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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 5560496" data-attributes="member: 4937">I'm inclined to agree that Tumbling is not simple dodging manuevers, but I think that there is still a vast middle ground between "simple evasive manuevers of the bob-n-weave variety" and the sort of extreme showy performance centered acrobatics that have been used as visual examples hitherto.I really think Tumbling means literally tumbling, but it doesn't have to be the full flips and backflips of stage combat or gymnatics.  And for realisms sake it can't be the sort of predictable extreme moves that leave one blind to and unable to react to developing threats and which leave one off balance and unable to rapidly change direction.  In combat terms, this to me means things employing things like the acrobatic manuevers of capoeria, northern shoalin, and zui quan, the clean movement techniques of parkour, as well as flashy forms of evasion like knee slides, barrel rolls, and controlled somersalts.  Sure, the person who can do this can also probably preform the unnecessary flourishes of free running, the outlandish jumps and wheels of wuxia, and the atheletic feats of gymnastics, but all that is part of the performance of looking good and has little to do with what they are doing to make one miss.The results of knowing more about moving your body gracefully and in unnatural ways means that you are better able to do basic dodging when you concentrate on it (simulated by the bonuses you recieve fighting defensively), and are able to make a fighter miss by suddenly changing the position of your body in an unexpected way when he begins his attack.  You don't start a combat tumbling pass by tumbling.  The basic rules of protecting yourself in combat still apply, but you have more tools in your arsenal to remove yourself from the line of the opponents attack while still making forward progress (as opposed to the withdraw, parry, riposte taught in more orthodox fighting techniques).  You are also able like a person skilled in parkour to fall well and use a roll to dissipate your energy slowly, reducing the damage you take from falls.  In my game you are also able to do things like quick stand into a fighting position (stand up as a free action), as well as roll back to your feat when tripped or thrown (stand up as an immediate action).  And all of this makes a lot of sense to me.  But I can definately see that if you are trying to run a realistic game and all that can come to your mind is the flip scene in blade runner, gymantics, and the unnecessary (and counterproductive) tumbling from wuxia and stage combat that the whole thing doesn't make much sense.</blockquote>

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