Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Xeviat-DM Aug 06, 2014 20:12:50	After 13 years, Opportunity Attacks suddenly began to bother me. I suppose it might be because I spent the last two years playing Mutants and Masterminds, but I'm beginning to find certain aspects of Opportunity Attacks to be problematic.   First, I understand that melee combat is supposed to include feints and parrys, and that Opportunity Attacks represent one of these becoming a real attack when your opponent drops their guard. This implies that if you attack a helpless target, or even an unaware target, that you should be able to use your reaction to take an extra attack, since by the very definition of helpless they cannot defend themselves against you turning a feint into an attack.   Second, we now know there is a feat which lets a spellcaster cast a one target cantrip in melee against a target that provokes an Opportunity Attack. What about the opponent making an opening lets the caster cast a spell quicker than they could have otherwise. Can they cast a free cantrip against a helpless target?   I know some of these issues have been brought up before, since the onset of Opportunity Attacks (or Attacks of Opportunity, as they were once and sometimes are still called), but they're only now making sense to me.   What are your thoughts?
#2 Novacat Aug 06, 2014 20:29:56	Opportunity Attacks are an abstraction. There are many parts of D&D that begin to crumble if you logic them too hard.
#3 Grazel Aug 06, 2014 21:46:12	A helpless character instead grants advantage (in 5e, in older editions it gave you a bonus to hit). While a helpless character can't defend themselves it's not the same as the opening an opportunity attack exploits which is specifically opening a weak spot to allow a quick blow that wouldn't otherwise be possible. A helpless character also isn't doing anything so can't provoke an opportunity attack (a reaction). The rules already cover the fact that a helpless character is exposed and helpless, by giving a bonus to the attack rather than giving 2 attacks. Also remember that an opportunity attack (or any reaction action) is normally limited to one per round per character while a high level fighter against a helpless character can get in 4 attacks a round all with advantage.
#4 Xeviat-DM Aug 06, 2014 23:46:25	Well, part of it is fixed by the rules for Unconscious and Paralized; in addition to having advantage, "any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature". So rather than using the "opening", as in the lack of doing something to prevent an opening (I don't feel like you have to do something to provoke an OA, you have to not do something to provoke an OA), you line up your attacks better and get auto crits. Since crits aren't a flat x2 damage, though, it may still feel odd.   The cantrip attack of opportunity thing is still weird.