Almost any attack may be declared as Subdual - the attacker is assumed to be using the flat or pommel of a weapon, or simply pulling blows and aiming at non-vital areas.
When damage is caused by a Subdual Attack, half is assumed to be 'real' damage, which heals at the normal rate (see Healing), and half is Subdual damage. For the purposes of causing unconsciousness, the full amount of damage dealt counts, however.
When a Subdued victim does fall unconscious (at 0 HP), they will not bleed and lose further HP. However, an unconscious victim cannot then be struck for additional Subdual damage. All Subdual damage heals of its own accord in 30 minutes or so; unconscious people will wake up then.
Because all those involved in a melee are assumed to be actively parrying, dodging and maneuvering, it's dangerous for others to try to hit a target in the melee with a missile weapon. This system tries to take into account the size and numbers of the potential targets and the attacker's own skill.
First determine the sizes of all the creatures involved in the melee, on all sides, except for the intended target. Add the sizes together - Tiny creatures count as 1, Small 2, Medium 4, Large 8, Huge 16, and Gigantic 32. Compare this total with the size value for the intended target as a ratio. The attacker must then equal or beat the number given on the table below in order to attack his intended target. If he fails, roll randomly between all the other combatants to see who's being shot at.
| 5:1 or better | 4:1 | 3:1 | 2:1 | 1:1 | 1:2 | 1:3 | 1:4 | 1:5 or worse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right target | 2+ | 5+ | 8+ | 11+ | 14+ | 17+ | 20+ | Wrong target |
The attacker gains a bonus to their targeting roll, equal to:
Column Number for attacker's Level on Saving Throw table + Missiles bonus for Dex + Specialisation bonus
Three humans (all Medium size) are involved in a sprawling melee with an Ogre (Large) and six Kobolds (Small). Perhaps foolishly, an ally of the humans decides to attack with a sling, aiming at the Ogre. Using the above system, the size value for the Ogre is 8, and the total for everyone else in the melee is 24 (3 x 4 for the three humans, 6 x 2 for the Kobolds).
The ratio of target to others is therefore 1:3, so from the table the slinger needs to roll 17 or more before they can then go on to roll to hit the Ogre (he could also add any applicable bonuses, as shown above). If he rolls 16 or less, he'll let fly at someone else in the fight, and will have to roll to determine who he hits...
I'm no fan of the buckets of gore model for criticals and fumbles, á la Rolemaster and the like. While they're (somewhat) realistic, it does tend to mean a drastically increased chance of an unheroic death or disfigurement for players' beloved characters in combat. And yet 'special' combat effects can add colour and breathe a little more life into an otherwise rather flat system. So here are some calmer suggestions:
A Critical Hit takes place on any natural roll of '20' in combat, whereas a Fumble occurs on any natural '1'. If and when they turn up, a further roll of 1d20 on the appropriate table below is required:
| d20 Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-5 | Target off-balance, loses 2 AC next round |
| 6-9 | Target drops weapon or loses next attack |
| 10-13 | Target knocked prone, or off-balance if too large |
| 14-17 | Target takes maximum damage |
| 18-19 | Attacker gets another attack on target |
| 20 | Target takes double damage (including bonuses) |
| d20 Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Roll to hit ally at THACO 22, otherwise slip and fall** |
| 3-4 | Weapon drops 1d6 ft, or attacker takes 1d3 subdual damage if natural weapon |
| 5-8 | Attacker off-balance -2 AC next round, plus minor injury 2 pts subdual damage |
| 9-14 | Attacker off-balance -2 AC next round, plus lose next attack recovering/shifting grip |
| 15-20 | Attacker off-balance, loses 2 AC next round |
* Entangling weapon automatically entangles self.
| d20 Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | Roll to hit ally at THACO 22, otherwise slip and fall** |
| 4-7 | Break bowstring or damage weapon |
| 8-13 | Weapon drops 1d6ft |
| 14-20 | Attacker off-balance, loses 2 AC next round |
* Entangling weapon automatically entangles self.