Beholder's Eye Rays & AoO

[Shin Okada]

Beholder's eye rays are SU. So the use of those abilities itself does not trigger AoO. But it needs a ranged touch attack roll and thus a kind of ranged attack. Then, does it trigger AoO?

Edit: Typo.

 

[shilsen]

I'd say "Yes".

BTW, wherefore AoA? I can see why Attack of Opportunity is shortened to AoO, but I can't see where one would get AoA. Unless that was just a typo, in which case I will retract my question and remove my anal-retentive self

 

[Shin Okada]

BTW, wherefore AoA?

Oh! Thats just a typo. Sorry.

 

[Caliban]

Beholder's eye rays are SU. So the use of those abilities itself does not trigger AoO. But it needs a ranged touch attack roll and thus a kind of ranged attack. Then, does it trigger AoO?

Edit: Typo.

Ranged attacks don't provoke an AoO. Ranged weapon attacks do provoke an AoO.

Ray spells are "weaponlike spells", and have some of the same modifiers and penalties as a ranged weapon attack (firing into melee and cover penalties, etc.). So you need to decide if a Ray spell is enough like a ranged weapon to provoke an AoO on a ranged attack.

Then you need to decide if a supernatual ability Ray attack would follow the same rules as a spell Ray attack. (I don't see any reason why they wouldn't, but some people might quibble on that point.)

I used to hold the position that a ranged touch spell would be enough like a weapon to provoke an AoO if you make the ranged attack in threatened square. After all, a melee touch spell is enough like a weapon to prevent you from provoking, even though you are making an unarmed attack.

However, after reading up on the weaponlike spell rules in Complete Arcane, I have changed my mind. I don't believe it was the designers intent that ranged touch attack spells provoke, or they would have mentioned it in the section where they went over all the ways that a ranged touch spell is like a weapon.


Hope this helps.

 

[Shin Okada]

Ranged attacks don't provoke an AoO. Ranged weapon attacks do provoke an AoO.

Hmm. I am not sure if it is safe to say "Ranged attacks don't provoke an AoO. Ranged weapon attacks do provoke an AoO."

"Provoking an Attack of Opportunity" entry in PHB P.137 says

Performing a Distracting Act: Some actions, when performed in a threatened square, provoke attack of opportunity as you divert your attention from the battle. Casting a spell and attacking with a ranged weapon, for example, are distracting actions. Table 8-2: Actions in Combat notes many of the actions that provoke attacks of opportunity.

But the same entry in SRD says

Performing a Distracting Act: Some actions, when performed in a threatened square, provoke attacks of opportunity as you divert your attention from the battle. Table: Actions in Combat notes many of the actions that provoke attacks of opportunity.

Then, both "Actions in Combat" tables in SRD and PHB do not include "attacking with a ranged weapon". They only have "Attack (ranged)" as a standard action.



Also, I am not sure what is "weapon" for that purpose. At least, eye rays are written in "attack" and "full-attack" line of Beholder's stats block. Thus, they look like natural weapons.

Hmm. It is hard to decide.

 

[Bihor]

The rays are SU so they don't provoque a AoO, what ever the ability is exept when it says so.

And looking at something with a eye on a stalk is not Distracting

 

[dcollins]

Beholder's eye rays are SU. So the use of those abilities itself does not trigger AoO. But it needs a ranged touch attack roll and thus a kind of ranged attack. Then, does it trigger AoO?

No. Supernatural abilities do not provoke AOOs. It is not true that the need for an attack roll turns a special ability into a ranged attack.

 

[domino]

BTW, wherefore AoA?

It's a very little known fact that the use of beholder eye rays causes an alternate reality to develop in which a major enemy of a group of teen psions has conquered the world, and one of the resistance is sent back in time to meet up with his parents who aren't his parents because it's an alternate reality, and fight him.

 

[Shin Okada]

No. Supernatural abilities do not provoke AOOs. It is not true that the need for an attack roll turns a special ability into a ranged attack.

So you mean that ray requires an attack roll but it is not an attack? But it is written in "attack" and "full attack" entries in the stats block.

And if that is not an attack, which rules regarding attack are used for the ray, and which rules are not?

 

[dcollins]

So you mean that ray requires an attack roll but it is not an attack? But it is written in "attack" and "full attack" entries in the stats block.

Yes, just like ray spells require a roll but do not use the attack action. The fact that it is in the "attack" listing is a somewhat-abusive abbreviation of what the creature will do offensively on its round. You're right that it probably shouldn't be listed there (MM definition: "Attacks: This line gives all the creature's physical attacks, whether with natural or manufactured weapons", clearly not correct here.)

The fact that ray attacks (Arrowhawk, Beholder) uniquely show up under both "Attacks" and "Special Attacks" further shows the ambiguity. The fact that they are not physical strikes, and definitively listed as Supernatural abilities, is the deciding factor.