How do the bodyguard feat and total defense action interact?

[kagenotora]

hi it's me again with an other strange combination.

Core Rulebook wrote:

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.

Advanced player's guide wrote:

bodyguard

Your swift strikes ward off enemies attacking nearby allies.
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes.
Benefit: When an adjacent ally is attacked, you may use an attack of opportunity to attempt the aid another action to improve your ally's AC. You may not use the aid another action to improve your ally's attack roll with this attack.
Normal: Aid another is a standard action.

here i think most of you are seeing where i'm going, does use = make? or in a less ridiculous way of putting it: can you use the bodyguard feat while using total defense?

thanks for your help and have a nice ... whatever part of the day it is when you took time to read this :)

PS: sorry for my crappy English it's not my native language so i'm not that good at anything but reading it :/

[Tirq]

kagenotora wrote:

PS: sorry for my crappy English it's not my native language so i'm not that good at anything but reading it :/

I have seen worse from Americans. Stupid Americans... Oh, wait... I'm an American...

Anyway. I think that because of how it is worded, you use up an AoO for the round, but because you don't attack, you can use Total Defense.

[Some call me Tim]

kagenotora wrote:

here i think most of you are seeing where i'm going, does use = make? or in a less ridiculous way of putting it: can you use the bodyguard feat while using total defense?

No. Essentially use and make are interchangeable here.

kagenotora wrote:

PS: sorry for my crappy English it's not my native language so i'm not that good at anything but reading it :/

That might be why its unclear. To a native English speaker they won't examine the exact wording so close. Except for the occasion rules lawyer arguing to get his way.

[Jason Nelson]

Make and use mean the same thing in this contact.

I make an attack of opportunity.
I use an attack of opportunity.

You could also say:

I take an attack of opportunity.

While the words have separate meanings in other ways, in this context they all mean the same thing.

Since you can't make/take/use an AoO while using total defense (which could also be phrased "take the total defense action"), you can't use Bodyguard while doing it.

[kagenotora]

damn :/ then is there a way other than team-up to aid another with a move action ?
the goal was to use

Quote:

In Harm's Way (Combat)

You put yourself in danger's path to save your allies.
Prerequisite: Bodyguard.
Benefit: While using the aid another action to improve an adjacent ally's AC, you can intercept a successful attack against that ally as an immediate action, taking full damage from that attack and any associated effects (bleed, poison, etc.). A creature cannot benefit from this feat more than once per attack.

and

Quote:

Covering Defense (Combat)

You are skilled at protecting yourself and your allies with your shield.
Prerequisites: Shield Focus, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: When you use the total defense action while using a light, heavy, or tower shield, you can provide a cover bonus to AC against all attacks to an adjacent ally your size or smaller. This cover bonus is equal to your shield's shield bonus and lasts until the beginning of your next turn. Your shield does not provide a cover bonus to Reflex saves.

and it seems strange to be able to take someone's hit if your protecting him with your weapon but not with your shield Oo

[Some call me Tim]

kagenotora wrote:

and it seems strange to be able to take someone's hit if your protecting him with your weapon but not with your shield Oo

Well, if you visualize the first as you putting your body in the way and the later as putting your shield in the way, it works.

[Jason Nelson]

Some call me Tim wrote:

kagenotora wrote:

and it seems strange to be able to take someone's hit if your protecting him with your weapon but not with your shield Oo

Well, if you visualize the first as you putting your body in the way and the later as putting your shield in the way, it works.

That's pretty much it right there.

[Enaris]

The wording is similar, but, you can't AoO in total defense because you're busy defending. If you have the feat, why can't you use up one to defend someone adjacent to you?
Maybe because it opens your guard. Maybe you can. Maybe you're too focused defending yourself.

Then again, why can't you fight defensively without making an attack?

The rules are guidelines. Find your own way.