Knicks & Knacks

Ramblings on Armor (and probably other things)

Armor can only protect that which it covers. A helmet does not help when an arrow goes into your thigh. Knowing this, combatants will often attempt to hit parts of the body not protected by armor for sake of efficiency. This is called "Aiming", and both melee and ranged weapons are capable of being aimed.

However, the fella about to eat it doesn't want to, and will do what he can to not be dead or injured. Thus, he'll move, he'll interpose a shield, he'll duck, he'll whatever so as not to be thwacked. This adds Uncertainty to any attack because the target is rarely ever asleep or unconscious; they are alive and want to stay that way.

We have a fella who is attempting to thwack another, and a fella who is attempting to avoid the thwack. This can produce misses just as well as Accidents - a hit to an unintended part of the body. A swing at someone's chest might actually hit their arm or head.

Here's a rough idea of how it works:

Each major area of the body (head, chest, left leg, etc.) can be hit with reasonable accuracy. The attacker calls the area at which they are aiming, let's say the chest. They roll to attack. They roll 2d6.

They roll a 10, hitting a helmeted head. They are using a mace to attack, so the attack deals 1d6 damage. However, because they hit an area protected by armor, the target only takes 1 damage, but their helmet is rendered useless from the blow. The next head shot will do normal weapon damage.

But let's say they roll a 7. They hit the chest, which has no armor. Now the target takes the 1d6 damage to their health directly.

Let's then say the target would fall to 0 health. Along with the call of where the attacker is attacking, it is assumed all attacks are non-lethal, unless the attacker specifies otherwise. The target in this hypothetical falls to 0 health from the blow, staggering backwards before falling backwards clutching their broken shoulder (which I'm including with "chest", not "arm"). They are alive, but unable to fight any longer and at the mercy of the attacker.

There's a "roll to hit", but its to determine where you hit, which also encapsulates if you hit, since smaller areas or extremities have a lot of open air around them. This is why the torso is the usual target, because it's hard to whiff when striking the torso (even today with modern firearms). The torso also tends to be most armored, but an armor piece can only take so much punishment (like a bullet-proof vest) and it still hurts (like being shot in a bullet-proof vest).

Ranged weapons have smaller windows and can be more exact, as they shoot smaller projectiles at great speeds, making them hard to readily counter by movement or interposition of a shield. You can call more specifically than "chest", like "left shoulder" or more specifically than "head", like "neck". You are less likely to miss with a ranged weapon, at the cost of having to maintain distance enough to use it effectively (which can be difficult in tight places).

I guess this post isn't really about armor, but rather the effect the existence of armor has on resolving combat actions. Armor is meant to mitigate damage; attackers want to maximize damage.

Uh...

If the hit limit is reached, the armor is rendered useless - it breaks, falls off, whatever. It can be repaired given enough time, but that's for after combat. Or, it can be sacrificed to mitigate damage one more time. All armor needs maintenance in the salt flats - greased, oiled, etc. to protect it from the elements. Herein is the importance of mud eel slime and similar protectants.

I'm sure I'm missing something else, but hey, I needed to get these ideas out. They are ugly and unshaven, but they'll get there.