Dodge
Sample specializations: By type of ranged attack (missile weapons, etc.)
This skill gives its user the ability to avoid ranged attacks. Dodge skill can be used in one of two ways. Only one of the options may be selected by a dodging character each round.
Passive dodge: during each round of combat, a skilled character may use his dodge value for the difficulty number of all shots aimed at him.
Active dodge: instead of selecting a passive dodge, a character may actively try to avoid being shot. characters who choose this option generate an action value with their dodge skill. When rolling for the total, any bonus number generated which is less than +1 is treated as a +1. The action total becomes the difficulty number for all shots taken at the defending character.
Example: A squad of town guards attacks Alan’s character, Terrill the magician. Terrill has a dodge value of 11. During each combat round he can either passively dodge, in which case the difficulty number for all the bow shots the town guards aim at him is equal to Terrill’s dodge skill of 11 or he can actively dodge, in which case Alan generates a dodge total, with bonuses less than +1 being treated as +1. Alan decides that Terrill will actively dodge and rolls a 7, which on the bonus chart is a result of -2. Since this is less than +1 it is ignored and Alan instead adds one to Terrill’s dodge value, to arrive at an action total of 12. Terrill’s active dodge will always be at least 12 and could be considerably higher if Alan rolls well.