I am not exactly an expert, but I might be able to shed some light on the confusion:
-Rook throws his flash grenade (he doesn't have to roll a die since it's an "area" effect, ok) and the thugs have a chance to "dodge" but shouldn't they already have a -2 because of Princess's intimidation ?
Here is what the rules say about this:
"This extra allows an effect that normally works on a single target to affect an area. No attack check is needed; the effect simply fills the designated area, based on the type of modifier. Potential targets in the area are permitted a Dodge resistance check (DC 10 + effect rank) to avoid some of the effect...."
This explains the Dodge roll by the Smugglers. Their DC is 13 and the -2 from the intimidation check did not affect the results at all, which were: 20, 3, 8, and 19. Degrees of success are not considered relevant in this situation.
-even after two of them successfully dodge they still have to make a resistance check ?
Yes, the Area attack. any area attack, provides the defender with a Dodge Resistance Check first. See page 138 of the rules concerning Area attacks. Consider this Dodge Resistance check made in lieu of the Attack Roll vs. Active Defense.
The Flash Grenade is an affliction attack that requires a Fortitude Resistance check. All defenders then must then try to resist the effects of the flash.
Again, see page 138-139 for Area attack. It ends with: "A successful resistance check reduces the Area effect to half its normal rank against that target (round down, minimum of 1 rank)."
The rank of the attack was 3 as was shown by the DC 13 for the Dodge Resistance Checks. For those who succeeded in those checks, the Rank of the Attack for the Fortitude Resistance Check was reduced by half rounded down. That Rank was 1. Therefore the two that succeeded the dodge rolls faced a DC 11 while the two that failed faced Fortitude Checks of 13.
But here is where my understanding of the mock combat degrades, slightly. All of them should have -2 on their checks because of being intimidated...on all their checks since Intimidation is not specific as to which checks are affected. Therefore, with the highest roll being a 12, all of them should have failed the Fortitude checks, not just one of them. The only explanation I can find is that the person who wrote it is not looking at Dice rolls but the results of the check, which include the -2 already.
-then Ultramarine shoots at his target, ok no problem.
-but the target gets a dodge die roll ?? I thought to make a successfull attack all you had to do was :
Attack = d20 + attack bonus V.S. défense class
Defense class = proper defense (dodge or parry, depending on the kind of attack) + 10
-so if you roll a successful attack against the defense DC, why is there a dice roll for the defense ?
Ultramarine is using a Netline. The general description of the attack indicates it is a Snare attack. He does have to roll a hit against the active defense of the target (Dodge Defense in this case since it is a ranged attack) but the Snare attack is also resisted by Dodge, which seems confusing at first. But If it were a damaging attack it would be the Toughness resistance check rather than Dodge resistance check, that's all.
then
-the secret GM machine attacks princess and she is "vulnerable", it says in the rules that vulnerable = défense halved by 2.
in the example she has 18 dodge defense, halved by two that's 9. Why does she have to make a DC of 14 ?
-then in the next line it's written : "GM: Compares it against the DC of 19. Two degrees of failure."
I'm totally lost...
The information on page 192 in the mock battle reads:
"The GM rolls an attack check against Princess, getting a 15 result. Normally this would miss her Dodge defense of 18, but this is a surprise attack, so Princess is vulnerable and her Dodge is halved to 4, rather than 8, making the DC a 14."
Her active defense is 10+her dodge score. In this case she has an 18 Active Dodge Defense (Her dodge of 8 +10). But her Dodge Defense is reduced by half, from 8 to 4 because she is vulnerable. Therefore her active Dodge defense is now 14 rather than 18. Being vulnerable only affects the Dodge score of the character, not the total Active Defense.
The princess's active Defense was reduced to 14 and the GM rolled a 15, so the attack was successful. Now, just like the smugglers in the earlier example, the Princess has a Dodge Resistance Check and gets a 13. She rolled a 5 + 8, her dodge score. Note that only her Defenses were reduced by half for the surprise attack, not her resistance checks.
Remember: For an attack, If you equal or exceed your target’s defense class result, your attack hits. Otherwise, you miss. For a resistance check, if you equal or exceed the DC of the effect, you resist the effect, otherwise you do not.
The DC was 19. If she rolled a 19 or better she would have resisted the effect of the net. If she rolled a 14-18 she would have had one degree of failure (5 point spread). If she rolled a 9-13 she suffers two degrees of failure (another 5 point spread). She has +8 so even if she rolled a 1 she would have a 9. Two degrees of failure was the worst she could get under the circumstances.
does any of this make sense now?
