Rules for strangling a character?, Where are they? Options

[kevyn668]

[Arethusa]

[kevyn668]

Yeah, I know. I'm pointing out that there a positions in which the target can't attack effectively. I was thinking that was the spirit of hob's post.

[A Clockwork Lime]

[kevyn668]

[A Clockwork Lime]

I know I'd have trouble finding a premade garrote just sitting on someone's shelf. I mean, the demand is just unbelievable, so surely every pawn shop and drug lord has fifty of 'em sitting on their shelves...

[Kagetenshi]

You can find them in art stores. They're used for cutting clay.

~J

[A Clockwork Lime]

But are they perfect length for strangling, with a virtual guarantee that they won't snap or break while struggling with that ork in a hallway? That's what I meant by a "professional" grade one. Anything less than that, including a clay cutting tool, would fall under Improvised Garrote; it could be anything from a clay cutting tool to just grabbing a length of piano wire and wrapping it around your fists several times to a passionate lashing out with phone cord.

[FlakJacket]

Piano wire? Only if you want things to get a bit bloody. If I were doing it, but quite frankly a couple silenced pistol shots to the back of the head are more my style, I'd want something that was thin enough to be usable whilst thick enough that it doesn't cut through the skin. But then I've probably been playing too much Hitman again. :)

[Daishi]

I need to get some sleep or read more carefully. I thought this was "Rules for strangling a player?" at first...

[kevyn668]

[Arethusa]

A clay cutter would basically be on the level of a garrote made specifically for the purpose of strangling. There's really not going to be a discernable difference at the level of abstraction SR operates at. It sure as hell isn't on the level of a piece of phone cord; that much is for certain.

[kevyn668]

Now that I think about it, a garrot is pretty much the same thing (quality/grade wise) as a club. There are no rules for "Improvised Club."

Its blunt. I hit someone with it. He is hurt. Rinse and repeat as needed.

Its small. When applied to the throat with sufficient pressure its cuts and deprives one of air and blood. Rinse and repeat as needed.

[John Campbell]

[A Clockwork Lime]

[moosegod]

Now the biggy- what skill would you use?

Since I have an... evil... plan for my next character.

[A Clockwork Lime]

Garotte skill (STR linked) that can default to Unarmed Combat or Cyber-Implant Combat.

[FlakJacket]

Something like this is what's probably meant by a professional garotte as opposed to an improvised one like a piece of cord or piano wire.

[Blades]

The main objective of a garrot is to cut the blood supply to the brain. Thats why tightening it really hard is very important, otherwise you just strangulates the "subject".
:|
Cutting the blood supply to the brain is an extremely efficient way to cause stun damage (and overflow).
:dead:
Before sciences discovered different forms of chemicals to use as amnesie(?) during surgery, a common practise was to lay pressure on the arteries (on the neck) that supplies the brain with blood.
The "patient" would go unconsious in few seconds, by cutting the blood supply to the brain is much more efficient than strangulation. In case of strangulation or drowning, the "subject" still got air in his lungs, and oxygen in his blood, that might be circulated a couple of time before the "subject" loose consiounes. This is not the case with a garrot, the blood circulation to the brain stops!
:read:
Therefor I would say that the victim goes unconsinous after a full combat turn e.i. 3 seconds.

Unless they succeed in an opposed strenght test, where the attacker got a bonus of +4 to strenght. The victim is in panic, and the attacker got a clear advantage.

Or in case of the victim succeeds to deal out a wound to the attacker (at least a +2 target number). The attacker has to succeed a willpower 4 + wound modifier test to keep the pressure on the garrot.

But unless its a victime who is very experienced, they will try to do the opposed strength test first, sheer instinct. And in general "people" don't know how efficient such a thing is ...... and 3 seconds isn't really much time to react in (better hope you got some reflexes)
:-(

[Firewall]

Personally, I would say that it is a bad idea. Narcoject, taser, etc. can incapacitate and then you can calmly place your knife right where it needs to go.

That said, I would make it exempt from normal combat rules. It is a kind of 'works or not' weapon. I would say that it you a) surprise your opponent and b) get it around their neck fast enough, they are dead. So... Stealth test, surprise test and remember not to let go too soon.

Or perhaps it is a 3M (s) weapon which scales up/down for each single success, which you use unopposed as long as you strike from a position of surprise. That way, bad luck could foil your plan but an experienced killer suffers less from the effects of chance. BUT... any partial neck armour (high collar - suit, coat, cloak / any helmet ) and it's impact rating gets added to your TN. (to simpulate the skill needed to get the wire into a space) Full neck armour (anything better than a long-coat or a ballistic jacket) makes it totally inneffective.

I.e. you roll your Garotte skill against static TN (perhaps 3) and you get two successes; it scales to deadly. The opponent gets no body roll either. Guard is down...

If you had failed your surprise roll, you both roll as normal melee and you are using a totally unsuitable weapon.

[A Clockwork Lime]

Have you ever watched a movie where someone used a garotte? :)

Even if you fail to kill your opponent, you leave them winded and gasping for air (ie, Stun damage). You don't need surprise to grapple and strangle your opponent, though it helps a great deal. Grappling, or as its called in CC "Subduing Combat," allows you to do normal Stun damage if successful to begin with; the garotte only increases that, allowing you to strangle your opponent more efficiently.

And as a Reach -1 weapon, it is "totally unsuitable" for combat situations, especially since it only does damage if you've successfully grappled your opponent in the first place. A static TN is already in place (4 with a +2 modifier for subdual combat if/when the opponent is aware of your presence -- something he potentially doesn't get if you Surprised him). Your skill at using a garotte increases your chances of successfully disabling your opponent quickly and efficiently.

Really, beyond the stats for the weapon, no house rules need to apply. The rules already cover it, even if its not called "strangulation." If anything, you may just want to change the Subduing Combat rules so that it uses Strength as the opposed Attribute instead of Quickness.