Reactions in DofA

[D-D-2]

Problem. Without options between turns, players may lose focus

Potential options

1. Taunt: If a hostile creature targets you with a weapon attack and misses, you may use your reaction to taunt the enemy. Creatures with low intuition are susceptible to this taunting, and may trigger a rage to attack you instead of your allies.
2. Power Up: You're acutely attuned to the wills of Fate and can influence the outcome at the last moment. You may lend a Power Point to enhance an ally's if they have not maxed out the ability.
3. Critical Martyr: If an ally would be struck with a major or critical weapon attack, you may bend time and space to change your ally's fate. Switch locations with your ally just before the blow would strike and take the blow yourself.
4. Suit Change - Change the suit of a drawn card for 1 PP.

(reformatted by @CBroz1)

[CBroz1]

What's the proposed mechanic? Each player is allowed one reaction between turns? Who has access to which options?

[D-D-2]

What's the proposed mechanic? Each player is allowed one reaction between turns? Who has access to which options?

I imagine it would be one reaction between turns.

I don't know if some reactions should be role specific or archetype specific, but my intuition leans role specific only.

[LockerM]

I know we didn't get to talk about this live but wanted to make sure we find other time to discuss fully before deciding one way or another.

Adding these would introduce a whole new element to the game and give us new considerations for each character, Role, and for GM NPCs in combat.

I could see us leaning heavily into Reactions if we went that way because of the sheer possibility of it but am also wary at how much that eats into the "ease of onboarding" and "streamlined accessibility of mechanics".

Definitely worth us doing a deeper dive on this to figure out which direction we want to go in since it's so pivotal to the action economy and the game's core itself.

[CBroz1]

This would extend the set of action types to [Major, Minor, Free, Reaction].

If included, Powers with the Reaction Type could all be limited to Prereq Level: 2

[D-D-2]

I like the flavor of not having reactions until level 2 as well, "Your experiences have aided your development in combat. Sharpening both mind and body, you can now specialize in how you react to your enemy."

[LockerM]

Starting at level 2+ is a good call, so we can have Reactions in the game as part of the core action economy but not allow Dealers to take those specific Powers until level 2.

I recently watched a Pathfinder 2E game live and the GM emphasized in combat that about 95% of monsters in Pathfinder don't have the "Opportunity Attack feature" so they do have reactions but not as pervasive as 5e where anyone can take that reaction.

We could lean into this where only certain creatures/characters have a specified Reaction, but not having a pervasive mechanic that's true always like Opportunity Attack. But a Defender or Martial could take the "Opportunity Attack" Power using their Reaction that allows them to take a "Weapon, Attack" Action as a Reaction.

Additional thoughts/questions:

1. Would expending a Fate Card to negate 1 damage be a Reaction now, or still a Free Action like the other features of Fate Cards?
2. Would some features/Powers fall into multiple categories? Are any Deck Actions Reactions instead of Minor Actions? "Discard 4 cards and as a Reaction cause an enemy attacker to draw with Lower Hand" as the attack happens rather than preselecting a target on your turn.

[D-D-2]

The ability for some to take opportunity attacks but not all is one I would support.

Perhaps deck actions as well as interactions with fate cards become implicit abilities under Major/Minor actions and Reactions rather than their own separate type of action. The "toughen up" ability becomes a reaction. Discarding 4 cards to cause lower hand (1) can be either a reaction or minor action, just depends on where it fits in the action economy balance. If we wanted, players could get 2 reactions per turn to maintain that balance of being able to do multiple abilities in a round (ie. "toughen up" + Exchange Fate for upper hand) while also opting for simplicity of Major, minor, reaction.