What does Dodge do?

Or what doesn't it do?

Like, the halfling is knocked down, with a dire wolf looming over him and he's obviously going to get mauled.

He says, "I want to roll out and run away."

Smart move.  Sounds like a Dodge to me.

So he does, and he succeeds.

But by the description of the move, that doesn't mean that the wolf doesn't bite the crap out of him.  It just means that being bitten doesn't stop him from running away.

Or is the intent of Dodge to avoid the imminent threat entirely while doing whatever it is you were trying to do?

Dodge is, intentionally, a bit of a catch-all. If nothing else seems to apply, but it's obviously a roll, it's probably Dodge (we're changing the name as well, to make sure it's clear it's not just jumping out of the way of something).

If they Dodge, they Dodge. The player didn't say "I want to roll out" because they like rolling, they did it to get out of the way of the bite. Fictionally, the move says on a 10+ you do it, so on a 10+, he's rolled out of the way.

The one place I might be careful is about including "... and run away" in that. Even if he rolls out, the wolf's probably going to chase him, right? So I'd probably say something like "Well, outpacing a wolf might be tough on those short legs, halfling, so let's deal with getting out from under the wolf first and see where that goes. Sounds like a Dodge to me."

Thanks.

That's about how it turned out.  He didn't get far before he had to try to outrun the wolf (who ended up biting a hole into his pack as he escaped, spiling out some of his gear).

Also, good choice on the name change.  I was trying to teach this to a guy who's most recent gaming experience was 2nd edition AD&D to grasp the idea that when something takes a swing at him, the default action isn't "dodge".

Yeah, what Sage said. If what he wants is to not get bit, that's what a 10+ gives.

Being knocked down is an interesting thing in the fiction. A 7-9 often involves someone getting knocked over or otherwise hindered in my game. Once they're down, I generally let them keep on fighting, but fictionally their other options are constrained unless they want to get up, which is usually a dodge.

Thanks for the input.  I feel better about my choices, now. Sometimes falling down just isn't that big a deal, but sometimes it is.  I'm sort of inclined to let "D&D 3/4e -style" Opportunity Attacks (or Attacks of Opportunity) be my guide for things like that.

So, getting up while a guy is trying to stab you?  Dodge.
Casting a spell at point blank range? Dodge.
Shooting at somebody else while a guy is stabbing you?  Dodge.
Running away screaming?  Well, I'd probably let that go, if they aren't going to chase you.

Fiction uber alles, of course, but I think it's a decent rule of thumb for folks who are familiar with it.

So, getting up while a guy is trying to stab you?  Dodge.
Casting a spell at point blank range? Dodge.
Shooting at somebody else while a guy is stabbing you?  Dodge.
Running away screaming?  Well, I'd probably let that go, if they aren't going to chase you.

This is pretty much exactly the goal I had in mind when I was pushing my part of these rules - it applies equally well to Act Under Fire in a lot of ways, too.  Attacks of Opportunity are the Fire, right?

So if you're doing something that's fucking up your shit and you try to ignore it?  You're probably going to need to Dodge.  That's the easiest way to handle it.  Is there something demanding your attention with a blade, a claw, some poisonous tentacles?  Deal with that or Dodge away and do your thing.

Wouldn't several of those examples function better without rolling Dodge?

For instance, Casting a Spell at point blank - just have the Wizard take damage if he rolls a miss.  Same with Shooting at somoene else while engaged, if you miss take damage.

I think the thing to remember is that Dodge flows from the fiction. Usually casting a spell at point-blank range probably doesn't require a Dodge. But if the fiction says there's some danger you're facing along the way to the move, then it applies.

Another way to think about it is: does the character have to deal with the danger to make the move they want? If their just casting a spell at someone nearby? Probably not. On the other hand, if they're casting a spell despite being swarmed by stingflies? That might require a Dodge first.

But of course there are judgement calls involved, like with all moves, since we have to interprete the fiction. If we disagree online: not a big deal. If someone disagrees while you play, take a second, talk it over like adults, figure out what's going on, and work it out.

The classic example goes something like this (a variation of something that's in the text): You're playing the wizard and you say "Damn, Kither's in trouble with that orge, I'm going to cast Invisibility to try and get out to call in reinforcements. I start pulling the arcane threads to weave the spell into place." I'm the GM, and I say "Sounds like you'll have to Dodge the swarm of stingflies first, they're all over you." That isn't what you thought, so you say "Wait, what? I'm just casting my spell."

At this point, it sounds like we didn't communicate the fiction well. You were imagining this swarm as a few big bugs bothering you, I imagined it like a swarm of bees, distracting you from anything else. Since it's something outside of your character, I have the final say, but I should take what you think into account. The only outcome that doesn't work is when I still say the swarm is in your face, all over you, but you only roll to cast a spell: then there's something in the fiction we're ignoring.