Attack of Opportunity


Rules Questions


Was looking up rules for AoO. Need to clarify what kind of action this is. Because a melee attack, unless otherwise stated, is a standard action.


Not an action.


Everything in combat is an action


Nope, Komoda is right. Look at the list of Combat actions, AoOs are not under any of the Action categories.

Quote:
An attack of opportunity is a single melee attack


But an AoO is an AoO action which isn't any other action.


"Everything in combat is an action"

Not true. There is actually a heading called "not an action".

CRB p 182 wrote:
Not an Action: Some activities are so minor that they are not even considered free actions. They literally don’t take any time at all to do and are considered an inherent part of doing something else, such as nocking an arrow as part of an attack with a bow.

I know it doesn't say AoO's there specifically. But:

They are not Free Actions as they are limited and they can happen when it is not your turn.
They are not Immediate Actions, as they do not use up your swift actions.
They are not Swift Actions because they can be, and usually are, used when it is not your turn.
They are not Move Actions as they can be, and usually are, used when it is not your turn.
They are not Standard Actions as they can be, and usually are, used when it is not your turn.
They are not Full Round Actions as they can be, and usually are, used when it is not your turn.
They are not 1-Round Actions as they can be, and usually are, used when it is not your turn.

So, other then multi-round actions, the only thing we have left is "Not an Action"


Keagun Redcrow wrote:
Everything in combat is an action

'Not an action' is a kind of action. It's an action that subsumes no action economy and can be performed at any time, provided you meet the requirements of doing so. In other words, if Character A provokes an action and Character B threatens Character A, then Character B can take the AoO against Character A.

What you are thinking about is the Standard action called Attack; it allows you to perform an attack, but there are other ways of making attacks as well.


Ok, thank you for your time, my buddy probably wont accept this, but he'll have to, lol


What was the purpose of the question? Is he trying to do something else during the AoO, like quickdraw a weapon?


I think trying to just mark it as some kind of action. Im not entirely sure. He was having me ask for him.


Oh he was trying to see if it was possible to cleave/great cleave off of an AoO


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You can tell him that it's a special Action, akin to an Immediate Action but not specifically an Immediate Action, because AoOs are exactly that: a special type of Action in combat.

Normally, you are only allowed one Attack of Opportunity.

With Combat Reflexes, you are allowed a number of total Attacks of Opportunity in a round equal to your Dexterity Bonus.


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Keagun Redcrow wrote:
Oh he was trying to see if it was possible to cleave/great cleave off of an AoO

Cleaving Finish would work, but not Cleave. Cleave is its own standard action.


Keagun Redcrow wrote:
Oh he was trying to see if it was possible to cleave/great cleave off of an AoO

Yeah, no, that's not even close. A cleave needs a standard action. You can't even take free actions during an AoO.


chbgraphicarts wrote:

You can tell him that it's a special Action, akin to an Immediate Action but not specifically an Immediate Action, because AoOs are exactly that: a special type of Action in combat.

Normally, you are only allowed one Attack of Opportunity.

With Combat Reflexes, you are allowed a number of total Attacks of Opportunity in a round equal to your Dexterity Bonus.

This is the answer I was looking for. Thank you.

-S.N. Rivers


NikolaiJuno wrote:
Keagun Redcrow wrote:
Oh he was trying to see if it was possible to cleave/great cleave off of an AoO
Cleaving Finish would work, but not Cleave. Cleave is its own standard action.

I see. Cleaving Finish doesn't give an action descriptor in it's definition, so it can be used but the other version of cleave state standard action so they cannot. Awesome.

Thank you for your time.
- S.N. Rivers

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