Pathfinder 1E A question for anyone who's *used* Trailblazer's "Combat Reactions"

I want to add Trailblazer's "Combat Reactions" (Google the names including quotes to find descriptions of them) to my Pathfinder game, but my biggest concern is that the players will take to using either Dodge (bonus to DR) or Parry (bonus to AC) virtually *every* round (hey, if there's no AoO's in sight, why not?), thus making them harder to hit/damage, and slowing combat down.

If you've ever actually used the Combat Reactions as a player or DM - what was your experience with it? If the players didn't use them all the time, any idea why not?

Thanks!

I can't help you here, but you might get more feedback if you (cross-)post this over in the Bad Axe Games forum over here.

I've used them. I really like what they do. The main problem is simply the learning curve: getting people to remember that they have them and use them consistently (which is hard for a DM as well).

The upside is that it rewards martial characters for reaching high levels, and shifts the overall math towards defense without altering the economy (since usually, a D&D character's offense is skill and his defense is equipment). It gives characters tactical choices without adding any resource tracking (at least, beyond the number of actions in a round) and without doing anything that reeks of the supernatural.

my biggest concern is that the players will take to using either Dodge (bonus to DR) or Parry (bonus to AC) virtually *every* round (hey, if there's no AoO's in sight, why not?), thus making them harder to hit/damage, and slowing combat down.

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Well, yes, but understand that you have to choose dodging or parrying for each attack you suffer. This provides a mechanical inventive for people to gang up on one enemy, as he'll run out of reactions pretty fast. It also creates a new dynamic for two weapon fighters; those first strikes are likely to be blocked, but you may wear your opponent out.

Battles probably do take a bit longer, but it isn't much in my experience, and well worth it for the tactical dynamics involved.

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One other thing I would note is that once you have a mechanic like this, it makes sense to create new class abilities and feats that leverage it more effectively. I included bonus combat reactions and bonuses for using combat reactions in several class rewrites that I did.

Ahnehnois said:

One other thing I would note is that once you have a mechanic like this, it makes sense to create new class abilities and feats that leverage it more effectively. I included bonus combat reactions and bonuses for using combat reactions in several class rewrites that I did.

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I'd presume that it also cuts down on the number of AC-boosting magic items that are considered "required" to have a functional (combat) character, given that they represent one-half of the Big Six.

Alzrius said:

I'd presume that it also cuts down on the number of AC-boosting magic items that are considered "required" to have a functional (combat) character, given that they represent one-half of the Big Six.

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Not really. The dodge bonus and DR stack with items. So, for example, I had a party with one monk who loaded up on items and ability scores and was crazily defensive when he used the dodge combat reaction (which was often). My monks have full BAB so his dodging was that much more effective. Conversely, we had a TWF ranger who didn't bother much with defense items and didn't really use her reactions much, but had a tendency to annihilate anything she got close to because of all the extra attacks and money spent on weapons.

The point being that the items were never required, and reactions don't really make them less valuable; they just make characters with great defenses even better.

One thing it seems should be done is to take the max dex bonus of armor and make it into a max (dex+dodge) bonus to mitigate some forms of defensive juggernauts. I think I did this but I can't quite remember for sure.

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What reactions do accomplish is to make characters without their magic items not suck at defense, which is nice.

Alzrius - thanks for the pointer, I didn't know they had their own "sub-thread". I've posted something over there, but with only 2 posts each in the last 2 years, I don't know how much people are looking at the list.

I posted the question here because I'm using it as a mod to Pathfinder, and I hoped that some PF people had at least tried it in the past.

Everyone else, thanks for your input!

Anyone else ever use Combat Reactions? Please throw in your 2 coppers' worth!