Total Defense Question

[KenkuKen]

Hi,

Can a character with a reach weapon use Total Defense against
an adjacent foe?

Thanks.

[Artificial 20]

Total Defence doesn't interact with your offensive ability. A naked level 1 Commoner can use total defence - you might be getting mixed up with the similar option of Fighting Defensively, which needs some legal attacking.

[KenkuKen]

So you don't even need a weapon when using Total Defense cause
it's a dodge bonus?

[Mysterious Stranger]

Total defense means you are not attacking at all. It is a standalone action that anyone can perform regardless of any weapons. It is a standard action so you can also use a move action when you do it. You cannot perform any attack actions at all. The fact it grants you a dodge bonus is irrelevant other than the fact that it stacks with other dodge bonus.

[zza ni]

Mysterious Stranger wrote:

Total defense means you are not attacking at all... You cannot perform any attack actions at all...

correction, you can't make attacks of opportunity while using total defense. also since it's a standard action almost any other attack option is off the book. but if you can manage to perform attacks as move\immediate\free\swift actions you can still attack.

total defense:

You can defend yourself as a standard action. You get a +4 dodge bonus to your AC for 1 round. Your AC improves at the start of this action. You can’t combine total defense with fighting defensively or with the benefit of the Combat Expertise feat. You can’t make attacks of opportunity while using total defense.

my unarmed fighter who master snapping turtle style (+clutch) goes into total defense while provoking his enemies ('come at me bro') to strike him only to use an immediate action to grapple them. (per rules combat maneuvers are attacks)

same goes for venomblade fighters of 8th+ level (heck at level 12 they can spit venom as move and swift action making it 2 attacks that can be done while in total defense)