Defensive Maneuvers

Defensive Maneuvers are Maneuvers conducted that prevent attacks or mitigate damage. Most of them are Wait or Interrupt Maneuvers triggered by an attack.

Notes

Defensive Wait maneuvers don't need to be specific. Deciding whether to Dodge or Parry can all hide behind a simple "Defensive Wait Maneuver"

A Defensive Maneuver that requires a roll does so with half the skill, but wins any tie. This is an opposed roll. IE: If Johnny swings a bottle at Benny's head with a Mace-2 skill of 12 and rolls a 10, and Benny's Dodge is 16, then Benny Dodges with an effective skill of 8. If Benny rolls a 6 or lower, Benny wins.

Maneuvers

All Out Defense (3 Actions) Also known as "Trying Very Hard Not To Die Right Now," this allows the user to make up to three active Defensive Maneuvers. These can be any number of Parries (up to three), but other Maneuvers can only be done once each as normal. Other than Dodge, no movement or Action is possible that isn't a Defensive Maneuver.

Block (Interrupt) Dropping a prepared action to bring something up and cringing behind it. This can be forearms, a weapon, is USUALLY a shield, etc. The thing being used to Block must be already held or otherwise handy, and the character rolls their Shield skill with half the character's skill in Shield. The shield's hardness (if any) is halved for this improvised defense, and the shield takes damage as normal.

Cringing Parry (Interrupt) Instead of a normal Parry, this Parry is a hasty swipe with a melee weapon (or hand, firearm, or improvised weapon etc.) If both the Cringing Parry and the triggering attack are successful, the weapon being used to parry takes damage as if targeted.

Dive (Interrupt) Dropping to prone in response to a ranged attack. This is a Dodge maneuver (with the same restrictions) with two exceptions: The character can move up to 1 Hex as part of this Maneuver, and they wind up in the prone (potentially/preferably behind cover) at the end of it.

Dodge (Wait) This Maneuver is an attempt to get away from danger. As part of this Maneuver, the character must move at least 1 Hex, up to half of their full Basic Move. This Maneuver is all but useless against ranged attacks, as the character is unlikely to be faster than a laser or railgun. The exception to this and benefit to Dodge is that once a Dodge HAS been triggered (even uselessly by the first attack of a sniper, for instance) then they get the full Dodge bonus. The character rolls this Dodge once, and all other attacks are rolled against that Dodge.

Duck (Interrupt) This Maneuver involves sacrificing an Action in response to a ranged attack, with all the restrictions of defending against ranged attacks. If standing, the character halves their effective Size by 1, making subsequent attacks at an additional -1. If near cover of at least half defilade, then Duck drops the character behind cover instead, likely protecting them from subsequent attacks.

Parry (Wait) This Maneuver is an attempt to bat away a melee attack with one's own melee weapon (improvised or otherwise). The defender rolls with half of their skill and the result is compared to the attacker's roll, with the defender winning any ties.

Roll With the Hit (Wait) This Maneuver halves crushing (cr) damage of one hit.

Step Back (Wait) This Maneuver responds to a Melee attack by stepping sharply backwards. It requires no roll, it simply applies a -6 penalty to the enemy attack, but also requires the character to back up a full hex directly away from their attacker, potentially landing them in a bad position. Additionally, if they've been backed against a wall, this Maneuver cannot function.

Stumble (Interrupt) This Maneuver is an Interrupt version of Step Back. It applies a -3 penalty instead, and if the terrain is rough then the character must roll against their Dexterity or fall to the ground.