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Ally Across Time allows me to summon a copy of me, to help me with teamwork feats and such. But can my Ally make opportunity attacks?

This duplicate has your statistics (though its hit points equal your caster level), threatens all squares adjacent to it, and has any teamwork feats you have.

Clearly it threatens an area, but...

During its brief existence, a duplicate can use the aid another action once to assist you, but it cannot take any other type of action.

Well, that sounds very clear-cut at first. But... is an Attack of Opportunity an action? I've looked around a tiny bit and haven't found anything. If anyone has found a question that answers that, please link it or edit it in here. The closest I've found is this.

So, my question is, can my Ally Across Time make opportunity attacks?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ If so, then because the time duplicate "cannot use any of its equipment," Improved Unarmed Strike may be a necessity. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Commented Nov 23, 2021 at 2:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan yeah, that's my next question - once I get an answer to this one. It's moot if the duplicate can't, but I am going to ask whether someone else can use the dupe's equipment. Also, why a necessity? Do we care if the dupe gets hit by an OA? \$\endgroup\$
    – Phoenices
    Commented Nov 23, 2021 at 3:07
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    \$\begingroup\$ Because a creature doesn't normally threaten an area with an unarmed strike and the time duplicate can't use equipment yet the time duplicate threatens an area, the spell does make one wonder, "With what exactly is the time duplicate threatening that area?" \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Commented Nov 23, 2021 at 3:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan So many questions now. Like "If it had a spear of longness +15 ft, would it threaten those squares for teamwork feat purposes?" and "If it had an (imaginary) Medusa's Mask, would it petrify people who looked? What if it were a Medusa?" and "Why is noting that it threatens adjacent squares needed? For fairies that cast this spell?" \$\endgroup\$
    – Phoenices
    Commented Nov 23, 2021 at 4:01
  • \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan It's an ally across time - it comes from a different place of the caster's life. Therefore, I can only imagine it's a very old version of the character shouting "Get off my threatened area or I'll come over there" while shaking a first or a cane. \$\endgroup\$
    – VLAZ
    Commented Nov 23, 2021 at 7:01

2 Answers 2

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The spell says, in part

This duplicate...threatens all squares adjacent to it...it cannot use any of its equipment...During its brief existence, a duplicate can use the aid another action once to assist you, but it cannot take any other type of action.

The way I read this, the duplicates all threaten only the squares around them (despite not being able to use any of their equipment, which includes weapons). Making an Attack of Opportunity is not an action, so the duplicate should be able to do so, despite the spell not saying either way explicitly. However, it would need to be an unarmed attack, since the duplicate can't use any equipment.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Which means that a Diminutive Fairy could use this spell to stab people at a "range"! \$\endgroup\$
    – Phoenices
    Commented Nov 25, 2021 at 16:35
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Phoenices Assuming a fairy casts this spell, then yes. Similarly, with this spell, a Gargantuan caster's doubles only threaten the squares around them. That's what the spell says it does. If the spell was intended to use normal reach, then it would say so. \$\endgroup\$
    – YogoZuno
    Commented Nov 25, 2021 at 22:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ No, not necessarily. Does the spell ever say they do not threaten normally? An item that says "You may, as a standard action, threaten a square within 30 ft" would not invalidate the normal rules and make you not threaten adjacent squares. I think it still would work normally, though I'll ask a new question about it tomorrow. \$\endgroup\$
    – Phoenices
    Commented Nov 26, 2021 at 2:16
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Attack of Opportunity is an action.

There are six types of actions:1

  1. Standard
  2. Move
  3. Full-round
  4. Swift
  5. Immediate
  6. Free

And Attack of Opportunity is a Free Action, so it is also an Action. This is listed in the table Combat Options Overview.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Thank you! I never knew that - I don't think it says it anywhere else, but it definitely says it here. I'll wait a few hours, to see if someone can pull a counter-proof out of their hat. \$\endgroup\$
    – Phoenices
    Commented Nov 23, 2021 at 21:11
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    \$\begingroup\$ Do you have a link to the Combat Options Overview table? I always thought that free actions (other than speaking) had to be taken on your turn and that AOOs were their own special thing. \$\endgroup\$
    – J-Pheeze
    Commented Nov 23, 2021 at 22:25
  • \$\begingroup\$ @J-Pheeze You can search the answer's linked page for the Combat Options Overview. That table's from the Melee Tactics Toolbox, not the core rules, and, like many one-offs, there's no errata or clarifications because Paizo believed effort was wasted on fixing such texts. To be clear, if attacks of opportunity are free actions, then you're right, and they can't be taken off-turn, limiting substantially their usefulness. I'd take a harder line against this answer, but the game says what it says, even if it's nonsense. Still, making attacks of opportunity unique actions is better, long run. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Commented Nov 23, 2021 at 22:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ I am unable to find anything saying an Attack of Opportunity is an action, free or otherwise. Can you provide a more specific supporting reference?? \$\endgroup\$
    – YogoZuno
    Commented Nov 24, 2021 at 4:38
  • \$\begingroup\$ The closest I can find is in d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/Combat/#TOC-Attacks-of-Opportunity saying 'In this case, combatants near her can take advantage of her lapse in defense to attack her for free. These free attacks are called attacks of opportunity.' Free attack may not be the same as a free action. \$\endgroup\$
    – YogoZuno
    Commented Nov 24, 2021 at 4:40

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