Roll to notice foe's All Out Attack

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

For most types of Pacifism, I'd agree. However, Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) is pretty specifically intended to be the "bad at and inexperienced with combat" disad - note how often it's suggested for characters who don't fight due to inexperience. It really doesn't represent a moral resistance to killing, so much as an instinctive aversion to it. Honestly, it might be better split off from the rest of the Pacifism variants and made its own thing, to avoid confusion.

It's an aversion to killing, not to combat. An inveterate pub-brawler, with countless fist-fights and beatings, given and received, could have Reluctant Killer with no reduction to their ability to fight in those brawls. Even 'Cannot Kill' could apply to the brawler without reducing their ability to read their opponents, though it would somewhat limit their offensive options.

OF the types of Pacifism, 'Total Nonviolence' would make it hard to learn to read fights where the opponents are intelligent beings, and 'Self-Defense Only' might too. I don't see the others as a problem when it comes to being good at fighting - Reluctant Killer and Cannot Kill limit your options and weapon choices, not your ability to get in there and scrap. Cannot Harm Innocents doesn't even do that, though it does mean that you have to be careful who you attack and you have to watch for collateral damage from your attacks hitting innocents.