Dropping Stuff on People

FireHorse · 04-02-2019, 05:53 PM

We have some rules for throwing stuff at people, but what about dropping stuff on them?

The only thing I can find in ITL is in the section about Aerial Combat (p.133), which says that fliers dropping boulders cause 1d damage per 100 lbs. of weight — but that strikes me as not being anywhere near enough damage. The reasoning may be that such an attack is wildly inaccurate, but that should be reflected in the roll to hit, not the damage — because I'm inclined to think that if a dropped 100 lb. rock happens to land straight on your head, you're just going to be dead, period.

And the reason I wonder about it is that, as it turns out, people in crow's nests sometimes added levity to boarding actions by simply tossing things out in the direction of the boarders. (In fact, the height and the waves make it easily possible for the nest to lean over the other ship.)

And by my calculations, a simple 5 lb. iron ball falling ~50 feet or so should hit with nearly the kinetic energy of a .38 Special slug.

04-02-2019, 05:53 PM	#1
FireHorse Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Dayton, Ohio	Dropping Stuff on People We have some rules for throwing stuff at people, but what about dropping stuff on them? The only thing I can find in ITL is in the section about Aerial Combat (p.133), which says that fliers dropping boulders cause 1d damage per 100 lbs. of weight — but that strikes me as not being anywhere near enough damage. The reasoning may be that such an attack is wildly inaccurate, but that should be reflected in the roll to hit, not the damage — because I'm inclined to think that if a dropped 100 lb. rock happens to land straight on your head, you're just going to be dead, period. And the reason I wonder about it is that, as it turns out, people in crow's nests sometimes added levity to boarding actions by simply tossing things out in the direction of the boarders. (In fact, the height and the waves make it easily possible for the nest to lean over the other ship.) And by my calculations, a simple 5 lb. iron ball falling ~50 feet or so should hit with nearly the kinetic energy of a .38 Special slug.