So fellow GMs...
In my game, a player has a Level 4 Paladin/Tier 2 Mythic and just got 5th level. He already has Combat Reflexes and Mythic Combat Reflexes and is looking at Bodyguard for his 5th level feat.
Combat Reflexes: Extra Attacks of Opportunity (limited to Dex bonus).
Mythic Combat Reflexes: Unlimited number of Attacks of Opportunity (but same basic rules apply - one attack per round per target).
Bodyguard: Use an Attack of Opportunity to perform an Aid Another (for +2 AC) when an adjacent Ally is attacked.
Obviously Bodyguard was written before the Mythic book came out, because Bodyguard puts 0 limits on it. So technically you could do this every attack, from every enemy, every round until you run out of Attacks of Opportunity each round, but with Mythic Combat Reflexes that never happens.
One one hand, it seems way cheesy and doesn't seem right (basically giving a +2 AC to an ally forever against melee attacks). But on the other hand, he must be adjacent to the ally and threatening the attacker, and make his AC 10 check, so maybe it isn't such a big deal.
What do you think? Would you be cool with it (and why) or would you reject this plan (and why)?
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Let me assure you, Bodyguard is the least of your worries in this situation. The +2 to AC is a nice little reward for his investment and carries the flavor of a mythic protector, just as it should.
With Mythic involved... especially on a paladin... things could be so much worse. Trust me.
I might start worrying if In Harm's Way gets involved, though, since he can then redirect all attacks to himself. Between that and paladin self-healing, it could get a little rougher.
That said, I'd allow it. I'd even allow In Harm's Way.
Just remember: it's mythic. Nothing is balanced. You have to throw away the usual encounter guidelines and step up the threats.
Yes, its a valid combo.
Remember that it requires that allies be adjacent. That severely limits both the character's movement options, and the people they are protecting. They become AoE bait really fast.
That being said, it's a great combination, especially in any game that involves a lot of protecting non-mythic NPCs.
Just wait until the character starts using Enlarge Person, a Reach weapon, and breaks out the Benevolent enchantment.
I might start worrying if In Harm's Way gets involved, though, since he can then redirect all attacks to himself. Between that and paladin self-healing, it could get a little rougher.
Actually, I have no issue with In Harm's Way. That just allows him to suck up all the damage. That is easy to deal with. Deal more damage than he can take. Right now, if he isn't using that, all the damage is spread out over the party, which more or less, allows them to live. Doing it all to one guy would kill him quickly, so he would have to be more careful.
He usually is getting smacked around pretty bad as well. So, actually, I don't think he wants any more damage. :)
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What I've been thinking of doing is take Paired Opportunist via a level in Cavalier and Snake Fang via 3 levels in MOMS Monk. If anyone attacked me and missed, then everyone gets an Attack of Opportunity. If anyone attacked the person I was Bodyguarding, then everybody would get an Attack of Opportunity.
To make this work everyone else would have to take Paired Opportunist too. There are a couple of ways around this, Cavalier, or bard with Bardic Masterpiece Battle song of the People's Revolt.
The other issue is that there is some debate on whether Bodyguard is an actual Attack of Opportunity or just uses them to pay for the aid action.