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View Full Version : torn asunder 4th edition version?



Mystic Muse
2009-09-14, 02:44 AM
does anybody know of a writeup for torn asunder for 4th edition? my DM wants to use the rules for it in our game and I figure out of the kindness of my heart I should save him the trouble of converting it himself.

Kurald Galain
2009-09-14, 08:07 AM
Is that some kind of feat in 3E?

Mystic Muse
2009-09-14, 02:10 PM
it's a rules variant. whenever you roll a critical miss on an attack a part of your body gets chopped off. my DM actually has a body part die. on the bright side on a critical hit you get to chop of an enemy's body part which can result in instant death.

Sipex
2009-09-14, 02:39 PM
Er, I don't think so since 4e doesn't have rules for regenerating lost limbs.

Kurald Galain
2009-09-14, 02:47 PM
Something like this, maybe?

On a fumble, roll 1d20:
1-3: you hurt your leg. You are slowed (save ends)
4-6: you hurt your arm. You take -1 to attacks (save ends)
7-9: you stabbed your own armor. Take -1 to all defenses (save ends)
10-20: 'tis but a flesh wound.

On a crit, roll 1d20:
1-10: nothing more happens
11-13: the enemy falls prone
14-16: the enemy is dazed (save ends)
17-19: the enemy is weakened (save ends)
20: the enemy is unconscious (save ends)

Permanently losing limbs doesn't fit the 4E philosophy, hence the (save ends) above. Note that an unconscious enemy, for all intents and purposes, is dead because everyone will coup-de-grace him. This is why i.e. Sleep is such a great spell.

Mando Knight
2009-09-14, 03:15 PM
Permanently losing limbs doesn't fit the 4E philosophy, hence the (save ends) above.

Chopping your own body part off by accident with a weapon held in your own hand is also really hard. Fingers and toes are possible, as is severing a major blood vessel, but completely severing a limb isn't likely, even on a 1/400 chance. If it were the case, then every time you fight a dragon or such, you should have the DM roll for permanent injuries first. :smalltongue:

Tiki Snakes
2009-09-14, 03:20 PM
it's a rules variant. whenever you roll a critical miss on an attack a part of your body gets chopped off. my DM actually has a body part die. on the bright side on a critical hit you get to chop of an enemy's body part which can result in instant death.

This seems a nice way to basically ensure crippled PC's.

because, assuming an even fight, you're likely to be attacked for each attack you make, pretty much. So for each turn you get, you've had something like 2/20 chance to lose a body-part. (1 on your roll, or 20 on their roll?)

If you want a way to make 4e incredibly, viciously gritty, it'll work pretty much as it sounds.
One thing to question, though, is what kind of attacks it's valid on?
Because if it's only melee attacks, then all melee characters will soon join the Black Knight, while all Wizards and Ranged Characters have almost acceptable-length careers.
But if any attack, then anyone with blasts or bursts will likely be a collection of prosthetics within a day.

Mystic Muse
2009-09-14, 04:05 PM
I don't really know what he plans on doing with torn asunder. I figured I'd just help him as much as I could.

Person_Man
2009-09-14, 04:07 PM
I'm actually a big fan of condition tracks like the one used in SWSE, and this seems to be in the same vein. Whatever you do though, make it reasonably easy to restore lost body parts (ie, via Potions and Cleric Powers and whatnot). As Tiki points out, you'll end up with 1-3ish crippled PCs per encounter, which will quickly render the entire party useless.

Tiki Snakes
2009-09-14, 04:08 PM
I don't really know what he plans on doing with torn asunder. I figured I'd just help him as much as I could.

Personally, I'd combine it with death saving throws (Rolling the 'this needs amputating/has fallen off' dice when someone fails one?) if I were to use it at all.

Because if I'm honest, a good maiming is kind of amusing.