Let's assume a character is using a reach weapon and has the Combat Reflexes feat.
On this characters turn, the only thing he does is ready an action for when a creature leaves a threatened square.
If a creature leaves a threatened square, does it activate the readied action AND the AoO?
Additional Question: Can the character use a 5-foot step with his readied action to step back farther, thus forcing the creature to continue its approach and provoke yet another AoO?
It all seems legit, except I've been told you can only provoke one for a given action (I.e. movement). Not sure where that's written though.
Both the readied action and AoO would trigger. (Combat reflexes not needed).
You would not get a second AoO off the creatures movement. A given action (in this case movement) only provokes once per round regardless of how many threatened squares the creature moves through.
To the Additional question:
(Warning: Bad Ascii 'art')
O._._.D._
Assume defender with a reach weapon. Defender readies an action to attack his opponent when that opponent enters defender's threatened area and then step away (requires that he hasn't moved this turn). Opponent approaches.
_.O._.D._
Defender's readied action triggers. He attacks and 5' steps away.
_.O._._.D
Assuming Opponent isn't dead or tripped or something, opponent continues to approach. Opponent will trigger an AoO when he attempts to enter the square adjacent to the Defender (because he left the square two away from the defender).
_._.O._.D => _._._.O.D
Changing the readied action trigger from "enters my threatened area" to "attempts to leave my threatened area" doesn't really change anything. The readied attack still takes place in the same square.
Thanks for the clarification!
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Let's assume a character is using a reach weapon and has the Combat Reflexes feat.
On this characters turn, the only thing he does is ready an action for when a creature leaves a threatened square.
If a creature leaves a threatened square, does it activate the readied action AND the AoO?
Additional Question: Can the character use a 5-foot step with his readied action to step back farther, thus forcing the creature to continue its approach and provoke yet another AoO?
I'm pretty sure this works just fine.
You can do almost anything with a Readied action as long as the trigger is truly met.He triggers your readied action, he gets hit.
He provokes for moving away, he gets another hit.
A readied action and AoO are separate events/actions, even if they occur at the same time or rather one after another.
For your additional question: As long as you haven't done any movement, you can ready a 5ft step as part of the readied action following your triggered attack. Just make sure the trigger is truly met, and you can do as you please as far as I know. Just keep in mind you wouldn't be able to move when your next turn came up since you used your 5ft Step(I think? readied actions tend to confuse me for upcoming turns so I'm not positive). Also keep in mind, if your target is moving away, it's likely they'll move more than 5ft. If he did a 5ft step, you can't take an AoO on him, but your triggered attack would happen along with your 5ft step follow. If he is moving more than 5ft as a move action, you could use your trigger attack, AoO, and 5ft step closer, and if he continued moving I think that would be another AoO but I'm not sure. It sounds painful :)
Just don't drive your DM crazy with readied actions :)
It's true that you can only make one AoO for any given provocation: "This [Combat Reflexes] feat does not let you make more than one attack for a given opportunity" but that is not what we're talking about here so it's not applicable.
In fact, as bbangerter said, Combat Reflexes is not even a consideration in this case.
The action occurs just before the action that triggers it.
An attack of opportunity "interrupts" the normal flow of actions in the round. If an attack of opportunity is provoked, immediately resolve the attack of opportunity, then continue with the next character's turn (or complete the current turn, if the attack of opportunity was provoked in the midst of a character's turn).
The readied action must happen first since it goes before the enemy actually leaves the threatened square. The AoO actually "interrupts" the enemy's action but he can "continue" it if he's able, so it happens during the action, not before it.
So clearly, the sequencing must be Readied Action before AoO.
The question remains if you can do both or if you must only do one of them.
My take is this:
1) there is no rule that says you cannot do both the readied action and the AoO
2) it's not game breaking (you could have just taken your action on your turn instead of using a readied action, so you could have hit him on your turn and then you would still get the AoO), so since the game allows both in the normal sequence, why not allow both in this corner case?
Based on that, I would say that you can do both.
You can do both. The only reason you would not be able to do both is if the attack from your readied action (which would techincally trigger first) killed the target.
Yep. You can definitely do both.
Just a note, the withdraw action would prevent the AoO as would an acrobatics roll. The readied action would happen as others note.
The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you may not have moved in the segment where you readied the action. So you may make a move equivalent action (draw a weapon, don a shield) and the ready the action with a 5 ft. step. If you move and then ready an action you may not make a 5-foot step as part of the readied action.
This also answered an earlyer question, as the only thing that may be included in a readied action would be actions that have not been used during the turn (not the move action though, as that may not be readied).
But technically you might ready an action like this: When the first being appears in the doorway, quickdraw my sword and attack it and after that move 5 feet to the right. I would insist on naming the exact target of the 5 foot step though as this action is all about planning and you cannot think, hey where to will I 5 ft. step now. The entire action including the 5 foot step should be planned ahead. And if the target square of the 5 ft. step is occupied before the action triggers you cannot complete the 5 ft. step.
Additional Question: Can the character use a 5-foot step with his readied action to step back farther, thus forcing the creature to continue its approach and provoke yet another AoO?
No.
Even with Combat Reflexes, you cannot get two AoO's for one enemy making one move, no matter how many threatened squares he leaves. See my prvious post.
So while you could include a 5'Move to step back, the enemy could just follow and you still only get one AoO for his entire move, not two.
Whisperknives,
I am very impressed that the readied action and the first AoO failed to disrupt the spell. With a DC of 12 + the ninja's damage, and having to make that Concentration check twice, he did very well to get to the ranged attack part of the casting. Too bad the poor guy didn't get interrupted; it might have saved his life.
It all seems legit, except I've been told you can only provoke one for a given action (I.e. movement). Not sure where that's written though.
But you are only provoking once. The ready attack does not need to be provoked (I could ready an attack to attack you when you try to attack me, for example)