Deadly Dodging in Tabletop Games.
- Rules for the "Sucker Attack" go back as far as third edition Champions.
- Dungeons & Dragons:
- Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition features a few different ways to force attacking enemies to hit their own allies by mistake or blunder into a disadvantageous or even dangerous positions:
- The Deceptive Dodge feat allows tricking an opponent that attacks in melee and miss you into hitting another close-by target.
- The Elusive Target tactical feat includes two such maneuvers. "Diverting Defense" works against two foes flanking you; the first to attack miss automatically and may strike its ally instead. "Cause Overreach" is risky since you need to provoke an attack of opportunity, but then if the attacker misses you can safely trip it.
- Combat Panache is another tactical feat with a maneuver allowing Deadly Dodging: "Fortuitous Tumble" plays on the confidence of an opponent who already managed a successful attack through bluffing, luring it into striking an ally with its next blow.
- Gnome Tunnel Acrobatics from Dungeonscape is yet another tactical feat with a maneuver of this type, "Combat Puppeteer". It allows confusing opponents by moving swiftly between them, leading the attack of opportunity of one of them to hit their ally.
- From the Tome of Battle – Book of Nine Swords, the Setting Sun martial discipline in particular is dedicated to misdirection and turning the strength of the enemy against itself. Beyond the various throws allowing to put an opponent just at the right spot for it to get hurt by your allies or the terrain, there are maneuvers such as "Counter Charge" (sends a charging foe sprawling), "Scorpion Parry" (deflects an attack so that it strikes someone else), "Ghostly Defense" (tricks an opponent into hitting an ally) and "Fool's Strike" (can lead an attacker to strike itself). Other disciplines are more straightforward, but the Iron Heart one includes "Manticore Parry", which can deflect a weapon strike against another opponent.
- Spellcasters can of course play this game too. For example, the spells baleful transposition or translocation trick can switch the position of two creatures; if timed properly with the "ready action" option, one can replace an ally (or oneself) with an opponent just as another enemy is about to strike. (In addition, translocation trick gives the transposed enemy the appearance of the caster, meaning the exchange may take a while to be noticed.)
- Also available in Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition for Rogues, including a paragon path as well as various attacks. Monks have at least two reactions like this as well, and the flavor text for a few powers point at this, even though the game mechanics are that of a regular attack. So do a few other classes, mostly as feat- or utility-based powers.
- Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition features a few different ways to force attacking enemies to hit their own allies by mistake or blunder into a disadvantageous or even dangerous positions:
- In Exalted, Lunars and Dragon-Blooded get Charms that allow them to do this to enemies.
- In Mutants & Masterminds, the "redirect" feat allows you to pull this off, as does the "trick" application of the Bluff skill.
- Star Wars: Saga Edition has a starship maneuver called the "Ackbar slash" which allows you to redirect an enemy attack towards another enemy ship.
