Cavalier: Challenge questions

[CAHaugen]

First and foremost, nothing says that an opponent must accept the Challenge. Is there a Will Save they should be making here? What I mean is, what happens if the PC has this glorious moment where they raise their saber toward a revered frost giant and challenges him to formal combat, and the frost giant just ignores it and continues with his rampage?

Also, since Challenge is a formal dual, can this benefit from Performance Feats? I mean, technically you've no crowd to sway, though you are arguably fighting To the Death, or with the party, Toward a Goal. I suppose this question is really more two-sided, than one.

If you are in active combat for survival, can you benefit from any Performance Feats?

If you are in an act of Performance Combat (Such as a brawl at a bar), can you benefit from Challenge Bonuses?

[Bronnwynn]

The challenge is exactly as ignorable as a paladin smiting you. Your response to it is unimportant and irrelevant - you don't even have to be aware.

A challenge is not a formal duel. It's going "YOU!" and resolving to kill the subject.

You cannot benefit from Performance feats unless you're participating in Performance Combat, which generally involves an audience.

[Bob Bob Bob]

...it might help you to read the Challenge ability and its actual effects. It gives the cavalier bonus damage against their target and reduces their AC against everyone who's not their target. At no point is it a formal duel, at no point does the target get to do anything about it (without extra rules that do that, I think there's an armor ability), Don Quixote can totally challenge a windmill and get bonus damage and be easier to hit by everyone who's not that windmill. It's an entirely personal ability.