Topic: Combat Awareness...

[Joshua24601]

How often do you GM's use combat awareness (Situational Awareness: Combat)?

It seems like a reasonable and important skill (and something that gives fighter types another edge over semi and full casters)..
From keeping your eyes peeled while in melee to not getting tunnel vision while sniping someone.. it seems like a logical skill to have to learn.

I could even see it as being used virtually any time a new enemy shows up behind/flank a PC engaged in melee.. (how many people who are fencing really have much of any idea what's going on behind them)... using it like this (with failure resulting in surprise or a reduction of DB) would seem to make it really important for any melee fighter engaged in battle with more then one opponent (I'm imagining how difficult it would be to pay attention to every possible threat in the middle of a huge 'Braveheart' style battle) It's also a skill that could be boosted but taking time to look around (0%-20%... more effort spent looking around keeps you aware, but lowers your attention to your target, lowering your OB)...

Mostly I'm just curious whether you all think its something worthwhile, or just another layer that, much like endurance, is too much bookkeeping and effort (in my opinion).
I see its value, as giving fighters another edge (at high levels they need everything they can get), and another way a PC can focus on combat skills after they've bought ranks in weapons, BD and all the other classic skills.

Thoughts?

[runequester]

I havent played yet, but I imagine things like surprise attacks or player questions that would require a detached view

"how is the enemy morale looking?"

Without combat awareness you're just aware that the guy you just impaled isnt looking too good.

[RandalThor]

Basically, anytime you think that the characters need to do an observation check, or alertness check, but are in combat, you would use combat awareness. With modifiers galore, of course. 

If you don't want to use it, just use alertness instead and give the fighter-types a bonus.

[doktorjoy]

We use Combat Awareness a LOT. Essentially, if something takes place in the battle that is not in a PCs immediate field of view, we use Situational Awareness-Combat to determine how appraised of it they are. We use it so much, that even our Magician-type classes have it to quite a high level.

For PCs that don't have the skill, we use Alertness instead.

Typical situations that might require a roll are:

Attacker moving in from the flank or rear
Archers taking up position or firing from flank or rear
One of your colleagues defending your flank or rear coming under high pressure, needing assistance, or suffering a wound
Spotting the caster of a spell that has just targeted you or a colleague
and so on

In the attacker moving to flank/rear, a successful check negates the +20 Surprise bonus, and if the PC has won initiative also would allow them to declare a small amount of movement in the snap to perhaps negate the rear/flank OB modifiers also.

Similarly, spotting an archer allows Parry Missile to be declared, and allows quickness DB to be used, and so on.

A non-aware (surprised) PC is a sitting duck - my players have learned to develop this skill fast.

The Awareness checks don't use any activity of course.

[mocking bird]

Use it frequently enough to take if with my fighters.  DP's arent' an issue as non's often have extra once their weapon skills get high enough and maneuver in armor maxed out.

We also use it to detect if an opponent is stunned or not.  One difference is that unline observation, we count sit Awareness more like alertness in that it is a 0% action.

[Defendi]

I use it all the time.  Its the best way to cut through the fog of war in my games.

[markc]

House Rule:
 I do not use it, I use the Awareness skill and give mod's if the professon has a bonus it it or if the professon has a skill modifier that changes the cost of the skill.

End House Rule:

MDC

[Arioch]

Other than using at the place of other awareness skills during combat, it's also pretty useful when your charcater is frenzied and he's trying to distinguish friends by foes... 

[runequester]

Other than using at the place of other awareness skills during combat, it's also pretty useful when your charcater is frenzied and he's trying to distinguish friends by foes... 

yeah, no joke. Double concussion hits is NOT mister Animists best friend

[Macavite]

Other than using at the place of other awareness skills during combat, it's also pretty useful when your charcater is frenzied and he's trying to distinguish friends by foes... 

My group's resident bezer-cinary has developed "situational awareness frenzy" for exactly that reason. 

That said, our games do use situational awareness combat fairly frequently.  Usually for noticing opponents are stunned, or below half hits.  "Crap, I did 80 hits and he's only at minus 10?  This might suck"