Openning root terminal by keyboard shortcut

I am glad to see another ratpoison user. Let me tell you that I am a happy and satisfied ratpoison user and can not think of another window manager right now. It has increased my speed and productivity multiple times.

Now coming to your problem. The key conflicting part you can handle by pressing the key again after pressing the escape keycombination. e.g. I have my escape keybinding as Ctrl-a. Now if I want to select all the text or want to send cursor at the starting of line in bash I, have to press Ctrl-a then only a again after releasing escape keybinding.

For your other queries I need to do some reading.

[OPTIONAL]

I'm a vimer too and I feel uncomfortable with the default Ctrl position so I remapped the Window's Meta to be an additional Ctrl key. NOTE: you'll need xmodmap.

remove Control = Control_L Control_R
remove mod4 = Super_L Super_R
add Control = Control_L Super_L

[STEPS]

To remap Ctrl + J and Ctrl + K in Konsole follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings -> Configure Current Profile -> Input
2. Edit the Linux Console key binding
3. Add a new key binding to scroll down a line at a time: J + Ctrl -> ScrollLineDown
4. Add a new key binding to scroll up a line at a time: K + Ctrl -> ScrollLineUp

Some screenshots

NOTE: Now you'll be able to scroll up and scroll down a line at a time using the configured shortcuts.

EDIT #1

Alt does work!! Just change Ctrl with Alt in the bindings.