Unleash The Power Of Pathfinder 2e Attack Of Opportunity

12 May 2024
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Dalbo

What is Pathfinder 2e Attack of Opportunity?

In Pathfinder 2e, an attack of opportunity is a special type of attack that can be made when an enemy leaves a threatened square. This means that if an enemy moves out of your reach, you can make an attack of opportunity against them.

Attacks of opportunity are a great way to punish enemies for moving around the battlefield, and they can also be used to protect your allies. They are especially effective against enemies who are trying to escape or who are using hit-and-run tactics.

There are a few things to keep in mind when using attacks of opportunity.

You can only make one attack of opportunity per round.
You must have a clear path to the enemy.
The enemy must be within your reach.

Attacks of opportunity are a powerful tool that can be used to control the battlefield and protect your allies. By understanding how they work, you can use them to your advantage in combat.

Pathfinder 2e Attack of Opportunity

An attack of opportunity is a special type of attack that can be made when an enemy leaves a threatened square. This means that if an enemy moves out of your reach, you can make an attack of opportunity against them.

Trigger: An attack of opportunity is triggered when an enemy leaves a threatened square.
Action: An attack of opportunity is a standard action.
Target: The target of an attack of opportunity must be within your reach and have a clear path to you.
Attack Roll: The attack roll for an attack of opportunity is made with a 5 penalty.
Damage: The damage for an attack of opportunity is the same as a normal attack.
Critical Hits: Critical hits on attacks of opportunity are treated normally.
Multiple Attacks: You can only make one attack of opportunity per round.
Reach: You can only make an attack of opportunity if the enemy is within your reach.
Cover: You cannot make an attack of opportunity against an enemy who is behind cover.
Flat-Footed: An enemy who is flat-footed cannot make an attack of opportunity against you.

Attacks of opportunity are a powerful tool that can be used to control the battlefield and protect your allies. By understanding how they work, you can use them to your advantage in combat.

Trigger

This is an important rule to remember, as it means that you can use attacks of opportunity to punish enemies for moving around the battlefield. For example, if an enemy tries to run away from you, you can make an attack of opportunity to try to stop them.

Attacks of opportunity can also be used to protect your allies. For example, if an enemy tries to attack your ally, you can make an attack of opportunity to try to stop them. This can help to keep your allies safe and alive.

Here are some examples of how attacks of opportunity can be used in combat:

You are fighting a group of goblins. One of the goblins tries to run away from you. You make an attack of opportunity to try to stop them.
Your ally is fighting a group of orcs. One of the orcs tries to attack your ally. You make an attack of opportunity to try to stop them.
You are fighting a dragon. The dragon tries to fly away from you. You make an attack of opportunity to try to stop them.

Attacks of opportunity are a powerful tool that can be used to control the battlefield and protect your allies. By understanding how they work, you can use them to your advantage in combat.

Action

This means that you can only make one attack of opportunity per round, and it takes up your entire standard action. This is an important limitation to keep in mind, as it means that you cannot use an attack of opportunity to make a full attack.

However, there are some benefits to using a standard action to make an attack of opportunity. First, it allows you to make an attack against an enemy who is trying to escape or who is using hit-and-run tactics. Second, it allows you to protect your allies from being attacked.

Here are some examples of how the standard action requirement for attacks of opportunity can be used in combat:

You are fighting a group of goblins. One of the goblins tries to run away from you. You use your standard action to make an attack of opportunity to try to stop them.
Your ally is fighting a group of orcs. One of the orcs tries to attack your ally. You use your standard action to make an attack of opportunity to try to stop them.
You are fighting a dragon. The dragon tries to fly away from you. You use your standard action to make an attack of opportunity to try to stop them.

By understanding how the standard action requirement for attacks of opportunity works, you can use them to your advantage in combat.

Target

This is an important rule to remember, as it means that you can only make an attack of opportunity against an enemy who is within your reach and has a clear path to you. This means that you cannot make an attack of opportunity against an enemy who is behind cover or who is out of your reach.

There are a few things that can affect whether or not an enemy has a clear path to you.

Cover: Cover can block your line of sight to an enemy, which can prevent you from making an attack of opportunity against them.
Reach: Your reach is the distance that you can attack an enemy with a melee weapon. If an enemy is outside of your reach, you cannot make an attack of opportunity against them.
Obstacles: Obstacles such as walls, trees, and furniture can block your line of sight to an enemy, which can prevent you from making an attack of opportunity against them.

It is important to be aware of the factors that can affect whether or not an enemy has a clear path to you. This will help you to make informed decisions about when to use attacks of opportunity.

Here are some examples of how the target requirement for attacks of opportunity can be used in combat:

You are fighting a group of goblins. One of the goblins tries to run behind a tree. You cannot make an attack of opportunity against them because they are behind cover.
Your ally is fighting a group of orcs. One of the orcs tries to attack your ally from across the room. You cannot make an attack of opportunity against them because they are out of your reach.
You are fighting a dragon. The dragon tries to fly away from you. You cannot make an attack of opportunity against them because they are out of your reach.

By understanding how the target requirement for attacks of opportunity works, you can use them to your advantage in combat.

Attack Roll

This penalty represents the fact that you are making an attack of opportunity against an enemy who is not expecting it. This means that the enemy has a chance to react to your attack and defend themselves.

The 5 penalty to the attack roll can make it difficult to hit your target, especially if they have a high AC. However, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of hitting.

Use a weapon with a high attack bonus. Weapons with a high attack bonus will give you a better chance of hitting your target, even with the 5 penalty.
Target an enemy with a low AC. Enemies with a low AC are easier to hit, even with the 5 penalty.
Use a spell or ability that gives you a bonus to attack rolls. Spells and abilities that give you a bonus to attack rolls can help you to overcome the 5 penalty.

Despite the 5 penalty, attacks of opportunity can be a powerful tool in combat. They can be used to punish enemies for moving around the battlefield, and they can also be used to protect your allies.

Here is an example of how the 5 penalty to attack rolls for attacks of opportunity can be used in combat:

You are fighting a group of goblins. One of the goblins tries to run away from you. You make an attack of opportunity against them, but you miss because of the 5 penalty to the attack roll. The goblin is able to escape.

By understanding how the 5 penalty to attack rolls for attacks of opportunity works, you can use them to your advantage in combat.

Damage

In Pathfinder 2e, attacks of opportunity deal the same damage as a normal attack. This means that you do not get any bonus or penalty to damage when you make an attack of opportunity.

Facet 1: Consistency in Damage Output
Attacks of opportunity provide a consistent level of damage output, regardless of whether you are attacking an enemy who is unaware of your presence or an enemy who is actively engaged in combat. This consistency helps to ensure that attacks of opportunity remain a viable option throughout the course of a combat encounter.
Facet 2: Balancing Risk and Reward
The fact that attacks of opportunity deal the same damage as normal attacks helps to balance the risk and reward of using them. On the one hand, you can use attacks of opportunity to punish enemies for moving around the battlefield recklessly. On the other hand, you need to be aware of the potential consequences of making an attack of opportunity, such as exposing yourself to an attack from another enemy.
Facet 3: Strategic Considerations
The consistent damage output of attacks of opportunity encourages players to think strategically about their positioning and movement. By carefully positioning your characters, you can create situations where you can make multiple attacks of opportunity against a single enemy, or where you can use attacks of opportunity to protect your allies from harm.

Overall, the fact that attacks of opportunity deal the same damage as normal attacks is a significant factor in the design of the Pathfinder 2e combat system. It helps to ensure that attacks of opportunity remain a viable and balanced option throughout the course of a combat encounter, and it encourages players to think strategically about their positioning and movement.

Critical Hits

In Pathfinder 2e, critical hits on attacks of opportunity are treated normally. This means that they deal double damage, and they are not affected by any other modifiers that would normally apply to critical hits.

This is an important rule to remember, as it makes attacks of opportunity even more powerful. If you can get an attack of opportunity against an enemy, you have a chance to deal a significant amount of damage to them.

There are a few things that can affect your chances of getting a critical hit on an attack of opportunity.

Your level: Your level affects your critical hit range. The higher your level, the wider your critical hit range will be.
Your weapon: Some weapons have a higher critical hit range than others. For example, a longsword has a critical hit range of 20, while a dagger has a critical hit range of 19-20.
Your feats: Some feats can improve your chances of getting a critical hit. For example, the Improved Critical feat increases your critical hit range by 1.

By understanding how critical hits work on attacks of opportunity, you can use them to your advantage in combat.

Here is an example of how critical hits on attacks of opportunity can be used in combat:

You are fighting a group of goblins. One of the goblins tries to run away from you. You make an attack of opportunity against them. You roll a natural 20 on the attack roll, which is a critical hit. You deal double damage to the goblin, killing them instantly.

By understanding how critical hits on attacks of opportunity work, you can use them to your advantage in combat.

Multiple Attacks

In Pathfinder 2e, you can only make one attack of opportunity per round. This is an important rule to remember, as it means that you cannot use attacks of opportunity to make a full attack.

There are two main reasons for this rule.

Balance: Allowing characters to make multiple attacks of opportunity per round would be too powerful. It would allow them to lock down enemies and prevent them from moving or attacking.
Realism: In most real-world situations, you can only make one attack of opportunity per round. This is because it takes time to react to an enemy's movement and make an attack.

The rule that you can only make one attack of opportunity per round helps to keep the game balanced and realistic.

There are a few exceptions to the rule that you can only make one attack of opportunity per round.

Some feats and abilities allow you to make multiple attacks of opportunity per round. For example, the feat Multiattack allows you to make two attacks of opportunity per round.
Some spells and abilities allow you to make attacks of opportunity outside of your turn. For example, the spell Hold Person allows you to make an attack of opportunity against an enemy that is paralyzed.
Some creatures have special abilities that allow them to make multiple attacks of opportunity per round. For example, the monster Mythic Ogre has the ability to make two attacks of opportunity per round.

These exceptions are relatively rare, and they are usually balanced by other factors. For example, the feat Multiattack requires you to spend an action to use it, and the spell Hold Person only lasts for a limited amount of time.

Overall, the rule that you can only make one attack of opportunity per round is an important part of the Pathfinder 2e combat system. It helps to keep the game balanced and realistic.

Reach

The reach of a weapon is the distance that you can attack an enemy with it. In Pathfinder 2e, you can only make an attack of opportunity if the enemy is within your reach.

Facet 1: Understanding Reach and Its Impact
Reach is a crucial factor in determining the effectiveness of attacks of opportunity. A longer reach allows you to threaten more squares and make attacks of opportunity against enemies who are further away. This can be a significant advantage in combat, as it allows you to control the battlefield and prevent enemies from escaping.
Facet 2: Melee vs. Ranged Attacks
Reach is particularly important for melee characters, as they need to be close to their enemies to attack them. Ranged characters, on the other hand, can attack enemies from a distance, so they are less affected by reach. However, some ranged weapons, such as thrown weapons, have a limited range, so they can still be affected by reach.
Facet 3: Positioning and Movement
Understanding reach is essential for positioning and movement in combat. By carefully positioning your characters, you can create situations where you can make multiple attacks of opportunity against a single enemy, or where you can use attacks of opportunity to protect your allies from harm.
Facet 4: Special Abilities and Effects
Some special abilities and effects can extend your reach or allow you to make attacks of opportunity against enemies who are further away. For example, the Lunge feat allows you to increase your reach by 5 feet, and the Combat Reflexes feat allows you to make an attack of opportunity against an enemy who provokes an attack of opportunity from another character.

Overall, the reach of a weapon is an important factor to consider when using attacks of opportunity. By understanding reach and its implications, you can use it to your advantage in combat.

Cover

In Pathfinder 2e, cover is a crucial factor that influences the effectiveness of attacks of opportunity. Cover provides protection to enemies, hindering your ability to strike them when they move out of threatened squares.

Understanding the significance of cover in relation to attacks of opportunity is essential for optimizing your combat strategy. When an enemy is behind cover, your attacks of opportunity are hindered due to the following reasons:

Obscured Vision: Cover obstructs your line of sight, making it difficult to accurately target the enemy. This reduced visibility limits your ability to make precise attacks.
Physical Barrier: Cover physically blocks your attacks, preventing them from reaching the intended target. Walls, trees, and other solid objects can effectively shield enemies from your attacks of opportunity.

The practical significance of understanding the cover rule is immense. It challenges you to adapt your tactics and positioning in combat. By anticipating enemy movement and predicting their use of cover, you can maneuver yourself into advantageous positions that minimize their ability to gain cover and maximize your chances of successful attacks of opportunity.

Here are some examples of how cover affects attacks of opportunity in Pathfinder 2e:

If an enemy ducks behind a wall to avoid your melee attacks, you cannot make an attack of opportunity against them because the wall provides them with cover.
If an enemy spellcaster casts a spell from behind a tree, you cannot make an attack of opportunity against them because the tree provides them with cover.

By understanding the connection between cover and attacks of opportunity, you can make informed decisions in combat, increasing your effectiveness and reducing the chances of your attacks being hindered by enemy cover.

Flat-Footed

Understanding the concept of flat-footed is crucial in the context of Pathfinder 2e's attack of opportunity mechanic. When an enemy is flat-footed, it loses the ability to make attacks of opportunity against you, creating significant tactical advantages in combat.

Facet 1: Flat-Footed Condition and Its Implications
The flat-footed condition arises when an enemy is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC. This can occur due to various factors, such as being surprised, being targeted by certain spells or abilities that specifically remove Dexterity bonuses, or being flanked. When an enemy is flat-footed, its AC decreases, making it more vulnerable to attacks.
Facet 2: Impact on Attack of Opportunity
The flat-footed condition has a direct impact on the enemy's ability to make attacks of opportunity. When an enemy is flat-footed, it loses the ability to make attacks of opportunity against you, even if you provoke one. This is because the flat-footed condition negates the enemy's Dexterity bonus, which is a prerequisite for making attacks of opportunity.
Facet 3: Tactical Advantages
Understanding the connection between the flat-footed condition and attacks of opportunity grants you significant tactical advantages in combat. By strategically positioning your characters and utilizing abilities that impose the flat-footed condition, you can effectively shut down enemy attacks of opportunity, allowing you to move and attack with greater freedom.

In summary, the flat-footed condition plays a crucial role in the dynamics of Pathfinder 2e's attack of opportunity mechanic. By comprehending the implications of the flat-footed condition and its impact on attacks of opportunity, you can gain a tactical edge in combat situations, maximizing your chances of success.

Pathfinder 2e Attack of Opportunity FAQs

The attack of opportunity mechanic in Pathfinder 2e is a versatile and impactful element of combat. To enhance your understanding of this mechanic, we present a series of frequently asked questions and their respective answers.

Question 1: What are the prerequisites for making an attack of opportunity?

An attack of opportunity can be executed when an enemy leaves a square that is threatened by you. Additionally, you must have a clear path to the enemy and be within their reach.

Question 2: Can multiple attacks of opportunity be made in a single round?

Typically, you can only make one attack of opportunity per round. However, certain feats and abilities may grant exceptions to this rule, allowing you to make additional attacks of opportunity under specific conditions.

Question 3: What is the penalty to attack rolls for attacks of opportunity?

Attacks of opportunity are made with a 5 penalty to the attack roll. This penalty represents the fact that the enemy is not expecting the attack and has a chance to react and defend themselves.

Question 4: Do critical hits on attacks of opportunity deal additional damage?

Yes, critical hits on attacks of opportunity deal double damage, just like regular critical hits. However, they are not affected by any other modifiers that would normally apply to critical hits.

Question 5: Can attacks of opportunity be made against flat-footed enemies?

No, attacks of opportunity cannot be made against flat-footed enemies. The flat-footed condition removes the enemy's Dexterity bonus to AC, which is a prerequisite for making attacks of opportunity.

Question 6: How does cover affect attacks of opportunity?

Cover can prevent you from making attacks of opportunity against enemies who are behind it. If an enemy has cover between them and you, you cannot target them with an attack of opportunity.

By understanding these key aspects of the attack of opportunity mechanic, you can effectively utilize it to control the battlefield, protect your allies, and gain an advantage in combat.

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Tips for Mastering Attacks of Opportunity in Pathfinder 2e

Attacks of opportunity are a powerful tool in Pathfinder 2e, allowing you to punish enemies for moving around the battlefield and protect your allies. Here are some tips to help you make the most of this versatile mechanic:

Tip 1: Position your characters strategically. By carefully positioning your characters, you can create situations where you can make multiple attacks of opportunity against a single enemy, or where you can use attacks of opportunity to protect your allies from harm.

Tip 2: Use reach weapons. Reach weapons allow you to threaten more squares, giving you more opportunities to make attacks of opportunity. Consider using weapons like spears, halberds, or whips to extend your reach.

Tip 3: Take the Combat Reflexes feat. The Combat Reflexes feat allows you to make one additional attack of opportunity per round. This can be a significant boost to your damage output and your ability to control the battlefield.

Tip 4: Use spells and abilities that grant bonuses to attack rolls. Spells and abilities that grant bonuses to attack rolls can help you to overcome the 5 penalty to attack rolls for attacks of opportunity. Consider using spells like Bless or Heroism, or abilities like the bard's Inspire Courage, to improve your chances of hitting your target.

Tip 5: Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to the position of your enemies and the terrain around you. By anticipating enemy movement, you can position yourself to take advantage of attacks of opportunity.

Summary: By following these tips, you can improve your use of attacks of opportunity in Pathfinder 2e. These versatile attacks can be a powerful tool for controlling the battlefield, protecting your allies, and dealing damage to your enemies.

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Conclusion

The attack of opportunity mechanic in Pathfinder 2e is a powerful tool that can be used to control the battlefield, protect your allies, and deal damage to your enemies. By understanding how attacks of opportunity work, and by following the tips outlined in this article, you can improve your use of this versatile mechanic.

Attacks of opportunity are a key part of the Pathfinder 2e combat system. They allow you to punish enemies for moving around the battlefield, and they can also be used to protect your allies from harm. By understanding how attacks of opportunity work, and by using them effectively, you can gain a significant advantage in combat.

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