I'm sure this has been covered a million times, but here it goes, just once more for stupid, ol' me.
Character A has Polearm Master and wields a glaive (10 ft reach).
Monster B has a natural 10 ft reach.
Does Polearm Master trigger an AoO when Monster B moves to 10 ft away from Character A to perform its attack? Or does it only trigger when Monster B moves *inside* the 10 ft reach of Character A?
The only issue involved is the reach of, in this case, character A. When character A "sees" Monster B move beyond character A's reach, character A can use their reaction to make an opportunity attack.
Sorry, I may have been unclear. Polearm Master grants an AoO when an attacker moves INTO reach. In the above example, does Monster B move INTO Character A's reach, thus provoking a reaction attack?
I've thought a little bit about it, and if I just plop the situation down onto a battlemap with squares, maybe the issue resolves itself. Character A attacks Monster B (triggering Polearm Master) when Monster B moves into a space two squares away from Character B, whereas regular attacks can only reach adjacent squares. Basically, normal melee reach has a "range" of 1 square, where as 10 ft reach has a "range" of 2 squares.
Monster B can trigger the special Polearm Master OA when it enters Character A's 10-foot reach. Or else you can take a normal OA when it leaves Character A's 10-foot reach. If Monster B isn't going to move further away than 10 feet (since it wants to make its natural attack from that range), you won't get the normal OA, since it won't be leaving Character A's reach.
10 feet away is “within the 10 ft. reach.” If the monster is 15 feet from Character A, and moves 5 feet closer and is now only 10 feet away, then yes, Character A can use their PAM attack.
If monster is 10 feet away and moves 5 feet closer to Character A, then no because the Monster was already within Character A’s reach.
If monster is within 5 feet of Character A (so 5 feet away) and moves 5 feet back from Character A to a total of 10 feet from Character A (10 feet away) then no because the Monster was already within Character A’s reach.
Monster Movement Beginning End 🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲|🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲 🔲🔲🧟♂️🔲🔲|🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲 ⬅️ 🧟♂️ Is 15 feet away from 🧝♂️ 🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲|🔲🔲🧟♂️🔲🔲 ⬅️ 🧟♂️ Moves up to 10 ft from 🧝♂️ 🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲|🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲 🔲🔲🧝♂️🔲🔲|🔲🔲🧝♂️🔲🔲⬅️ 🧝♂️ Makes PAM attack. ✅ 🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲|🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲 🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲|🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲 🧟♂️=Monster 🧝♂️=Character A 🔲=5ft
I'm sure this has been covered a million times, but here it goes, just once more for stupid, ol' me.
Character A has Polearm Master and wields a glaive (10 ft reach).
Monster B has a natural 10 ft reach.
Does Polearm Master trigger an AoO when Monster B moves to 10 ft away from Character A to perform its attack? Or does it only trigger when Monster B moves *inside* the 10 ft reach of Character A?
Thanks, people.
Since the monster has a reach of 10 feet, it needs to move to a space within 10 feet of the character to attack it, therefore triggering an Opportunity Attack as it enters the Polearm Master's reach.
Character A has a facility to make an opportunity attack when Monster B comes into range. Monster B has a facility to take a swing when it gets into range. I don't know of a rule to say which comes first other than the convention to give advantage to characters on a tie. If there is anything else that can be quoted I'd be interested. Would the same apply if, say, it was a bugbear or polearm wielding character approaching an NPC with polearm master feat?
Character A has a facility to make an opportunity attack when Monster B comes into range. Monster B has a facility to take a swing when it gets into range. I don't know of a rule to say which comes first other than the convention to give advantage to characters on a tie. If there is anything else that can be quoted I'd be interested. Would the same apply if, say, it was a bugbear or polearm wielding character approaching an NPC with polearm master feat?
The monster moves within 10 feet of the character, then the character make the Opportunity Attack, and finally the monster attack the character.
I'm sure this has been covered a million times, but here it goes, just once more for stupid, ol' me.
Character A has Polearm Master and wields a glaive (10 ft reach).
Monster B has a natural 10 ft reach.
Does Polearm Master trigger an AoO when Monster B moves to 10 ft away from Character A to perform its attack? Or does it only trigger when Monster B moves *inside* the 10 ft reach of Character A?
Thanks, people.
In this scenario, Monster B will provoke an OA as follows:
10 feet away to 15 feet away or 15 feet away to 10 feet away: OA with Glaive
5 feet away to 10 feet away: OA with kick
That's it. No OA is provoked going from 10 feet away to 5, or with any movement that stays out of reach.
Even if the monster had 20ft reach he'd still provoke the PAM when he attacks him with a natural weapon because he's entering the reach. Any way you slice it, some portion of him enters the reach to even be capable of attacking the PAM dude.
We often conflate PAM's special opportunity attack with the default opportunity attacks but PAM's opportunity attack doesn't mention movement whatsoever. Only entering the reach.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
Even if the monster had 20ft reach he'd still provoke the PAM when he attacks him with a natural weapon because he's entering the reach. Any way you slice it, some portion of him enters the reach to even be capable of attacking the PAM dude.
We often conflate PAM's special opportunity attack with the default opportunity attacks but PAM's opportunity attack doesn't mention movement whatsoever. Only entering the reach.
When you punch an adjacent creature you are not entering it's space. Entering means moving into , not simply reaching into it.
Even if the monster had 20ft reach he'd still provoke the PAM when he attacks him with a natural weapon because he's entering the reach. Any way you slice it, some portion of him enters the reach to even be capable of attacking the PAM dude.
We often conflate PAM's special opportunity attack with the default opportunity attacks but PAM's opportunity attack doesn't mention movement whatsoever. Only entering the reach.
When you punch an adjacent creature you are not entering it's space. Entering means moving into , not simply reaching into it.
"Entering" isn't defined in 5e. As such, use the common use language. If someone punches you, they're entered your reach.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
Even if the monster had 20ft reach he'd still provoke the PAM when he attacks him with a natural weapon because he's entering the reach. Any way you slice it, some portion of him enters the reach to even be capable of attacking the PAM dude.
We often conflate PAM's special opportunity attack with the default opportunity attacks but PAM's opportunity attack doesn't mention movement whatsoever. Only entering the reach.
When you punch an adjacent creature you are not entering it's space. Entering means moving into , not simply reaching into it.
"Entering" isn't defined in 5e. As such, use the common use language. If someone punches you, they're entered your reach.
They have not. If a creature has 10 foot reach, and you have normal 5 foot reach, you cannot attack them at 10 feet. Only if they or you move closer.
Even if the monster had 20ft reach he'd still provoke the PAM when he attacks him with a natural weapon because he's entering the reach. Any way you slice it, some portion of him enters the reach to even be capable of attacking the PAM dude.
We often conflate PAM's special opportunity attack with the default opportunity attacks but PAM's opportunity attack doesn't mention movement whatsoever. Only entering the reach.
When you punch an adjacent creature you are not entering it's space. Entering means moving into , not simply reaching into it.
"Entering" isn't defined in 5e. As such, use the common use language. If someone punches you, they're entered your reach.
Depends how you look at it. In plain english, you may not considered having entered a room you reached an hand into.
Sage Advice officially ruled on what constitute entering an AOE, which can translate for reach. You are not passing INTO them if you're not moving.
Reading the description of any of those spells, you might wonder whether a creature is considered to be entering the spell’s area of effect if the area is created on the creature’s space. ... Our design intent for such spells is this: a creature enters the area of effect when the creature passes into it.
Sage Advice officially ruled on what constitute entering an AOE, which can translate for reach. You are not passing INTO them if you're not moving.
Reading the description of any of those spells, you might wonder whether a creature is considered to be entering the spell’s area of effect if the area is created on the creature’s space. ... Our design intent for such spells is this: a creature enters the area of effect when the creature passes into it.
So it only needs to pass into it. A punch into the area would certainly cause it to pass into it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
Even if the monster had 20ft reach he'd still provoke the PAM when he attacks him with a natural weapon because he's entering the reach. Any way you slice it, some portion of him enters the reach to even be capable of attacking the PAM dude.
We often conflate PAM's special opportunity attack with the default opportunity attacks but PAM's opportunity attack doesn't mention movement whatsoever. Only entering the reach.
When you punch an adjacent creature you are not entering it's space. Entering means moving into , not simply reaching into it.
"Entering" isn't defined in 5e. As such, use the common use language. If someone punches you, they're entered your reach.
They have not. If a creature has 10 foot reach, and you have normal 5 foot reach, you cannot attack them at 10 feet. Only if they or you move closer.
They have entered your reach if they're making bodily contact with you. 100% undeniable. They're making contact with your face. They've obvious come within 10ft of you.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
Even if the monster had 20ft reach he'd still provoke the PAM when he attacks him with a natural weapon because he's entering the reach. Any way you slice it, some portion of him enters the reach to even be capable of attacking the PAM dude.
We often conflate PAM's special opportunity attack with the default opportunity attacks but PAM's opportunity attack doesn't mention movement whatsoever. Only entering the reach.
When you punch an adjacent creature you are not entering it's space. Entering means moving into , not simply reaching into it.
"Entering" isn't defined in 5e. As such, use the common use language. If someone punches you, they're entered your reach.
They have not. If a creature has 10 foot reach, and you have normal 5 foot reach, you cannot attack them at 10 feet. Only if they or you move closer.
They have entered your reach if they're making bodily contact with you. 100% undeniable. They're making contact with your face. They've obvious come within 10ft of you.
Interesting. Do you then give people free opportunity attacks against every creature with a reach attack? If it has to enter your reach to attack then it would certainly be considered leaving your reach when it pulls its attack back afterward. Do you let folks take opportunity attacks to knock the polearm out of an attacker's hand every time they make an attack from 10'?
Personally, I'd never play it as described here. "Entering" in my opinion, in the context of opportunity attacks, refers to the creature MOVING to enter the region threatened ('reach') by another creature. It is not referring to momentary entry/exit by extremities, appendages or weapons performing an attack.
However, if another DM wants to play it otherwise by using a different interpretation of "enter/exit" then go for it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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I'm sure this has been covered a million times, but here it goes, just once more for stupid, ol' me.
Character A has Polearm Master and wields a glaive (10 ft reach).
Monster B has a natural 10 ft reach.
Does Polearm Master trigger an AoO when Monster B moves to 10 ft away from Character A to perform its attack? Or does it only trigger when Monster B moves *inside* the 10 ft reach of Character A?
Thanks, people.
The only issue involved is the reach of, in this case, character A. When character A "sees" Monster B move beyond character A's reach, character A can use their reaction to make an opportunity attack.
Sorry, I may have been unclear. Polearm Master grants an AoO when an attacker moves INTO reach. In the above example, does Monster B move INTO Character A's reach, thus provoking a reaction attack?
I've thought a little bit about it, and if I just plop the situation down onto a battlemap with squares, maybe the issue resolves itself. Character A attacks Monster B (triggering Polearm Master) when Monster B moves into a space two squares away from Character B, whereas regular attacks can only reach adjacent squares. Basically, normal melee reach has a "range" of 1 square, where as 10 ft reach has a "range" of 2 squares.
Monster B can trigger the special Polearm Master OA when it enters Character A's 10-foot reach. Or else you can take a normal OA when it leaves Character A's 10-foot reach. If Monster B isn't going to move further away than 10 feet (since it wants to make its natural attack from that range), you won't get the normal OA, since it won't be leaving Character A's reach.
Helpful rewriter of Japanese->English translation and delver into software codebases (she/e/they)
10 feet away is “within the 10 ft. reach.” If the monster is 15 feet from Character A, and moves 5 feet closer and is now only 10 feet away, then yes, Character A can use their PAM attack.
If monster is 10 feet away and moves 5 feet closer to Character A, then no because the Monster was already within Character A’s reach.
If monster is within 5 feet of Character A (so 5 feet away) and moves 5 feet back from Character A to a total of 10 feet from Character A (10 feet away) then no because the Monster was already within Character A’s reach.
Monster Movement
Beginning End
🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲|🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲
🔲🔲🧟♂️🔲🔲|🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲 ⬅️ 🧟♂️ Is 15 feet away from 🧝♂️
🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲|🔲🔲🧟♂️🔲🔲 ⬅️ 🧟♂️ Moves up to 10 ft from 🧝♂️
🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲|🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲
🔲🔲🧝♂️🔲🔲|🔲🔲🧝♂️🔲🔲⬅️ 🧝♂️ Makes PAM attack. ✅
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🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲|🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲
🧟♂️=Monster 🧝♂️=Character A 🔲=5ft
I hope that helps.
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Since the monster has a reach of 10 feet, it needs to move to a space within 10 feet of the character to attack it, therefore triggering an Opportunity Attack as it enters the Polearm Master's reach.
Cool. Thanks everybody.
Character A has a facility to make an opportunity attack when Monster B comes into range.
Monster B has a facility to take a swing when it gets into range.
I don't know of a rule to say which comes first other than the convention to give advantage to characters on a tie.
If there is anything else that can be quoted I'd be interested.
Would the same apply if, say, it was a bugbear or polearm wielding character approaching an NPC with polearm master feat?
The monster moves within 10 feet of the character, then the character make the Opportunity Attack, and finally the monster attack the character.
In this scenario, Monster B will provoke an OA as follows:
10 feet away to 15 feet away or 15 feet away to 10 feet away: OA with Glaive
5 feet away to 10 feet away: OA with kick
That's it. No OA is provoked going from 10 feet away to 5, or with any movement that stays out of reach.
Even if the monster had 20ft reach he'd still provoke the PAM when he attacks him with a natural weapon because he's entering the reach. Any way you slice it, some portion of him enters the reach to even be capable of attacking the PAM dude.
We often conflate PAM's special opportunity attack with the default opportunity attacks but PAM's opportunity attack doesn't mention movement whatsoever. Only entering the reach.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
When you punch an adjacent creature you are not entering it's space. Entering means moving into , not simply reaching into it.
"Entering" isn't defined in 5e. As such, use the common use language. If someone punches you, they're entered your reach.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
They have not. If a creature has 10 foot reach, and you have normal 5 foot reach, you cannot attack them at 10 feet. Only if they or you move closer.
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Depends how you look at it. In plain english, you may not considered having entered a room you reached an hand into.
Sage Advice officially ruled on what constitute entering an AOE, which can translate for reach. You are not passing INTO them if you're not moving.
Please lets not have a discussion about "entering" again, the last one went on for pages (just recently).
So it only needs to pass into it. A punch into the area would certainly cause it to pass into it.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
They have entered your reach if they're making bodily contact with you. 100% undeniable. They're making contact with your face. They've obvious come within 10ft of you.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
Interesting. Do you then give people free opportunity attacks against every creature with a reach attack? If it has to enter your reach to attack then it would certainly be considered leaving your reach when it pulls its attack back afterward. Do you let folks take opportunity attacks to knock the polearm out of an attacker's hand every time they make an attack from 10'?
Personally, I'd never play it as described here. "Entering" in my opinion, in the context of opportunity attacks, refers to the creature MOVING to enter the region threatened ('reach') by another creature. It is not referring to momentary entry/exit by extremities, appendages or weapons performing an attack.
However, if another DM wants to play it otherwise by using a different interpretation of "enter/exit" then go for it.