[RPG] My group’s misunderstood opportunity attacks for years; what to do now I know this

dnd-4eopportunity-attackshift

So, it turns out that my group has been doing shifting/OAs wrong for the 2½ years and the four campaigns we've played 4.0.

We've always assumed that non-shift movement was safe, as long as it was movement between squares adjacent to the enemy. The way we've played it, only movement from an adjacent square to a non-adjacent square provoked OA.

(I have no idea how this misconception has managed to survive for this long. Reading the compendium entry and the Player's Handbook, the rules are perfectly clear and even simpler and more logical that what we've been doing.)

My question is, should I correct the group, or should we keep playing the way we've done?

Apart from just having to adjust to this mechanic, combat is probably going to change somewhat. Flanking will become harder to achieve (something we've always taken for granted – two of the players even got the Eyes in the Back of Your Head feat to avoid getting flanked), safe movement will be more expensive, shifting more valuable and threatening reach a lot more threatening – melee characters won't even be able to attack it without provoking OAs (actually, I've always wondered why there weren't more monsters with this property).

Best Answer

D&D is a consensus game - Discuss the Options

Your problem is not unique - it happens to every game master with a new system. It even happens in board games. It also happens whenever there is errata - changing the "offical rules."

But, you are playing with a group of people so you should discuss any rule changes with the rest - regardless of the the reason. I'm sure you also have adapted to this style of play - perhaps making encounters more challenging in other ways...

When talking about it with your group - offer several options:

  1. Adopt the official rules: Use BESW's excellent answer here for that approach.
  2. House-rule your existing method as a special kind of shift and add monster powers that trigger on shift (there are many in the compendium) - at least to your skirmishers.
  3. House-rule your existing interpretation and don't change a thing. After all, you're all having fun this way.
  4. Change to official rules at your next big break. Assuming you continue with a house-rule choice, you can all agree that you'll mix it up when you start your next batch of characters or between major campaign story arcs.

The option: "Keep this to yourself" isn't there because it is a disservice to your players, who - if they ever play 4e with another group are going to be very disappointed that their build/tactics don't work. Everyone should know the official rules, even if they are being modified.

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