Attack of opportunity

[xDemoquinx]

If you are making an AoO, and have already used something like power attack, do you make the attack at full AB or subtract the PA amount. If you get full AB, do you still receive the bonus dmg from PA?

[Mr_Bearkitty]

Power attack is turned "on" until the start of your next turn. So if you've used it on your turn to attack, then an AOO is provoked, you still take the penalty to attack and get the bonus to damage from PA.

[Fergie]

What Mr_Bearkitty said.

PRD - "You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn."

[dragonhunterq]

Interestingly (maybe), the reverse is not true. You can make all your attacks at your full normal base attack, and 'turn on' power attack before taking your attack of opportunity.

[_Ozy_]

It sure sounds like you can do that.

[Gwen Smith]

dragonhunterq wrote:

Interestingly (maybe), the reverse is not true. You can make all your attacks at your full normal base attack, and 'turn on' power attack before taking your attack of opportunity.

Most GMs I play with would not allow that. Generally, you have to activate an ability or feat on your turn unless it contains specific text that indicates otherwise ("as an immediate action" or "even when it's not your turn" or "whenever you get hit", etc.).

I have also seen a lot of GMs rule that you have to declare Power Attack before you make your very first attack roll on your turn, but I think that may be a holdover from an earlier version.

Statistically, you're better off using Power Attack most of the time, so most players I know just make Power Attack the default. I'll only consider not using when my primary attack needs a 17 or higher on the die to hit. (There's a ton of variables in there, but 17 is a common breakpoint, and it's easy for me to remember from playing BlackJack.)

[Diego Rossi]

I recall this question from some years ago, and the answer was "you can activate power attack with any of your attacks, even an AoO, but, after that, it stay on till the start of the next turn".
I think some Paizo employee confirmed that, but can't find the thread.

Edit: thanks to the power of Mozilla Thunderbird and me sharing the post with my friends:

Sean K Reynolds wrote:

I can't find anything in the rules that says you have to activate PA [power attack] before your first attack of your turn, or on your turn at all. Thus, you could activate it between your primary attack and your offhand, or your primary and your 1st iterative, or between your last iterative and an AOO. All are valid options. Some are poor choices, but they are still valid choices.

[Chess Pwn]

You can activate power attack before any attack. It's not an action so it's able to be done off your turn.