Tri-Stat dX Trick Defense rules addition
By Zegon Destructacon

Trick defenses are stunts and unusual manovures performed by the attacker to
generally turn an opponent's attack back at them in some way.  The combat
technique Trick Defense can be used to reduce the penalties on these
manovuers.  Listed below are some common trick defenses and their effects.  GMs
and players are both encouraged to come up with trick defenses on their own.
No matter how many levels a character has in Trick Defense, the penalties
cannot ever be below +1.

Trick Defense also counters penalties imposed on players who use Trick Attacks
to make a defense harder.

Commonly used trick defences should be noted on the character's sheet.

Retributive Strike
  Penalty: +3X/2
  Effect: Make a defense roll as normal with the listed penalty.  If you fail,
    you take damage as normal.  If you succeed by more than your opponent made
    their attack roll, you dodge and can immedeately counter with a normal
    attack of your own.  They defend as normal, but this extra attack does not
    use up one of their defenses for the round when they attempt to defend, nor
    does the attack use one of your attacks for the round.

Misplace Attack
  Penalty: +X
  Effect: Use this to cause an opponent to strike an unattended object/item
    near your vicinity when they miss you.  You must succeed on your defense
    roll with the penalty in order for the opponent to hit the object.  Smaller
    objects will, of course, be more difficult to do.  The GM is free to impose
    up to an extra +X penalty, based on how small/mobile the unattended object
    is.  Sometimes, of course, it's just plain impossable.

Protect Another
  Penalty: +X/4
  Effect: You block another from an attack aimed not at you, but at them.  This
    is done by imposing yourself between the attack and them, by throwing
    something in the path of the attack, or by pulling them away.  Either way,
    doing so is difficult.  The further away they are, the harder this is to
    pull off, and an extra +X/4 is added to this penalty for every one the
    defender qualifies for: Concealed by trees, concealed by smoke (+X/2), out
    of reach in medium range, out of reach in long range (+X/2), awkward
    position.  Doing this uses one of the character's defenses.  If they have no
    more, then consider it a defense against an additional attack (with the +2X/5
    penalty).

Block from Prone
  Penalty: +2X/3
  Effect: This is the ability to block from a prone position.  Prone is
    usually lying down, but can also be defined in other ways.  If also getting
    up from a prone position while defending, impose another +X/3 penalty for a
    total of +X.  This lets you use a shield while in a prone position, or use
    some other object to defend yourself.

Defend from Prone
  Penalty: +4X/3
  Effect: You can defend while in a prone position by rolling, crawling, or
    whatever other means you have to avoid getting hit.  If you are also
    attempting to get up while doing this, you take another +X/3 penalty for a
    total of +5X/3 penalty.

Cross-skill Defense
  Penalty: +X/2
  Effect: You can use a defense skill other than the one you can normally use
    given your weapon or situation.  It's as if you're using that weapon while
    defending, but you still have a +X/2 penalty (Minimum +1).  Do not add
    specializations when using this ability.

Friendly Fire
  Penalty: +2X
  Effect: Using a defense you cause the opponent's attack to, against
    seemingly impossable odds, to attempt to hit their allies instead.  Roll
    defense as normal, and if you succeed, the attack is directed at one of
    the opponent's allies (if they are a valid target).  The opponent's ally is
    still permitted a defense roll.   This uses a normal defense.  If there are
    no valid targets in range, the attack simply misses.