This has been clarified in a FAQ by SKR, but I'm wondering how people apply the ruling.
The FAQ states that you have to use a defending weapon to gain the AC bonus. At what point are you considered using it? Is intent to use it good enough?
Say you charge an opponent and declare at the start of your turn to use the bonus to AC. Along the charge, you take an AoO. Do you get the bonus? You haven't used the weapon yet, but you will when the charge resolves.
What if you simply move and an opponent had a readied action instead? By getting within melee range, you intended to make the attack, but as a result of the strike, you may choose not to.
How about getting attacked during the initial movement as you perform a Spring Attack?
If you Aid Another to help someone else's to hit or AC, is that considered using the weapon?
I'm trying to get a sense if people interpret the ruling to be:
As part of your first attack with a defending weapon, you may move some or all of the weapon's enhancement bonus to your AC until your next turn
Or, if it is more loosely defined as:
At the start of your turn, you may move some or all of the weapon's enhancement bonus to your AC until your next turn, as long as you make an attack with that weapon by the end of your turn.
If it is the latter, it seems like there could be cases where you claim the bonus, but then are unable to actually use the weapon (spellcaster webs you as readied action, fall into a pit trap, etc).
How do people handle this?
This has been clarified in a FAQ by SKR, but I'm wondering how people apply the ruling.
The FAQ states that you have to use a defending weapon to gain the AC bonus. At what point are you considered using it? Is intent to use it good enough?
From the point a which you say you're going to use the defending property. I'm lucky I don't have any players that would try to cheat the system.
Say you charge an opponent and declare at the start of your turn to use the bonus to AC. Along the charge, you take an AoO. Do you get the bonus? You haven't used the weapon yet, but you will when the charge resolves.
In the FAQ, it only says "make an attack roll during your turn" not have already attacked with it.
What if you simply move and an opponent had a readied action instead?
Yes. As long as you attack during your turn.
If you Aid Another to help someone else's to hit or AC, is that considered using the weapon?
Yes. You make an attack roll to aid another in this manner.
At the start of your turn, you may move some or all of the weapon's enhancement bonus to your AC until your next turn, as long as you make an attack with that weapon by the end of your turn.
If it is the latter, it seems like there could be cases where you claim the bonus incorrectly, but then are unable to actually use the weapon (spellcaster webs you as readied action, fall into a pit trap, etc).
How do people handle this?
It isn't your fault that you can't complete your action.
Do you have similar doubts that if a charging character is attacked and killed with a reach weapon before he reaches his target he should somehow retroactively get the penalty to his AC removed?
The easiest way to handle is that the AC bonus applies until the next turn. Or you could say it ends as soon as he changes his course of action due to an outside effect.
Do you have similar doubts that if a charging character is attacked and killed with a reach weapon before he reaches his target he should somehow retroactively get the penalty to his AC removed?
The easiest way to handle is that the AC bonus applies until the next turn. Or you could say it ends as soon as he changes his course of action due to an outside effect.
Some of this is probably more philosophical than anything else. If you get the bonus at the start of the round, should you be locked into an attack action unless physically unable to do so, or do you drop the bonus as soon as you decide to take a different course of action? If something causes you to be unable to use your weapon, you didn't use your weapon...
For example, a cleric decides to move and strike the bad guy, and uses the bonus to AC at the start of the round. As he gets closer, he notices the bad guy is undead, and opts to channel instead. You could either force the cleric to follow through on his intention to attack, or decide at that point the bonus is dropped.
A third option is to track any attacks that occur after he declares the bonus and before he swings the weapon. Any that miss by less than the bonus amount are actually hits, and retcon the situation to factor that in if the cleric chooses not to attack. Basically make everything conditional until the weapon is used. Lots of extra bookkeeping, but no gaming the system either.
It seems that until the weapon is actually swung, declaring an intent to use to gain the bonus is problematic. But waiting until a weapon is swung may be overly penalizing (no help vs AoO/readied/etc).
It seems that until the weapon is actually swung, declaring an intent to use to gain the bonus is problematic. But waiting until a weapon is swung may be overly penalizing (no help vs AoO/readied/etc).
Right it can be problematic, but I would rather be overgenerous as a GM than possibly penalize the players unfairly.
If whatever changes is beyond the control of the character and prevents him from attacking then you shouldn't penalize the character. If, as in your example above, the character changes his mind based on what's happened since he declared he was defending then it's easier to say he loses any benefit instantly.
I'm not going to worry too much about it. I don't think it will come up in play that often and I don't have players that will try to metagame things by trying to justify changing their mind so that they get a defending bonus to AC for one attack and then do something else.
If they do, then I would suggest writing down the attack rolls against them while they are claiming the AC bonus and if they don't qualify by the end of their turn apply those rolls retroactively against the proper AC so that you can unwind that player's turn. It's an awful lot of work but the only way that will remove any advantage of players trying to metagame the system.
If they do, then I would suggest writing down the attack rolls against them while they are claiming the AC bonus and if they don't qualify by the end of their turn apply those rolls retroactively against the proper AC so that you can unwind that player's turn. It's an awful lot of work but the only way that will remove any advantage of players trying to metagame the system.
I think we are on the same page. I updated my post with the same idea as you typed this.
It's a pretty small window in which you can declare a bonus, benefit from it, and then end your turn without attacking with the weapon. I'm actually a player in this case, but I'm mulling over the different aspects in preparation of a group discussion in case we want to make a house rule here.
Even though it is more disadvantageous to me, I think I favor the interpretation where you can choose to modify your AC as part of your first attack roll (attack, full attack, or aid another). Then there are no issues about whether you "used" the weapon or not.