mythic retributive reach

[burtschoder]

Hopefully I can explain this. In my WotR campaign I have a PC who has Retributive reach. He says he always gets the AoO extended range and has to spend a mythic power to get the bonus to hit and damage. I say he has to spend the power to get the AoO reach AND the bonus. What do you guys think?

here is the wording:

Retributive Reach (Ex): Treat your reach as 5 feet greater than normal for the purpose of determining whether or not you can make an attack of opportunity. If a creature provokes an attack of opportunity within this area of increased reach, you can expend one use of mythic power to gain a bonus equal to your tier on the attack roll and damage roll of the attack of opportunity.

[Claxon]

His reach is always 5ft longer.

The mythic power is just for the extra damage and attack bonus.

[Claxon]

It's not that big of a deal unless he's got a reach weapon, enlarge person, and lunge. Those stacked together he could have a reach of 25ft without retributive reach. That would make it 30ft.

But also is quite a bit of character investment.

And unless he's got mythic combat reflexes and spends the power points on it he can still only make one AoO against a creature moving through his threatened squares.

[burtschoder]

hrmm that is how i have been running it so there won't be much change ... it is just annoying that nothing can get close to him without him power attacking and knocking it down to half health .... but i guess that is why it is mythic eh?

[Magda Luckbender]

It's not even a Mythic thing. Reach tactics are brutally effective, if unglamorous. A pike is not a very sexy weapon, but pike formations dominated battlefields for centuries. Foes were frustrated in their attempts to get close. That's how it actually worked.

Here's a 5 minute Youtube video showing a Spanish Tercio (a Pike and Shot formation) during the 1643 century Battle of Rocroi. It's told from the perspective of a Gunslinger. First the unit is attacked by charging cavalry (1:20), then by another pike formation (2:10). Note how the horses refuse to impale themselves on the pike tips. Note how the whole cavalry force mills around helplessly, unable to get close, then eventually just goes away. Looks terribly unpleasant, even for the musketeers. The fictional Athos, Porthos and Aramis (the Three Musketeers) would have seen military duty in corresponding French units, about 30 years later.