Are Opportunity Attacks one of the reasons 5.5E combat still feels too static?
One thing I still notice in 5.5E combat is how quickly everyone can end up standing in place once melee starts.
A Fighter reaches an enemy, the enemy reaches the Fighter, and unless something forces one of them to move, they can spend the next several rounds standing in the same squares trading attacks.
At my table, I notice it most when there is actually interesting terrain available. There might be cover, a doorway to defend, an ally who needs help, or a better position a few squares away, but once someone is engaged in melee, taking a free hit just to reposition often feels like a bad trade.
And I think Opportunity Attacks are part of that.
At the same time, I definitely would not just remove them.
Without Opportunity Attacks, what actually stops an enemy from simply walking past the Fighter and attacking the Wizard? Melee characters already have fewer ways to control space than I would like, and removing one of the few mechanics that makes standing next to them matter could make that even worse.
So I’m kind of stuck between two things I want.
I want combat where people actually move around the battlefield, but I also want being engaged by a dangerous melee character to mean something.
How does it feel at your table?
Do Opportunity Attacks make combat too static?
Do your players willingly take them to reposition, or mostly stay put once they are engaged?
Would you ever restrict Opportunity Attacks to certain classes, monsters, or abilities instead of giving them to everyone?
Or are they a necessary part of making melee combat matter at all?