Disarming with missile weapons is the rule broken?

T

Tom McCafferty

Explorer

• Feb 24, 2003

• #1

Hi there

This weekend I came accross the situation were the evil cleric was using his staff. The archer in the party moved round behind and fired at the staff to disarm the cleric. This was easier than hitting the cleric. The staff had AC 22 (10 + 4(Size) +3(Cleric's dex) + 5(In the cleric's hand)).

To oppose disarm the cleric has to make a virtual hit which more often than not will not beat the archers hit. This results in the cleric being disarmed.

The tactic of standing back and disarming creatures with clubs is now born.

Have I missed anything?

 

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Hypersmurf

Moderatarrrrh...

• Feb 24, 2003

• #2

Like, perhaps, the first line of the Disarm description?

"As a melee attack, you may make a disarm attempt..."

-Hyp.

 

T

Tom McCafferty

Explorer

• Feb 24, 2003

• #3

Thanks for the reply, but I think this action is not unreasonable. Japanese archers practice splitting bamboo poles and arrows hit with enough force to penetrate armour.

 

Zhure

First Post

• Feb 24, 2003

• #4

You're both correct. Disarm is melee only and archers sure can try to break the staff by doing damage.

"Held, Carried, or Worn Objects: Attacking a held, carried, or worn object provokes an attack of opportunity. Objects that are held, carried, or worn by a creature, such as an evil sorcerer’s wand, are harder to hit. The object uses the creature’s Dexterity modifier (not its own –5) and any magic deflection bonus to AC the creature may have. You don’t get any special bonus for attacking the object. If it’s in the creature’s hand (or tentacle, or whatever), it gets a +5 AC bonus because the creature can move it quickly out of harm’s way."

 

Last edited: Feb 24, 2003

Hypersmurf

Moderatarrrrh...

• Feb 24, 2003

• #5

Three points:

1. Ranged weapons do half damage to objects, and a quarterstaff has hardness 5, so you need to do at least 12 damage with an arrow (with no criticals possible) to take off even 1 of the quarterstaff's 10 hit points. 30 damage to break it with one shot.

2. The game mechanic for attacking a weapon or shield (as opposed to some other held item) is the "Strike a Weapon" section, which requires a/ a melee attack, and b/ a slashing or bludgeoning weapon. An arrow is a ranged, piercing weapon.

3. One of the examples of "The DM may determine that certain weapons just can't deal damage effectively to certain objects" is an arrow vs a wooden door. And there's a big difference between splitting bamboo and splitting an solid oak cudgel!

-Hyp.

 

Darklone

Registered User

• Feb 24, 2003

• #6

Thanks Hyp, can you give me the page about this half damage with ranged attacks against objects? I forgot this ...

As for splitting bamboo with arrows... do this while the bamboo is just used to bash your friends around

 

Crothian

First Post

• Feb 24, 2003

• #7

There are the feats Ranged Sunder and Ranged disarm for this type of thing.

 

P

Petrosian

First Post

• Feb 24, 2003

• #8

Also remember, for disarm, size of the weapon matters. You should use an ARROW size (tiny?) not the bow size (large) for ranged disarms. thats probably going to make for a -significant penalty to the rolls

 

Kae'Yoss

First Post

• Feb 24, 2003

• #9

Where are those feats?

 

Hypersmurf

Moderatarrrrh...

• Feb 24, 2003

• #10

Where are those feats?

Click to expand...

Weren't they in one of the first 3E Dragons?

-Hyp.