Can you combat maneuver on an attack of opportunity?


Rules Questions

Scarab Sages

Can you combat maneuver on an attack of opportunity? I am playing a pole arm fighter and it would be nice if I could try to trip my opponents as they close in on me.


trip, sunder and disarm yes

grapple and bullrush no

some may say sunder no


Pathfinder Maps Subscriber
CRB wrote:
While many combat maneuvers can be performed as part of an attack action, full-attack action, or attack of opportunity (in place of a melee attack), others require a specific action.
Note 6 of the Actions in Combat table wrote:
6 Some combat maneuvers substitute for a melee attack, not an action. As melee attacks, they can be used once in an attack or charge action, one or more times in a full-attack action, or even as an attack of opportunity. Others are used as a separate action.

So, yes, but it depends on the specific maneuver. If the maneuver states "in place of a melee attack" (example: disarm) then you can use it as an AoO. If it requires a specific action (example: bullrush requires a standard action) then you can't, as an AoO is a "no action" action.

Because sunder says " as part of an attack action in place of a melee attack" it's often ruled that you can't do it as an AoO because an AoO is not an attack action.

EDIT: fixed formatting

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
Vardandor wrote:
Can you combat maneuver on an attack of opportunity? I am playing a pole arm fighter and it would be nice if I could try to trip my opponents as they close in on me.

Just be aware, standing up provokes, but you can't trip lock, it is FAQ'd here some where, but basically, as the opponent is in the act of standing up they are still prone when the AoO is triggered so you can't retrip them.


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FAQ from last year outright states you can sunder as an AoO.


With the "Quick ____" feats... you can sub in any of the maneuvers except grapple for any melee attack.

It helps a lot.


Answer: Any Combat Maneuver that you can use "in place of a melee attack" can be used as an AoO. So no to Bull Rush, Grapple, Overrun and yes to Disarm, Sunder, Trip

Unless you have the "improved" feat, these maneuvers can still provoke AoOs.

In the case of a Reach weapon, if your enemy provoked the AoO by attempting to move from one of your threatened squares into an adjacent square, you can attempt a trip maneuver on that opponent in place of your AoO attack. Even without improved trip this would NOT provoke an AoO from that target, because AoOs interrupt the triggering action and technically the target is still 10ft away when the trip attempt occurs (enemies who also have reach COULD make an AoO however). This is also why you can;t trip lock someone. The AoO provoked by a person standing up from prone happens before they actually stand up. This does mean, however, that you get all the benefits of attacking a prone target if they provoke an AoO by standing up.

This also means that if you trip that opponent trying to get adjacent to you with your polearm, they fall prone one square away from you. You interupted their attempt to move out of your threatened square, and by tripping them, you prevented them from completing that action.

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