VsD/Flanking and On Rear

Not having to track facing makes for simpler, faster play. Not encouraging "bonus chasing" because of artifacts of the initiative order puts the focus on game play, not game rules.

In practical terms: remember you can't claim Flanking or On Rear bonuses just by using your movement to move around a foe. Assume that characters always twist and turn in order to avoid taking extra damage. What this means is that you should never expect to gain On Rear bonuses against an aware opponent, and you need an ally to engage with your foe before you can Flank it.

Flanking
If you flank a foe, you gain +15 to attacks. If you are flanked, a shield can't protect against both attackers.

You gain the Flanking condition only if you have an actively fighting ally on the opposite side of the foe you are attacking.

On Rear
If you are On Rear of a foe, you gain +30 to attacks. Shields cannot protect against attacks from On Rear.

In order to gain the On Rear condition, the easiest condition is that you have sneaked up on the foe from behind. The two most common prerequisites are a) the foe didn't notice you sneaking up behind them because you came from behind, or b) the enemy is so distracted by other fighting it didn't focus on you sneaking up behind them.

If a character realizes he has foes both in front of and behind him, he can choose to instead be flanked by both of them (assuming he aren't able or willing to move away).

Sometimes On Rear is unattainable, such as when a character has placed himself in a corner, or when you cannot get behind the enemy line.

Reposition
Characters attacked by an opponent with a melee attack are considered to be Engaged with that opponent. Engaged characters can only take three movement-related actions:
 * Disengage (page 191)
 * Run Away (page 191)
 * Reposition (new action)

Certain spells allow you to change position on the battlefield without using a movement action.

Reposition
When engaged by a single foe, you may spend a Half Action to move up to half your Move Rate as long as you remain engaged with your foe during your entire movement.

If you're engaged by more foes, choose one to Reposition yourself against. Against all others, make a Conflicting Action, resolved with an opposed Acrobatics Skill Roll:
 * If you score a Critical Failure, you fall Prone
 * Any foe that gets a better result than you gets to make a strike against you before you reposition. If you are still standing after this, you may complete your reposition.