Swashbuckler Parry and Fortuitous Question

[The Genie]

Alright so here is Opportune Parry and Riposte Deed
Opportune Parry and Riposte (Ex): At 1st level, when an opponent makes a melee attack against the swashbuckler, she can spend 1 panache point and expend a use of an attack of opportunity to attempt to parry that attack. The swashbuckler makes an attack roll as if she were making an attack of opportunity; for each size category the attacking creature is larger than the swashbuckler, the swashbuckler takes a –2 penalty on this roll. If her result is greater than the attacking creature's result, the creature's attack automatically misses. The swashbuckler must declare the use of this ability after the creature's attack is announced, but before its attack roll is made. Upon performing a successful parry and if she has at least 1 panache point, the swashbuckler can as an immediate action make an attack against the creature whose attack she parried, provided that creature is within her reach.

And this is Fortuitous Weapon Enhancement
This special ability can be placed only on melee weapons. A fortuitous weapon grants the wielder more attacks of opportunity. Once per round, when the wielder of a fortuitous weapon hits with an attack of opportunity, he can make a second attack of opportunity with this weapon against that foe at a –5 penalty.

Now you are Expending a AoO, and you are making an attack. Does that count as an attack of opportunity when you make the riposting?

[-Grijm-]

The Genie wrote:

Alright so here is Opportune Parry and Riposte Deed

Opportune Parry and Riposte (Ex): At 1st level, when an opponent makes a melee attack against the swashbuckler, she can spend 1 panache point and expend a use of an attack of opportunity to attempt to parry that attack. The swashbuckler makes an attack roll as if she were making an attack of opportunity; for each size category the attacking creature is larger than the swashbuckler, the swashbuckler takes a –2 penalty on this roll. If her result is greater than the attacking creature's result, the creature's attack automatically misses. The swashbuckler must declare the use of this ability after the creature's attack is announced, but before its attack roll is made. Upon performing a successful parry and if she has at least 1 panache point, the swashbuckler can as an immediate action make an attack against the creature whose attack she parried, provided that creature is within her reach.

And this is Fortuitous Weapon Enhancement
This special ability can be placed only on melee weapons. A fortuitous weapon grants the wielder more attacks of opportunity. Once per round, when the wielder of a fortuitous weapon hits with an attack of opportunity, he can make a second attack of opportunity with this weapon against that foe at a –5 penalty.

Now you are Expending a AoO, and you are making an attack. Does that count as an attack of opportunity when you make the riposting?

Sounds fair enough

[Bob Bob Bob]

No. The riposte does not use an attack of opportunity, it uses an immediate action. If it were an attack of opportunity it would call it out as such.

The parry is not an attack of opportunity either, as it makes very clear with "expend a use of an attack of opportunity" and "makes an attack roll as if she were making an attack of opportunity". It doesn't say it is an attack of opportunity, it carefully avoids calling it that. It also doesn't "hit" and so can't be used with Fortuitous anyway.

[The Genie]

If that reading is true and it doesn't then its virtually useless unless you have a very AoO focused build.

Answering is still at least useful I suppose.

I don't know I think it should still count simply because it does use an attack of opportunity, it does use an attack and you must hit an attack to trigger this ability. Oh well I suppose many Swashbucklers will be taking Combat Reflexes anyway with their High Dex so this could be useful as a way of secondary damage.

[Bob Bob Bob]

Parry does expend a use of attack of opportunity, and it does have an attack roll, but there is no hit. If your roll is higher than theirs, then they miss. At no point do you compare to their AC or any defense, you're just comparing attack rolls. It's more like an opposed skill check than anything else.

Then, after the parry is completed, if you succeeded you can spend an immediate action to make an attack against the opponent. This is the riposte, and it has nothing to do with the parry except for checking whether the parry succeeded. It is its own separate attack and action (immediate). Attacks of opportunity are "not an action" so the riposte (the part with an actual hit) can't be an attack of opportunity.

[Matt2VK]

What about Feats, Abilities, Traits, etc that would modify Attack of Opportunity rolls?

Would they effect the Parry roll?

Would they effect the Riposte roll?

[-Grijm-]

Bob Bob Bob wrote:

No. The riposte does not use an attack of opportunity, it uses an immediate action. If it were an attack of opportunity it would call it out as such.

The parry is not an attack of opportunity either, as it makes very clear with "expend a use of an attack of opportunity" and "makes an attack roll as if she were making an attack of opportunity". It doesn't say it is an attack of opportunity, it carefully avoids calling it that. It also doesn't "hit" and so can't be used with Fortuitous anyway.

Sounds like they are hitting their own foot if you are implying they are really trying to avoid wording it so.

The entire ability would have had the same meaning without adding "as if she were making an attack of opportunity".

Now, try reading that line again while mentally removing those words.

[Bob Bob Bob]

Matt2VK wrote:

What about Feats, Abilities, Traits, etc that would modify Attack of Opportunity rolls?

Would they effect the Parry roll?

Would they effect the Riposte roll?

Yes, no. Parry specifically says "as if she were making an attack of opportunity". Riposte has no language of the sort, it just says you can make an attack as an immediate action. This doesn't appear to use up another attack of opportunity so I don't see why it would be considered one. The reason Fortuitous doesn't work is because you don't actually "hit" anything with the Parry.

As for why the textual gymnastics to avoid just saying "make an attack of opportunity", it's probably to avoid the issues with normal AoO and needing to threaten the person. All the stuff that came up with Bodyguard (I think) is an example of that. That's just speculation though.

There are two separate actions here, Parry and Riposte. Parry uses all your modifiers for AoO, but doesn't ever hit. Riposte is an extra attack you can choose to take if the parry works. If they meant the Riposte to be an attack of opportunity it would be much simpler to word it that way instead of "immediate action" and "provided that creature is within her reach"