Topic: Do you use weapon breakage rules?

[Druss_the_Legend]

Do you use weapon breakage rules?

If yes, how do they work? When do you check for weapon breakage?
Can magical weapons also break? Are they less likely to break?

[katastrophe]

Almost never. We don’t want combats to last 3-4 hours so esoteric rules are relegated to odd circumstances. Not and every attack type thing.

It’s kinda a judgment call as to whether we bother with something like weapon breakage - say PC uses his bow to parry a great sword or a spell or magic item calls for possible breakage.

In just standard combat, it’s just too much minutiae

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

Only in conjunction with the weapon shatter skill.

[MisterK]

Short answer : no.

Long answer : still no. In my opinion, it is a waste of time for the kind of games I run. But then again, it's only one of many very detailed subsystems I don't use in RM for that reason.

[Hurin]

I never used them before, but I do use them in RMU, as I find the system a little easier to use. However, instead of rolling for breakage on a roll of 33 or 77 (which my players and I sometimes forget), I roll for it on any fumble. It makes fumbles potentially worse, but at least I remember to make the checks.

I have found that breakage does add something to the game. It provides a sense of realism, and makes crafting skills more valuable. To add more value to crafting skills, I also encourage players to not just repair but also craft their own gear, for a discounted price -- they just buy the raw materials and access to a forge for a few days.

[Druss_the_Legend]

I never used them before, but I do use them in RMU, as I find the system a little easier to use. However, instead of rolling for breakage on a roll of 33 or 77 (which my players and I sometimes forget), I roll for it on any fumble. It makes fumbles potentially worse, but at least I remember to make the checks.

I have found that breakage does add something to the game. It provides a sense of realism, and makes crafting skills more valuable. To add more value to crafting skills, I also encourage players to not just repair but also craft their own gear, for a discounted price -- they just buy the raw materials and access to a forge for a few days.

nice. i like your ideas. ill think il use the fumble you check rule also. possibly only on 01 or magical weapons.

[netbat]

I would use breakage rules if they were implemented in an automated combat system like ERA. Otherwise it is too much trouble to keep track of.

[Hurin]

It can be fun. A couple of sessions ago one party member got his greave ripped off by a Night Hound. Then the next session he took a slash to the same (now unarmored) leg and got it cut off; if he had still had the armor, he wouldn't have lost the leg. So it ended up being a fun lesson in how armor protects!

Druss I might use your rule or modify it so that any fumble that is a natural 01-02 results in a breakage check.

[Druss_the_Legend]

It can be fun. A couple of sessions ago one party member got his greave ripped off by a Night Hound. Then the next session he took a slash to the same (now unarmored) leg and got it cut off; if he had still had the armor, he wouldn't have lost the leg. So it ended up being a fun lesson in how armor protects!

Druss I might use your rule or modify it so that any fumble that is a natural 01-02 results in a breakage check.

cool. i think 01-02 is a goog house rule. come sup a fair bit. more than u would think.

[PiXeL01]

I only used them in a post-apocalyptic setting where all weapons were made of natural materials such as bone, stone, and wood.

Rules were if you roll an open-ended result (1-5 or 96-100, then roll again. If that roll is a negative open-ended (1-5), your weapon breaks.

[Spectre771]

I do if they are doing something "stupid" like hacking at a heavy oak door with a dagger or using their battle axe to try to crack open a stone sarcophagus.  Beyond that, it's more paperwork for the GM and/or players.  The crits have "weapon breaks" results anyway, and that's usually good enough for us.

[gandalf970]

I roll a d30 with each attack and if I roll a 1 I check for breakage.

[alloowishus]

I use home brew rules. I have created my own spreadsheet where I keep track of the amount of damage weapons and dealt and how damage armor have taken. Armor and weapons have "hit points" similar to characters, based on their strength and if they are superior and/or magic. As the weapons and armor deteriorate they start to lose effectiveness and need to be repaired. This is a bit more work for the GM but it means less time wasted during combats, which I think can be a problem with RM, combats can get bogged down very easily. It also is a bit more realistic and less dramatic.

[gandalf970]

Yes I use them and always have from the original to now.  My group loves it, but like any group it is a matter of taste.  If you don't like it throw it out.