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1 year ago ::
May 11, 2012 - 9:31AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Aug 31, 2008
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I have seen the issue of opportunity attacks brought up in a number of different threads. Like all off turn attacks, they can really slow down the flow of combat, especially when they get more complex. I'm sure I am not alone in having experienced a long off turn attack that ends with everyone saying, "Ok, now WHOSE turn is it?"
That said, I like the idea of opportunity attacks. They help the front line defend the squishies in the back. Without some sort of punishment mechanic, there is nothing to stop everyone from just running past the fighter.
My idea is to give everyone a value for their opportunity attack. Anyone who would trigger such an attack just takes automatic damage equal to that value. Quick, easy, and keeps the intent behind such attacks. You could even add ways to get better values, either with increased damage or things like knocking the target prone. Some effects might allow the target to make a save in order to avoid, such as forcing them to stop moving. While this is still an extra roll, it is just one quick roll and it is made by the current player. Defense against opportunity attacks would simply reduce the damage you take; for example, perhaps halflings would take 1 less damage.
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1 year ago ::
May 11, 2012 - 9:44AM
#2
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Date Joined:
May 18, 2002
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AOO should probably be replaced by a "zone defense" mechanic, where weaving through a line of guys would be largely impossible.
If someone really wants to rush the back and murder the wizard, taking a few hits on the way there is laregly meaningless towards keeping that wizard not murdered. If however, attempting to run back and murder the wizard meant a fighter some arbitrary number of squares away jumps over and stops that movement immediately, the wizard will be safely un-murdered today.
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1 year ago ::
May 11, 2012 - 9:46AM
#3
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I think savage worlds does opportunity attacks quite well. You only provoke if you attempt to disengage from an opponent. This allows someone to manuever around an enemy they are fighting without constantly provoking OAs. Perhaps only those armed with a melee weapon should be allowed to take them as well (monk unarmed attacks and natural weapons can count as armed).
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1 year ago ::
May 11, 2012 - 9:50AM
#4
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Date Joined:
Aug 19, 2007
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Not a bad idea. I can see this speeding up combat quite a bit.
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1 year ago ::
May 11, 2012 - 10:09AM
#5
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Date Joined:
Jan 12, 2012
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It is an interesting idea, but I would like to keep some randomness. Imagine a scene where your hero runs past a horde of enemies trying to escape into the sunlight. Such a scene should at least call for a dice roll.
The free swing mechanic of savage world also sounds nice. IIRC cyclopedia had a similar rule and I think that it would work well for gridless play.
But actually our 3.5ed group does not waste a lot of time on opportunity attacks, because the maps in our campaign are often so open that they allow the monsters to run in a circle avoid being hit. (or alternatively the heros stand in a door opening to avoid monsters running past, and that leads to queueing rather than opportunity attacks)
DISCLAIMER: I never played 4ed, so I may misunderstand some of the rules.
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1 year ago ::
May 11, 2012 - 10:14AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Aug 22, 2007
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I actually have done this in a few Theater of the Mind games of 4e. And I once had a DM who did this in 3.5.
Basically you take ½ the damage of the attack automatically. Bonuses versus opportunity attacks and Aol act as damage resistance. Bonuses to opportunity attacks are bonus damage.
Speeds the game up a little but it is barely noticeable. AoOs aren't the problem, the player having to calculate the bonus each time as they aren't familiar with their character is. People who do opportunity attacks a lot calculate them quickly after a while. But when the rogue or cleric does their 3rd one ever....
Orzel, Halfelven son of Zel, Mystic Ranger, Bane to Dragons, Death to Undeath, Killer of Abyssals, King of the Wilds.
Constitution Based Class for Next!
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1 year ago ::
May 11, 2012 - 10:16AM
#7
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Date Joined:
Aug 28, 2007
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I would do zone control, and aoo this way:
Movement only generates an aao when two adjacent squares are violated one immediately after the other.
This means that leaving combat, and entering combat do not normally generate aoo (Reach increases the number of squares the zone of control occupies)
A third zone square in a row may not be entered. (Larger Size catagory might allow this)
Aoo generated from violating zone of control should get a +4 to hit. Ignore Warriors at your own peril.
A passive aoo that always hits when violating zones would not bother me despite some logical situations where that might not make sense.
But a +4 to hit is less drastic.
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1 year ago ::
May 11, 2012 - 10:22AM
#8
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Date Joined:
Aug 28, 2007
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I think savage worlds does opportunity attacks quite well. You only provoke if you attempt to disengage from an opponent. This allows someone to manuever around an enemy they are fighting without constantly provoking OAs. Perhaps only those armed with a melee weapon should be allowed to take them as well (monk unarmed attacks and natural weapons can count as armed).
That is plenty fast for game play, but I just can't stand the illogic of getting hit when you retreat.
Boxers don't get hit when they back up; its a normal part of the melee. In fact, you are more likely to be cold conked by moving closer.
When two warriors are beating each other silly they move around a lot.
Now, if two warriors are grappling, It seems to make sense one might get a shot in if the other tries to get out of his grasp.
So I like that for grappling, but not for swordplay.
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1 year ago ::
May 11, 2012 - 10:46AM
#9
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Date Joined:
Jan 12, 2012
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Boxers don't get hit when they back up; its a normal part of the melee. In fact, you are more likely to be cold conked by moving closer. When two warriors are beating each other silly they move around a lot.
If one boxer takes a step backwards then the other boxer tends to follow him. So the distance between the boxers doesn't change a lot. I seem to remember that cyclopedia had a rule for fighting while moving backwards, and that this rule allowed the enemy to follow, but I am not sure (Recently someone mentioned a similar rule from an AD&D game)
But if a swordman turns aound and runs directoy away dro his opponent then it makes sense to me that the enemy gets a free swing.
DISCLAIMER: I never played 4ed, so I may misunderstand some of the rules.
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1 year ago ::
May 11, 2012 - 4:17PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Feb 28, 2012
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Attacks of opportunity are needed, but can use some tweaking. They really don't slow anything down.
I'm not a fan of the automatic damage method (too easy to calculate whether you can safely take the hit).
I'm for:
- Once within someone's threat range, you only provoke one attack of opportunity from that opponent regardless of how far you move.
- Squeezing between two opponents (allowing them to flank), should cause the hits to become crits. In a real fight, intentionally stepping (within reach) between two opponents = you're gonna get hurt. Not necessarily an auto crit if they move to flank you, but only if you move between them.
How about if you try to move past someone, and they score a hit against you. If they do more than 75% of the possible max damage they keep you from advancing (or assign a straight X % chance of being able to stop you, modified by class and level).
It's just way too easy to get past the fighters to get at the squishy members farther back (and make it MUCH harder if not impossible to tumble through enemy).
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