[MA] Draw Cut

[aesir23]

I know this sort of thing has been discussed on these fora before, but I couldn't find the old discussions.

At any rate, please critique my version of the Draw Cut technique:

Draw Cut Hard
Defaults to any sword, knife, or fencing skill at -1, or Axe/Mace, Two-Handed Axe/Mace, or Polearm -3. Cannot be improved above Default Skill.

The draw cut involves dragging your blade across the your opponent's flesh. This is a highly damaging attack as it engages as much of your cutting edge as possible. In order to use this technique, you must be weilding a weapon capable of cutting attacks with a blade at least 6" long.

Draw Cuts gain a +2 Damage bonus, accessed after DR but before Wounding Modifiers. If the blade is already in contact with the flesh, Draw Cuts are much easier to pull off. Therefore, if the Draw Cut is part of an All-Out-Attack (Double) or Rapid Strike where the preceding attack was a successful swing with the same weapon, Draw Cuts receive a +1 to their to hit roll.

However, Draw Cuts gain Armor Divisor (.5) and can never do Blunt Trauma or knockback. If using the "Edge Protection" rules from Low Tech, Draw Cuts do 0 damage if they don't penetrate the armor enough to do Cutting. GMs using harsh realism may rule that Draw Cuts are simply ineffective against armor with a DR greater than 1.

Draw Cuts are fully compatible with All-Out Attacks, Commuted Attacks, Defensive Attacks, Spinning Attacks, and Telegraphic Attacks.

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by aesir23

I know this sort of thing has been discussed on these fora before, but I couldn't find the old discussions.

At any rate, please critique my version of the Draw Cut technique:

+2 to damage, or +1 per die of damage maybe, so it scales? Otherwise it looks pretty decent.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

+2 to damage, or +1 per die of damage maybe, so it scales?

Oh yeah, forgot about that.

I wasn't sure I wanted the damage bonus to be that high, but the drawbacks seemed severe enough that I couldn't justify the technique being at a penalty if it only gave a +1 damage bonus.

I want it to be at least -1 skill to start with because I believe that it is harder to execute than a chopping blow.

[Dunadin777]

It seems to me that a draw cut is necessarily more shallow than a good regular swing cut. So I'd think that such a maneuver should have a damage cap that it can only cause (maximum normal damage)-2 or something. You can keep the damage bonus, but this would simulate that the draw cut causes more injury on average, but has less potential at the same time.

[ULFGARD]

Originally Posted by Dunadin777

It seems to me that a draw cut is necessarily more shallow than a good regular swing cut. So I'd think that such a maneuver should have a damage cap that it can only cause (maximum normal damage)-2 or something. You can keep the damage bonus, but this would simulate that the draw cut causes more injury on average, but has less potential at the same time.

Two other qualifiers: a particularly sharp sword, knife, or polearm (not all will qualify); also, sw seems completely out. I'd base it on thr. This type of attack seems more likely to inflict shallow soft tissue damage -- great on flesh, terrible on bone -- and may well inflict a lot of bleeding damage. Not sure offhand how to model that offhand. It seems like it would perform quite well as a finishing move on the neck.

[Dunadin777]

Originally Posted by ULFGARD

Two other qualifiers: a particularly sharp sword, knife, or polearm (not all will qualify); also, sw seems completely out. I'd base it on thr. This type of attack seems more likely to inflict shallow soft tissue damage -- great on flesh, terrible on bone -- and may well inflict a lot of bleeding damage. Not sure offhand how to model that offhand. It seems like it would perform quite well as a finishing move on the neck.

Yeah, I would lean towards Thr-based damage, too. For the bonus to bleeding, maybe mitigate some of the to-hit penalty for veins and arteries? Makes for great messy executions that are low-impact on your weapon.

[Daeglan]

Originally Posted by Dunadin777

It seems to me that a draw cut is necessarily more shallow than a good regular swing cut. So I'd think that such a maneuver should have a damage cap that it can only cause (maximum normal damage)-2 or something. You can keep the damage bonus, but this would simulate that the draw cut causes more injury on average, but has less potential at the same time.

Not so. A proper draw cut is what a samurai uses to be able to cut a man from shoulder to hip. A normal swing cut can't do that.

I suspect that GURPS would not really have the granularity to model it though. IE trying to model it is over thinking.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Again as I recall both this re=-eneactment and the Highlander move it struck me as resembling are done as a close range cut with the blade being driven with hip and torso movement in the follow-through.
.

Originally Posted by Daeglan

Not so. A proper draw cut is what a samurai uses to be able to cut a man from shoulder to hip. A normal swing cut can't do that.

The above quotes seem to be making the case for Swing damage again.

I'm also reminded of the Slashing damage vs. Chopping damage house rule that I read on the forums years ago.