if used correctly and reasonably.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Pitiless_Interfector 06-07-07, 12:20 AM	I know total defense and Combat Expertise were designed to simulate sacrificing offense for defense, but the static AC bonuses aren't very interesting. I was wondering if a more interactive method could be used, and cooked this up: Blocking You may ready an action to block an opponent's blow. You must declare which foe you choose to defend against before taking this action. When your foe makes a melee attack roll against you, you may make your own melee attack roll, using your highest base attack bonus and all the modifiers that apply to whatever weapon you currently wield (or your unarmed strike, if you have a free hand or don't carry a weapon). If your result is higher, your opponent misses, regardless of your AC, unless his result was a natural twenty. You may not block ranged attacks, nor may you block an attack made by a creature two or more size categories larger than you. I think this is more flavorful, and balanced enough to not require a feat. However, it could become quite useful if combined with Defensive Throw, or perhaps Defensive Disarm or Defensive Grapple (theoretical feats that do the same thing as Defensive throw, but with a different follow-up attack). Any thoughts? Has anyone posted something similar?
Encard 06-07-07, 01:24 AM	This is pretty much the standard parry mechanic that gets brought up now and then, although I've normally seen is as a feat that uses up AoO's instead of an actual action. I think it should be fine as a general combat option; frankly, it probably won't even be very useful at high levels, since melee-using enemies tend to have great attack bonuses and multiple attacks. If anything, I'd say that attack bonus is harder to raise than AC, so for most characters this is the worse option. Now, combined with some feats that improved that and the right AoO-attack-generating stuff, it could be quite nice. That would definitely make for a fun lightly-armored character.
mharb 06-07-07, 01:31 AM	Take Expertise and Improved Trip... Then ready a trip attack. If you succeed, it's better than blocking an attack. The opponent is flat on their ass, and you get to attack them while their down with a +4 bonus vs. prone targets.
CrazyOzzy 06-07-07, 09:09 AM	I know total defense and Combat Expertise were designed to simulate sacrificing offense for defense, but the static AC bonuses aren't very interesting. I was wondering if a more interactive method could be used, and cooked this up: Blocking You may ready an action to block an opponent's blow. You must declare which foe you choose to defend against before taking this action. When your foe makes a melee attack roll against you, you may make your own melee attack roll, using your highest base attack bonus and all the modifiers that apply to whatever weapon you currently wield (or your unarmed strike, if you have a free hand or don't carry a weapon). If your result is higher, your opponent misses, regardless of your AC, unless his result was a natural twenty. You may not block ranged attacks, nor may you block an attack made by a creature two or more size categories larger than you. I think this is more flavorful, and balanced enough to not require a feat. However, it could become quite useful if combined with Defensive Throw, or perhaps Defensive Disarm or Defensive Grapple (theoretical feats that do the same thing as Defensive throw, but with a different follow-up attack). Any thoughts? Has anyone posted something similar? I cooked up some feats a few weeks ago that let you actively block while in total defense. You had to equal the attacker's roll with a roll of your own (1d20+Attack Bonus + Shield AC) and if you did, you totally blocked your opponent's blow. It could only be used against certain sized creatures and every blow had a 25% chance of submitting the automatic effect of a sunder attack on your shield. I thought I was cool until I found : [Improved Combat Expertise] : Prerequisite : Intelligence 13, Base Attack Bonus +6, Combat Expertise Benefit : When you take an Attack Action or a Full Attack action, you may take -X to hit and get +X to your AC until your next action. X can be up to your Base Attack Bonus, with a maximum of your Base Attack Bonus (instead of +5). This blows our Feats out of the water! I think your idea is good though, it is flavourful, as is mine but Improved Combat Expertise just seems better, although it does have different pre reqs to what we had designed. I would recommend you apply your feat to your games (are you DM?) because it does have flavour, although I would advise to maybe make it more attractive than other feats to some of your shield wielding players so that they would actually take it. Many times I have invented cool House Rules and cool Feats and the players didn't give a rat's behind about them!
Knightblde 06-07-07, 09:46 AM	Wouldn't it be better to just roll a d20 as armor rather than using the 'take 10' rule that is applied normally? If you want it to be an opposed roll, just roll d20 and add all your modifiers to armor as normal. This will stay within the flavor of the rules. If you want to 'stop' attacks, get a tower shield and set it for cover.
CrazyOzzy 06-07-07, 10:58 AM	Wouldn't it be better to just roll a d20 as armor rather than using the 'take 10' rule that is applied normally? If you want it to be an opposed roll, just roll d20 and add all your modifiers to armor as normal. This will stay within the flavor of the rules. If you want to 'stop' attacks, get a tower shield and set it for cover. I like the opposed attack vs defence roll rule. However my players did not, they said it bogged down combat. It's a nice rule that tends towards realism, but what we are suggesting is giving melee characters with shields an extra option, another combat ability they can use, to give them something extra, widen their repertoire of tactics in a fight in order for them to feel better adapted to different situations and feel more useful and most of all feel more like a Tank.
Woodforsheep 06-07-07, 11:22 AM	The way I've always thought it to work is that you are perpetually "blocking" attacks. Just because an attack doesn't hit your AC and effect you or your hit-points, doesn't mean it didn't hit you. AC of 19 and the enemy rolls a 17. That blow probably did "hit" you, but was deflected by your armor/shield/helmet/weapon. I throw stuff in like this to spice up telling the story of battle. Here's a tactic we use, but this might be a house rule thing. Ready an action to move if something attacks you. Something moves up to attack you and before that attack is resolved you move 30 feet backwards/to the side. Chances are, the enemy doesn't have enough movement left to get to you and attack. <shrug>
neostrider 06-07-07, 06:49 PM	This brings up an interesting point in the d&d mechanics. SRD: Readying an Action You can ready a standard action, a move action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, any time before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character’s activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action. Because you've interupted his actions, you could do any number of things that could prevent him from hurting you. Some of them are rather funny. Ready an action against a person charging you, then when he's about to attack you shuffle 5 feet back and to the left. No longer a straight line huh? Ready an action against an attack. Attacker declares a full attack and says he going to attack you. Make a single move action away from him (provoking a single AoO). I believe technically he'd already be commited to what he was doing, but your DM will probably say "well in that case..." Ready an action against a spellcaster. She begins casting and you grapple her, probably ruining her somatic component. As a note, I want to say reading is MANDATORY to solo a spellcaster. Without readying they can keep shuffling 5 on their turn out of range. Assuming you're already in melee, don't attack now but ready an attack against them casting a spell. They shuffle five and start, you shuffle five and attack. If you're paranoid about being attacked while still in RP mode and out of initiative just tell your DM you ready an action against someone drawing a weapon to draw your own weapon. Readying is a powerful tool, if used correctly and reasonably.