Sunder weapons

[Eric Diaz]

This is how I'm doing "sunder" weapons in my book:

---
Sunder
Effect: the target’s shield or weapon gets destroyed.
Critical hit: affects your weapon damage as usual.
Special: If you’re trying to hit a tiny item (such as a blowgun, dart, any simple melee weapon that weighs 2 pounds or less, or any other item that the GM deems hard to hit), you have disadvantage.
For this maneuver to succeed, you must use a melee weapon that is heavier than the target item, harder (for example, iron against wood), or both. If you succeed on the contest against your opponent, you hit the target item. Compare your weapon’s maximum damage plus its weight (maximum 6) to your target item’s object Armor Class (15 for wood, 19 for iron, etc.) plus its weight (maximum 6, maximum 4 for hafted weapons). If your total is equal or greater, the target item gets destroyed; otherwise, it is unaffected.
Hafted weapons are usually attacked at the (wooden) handle, but they are also better at destroying things, so they add two points of damage when attacking. Slashing weapons add 2 points of damage if the target is made of wood or something similar. Piercing weapons (except for the morningstar) cause half damage against most weapons and shields.
The GM may allow the characters to use methods similar to these to destroy other objects being held by their enemies. Magic items usually cannot be destroyed by ordinary means. Small, fragile items are easier to destroy, while other items make it harder or impossible. As always, use common sense.
---

Yes, too fiddly, yes, not necessary, yes, why don't I play Pathfinder.

With that said... do the numbers seem reasonable?

Some examples:


Offense/Defense
14+Str 17 Battleaxe
18+Str 19 Glaive
20+Str 19 Greataxe
18+Str 25 Greatsword
11+Str 22 Longsword
20+Str 19 Maul
14+Str 17 Morningstar
--- 21 Rapier/shield
--- 19 Shield against slashing weapons.

So, you can sunder a rapier/shield with a Glaive, Greataxe or Greatsword, but not a Longsword. You can destroy a shield with a Battleaxe if you have Str 20. If you crit, you can basically destroy anything.

[Unoriginal]

I prefer the rules for that in the DMG, IMO. Still, if you and your players like it, go for it.

Just know it makes the weapons way more fragile than by-the-book, so keep that in mind. Your game might become Sunderfest

Also, normally magic items can be destroyed by ordinary means. Being indestructible is a specific power that most item lack. So that's a big boost that makes things like Indestructible Arrow worthless.

Have you ever tried it in-game? I've made a thread on this very topic the other day, and the consensus seemed to be most players and DM don't break the foes's stuff.

[JackPhoenix]

You've said it: needlessly and annoyingly complex. And it's not like they are more realistic or anything. DMG rules are sufficient, and they still won't get used, because unless the PCs *need* to destroy certain item for xyz reason, breaking enemy stuff reduces their own loot (especially if magic items are involved), and the attack used to attempt it it usually better spent making sure the enemy dies faster.

[Eric Diaz]

Thanks for the feedback!

Yeah, on a second thought... I am not satisfied with the results either. Too complicated.


I prefer the rules for that in the DMG, IMO. Still, if you and your players like it, go for it.

Just know it makes the weapons way more fragile than by-the-book, so keep that in mind. Your game might become Sunderfest

Also, normally magic items can be destroyed by ordinary means. Being indestructible is a specific power that most item lack. So that's a big boost that makes things like Indestructible Arrow worthless.

Have you ever tried it in-game? I've made a thread on this very topic the other day, and the consensus seemed to be most players and DM don't break the foes's stuff.

I have never tried in game... A player wanted to break a NPC's shield, but not weapon, so I was looking for a solution. But it is not something that comes up often.


You've said it: needlessly and annoyingly complex. And it's not like they are more realistic or anything. DMG rules are sufficient, and they still won't get used, because unless the PCs *need* to destroy certain item for xyz reason, breaking enemy stuff reduces their own loot (especially if magic items are involved), and the attack used to attempt it it usually better spent making sure the enemy dies faster.

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Unoriginal]

I have never tried in game... A player wanted to break a NPC's shield, but not weapon, so I was looking for a solution. But it is not something that comes up often.

Then I suggest the rules in the DMG.

You can even use it to rule a metal shield has more HPs than a wooden one.