[RPG] When do attacks of opportunity ‘refresh’

pathfinder-1e

We have a PC in the party who can cause enemies to provoke on his turn. The question is, when does his pool (combat reflexes) of AOOs 'refresh'?

The rules, as far as I can tell, simply say 'one per round'.

Best Answer

I think RAI is that all character's AoOs will refresh at the start of each Round which means at the start of the highest initiative character's turn.

An attack of opportunity is a single melee attack, and most characters can only make one per round Attacks of Opportunity

Combat is measured in rounds. During an individual round, all creatures have a chance to take a turn to act, in order of initiative. A round represents 6 seconds in the game world. Round

(Emphasis mine)

Since it doesn't specify a particular point in the round(and doesn't specify at the start of a character's turn) this indicates that everyone gets a new pool of AoO's at the start of each new round(regardless of turn order) to be used anytime an enemy provokes during that round.

If it refreshed at the start of the characters turn then a round would have to be from each characters turn until their next turn, not from highest initiative to lowest initiative.

This makes sense because each Round is really everyone going at once in a 6 second period. Turns are only there for logical gameplay while really everything is happening at once. That's why your dexterity applies to Combat reflexes because your quick reflexes allow you to do more in that 6 second window.

Here's why it matters.

Initiative Order:

  1. NPC1
  2. PC1
  3. NPC2

Round 1

NPC1 provokes and AoO from PC1. PC1 preforms the AoO.

PC1 acts normally on their turn.

NPC2 provokes but PC1 cannot perform since the AoO was used for this round on NPC1.

Round 2(All character's AoOs refresh)

NPC1 provokes(PC1 can make the AoO because it is a new round even though it hasn't been PC1s turn again)

PC1 acts normally

NPC2 provokes(PC1 CANNOT make the AoO because it was used this round when NPC1 provoked)

If you're not refreshing at the start of the round then PC1 would not get their AoO against NPC1 because they haven't gotten their turn in Round 2 and so their pool hasn't refreshed. PC 1 would only be able to make the AoO against NPC2 in Round 2.

May not matter but if that AoO would've killed NPC1 and instead NPC1 kills PC1, you've got a problem.

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