These comments to do with the entire thread. I know some of these have already been discussed, I?m just weighing and giving food for thought. Anything I write here that is different from canon is obviously my house rule.
Dodge
A character can use Dodge in combat for their combat action. The roll uses either x2 Ag or the Acrobatics/Tumbling skill on the Bonus Manoeuvre table. This bonus or negative is added to 50 and the total of that modifies the characters DB. Sudden Dodge would be the same except for the modifier of 25. I would rule that the bonus would apply until the characters next action for both dodges.
I like to include the negative results as a character can trip or stumble, in which case it?s hard to recover under the pressure of combat. I also like to give with one hand and slap them on the back of the head with the other. If what are trying is successful and risky, I give just reward.s
If a player tried to Dodge/Sudden Dodge while stunned, I would only apply the -50 to the Acrobatics/Tumbling check. The -50 from stun doesn?t affect the DB as DB is not a manoeuvre roll.
Rasyr I have the .pdfs of the main Rulebook and Martial Law. Both say that you do not get the negative result from the bonus table when trying to Dodge/Sudden Dodge. I brought them at the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008.
Disengage
I would allow a character to only use Dodge to replace Parry when they try to disengage; Sudden Dodge couldn?t be used. The biggest difference will be that the +50 is not added to DB. If you read the A/T skill, it says you can roll on the Bonus Manoeuvre table and add the bonus to the characters DB. The rest of the rules will follow as normal from there; ensuring that the character is still using Dodge and the bonus result from the last round. The use of A/T to Dodge to disengage is also covered in ML, however I don?t think it?s sufficient.
If a character was stunned and trying to disengage, I would follow my House Rule for Dodge to disengage and apply the normal stun rules. If a character tries the Parry option, then they can apply only ? of their OB to DB.
Shield Parry & Damage Adjustment by Armour
I agree with Rasyr on the Shield Parry point. I would like to query whether the damage adjustment rule changes the critical roll or the concussion damage taken.
Spells in Combat
If a character was casting a spell in combat and got hit, I would require them to make a Resistance: Will check against a 100 with a negative based on the severity of the damage, this is like the stun rules in the Bazaar Annual (optional rule pg 48). Similar to what Fidoric suggested, although I would use a Light injury as a 0 modifier, Medium -20 and Severe -40. If the caster was concentrating to maintain spells they would receive a -50 to this check for each spell they were maintaining. Using your example Crypt, that would be a Will roll with a -140.
Other Actions While Concentrating on a Spell
I would use the scaling rule in CoM as errata. Scaling option of +1/2 base cost to move at normal BMR.
Hitting Stunned Foes and Rear/Flank Attacks
Hitting an unconscious foe should be a coup-de-grace move and automatically hit unless some one interferes. Hitting a stunned foe receives a bonus as attacker is able to take advantage of the stunned persons disoriented situation. Also, I find DB is usually so low that applying more negatives ends up in a negative DB and so poses some more confusing questions.
When it comes to positioning in combat I run with six areas of attack; front, front flanks, rear and rear flanks.
If a character is attacking from the rear on a stunned target who is unaware of the attackers presence, then the target will not be able to apply any parry bonus to DB. Considering how low non-magically enhanced DBs can be, the +60 total to the attackers OB is considerable.
If the same target fails a Perception check against a rear flank attack then I would consider this a rear attack. If an attack is from the front flanks or they succeed in a rear flank Perception check, then rules apply as normal and the target will be aware of the attack.
? Stuff
Halving non-combat skill bonuses works out very differently to a straight negative due to how the skills scale. This can be quite crippling and hard to scale with manoeuvre difficulty. However, applying straight negatives to combat skills is the reverse of the non-combat skill situation.
Drawing and Brawling
I would allow a character to ready a weapon and use Brawling at a -20 (Hard skill check situation). If a character uses a Martial Arts skill, I would allow them to do it with no modifier.
