Paired Opportunist and AoO abuse

[reyyvin]

I recently made a Summoner and Eidolon and gave them both reach attacks, Combat Reflexes, and Paired Opportunist; I imagined PO would work for things like...

a) if target X provokes AoO, but has cover from S, but not E, both still get AoO
b) target X tries to tumble past S and E, passes E's CMD but not S's, both still get AoO...
c) target X tries to trip S (without improved trip), both get AoO

but in a thread I came across, posters were stating that the feat effectively gave both characters feats that grant AoOs if one has it...

So if Summoner has feats like Vicious Stomp and Greater Trip, Eidolon also gets AoO from both? Is this correct?

For things like Vicious Stomp, character with the feat must make an unarmed strike; is the character without the feat also required to make the same type of AoO?

[blahpers]

If the creature provokes from one, it provokes from both. That doesn't mean that both summoner and eidolon actually have the feats--only that provoking because if the summoner's feat also provokes with respect to the eidolon.

For example, suppose the summoner has Greater Trip and the eidolon doesn't, and both threaten Ork McGork. If the summoner trips Ork, both summoner and eidolon are entitled to attacks of opportunity. If the eidolon trips Ork, neither are entitled to attacks of opportunity.

This isn't abuse; it's exactly what teamwork feats were supposed to accomplish--reward characters who make an effort to work together. Naturally, this is easier to pull off with a minion instead of another PC since you don't have to convince another player to spend a feat to synergize with you.

Edit: For Vicious Stomp, the stomper must use an unarmed strike, but the partner using the teamwork feat to get an attack of opportunity has no such restriction--she is merely taking advantage of the opening her stomping friend has provided her.

[Umbranus]

PO does not allow you to make an AoO if something else (like cover) prohibits it. But it is right that every time an opponent provokes an AoO from one as does he from the second. Like greater trip.

[Archaeik]

Greater Trip is like the worst example for this. The feat clearly says attacks, so the AoO triggered by PO is redundant. (Although, it does mean only one creature needs VS)

Gr Bull Rush(/any forced movement maneuver) is probably a more interesting example since PO can offer the attacker an AoO he normally doesn't get.

[Magda Luckbender]

Umbranus wrote:

PO does not allow you to make an AoO if something else (like cover) prohibits it. But it is right that every time an opponent provokes an AoO from one as does he from the second. Like greater trip.

This point is not so clear cut.

Paired Opportunists wrote:

Benefit: Whenever you are adjacent to an ally who also has this feat, you receive a +4 circumstance bonus on attacks of opportunity against creatures that you both threaten. Enemies that provoke attacks of opportunity from your ally also provoke attacks of opportunity from you so long as you threaten them (even if the situation or an ability would normally deny you the attack of opportunity). This does not allow you to take more than one attack of opportunity against a creature for a given action.

There are lots of situations in which you threaten a square, but can't take an AoO there. Soft cover (e.g. another body in the way) blocks AoOs into a square, but does not prevent one from threatening that square. Paired Opportunists makes a difference for these edge cases.

Common edge case: Medium summoner with a reach weapon rides a Large eidolon with natural reach:

A medium sized mounted summoner rides a Large eidolon. The eidolon has natural reach and the Summoner wields a longspear. Both have the Paired Opportunists feat. The eidolon occupies 4 squares and threatens squares both 5' and 10 away. The mounted summoner occupies the same four squares. The summoner only threatens at 10', not at 5'.

..................
..................
.....vbbbbv.......
.....bceecb.......
.....beEEeb.......
.....beEEeb.......
.....bceecb.......
.....vbbbbv.......
..................
..................

E = The four spaces occupied by the Eidolon mount and the rider.

v = virtual space that only counts for AoO purposes if the attacker moves in on the diagonal or if the action occurs in a narrow diagonal (relative to the grid) tunnel. Required to avoid absurd exploits. AoOs here.

b = Space threatened by both rider and mount with no soft cover. AoOs here.

c = adjacent corner space that is threatened by both rider and mount where neither have soft cover. AoOs here. I might be wrong on this: perhaps this situation does provide soft cover for the rider. If so, 'c' is like 'e'. Opinions?

e = edge case where Paired Opportunists makes a difference. The mount, with natural reach, both threatens this space and can take an AoO here. The rider, with a reach weapon, can only threaten this space from the opposite side of the mount, which provides soft cover. The rider thus threatens 'e' spaces, but can not take AoOs into them. Paired Opportunists removes this limitation, and gives reach-wielding riders AoOs into 'e' spaces.

Paired Opportunists makes a big difference for 'e' spaces. Ordinarily the rider, wielding a reach weapon, will never get an AoO into an 'e' space because of soft cover from the mount. However, Paired Opportunists clearly says, "Enemies that provoke attacks of opportunity from your ally also provoke attacks of opportunity from you so long as you threaten them (even if the situation or an ability would normally deny you the attack of opportunity)." This means the rider does get an AoO into an 'e' space, and that the foe gets a +4 soft cover bonus to AC.

Comments? Other interpretations?

I agree with blahpers that Paired Opportunists is not remotely abusive. Teamwork feats reward those willing to work together. That's use, not abuse. Nothing wrong with that.