When a monster (or player for that matter) has attack options that have different reach values, are each of those considered individually for the purposes of making an opportunity attack, or is a creatures "longest" reach considered it's reach value?
The situation at our table today (5e 2024) had the players fighting an Otyugh, which has both a bite attack with a reach of 5 feet and a tentacle attack with a reach of 10 feet. A player next to the Otyugh moved 5 feet away and I (as the GM) declared that it was going to make a bite opportunity attack. This led to a debate as to whether moving out of range of the monsters bite attack would allow for an opportunity attack, or if a creature had to move out of the monsters longest reach. Since I didn't want to bog down the game I ruled in favor of the player, with a more permanent ruling TBD. Thinking about it further, I feel that was not the correct decision as that would make it so that creatures with multiple attack options with different reach values could never use those attacks with shorter reach values to make opportunity attacks.
Anyway, I read a few threads about this same topic from the 2014 rules and I feel like the consensus was that each attack option should be considered individually in terms of viability for making an AoO, but I can't really point to anything 100% concrete in the 2024 rules definitions to back this up. Just looking for opinions or anything in the 2024 rules that make this ruling more RAW as opposed to (I assume) RAI.
Thanks!
PS - If it is individual attacks vs a "fixed" reach value, would you rule that it's valid for a creature using a halberd to make a AoO using an unarmed strike (say a fierce boot to the enemies posterior) if they move just 5 feet away? Personally, I think this is OK as unarmed attack is a valid method of making an AoO.
You can make an Opportunity Attack when a creature that you can see leaves your reach using its action, its Bonus Action, its Reaction, or one of its speeds.
I would say that if you had an attack with 5 foot and an attack with 10 foot, a creature moving from 5 to 10 foot would still be within your reach since you have an attack that reaches that distance whereas moving 10 to 15 foot would trigger the reaction. This actually should be common for polearm users since somebody using a (heavy, reach) polearm can still make an unarmed strike at 5 foot but normally does not get to use an opportunity attack if something moves from being 5 foot away to 10 foot.
- Moving from 5 feet to 10 feet provokes an Opportunity Attack with the bite (or, for example, a Dagger in the main hand or making an Unarmed Strike) - If that creature moves another 5 feet, it provokes an Opportunity Attack with the tentacle (or, for example, if you character has a Whip in the off hand)
How does a reach weapon work with opportunity attacks?
An opportunity attack is normally triggered when a creature you can see moves beyond your reach. If you want to make an opportunity attack with a reach weapon, such as a glaive or a halberd, you can do so when a creature leaves the reach you have with that weapon. For example, if you’re wielding a halberd, a creature that is right next to you could move 5 feet away without triggering an opportunity attack. If that creature tries to move an additional 5 feet—beyond your 10-foot reach—the creature then triggers an opportunity attack.
@samiam8910 If a monster has 2 different reaches, when does it get opportunity attacks? Like the roc’s talons at 5 feet and beak at 10.
@JeremyECrawford If you have more than one reach, a foe provokes an opportunity attack when it leaves any of them. #DnD
@samiam8910 Isn't this directly against your official SA article from July 2015?
@JeremyECrawford The SA answer is only about making an opportunity attack with the reach weapon, not with another reach you might have.
@samiam8910 So the book is incorrect in saying OAs are for when leaving your reach when it should be your weapons' reach
@JeremyECrawford "Your reach" means whatever reach of yours is relevant at the moment.
@jd2319 What if I'm dual-wielding a dagger and a whip, can I use the dagger when someone leaves my 5' but stays w/in 10'? @JeremyECrawford If you want to make an opportunity attack with X, the attack is triggered when a foe leaves the reach of X. X = weapon you want to use @thethain Awesome! So does that mean you can always make a 5ft unarmed Opportunity Attack, IE if holding a two handed weapon? @JeremyECrawford Unless a feature tells you otherwise, you have a 5 ft. reach with your unarmed strikes, and you can make opportunity attacks with them.
- Moving from 5 feet to 10 feet provokes an Opportunity Attack with the bite (or, for example, a Dagger in the main hand or making an Unarmed Strike) - If that creature moves another 5 feet, it provokes an Opportunity Attack with the tentacle (or, for example, if you character has a Whip in the off hand)
If someone moves beyond 10 feet, do you get both bite and tenacle? Or just pick one?
- Moving from 5 feet to 10 feet provokes an Opportunity Attack with the bite (or, for example, a Dagger in the main hand or making an Unarmed Strike) - If that creature moves another 5 feet, it provokes an Opportunity Attack with the tentacle (or, for example, if you character has a Whip in the off hand)
If someone moves beyond 10 feet, do you get both bite and tenacle? Or just pick one?
Moving beyond 10 feet only provoke an Opportunity Attack with the weapon or action with corresponding reach such as Tentacle or Whip, being out of reach of Dagger or Bite.
Something to keep in mind for creatures with multiple reach is that when you take a Reaction, you can’t take another one until the start of your next turn, so you have to choose carefully when to make an Opportunity Attack.
- Moving from 5 feet to 10 feet provokes an Opportunity Attack with the bite (or, for example, a Dagger in the main hand or making an Unarmed Strike) - If that creature moves another 5 feet, it provokes an Opportunity Attack with the tentacle (or, for example, if you character has a Whip in the off hand)
If someone moves beyond 10 feet, do you get both bite and tenacle? Or just pick one?
Moving beyond 10 feet only provoke an Opportunity Attack with the weapon or action with corresponding reach such as Tentacle or Whip, being out of reach of Dagger or Bite.
If someone moves 30" then there is no opportunity attack? That is what you just said, by moving beyond 10 feet results the bite can't be used. "..****y provoke an Opportunity Attack with the weapon or action with corresponding reach"
If someone moves 30" then there is no opportunity attack? That is what you just said, by moving beyond 10 feet results the bite can't be used. "..****y provoke an Opportunity Attack with the weapon or action with corresponding reach"
I'm not sure to understand if by 30'' you mean 30 feet or 30 inche, which double apostrophe is typically used for.
Moving occur foot by foot or squares by squares in Grid play. So if for example a creature adjacent to a Otyugh moves away 30 feet, it will provoke Opportunity Attack when moving beyond;
By 30 feet. So based on what you said that is someone moves 30 feet away, they will receive no opportunity attacks against them?
I thought if someone moves (as far away as possible) away, the non moving person gets an opportunity attack as a reaction. So that is not true?
What is being said is that when a creature moves from a square 5 ft away to a square 30 ft away through normal, non-teleporting, non-disengaging Movement, it passes through all those subsets.,
When the Creature moves from a square 5ft away to one 10 ft away from the Otyugh, the creature can provoke an Opportunity Attack from the Otyugh, and if the Otyugh has a Reaction available, it can use its Reaction use its its Bite action as the Opportunity Attack, because the Creature is leaving the reach of the Bite action.
When the Creature moves from a square 10ft to one 15 ft away from the Otyugh, the Creature can provoke an Opportunity Attack from the Otyugh, if it still has its Reaction available, but it has to use its Tentacle action instead for the Reaction, because the Creature is leaving the reach of the Tentacle Action.
Moving from the 15ft away square to the 20 ft away square to the 25 ft away square to the 30 ft away square does not provoke an opportunity attack from the Otyugh, because all of those squares are beyond its reach.
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As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
You can make an Opportunity Attack when a creature that you can see leaves your reach using its action, its Bonus Action, its Reaction, or one of its speeds.
I would say that if you had an attack with 5 foot and an attack with 10 foot, a creature moving from 5 to 10 foot would still be within your reach since you have an attack that reaches that distance whereas moving 10 to 15 foot would trigger the reaction. This actually should be common for polearm users since somebody using a (heavy, reach) polearm can still make an unarmed strike at 5 foot but normally does not get to use an opportunity attack if something moves from being 5 foot away to 10 foot.
Reach is a weapon property, not a creature feature, so the range for an Opportunity Attack has always been dependent on what weapon or attack you chose to use to make it
A Reach weapon adds 5 feet to your reach when you attack with it, as well as when determining your reach for Opportunity Attackswith it.
Creatures with polearms can absolutely choose to make an OA using an unarmed strike on someone moving from 5 to 10 feet away. They just don't want to most of the time
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue) Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Ok, seems I was wrong on this one, but oh well. Tis the way to learn.
It's not worded super well between the different sections of rules. Shocking, I know
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Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue) Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
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When a monster (or player for that matter) has attack options that have different reach values, are each of those considered individually for the purposes of making an opportunity attack, or is a creatures "longest" reach considered it's reach value?
The situation at our table today (5e 2024) had the players fighting an Otyugh, which has both a bite attack with a reach of 5 feet and a tentacle attack with a reach of 10 feet. A player next to the Otyugh moved 5 feet away and I (as the GM) declared that it was going to make a bite opportunity attack. This led to a debate as to whether moving out of range of the monsters bite attack would allow for an opportunity attack, or if a creature had to move out of the monsters longest reach. Since I didn't want to bog down the game I ruled in favor of the player, with a more permanent ruling TBD. Thinking about it further, I feel that was not the correct decision as that would make it so that creatures with multiple attack options with different reach values could never use those attacks with shorter reach values to make opportunity attacks.
Anyway, I read a few threads about this same topic from the 2014 rules and I feel like the consensus was that each attack option should be considered individually in terms of viability for making an AoO, but I can't really point to anything 100% concrete in the 2024 rules definitions to back this up. Just looking for opinions or anything in the 2024 rules that make this ruling more RAW as opposed to (I assume) RAI.
Thanks!
PS - If it is individual attacks vs a "fixed" reach value, would you rule that it's valid for a creature using a halberd to make a AoO using an unarmed strike (say a fierce boot to the enemies posterior) if they move just 5 feet away? Personally, I think this is OK as unarmed attack is a valid method of making an AoO.
Given the wording of Opportunity Attack is:
I would say that if you had an attack with 5 foot and an attack with 10 foot, a creature moving from 5 to 10 foot would still be within your reach since you have an attack that reaches that distance whereas moving 10 to 15 foot would trigger the reaction. This actually should be common for polearm users since somebody using a (heavy, reach) polearm can still make an unarmed strike at 5 foot but normally does not get to use an opportunity attack if something moves from being 5 foot away to 10 foot.
You are right, El_Jefe:
- Moving from 5 feet to 10 feet provokes an Opportunity Attack with the bite (or, for example, a Dagger in the main hand or making an Unarmed Strike)
- If that creature moves another 5 feet, it provokes an Opportunity Attack with the tentacle (or, for example, if you character has a Whip in the off hand)
There are also some conversations with the Dev about this topic. Let me use quotes from another thread:
If someone moves beyond 10 feet, do you get both bite and tenacle? Or just pick one?
Moving beyond 10 feet only provoke an Opportunity Attack with the weapon or action with corresponding reach such as Tentacle or Whip, being out of reach of Dagger or Bite.
Something to keep in mind for creatures with multiple reach is that when you take a Reaction, you can’t take another one until the start of your next turn, so you have to choose carefully when to make an Opportunity Attack.
If someone moves 30" then there is no opportunity attack? That is what you just said, by moving beyond 10 feet results the bite can't be used. "..****y provoke an Opportunity Attack with the weapon or action with corresponding reach"
I'm not sure to understand if by 30'' you mean 30 feet or 30 inche, which double apostrophe is typically used for.
Moving occur foot by foot or squares by squares in Grid play. So if for example a creature adjacent to a Otyugh moves away 30 feet, it will provoke Opportunity Attack when moving beyond;
05 feet or 1 squares = Bite reach 5 feet
10 feet or 2 squares = Tentacle reach 10 feet
15 feet or 3 squares = N/A
20 feet or 4 squares = N/A
25 feet or 5 squares = N/A
30 feet or 6 squares = N/A
By 30 feet. So based on what you said that is someone moves 30 feet away, they will receive no opportunity attacks against them?
I thought if someone moves (as far away as possible) away, the non moving person gets an opportunity attack as a reaction. So that is not true?
What is being said is that when a creature moves from a square 5 ft away to a square 30 ft away through normal, non-teleporting, non-disengaging Movement, it passes through all those subsets.,
When the Creature moves from a square 5ft away to one 10 ft away from the Otyugh, the creature can provoke an Opportunity Attack from the Otyugh, and if the Otyugh has a Reaction available, it can use its Reaction use its its Bite action as the Opportunity Attack, because the Creature is leaving the reach of the Bite action.
When the Creature moves from a square 10ft to one 15 ft away from the Otyugh, the Creature can provoke an Opportunity Attack from the Otyugh, if it still has its Reaction available, but it has to use its Tentacle action instead for the Reaction, because the Creature is leaving the reach of the Tentacle Action.
Moving from the 15ft away square to the 20 ft away square to the 25 ft away square to the 30 ft away square does not provoke an opportunity attack from the Otyugh, because all of those squares are beyond its reach.
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
Charisma Saving Throw: DC 18, Failure: 20d6 Psychic Damage, Success: Half damage
Reach is a weapon property, not a creature feature, so the range for an Opportunity Attack has always been dependent on what weapon or attack you chose to use to make it
Creatures with polearms can absolutely choose to make an OA using an unarmed strike on someone moving from 5 to 10 feet away. They just don't want to most of the time
Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue)
Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Ok, seems I was wrong on this one, but oh well. Tis the way to learn.
The Reach is both a Weapon Property and a creature one.
It's not worded super well between the different sections of rules. Shocking, I know
Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue)
Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)