Disarming Items (Non Weapons)

[Silva Stormrage]

Hello, I could use some help deciding something thats probably going to come up in an upcoming campaign.

In the disarm rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#disarm) it has a section for grabbing items "Worn by the target", and it has two notes. 1) If the item is poorly secured or otherwise easy to snatch or cut away you get a +4 bonus. 2) You can’t snatch an item that is well secured unless you have pinned the wearer.

My main question is what would qualify for the 2nd clause. What exactly would count as "Well secured" obviously nothing they are just holding but what about a cloak? A ring? Glasses, Headbands and Hats should be disarmable but I am not sure where I should draw the line and if there was any further clarification on this matter.

[Ashtagon]

Here's my take on it:


Poorly Secured: Hat or cap that is not tied or otherwise secured to the wearer, glasses, monocle

Disarmable: Bonnet or other headwear that has a chin strap or similar tie, helmet (not helm), costume mask, cloak, poncho, typical hand-held (not hand-attached) item, necklace, brooch or similar pinned-on jewellery

Tightly Secured: Helm (not helmet), glove, gauntlet, ring, some forms of clothing and footwear

Just no: Any piece of clothing that would risk taking the game beyond the maturity rating of the group

Note that many pieces of clothing would require similar amounts of time to light armour to remove; disarming rules shouldn't be used as a way to accelerate this, although a series of repeated disarm checks could achieve that result. Also, depending on the item being disarmed, any ties or straps may be damaged or destroyed in the attempt. Finally, some items may be literally locked in place, such as certain kinds of gauntlet, possibly with a weapon being locked into the locked gauntlet. These aren't getting disarmed without either a key or literally disarming the person.

[AnimeTheCat]

What Ashtagon said is typically how I deal with it as well, however I have no hard fast rules to back that opinion up. I've used the disarm ability to cut purses away and flee combat, material component pouches, and other things (bags of holding if they'r worn about the waist). Essentially it's (in my head) the cutpurse use of the disarm ability.

[Menzath]

That second clause gets to be a non issue with ranged pin and ranged disarm.
I mean a good rapid shot build with a splitting bow could (I think) easily disarm, and possible have enough arrows left over to disrobe/unramor someone.