Is there a system for losing a limb?

[Torgeir]

I am currently working on a new lvl 1 char for a forgotten realms game. My plan is to make a gnome paladin of Tyr. I want him to have lost his right hand when he became a paladin. My question is where can I find information listing any modifiers for missing a hand. I can guess obvious ones but was wondering if there was a official system for skills and ability mods, etc or anything else i might not have thought about. So far the one skill mod i have come up with would be probably like -2 climb & disable device. Also i assumed the only shield i could use is a buckler since it straps onto the forearm. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

torgeir

 

[kreynolds]

The only thing I can recommend to you is page 66 and 67 of the DMG, Variant: Damage to Specific Areas.

 

[northrundicandus]

Well in Rolemaster there's a crit that severs the opponent's hand. That causes 5 more points and damage and the foe is stunned and unable to parry for 12 rounds. Then he dies.

Of course that's probably not the system you're looking for

 

[mmu1]

I don't think there is a system, and, really, anything even remotely realistic would make the character damn near unplayable, unless he had a squire that helped him with just about everything.

With a hand missing, he wouldn't be able to put on his own armor, take care of his warhorse properly, or maintain his weapons. He couldn't carry a torch and a weapon, drink a potion or lay on hands without putting a weapon down (unless you rule he could "lay on stump"), I'd imagine he'd be pretty inept at first aid without two hands to hold a bandage or a tourniquet... He'd find the maximum weight he could lift off of the ground greatly restricted...

In any kind of armor, he wouldn't be able to climb at all - he wouldn't even be able to take advantage of climbing a rope with a surface to brace your legs against, because you need two hands for that.

Your best option would probably be to a) Since there is no in-game benefit to not having a hand, simply ignore most of the penalties except in cases like carrying two items in his hands, or b)As part of his backstory, give him some sort of magical gauntlet, which he received from the church as a reward for his valor that serves as a prosthetic...

Not to mention that there's hard to make a good reason why someone serving a chruch in a world where magic can regenerate limbs would choose to remain hand-less, and as a result dramatically reduce his effectiveness as a sword-arm of the faith.

 

[Torgeir]

Well in Rolemaster there's a crit that severs the opponent's hand. That causes 5 more points and damage and the foe is stunned and unable to parry for 12 rounds. Then he dies.

Of course that's probably not the system you're looking for

Heh not exactly. i don't really want him dead yet... gotta save the joy of that for the dm. I just think there should be some type of penalty for missing a hand when I'm playing the game. It just doesn't make sense for me to not have a harder time for it.

torgeir

 

[hammymchamham]

So far the one skill mod i have come up with would be probably like -2 climb & disable device. Also i assumed the only shield i could use is a buckler since it straps onto the forearm. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

torgeir

From memory, I think this is right. Now it begs the question, why did he loose his hand? Interesting charecter idea.

 

[Torgeir]

Re: Re: Is there a system for losing a limb?

From memory, I think this is right. Now it begs the question, why did he loose his hand? Interesting charecter idea.

I haven't fully worked out his whole backstory yet but the basic idea is:

Most of his family dies during a robbery that goes bad (char is a fairly well to do toymaker) and he loses everything but his youngest daughter who is so injured in the resulting fire that she will never lead a normal life.

After trying to get justice against the thief and failing he basically declares that there is no justice in the world and that the gods are a joke. After several months of just wandering around destitute he wanders across a old man who is missing a hand who claims he can help him get the justice that was denied him. How ever there will be a price: his right hand and service to Tyr as a paladin from then on. Which the char accepts and then later realizes that the human was an avatar of Tyr himself. Which is why he doesn't get his hand fixed. To remind him of his arrogance for denying the gods adn as a pact with Tyr.

ill post the whole char with story when i get it completely worked up on story hour. hopefully this wasn't too long since is the rules forum.

torgeir

edited to fix all the error of me spelling

 

[hammymchamham]

Pretty good, I like... wait, sorry about the thumb up. I wasn't thinking

 

[bret]

Steal something from GURPS.

Basic Set, pg 29.

One Hand -15 points
You have lost a hand; it may be replaced by an appropriate prosthetic (hook, mechanical grabber or bionic hand). A fully bionic replacement (TL8 or higher) is just as good as the original, and is therefore worth no bonus points. An obviously mechnical replacement will cost you -1 on all reaction rolls, and -2 DX (for a mechnical grabber) or -4 DX (for a claw). However, a hook or claw counts as an undroppable large knife in combat (use Knife skill). This can be very intimidating if waved at the foe.

We can most likely skip the idea of a bionic replacement.

All physical skills in GURPS are based on DX (Dexterity). In D&D, I would say treat it like an armor penalty for any action that requires the use of hands.

GURPS uses 3d6 instead of a linear scale for rolls. A penalty of -4 is pretty significant, probably equal to a -10 or so. A penalty of -2 is still pretty significant, so I would make that a -5.

So with the grabber, you probably have:

• -2 to all Charisma based skills
• -5 'armor penalty' when using that hand

With a hook or claw, it is more like:

• -2 to all Charisma based skills
• -10 'armor penalty' when using that hand
• +2 circumstance bonus to Intimidate
• An undroppable Short Sword or Dagger.Treat it as if it was in a permanently locked gauntlet.

I could argue it either way as to if a GURPS Large Knife is most similair to a D&D Dagger or Short Sword.

 

[Terwox]

as dm for said player...

With a hand missing, he wouldn't be able to put on his own armor, take care of his warhorse properly, or maintain his weapons. He couldn't carry a torch and a weapon, drink a potion or lay on hands without putting a weapon down (unless you rule he could "lay on stump"), I'd imagine he'd be pretty inept at first aid without two hands to hold a bandage or a tourniquet... He'd find the maximum weight he could lift off of the ground greatly restricted...

In any kind of armor, he wouldn't be able to climb at all - he wouldn't even be able to take advantage of climbing a rope with a surface to brace your legs against, because you need two hands for that.

Ok. As said dm for this character -- lay on stump is just too cool to leave up. He's a paladin of Tyr after all, and if Tyr makes some holy men mutilate themselves, he'd probably still let them use the powers he granted them. Or not, I'm no expert on Tyr. But that's how I'd run it. I mean -- he's getting to lay on stump. You just can't say no to that!

But yeah. Putting on/removing armor/bucklers requires help, or ten times as long. He'd definately need quick draw to deal w/ potions and stuff. Climbing in general would be at -6 maybe? Kinda easy, but that's ok. Heal checks for using bandages in combat would be at -6 or so as well. Disable device is virtually impossible, except in odd situations, determined by circumstance.

I may allow a feat called "one hand adaptation" or something that allows quick draw, and lowers those penalties to -2. Yes, its better than an average feat, but this char is starting worse off than a normal char statwise.

And yeah, -2 to CHA-based checks in general, but +2 to CHA-based checks when around laypeople of Tyr, and +4 to CHA-based around church members of Tyr.

Oh, and by the way, for the char, I'm pretty sure he's not looking for a stump knife, claw, or mechanical hand. Wants a stump like Tyr's.

And yeah, I'm not looking for super-realistic -- just something that affects the character, isn't terribly rules-heavy, and still shows some negativity. (Not being able to have a shield/or wield a weapon two-handed is more than enough, really...)

But, this is one character where I wouldn't cringe (as much!) if they take monkey grip.

Any more thoughts or ideas, or should we just go with this?