Combat Reactions
Posted 4th August 2008 at 02:28 PM by Wulf Ratbane
Combat Reactions
Combat reactions allow you to take certain actions when it is not your turn.
You gain your first Reaction at BAB +1. For each additional 5 BAB (6th, 11th, and 16th) you may make an additional Reaction each turn.
Aid Attack
You may assist another character’s attack on his turn. If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a Reaction. On your ally’s turn, you make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponent, as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.
Aid Defense
You may assist another character’s defense. If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a Reaction. On the opponent’s turn, you make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains a +2 bonus to his AC against that opponent’s next attack, as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.
NOTE: This takes Aid Another out of the characters own actions and creates a Reaction out of them-- which I think means you'll see PCs use them a lot more often. PCs can take their own action on their own turn, and they can still chip in and not feel like their turn is wasted.
Dodge
You may attempt to dodge a single melee or ranged attack. As a Reaction on your opponent’s turn,roll 1d20 before your opponent makes his attack. Your AC against that attack is calculated using the result of the d20 roll, plus ½ your BAB, plus all applicable AC bonuses, instead of 10+all applicable bonuses.
Note: This is unquestionably one of the more potent Reactions. Essentially, this Reaction allows you to roll for your base AC, instead of Taking 10 (rules as written). With the additional benefit of adding ½ your BAB to the roll, using the active Dodge is almost always better, on average, than trusting to your normal AC.
Parry
If you are engaged in melee, you may use your Reaction to parry your opponent’s melee attack. As a Reaction on your opponent’s turn, you gain DR against your opponent’s attack equal to ½ your BAB. If you are parrying with a buckler or shield, add the shield’s AC bonus to the amount of DR.
Opportunity Attack
You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your action. An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an opportunity attack from you. As a Reaction, you may make a single melee attack at your normal attack bonus.
NOTE: This moves the pre-existing attack of opportunity mechanic under the umbrella of Reactions.
Re: Combat Reflexes
A character with Combat Reflexes adds his DEX modifier to his BAB for the purposes of determining how many Reactions he may make per turn.
NOTE: Still useful for low-level, low-BAB characters still, but significantly weakens this feat overall. A 1st level rogue with a +3 DEX mod will start with 1 Reaction, and pick up his 2nd reaction at 4th level (BAB+3).
Combat reactions allow you to take certain actions when it is not your turn.
You gain your first Reaction at BAB +1. For each additional 5 BAB (6th, 11th, and 16th) you may make an additional Reaction each turn.
Aid Attack
You may assist another character’s attack on his turn. If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a Reaction. On your ally’s turn, you make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponent, as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.
Aid Defense
You may assist another character’s defense. If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a Reaction. On the opponent’s turn, you make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains a +2 bonus to his AC against that opponent’s next attack, as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.
NOTE: This takes Aid Another out of the characters own actions and creates a Reaction out of them-- which I think means you'll see PCs use them a lot more often. PCs can take their own action on their own turn, and they can still chip in and not feel like their turn is wasted.
Dodge
You may attempt to dodge a single melee or ranged attack. As a Reaction on your opponent’s turn,roll 1d20 before your opponent makes his attack. Your AC against that attack is calculated using the result of the d20 roll, plus ½ your BAB, plus all applicable AC bonuses, instead of 10+all applicable bonuses.
Note: This is unquestionably one of the more potent Reactions. Essentially, this Reaction allows you to roll for your base AC, instead of Taking 10 (rules as written). With the additional benefit of adding ½ your BAB to the roll, using the active Dodge is almost always better, on average, than trusting to your normal AC.
Parry
If you are engaged in melee, you may use your Reaction to parry your opponent’s melee attack. As a Reaction on your opponent’s turn, you gain DR against your opponent’s attack equal to ½ your BAB. If you are parrying with a buckler or shield, add the shield’s AC bonus to the amount of DR.
Opportunity Attack
You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your action. An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an opportunity attack from you. As a Reaction, you may make a single melee attack at your normal attack bonus.
NOTE: This moves the pre-existing attack of opportunity mechanic under the umbrella of Reactions.
Re: Combat Reflexes
A character with Combat Reflexes adds his DEX modifier to his BAB for the purposes of determining how many Reactions he may make per turn.
NOTE: Still useful for low-level, low-BAB characters still, but significantly weakens this feat overall. A 1st level rogue with a +3 DEX mod will start with 1 Reaction, and pick up his 2nd reaction at 4th level (BAB+3).
Total Comments 6
Comments
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Very interesting mechanics, and melds the "immediate action" and "attack of opportunity" into one fluid mechanism. My question is whether or not this should be the BASE rule in the game, rather than a specified feat.Posted 5th August 2008 at 12:53 AM by Angellis_ater
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Dodge and Parry are clearly superior-- they could be moved to feats if so desired.Posted 5th August 2008 at 04:29 AM by Wulf Ratbane - Seems that these options add a lot more rolling during other people's turns, thus slowing down already slow combat.Posted 28th August 2008 at 07:19 PM by Rolflyn
- They do add more rolling. Or at least, the opportunity for it.
I don't have the aversion to "rolling" that some folks have. My players show up to roll dice. If they're making meaningful decisions from round to round and rolling dice, they are happy.
That said, you can change Dodge to eliminate the roll and simply add ½ your BAB to your AC (an option frequently discussed, only offered here as a Reaction and not a constant bonus).
I don't prefer this as the d20 roll makes the Dodge more "swingy" which is good for the low-BAB classes.Posted 28th August 2008 at 08:51 PM by Wulf Ratbane - It's not just the rolling, it is the deciding and and resolving of the reaction. Each time a monster attacks a PC, that PC can decide to dodge and other PCs can decide to aid another. Same with monsters. At high levels, having multiple reactions per player seems like it would take forever.
I'm just speaking from initial impressions. Have you play tested this?Posted 29th August 2008 at 02:00 AM by Rolflyn - Deciding to take an action, rolling, and resolving that action is what makes a "game."Quote:It's not just the rolling, it is the deciding and and resolving of the reaction.
There is an opposite end of this spectrum-- not making any decisions, not making any rolls, and yet having the action described. This is "narration."
I tend towards the game end of the spectrum. I am not inhibited in the least by the prospect of my players making meaningful decisions, and rolling dice to resolve the result.
Reactions track to BAB. At 16th level the full BAB classes will have 4; everyone else has 3.Quote:At high levels, having multiple reactions per player seems like it would take forever.
By the time you have more Reactions than 3e gives you default AoOs (ie, BAB+6), rolling a dodge or attacking vs. AC10 should take about 5 seconds to resolve.
This does, of course, assume a decisive player.
Yes, both in D&D and in other games over the years that use a similar "interrupt" mechanic. The amount of slowdown caused is more than offset by the degree of control given over to the player.Quote:Have you play tested this?
In my opinion.Posted 29th August 2008 at 05:32 AM by Wulf Ratbane
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