VsD/Flanking and On Rear


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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 melee and backstab 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
If you are adjacent to a hostile creature capable and willing of attacking you, you are considered Engaged by that foe, restricting your movement.

In this situation you have three movement-related options:
 * you can attempt to Disengage and possibly waste your turn (see Disengage and Run Away)
 * you can simply Run Away and voluntarily soak incoming attacks (see Disengage and Run Away)
 * Reposition (new action, see below)

Certain spells allow you to change position on the battlefield without using a movement action. Do remember that one of the best options if you want to leave a combat is to not focus on movement, but instead first Stun or otherwise disable your foe!

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. In simpler terms, you circle your enemy.

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: if he is capable of attacking you, he gets a free extra attack using his current CMB (i.e. minus any part he's using to Parry). Normal rules for parrying apply. If you are still standing after this, you may complete your reposition.