Acrobatics...

[Trusty]

If you don't have the strength for acrobatics, your dexterity doesn't matter...

You have to have the strength not only to do the action, but also not to hurt yourself doing it with all the tumbling, flipping, twirling mid-jump, etc... I can jump down from 10+ ft. and not so much as wince when my feet hit the ground. I have friends who if they jumped down from half that they'd not only hurt their feet, but probably fall over and sprain something. I have no problem with Brawling being under strength as well. It isn't a martial art...that should be Dex.
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[Boomer]

But martial arts is a Brawling Specialization under strength.

...But yes, it is clear, strength and dex are used by an acrobat, that is what makes this so confusing. The only explanation I can come up with is that the raw skill is diffrent from the acrobatic challenge of the Olympics.

Most of what an acrobat does is covered under other skills, some of which are in strength, others are in Dex. What is not covered by those skills we already have that we need the acrobatics skill for, and why should it go under either?
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[Trusty]

[Allst Beamem]

I think that if you have the acrobatics skill or if you are playing a race that has a bonus to the skill it should be assumed that you have the str to pull it off, I mean either you have the str or you dont, and any skill check should be made off of dex.

Now, if you do not have the skill and you are trying it un-trained IMO you should be made to make a str/stam roll first to see if you could pull it off.

JMO

[Boomer]

I like Allst Beamen's solution. If you have the skill, than you can do it. Plain and simple.
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I'm Boba the Fett!
And I bounty hunt for Jabba Hutt,
to finance my 'vette!

[garhkal]

Would you all allow accrobatics to take the place of dodging, or add to it??
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[Krapou]

IMO since acrobatics is not an advanced skill (at least the way it is defined) you cannot add it to dodge.

But maybe you could use it instead of dodge (or maybe even brawling parry)

[Boomer]

See, that is another problem. Your starting to name uses for acrobatics that are covered by other skills.
Same with Climb/Jump(Strength) and Dancing(Dexterity). It get's awfully confusing.

So basically, just, what the hell?
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My backpack has jets!
I'm Boba the Fett!
And I bounty hunt for Jabba Hutt,
to finance my 'vette!

[Delkarnu]

I think the confusion is that the core rulebook describes running as a dex skill because of the balance issue, but has jumping and climbing as a str skill.

The problem is, acrobatics is both Str and Dex, Men on the rings is huge STR, but women's Acrobatics is more Dex. I list Acrobatics as Dex because it makes sense to me, but I think a Str check should be used if the move would require it.

Since this is the 'Official Rules' cat, if you take d6 space rules to be what WEG would have made 3rd edition if they still had the license, they list acrobatics under Agility (which replaces Dex)

[jmanski]

Yeah, I think acrobatics has to be Dex.

Using it instead of dodge.... I can see. It is a skill, after all, and won't be any more powerful than dodge itself. Besides, it would be more cinematic, and more fun to describe and play, IMHO.
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[Space Coyote]

As has been pointed out, it's a tough call. There's a lot of bleed over between Str and Dex as it is, and Acrobatics seems to sit right on the line. I personally like it under Str, since it's more muscle and body awareness, rather than pure movement and grace like Dance under Dex. I'd be fine with it under either attribute, though, especially since I think Dex penalties would apply.

But I don't like using it as dodge. I think it would be more powerful, since it can reduce falling damage. Players will figure out that it's more efficient to plunk their character points into Acrobatics, and then will want to make the argument that they can use it to avoid melee and brawling attacks, too.

Maybe they'd be harder to hit because they're moving targets, but that's as far as I'd go. It wouldn't replace Dodge. They'd have to make a dodge in the same round as doing Acrobatics if they're trying to not get shot.

It's still tricky, and might have to be handled on a case-by-case basis. Unless a specific player is really playing an acrobat, though, how often does Acrobatics even come up? I once played a Trianii for a few adventures and never used it, nor even had the need or opportunity.

[FightingCorsair]

Acrobatics shouldn't be used as a defense skill. There's already skills for that (Dodge, Brawling Parry and Melee Parry).

I've never had any characters in my groups that needed Acrobatics. If they needed to climb they rolled Climb, if they need to jump they roll Jump, if they need to dance they roll Dance.

[Delkarnu]

Thats why I think a Str check should definitely be made if a move would require it. Here is an example of how I think about it.

For a trapeze artist, the timing, flips and twirls would all be dex checks, as would be the other person getting into place, but when the catch is made, there should be a STR check to see if the catcher can hold the weight.

For the dodge question, I wouldn't allow it for more than an increase in the base difficulty to hit, medium range being difficult instead of moderate for hitting a moving target.

[ifurin]

in star wars acrobatics just adds to dodge and to hit. in the generic d6 games there is expanded rules. i'll try to find them and post both versions.

[Ankhanu]

Acrobatics should NOT be used in lieu of a defensive skill. Other than the simple fact that the defensive skills already in place fill the niche and adding an overlapping skill would cause no end of headache, acrobatic manoeuvres tend to require more pre-planning than quickly getting out of the way, so would be slower in combat. A breakfall is a little bit different, as it's a body conditioning to a set of physical parameters, and would happen pretty much automatically; dodging on the other hand, automatically means "move" not "spinny leap tuck". There's no reason why you couldn't use those things in the description of a dodge for a character that is somewhat acrobatic, however... just use Dodge as it's intended.