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Paired Opportunity:
Benefit: Whenever you are adjacent to an ally who also has this feat, you receive a +4 circumstance bonus on attacks of opportunity against creatures that you both threaten. Enemies that provoke attacks of opportunity from your ally also provoke attacks of opportunity from you so long as you threaten them (even if the situation or an ability would normally deny you the attack of opportunity). This does not allow you to take more than one attack of opportunity against a creature for a given action.
Reading that, I think the second part can be taken one of two ways. When 'enemies that provoke attacks of opportunity from your ally also provoke attacks of opportunity from you', do you have to be adjacent to your ally or do you only have to be adjacent to get the +4 bonus?
You must be adjacent, and the ally must have the feat, for the second sentence to apply.
The reason is that "your ally" in the second sentence can only refer back to the first sentence, meaning it can't be read in a vacuum.
Granted, I suppose it's possible that it only refers back to the "an ally who also has this feat" part, and not to the "adjacent to" part, but I would automatically assume both have to apply.
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As a GM i would probably interpret it as Are suggests. The feat only works when the allies are adjacent. Unfortunate, but it seems pretty clear in how it's writen. Since this thread is going I'd like to ask more questions about Paired Opportunists.
I'm playing a PFS character who will soon ride an Axe Beak animal companion.
Sudden Charge (Ex)
When making a charge attack, an axe beak makes a single bite attack. If successful, it may also attempt to trip its opponent as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the axe beak cannot be tripped in return.
The PC uses a reach weapon. The Axe Beak has 10' reach and strikes for STRx1.5 damage. Both will learn the Paired Opportunists feat, for +4 to hit on their teamwork AoOs. Other useful feats are Broken Wing Gambit and, of course, Combat Reflexes. At 5th level, with no buffs, the rider/mount combo can theoretically land a total of 11 attacks in one round, all at STRx1.5 bonus damage. That's 2 readied actions to attack the first foe to come in reach, 7 normal AoOs, and 2 normal attacks.
Here are some questions I'm unclear on. Please advise.
#1 In which of the mount's 4 squares is the PC, for purposes of determining AoOs during enemy movement? <My understanding is 'any and all', meaning that the PC can strike out from any of the 4 squares, and can be attacked at any of the 4 squares. Is that right?>
#2 Mounted combat question: If the Axe Beak charges, can the mounted PC also make a Standard Action attack? Can the PC make a charge attack? Note that both have 10' reach.
#3 Does this combination work: PC casts Truestrike on mount via Share Spells. Axe Beak mount charges, rolls normal charge attack +20. If this hits, Axe Beak rolls a Sudden Charge (see above) free action trip attempt. Does the +20 Truestrike bonus still apply to the Trip attempt? <I think it does and several GMs have likewise played it that way, but wish to get more opinions>
#4 An adjacent foe draws an AoO from the Axe Beak. The rider and mount both have Paired Opportunists. Does this provoke an AoO from the rider, who has a reach weapon? Does the rider take a -4 Soft Cover penalty for taking an AoO past the mount?
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........AAF..........
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AA
AA = Axe Beak and rider
F = Foe provokes AoO here
Axe Beak, with natural reach, can attack at both 5' and 10'
Rider, with reach weapon, can attack only at 10'
Can rider attack Foe from 'far edge' of mount? The mount would ordinary provide soft cover, making an AoO impossible. In this case, though, Paired Opportunists seems to say it would allow the rider an AoO in this situation. <I would allow the rider an AoO in this situation, but would impose a -4 penalty for attacking through soft cover. RAW this penalty could theoretically be eliminated with Precise Shot, but I'dnot bother. Opinions?>
Thanks for your opinions on this, and on the OP's original question.
#1 In which of the mount's 4 squares is the PC, for purposes of determining AoOs during enemy movement? <My understanding is 'any and all', meaning that the PC can strike out from any of the 4 squares, and can be attacked at any of the 4 squares. Is that right?>
Yes, that's right.
#2 Mounted combat question: If the Axe Beak charges, can the mounted PC also make a Standard Action attack? Can the PC make a charge attack? Note that both have 10' reach.
Mounted combat is a hotly contested topic at the moment, and I'm not entirely sure what the rules actually intend. I believe the PC could do either of the two.
#3 Does this combination work: PC casts Truestrike on mount via Share Spells. Axe Beak mount charges, rolls normal charge attack +20. If this hits, Axe Beak rolls a Sudden Charge (see above) free action trip attempt. Does the +20 Truestrike bonus still apply to the Trip attempt? <I think it does and several GMs have likewise played it that way, but wish to get more opinions>
I would let it apply.
Technically, it probably doesn't, since true strike applies only to a single attack roll and the trip attempt requires a CMB check (which is defined as an attack roll).
#4 An adjacent foe draws an AoO from the Axe Beak. The rider and mount both have Paired Opportunists. Does this provoke an AoO from the rider, who has a reach weapon? Does the rider take a -4 Soft Cover penalty for taking an AoO past the mount?
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Can rider attack Foe from 'far edge' of mount? The mount would ordinary provide soft cover, making an AoO impossible. In this case, though, Paired Opportunists seems to say it would allow the rider an AoO in this situation. <I would allow the rider an AoO in this situation, but would impose a -4 penalty for attacking through soft cover. RAW this penalty could theoretically be eliminated with Precise Shot, but I'dnot bother. Opinions?>
I agree with your opinion.