Okay, all this talk about glitches gave me some inspiration in the form of a challenge:

Assume that you are GMing a game and one of your players glitches on a Clubs + Reaction roll while attempting to parry a melee attack by a punk with a monofilament sword, and the result is that the punk gets 1 net hit. The fight is in a Downtown Seattle alley and it's raining. The result of the glitch is your call: what is it?

I was going to make it a contest, but I can't think of anything to offer as a prize that anybody would want, so it's a challenge. Come up with your best and and post it. Alternatively (or additionally), if you see one you like, don't skimp on the praise.

Call me boring, but I think I'd go the K.I.S.S. route and rule that the character falls on his butt in a puddle and his club is either knocked out of his hand or sliced through. (Depending on what the club actually was of course.)

Since the punk's one net success means the PC will likely take damage, the net result is that the lead pipe rebounds off the sword, bashes the PC in the face (taking the appropriate damage) and causes the PC to drop the pipe. Embarassing, and painful, but well within the intent of the rules.

Oh, and no GM fiat required.

As a quick, don't-want-to-slow-combat call, the punk simply gains a "superior position" modifier on his next action.

The description I'd use would likely vary a bit depending on the final damage that gets inflicted after the resistance test, but I'd likely rule that he took a really nasty cut to his weapon arm when he accidentally got his body in front of the whip instead of the club; nothing permanently debilitating thanks to armor, but I'd inflict a -2 penalty when using that arm to wield weapons on top of wound penalties until he got medical attention. Sounds harsh, I know, but consider that it is actually no better or worse than the off-hand penalty, and shouldn't really be much of a problem at all if he happens to be ambidextrous.

the uncharacteristically steamy rain pelting you unforgivingly as the punk crosses to engage you, a quick glance around and you find a broken piece of chrome you can use as a club ("good thing you specialized in clubs Aaron" ~.^ the GM said with a wink across the table) a flash of lightning glints off his weapon and you see he's wielding a monosword much too flashy for any ordinary punk. You quickly surmise this is a hit, those mafia boys you ticked off last week mean business.
just as you look up from snatching the chrome off the pile of garbage to your right you catch the subtle hint of his body movement telegraphing a downward swing instinctively you bring the chrome upwards and the blade sparks off the metal clashing like titans in a legend of old, you barely even feel the bite of plasteel on your fingers as you reel back with the force of his blow, staggering backward a trail of blood follows your footsteps and you see the punk holding what looks to be a cigar....another flash of lightning as you straighten your arm to catch your balance, and seeing both the item in his hand in the distance and the spurting blood you are spewing, you realize its your own finger.
(end result: no damage resistance test)

edit:
whip, monosword...monowhip...monosword...monowhip...

I can't declare you the winner of this thread, but I can offer you a Purple Prose award!

You stand in the alley facing the punk, his monosword glinting in the reflected lightning. Holding your stun baton in guard position, you hit the "charge" button and hear the spark crackle across the head of the baton. The punk rushes forward screaming some inarticulate battle cry, you swing at him and score a clean miss. On the follow through of your strike, the head of the stun baton arcs some electricity into the puddle of rain water you happen to be standing in, causing you to jump awkwardly and twist your ankle on landing. The punk gets in a solid hit on your left arm.

Who knew that club was reinforced with Unobtainium powder that you are incredibly allergic to? Thanks to this punks sharp edge you now know the truth about your weapon!

question... did the player get any successes? I know he glitched but did he also succeed? That makes a big difference IMO.


if it was a critical glitch then I was probably say something like this
"the punks mono-sword slices through your pipe like a hot knife in soybutter and continues on its way slciing into your jacket and gashing your side."

if he made one success with the glitch I'd say "You successfully parried the mono-sword but the shock and vibration of the hit caused your hands to reflexively let go of the pipe. You are now unarmed"

Multiple successes and a glitch, "You swing the pipe up just in time to block his swing. The two weapons connect and the blow creates vibrations forcing you to drop it, but as you look at the punk you see that not only did he lose his weapon as well but you also notice it is severely damaged and will make a poor choice as a weapon now" maybe put negatives on the punk to wield it (should he get the chance to pick it up)

And it wasn't a critical glitch, so he had to of gotten one hit.

So the punk hits him does damage and glitch effect...

Damage as normal, plus roll against object resistance to destroy weapon. Mono-swords are not to be trifled with.

wait
the punk didn't glitch, the Player did, correct?
at least that is how I read it

OP, lil help?

The player rolled a Glitch, which is when half the dice (or more) come up as 1s, but you still get one or more 'hits' on the test.

If he had not got any 'hits', then he would have had a Critical Glitch. This was not the case. The player glitched, and the punk got one more success than the player (one 'net hit'), so the punk succeeds in striking the player, and the player also suffers some minor problem.

Because nobody's said it...
He glitches, and his wife leaves him.

a. defender tries to parry but is overcome by the force of the blow, gets hit and stumbles a couple steps backwards in the rain, trying desperately to regain balance before the next attack [-1 dice to next action]

Alternatively, (b) he drops something he was carrying (if it were my players: their sports bag with extra gear)

Also, the defender rolls in the gutter for a moment after being hit but quickly regains footing [just fluff, no actual prone situation] then:

c. Attacker has superior position next pass OR
d. clothes spoiled by the mud and gutter of the alley (social and stealth penalties later until washed up) OR

As well:

e. Club damaged by the parry attempt. Loses 1 damage or imposes -1 penalty until repaired.

Anyway, whatever minor inconvinience, wardrobe malfunction or annoying problem but nothing too costly or much harder that a circumstantial -1 penalty. I leave really life-threatening issues for critical glitches.
But what I am really creative with are glitches at damage resistance tests.


Cheers,

Max