Attacking an Object
Objects have specific rules pertaining to them and specific resistances.
Contents
AC
Objects are fairly easy to hit because they don't usually move. An object’s Armor Class is equal to 10 + its Size modifier + its Agility. An inanimate object has not only an Agility of 0, but also an additional -2 penalty to its AC. If you spend 6 AP the previous round to line up a shot, you get an automatic hit with a melee weapon and a +5 bonus on attack rolls with a ranged weapon.
Immunities
Objects are immune to Sublethal Damage and to Critical Hits. This makes them immune to Overflow Damage as well.
The GM may also rule that many items are immune to damage from certain weapons. The Rapier, as it is so flimsy, is not good for damaging much other than humans.
Vs. Ranged Weapons
Objects take half damage from ranged weapons (unless the weapon is something like a siege engine). The damage is halved before applying hardness.
Vs. Energy
Acid and sonic attacks deal damage to the majority of objects normally. Electricity and fire attacks deal half damage to most objects; divide the damage dealt in half before applying the hardness. Cold attacks deal one-fourth damage to most objects; once again this is before applying the hardness.
Hardness & Hit Points
Hardness
| Substance | Hardness | HP |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | 0 | 2/inch of thickness |
| Cloth | 2 | 2/inch of thickness |
| Rope | 2-3 | 2/inch of thickness |
| Glass | 1 | 1/inch of thickness |
| Ice | 1 | 3/inch of thickness |
| Leather | 6 | 5/inch of thickness |
| Wood | 4-10 | 10/inch of thickness |
| Stone | 12 | 15/inch of thickness |
| Iron or Steel | 14-16 | 30/inch of thickness |
HP
In general, an object remains fully functional until its HP reach zero, at which point it is destroyed. Some types of items, such as Armor, suffer ill effects from great amounts of damage.
So long as a object is not destroyed, it can be repaired with the Craft skill. This will almost always require the same type(s) of craft that were required in the item's creation.
Types of Objects
Attacking a Held Object
A character can target an object that an opponent is carrying in order to deal damage to that object. The defending object's AC is based upon the AC of its wielder. In general, all bonuses except armor bonuses count. In addition, the object will usually have a size modifier.
AC: 12 + Agility + BDB + Facing + Size Bonus + Shield Bonus (sometimes) + Miscellaneous Bonus
If a character is Helpless, the object may be attacked as if it is not being held.
Attacking a Worn Object
Objects being worn or carried in a manner other than in the hands share the AC of their carrier plus their Size modifier, though they do not gain any benefits from armor. In general, dealing more than half of the item's hit points causes it to fall off, though the GM may rule otherwise for very well secured objects. Attacks that miss do not get a chance to target the carrier.
This sort of attack may be made with a ranged weapon but it takes the same penalties for ranged weapons attacking objects as normal.
Blocking a Projectile
You can block projectiles fired at you with a special type of attacking an object. This is much like a shield check - it is an Immediate Action.
When a character is aware of an incoming arrow or other ranged weapon (he does not need to actively observe its being fired, merely be aware that the person who is firing it is present), she may spend 4 AP and attempt to block the projectile with their own weapon.
AC
The projectile has an AC based upon the following formula:
10 + Size bonus + Speed bonus + Facing
The size bonus is determined by the largest dimension of an object. While an arrow might be considered fine in the thin dimension, the character would be deflecting it along the longest dimension, which is only tiny. You cannot block an object of a size larger than yourself in this manner.
The Speed bonus is determined by the following: Thrown Weapons are relatively slow and so have a speed bonus of 1/2 the thrower's strength. Slings have a bonus equal to the wielder's strength. Bows have a bonus equal to the strength of the wielder or the strength rating of the bow, whichever is less. The strength rating is by default 4 if not otherwise mentioned. The Great Composite Longbow has a bonus equal to the strength of the wielder +2. Crossbows have a bonus equal to the strength of the bow +4.
The facing penalty (if any) you would take from this attack is also a bonus to the projectile's AC.
Results
If you fail to hit the projectile, you are targeted by the attack as normal.
A successful hit negates the attack and deals damage as normal to the projectile. If it is not destroyed, it falls at your feet in the square where it was blocked.
If you are using an unarmed strike to block a projectile and you beat the AC by 5 or more, you may choose to have the object end up in a free hand instead of taking damage. If this is a Thrown Weapon, you may throw it immediately at an enemy within range for 2 AP.
Attacking a Shield
An opponent with a shield can be troublesome. However, the destruction of an enemy's shield can be fairly easy. The shield still has immunities like any object (see above).
Whenever an opponent has at least 1 point of shield bonus to AC, and the attacker is wielding a slashing or bludgeoning melee weapon, the attacker may choose to automatically fail his next attack roll and attack the defender's shield instead. This attack automatically hits, as the defender will be trying to block the attacking weapon with his shield. The attack does full damage, negated as usual by the shield's hardness.
Before every attack made with this action, the defender can attempt a Negotiate(Sense Motive) check (DC 18 + attacker's Charisma). If the defender makes the check, the attacker's attempt to hit the defending shield fails. Once the defender has become aware of the attacker's use of this action, it will not work for the rest of the encounter and the attacker must attack the shield using the Held Object rules above.
If the shield is destroyed by one of these attacks, it splinters in half and becomes useless, and the defender immediately takes half of the damage dealt in the attack.
- This action cannot be performed against cloth wraps or cloaks used as shields.
