A couple of points:

1. RQ probably should have had some special rules for the ant (actually there are rules concerning the amount of general HP damage an insect can take from a limb hit). I would have let the ant get away with one leg off – it has five more. But the hit loc/damage rules are written towards humanoids. Check out Knockback.

2. All true RQ players are notable for having characters with heavily armoured legs. Plate greaves with padding, please.

3. James McMurray: yes, in Burning Wheel the target chooses the hit location.

Quote from: droog3. James McMurray: yes, in Burning Wheel the target chooses the hit location.

Damn you!!! Tack another item into the Pro column on my "should I buy Burning Wheel" board. At this rate I'll never see one side come ahead far enough to actually make a decision.

Quote from: droog2. All true RQ players are notable for having characters with heavily armoured legs. Plate greaves with padding, please.

Huh huh huh.  I kinda pictured this, earlier --

"Hey!  Krondar!  What, uh...what's wrong with your legs?"
"Huh?"
"The...things on your legs.  You get those off a stove?"
"What?  Oh.  Yeah, I did."
"Umn...why?"
"'Cause I'm going adventuring with you guys."
"Well...okay.  Right, so, let's go.  C'mon.  Are you coming?  Move your feet!"
"Man, you have any idea how much ten thousand pennies REALLY weigh?"

Hey, we figured out how much bronze it would take to make greaves for a giant PC. Don't ask, because the figures are elsewhere.

On an episode of "Conquest" that focused on dueling in medival europe, a re enacted duel featured a move meant to feint the enemy, they strike his leg to disable it, at ahich point the other guy was more or less declared the winner, so apparently crippling a leg usually means victory.

Look at it this way too, a lot of blowhards claim "I can beat so and so with one arm tied behind my back!", but they never say they could beat someone with one leg tied behind their back.

"It's only a flesh wound!"

Ironically RQ3 is still widely played here in Uruguay, because it was the only version of RQ that ever got translated into spanish, and came into the country along with a number of other games (CoC, Elric, D&D 2e) that were translated by a Spanish publishing house.

There were even some rulebooks (with a bunch of "advanced rules") that were created by the translators exclusively for the Spanish edition.

RPGPundit

It's a solid game that still has a strong following around the world.  It's certainly my "common denominator" or the "turn-to game" among my collection.

!i!

As others have said, that's how fights in Runequest (any edition really) tend to end, certainly when I ran it recently some players started referring to it as Limbquest.

It's not by its nature though a game well suited to heroic highjinks, it's a bit too brutal for that, however adding in some hero points or somesuch which let you shrug off a wound would probably fix that right up should you wish to.

In fact, if you plan a sort of swashbucklingy game with RQ, you really need something like that as it's not so much designed for that kind of play.

Just to add something to Dr. Rotwang's inquiry: Turkeys!

More seriously: I'm sure of having read somewhere that an insect or creature with many legs had to lose a significant part of them before suffering penalties of note. The location hit reflects that you strike where you can, and in hand to hand combat, reflects the target having more control of where the blow lands, with arms covering the chest and such. Arrow locations would make it easier to hit the center of the body.

And if you are going to be scared of missing a limb or two, you shouldn't be playing with sharp metal pieces. Sissy.

Quote from: RPGPunditIronically RQ3 is still widely played here in Uruguay, because it was the only version of RQ that ever got translated into spanish, and came into the country along with a number of other games (CoC, Elric, D&D 2e) that were translated by a Spanish publishing house.

There were even some rulebooks (with a bunch of "advanced rules") that were created by the translators exclusively for the Spanish edition.

RPGPundit

The translation has some interesting errata, particularly referring to strike ranks. According to the Spanish ed., if you attack with a sword you can't parry with it in the same round, making 1 handed weapons useless (a shield is considered a secondary weapon). What the original ed said was that you couldn't attack and parry in the same strike rank.

Quote from: ImperatorI'm sure of having read somewhere that an insect or creature with many legs had to lose a significant part of them before suffering penalties of note.

Anyone have access to stats for Scorpion Men?  Maybe that would have some specific refrence to the multi-leg ruling.

!i!

I have my 2nd ed. rules right here:

SCORPION MEN

Location   (D20)  Points
R. Hind Leg           (01)             3
R. Center Leg        (02)             3
R. Fore Leg           (03-04)         3
L. Hind Leg            (05)             3
L. Center Leg        (06)              3
L. Fore Leg           (07-08)         3
Tail                     (09-10)         5
Thorax                 (11-12)         5
Chest                  (13-14)          6
R. Arm                 (15-16)          4
L. Arm                 (17-18)          4
Head                   (19-20)          5

This assumes the creature has 13-15 hit points. A human with the same overall hit points would have 6 points in the chest, 5 in the head, abdomen, and legs, and 4 in each arm. 3rd ed. changed the formula somewhat, IIRC.

(Edited for clarity.)

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaAnyone have access to stats for Scorpion Men?  Maybe that would have some specific refrence to the multi-leg ruling.

!i!

You're right. Quoting from RQ III, losing one leg doesn't carry penalty. Losing 2 on the same side would halve its speed and prevent it from using any Agility skill. If it loses all the legs on the same side, it's inmovilized.

Actually, the damage to legs doesn't count to total HP.

Quote from: ImperatorActually, the damage to legs doesn't count to total HP.

Aha! Now look up 'Giant Ant'.