Learning combat

[mlangsdorf]

Originally Posted by Densar

I also thought about acrobatic dodge, but that seems more risky, since it can give a penalty. From looking online, though, it seems that the odds of rolling 13 or less on a 3d6 is 83%, which seems pretty good and high enough to warrant the risk...

With a base Dodge of 10, Retreating brings Dodge up to 13, a successful Acrobatic Dodge to 12, a Retreating Acrobatic Dodge is 15, and a failed Retreating Acrobatic Dodge is an 11. As long as a retreat is part of the acrobatic dodge, even a failed Acrobatics roll gives a better result than the basic Dodge.

Two knife fighters on an infinite white plain have almost no reason not to retreat, and as long as they're not suffering shock penalties, to not attempt acrobatic dodges. When you have to deal with terrain and multiple attackers, choosing how to allocate defenses and defense boosting options becomes much more complicated.