Talkan
2014-11-02, 03:53 PM
I have an upcoming (homebrew) Adventure based mostly on sea travel, trading, and pirate raids, and I have one player who is playing an Orc Cad (who has a Strength of 22). I really like the idea of this archetype, especially for this type of Adventure, so I said go for it. Later, he revealed that he wanted to rip people's arms off.
I'm not the type of GM to say "No way! That's crazy!", but it wasn't really within the rules, so I decided to try and figure something out on my own. I had only ever seen this type thing be dealt with as a DC 25 Str Check, which I didn't quite agree with. Sure, a person with a Strength of 20 would have to roll a 20 to succeed (unless they were a Barbarian), but I though it should involve skill as well. So, I decided to sit down and write up a little thing for the rules on it. At first it was going to require a successful Grapple check, then I just decided to make it a Combat Maneuver of its own!
In place of a Melee Attack, you may attempt a Rend Asunder Combat Maneuver. This is different from Sunder because you are not attacking with a weapon, you are grabbing someone and trying to rip or break something in or off of their body.
You now must be Grappling to perform this Maneuver. You must have at least 1 hand free to attempt a Rend Asunder Combat Maneuver, and if you only use 1 hand, you take a -2 to your roll. If your attack is successful, you manage to break or tear some , possibly causing bleeding damage. If you exceed their CMD by certain amounts, exciting stuff happens! If you don't have the Improved Rend Asunder Feat, your grappled opponent can attempt to break free from the grapple, preventing your attempt in successful, in addition to provoking an Attack of Opportunity from adjacent opponents.
Important note: You don't have to rip people's arms off with this, you can use it just to break bones or just hurt them. Also, a natural 20 does not mean you automatically rip off a limb. You still need to meet the prerequisite damage or DC. It does mean that you automatically deal damage and deal more than normal.
First, you have to succeed on a Grapple check. Then, assuming you have control of the grapple, you may then (as part of the same Action), attempt a Rend Asunder Maneuver.
If you meet or exceed their CMD, you deal 1d4 + your Strength Modifier points of damage to them. If you roll a natural 20, you confirm it like a critical, and upon successful confirmation you add double your Strength Modifier instead. For every 5 points by which you exceed their CMD, you deal 1 point of Bleed Damage.
If you deal a certain amount of damage or exceed their CMD by a certain amount, you may tear their body part from them.
Body Part
Damage Required
CMD Required
Resultant Bleed
Hand
10
CMD+10
2
Arm (below Elbow)
15
CMD+15
3
Arm (below Shoulder)
20
CMD+20
4
Foot
15
CMD+15
3
Leg (below Knee)
20
CMD+20
4
Leg (below Hip)
25
CMD+25
5
Head
30
CMD+30
6 (Death)
Torso
35
CMD+35
7 (Death)
Size Modifiers: These are on top of the normal Combat Maneuver size Modifiers.
Fine: -4
Diminutive: -3
Tiny: -2
Small: -1
Medium: 0
Large: +1
Huge: +2
Gargantuan: +3
Colossal: +4
I realize this has some pretty enormous damage requirements and the CMD is pretty big, especially for using one roll, and I might allow the PCs to use one or two rolls in a row; break the bone, then tear it off, etc. I like how it looks, though. I think it makes it very much a thing that Combat-based classes will use, but that others can use to some extent. It also makes it more difficult for enemies to use against PCs. If you are facing something with a Strength of 30 and it just needs to roll a 10 to rip you to pieces, that's a little obnoxious. Barbarians will excel at it, but I think that comes with the territory. What's scarier than a madman, foaming at the mouth, who just ripped your commander's head off?
However, a lot of the Higher DCs will still require ridiculously high rolls, which I think they should. Not just everyone should be able to rip someone's hand off, let alone their head.
I figured I should throw in some Feats to make it work like a real Combat Maneuver.
Improved Rend Asunder (Combat)
Requirements: Improved Unarmed Strike, Str 13, Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: You no longer provoke Attacks of Opportunity when attempting to Rend Asunder, gain a +2 to your CMB when performing a Rend Asunder Maneuver, and a +2 to CMD to avoid being Rent Asunder. Your grappled opponent still gains a free attempt to break out of your grapple, however.
Greater Rend Asunder (Combat)
Requirements: Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Improved Rend Asunder, Str 13, Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: You gain an additional +2 to Rend Asunder Maneuvers and your grappled opponent no longer gains a free attempt to break out of your grapple.
Quick Rend Asunder (Combat)
Requirements: Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Improved Rend Asunder, Str 13, Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: You may make a Rend Asunder Combat Maneuver in place of one of your melee attacks. You must choose to use the melee attack with the highest base attack bonus to make the check.
What do you guys think? Would this work as I intend it? All advice and comments are welcome!
All these will need to be playtested for balance and such.
**EDIT**
Added in Size Modifiers. They are on top of the standard size modifiers.
**DOUBLE EDIT**
Added in a Pre-requisite Grappling, which will make it more complicated and longer, but will make people focus a little more. Also changed some of the feats up and what they do.
I'm not the type of GM to say "No way! That's crazy!", but it wasn't really within the rules, so I decided to try and figure something out on my own. I had only ever seen this type thing be dealt with as a DC 25 Str Check, which I didn't quite agree with. Sure, a person with a Strength of 20 would have to roll a 20 to succeed (unless they were a Barbarian), but I though it should involve skill as well. So, I decided to sit down and write up a little thing for the rules on it. At first it was going to require a successful Grapple check, then I just decided to make it a Combat Maneuver of its own!
In place of a Melee Attack, you may attempt a Rend Asunder Combat Maneuver. This is different from Sunder because you are not attacking with a weapon, you are grabbing someone and trying to rip or break something in or off of their body.
You now must be Grappling to perform this Maneuver. You must have at least 1 hand free to attempt a Rend Asunder Combat Maneuver, and if you only use 1 hand, you take a -2 to your roll. If your attack is successful, you manage to break or tear some , possibly causing bleeding damage. If you exceed their CMD by certain amounts, exciting stuff happens! If you don't have the Improved Rend Asunder Feat, your grappled opponent can attempt to break free from the grapple, preventing your attempt in successful, in addition to provoking an Attack of Opportunity from adjacent opponents.
Important note: You don't have to rip people's arms off with this, you can use it just to break bones or just hurt them. Also, a natural 20 does not mean you automatically rip off a limb. You still need to meet the prerequisite damage or DC. It does mean that you automatically deal damage and deal more than normal.
First, you have to succeed on a Grapple check. Then, assuming you have control of the grapple, you may then (as part of the same Action), attempt a Rend Asunder Maneuver.
If you meet or exceed their CMD, you deal 1d4 + your Strength Modifier points of damage to them. If you roll a natural 20, you confirm it like a critical, and upon successful confirmation you add double your Strength Modifier instead. For every 5 points by which you exceed their CMD, you deal 1 point of Bleed Damage.
If you deal a certain amount of damage or exceed their CMD by a certain amount, you may tear their body part from them.
Body Part
Damage Required
CMD Required
Resultant Bleed
Hand
10
CMD+10
2
Arm (below Elbow)
15
CMD+15
3
Arm (below Shoulder)
20
CMD+20
4
Foot
15
CMD+15
3
Leg (below Knee)
20
CMD+20
4
Leg (below Hip)
25
CMD+25
5
Head
30
CMD+30
6 (Death)
Torso
35
CMD+35
7 (Death)
Size Modifiers: These are on top of the normal Combat Maneuver size Modifiers.
Fine: -4
Diminutive: -3
Tiny: -2
Small: -1
Medium: 0
Large: +1
Huge: +2
Gargantuan: +3
Colossal: +4
I realize this has some pretty enormous damage requirements and the CMD is pretty big, especially for using one roll, and I might allow the PCs to use one or two rolls in a row; break the bone, then tear it off, etc. I like how it looks, though. I think it makes it very much a thing that Combat-based classes will use, but that others can use to some extent. It also makes it more difficult for enemies to use against PCs. If you are facing something with a Strength of 30 and it just needs to roll a 10 to rip you to pieces, that's a little obnoxious. Barbarians will excel at it, but I think that comes with the territory. What's scarier than a madman, foaming at the mouth, who just ripped your commander's head off?
However, a lot of the Higher DCs will still require ridiculously high rolls, which I think they should. Not just everyone should be able to rip someone's hand off, let alone their head.
I figured I should throw in some Feats to make it work like a real Combat Maneuver.
Improved Rend Asunder (Combat)
Requirements: Improved Unarmed Strike, Str 13, Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: You no longer provoke Attacks of Opportunity when attempting to Rend Asunder, gain a +2 to your CMB when performing a Rend Asunder Maneuver, and a +2 to CMD to avoid being Rent Asunder. Your grappled opponent still gains a free attempt to break out of your grapple, however.
Greater Rend Asunder (Combat)
Requirements: Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Improved Rend Asunder, Str 13, Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: You gain an additional +2 to Rend Asunder Maneuvers and your grappled opponent no longer gains a free attempt to break out of your grapple.
Quick Rend Asunder (Combat)
Requirements: Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Improved Rend Asunder, Str 13, Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: You may make a Rend Asunder Combat Maneuver in place of one of your melee attacks. You must choose to use the melee attack with the highest base attack bonus to make the check.
What do you guys think? Would this work as I intend it? All advice and comments are welcome!
All these will need to be playtested for balance and such.
**EDIT**
Added in Size Modifiers. They are on top of the standard size modifiers.
**DOUBLE EDIT**
Added in a Pre-requisite Grappling, which will make it more complicated and longer, but will make people focus a little more. Also changed some of the feats up and what they do.