Reach Weapons and Ready Actions [Archive] - Wizards Community

Reach Weapons and Ready Actions [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Austinn's Servant
09-28-07, 09:00 PM Suppose I am using a reach weapon and ready an action to attack a particular opponent when it becomes adjacent to me. Do I receive both an attack of opportunity from the reach weapon AND my readied action? A diagram will make this more plain:

X _ _ Y
X readies to attack Y when it enters the square adjacent to it. It is now Y's turn.
X _ Y _
X makes an attack of opportunity on Y as it passes through the threatened square (X has 10ft. reach).
X Y _ _
Y enters the square adjacent to X, triggering its ready action.

My inclination is "No", but I can't find justification in the PHB.

A separate but related question: Suppose I have 15ft. reach and Combat Reflexes. Do I get two attacks of opportunity against a charging foe - one at the 15ft. mark and on at the 10ft. mark?
Austinn's Servant
09-28-07, 09:01 PM Hello, Wizards Forums. Are you functioning this evening? My posts don't seem to appear.
Sexy_ferret
09-28-07, 09:30 PM I believe you would cus you ready your action to attack when hes next to you. And he causes an AoO to you when he moves through your threaten area.

And no you dont get 2 AoO to someing moving through your threat range. You can only gain 1 AoO per action.

If you have combat reflexes and you trip and disarm the person and move so you are adjacent to them. You would get 1 for him standing up from prone and one for him picking up his weapon.
Merestil Haye
09-28-07, 09:47 PM You would not get your readied action.

If you are wielding a reach weapon, unless that weapon has special properties you cannot make a melee attack into that square. Therefore you cannot take your readied action.

The action to ready is to attack when Y enters melee range. That way you get your readied attack when Y enters the area you threaten and an attack when he triesd to close that last 5'.
Austinn's Servant
09-28-07, 09:48 PM Should have read more closely. I cannot gain two attacks of opportunity with the 15ft. reach scenario. Thank the gods - Giants with Combat Reflexes would be nigh invincible.

Still nothing definitive about the first scenario, however. Thanks for your input, Ferret. We'll see what others have to say.
Austinn's Servant
09-28-07, 09:55 PM If you are wielding a reach weapon, unless that weapon has special properties you cannot make a melee attack into that square.

The Spiked Chain is an exception to this rule. I was considering it implicitly, as it is the weapon being used by the character in question. I should have mentioned it earlier.

The action to ready is to attack when Y enters melee range. That way you get your readied attack when Y enters the area you threaten and an attack when he triesd to close that last 5'.

I think this is the true answer. My concern was that, by acting with the Attack of Opportunity, I would be somehow violating the conditions of the readied action (i.e. waiting for the trigger). However, the order you propose allows the readied action to be triggered and THEN the attack of opportunity. Clearly, there is no conflict here. Thank you for your answer.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Austinn's Servant 09-28-07, 09:00 PM	Suppose I am using a reach weapon and ready an action to attack a particular opponent when it becomes adjacent to me. Do I receive both an attack of opportunity from the reach weapon AND my readied action? A diagram will make this more plain: X _ _ Y X readies to attack Y when it enters the square adjacent to it. It is now Y's turn. X _ Y _ X makes an attack of opportunity on Y as it passes through the threatened square (X has 10ft. reach). X Y _ _ Y enters the square adjacent to X, triggering its ready action. My inclination is "No", but I can't find justification in the PHB. A separate but related question: Suppose I have 15ft. reach and Combat Reflexes. Do I get two attacks of opportunity against a charging foe - one at the 15ft. mark and on at the 10ft. mark?
Austinn's Servant 09-28-07, 09:01 PM	Hello, Wizards Forums. Are you functioning this evening? My posts don't seem to appear.
Sexy_ferret 09-28-07, 09:30 PM	I believe you would cus you ready your action to attack when hes next to you. And he causes an AoO to you when he moves through your threaten area. And no you dont get 2 AoO to someing moving through your threat range. You can only gain 1 AoO per action. If you have combat reflexes and you trip and disarm the person and move so you are adjacent to them. You would get 1 for him standing up from prone and one for him picking up his weapon.
Merestil Haye 09-28-07, 09:47 PM	You would not get your readied action. If you are wielding a reach weapon, unless that weapon has special properties you cannot make a melee attack into that square. Therefore you cannot take your readied action. The action to ready is to attack when Y enters melee range. That way you get your readied attack when Y enters the area you threaten and an attack when he triesd to close that last 5'.
Austinn's Servant 09-28-07, 09:48 PM	Should have read more closely. I cannot gain two attacks of opportunity with the 15ft. reach scenario. Thank the gods - Giants with Combat Reflexes would be nigh invincible. Still nothing definitive about the first scenario, however. Thanks for your input, Ferret. We'll see what others have to say.
Austinn's Servant 09-28-07, 09:55 PM	If you are wielding a reach weapon, unless that weapon has special properties you cannot make a melee attack into that square. The Spiked Chain is an exception to this rule. I was considering it implicitly, as it is the weapon being used by the character in question. I should have mentioned it earlier. The action to ready is to attack when Y enters melee range. That way you get your readied attack when Y enters the area you threaten and an attack when he triesd to close that last 5'. I think this is the true answer. My concern was that, by acting with the Attack of Opportunity, I would be somehow violating the conditions of the readied action (i.e. waiting for the trigger). However, the order you propose allows the readied action to be triggered and THEN the attack of opportunity. Clearly, there is no conflict here. Thank you for your answer.