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Old 10-27-2012, 12:46 AM   #1
Finalsora811
 
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Default Can you aim for non-fatal hits?

I was watching Rush Hour the other and it got me thinking. When Lee's brother was talking, he was saying that the Triad used to deliberately avoid hitting major arteries because they wanted to keep the victim alive for as long as possible to deliver the full 100 cuts. Is there a RAW way to do this in GURPS? In other words, could I deliberately aim for non-fatal locations if I wanted to keep my victim alive?
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Old 10-27-2012, 01:01 AM   #2
DanHoward
 
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Default Re: Can you aim for non-fatal hits?

Maybe you could make a Surgery skill roll before making a cut.
A successful roll means that pain is inflicted but no physical damage (no reduction in Hit Points).
Failure results in a normal damage roll.
Critical failure results in an artery being severed.
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Old 10-27-2012, 01:08 AM   #3
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Default Re: Can you aim for non-fatal hits?

It's basically a special case of torture, but I'd agree it's surgery to do it right. However, realistically it's not something you'd do under combat conditions.
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Old 10-27-2012, 01:16 AM   #4
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Default Re: Can you aim for non-fatal hits?

Yep. The victim would need to be bound up so that he is immobile. Only in a cinematic campaign could it be done during combat.
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Old 10-27-2012, 01:28 AM   #5
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Default Re: Can you aim for non-fatal hits?

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Originally Posted by DanHoward View Post
Yep. The victim would need to be bound up so that he is immobile. Only in a cinematic campaign could it be done during combat.
I tend to think that something that normal people can do during combat is something that quasi-superheroic characters can do at any time.

So I would pretty much never balk at allowing a character to set up a cooperating or grappled character with Physiology (+0 or so for 10 seconds, with a corresponding bonus or penalty for extra or less time, with an automatic failure for any case where the character is unable to secure the a victory in any QC for a grappling check to change position, with a on both the grapple and the Physiology meaning either of x2 injury or +1/- damage. Success by 5+ would mean x3 total injury or +2/- damage if that was preferable. For the appropriate circumstances, I'd allow Professional Skill (Executioner) to substitute.
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Old 10-27-2012, 02:33 AM   #6
Maz
 
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Default Re: Can you aim for non-fatal hits?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Finalsora811 View Post
I was watching Rush Hour the other and it got me thinking. When Lee's brother was talking, he was saying that the Triad used to deliberately avoid hitting major arteries because they wanted to keep the victim alive for as long as possible to deliver the full 100 cuts. Is there a RAW way to do this in GURPS? In other words, could I deliberately aim for non-fatal locations if I wanted to keep my victim alive?
Using just the normal basic rules this is quite possible. You would just have to pull your punches in order to only deal minimum damage. remember that cutting attack always deal 1 injury even if you damage roll would be a roll of -2.

It's only if you use GURPS: Martial arts that veins and arteries are introduced and you normally have to deliberately aim for those.


So using just normal basic RAW you could do the "many small hits to kill". You wouldn't be able to make 100 cuts with each dealing 1 injury though as most people would die before that.

In order to deal 100 cuts you would need a houserule where it is possible to make cut attacks that deal less than 1 injury. Simply saying that a roll of -3 deal 0 injury but 1 shock could do this.

This would however drag combat out to extreme (and incredible boring) lengths. Most combats are over in 10 combat rounds or fewer, very rarely do they extend for longer that 20 (and that's mostly for big combats or one where you start at range). And even such a combat can feel long. I can't imagine a combat where you need to hit the other 100+ times in order to take him down would be any fun at all.
SO, I think the best way to model this is either of three ways.

1) Simply allow people to attack normally but describe it as many small cuts. Say that each 1 point of damage represent 10 hits for instance.

2) Make a special technique that is at a penalty but then allow you to do the same as 1.

3) Make it an innate attack "death of a 100 cuts" that actually deal many times 1 point of damage.
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Old 10-27-2012, 03:28 AM   #7
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Default Re: Can you aim for non-fatal hits?

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Originally Posted by Maz View Post
It's only if you use GURPS: Martial arts that veins and arteries are introduced and you normally have to deliberately aim for those.
This raises a question though. On 1 on 1d when targeting the Arms or Legs (or Neck, but you wouldn't be targeting that for non-fatal anything), you hit arteries / veins anyway. So it can happen without targeting them deliberately with a 1 in 6 chance.

To avoid that, the previously suggested use of some appropriate medical skill might be required, I think. Surgery, Physiology, or something else; not sure which. Or it could be as simple as a penalty you take to hit, but honestly that doesnt feel right.
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