Numbers of attacks of Opportunity per Ranged attacks

[ShadowDax]

I cannot find this exact subject in the search engine.

It used to be that for each ranged attack that provoked an Attack of Opportunity (AoO) there was only one AoO taken. No matter how many ranged attacks were used, that is how many a gaming group has ruled that I have played with in the past.

Looking at the PRD, It seems things have changed since the first printing. The way it reads is that the only thing you do not take an extra AoO is for moving through more than one square.

Is this so? Turning into a Shohbad using both a reach and melee weapon or improved snap shot would be big. I hear, "you didn't say mother may I..." enough.

[Cheapy]

The rule was never, in PF, that you only provoke once. You provoke a number of times equal to the number of actions you did that provoke. So if you fire 5 arrows, you provoke 5 times.

Check this FAQ :)

[Michael Sayre]

If you're asking "If I'm a ranged character and I take a full attack consisting of three separate attack rolls, do I provoke three separate attacks of opportunity?" then the answer is yes, just like how a wizard who casts a ray spell without casting defensively would provoke 1 attack of opportunity for the actual casting of the spell, and another for the ranged attack made with the ray.

**EDIT** Ninja'd by the Cheapster....

[ShadowDax]

In the old rules, people had interpreted the rules that you only provoked one AoO if each provoked attack was the exact same and not different. That way moving across more than one square provoked only one free shot.

In the FAQ question, the caster provoked for casting a spell and using a ranged attack.

The way paizo has it written now is much clearer. Improved snap shot (ISS) and reaching across ten squares with the Shohbad (monstrous physique II - IV with a reach and melee weapon) rules the board. This stops certain attacks all together because if the pain involved in doing such things.

This is a higher level tactic in order to invoke to take command of the battle field. The feats involved with ISS and the spells to change into a multi armed monstrosity are not cheap but, this kind of control is very powerful.

I learned a long time ago that control and lock downs are more powerful than Damage per Round (DPR). Hmm, very interesting...

[Kayerloth]

Interesting though playing the devil's advocate I'll point out that in the above archer example you are taking a single Full Attack Action not multiple Attack Actions (anymore than you are using multiple Move Actions to cross multiple 5 foot squares) while your caster is using two separately listed actions - Cast a spell and an Attack Action (ranged).

Would you draw 6 AoO's for using a touch spell to touch 6 allies in a single round, (sounds like yes given the above, which to me sounds excessive)?

[Cheapy]

The FAQ linked says this:

Quote:

Note that at spell that fires multiple simultaneous rays, such as scorching ray, only provokes one AOO for making the ranged attack instead of one AOO for each ranged attack.

This sets up scorching ray as the exception to the rule that you provoke each time.

Also, I'm not seeing a monster called Shohbad anywhere?

[Kayerloth]

Cheapy wrote:

The FAQ linked says this:

Quote:

Note that at spell that fires multiple simultaneous rays, such as scorching ray, only provokes one AOO for making the ranged attack instead of one AOO for each ranged attack.

This sets up scorching ray as the exception to the rule that you provoke each time.

Also, I'm not seeing a monster called Shohbad anywhere?

Yes but, as the archer, I'm also not using those multiple attacks "simultaneously" either.

EDIT to add in:
I think the Scorching Rays example/FAQ is more an indication that multiple attacks rolls (necessitated by multiple targets) is in itself not sufficient to cause multiple 'opportunities' and hence AoO's. It seems to be a question of when is a separate action also a separate opportunity (and opportunity is not a game term, merely an english word currently with a normal meaning).

Does employing Rapid Shot draw 2 AoO's? Multiple Magic Missiles? Manyshot? (Yes apparently, No rather obviously, and ???)

[Cheapy]

The FAQ is in response to a thread that was trying to figure out this same question, primarily using the full-attack of an archer and Scorching Ray as the "battle grounds". The logic of those saying it was just one AoO was that there was only one AoO per action, and that the Full Attack Action was the AoO provoking event in the case of the archer, and that for the scorching ray, they wouldn't provoke twice (from casting and from shooting). The otherside, which the FAQ answer was agreeing with, was saying that one action can have multiple AoOs attached to it.

And by saying you aren't using those multiple attacks simultaneously would mean, by the quoted bit from the FAQ, that each provokes. It quite clearly says that firing multiple simultaneous rays is different from the normal case, which is one AOO for each ranged attack you make.

[Kayerloth]

Thanks for the info Cheapy. Going to have to read through that thread and mull it over a bit I imagine.