Decapitation

[FeiLin]

So, a limb is dismembered if it takes twice that needed to cripple it, but is the only way to decapitate that (B399) "the GM may rule that anyone killed by a cutting blow to the neck is decapitated"? If anyone takes HPx2 points of damage, there's an HT roll for death at -1xHT required, so if that fails it will lead to decapitation.

A leg is crippled on HP/2 (for a human) so HP dismembers it, with a x1.5 modifier for cut. Neck has a x2 multiplier for cut, so it needs +50% more damage and an unmodified HT roll. I regret to admit I have no personal experience on any of this, but is the neck (including spine) that much more durable than a leg, or are there rules I've missed? Or is this (partially) also a game balance issue?

[coronatiger]

I would suspect that it's a game balance issue.

[awesomenessofme1]

100% a game balance issue. You can survive a severed leg (in theory). You can't survive a severed head. Thus, heads are much harder to sever.

[Celjabba]

In Third edition, cutting attack to the throat that did >= target hp damage would kill by decapitation on a failed HT roll.
With the *2 modifier for cutting to the throat, it only required 5 damage on a 10 hp human.

It was a very common specialisation for melee fighters, and could get quite unbalanced - especially if coupled with chambara multiples attacks.

Although metal neck armor were also very common, for some reason...

4e cut that off, you can only decapitate an helpless victim or as the result of a killing blow. Maybe less realistic, but more balanced game-wise.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by FeiLin

A leg is crippled on HP/2 (for a human) so HP dismembers it, with a x1.5 modifier for cut. Neck has a x2 multiplier for cut, so it needs +50% more damage and an unmodified HT roll. I regret to admit I have no personal experience on any of this, but is the neck (including spine) that much more durable than a leg, or are there rules I've missed? Or is this (partially) also a game balance issue?

Some of both. Decapitation is actually a very rare injury on historic battlefields.

If you feel like it's a problem for you, you can always say that "crippling" a neck requires 3 x HP (for I suppose no special additional effects, though maybe you can't turn your head), and hence decapitation requires 6 x HT (which will take you below the -5 x HP instant death limit anyway). This is probably reasonably realistic. At least as much as the other dismemberment rules are - in fact most "lost" limbs are lost because they are so mangled they need to be amputated if you are going to live, actually physically disconnected by weapon damage is relatively rare for any of them.

[Kromm]

I agree with malloyd: This is less about "too much game balance making it too hard to realistically decapitate people" and more about "too much Rule of Cool making it too easy to unrealistically dismember people." I stand by the rule that decapitation is what happens when you fail a HT roll not to die after receiving potentially lethal damage to the neck. I might argue, though, that dismemberment would be more realistic if it occurred only if your limb took something like full HP or even 2×HP injury, you rolled immediately to determine how long the crippling will last, and the HT roll failed.

TL; DR: Body parts popping off – be they arms, legs, or heads – is probably realistic only after a single, potentially lethal injury (say, 2×HP, which is enough to force a HT roll not to die) and a failed HT roll, that being the same HT roll not to be crippled or not to die.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

I ran a game once where decapitation was as easy as severing a limb, but mostly a severe inconvenience. One PC was a ninja specializing in it, who used it to temporarily disable a bunch of sentries once while keeping a couple of their heads for questioning. It took place in Claymation World.

[Say, it isn't that bad!]

Although both were made of modern steel, I recall a test where a replica rapier was repeatedly struck with a replica longsword, wielded two-handed. After some lengthy period of time (I don't remember the details, but do remember that footage was stated to be cut), the rapier had... bent slightly.

In general, cinema exaggerates the power of melee weapons, and trivializes the power of guns; except in the hands of main characters in the case of the latter, and "minions" in the case of the former.

Any healthy human can learn to break multiple bricks, simply by learning to strike with sufficient force, and to not flinch (which is typically done first with wood).

Next, there are people who train to bend steel with their bare hands.

Our bones are very strong.

Also, having watched videos on armour, the neck is typically the most armoured part.

[AlexanderHowl]

Yes, spines are quite difficult to sever. This is why public beheadings were rarely merciful before the guillotine, as it takes an extraordinary amount of accuracy and force to behead someone with one try.

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Yes, spines are quite difficult to sever. This is why public beheadings were rarely merciful before the guillotine, as it takes an extraordinary amount of accuracy and force to behead someone with one try.

That's an excellent point. The guillotine was invented/used as a tool of "mercy" execution (& it didn't always succeed the first time). It's really had to decapitate someone, even when they are helplessly bound.