Minimum 3/DX to Pin

[Skarg]

The Pin HTH action makes a victim "held helpless" (able to be auto-killed via coup de grace?) for two turns, with a DX roll. The formula takes into account relative adjDX (adjust adjDX by the difference in adjDX) and relative level of Unarmed Combat skill (adjust dice by the difference in Unarmed Combat level).

This means if you have more Unarmed Combat talent than your opponent, you can almost surely pin them unless you have lower adjDX than them or terrible adjDX.


Proposed house rule:

* The minimum number of dice to roll to attempt a pin is three.

* The +4 DX HTH adjustment does not apply to pin attempts.

* "Held helpless" really only means the victim's only option for two turns (or until the pinner stops) is to attempt to break free. (I think/hope this is a clarification rather than a change.)

* If you do break out of a pin, you get to do another action that same turn (so it is possible to try to escape HTH, or attack, before just getting pinned again).

* Pin attempts are at -1 for every 2 ST the victim is stronger than the pinner.

* Pin attempts are one die harder for every hex larger the victim is than the pinner.

* Certain anatomies of monsters or situations may be reasons for a GM to just not allow pin attempts.


As an example that I think calls for this:

In a game last night, a gargoyle got someone into HTH. Oh no, right? Well sort of, but the victim had UC II. RAW, that means they roll ONE die to attempt a pin, where one die technically (or practically even if you roll and check the number, unless the victim has much higher adjDX) means auto-success. i.e. it doesn't matter if your target is a gargoyle, bear or troll (or 14-hex dragon?), you can auto-pin anyone with 2 levels less Unarmed Combat talent than you have.