Subduing
Skill useful for defeating an opponent while reducing the
probability of inflicting a fatal injury. The skill involves
setting up a proper opening and making measured, careful strikes.
Subduing is not developed separately for different
weapons or fighting styles. Subduing can only be applied in
melee. Subduing cannot be used in conjunction with Frenzy.
The basic sequence for using subduing:
-
When it is one's turn to attack, decide how many counts you would
like to take away from a resulting critical. Reduce OB by double
this number and roll the attack. If the attack results in a critical, continue:
- Roll skill check for subduing (need 100 or above result with roll
plus skill).
- Roll critical. If the subduing skill check failed,
assess the critical roll normally. Otherwise, subtract the counts
decided upon in step (1) from the roll and assess the critical.
Now for the particulars: The maximum number of counts one can
take away from a critical cannot be more than the character's ranks in
subduing, nor can the resulting OB penalty reduce the OB below zero.
Otherwise, the PC may preselect (before the attack roll) any
number of counts from one through this maximum. Generally, the higher
the counts, the "safer" any resulting critical will be for the target.
Also, the more skilled one is with a weapon or fighting style,
the better one can apply subduing skill (the OB penalty being less of a
disadvantage). Note that selecting even a small number of counts
(e.g. five) significantly reduces the chances of getting the most
grievous criticals.
When a critical result is obtained and the subduing skill roll
succeeds, the count subtraction works as follows: Natural rolls
of 66 or 100 are unmodifiable, as even the best attempts to subdue
sometimes go horribly wrong. If the number of counts to subtract
is equal to or greater than the roll, there is no critical effect (only
the original concussion damage applies). If the count subtraction
yields a '66' result, make it a '65' result. If the large or
super-large creatures critical table is being used, the critical roll
is still open-ended high and treat 96-100 results after subtraction as
'95'.
Weapons that do separate, independently-rolled elemental criticals do not
have their elemental critical affected by attempts to subdue (with
the possible exception of certain highly-intelligent weapons
cooperating or
will-dominated by their wielder). These extremely dangerous
magical weapon effects are simply not mitigated by the Subduing skill.
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