Dodge and Drop; can't be used vs. Melee why?

[Ubiquitous]

I just watched the 'Lost Planet 2' trailer and notice that in order to get out of the way of a large pincer right the hell now the protagonist(?) dives out of the way. But I'm led to believe that a Dodge and Drop can't be used in Melee combat (books aren't here, so I'm going off fellow players' advice).

Why can't it be used? It'd be a bit dramatic to do it in a brawl, but it would certainly help. And furthermore, before I look up the rule but I'm pretty sure it does, does Dodge and Drop put you in a different hex, or between hexes? Could a Drop n' Dodge followed by an Acrobatic Roll (or just attack Prone with penalties) set you up for a 'Run Around' Attack?

[Ulzgoroth]

I don't know the answer to your core question, but I should note that there's a minor error here. Martial Arts does permit a 'dodge and drop' (I think it calls it a dive) in melee combat. It's much less effective than a normal retreat or a Dodge and Drop vs. ranged attack, though.

[SuedodeuS]

Martial Arts allows one to use Dodge and Drop in melee, although the bonus is dropped to +2, making Retreat a better option in general. Dodge and Drop can also move where you are (an aspect used for Diving for Cover, from B377). You are best served by Retreating, unless the attack is considered an area attack, in which case you need to Dodge and Drop to avoid it.

EDIT: Just watched two trailers, neither of which had what you're talking about. If you're just referring to the ability to roll out of the way, that's probably just an Acrobatic Dodge.
Of course, you've just reminded me that I need to beat the first one. Got all the way to the final boss before my computer died on me (although I wasn't having much luck fighting him using the keyboard).

[Langy]

A dodge and drop is a terrible idea in melee combat. You might benefit somewhat from doing it against the specific attack you were dodging, but you wind up prone right next to the guy trying to kill you, in which case your attack and defense rolls are both penalized significantly. Other guy has the advantage and will cut you up.

[Ubiquitous]

Originally Posted by Langy

A dodge and drop is a terrible idea in melee combat. You might benefit somewhat from doing it against the specific attack you were dodging, but you wind up prone right next to the guy trying to kill you, in which case your attack and defense rolls are both penalized significantly. Other guy has the advantage and will cut you up.

Unless you have Acrobatic Stand, in which case it's a free +3 if you make the roll. Easy trade.

[SuedodeuS]

Originally Posted by Ubiquitous

Unless you have Acrobatic Stand, in which case it's a free +3 if you make the roll. Easy trade.

+2, as I said earlier, and if there's more than one enemy (or you fail your check*), you end up in a very bad situation. Also, it isn't free - you are giving up a Retreat (a +3) and your next action, as even with Acrobatic Stand it takes a Change Posture maneuver to get to your feet (unless you critically succeed, of course).

*I recently gamed out an encounter between an acrobatic swordsman and a T-Rex. The deciding point in the fight was when the swordsman failed his Acrobatics 16 check (I rolled 17) and ended up being stepped on by the T-Rex. So, yeah, relying on Acrobatics can get you killed, regardless of your skill level.

[PK]

Originally Posted by Ubiquitous

Unless you have Acrobatic Stand, in which case it's a free +3 if you make the roll. Easy trade.

Considering that Acrobatic Stand takes a Change Posture maneuver to accomplish, that's hardly free. If you do it every turn, it means you're trading a single +2 to your Dodge each turn for the fact that you're not taking any action other than continuing to get back to your feet. All in all, you'd be much better off just taking All-Out Defense (Increased Dodge).