NiallNai wrote:How do these pools refresh?
If I use my Dodge defense pool to avoid an attack, does it refresh at the beginning of the next round or the next encounter?
Active Defense pools refresh 100% after officially escaping or ending combat. Otherwise, your character will have to either use the "Revitalize" option or the "Sacrifice Die-Ranks" option.
Those options are explained below (from the core rules):
Here are the two combat options I mentioned in my last post:
Sacrifice: Pump any Active DP
A creature may, at any time during the round
and as a free action, temporarily “sacrifice” any
number of Melee or Martial Arts Specializations
or Masteries to bolster Weaponry Defense. A
character may also sacrifice a Die-Rank of Pugilism
Specialization to bolster Evade, but cannot do
both in the same round. Add the MRV (maximum-rank value) of the
sacrificed Specialization or Mastery Die-Ranks
to the associated Defense Pool. A character
cannot sacrifice basic Die-Ranks. Points added
in this manner may exceed the normal hit point
maximum for the ADP. A character may reinstate
the sacrificed Die-Ranks after combat ends, or after
10 minutes of rest, whichever happens first. Any
points exceeding the normal max of the DP vanish
after the battle.
However, do not adjust a Defense Pool downward
after reinstating the Die-Ranks after a battle.
Sacrificing ability ranks in this temporary manner
does not lower the maximum score of any Defense
Pool, so restorative magic always operates in the
same manner.
It is simply, in semantic terms, transference of
skilled energy. The character’s Potential-Harm is
thus lowered until the combat ends, and cannot be
brought back even with a Revitalize maneuver. Not
even a Restore Spell can “reinstate” sacrificed dice
in the same combat round (see Magic system).
For example Fred the Fierce “sacrifices” his Mastery
of D8 in Utility Knife and adds 8 temporary points
to the Weaponry Defense Pool. He adds 8 points
to Weaponry ADP, but cannot add a Utility Knife
Mastery Die-Rank roll to a Potential-Harm check
until the next combat.
Revitalize
A combatant may choose to forego an action
for that round to rest and “revitalize” his Active
DPs, regaining some strength and vitality. If the
character is engaged in hand-to-hand or melee
combat, he must perform a tactical withdrawal
before attempting the revitalize combat option. A
character revitalizes his Defense Pools by rolling the
dice associated with each Active DP and adds the
results to each corresponding hit point
total. If attacked during the round,
this action fails. A creature cannot
perform any other action (other than
free actions) in conjunction with
revitalizing. [I've removed the specific die rolls for this for now]