Can you Full Attack on an Attack of Opportunity?

[Gale]

A friend and I were discussing whether or not a player could use the full attack option during an attack of opportunity. He was under the impression that you couldn't, and at the time I couldn't find where in the rules it stated that you could. I eventually found the passage which simply says,

An experienced character gets additional regular melee attacks (by using the full attack action), but at a lower attack bonus. You make your attack of opportunity, however, at your normal attack bonus—even if you’ve already attacked in the round.
I always thought this was phrased poorly. But this does seem to imply that I was correct in my original assertion.

But digging around on Google lead me to threads like this one (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?248756-Full-Attack-on-an-Attack-of-Opportunity) where it seems to indicate that you normally can't make more than one attack per individual attack of opportunity unless you have a feat. The feat in question being Improved Combat Reflexes which reads,


IMPROVED COMBAT REFLEXES [GENERAL]
You react to any drop in your opponents' guard with lightning speed.
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Combat Reflexes, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: For any given opportunity in melee combat, you can make two attacks of opportunity. The second attack is at a -5 penalty, just like your second normal attack in any given round. You still cannot exceed your normal maximum number of attacks of opportunity in a round.


I'm honestly not sure anymore how full attacks work in regards to AOOs. If they are allowed, then why does Improved Combat Reflexes exist? Does it allow you to make two full attacks on an AOO? That seems far too powerful.

If full attacks aren't allowed on an attack of opportunity then what was the original rule about experienced characters gaining additional melee attacks referring to? Is it saying a level 6 Fighter can make two separate attacks of opportunity without combat reflexes due to his base attack bonus granting him additional attacks, with the second AOO in this instance being made with a lower attack bonus?

Sorry about all the questions, but this has been really confusing me for awhile.

[rrwoods]

I never noticed how poorly that was phrased before now.

But no, only one attack of opportunity per round (barring Combat Reflexes or similar). The rule you quoted is clarifying that the attack roll is made with the character's highest base attack bonus if they are high enough level to have multiple.

[gorfnab]

Player's Handbook, page 137


Making an Attack of Opportunity: An attack of opportunity is a single melee attack, and you can only make one per round.

One single melee attack, not a Full Attack action.
I


An experienced character gets additional regular melee attacks (by using the full attack action), but at a lower attack bonus. You make your attack of opportunity, however, at your normal attack bonus—even if you’ve already attacked in the round.

Hypothetical Fighter with BAB +6/+1 and Str 16 makes a Full Attack during his turn at +9/+4 to hit. During the opponent's turn, the opponent provokes an Attack of Opportunity. The Hypothetical Fighter then gets to make one melee attack against the opponent with a +9 to hit.



Originally Posted by Dragon Magazine #340
IMPROVED COMBAT REFLEXES [GENERAL]
You react to any drop in your opponents' guard with lightning speed.
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Combat Reflexes, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: For any given opportunity in melee combat, you can make two attacks of opportunity. The second attack is at a -5 penalty, just like your second normal attack in any given round. You still cannot exceed your normal maximum number of attacks of opportunity in a round.

Our same Hypothetical Fighter from before has the above feat and Dex 13. With the Combat Reflexes feat this gives him the option to make two Attacks of Opportunity in a round. During his turn he makes a Full Attack at +9/+4 to hit. During the opponent's turn, the opponent provokes an Attack of Opportunity. The Hypothetical Fighter then gets to make two melee attack against the opponent with a +9 to hit on the first and a +4 to hit on the second. At this point if the opponent provokes another Attack of Opportunity during its turn our Hypothetical Fighter would be unable to respond with a melee attack because he has used up his two available Attacks of Opportunity for the round.


Also, these might be of some help:
Rules of the Game: All About Attacks of Opportunity - Part One (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20041026a)
Rules of the Game: All About Attacks of Opportunity - Part Two (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20041102a)

[Mutazoia]

A friend and I were discussing whether or not a player could use the full attack option during an attack of opportunity. He was under the impression that you couldn't, and at the time I couldn't find where in the rules it stated that you could. I eventually found the passage which simply says,

I always thought this was phrased poorly. But this does seem to imply that I was correct in my original assertion.

But digging around on Google lead me to threads like this one (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?248756-Full-Attack-on-an-Attack-of-Opportunity) where it seems to indicate that you normally can't make more than one attack per individual attack of opportunity unless you have a feat. The feat in question being Improved Combat Reflexes which reads,


I'm honestly not sure anymore how full attacks work in regards to AOOs. If they are allowed, then why does Improved Combat Reflexes exist? Does it allow you to make two full attacks on an AOO? That seems far too powerful.

If full attacks aren't allowed on an attack of opportunity then what was the original rule about experienced characters gaining additional melee attacks referring to? Is it saying a level 6 Fighter can make two separate attacks of opportunity without combat reflexes due to his base attack bonus granting him additional attacks, with the second AOO in this instance being made with a lower attack bonus?

Sorry about all the questions, but this has been really confusing me for awhile.

When you get an AOO you get one, and only one attack.

Combat Reflexes lets you add your Dex bonus to the number of AOOs you get per round.

Improved Combat Reflexes gives you the option of making two AOO's against one target at a penalty for the second attack, so basically a Full Attack. You can only do so with the feat, and you cannot make more AOO's than normal (provided you have combat reflexes and a Dex bonus granting additional AOO's).

So, in a nutshell, if your Dex bonus grants you 2 extra AOO's a round (for a total of 3), you can burn one of them to do an Full Attack AOO on one target, and still get on normal AOO on a second, or you can NOT make the full attack, and get an AOO on 3 targets.

[Zombimode]

If full attacks aren't allowed on an attack of opportunity then what was the original rule about experienced characters gaining additional melee attacks referring to?

It is there to clarify that any AoO's you might get will always be on your normal (highest) attack bonus even though the AoO may be an additional attack this round.

Personally, I don't find this clarification necessary seeing that simply stating "an attack of opportunity is a single melee attack using the character's normal attack bonus" would be enough, but oh well.


On an unrelated note: you referred to a Dragon Magazine feat in order to clarify a rules question. Please don't do that. While probably the majority of the stuff printed in DragonMag is compliant to the 3.5 rules, some of it isn't.

[animewatcha]

What you are looking for to simulate a full attack on an AoO ( I do mean simulate, not be counted as ) is combination of the improved / greater-version combat reflex beats in combination with double hit feat in IIRC miniatures handbook. Still eats up AoOs.

[Darrin]

What you are looking for to simulate a full attack on an AoO ( I do mean simulate, not be counted as ) is combination of the improved / greater-version combat reflex beats in combination with double hit feat in IIRC miniatures handbook. Still eats up AoOs.

For a third attack, you can add Snap Kick on top of Double Hit. You might also be able to add Planar Touchstone: Oxyrhynchus (Planar Handbook) on top of that, but... the wording is not so clear.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

And don't forget to include Knock-Down and Improved Trip. That way, you deal 10+ damage, knock them down via trip as a result, and get another free attack through Improved Trip, and ANOTHER one via Snap Kick.

Just make sure to optimize your unarmed strikes so the Snap Kick attacks have some...ahem...kick to them.

[zergling.exe]

When you get an AOO you get one, and only one attack.

Combat Reflexes lets you add your Dex bonus to the number of AOOs you get per round.

Improved Combat Reflexes gives you the option of making two AOO's against one target at a penalty for the second attack, so basically a Full Attack. You can only do so with the feat, and you cannot make more AOO's than normal (provided you have combat reflexes and a Dex bonus granting additional AOO's).

So, in a nutshell, if your Dex bonus grants you 2 extra AOO's a round (for a total of 3), you can burn one of them to do an Full Attack AOO on one target, and still get on normal AOO on a second, or you can NOT make the full attack, and get an AOO on 3 targets.

The last part isn't entirely true. You may make more than one AoO per opportunity, but it is NOT a full attack. You are limited to two, and only two, attacks at each opportunity, each of which consume an AoO attack. If it was a full attack, you would be able to make 3 at +11 BAB, or get additional with haste, which the feat does not grant.

[Mutazoia]

The last part isn't entirely true. You may make more than one AoO per opportunity, but it is NOT a full attack. You are limited to two, and only two, attacks at each opportunity, each of which consume an AoO attack. If it was a full attack, you would be able to make 3 at +11 BAB, or get additional with haste, which the feat does not grant.

Well yes, but given the OP's example of one plus one at a penalty as a "Full Attack", I scaled the example likewise.

[Buufreak]

And don't forget to include Knock-Down and Improved Trip. That way, you deal 10+ damage, knock them down via trip as a result, and get another free attack through Improved Trip, and ANOTHER one via Snap Kick.

Just make sure to optimize your unarmed strikes so the Snap Kick attacks have some...ahem...kick to them.

By RAW, this combo doesn't work, as the errata for the original feat printing states improved trip and knockdown specifically do not work together, and the reprinting made it deity exclusive.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

By RAW, this combo doesn't work, as the errata for the original feat printing states improved trip and knockdown specifically do not work together, and the reprinting made it deity exclusive.I have the errata, and it says no such thing. I also see nothing in the SRD that negates being able to use it for anyone for this purpose. Could I have a direct quote, please?

[Darrin]

I have the errata, and it says no such thing. I also see nothing in the SRD that negates being able to use it for anyone for this purpose. Could I have a direct quote, please?

The Sword & Fist FAQ and the Sword & Fist Web Errata are two separate documents. Both of them say you can't get a free attack via Improved Trip. The Web Errata version says:



p. 7, Knockdown
Insert to end of Benefit:

Use of this feat cannot be combined with Improved Trip to generate an extra attack, and successful use of this feat does not grant an extra attack through the Cleave or Great Cleave feats.
Insert may into “you may make a trip attack as a free action.” After “whenever you deal 10 or more points of damage to your opponent in melee” insert: with a single attack


Deities & Demigods reprinted the Knock-Down feat, but changed the wording slightly:



Whenever the deity deals 10 or more points of damage to its opponent in melee, it makes a trip attack as a free action against the same target.

(emphasis added)

Although the Sword & Fist Web Errata (December 2001) predates Deities & Demigods (April 2002), the errata wasn't included.

When WotC published portions of Deities & Demigods as part of the online SRD (sometime in 2005, near as I can determine), it used the original Sword & Fist wording, but again, did not include the errata:



Whenever you deal 10 or more points of damage to your opponent in melee, you make a trip attack as a free action against the same target.

(emphasis added)

If you want an ironclad answer to "which version do I use?", then the 3.5 SRD was published last, and takes precedence over the earlier versions. It is a [General] feat and can be taken by anyone that meets the prereqs.

What we don't know is if the 3.0 errata was deliberately left out of the SRD, or if it was an oversight on the part of the editors/designers. (Personally, I suspect the latter, play with the former.)

There is no official definitive answer with regard to whether the 3.0 errata applies to the 3.5 SRD. You will need to decide among your own group which version works best for your group.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Deities and Demigods doesn't use errata for books that are not Deities and Demigods. Plus, there's nothing preventing anyone who isn't a deity from using the feat; it was just written assuming that only deities could qualify, despite not having any prereqs that prevent it. There's also nothing preventing any character that qualifies for it from using it. Yet another shining example of the writers having another bout of stupidity.

[Buufreak]

snip

I was aware of all of this except the srd printing. Okay, that definitely makes this a ymmv situation.