For a Sci-Fi space setting with vehicle fighting to make more sense
Looking at the intent of disarmed and making it more broadly applicable like other banes
Being more effective against unarmed combatants
Disarmed
DESCRIPTION
You force an opponent to either lose control of an object or be less effective with an object they are holding, whether through brute force, mental compulsion, skillful parry, heating the item to unbearable temperatures, shooting it from their hands, or some other means.
DURATION
Instantaneous or Special as mentioned below
EFFECT
Power Level 3 - Choose one:
The target drops an object they are holding in a space of your choosing within 15’ of the target
The target is unsteadied and has Disadvantage 1 on any attacks. Resist Ends (Fail x 3 = 1 minute)
Power Level 6 - Choose one:
As an alternative to moving the item, you can choose to assume control of it. If you do, you are now the wielder. For the wielder to regain control, they can react with a Disarmed bane of their own to counter the effect or make an attribute roll (typically Might) with a Challenge Rating equal to 10 + 2 x the attribute score you used to disarm the item.
In addition to the target being unsteadied and having Disadvantage 1 to any attacks, you may use a Major Action to cause the object to inflict 1d8 damage to the wielder as makes sense for the Attribute used
In addition to the target being unsteadied and having Disadvantage 1 to any attacks, the target is unable to use a Focus Action. Resist Ends (Fail x 3 = 1 minute)
INTENTION
For the object dealing damage to the wielder this is meant to be a weapon or item you can not actually “disarm”, such as hands (unarmed strike), and weapons on vehicles. You could be holding onto their hand and cause them to punch themselves in the face, or via telekinetic hold.
The whole idea here is to make disarm be effective against targets that you can’t actually disarm the weapon/item but you can mess up their “fighting stance” or focus.
I left the 2nd choice of PL 6 (to deal 1d8), but I’m not entirely sold on it yet. I think it makes sense, and as it takes your Major action to do. This makes more sense for Space vehicles, or vehicles, in that you have “hacked” the weapon, and cause it to malfunction, thus damaging the welder.
For PL 6, for the second effect, you didn’t specify the fail duration. I assume you would have the 1d8 damage ability only as long as the target does not resist the bane?
Would it make sense to grant the target an attribute roll vs CR 10 + 2 x AS like in the first option? The idea would be that they pull themselves away from you with a mighty yank.
Yes, the Fail x 3 = 1 minute duration type of thing for that one as well.
these aren’t so much that you are holding them, though in the case of might and even agility that would make sense. Depends on the flavor of how you are doing it. That 2nd option isn’t something that would work for every attribute, part of the reason I put “as makes sense for the Attribute used”. If it doesn’t make sense, then you can’t do it.
The reason for 1d8, btw, is that is Persistent Damage at PL 6.
If the default resist roll doesn’t make snese for the narrative, than using the default for getting your weapon back like in the first one could work as well. A bit of GM and player discretion depending on the situation.
I have an idea for a pl 9 disarm option. Maybe something like:
• Choose one part of the target that can wield, activate, engage, or otherwise use a wepon. Such as a limb, or gun mount. The chosen part is crippled, and has disadvantage 4 on attack rolls made with that part.
Or
• Choose one part of the target that can wield, activate, engage, or otherwise use a wepon. Such as a limb, or gun mount. The chosen part is crippled, and is unusable.
I was thinking one of these might be good conditions to end the crippling:
• Resist ends (Fail x 3 = 1 hour)
• Deal 1 lethal damage to the target, this cannot bring target below 1 hp. (One of above descriptions of effects). Every hour, the target may make a Fortitude, Will, or Presence roll with a Challenge rating of 28. On a success the lethal damage is removed, and the part is no longer crippled.
Thoughts?
It’s an interesting idea, but the mechanics and the flavour clash a bit to me. This could be its own custom bane, but it doesn’t feel like Disarmed to me.
Crippling would be far more a custom thing for a campaign than a default I’d say. Usually leave that up to the narrative and might give a temp Flaw of Disabled (thus leaving it in the players hands).
Remember, anything you can do to an NPC, they can do to you as well.
There are other ways to give disadvantage already, and in a ship game, if you are wanting to be able to destroy parts or weapons, you can actually assign them some HP values, or potentially target them.
Like VanGo said, doesn’t really feel like a disarm here, but just regular battle/damage. Lower a vehicle/ship past their HP causes them to suffer a damage level, and gives everything disadvantage 1 that they do, so that feel is already there to an extent.
the disadvantage option to make it more clear to be exclusive to the type of attack. So if you disarm Unarmed STrike, for example, and unsteady that stance, it would be disadvantage 1 to Might/Agility
Maybe mention that you could unsteady stances for Extraordinary Attributes, liek Entropy or Energy mages etc.
Late at night, so just thinking about it and making a note here about it.
If someone made high quality templates for custom spells or modfied spells. That way when these are designed we can post them and people can print them and use them in their games.
Or if we could get the templates for the banes and boons decks.
I don’t have the skills to make such a thing. Figured I would post this thought here instead of making it its own topic.