Kill! If you think you have the HD to do it!

Last year I was following Gundobad's series on fighter maneuvers has been fascinating or rather was at the time when I read them last year. I love when designers post their thought processes and in the open like this series here. So, I sought to steal and adapt their rules for whacking monsters in my own Heartbreaker. 

Some background on my Heartbreaker

• Game is for referees like me with tiny mental CPUs. Players roll everything, active defense, ref almost never rolls. 
• Armor is ablative, lowering damage 1-3 points
• Uses split team initiative (or whatever the kids are calling it these days). Players Test DEX and go before the monsters on a success or after on a failure. 
• No order beyond that, anyone can go at any time or the same time. 
• Currently uses "relative distance" e.g. Near (melee), Close, Far and Distant. I first saw it in MechaHack and loved it. Can run anywhere Close in a turn
• Combat Theater a la this
• Resolution mechanics are rolling pools of D6s and hoping to get a 6. Each 6 is a success. 
• Attacking is the same, but you automatically hit and choose your damage from the rolls
  
  

Baseline Whacking 

When you attack in the Heartbreaker you roll D6s equal to your Fighting skill (1-5) and choose which one you want for damage (you automatically hit). These are your Fighting Dice. Additionally roll an additional D6 of another color. This is the Hit Locator. A roll of 6 tracks to the head, then left arm, right, torso, left leg, right. I do the macarena to remember. If the damage and location match, you crit, roll the D6 again for damage. If it's the head (a roll of 6) the crit explodes. Keep rolling D6s as you do. 

You can roll 1 less Fighting Dice, for 1 extra Hit Locator for trying to fuck up one limb in particular, though you may not crit this way.

• When you deal 1 damage, either from a roll or damage reduction from armor, you give your opponent an opening and they may Counter! Check if the weapon is damaged or breaks by rolling its quality under its nicks. Each time you're Countered! add 1 nick. The first time you roll under its damaged. If its damaged and you roll under, it breaks. 
  
  
• [This helps keep heavily armored foes dangerous. You can chip away at the armored knight but he's going to be Countering! the whole time]

When you defend in combat you again, roll your Fighting Dice and choose the damage of your opponent. If it's a 1 or reduced to 1, you may Counter! while you check armor quality (same as above).  Roll the Hit Locator after you've chosen. It's only fair!  

• [I find this method elegant. Unlike in many D&D games and clones, those who fight good (fighters) get punished with extra attacks. The Heartbreaker simply lets them roll max damage more often. Similarly better fighters are better defenders, choosing the damage their foe does, letting them set up Counters! more easily.]

It is encouraged the referee and players scream "Counter!" when a counter occurs, for purposes of morale. 

Whacking Alternatives 

Sometimes you may want to permanently injure a foe by inflicting wounds, such as hamstringing, blinding or bone breaking. Sometimes you may wish to go for a single killing stoke. If so, use the maiming and killing procedures.  

Maiming attacks permanently weaken a foe. To go for a medusa’s eyes, a dragon’s wings or the thews of a mighty giant, is a precise or even “called” shot, that carries great risk. You must garner two successes to maim without being maimed in return, the first to successfully maim them, the second to avoid being maimed, gaining a grievous wound.

Monsters in the Heartbreaker are designed modularly, that is each part may have its own HD. Take care however, monsters often protective of these regions, some inaccessible unless specific maneuvers or other actions are taken. A giant will never be killed while its heart beats and you will never reach its heart while it stands.  

A killing attack inflicts the best status condition fighting has to offer. Dead. Again, take care would-be monster slayer. As with maiming you still need two successes. Unlike with maiming, failing the second roll gains you a mortal wound, crippling the limb struck or turning your torso into hamburger meat.

Many monsters are emblematic or symbolic. When murders go unsolved in rural communities, scarecrows arise and kill each night. When kings gorge themselves and peasants starve, ogres arise. To kill a monster is not to stop what may cause its return. Like hydra’s heads or a vile phoenix, when one dragon falls in avaricious lands, two more make take its place if the community's greed is not tempered. Its a sign something is fucked up.

To successfully maim or kill a foe you must first compare your experience surviving, a comparison of HD, to see if you even can. 

Armor improves your HD for these purposes. Gambeson (light armor) adds +1 HD and Maille (medium) +2. Plate mail adds an impressive +4 HD, if its user is trained in it.  

Anyone who’s ever survived a fight can size up a foe. You can always roughly guess a foe’s HD.  

HD Maim-Kill Table 

Foe’s HD	Maim?	Kill?
Much greater +6 HD	If Staggered	Impossible
Greater +2-5	If Staggered	If Maimed
Even +/- 1 HD	May attempt	If Maimed
Lesser -2	May Attempt	If Staggered or Maimed
Much less <-2	May Attempt	May Attempt

 

The referee consults the table above to determine if a maiming or killing attack is successful. Some foes must be whittled down first if they are to maimed or killed. Remember a bloodied foe (half HP) is automatically staggered.  

Whacking with Friends

You may have some fine fellows you pay or have lied about giving treasure to, in exchange for violence on your behalf. If they are fighting men, mercenaries, they will fight at the line of battle but will not pass it. If they be a levy of some kind, inexperienced or disloyal, they will not pass the second rank. If they be shield, spear or torch bearers they will avoid being Near the battle at all except to throw you a new shield or shield, or keep things lit. 

Asking (yelling in the heat of combat) for these folk to do more than that prompts a morale check or rout. 

If they must because their life depends on it, roll morale. On a success they do it and then flee. On a failure they rout or give up, based on their humors. 

If they are fighting for you, rather than give them a whole turn, add +1 Fighting dice of a different color to your own. They can crit as you (representing teamwork) can but do not roll an extra Hit Locator. Far too slow unless you think it's worth it. If your fighting guy gets an exploding critical or kills a monster in a very cool way, they get a name.