Here's the skippy: I want running from cover to trigger an attack of oppurtunity from ranged weapons. That's what started this mess. I'm running a western campaign where cover and ranged combat play a heavier role, but I think there are many standard fantasy scenarios that could benefit from this, the only problem is you have to kind of fajigger the whole attack of oppurtunity thing for ranged weapons for it to make sense. Does entering a weapon's range threaten? How about moving at all while within range? There's a lot to think about, which is probably why AoE's are melee only, but lets tinker a bit here, guys. What are your thoughts?
IF i remember right, SWSE has rules of this nature. In essence, a ranged attacker designates a certain square(s) and if an opponent passes through it, they trigger an AoO. I could be misremembering, but I'll double check later when I don't have a sleeping 3 year old in my lap.
Conditions: Enemy moves out of a square adjacent to you or performs an action that "distracts" him.
Performed With: melee, natural, unarmed (with improved unarmed), pistols, carbines, and any weapon with a folded stock (i.e. something you didn't have to brace for automatic fire).
Everyone threatens all adjacent squares. Moving out of a threatened square provoked for the above weapons.
These also provoked (for ranged and melee): Making an unarmed attack without the Martial Arts I (improved unarmed) feat; Aiming; Loading a weapon; Picking up an item; Retrieving a stored item; Moving into an enemy's square; Using any skill that distracts you or forces you to drop your guard (GM's
determination).
Hope that helps.
Ranged weapons don't allow for AOOs, barring a certain feat chain which still only provides them at more or less adjacent targets (which, really, is a significant aspect of how they're balanced). This sort of situation though is absolutely covered by having everyone involved say "I ready an action to shoot anyone who leaves cover.
Works out pretty good actually, because if you fake someone out with a hat or whatever, everyone's now focusing their aim on that for a full round, giving everyone else a chance to dash through regardless of how the init order was originally set up.
The problem with readied actions is that they suck.
Exactly the reason I'm removing them from counterspells. I'm tired of not seeing magic counterspelled because the mechanics are horrible.
Giving up your turn for something the opponent may or may not do is not very fun for "readied" individual.
