[3.5e] Attacks of Opportunity while in Full-Defense

[MJS103]

The rules state that
Full-Defense
You can defend yourself as a standard action. You get a +4 dodge bonus to your AC for 1 round. Your AC improves at the start of this action. You can’t combine total defense with fighting defensively or with the benefit of the Combat Expertise feat (since both of those require you to declare an attack or full attack). You can’t make attacks of opportunity while using total defense.

Are there any feats that allow you to make AOO while in full-defense? 3rd Party Sources are allowed.
I saw the feat Defensive Opportunist from Dragon Magazine 340 but it is regarding fighting defensively not full-defense.

[Gruftzwerg]

You have given yourself the answer. It's Combat Expertise. It's often considered the better option to "Total Defense". You can raise your AC while still getting an attack (with penalties).

Total Defense is for martial noobies (read caster classes) if you get what I mean. The professional defensive fighter will just use Combat Expertise.

[Chronos]

That might not always meet the OP's needs. For instance, suppose that you can't close the distance with an enemy, but they can still attack you. You want to increase your AC in case they attack you, but you also want to attack them if they get close enough. And since you can't get close enough to attack them, you can't use Expertise.

[Zarvistic]

You can do it with the feat Active shield defense if you're using a shield.

[Beni-Kujaku]

That might not always meet the OP's needs. For instance, suppose that you can't close the distance with an enemy, but they can still attack you. You want to increase your AC in case they attack you, but you also want to attack them if they get close enough. And since you can't get close enough to attack them, you can't use Expertise.

I attack the GROUND! With 5 points of Combat Expertise ! Nothing prevents you from attacking inanimate unattended objects.

[ciopo]

not the darkness!?

[Darg]

I attack the GROUND! With 5 points of Combat Expertise ! Nothing prevents you from attacking inanimate unattended objects.

DM invokes rule 0.

[Beni-Kujaku]

DM invokes rule 0.

I mean‚ why would they? It's not like using an otherwise subpar feat to gain +1 AC and the ability to AoO at -5 compared to a regular total defense would break the game.

[Darg]

it's a joke, but you could still attack a space regardless of the existence of a creature there or not. It's how you are able to hit totally concealed creatures (or if you are blinded).

[Gruftzwerg]

That might not always meet the OP's needs. For instance, suppose that you can't close the distance with an enemy, but they can still attack you. You want to increase your AC in case they attack you, but you also want to attack them if they get close enough. And since you can't get close enough to attack them, you can't use Expertise.

1. remind you that you can take a move action and do a standard attack with Combat Expertise:

When you use the attack action or the full attack action in melee, ...

2. Nothing forces you to take/make/resolve your attacks, just because you initiated the action. Think about iterative attacks. Your Full Attack doesn't become invalid just because you didn't take/make all attacks.

You could just say that you use CE and run as close as you can get to your enemies and end your turn with CE active. CE ain't relying on the attacks being made. It sole requires you to take an attack or full attack action. And just because you can't resolve your action for some reason, doesn't stop you from taking the action.

TL;DR; CE doesn't require an attack(roll). Sole a (Full) Attack Action.

[loky1109]

While you're correct, but Full Def has its niche. First, CE means Int 13+.
Second, until you have BAB +4 Full Def is better, if you have 5 ranks in tumble Full Def is better until you have BAB +6 and another feat. I'm sure there are another ways to improve Full Def. Also nothing prevents you from stacking Full Def and CE if you have extra standard action.

[MJS103]

You have given yourself the answer. It's Combat Expertise. It's often considered the better option to "Total Defense". You can raise your AC while still getting an attack (with penalties).

Total Defense is for martial noobies (read caster classes) if you get what I mean. The professional defensive fighter will just use Combat Expertise.

It does not meet the requirments. I am using the Gladiator Prestige class from (Sword and Fist: A Guidebook to Monks and Fighters variant, p. 21)
I want to use the move Study opponent for a semi-permanent AC bonus but I also would like to use AOO so that the entire round isn't entirely wasted on the buff.
The rest of the build wants to take Robilar's Gambit, hence why I would like to use AOO while in Full defense.

Edit: (Also I can't go into any caster classes because my DM has banned me from making any more casters since my last few characters were a bit broken)

[MJS103]

You can do it with the feat Active shield defense if you're using a shield.
That is perfect. Thank you! I hope there's other feats like this so I have options but this will do for now.