Designing a ranged opportunity attack

[Crucius]

Heya,

Let's say you want to make a ranged opportunity attack; how would you create and implement it?

Try to keep it as simple as possible, and preferably only make it use the reaction from the action economy. If other rules have to be changed that's fine, just state which one(s) and how.

I'm curious to see what you come up with!

[OldTrees1]

If someone crosses the line directly in front of you (left to right or vice versa) then you may attack them with your ranged weapon as an opportunity attack (costs same action economy as opportunity attack for that character).

Requires the PC to specifying facing and wield a ranged weapon to enable. "I move here, do stuff, and face towards that point yonder."

[Man_Over_Game]

Heya,

Let's say you want to make a ranged opportunity attack; how would you create and implement it?

Try to keep it as simple as possible, and preferably only make it use the reaction from the action economy. If other rules have to be changed that's fine, just state which one(s) and how.

I'm curious to see what you come up with!

I'd tie it to an existing mark effect, like what the Inquisitive Rogue or Monster Slayer have. Make it something like "If your marked target moves more than 10 feet in a turn, you may make an Opportunity Attack against them with a melee or ranged attack"

Alternatively, I'd have you spend a Bonus Action to create a "stance" that has you make an OA against any target that moves within 15 feet of you with a melee or ranged attack. Intentionally designed to work with Sentinel.

So that's it. Either something that marks a target that prevents movement, or something that preemptively guards a large radius around you, like PAM does.

Either way, it needs to come from a very distinct source, like a feat or a subclass feature. Maybe tie in support for throwing weapons while you're at it.

[MoiMagnus]

Whenever you attack a creature with a ranged weapon, the creature is now under your suppression until the beginning of your next turn.

When a suppressed creature try to move more than 5ft during his turn, you can use your reaction to make an attack with a ranged weapon, assuming you still have a line of sight, and that the creature is still in range of your weapon. The attack happens after the creature moved 5ft and before it moves more. This attack is considered as an opportunity attack for every effect that might apply. After this attack, the creature is no longer suppressed.

Optional:
Moreover, whenever this creature makes a ranged attack (weapon or spell) while suppressed they have a disadvantage to attack rolls as if they were making a ranged attack in close combat.

Edit: I personally see it as an power for a Fighter subclass.

[Greywander]

I feel like the closest thing to a ranged opportunity attack is readying your action to make a ranged attack. When someone pops out from behind cover, it triggers the attack and you take the shot.

Ranged OAs make more sense with something like a gun that holds multiple rounds (e.g. not flintlock or other single-shot firearms). The time and effort it takes to notch an arrow or ready a crossbow makes it difficult to snap off a shot the moment an enemy lowers their defenses, but with a gun it's pretty much just point and click.

That said, this could be interesting for a feat or fighting style. I'm not sure how you would trigger the OA, though.

[Crucius]

I'm not sure how you would trigger the OA, though.

This is indeed my main issue. The outcome is fairly straight forward: make a ranged weapon attack. But what to use as a trigger?


If someone crosses the line directly in front of you (left to right or vice versa) then you may attack them with your ranged weapon as an opportunity attack (costs same action economy as opportunity attack for that character).

This has crossed my mind. It is fairly straight forward and puts the emphasis on positioning to provide zoning. I do wonder how diagonals would work though, as they leave some weird gaps. Also, would you say it triggers when someone walks into the line, or out of it? What if someone stands in your line and decides not to move?

I like the idea, let that be said.


I'd tie it to an existing mark effect, like what the Inquisitive Rogue or Monster Slayer have. Make it something like "If your marked target moves more than 10 feet in a turn, you may make an Opportunity Attack against them with a melee or ranged attack"

Hmm, I hadn't thought of this. "The last creature you attacked with a ranged weapon on your turn becomes the target of your focus for the next round."
I thought I'd make the trigger of the opportunity attack one of standing still; "if your mark doesn't move X feet on their turn your can make one ranged attack against them."
Standing still makes you an easy target, while if you are always on the move you are a lot safer.
I find some fights turn into slugfests where both parties have their heels dug in at the position where they first clashed in melee until one or the other dies, so I wouldn't mind promoting some moving around the battlefield.

This also gives them a nice catch-22 when they are also engaged in melee combat. Making them choose between moving and triggering a melee attack, or staying put and triggering a ranged attack. To facilitate this the melee opportunity attack has to be changed from "leaves your range" to "moves within your range".

What do you think?

The only downside of the whole marking thing is that you have to remember something instead of notice something (i.e. someone walking out of your reach). Then again, some more participation and attention at the table is not a bad thing.


sentinel
Welp. I forgot about that one. That's something I will have to consider should I want to implement such a thing as a ranged opportunity attack.

[CheddarChampion]

How about a trigger of "When a creature moves out of cover (relative to you)... Unless the creature was hidden from you at the start of its turn?"