Reaction Chains: When One Trigger Turns Into Three Kills
If you think one reaction a round ain’t enough to wreak havoc, you haven’t met a swashbuckler who knows how to chain reactions. Reaction chains are about settin’ up triggers so that one enemy mistake becomes a cascade of violence. Pathfinder 2e excels at this, but D&D 5e has its own surprises.
Picture this: A rogue is fighting a bandit. The bandit critically fails a strike. The rogue’s swashbuckler training kicks in — Opportune Riposte. She makes a free melee strike, slice open the bandit, and disarms him. Another bandit tries to flee past the fighter. That triggers Attack of Opportunity, a reaction that lets the fighter make a melee strike as the foe leaves a square. The wizard’s familiar triggers Ready a Spell (5e) when the enemy enters a spell’s range. Three different reactions, three kills, one round. That’s a reaction chain.
The Rules of Reactions
In D&D 5e, you get one reaction per round. After you take a reaction, you can’t take another until the start of your next turn. The most common is the opportunity attack — a melee strike when an enemy leaves your reach. In Pathfinder 2e, reactions abound: fighter’s Attack of Opportunity, champion’s Retributive Strike, swashbuckler’s Opportune Riposte. You also regain all your reactions at the start of your turn.
Setting Up Chains
Force Fumbles – Abilities that increase your foe’s chance to critically fail make Opportune Riposte shine. Feint, Trip, or apply conditions like frightened. When they fumble, you pounce.
Control Movement – Push or pull enemies past your allies to trigger their opportunity attacks. A well‑timed shove leads to three reactions from three allies.
Ready Actions – In 5e, you can ready a spell or attack to trigger on an event. Combine this with an ally’s forced movement to cast hold person exactly when the big bad tries to flee.
Multiple Reaction Feats – Some PF2e feats give you extra reaction options. Reflexive Riposte grants an additional reaction that can only be used for Opportune Riposte (found in certain class archetypes). Combine that with a fighter’s Attack of Opportunity, and suddenly you’re swingin’ every time someone sneezes.
Tankard of Timing
Timing is everythin’. Coordinate with your party so that one trigger sets off multiple reactions. The enemy steps out? They get stabbed, tripped, and zapped before they know what happened.
👉 Learn more about controlling the flow of combat from How to Keep a Game Going When Players Keep Leaving and Yer Cleric Ain’t a Walking Health Potion. Then swap tales with us at Mike’s Tavern about how you ended a goblin raid with a single reaction chain.
Warning: Reaction Economy
Because reactions reset each round, you must pick your best triggers. If you burn your reaction early on a minor opportunity attack, you might miss a chance to stop a spellcaster or catch a fleeing rogue. In PF2e, watch your multiple attack penalties — Opportune Riposte uses a normal attack, so taking a flurry before might impose a penalty on your reaction. Timing and order matter.
Ready to Chain ’Em?
Reactions are free damage when used right. Stack ’em, chain ’em, and watch your enemies drop before their turn even ends.
👉 Visit Mike’s Tavern for more advanced combo guides, and check the Tavern Toolshed for devices that help control movement.
FAQ
Q: Do attack of opportunity and Opportune Riposte stack?
A: Yes — if you have both and triggers occur (enemy leaves your reach and critically fails), you can take each reaction separately in PF2e.
Q: Can I have more than one reaction per round?
A: In 5e, no. In PF2e, some feats grant additional reactions for specific triggers (like Reflexive Riposte), but they’re limited in use.
Q: Does multiple attack penalty apply to reactions?
A: In PF2e, yes. A Strike from a reaction counts toward your multiple attack penalty. Plan accordingly.
