Does Hideous Laughter prevent attacks of opportunity?

[kwiqsilver]

I had a GM tell us that our enemies could take attacks of opportunity while under the effect of Hideous Laughter, because an AoO doesn't count as an "action".

That sounds counterintuitive, but I cannot find anything in the rules that specifically contradicts it. The best I can find is the statement that AoOs require that the character threaten, and that threatening requires the character be able to make melee attacks.

[silverhair2008]

From Core Rulebook, page 296, 5th printing:

This spell afflicts the subject with uncontrollable laughter. It
collapses into gales of manic laughter, falling prone. The subject
can take no actions while laughing, but is not considered helpless.
On the creature’s next turn, it may attempt a new saving throw
to end the effect. If successful, the effect ends and the creature is
treated as if it spent a full-round action on its turn.
A creature with an Intelligence score of 2 or lower is not
affected. A creature whose type is different from the caster’s
receives a +4 bonus on its saving throw, because humor doesn’t
“translate” well.

Remember that GM's are allowed to change any rule they wish to.

Core Rulebook, page 180:

Attacks of Opportunity
Sometimes a combatant in a melee lets her guard down or
takes a reckless action. In this case, combatants near her
can take advantage of her lapse in defense to attack her for
free. These free attacks are called attacks of opportunity.
See the Attacks of Opportunity diagram for an example of
how they work.

Making an Attack of Opportunity: An attack of
opportunity is a single melee attack, and most characters
can only make one per round. You don’t have to make an
attack of opportunity if you don’t want to. You make your
attack of opportunity at your normal attack bonus, even if
you’ve already attacked in the round.

On the Action chart there are only 2 things that are listed as no actions, Delay and a 5-foot step. So an Attack of Opportunity is an action. Basically a Standard action.

Just my 2 cp.

[Honorable Goblin]

AoO are actions.

James Jacobs wrote:

Masika wrote:

The other issue is that coms with AoO...

Is an AoO an action? I believe no.

It's an action. It's not a free or a standard or a full-round or an immediate or a swift action, but it IS still an action. Since it's something you're doing.

Link to post

[silverhair2008]

Thanks HG, that's better than all my scribbles.

[Ascalaphus]

CRB, 180 wrote:

These free attacks are called attacks of opportunity.

CRB, 182 wrote:

Making an attack is a standard action.

Putting this together: normally attacking is a standard action, but if it's an AoO, it's free.

CRB, 181 wrote:

There are six types of actions: standard actions, move actions, full-round actions, swift actions, immediate actions and free actions.

Hideous Laughter prevents actions.

AoOs are basically free actions.

Free actions are also still actions.

Therefore, HL prevents AoOs.

---

Also, common sense.