subdual on non-lethal damage rules

[papakee]

Are there any rules for subdual or intentional non-lethal damage? This came up in a bar fight while running the Runes of Chaos module. My quick and dirty solution was to have the damage heal at double the normal rate and major wounds have non-permenant damage. A broken arm vs. a mangled, chopped off arm.

 

[atgxtg]

Generally, no. THat was one of the weakness of RQ was that it was devloped before nn-leathal damage became an issue. IN MRQ all damage is treated as being lethal.

Probably the easiest way to incoprate such damage into MRQ would be to assume that damage effects are temporary (so an incapacitated limb is just sprained or otherwise temporality out of action, and kill results are merely a loss of consciousness, etc.), and allow characters to heal subdual damage on, say, an hourly basis rather than by the normal method.

 

[weasel_fierce]

well, characters with enugh injuries to the body will eventually fall unconscious. Unarmed attacks inflict little enough damage that they are unlikely to actually kill somebody.

 

[Rasta]

well, characters with enugh injuries to the body will eventually fall unconscious. Unarmed attacks inflict little enough damage that they are unlikely to actually kill somebody.

Unless you fight an unarmed troll.

 

[papakee]

I actually need something for more than just unarmed attacks as the fight included a great axe that used the 'flat side' of the weapon, pulled the punch, whatever you want to call it.
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The event took place at the Pheasant Tail Inn when Victor comes in boasting and putting other contestants down. Of coarse one player confronts him. He throws and punch and Victor, being Victor, smacks him back with the flat of his ax, the PC failed his dodge..and Victor ended up doing 12 points of damage. This caused a serious wound to his left arm taking him to -6. All the patrons jumped up and broke up the fight at that point, but now the PC is pretty much doomed to loose all the events the next day even with some first aid.

 

[Rasta]

You can always use the RQ3 system which lets you choose how much to pull a blow.

Let's use a long spear as an example. (1D10)

You could pull the blow a little (1D8)

You could pull the blow more (1D6)

You could pull it a lot (1D4)

This goes with DM too, you can chose not to use it, or to downgrade it.

Hope that helps.

 

[atgxtg]

Another old RQ option that you could adpat for MRQ is the '"stunning" option. THe character makes a called shot to the head, and can stun the opponent.

In Old RQ/BRP there were a couple of ways to handle this*

1) Compare damage inflicted to head HP and roll on the resistance table.

2)Oppoent must make a CONx5% roll.


For MRQ, you could do the following:

A called shot that rolls enough amage to get past armor reqires a resilience test against a stun effect.

Optionally, the GM could modify the difficulty for the resilience test based on the damage in comparison to the victims head HP. If damafge exceeds head HP then say a -20%.

 

[soltakss]

Why not just introduce a new combat declaration in addition to Precise Attack, Bypass Armour, Disarm, Location Strike and Strike Weapon/Shield.

So, you could have:

Non-Lethal Attack

A character making a Non-Lethal Attack makes a careful attack designed to stun rather than permanently damage his opponent. Attack, reactions and damage is rolled normally and applied, but the damage is only temporary and lasts until the damaged person makes a Resilience Roll. Damage caused by a Non-Lethal Attack counts towards location damage as normal and can knock a person out, render a limb or vital location useless or disable an opponent.

Non-Lethal Attacks are like normal attacks in that they can cause critical hits and be parried or dodged as normal.

Non-Lethal Attacks may not be made as part of a charge or flurry. All Non-Lethal Attacks are very difficult, the character's Weapon Skill suffers a -40% penalty. Non-Lethal Attacks cannot be combined in a single strike.

 

[atgxtg]

Why not just introduce a new combat declaration in addition to Precise Attack, Bypass Armour, Disarm, Location Strike and Strike Weapon/Shield.

Well, the biggest objectuion I see is that by giving it a called shot penalty of -40%, few people will want to use it.

In most encounters, I think a -40% drop is proably enough to throw the outcome of the fight.So the tactic would only be viable when you greatly outclass an opponent, but don't want to injure them.

 

[frogspawner]

Well, the biggest objectuion I see is that by giving it a called shot penalty of -40%, few people will want to use it.

That's ok if it's just a "friendly" bar-fight, where presumably the other guy'll be doing the same to you and take a similar penalty. And in an "unfriendly" fight, where the other guy is trying to do you serious harm, it strikes me as realistic to be at such a disadvantage.

 

[atgxtg]

Well, the biggest objectuion I see is that by giving it a called shot penalty of -40%, few people will want to use it.

That's ok if it's just a "friendly" bar-fight, where presumably the other guy'll be doing the same to you and take a similar penalty. And in an "unfriendly" fight, where the other guy is trying to do you serious harm, it strikes me as realistic to be at such a disadvantage.

Depends on what you are using. If you are using a sword, then yeah, I could see a disantage for trying to inflict subdual damage (hitting with the flat of the blade, etc). If, however, you are using your hands, I would say that subdual damage is the default, with lethal damage require a called shot or a critical. ANd some weapons would be sort of a bit of both.

To be realistic, practically any decent head shot can knock an opponent unconscious. The difficulty lies in hitting the guy hard enough to knock them out, without accidentally killing them.