Combat Reflexes without defense bonus

[Kromm]

History is the main reason for the pricing. If it were a really peripheral trait nobody bothered with, it might have been repriced at some point . . . but it wasn't. It's interesting to note that it cost 15 points in Man to Man (© 1985) and didn't include +1 to active defenses, but picked up that bonus in GURPS Third Edition (© 1988) without a price change.

It's actually a very common phenomenon: wizards get access to wizardly magic with Magery 0 [5], clerics gain priestly magic with Power Investiture 1 [10], strange mystics can have any skill they can convince the GM to let them have with Reawakened [10] and/or bonuses to everything they do with Visualization [10], and so on. I won't opine on whether that's good design. I will say that with templates that keep people from having more than one of these traits, it can feel balanced in actual play.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Kromm

It's interesting to note that it cost 15 points in Man to Man (© 1985) and didn't include +1 to active defenses, but picked up that bonus in GURPS Third Edition (© 1988) without a price change.

Oddly, Night Vision went from half penalty (for [10]) in 2nd edition, to no penalty (still for [10]) in 3rd edition, to the current rule which never costs more than [9].

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Icelander

I don't think I'd allow an SOP Perk that let characters be alert while sleeping. Or while engaged in certain very distracting activities.

Combats Reflexes probably ought not be that reliable while sleeping either.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Being permanently at Alert Yellow without going insane is a superpower, not a perk (and yes, combat reflexes, as written, is a superpower).

Insanity is legal thing, and depends on the culture. Combat Reflexes certainly could be considered insanity by complacent people.

[AlexanderHowl]

Not really. Insanity is a neurological phenomena, though whether insanity is a valid excuse for certain behaviors is a legal convention.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Insanity is legal thing, and depends on the culture. Combat Reflexes certainly could be considered insanity by complacent people.

Well, no. Combat reflexes as implemented in GURPS is not insane. It probably just doesn't correspond to any real-world trait.

The real-world trait is something like:
Trained Response: there is a specific situation that you have learned to react to immediately, without needing deliberation, so if you are totally surprised by that situation, you take your trained response instead of Do Nothing. On the minus side, this can also be triggered by a situation that merely resembles the situation you have training for, resulting in an inappropriate response; thus, a trained response of 'Attack' is usually a poor idea.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Not really. Insanity is a neurological phenomena, though whether insanity is a valid excuse for certain behaviors is a legal convention.

No, there's no such medical diagnosis as "insanity".

[Brandy]

Originally Posted by RyanW

You put it better than I could, but those two things are big factors in why I asked the question. I don't want to get rid of Combat Reflexes, but I do want to break it out to some of its constituent parts (thus why my CR serves as a buy in allowing enhanced defenses), while also making it something other than "cheap way to get +1 defense."

I have Enhanced Block/ Parry/ Dodge +1 available with a special exercises perk.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Rasputin

Nope, I'm forgetting nothing. To give +2 to a skill is 4 points (p. B118).

+1 per 2 points was not what you had in your post...

Originally Posted by Anthony

Well, no. Combat reflexes as implemented in GURPS is not insane. It probably just doesn't correspond to any real-world trait.

The real-world trait is something like:
Trained Response: there is a specific situation that you have learned to react to immediately, without needing deliberation, so if you are totally surprised by that situation, you take your trained response instead of Do Nothing. On the minus side, this can also be triggered by a situation that merely resembles the situation you have training for, resulting in an inappropriate response; thus, a trained response of 'Attack' is usually a poor idea.

That pretty accurately represents how some of my ex-soldier buddies operated for a long while after coming back from war.

Sudden loud noise that is similar to gunfire or explosives? Take cover.

Someone grabs them from behind out of the blue? Break the hold, drop and roll to distance, spin to confirm threat and respond.

I know after years of martial arts and living in very bad areas I have a few trained responses to being grabbed in certain ways. Or moving to a defensive position if someone moves suddenly in a 'non-complacent' situation.

Like performing a breakfall, these are almost autonomous responses to stimuli.


Hmmm. I like this Trained Response Perk. I might just replace Combat Reflexes in a future campaign with Enhanced Defenses, Trained Response, etc...

[AlexanderHowl]

That is more a human version of Panic Reflexes (http://panoptesv.com/RPGs/Ads-n'-stuff/PanicR.html) with some level of a human version of Panic (http://panoptesv.com/RPGs/Ads-n'-stuff/Panic.html). Combat Reflexes is a version that does not require Panic to purchase.