Combat Conditions

[David]

Welcome to David’s version of Dnd. While I find the d20 system, including 3.5, too “munchkin power-festy” for my tastes (as well as lacking in vision and even flavor), one thing I DO like to how they’ve categorically spelled out combat. And far be it from me not to take advantage of a good idea… So, here you go, a list of which combat actions reduce a character’s AC and/or trigger an attack of opportunity (AOO).

The following conditions reduce a character’s AC to Side AC (no shield, half bonuses for dex, skill, level, class, etc rounding down):

• Flanked (number of foes required to flank is a function of the combat level of the defender, but at least two)
• Underwater (against of frontal foe)

The following conditions reduce a character’s AC to Rear AC (no shield or bonuses for dex, skill, level, class, etc):

• Attacked from behind (number of foes required to flank is a function of the combat level of the defender, but at least two and usually three)
• Surprised/Blinded/Unaware of the attacker (and AC does NOT come back until PC takes an action/gets initiative)
• Standing up from prone in combat
• Fleeing combat (if caught and/or fail initiative)
• Turning undead

The following conditions trigger an attack of opportunity if performed while in melee:

• Moving past a ready foe within striking range
• Melee attack against a ready foe using a weapon with twice as much reach (such as a dagger vs a spear)
• Ranged attack against a current foe (only if the foe survives the attack!)
• Unarmed attack (including grappling, although certain skills lesson remove this condition)
• Casting a spell in melee (other than one segment long)

The following conditions trigger BOTH an attack of opportunity AND reduce the character’s AC to Rear AC:

• Reading a scroll
• Drinking a potion
• Tending a wounded being
• Lighting a torch

[adam]

Hi David,

D20 set an AOA before the action that triggers it. It is not clear, except in the case of the ranged attack which way you are setting it.

D20 also set 1 AOA per character per round and it does not interfer with the normal number of attacks. Is this also your set up.

Adam

[David]

Howdy Adam,

Generally, yes, I agree with the d20 rules for AOO's going first (where does AOA come from as an acronym?). I would generally assume that the AOO happens before the action that triggers it completes. Please note, however, that for actions like firing a missile or fleeing, there are caveats (the foe is still alive and unstunned for the former and the foe wins initiative for the later). Also, for a couple of actions (one segment spells and using an innate ability) I disagree with d20 and there is NO AOO (or chance to interrupt the action) at all.

I would allow a being to take as many attacks of opportunity in a round as normal attacks. Thus, for most beings it's only one, but for a lizard man, that's three (claw, claw, and bite) and for a type I demon and swimming sahuaghin, that's five (claw, claw, bite, kick, kick). In the case of a hasted 13th lvl fighter, that's four. In all cases, however, only one SEQUENCE per triggering event.

So, the tough, zippy fighter could only take ONE swing for someone moving through his threat zone, but COULD take ANOTHER if the same or another figure then cast a three segment spell or attempted to drink a potion. In the case of the lizard man, sahuaghin, or demon, since all attacks have to go at the same time, they could only be used (each) once in a round.