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<blockquote data-quote="Crazy Jerome" data-source="post: 5850848" data-attributes="member: 54877">This idea attempts to invert assumptions about &quot;being engaged/distracted&quot; so that the default is that you often are during combat. However, if you aren't, you get extra opportunities, as opposed to penalties/limits when so engaged/distracted.&nbsp;&nbsp;Help me determine if something like this could work:<ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">There are no interrupts of any kind. No opportunity attacks, no reactions, etc. If this system leaves any need for such, they are built into stances or something similar (perhaps along Jester's recent proposals), and much diminished in any case.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">If someone tried to nail you last round--melee, missile, magic--doesn't matter--with a direct attack that does hit point damage, you are &quot;engaged&quot;. If someone has anything like a 4E mark and applies it you (not already covered by being directly attacked, naturally), you are likewise &quot;engaged&quot;.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">If you try to move out of melee at any point during your action, regardless whether someone went after you specifically or not, you are &quot;engaged&quot;. If someone draws a bead on you with a ranged weapon or spell but holds it, you are &quot;engaged&quot;.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">There might be other things that make you &quot;engaged&quot; (though need to be fairly clear cut) and/or extensions to this framework.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Being &quot;engaged&quot; doesn't particularly restrict you in the normal rules. It merely keeps you from getting any advantages for being &quot;disengaged&quot;.</li>
</ul>If &quot;Disengaged&quot;, you get one or more of the following (depending up what works--I'm not at all sure):<ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">You get an &quot;action&quot; point, which you can use this round only. In this system, the actions you can do with such a point are probably a bit more limited than 4E's extra standard action, but maybe not.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">You get some kind of Iron Heroes-style &quot;free&quot; token, which you can use to boost attacks, possibly even accumulating these over time--and that last part being the major difference between the token and the action point.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">You get a bonus to initiative next round (either rerolling, or simply moving you up in the fixed order). For a really nice option here, go with a Dragon Quest mechanic where all &quot;engaged&quot; folks must limit their actions to each other, but then you get to pick freely after they have gone--or alternately, all &quot;disengaged&quot; creatures can act before all &quot;engaged&quot; creatures, regardless of other initiative concerns.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Certain powerful magic and/or items are only usable when &quot;disengaged,&quot; or not nearly as risky when so used.</li>
</ul>Comments:&nbsp;If the rewards for being &quot;free&quot; or &quot;disengaged&quot; are substantial enough (and should be to make this work), then there is a built-in, but unforced disincentive to use &quot;focus fire&quot; to bring down an opponent. It doesn't completely counter (nor should it) the real benefits of putting an enemy down by focusing fire, but it means that doing so has a natural cost in any enemy you leave &quot;free&quot; in the meantime.&nbsp;The combat might flow more smoothly without any interrupts. Yet there is a strong incentive for anyone &quot;free&quot; to use their more powerful/flexible options to lockdown any &quot;free&quot; enemy. This should give some of the same results as interrupts. There are some possibly interesting dynamics here for warriors and other armored characters trying to protect weaker characters, in that once engaged, enemies will have a harder time getting to the relatively more mobile characters (i.e. more freedom to act). However, enemy ranged attacks can &quot;engage&quot; these weaker characters and make them vulnerable to someone slipping through.&nbsp;Area effects or &quot;indirect&quot; effects (i.e. debuff as opposed to outright damage) can be relatively powerful in their own sphere, since they don't generally &quot;engage&quot;. (You might have alternate rules for things like &quot;fireball&quot; where the direct target of the blast is &quot;engaged&quot;, but no one else in the area is.&nbsp;Thoughts?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Crazy Jerome, post: 5850848, member: 54877"] This idea attempts to invert assumptions about "being engaged/distracted" so that the default is that you often are during combat. However, if you aren't, you get extra opportunities, as opposed to penalties/limits when so engaged/distracted. Help me determine if something like this could work: [LIST] [*]There are no interrupts of any kind. No opportunity attacks, no reactions, etc. If this system leaves any need for such, they are built into stances or something similar (perhaps along Jester's recent proposals), and much diminished in any case. [*]If someone tried to nail you last round--melee, missile, magic--doesn't matter--with a direct attack that does hit point damage, you are "engaged". If someone has anything like a 4E mark and applies it you (not already covered by being directly attacked, naturally), you are likewise "engaged". [*]If you try to move out of melee at any point during your action, regardless whether someone went after you specifically or not, you are "engaged". If someone draws a bead on you with a ranged weapon or spell but holds it, you are "engaged". [*]There might be other things that make you "engaged" (though need to be fairly clear cut) and/or extensions to this framework. [*]Being "engaged" doesn't particularly restrict you in the normal rules. It merely keeps you from getting any advantages for being "disengaged". [/LIST]If "Disengaged", you get one or more of the following (depending up what works--I'm not at all sure): [LIST] [*]You get an "action" point, which you can use this round only. In this system, the actions you can do with such a point are probably a bit more limited than 4E's extra standard action, but maybe not. [*]You get some kind of Iron Heroes-style "free" token, which you can use to boost attacks, possibly even accumulating these over time--and that last part being the major difference between the token and the action point. [*]You get a bonus to initiative next round (either rerolling, or simply moving you up in the fixed order). For a really nice option here, go with a Dragon Quest mechanic where all "engaged" folks must limit their actions to each other, but then you get to pick freely after they have gone--or alternately, all "disengaged" creatures can act before all "engaged" creatures, regardless of other initiative concerns. [*]Certain powerful magic and/or items are only usable when "disengaged," or not nearly as risky when so used. [/LIST]Comments: If the rewards for being "free" or "disengaged" are substantial enough (and should be to make this work), then there is a built-in, but unforced disincentive to use "focus fire" to bring down an opponent. It doesn't completely counter (nor should it) the real benefits of putting an enemy down by focusing fire, but it means that doing so has a natural cost in any enemy you leave "free" in the meantime. The combat might flow more smoothly without any interrupts. Yet there is a strong incentive for anyone "free" to use their more powerful/flexible options to lockdown any "free" enemy. This should give some of the same results as interrupts. There are some possibly interesting dynamics here for warriors and other armored characters trying to protect weaker characters, in that once engaged, enemies will have a harder time getting to the relatively more mobile characters (i.e. more freedom to act). However, enemy ranged attacks can "engage" these weaker characters and make them vulnerable to someone slipping through. Area effects or "indirect" effects (i.e. debuff as opposed to outright damage) can be relatively powerful in their own sphere, since they don't generally "engage". (You might have alternate rules for things like "fireball" where the direct target of the blast is "engaged", but no one else in the area is. Thoughts? [/QUOTE]

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