Updating and expanding the 3e's Bodice Cutting technique

[Rabiddave]

I would definitely put the difficulty for such a maneuver way up there (probably -10 or so) and also include the stipulation as with certain other hit locations--failure by 1 hits the torso instead (although still might have the effect of cutting the clothing, just not as clean).

[Dwarf99]

Originally Posted by Molokh

I know that this sort of cinematic action usually calls for a roll-and-shout, and for simple mechanics like the one you propose, but there's one thing that worries me:

I'm almost completely sure that the players will want to claim that their clothing/armor isn't very vulnerable to it. I'm still wondering where to draw the line. Surely most swashbucklers wear at least DR1 leather armor; I wonder if the technique is actually useless in a swashbuckling campaign.

depends on the nature and exposure of the fastening mechanisms that keep the armor together, if it's mostly leather or string go for it, if it's mostly metal don't bother

Edit: besides allowing a player to do some ridiculous things has to come with a drawback

[Daeglan]

I always think of this scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8u7zqT7904

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Daeglan

I always think of this scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8u7zqT7904

I was planning to post here after doing some digging through Low-Tech, but you beat me to it. However, the digging gave no result. Specifically, I vaguely remember discussions of how armour was buckled and strapped (perhaps with stuff like location and HP) in regards to TL1-4 armours, but I can't find any details in Low-Tech. Anybody got a clue?

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I was planning to post here after doing some digging through Low-Tech, but you beat me to it. However, the digging gave no result. Specifically, I vaguely remember discussions of how armour was buckled and strapped (perhaps with stuff like location and HP) in regards to TL1-4 armours, but I can't find any details in Low-Tech. Anybody got a clue?

Ah! Found it. LTC2, page 25: straps are targeted at -8 and require 2 HP of injury to be disabled (DR protects at -1, it seems); two straps must be severed to disrobe a single piece of armour.

However, by RAW, only rigid armour has visible straps. Thus, affecting flexible armour/clothes requires a Rules Exemption perk on top of the Technique (I guess).

[Trachmyr]

Different Situation, but somewhat related:

I have just put together a Moss Nymph (actually made of moss) for one of my players, which has Strecthing & Double-Jointed, and is primarily designed for grappling.

So, how would this character go about grappling someone under their armor (useful vs. rigid armor), or try to pull off armor (paticularly flexible armour)? Perhaps a Grapple vs. Gaps or unarmored location then a shift grip (not sure if that's in MA or the last Pyramid) to grapple under? Would breaking free be harder, and more likely to damage the grappler? Would this be a feature of Double-Jointed strecthing or require a point cost?

Any ideas would be helpful!

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Ah! Found it. LTC2, page 25: straps are targeted at -8 and require 2 HP of injury to be disabled (DR protects at -1, it seems)

How does DR protect at -1?

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

How does DR protect at -1?

Same page mentions that armour is protected by its own DR at -1. I concluded that this means that cutting it requires penetrating (Armour DR-1) DR and doing 2 HP of injury.

[Dunadin777]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Ah! Found it. LTC2, page 25: straps are targeted at -8 and require 2 HP of injury to be disabled (DR protects at -1, it seems); two straps must be severed to disrobe a single piece of armour.

However, by RAW, only rigid armour has visible straps. Thus, affecting flexible armour/clothes requires a Rules Exemption perk on top of the Technique (I guess).

I'd expand upon these to make a house-rule that'd cover bodice cutting and flexible armor cutting.

First, I'd say that items have a minimum DR of (0.5) for these rules, so dull and poor-edge weapons will not be guaranteed success in this endeavor (stone weapons, I'm looking at you!).

I'd say that the weak points on flexible armor or other garment without straps can be shorn off with two successful maneuvers like this, or one at -10. I'd add that failing the normal strap-attack (-8) by 1 or the all-out seam-attack (-10) by 3 results in a normal hit to the location. For flexible armor, rather than needing only 2 HP damage, though, it'd need to suffer a Major Wound, based on its HP from LTC2.

In an appropriately cinematic campaign, the to-hit penalties for a strap-attack and a seam-attack should be halved if the victim is sufficiently attractive or comically ugly. These attacks rarely work on average joes :)