Utility of Lethal Strikes/Kicks

[AlexanderHowl]

I was just wondering how often people have characters who use the technique of lethal strike or lethal kick? While it does -1 damage compared to a normal unarmed attack and can cripple an unprotected character through self-harm, the greater range of legal target and the minimum of one point of damage seems to be worthwhile. What about your experiences?

[Icelander]

In my experience, it's extremely marginal and only suitable for specific circumstances.

In general, if a practical character in a fairly realistic setting wants to kill someone, they'll use a weapon. At the very least, they'll grab something hard and hefty to use as a fist load with Brawling, targeting the skull, for the classic death by blunt instrument.

In a game where master martial artists can kill using mystical strikes, characters who wish to pursue that path tend to have Pressure Secrets and don't need Lethal Strike/Kick.

So the techniques are too cinematic and specialised for gritty special operators, but not cinematic enough for mystical man-kiling martial artists. About the only time I can see them being used is when a character is trying to be a kung fu movie protagonist in a game without the necessary optional rules or point budget to really allow that kind of action.