Attack of opportunity and additional effects

[Supes]

My reading of AoO is that any strike that the creature can do can be done. So if a creature has an attack plus awesome blow or attack plus knockdown or claw plus grab or bite plus swallow whole, then they can use that attack plus the additional effect. Is that correct?

[thenobledrake]

Yes, any abilities the creature has that apply to their Strikes can apply to the Strike made as part of Attack of Opportunity.

[JackieLane]

Most of the time, abilities like Knockback, Grab or Swallow Whole require an extra action after the attack, so they wouldn't just happen when you use an attack of opportunity, but you can use any Strike you have and effects that apply to all Strikes of that type without requiring extra actions should work, if I'm not mistaken.

[Aratorin]

Supes wrote:

My reading of AoO is that any strike that the creature can do can be done. So if a creature has an attack plus awesome blow or attack plus knockdown or claw plus grab or bite plus swallow whole, then they can use that attack plus the additional effect. Is that correct?

If a Giant Viper makes an AoO, it could use its Fangs Strike, which would inflict Giant Viper Venom, as that is a built in part of the Strike.

If a Barbazu makes an AoO, it could not use its Wiggling Beard, as that is not a Strike, it is a Wiggling Beard Action.

If a Chuul makes an AoO, it could use its Claws Strike, but not its Grab, as Grab requires an additional Action after the Strike.

If a Baomal makes an AoO, it could use its Jaws Strike and its Improved Grab, as Improved Grab is a Free Action Triggered by a Hit.

[Lawrencelot]

Thanks for ruining my GM powers Jackielane and Aratorin, I just learned that Grab actually costs an extra action. :(

Now I need to find a new way to annoy my players with monster powers.

[Ascalaphus]

Lawrencelot wrote:

Thanks for ruining my GM powers Jackielane and Aratorin, I just learned that Grab actually costs an extra action. :(

Now I need to find a new way to annoy my players with monster powers.

Grab costing an action is actually really clever design.

Consider the zombie. It's permanently slowed and has Grab. That means that if a zombie walks to you and hits you, it doesn't have an action left to grab you. But if you stand there and it starts its turn next to you, it can hit and grab you - and then it gets harder for you to move away.

Now imagine that you're GMing a classic zombie horde movie scenario. If the players stand still, they're gonna get grabbed and eaten. But if they keep moving, the zombies can never hold them down.

So the limitation on the Grab ability makes the scene work the way it should!

As a GM, you gotta love these clever abilities that force players to come up with different tactics every combat.