Reactions + Defenses

A few changes/clarifications to the rules:

REACTIONS

Reactions are crucial for defensive actions and countering enemy moves. 

Design notes: It's primarily intended to give some reactivity to a game that is otherwise turn-based. We've been largely ignoring them, so this post is meant to bring them into focus.

Each character can perform ONE Reaction per round outside their normal turn. 

Some talents give additional reactions or let you use your reactions for non-standard activities.

Extended actions and Reactions: If you’re performing an Extended action, check with your GM to see if doing a reaction will interrupt your task and make you fail or have to start over.

Common reactions:

• Attack of Opportunity: Make a melee attack against an enemy that's trying to move or act in a way that gives you an opportunity.
• Cast a Spell: Cast a spell with a casting time of 1 Reaction. 
• Counterspell: Attempt to interrupt and negate a spell being cast by another.
• Intercept: Enter melee with a character trying to move past you, blocking their advance (you could do an AoO instead, but then you couldn't also stop their movement).
• Snapshot: Fire your weapon at a target moving within Short range.
• Trigger Overwatch: Execute an action you prepared earlier in the round.
• Use a Talent: Activate a reaction-based Talent.

• Actively Defend (NEW): Instead of relying on your Defense value, you actively make an Active Defense check. See below for details.

DEFENSES (Updated)

The names of the defenses are confusing, so they get changed/simplified:

DODGE (unchanged)

PARRY (unchanged)

GRIT (physical fortitude) instead of Resilience

• Resist harm, fatigue, poison, and harsh conditions

POISE (social steadiness) instead of Composure

• Resist pressure, intimidation, and manipulation

WILL (mental resistance) instead of Discipline

• Resist fear, psychic compulsion, or mental intrusion

Reactions and Active Defenses: Whenever you're targeted by SOMETHING, be it a ranged attack, a Fear effect, or someone trying to socially embarrass you, you may use an Active Defense instead. 

This works as before, but the value is increased by 3 (so 2d10 + stat + stat + 3), making it more favorable for the defender. You can also spend Edge to gain Advantage on such checks.

While this does work for Dodge/Parry, it's rather less useful since you might be attacked multiple times during a turn, and you only have the one reaction. 

Most of the time, the GM will announce that one of your GRIT/POISE/WILL defenses is being attacked, and you have the option of reacting with a dice roll instead of trusting your defense value.