4E Disarming Elaborated
A blast from the past by me
, I cover some of the thoughts above and go further I think
[H1]YES YOU CAN PLAY JACKY CHAN. - GREAT WAYS FOR PCS TO DISARM IN D&D.[/H1]
Context:
The latest D&D (4E) doesnt have official methods for disarming but it really is possible and the methods presented below only require minor amounts of buy in from your DM as they conform fairly close to the standard rules.
Some of the following caveats will affect and infect these methods.
[H2]Informational Caveats:[/H2]
- Realistic Disarming: In real life its harder to disarm somebody without seriously harming them (assuming they are trained and even close to your own competence) than it is to kill them. Being disarmed while you are at all prepared to fight... is bad in real life no not a little bad... your enemy just proved they are substantially better than you or you have already been exhausted to the point that they effectively are.
- Cinematic Disarming: Disarming in the movies is always a very temporary condition unless the adversary is a minion or fully defeated by the action. This actually gives us quite a few options which fit very well with D&Ds combat system.
- How magic Interferes(tethering and bonding below)
[H1]Basic methods.[/H1]
Reflavoring the Intimidate combat action .. essentially you prove you are better than they are a success means you have disarmed them in a nice finishing flourish that shows them you are by far the superior swordsman (see duelist backgrounds, it rather strongly supports this use) This effect.. involves you first wear down your enemies luck or fatigue them ie bloody them. (combine with number 3 and against minions this becomes an instant cinematic win.) They are cowed enough to not rearm themselves generally speaking unless you tell them to. They are hostile just as a normal intimidate.
Note: while this could be modified to be an athletics based action if your DM thinks that detail is better? then minimizing the over pre-loaded pump-ability issues of skills entirely might be desired we can make it more interesting using skill challenge per the next technique.
Disarming Skill challenge : appropriate skills... intimidation, bluff, insight, athletics (and maybe acrobatics or endurance but if you want to wear out an enemy as your main strategy ...perhaps? see option 3 below). Those defeated by this are normally somewhat hostile they will likely be sufficiently impressed and defeated in any event. ( you might be able to mix in some elements of diplomacy if you want to work for non-hostility ;p). This can be potentially the most vivid of options it really should be a difficult challenge and only used for special occasions.
Wearing them Down(see sample cinematic disarms below): Though on surface doesn't sound like it this can be the most satisfyingly cinematic method especially versus minions. The attack could even be an attempt to ice over their weapon grip with a wizardly spell. but also because it involves use of attack powers ... you can heat a weapon up or ice over your enemies grip or send electrical ripples into the nerves of their hand or other coolness .... this hinges on use of reflavored attacks creating intermediate effects and while just about any attack can be used to wear down an enemy taken a step further and you see many many powers can be used to represent how the enemy is momentarily inconvenienced with anything from weapon bobbling to diving after it ... to whatever examples as follows.
[H2]Sample Cinematic Disarms [/H2]
Slamming Disarm : Fighter at-will attack level 1: This is a Strength based disarm common amongst fighters (str versus fortitude). "I smash my weapon across his several times placed and braced to send nerve numbing force across his grip (damage = strength).... sure enough it clangs free of his grip but he dives after it almost immediately - If your enemy is not defeated the enemy is prone picking up dislodged weapon(if defeated they are prone with your blade at the back of their neck). This is an at-will Attack level 1.
Shall we dance Rogue at-will attack level 1: This is a Dexterity based disarm common amongst rogues. I lock his weapon then pull it strongly to the left forcing him to stumble as I follow into the opening that this gives my blade ends poised before his throat and he drops his weapon his eyes show he is truly defeated (damage on a hit is Dex Mod +sneak attack damage even if you do not have combat advantage) ... doesnt always work that nicely...last time the guy stumbled ignored my weapon (but bet his muscles felt it) and spun around damn near ruined my cloak with his weapon .. time before that another managed to let my blade lock slide and grin at me about it cocky twit..... but this is so much more satisfying . On a hit: slide the opponent 1 square... and you may shift 1 square.
Hand shot: This difficult attack (Dex vs AC) is not necessarily meant to kill though it has been known to both disarm and disable those it defeats... (delivers intelligence +dexterity damage) the need to avoid having ones hand pierced and recover your grip as they bobble there weapon tends to distract those who manage to escape that fate. ( and causes them to grant you combat advantage until the end of next turn)
original maneuvers you can look up if you like Knockdown assault, Duelists Flurry and preparatory shot.
[H3]Disarming Finish (Alternative Defeat Flavor)[/H3]
As part of the above I am making use of the Alternative Defeated condition :
the Disarming Finish, and you might find it is pretty satisfying. (basically a slightly altered zero hit point rule... ie 0hp or under is not necessarily just unconscious or killed) you are not unconscious but instead demoralized/fatigued/out of luck and disarmed ie (zero hit points after a few moments when they are allowed to catch their breath.
This is technically just an analog to the result of the first item on this list an intimidate but its less swingy (except see minions) as you wear through your adversaries luck and stamina. Note this option makes minions very vulnerable to a disarm and is nicely cinematic.
Players who battle a healthy quantity of minions who they are not necessarily interested in killing such as
Etienne Nevarre off of Ladyhawke who was often fighting his old soldier mates... should consider this option.
More Jackie Chan Effects (The defense attack & Allowing scenery to make the finishing stroke).
Jackie chan likes to not make particularly nasty attacks himself he tends to slap them around knocks heads together and forces them to exhaust themselves fruitlessly while blocking with nearby furniture (a little used flavor but makes as much sense as any his attacks look like defense) though once in a while accidentally or not so accidentally his enemies hit one another or pieces of the scenery intervene to finish off his enemies. A Jacky Chan martial art style should also be CON based the action is persistently quick but with little follow through that would make it STR and often a bit sloppy feeling (which is made up for by luck).
[H2]Story Reasons and Flavors for Disarm is Hard aka How Magic Interferes[/H2]
There are some pretty good reasons story reasons why in the standard D&D universe Disarm might work even worse/harder than in real life or the typical movies... it relates to the prevalence of magic and even some common myths about magic in the real world.
[H3]Weapon Bonding and Tethering magic[/H3]
The bond :There is a great deal of myth and legendry of warriors becoming one with their weapons. The tools of their trade become very quickly a part of their identities and a part of their myths. Ownership is said to reinforce over time but the sense of "this is mine" combined with a "touch of a hand" creates a bond resistant to many magics and intertwines with magics that are created in most if not all magic weapons and implements. The warriors aura can actually be seen to extend around his equipment.... it is a fairly natural magic. Many warriors will simply not allow another to "handle" their weapon. This mystic connection is exemplified in the swordmage who intensify that bonding by an active ritual which among its other cool effects seals the weapon from accepting or bonding another.
Numerous enchantments are able to key off of these connections which are created by the bearer and at minimum are reinforced by their wielders personal magic.
Cleaving: this magic causes the grip of a melee weapon to cling comfortably to its wielders hand...for some this touch is warm or tingling like the blades magic is alive to others they can't describe the feel of the pommel because... its just connected with no otherness to it.
returning: this magic causes a thrown weapon to return to the hand of its wielder. (returning like cleaving also takes many forms... some even self teleport others float ...or fly in insubstantial ghost like form others seem to just ricochet... or dont appear in his hands til he goes to use them again or become energy throughout the attack)
Tethering magic is sometimes blatant many weapons glow extends up around the hands gripping it or when thrown streamers of magical energy extending from the hand of its wielder to the handle. Other times only active arcane discernement will show the connections... Tethering magic is ocasionally very subtle it seems only fate is binding blade to hand... interestingly fates weaves may be the strongest tethering magic yet.
The warrior instead of allowing himself enfeebled by a trickster hurls the weapon high and far... it bounces from cliffside rock to rock catching on a root and moments later when the warrior is once again ready and in need of it the last strand of fate falls in to place and it drops in to his grip once more.
The heros of D&D are in some ways on the fast route to becoming like the Norse Thunderer or the shadowy greek Nemesis or the Once and Future King of Arthurian Myth.
