Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - [DF] Unicorns, Karkadann, Bulls... and charging

Kromm · 02-24-2012, 10:52 AM

Breaking it down:

Slams can use Brawling to hit. This is spelled out under Slam (p. B371).
Slams do not suffer skill penalties at a full run. As noted in Move and Attack (p. B366), the drawbacks of that maneuver are for "a melee attack other than a slam." The reference to p. B371 points to Slam, where the rules state that "the -4 to hit and effective skill cap of 9 for a Move and Attack do not apply to slams." The Slams as All-Out Attacks rule (Martial Arts, p. 98) further allows full Move – not just half Move – with a slam as an All-Out Attack, again at no skill penalty.
Strikers do not function as arms.¹ They're effectively weapons that don't take damage. That's a gross simplification, but it's how they work. An upshot of this is that attacks with Strikers don't hurt the user. This includes slams – and as B372 says for shield rushes and p. 122 of Martial Arts says for slams with weapons, when you use a weapon to slam, it takes the damage for you. Since Strikers can't be damaged . . . it's always safe to slam with one.²
Thrusting attacks can use slam damage – (speed × HP)/100 – if greater than thrust damage, on a Move and Attack. This is found on p. 107 of Martial Arts, under Move and Attack. Since Strikers deliver thrusting attacks, this is 100% legitimate for them.
Strikers give +1 damage/die with any attack they make (p. B88). Brawling at DX+2 or better gives +1 damage/die with any Brawling attack (p. B182). These effects stack. If you slam with a Striker and use Brawling to hit, then the damage bonus on a slam can be up to +2/die.

Putting it all together, then, a charging beast can roll at full, unpenalized Brawling skill to hit with a slam delivered as either a Move and Attack or All-Out Attack. If it wants to hit with its Striker this way, it can – and then it is effectively slamming with a weapon, at little danger to itself. Damage will be (speed × HP)/100, at +1/die for the Striker and +1/die for using high Brawling skill.

The game-mechanical reasons for improved skull DR are twofold. First, the creature is presenting its head. Any Wait or other effect triggered by a slam is likely to result in an attack on its head. Second, when you parry a slam, you parry the entire creature. Here, it isn't just the Striker being parried, but the head to which it's attached.

The real-world reasons for improved skull DR are that this sort of Striker only makes sense with a strong anchor. Otherwise, it would snap off. So purely for reasons of verisimilitude, things that charge with horns ought to have a little skull DR. As it happens, most creatures start with a DR 2 skull, which might be enough. But those that do lots of damage would theoretically need thicker skulls.

The "missing link" here, if you deem there is one, is exact DR and HP for Strikers, and correlation between skull DR, Striker DR and HP, and potential damage output in a slam.

—

1. Unless you add the special Limb limitation from p. 47 of Martial Arts, which is why that's a limitation.

2. Well, unless you critically fail. Or have your entire self parried with a sharp weapon. And setting aside that you cannot dodge or retreat after a Move and Attack slam (p. B366 modified for p. 107 of Martial Arts), or defend at all after an All-Out Attack slam.

02-24-2012, 10:52 AM	#3
Kromm *GURPS* Line Editor Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Montréal, Québec	Re: [DF] Unicorns, Karkadann, Bulls... and charging Breaking it down: Slams can use Brawling to hit. This is spelled out under Slam (p. B371). Slams do not suffer skill penalties at a full run. As noted in Move and Attack (p. B366), the drawbacks of that maneuver are for "a melee attack other than a slam." The reference to p. B371 points to Slam, where the rules state that "the -4 to hit and effective skill cap of 9 for a Move and Attack do not apply to slams." The Slams as All-Out Attacks rule (*Martial Arts,* p. 98) further allows full Move – not just half Move – with a slam as an All-Out Attack, again at no skill penalty. Strikers do not function as arms.¹ They're effectively weapons that don't take damage. That's a gross simplification, but it's how they work. An upshot of this is that attacks with Strikers don't hurt the user. This includes slams – and as B372 says for shield rushes and p. 122 of *Martial Arts* says for slams with weapons, when you use a weapon to slam, it takes the damage for you. Since Strikers can't be damaged . . . it's always safe to slam with one.² Thrusting attacks can use slam damage – (speed × HP)/100 – if greater than thrust damage, on a Move and Attack. This is found on p. 107 of *Martial Arts,* under Move and Attack. Since Strikers deliver thrusting attacks, this is 100% legitimate for them. Strikers give +1 damage/die with any attack they make (p. B88). Brawling at DX+2 or better gives +1 damage/die with any Brawling attack (p. B182). These effects stack. If you slam with a Striker and use Brawling to hit, then the damage bonus on a slam can be up to +2/die. Putting it all together, then, a charging beast can roll at full, unpenalized Brawling skill to hit with a slam delivered as either a Move and Attack or All-Out Attack. If it wants to hit with its Striker this way, it can – and then it is effectively slamming with a weapon, at little danger to itself. Damage will be (speed × HP)/100, at +1/die for the Striker and +1/die for using high Brawling skill. The game-mechanical reasons for improved skull DR are twofold. First, the creature is presenting its head. Any Wait or other effect triggered by a slam is likely to result in an attack on its head. Second, when you parry a slam, you parry the entire creature. Here, it isn't just the Striker being parried, but the head to which it's attached. The real-world reasons for improved skull DR are that this sort of Striker only makes sense with a strong anchor. Otherwise, it would snap off. So purely for reasons of verisimilitude, things that charge with horns ought to have a little skull DR. As it happens, most creatures start with a DR 2 skull, which might be enough. But those that do lots of damage would theoretically need thicker skulls. The "missing link" here, if you deem there is one, is exact DR and HP for Strikers, and correlation between skull DR, Striker DR and HP, and potential damage output in a slam. — 1. Unless you add the special Limb limitation from p. 47 of *Martial Arts, which is why* that's a limitation. 2. Well, unless you critically fail. Or have your entire self parried with a sharp weapon. And setting aside that you cannot dodge or retreat after a Move and Attack slam (p. B366 modified for p. 107 of *Martial Arts), or defend at all after an All-Out Attack slam. __________________ Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com> GURPS* Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games My DreamWidth [Just *GURPS* News]