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So I was toying with ways to make fighters and warriors more effective in combat in the long run, and one possibility I'm considering is a parry mechanic. Thematically, this would be like using a weapon to deflect or block incoming attacks.
If a character is subject to an attack, or an ally within his reach is being attacked, he can attempt to parry the attack by expending an attack of opportunity. If the result of his counterattack exceeds the opponent's attack roll result, the opponent's attack is prevented. Characters with multiple attacks of opportunity per turn can make multiple parry attempts in this fashion.
On the one hand, this gives warrior-types a new toy, and would favor high-dexterity classes. It would be useful for countering ranged attacks, defending allies, and for dealing with pesky magic that relies on attack rolls (such as rays).
On the other hand, it could bog down play... but it could add another dimension to tactical combat, in that wasting your attack of opportunity to block a basically harmless attack, could leave you vulnerable to a more devastating special attack.
Thoughts? Suggestions?