Updating and expanding the 3e's Bodice Cutting technique

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by SW26

At the GM's option, Initial Carving can form the basis for "Bodice Cutting" and
other cinematic maneuvers.

Greetings, all!

I guess when a Lecherous PC with a 16 in the knife skill meets an Attractive Mistfolk swashbuckler on a mostly-non-lethal-combat arena, at some point such an idea has to come to her head... Luckily, she didn't try actually doing it, as I had no idea how to resolve it as a GM. Now, after some research, I found the initial (pun accidental) passage from 3e's Swashbucklers. However, that's certainly not enough even to roughly estimate the difficulties of performing such an 'attack'. Did someone try doing it (setting the difficulty/required number of hits and having characters perform such attacks, that is)?

BTW, this seems to be somewhat tied to the question of How much DR, HP and HT does armor (or clothing) have, though in cinematic moments that doesn't look like an interesting way of handling it.

So, does anybody have ideas/contributions/etc. on the subject? Not of the 'MA!' type... ;) [edit]Well, knowing whether it has it is nice, but I've had enough advertisements to convince me it's good stuff anyway.[/edit]

Thanks in advance to all who answer!

[David Johnston]

Well just plain clothing doesn't have any DR, generally only has one hit point, and HT would vary according to how sturdy the material is. Not that this is relevant to an attack on the laces which is so specific that it is best handled using the Task Difficulty table. Looking at the table, it would probably be somewhere in the -4 to -6 range. Assuming that you are in a cinematic campaign, the difficult of anything that would look good on screen should be given the benefit of the doubt, so I'm saying -4 should do it.

[vicky_molokh]

And if the shirt is not laced, but buttoned, or has to be cut piece by piece (lke pullover vests or T-shirts)?

[Dinofreak2000]

thanx for the ideas, my swashbuckling game has just started and the first scene had one PC learning his wife is actually a pirate. she hunts him down trying to take him home. when they next meetup i think i might drop some subtle hints about doing away with the corsit

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by Molokh

And if the shirt is not laced, but buttoned, or has to be cut piece by piece (lke pullover vests or T-shirts)?

Buttons would probably have to be removed individually (IDHMBWM, but I'd make it the same modifier as cutting a single initial), or an All-Out version for doing all buttons at once. The gradual approach sounds kinda fun, really: the unbeatable fencer pops one button at a time on his increasingly infuriated opponent (accompanied by appropriate taunting), and finishes with an attack on his belt buckle.

T-shirts...tough one. They're close-fitting and don't have any convenient fasteners. You'd basically have to cut slice it open in one motion while not cutting the wearer. -10? Possibly more.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

T-shirts...tough one. They're close-fitting and don't have any convenient fasteners. You'd basically have to cut slice it open in one motion while not cutting the wearer. -10? Possibly more.

Or it could be done in stages.

See Phantom Menace for ideas of how seemingly random attacks by unintelligent monsters can have the effects of making Natalie Portman's clothes cover less of her.

[Gudiomen]

Originally Posted by Icelander

See Phantom Menace for ideas of how seemingly random attacks by unintelligent monsters can have the effects of making Natalie Portman's clothes cover less of her.

Hey, nothing like raw animal instinct to make a lady go nude...
Besides, they probably trained it. I know I would.

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Or it could be done in stages.

See Phantom Menace for ideas of how seemingly random attacks by unintelligent monsters can have the effects of making Natalie Portman's clothes cover less of her.

I think you're referring to a wrong Star Wars movie. The scene is in the second* one.

*The name escapes me at the moment, but I know I saw it twice at the cinema without paying. And yes, I got tickets for both shows.

[SavageDoc]

I think you mean Attack of the Stupid Title, er, Clones, yeah, that's it, Clones...

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Dinofreak2000

thanx for the ideas, my swashbuckling game has just started and the first scene had one PC learning his wife is actually a pirate. she hunts him down trying to take him home. when they next meetup i think i might drop some subtle hints about doing away with the corsit

Hope you'll know how to handle it. ;)

Okay, so the consensus seems like -4 for 'generic' tricks (much like Initial Carving), at an extra -6 for actually cutting the fabric of clothes...

How possible is it to perform tearing attacks with an epée or smallsword (or other imp-only weapon)? How about using a whip (yes!, she does have a whip...)?

Another issue is what happens if said clothing has a DR of some sort (magic or leather or whatever). How should damage issues be handled?

Thanks!