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So here is Crane Riposte:
Benefit: You take only a –1 penalty on attack rolls for fighting defensively. Whenever you use Crane Wing to deflect an opponent’s attack, you can make an attack of opportunity against that opponent after the attack is deflected.
And Crane Wing:
Benefit: Once per round while using Crane Style, when you have at least one hand free and are either fighting defensively or using the total defense action, you can deflect one melee weapon attack that would normally hit you. You expend no action to deflect the attack, but you must be aware of it and not flat-footed. An attack so deflected deals no damage to you.
And here is Total Defense:
You can defend yourself as a standard action. You get a +4 dodge bonus to your AC for 1 round. Your AC improves at the start of this action. You can't combine total defense with fighting defensively or with the benefit of the Combat Expertise feat. You can't make attacks of opportunity while using total defense.So Crane Wing lets you deflect a melee attack while fighting defensively or using full defense; Crane Riposte gives you an AoO when you do so; but Total Defense precludes taking attacks of opportunity.
Am I correct, then, in saying that Crane Riposte cannot be used in conjunction with the Total Defense action? It just seems so counter to the idea of the feats.
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Am I correct, then, in saying that Crane Riposte cannot be used in conjunction with the Total Defense action? It just seems so counter to the idea of the feats.
This, in my opinion, is a case of a specific rule trumping a general rule, although it could have been spelled out more clearly with a 'Normal: A character using Total Defense cannot make an attack of opportunity.' line at the end of the Feat block.
Someone without Crane Riposte wouldn't be able to make an attack of opportunity when using Total Defense. Someone with Crane Riposte, under certain circumstances (just parried an attack), can.
I can, of course, be wrong. The design intent may have intended the Crane Riposte to only be usable when fighting defensively.
FAQ it, I guess?
I think the RAI of Crane Riposte is that the character does get an attack of opportunity in a situation where they normally would not. The feat allows you to not only take advantage of the increased defense bonuses, but also make that attack of opportunity because your Crane Style reflexes are just that superior. That's how I'd rule it anyway.
Edit: Ninja'd by Set.
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It comes down to Crane Style, which states fighting defensively as the triggering action required to perform the feat. So you need to fight defensively to gain the AoO.
That said, Mr. Fishy could argue that the the feat could work the other way too. As matter of style over rules.
So pick a Interptation and stick to it.
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I might rule it differently. When using Total Defense, you can use Crane Wing to deflect the attack, but cannot use Crane Riposte. You are so focused on defense that you are unable to riposte the attack.
It's hard to say which rule is more specific, Total Defense or Crane Riposte. FAQ'ing.
It comes down to Crane Style, which states fighting defensively as the triggering action required to perform the feat. So you need to fight defensively to gain the AoO.
That said, Mr. Fishy could argue that the the feat could work the other way too. As matter of style over rules.
So pick a Interptation and stick to it.
I'm a bit confused are you saying you can't use it while in total defense mode? My reading of the Crane Style>Crane Wing>Crane Riposte combination leads me to believe that you can/do get the AoO regardless. Like Grick says though, that depends on if you think Total Defense trumps the feat combo or not.
Thanks for the discussion. You all seem to be on roughly the same page I am as regards this one. From a flavor perspective, it seems like the super-reflexes of Crane style should allow the AoO (and what was Daniel-san doing, if not total defense with Crane Style when he took down Cobra Kai). From a rules perspective, though, the feat doesn't explicitly spell this out.
There is also the potential interpretation of "you can make an attack of opportunity" being more specific than the general fighting defensively rule, which would not be trumped if the feat instead said something like "when you deflect an opponent's attack using Crane Wing, they provoke an attack of opportunity from you."
Thanks for the FAQ tags as well. I love the style feats, but there are a few which are sticky (this, boar style's bleed damage, Djinni Spirit's electricity resistance being worded differently-and lower--than every other elemental style, etc.).