Alternate Core Documents

[Night Light]

Crippling limbs, with the exception of wings and horns, is probably going to stay exactly the same. Crippling wings, as you and others suggest, will function such that a single crippled wing reduces effective flight rank to 1

Ah, reducing flight rank to 1 (NOT effective flight rank 1, but Flight Rank 1, negating the bonuses from Flight 3 and 4) works. In addition to the points here, I withdraw my concerns regarding flight and move us forward on this change.

Writing it up.

Hang on, I'm seeing Viewing Glass commenting on reducing actual flight rank to 1 and Kkat noting reducing effective flight rank to 1, which are currently very different concepts. I believe reducing actual flight rank to 1 would be the correct decision here, but which one is currently looking at being implemented?

I'm agreeing that there needs to be different effects/penalties for striking a horn, crippling a horn, and shattering a horn. I'll be looking at all of these suggestions and working up a temporary write-up in the rules. I expect that write-up to be revised as needed.

My big issue with that would be that breaking off/shattering a horn is likely to be more difficult that breaking off a limb, so unless all limbs get a mechanic for actually shooting them off a pony's body, I don't think a horn should magically be more vulnerable to it.

Regarding targeting a horn to kill a spell, I like the mechanic but shouldn't a Unicorn have a check to resist losing their spell? Perhaps modify what Viewing Glass suggested earlier and call for an END check at a penalty [Damage Dealt / 10, round down, minimum 1] to keep the spell. If they lose the spell, they lose the strain as well.

As for mechanics when you actually have a crippled horn, I believe Ragebrew's suggestion is right on the money for when they're crippled.

I run crippled horns as: -30 to spell casting, spells that normally don't require a casting roll now do, double strain costs.

Though I could see removing the double strain costs.

[Viewing_Glass]

Hang on, I'm seeing Viewing Glass commenting on reducing actual flight rank to 1 and Kkat noting reducing effective flight rank to 1, which are currently very different concepts. I believe reducing actual flight rank to 1 would be the correct decision here, but which one is currently looking at being implemented?

This. It has to be reducing the actual flight rank to 1, otherwise all targeting a wing did was lower the speed at which they fly. Outside of weapons with the crippling quality, it becomes just straight up easier to kill the pegasus/griffin than taking out the wings and attempting to take them alive.

[Kkat]

New parts in color!

Crippling Limbs

Crippled limbs give a -3 penalty on all Strength and Endurance checks, and a -30 to all attack rolls with weapons using those limbs, as well as a corresponding drop in damage for Melee and Unarmed attacks. A crippled head gives a concussive -3 penalty to all Perception rolls. A crippled torso increases all AP costs by 10. A crippled leg will severely impede movement, doubling move AP for each crippled leg. With three crippled legs the victim will be stricken immobile. A character with even one crippled leg cannot pull a wagon or other vehicle.

A crippled wing reduces a character’s effective flight rank to 1 and causes the character to lose all defensive bonuses from Flight Rank perks. Having both wings crippled renders a character unable to fly. If both wings are crippled, the character must make a succeed on an Endurance check or enter freefall. Success allows the character to make a controlled fall, landing safely. A character with a crippled wing cannot haul a vehicle through the air. If a flying character is hauling a vehicle and suffers a crippled wing, the character loses the benefit of Haul and must immediately make an END check as per having two crippled wings.

Crippled limbs may be cured with the right medical spells or with a successful medicine check and the use of a Doctors Bag. If a crippled limb is not treated, any further damage to that limb runs the risk of severing or destroying the limb entirely. Severed limbs can be re-attached with the right medical spells shortly after dismemberment. Disintegrated or completely destroyed limbs cannot be replaced so easily. Needless to say, while most re-attached limbs regain full functionality, re-attaching a severed head will not bring a character back to life. An alicorn or unicorn whose shattered (or otherwise lost) horn has been repaired may make an Endurance roll at a penalty of -3 each day to regain a point of lost Potency.

A horn may be targeted at a penalty of -50 for ranged attacks or -35 for melee or unarmed attacks. However, the horn is not a normal hit location and cannot be hit without being specifically targeted. Horns can take an amount of damage equal to half the character’s full HP (rounded up) before being crippled. However, horns are inherently magically resilient, possessing extra DT equal to the unicorn’s or alicorn’s Potency (plus any bonus from perks), and a bonus to Damage Reduction equal to double her Potency.

A crippled horn is severely painful and makes all spellcasting require a successful Science check and inflicts a -30 penalty on all spell casting which stacks with any other penalties. All other actions are at a penalty of -10 which stacks with any other penalties. Additionally, all spells cost an extra +10 strain. If a horn is crippled through a critical hit, the horn is shattered, reducing her Potency to 0, making spellcasting impossible, and increasing the penalty for all other actions to -20.

A character may use a React action to target a unicorn’s or alicorn’s horn while she is casting. A successful hit, regardless of damage, will cause the caster to lose the spell. The caster may make an Endurance check at a penalty of -1 for every full ten points of damage dealt (to a minimum effective END of 1) to attempt to recover the strain.

A tail may be targeted for circumstantial effects (such as disarming a character using Tail Trick), but attacks to the tail do not cause any loss of health and the tail is not a normal hit location.

[Ragebrew]

Looks good to me, although for extreme altitudes (+1000 plus feet) I imagine the crippled could try to make another save End save? Because otherwise, they're going to be making their own grave on impact.

[Viewing_Glass]

Quoting only the parts I have a problem with.

A crippled wing reduces a character’s effective flight rank to 1

This really needs to be 'character's flight rank to 1, negating any penalties an enemy would normally take to hit the creature from ranks of flight.'

An alicorn or unicorn whose shattered (or otherwise lost) horn has been repaired may make an Endurance roll at a penalty of -3 each day to regain a point of lost Potency.

Two things: First, does severing a limb result in lost Strength? If not, then a unicorn/alicorn shouldn't lose Potency for losing a horn (also, it doesn't note it anywhere about a loss of potency from losing the horn). Secondly, it should be noted exactly HOW you can repair a shattered/lost horn and limb.

[Kkat]

This really needs to be 'character's flight rank to 1, negating any penalties an enemy would normally take to hit the creature from ranks of flight.'

The rest of the sentence, which you didn't quote, states they lose that. Although I can change, "loses defensive bonuses" to "negating any penalties an enemy would normally take to hit the creature from ranks of flight".

Two things: First, does severing a limb result in lost Strength? If not, then a unicorn/alicorn shouldn't lose Potency for losing a horn (also, it doesn't note it anywhere about a loss of potency from losing the horn). Secondly, it should be noted exactly HOW you can repair a shattered/lost horn and limb.

Severing a limb results in the loss of that limb, which can be safely interpreted as that limb having lost (amongst other things) all its Strength. Since I expect some people would argue that a unicorn's magic is not in her horn and thus she should be able to cast spells without it, it is necessary to elaborate on what the loss of a horn does.

Repairing a lost/shattered horn and limb would be in the healing section.

[Viewing_Glass]

This really needs to be 'character's flight rank to 1, negating any penalties an enemy would normally take to hit the creature from ranks of flight.'

The rest of the sentence, which you didn't quote, states they lose that. Although I can change, "loses defensive bonuses" to "negating any penalties an enemy would normally take to hit the creature from ranks of flight".

That would be much clearer, especially since character isn't gaining bonuses, the enemy is taking penalties.

Severing a limb results in the loss of that limb, which can be safely interpreted as that limb having lost (amongst other things) all its Strength.

Repairing a lost/shattered horn and limb would be in the healing section.

Ah! I see. Then the healing section should have that. It currently does not say anything about repairing a lost limb or lost/shattered horn (unless I misread it again).

[Kkat]

Ah! I see. Then the healing section should have that. It currently does not say anything about repairing a lost limb or lost/shattered horn (unless I misread it again).

Actually, I have to take that back. After a moment's thought, I don't think additional rules on that should be written. There are already spells for bone-mending and regeneration that are clearly applicable. Beyond that, what would be necessary would depend on the GM and setting, and any additional rules would be placing inappropriate restrictions on what GMs make available.

[Night Light]

Gotta say, these changes for the most part look great, only a couple comments.

If a horn is crippled through a critical hit, the horn is shattered, reducing her Potency to 0, making spellcasting impossible, and increasing the penalty for all other actions to -20.

If you can destroy a horn in this fashion, shouldn't the same rule apply to all limbs? I feel that including one necessitates including the other.

A character may use a React action to target a unicorn’s or alicorn’s horn while she is casting. A successful hit, regardless of damage, will cause the caster to lose the spell. The caster may make an Endurance check at a penalty of -1 for every full ten points of damage dealt (to a minimum effective END of 1) to attempt to recover the strain.

Alright, even if there's no check to keep the spell, shouldn't we implement something like we did for degrading armor condition, so that an unicorn with high DT can't be locked down from casting with a simple BB gun? Just as easy a change as "A successful hit that damages the unicorn's horn will cause the caster to lose the spell."

[Ragebrew]

It is because in the show, it was shown how a unicorn's spell could be interrupted by a simple flick to the horn.