White Haired Witch and Panther Style Shenanigans: SOMEBODY STOP ME!

[Scott Wilhelm]

Let's say I have a level in White Haired Witch, Feral Combat Training, and Panther Parry.

I move out of a Threatened Square, Provoking an Attack of Opportunity.

Panther Style Feats allow me to make Free Action Attacks in retaliation whenever I so Provoke AoOs, and Panther Parry specifically says my Free Action Attack Comes first.

FCT lets me make this Attack with my White Hair, and whenever I hit someone with White Hair, I get a Free Grapple Check.

If my Grapple Check is successful, my opponent has the Grappled Condition.

Grappled creatures are not allowed to make Attacks of Opportunity.

So, did I just find a way to score bonus attacks by provoking Attacks of Opportunity that then don't happen? Per RAW this looks right, but it seems like shenanigans to me. Well, it's definitely shenanigans, but is there a RAW justification for allowing your victim to still get his Attack of Opportunity?

[CMantle]

This is sort of shenanigans, but yes it works. You're taking a level dip in witch, needing to have improved unarmed strike, feral combat training, and 2 style feats (that require high wisdom... whereas your hair damage is INT based) *as well as combat reflexes (edit)*, and risking taking an attack of opportunity in the process... That's quite the investment to make just to try to bait attacks of opportunities when the % chance that you both succeed your attack *and* the grapple is relatively low, especially since you're lower than Full BAB.

To give you an idea of why this certainly isn't broken, a Swashbuckler can do the exact same thing with 0 feats, as a level 1 dip. Roll once to beat the attack, then riposte, and choose to disarm as your riposte. If they are disarmed (and do not have a natural attack or improved unarmed strike), then they cannot continue their attack of opportunity against you.

TL;DR? Your attack of opportunity interrupts theirs. If in the course of your attack of opportunity you make it impossible for them to continue theirs, they cannot make the attack of opportunity against you. The question of if it counts as a spent attack of opportunity for them is another question entirely, though.

EDIT: Also, you do not get "free attack actions" in retaliation, you use up an Attack of Opportunity.

EDIT #2: ALSO-also, you would need to take weapon focus for your hair, which is a huge waste of a feat unless it's your primary attacking weapon, and with a 1 level dip into Witch, that's just a waste of your time, since it does tiny damage and you won't be getting the additional effects. If you're actually playing a witch and using it, I'm amazed that you have high enough Int, Wisdom, Constitution, and your fighting stat (Dex or STR) to make this work well.

[avr]

The problem with panther style is that opponents aren't forced to take the AoO, and if they don't then you don't get to retaliate. In advance or otherwise. Otherwise yeah, should work.

Edit: CMantle, panther style attacks don't require the style user to spend AoOs. Instead they have a limit of using their swift action (with just the style) or based on their Wis mod (with panther parry).

Also, if that swashbuckler doesn't have improved disarm or similar they are starting an unimaginable succession of AoOs.