Am I correct in thinking most characters and monsters don't get AoOs? Some creatures have a line in their stats saying they can make attacks of opportunity, which implies most creatures don't get such an ability. If so, how are they supposed to interrupt spellcasters and the like?
You are correct.
Without an ability like that, they won't be able to interrupt (disrupt) a spell being cast.
They don't.
The default state is that 15 out of 16 classes and something like 90% of monsters can't disrupt spellcasting.
This means that most of the time, spellcasters are able to operate safely, and it increases the threat of foes which can react to their casting.
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This is correct. Fighters get it as a Class Feature, some monsters have it, and some Classes can get it as a Feat (and anyone can multiclass Fighter to get it as a Feat), but the vast majority do not possess AoO in PF2.
And they aren't supposed to interrupt spellcasters and the like, or not without effort and prep anyway. That's now a specialist trick of Fighters and others specifically trained to do it.
Anyone else who wants can Ready an action to do it, though that's pretty action-economy intensive, and the spellcaster can probably avoid it by moving away.
Most people not having AoO does two really cool things in this system, both very worthwhile:
1. It makes combat a lot more mobile. This is a veyr good thing and really makes things more tactical rather than sitting there whaling away with full attacks.
2. Oddly, it makes AoO much better and more valuable for those who do have it. since most people don't have it, people will actually do things to provoke AoO rather than always avoiding them. It actually gives its possessor attacks, which is pretty great.
If so, how are they supposed to interrupt spellcasters and the like?
As always, simply by applying massive damage. :/
2. Oddly, it makes AoO much better and more valuable for those who do have it. since most people don't have it, people will actually do things to provoke AoO rather than always avoiding them. It actually gives its possessor attacks, which is pretty great.
This is true in my experience, albeit somewhat paradoxically compared to 1e. In 1e, if you built around forcing AoOs you probably used trips, and it was messy and cheesy and kind of uninteresting as a result, but in 2e it's a cool but not particularly overpowered niche.
I've got a level 5 fighter using meteor hammer (reach, flail group, etc.) - attacks of opportunity are the most satisfying thing to get when some mook strolls up and gets taken down on the way. Critical hits (because flail) knock fools prone (I used owlbear claws before level 5). I've twice hit caster-ish bosses who got tripped on the previous round when they pulled a potion or tried casting a spell from the ground because they had no way to avoid the AoO from their thing, standing, crawling, etc. So satisfying when you get that crit and they don't get a spell off. Oh, you're a giant flying boss? Better use your reach on me, 'cause you can't step while flying, so your movement will provoke. But those crits for free trips are still rare enough that an enemy can almost always just stand back up even if they take a little more damage in the process.
It ends up distorting the battlefield pretty quickly in a lot of fights as all the enemies move in weird ways to avoid AoOs, often taking small steps to approach me or walk the long way around and thereby forfeiting actions.
Reach/trip fighters in PF1 were cartoonish - knocking everything down constantly and existing in a weird spot in the rules. My fighter feels like he has a strong niche (beyond "hits a lot") without being unbalanced or feeling like cheese.
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Am I correct in thinking most characters and monsters don't get AoOs? Some creatures have a line in their stats saying they can make attacks of opportunity, which implies most creatures don't get such an ability. If so, how are they supposed to interrupt spellcasters and the like?
As noted by previous posters, Opportunity Attacks are somewhat uncommon these days (Personally, my AoA group has a polearm fighter, a Barbarian with the right feat, and a thief with Opportune Backstab if either of the other two hit that means the first provocation will likely get pummeled badly).
Beyond that, it should be noted:
Opportunity Attacks only interrupt a spell cast if they are a critical success, so even this doesn't work reliably for PCs.
Nearly anything you do provokes these days: Just drawing a weapon can get you pummeled before you even have a chance to use it. I've been in fights where I realized I was using the wrong weapon during the first round (Cold Iron instead of Silver) but kept using it to avoid the three Opportunity Attacks a QuickDraw would have provoked.
I've been in fights where I realized I was using the wrong weapon during the first round (Cold Iron instead of Silver) but kept using it to avoid the three Opportunity Attacks a QuickDraw would have provoked.
Surely taking a step action and drawing the right weapon would have been more tactically sound than giving up on the weakness damsge though? Especially if you can get one attack off anyway.
Does drawing a weapon have the Manipulate trait? I searched the CRB for that but never found a Draw Weapon action. I really miss the Actions in Combat table from P1e. :(
Does drawing a weapon have the Manipulate trait? I searched the CRB for that but never found a Draw Weapon action. I really miss the Actions in Combat table from P1e. :(
Table 6.2, page 273.
Does drawing a weapon have the Manipulate trait? I searched the CRB for that but never found a Draw Weapon action. I really miss the Actions in Combat table from P1e. :(Table 6.2, page 273.
Thank you!
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I've been in fights where I realized I was using the wrong weapon during the first round (Cold Iron instead of Silver) but kept using it to avoid the three Opportunity Attacks a QuickDraw would have provoked.Surely taking a step action and drawing the right weapon would have been more tactically sound than giving up on the weakness damsge though? Especially if you can get one attack off anyway. Like so many opponents,
Sacristan have reach, which makes stepping away very difficult.
Besides,
- Stepping away is an action,
- Drawing a new weapon is an action (Quickdraw only allows you to draw and attack as a single action, so it can't be used without a valid target), and
- Stepping back is a third action.
I am exaggerating a bit: Within a round or two one of them died and another moved away to deal with a ranged PC in the back of the room, so I did change weapons at that point (still got hit by the one remaining target, but one hit wasn't that bad).