Chopping off Body Parts

[IceFractal]

I think it could work, if it was a result of specific manuevers/spells rather than a general combat rule. For instance, in the BoVD there's a spell called "Grim Revenge" that causes a foe's hand to rip itself off and start attacking him. And that's fine, because it specifically has that effect - as soon as you prepared the spell, you knew it was going to come into play and had the rules for it looked up.

Also, manuevers of varying levels are a heck of a lot easier to balance than called shots or critical hit effects. But due to the mentioned removal of save-or-die abilities, any dismemberment would be limited to arms/legs, rather than decapitation or the like, and even then might only work on already-low-hp foes.

 

[Glyfair]

I think it would work very well as an optional system for people who want it.

But yeah, I should've said that in my last post. I don't think I want it added to the assumed core, but I'd like it to be available.

It's so far from "what D&D is about" that I wouldn't even want it in a core book as optional (unless 4E changes that part of "what D&D is about"). I think it would work in an Unearthed Arcana type book of optional rules. Maybe in the melee combat supplement that is supposed to be out soon after 4E.

 

[hong]

The issue is not just how do you cut off a limb, but how do you deal with it afterwards. When you get into specific injuries, it becomes harder to handwave the regaining of hit points over time. It doesn't matter how comfy you are, resting for a week isn't going to make your lost hand regrow.

Which is where the regenerate spell comes in, but it doesn't help unless you're actually high enough level to cast it, and/or have access to someone with the spell. That's an advantage of abstract hit points: you can party without worrying about the hangover the next morning.

 

[F4NBOY]

In SWSE there is a mechanic for that. Two rules BTW.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It's so far from "what D&D is about" that I wouldn't even want it in a core book as optional (unless 4E changes that part of "what D&D is about"). I think it would work in an Unearthed Arcana type book of optional rules. Maybe in the melee combat supplement that is supposed to be out soon after 4E.

Why is it not what D&D's supposed to be about? Swords of sharpness only recently vanished from D&D, when you look at the game's history.

 

[Glyfair]

Why is it not what D&D's supposed to be about? Swords of sharpness only recently vanished from D&D, when you look at the game's history.

Which were rare items that you didn't really see until characters were high enough level to cast regenerate (or afford to pay for one). Regular crippled characters aren't something the D&D rules have ever covered well.

Yes, I've dealt with them in the past. I did play Runequest which virtually guaranteed one or two crippled characters if you started at the base level.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

IMO, you can't really state with certainty what items were rare in anyone's game but your own.

I never had an artifact show up in any 1E or 2E game I played, but there are people who had at least one artifact show up in every campaign. (The notion of sourcebooks of nothing but artifacts always baffles me as a result of my personal experiences.)

In contrast, we saw swords of sharpness regularly, although we always junked them the moment we could get our hands on the clearly superior vorpal weapons.

 

[Stalker0]

Perhaps in 4e players will have the option for characters to live but with permanent hurts. For example, they spend a hero point or action point or some ability to survive a fatal attack, but they are crippled by it.

 

[Glyfair]

IMO, you can't really state with certainty what items were rare in anyone's game but your own.

I never had an artifact show up in any 1E or 2E game I played, but there are people who had at least one artifact show up in every campaign. (The notion of sourcebooks of nothing but artifacts always baffles me as a result of my personal experiences.)

In contrast, we saw swords of sharpness regularly, although we always junked them the moment we could get our hands on the clearly superior vorpal weapons.

And how many crippled characters were there with low level and mid level characters running around with swords of sharpness before they had access to regeneration?

 

[F4NBOY]

From SWSE

Maiming Foes (Official Optional Rule)

A character may attempt to cripple an opponent instead of killing him. To do so, the character must declare his intent ahead of time and make an attack at a –5 penalty and deals half damage on a successful attack. Should the resulting attack take his foe to 0 hit points while still overcoming his threshold (effectively killing him) the target is instead maimed in some manner, but otherwise alive (see the Severing Strike talent