When in the course of an attack must the use of the Bodyguard feat's aid another ability be declared?
1. Before the attack roll
2. After the roll but before the result is declared
3. After the result is declared?
Your swift strikes ward off enemies attacking nearby allies.
Prerequisite: Combat reflexes.
Benefit: When an adjacent ally is attacked, you may use an attack of opportunity to attempt the aid another action to improve your ally’s AC. You may not use the aid another action to improve your ally’s attack roll with this attack.
Normal: Aid another is a standard action.
When in the course of an attack must the use of the Bodyguard feat's aid another ability be declared?
1. Before the attack roll
2. After the roll but before the result is declared
3. After the result is declared?
AoOs generally occur before the provoking action. So it would go:
Enemy declares an attack against your ally --> You use an AoO (Bodyguard) --> Enemy attacks
Given that your action (AoO from Bodyguard) happens before the enemy's attack, I don't think there's a strong case for any but 1. Before the attack roll.*
That doesn't mean someone won't argue about it.
* Agreeing with Ectar, but spelling out the argument a little more.
AoO happen just before the triggered event (just like readied actions). Since bodyguard uses an AoO, I'd say timing-wise it works just like AoOs do.
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).
As such, I believe it is option 1: you declare it before the attack is rolled.
Thanks all. I'm also thinking its #1 (and I included #3 just for thoroughness), but I have seen someone argue in a different forum that it's #2 as Pathfinder has no "declare phase".
I'm the GM in the game where the question has come up. I'm thinking I just need to remember the PC has this ability and make a point of asking him if he wants to use an AoO when eligible. I do this for all other AoO events, so it's not a big deal from my perspective.
While there's no specific 'declare phase,' it's unambiguous that AoOs happen before the provoking action. I think you're pretty safe if you're ruling it as #1.
As an aside, I feel it's often people who want to make their decision to apply Bodyguard based on their metagame knowledge who argue for #2. If I had someone at my table who (A) really wanted to have it be #2, and also (B) wanted dice rolled 'in the open,' I'd get out my Yahtzee cup.
"Dice are rolled, do you want to apply Bodyguard?"
"But I can't see the dice!"
"Well they've been rolled. I'll reveal the results once you say if you want to use Bodyguard or not."
Players are smart. If I roll dice, and they see the result, they usually have a good idea whether or not it's a hit. Heck, some players have the Bestiaries memorized, and will immediately calculate whether or not a roll is a hit if you're using an unmodified/unbuffed monster. So saying "after the dice are rolled but before the results are declared" can be quite meaningless unless they don't actually see the dice. They already know the results if they see the dice.
Think of it this way - After the attack-roll has been made they've already hit your friend, it's too late to help now.
For reference the INEXPLICABLE LUCK feat specifically calls out that you can use it after a roll is made, but doing so means you only get half the benefit.
If the enemy is making their attack roll, the time for making an "AoO" granted by bodyguard has already passed.
AoO are made before the event that triggered them. If the enemy has rolled, then your chance to use your AoO has passed.
Can anyone think of a different circumstance where an ability "After the roll but before the result is declared" is used on the monsters rolls? I assumed that that was generally an ability that only was only used by the one rolling the dice (players use it on their own rolls because their dice are in the open and they can boost a low die number).
I cannot think of one, but usually abilities which you are allowed to see the die roll (but not know the result) are written something to the effect of "after the roll but before the result is declared". Telling you specifically that you're allowed to know what the roll is, as long as you don't know if it is a success (although for many rolls you usually have a pretty good idea if it is a success or failure by knowing the die roll).
I cannot think of one, but usually abilities which you are allowed to see the die roll (but not know the result) are written something to the effect of "after the roll but before the result is declared". Telling you specifically that you're allowed to know what the roll is, as long as you don't know if it is a success (although for many rolls you usually have a pretty good idea if it is a success or failure by knowing the die roll).
Yep, a few arguments against #2 here:
1) After roll, before result effects are called out specifically.2) After roll, before result rolls only effect the character's own rolls: Rolls that they by default know the die result of (hidden GM rolls being the default).
I don't then the AoO happens before the attack roll arguement is applicable here. according the [url=http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fn#v5748eaic9uws]Bodyguard FAQ[/url}: Bodyguard uses up one of your attacks of opportunity for the round, but the enemy hasn’t provoked an attack of opportunity from you, nor are you making one.
(just adding a fixed version of DM Livgin's link)
I don't then the AoO happens before the attack roll arguement is applicable here. according the [url=http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fn#v5748eaic9uws]Bodyguard FAQ[/url}: Bodyguard uses up one of your attacks of opportunity for the round, but the enemy hasn’t provoked an attack of opportunity from you, nor are you making one.
You're not making an AoO, but if the enemy has rolled their dice they have already made the attack. You have effectively missed your chance to use Bodyguard ability to interfere with it.
Ba, terrible proofreading and formatting. What I meant to say is using AoO mechanics as an argument just complicates the discussion and is easily rebutted.