[D20 Modern] Total Defense and AoOs

[The Unborne]

Sorry if there is a catch-all thread for questions about systems other than 3.5 and 4.0, but I'm looking for your quick answers or thoughts about D20 Modern's Total Defense action.

After some Google-fu I've learned that D&D 3.0 and 3.5 had slight differences in Total Defense: in the first, you could take AoOs (of course this was only mentioned in Sage's Advice or something) while in the latter you couldn't. RAW, to threaten a character must be able to attack an opponent, which one cannot in 3.5 while in Total Defense.

With all of that information, I read and searched up Total Defense in D20 Modern and saw no mention of AoOs and a description similar to 3.0's (no mention of the ability to take AoOs or not).

So...long story short: I'm not sure if I should follow 3.5's specific ruling as opposed to following the cloudy description in 3.0.

[mohdri]

The character doesn’t get to attack or perform any other activity, but does get a +4 dodge bonus to his or her Defense for 1 round.


A character threatens the squares into which he or she can make a melee attack, even when it is not the character’s action.

I really don't think these quotes are all that ambiguous.

I would rule as a DM/argue as a player (been both for Modern) that you cannot make AoO while using Total Defense in D20 Modern.