Help design a tool/weapon, the reata/lariat

[Conquistador]

Both and neither a melee/missile weapon when used by Vaquero, Cowboy, or Tarzan it would make my geographic variants of Tarzan/wild west teams more individualized. 

I do not want an uber weapon but one that captures the usefulness of the mounted (or up in a tree) character reata/lariat leather/twisted grass tool with or without the bits of glass Tarzan may have introduced into his version.  As the American Dragoons found at San Pasqual - see http://www.militarymuseum.org/SanPasqual.html - being dismounted and dragged by a character on horseback can be functionally debilitating.

Not sure how to stat up this tool/weapon so it adds flavor/capability but making it a specialist/trained item, (somewhat like Bayonet Drill,) that doesn't become everyone's unbalsncing weapon of the month.

Gracias,

Glenn

[religon]

I've been dabbling using IHNM mechanics for a Bronze Age of Comic Books superhero convention game. Many of the heroes and villains need to disable the victim rather than kill them, much like a lariat.

My approach has been a penalty(s) on SV and a penalty for the Pluck Roll. The difference is that if the Pluck roll is failed, the victim gets a second Pluck Roll in the next turn with an even higher penalty. If it passes either roll, it is not restrained. In my case, Wonder Woman has to hold the victim for 2 turns before they are incapacitated.

I think the "Magic Lasso" is range 6" with a -1 SV penalty. It ignores armor. There is a -2 Pluck penalty the first turn. If failed, the victim has another chance at -4 the next turn. If the second roll fails, the figure is "captured" and removed from play. Perhaps in a scenario, captured figures are double the victory point compared with killed characters.

You may wish to allow the victim to add FV or modifiers for being mounted. If so, increase the Pluck penalties by 2 points to compensate.

Another incapacitating weapon I developed for superheroes was an adhesive projector-gun for a villain by the name of Paste Pot Pete. Rather than remove the figure from play after 2 failed Pluck rolls, the adhesive hardened but could be broken by really powerful figures, like Ben Grimm. The allied free figure must be in base contact with the bound figure. Roll 2d10 and add the FV (Strength). On a 19+, the victim is freed. The value could be higher to make is harder to release such a character. The Thing has a FV of 6+, so frees a bound character at almost a 50% rate. Lesser characters only succeed about 20% of the time.

[copeab]

Since its thrown, even if you hold on to one end, I'd consider it a Shooting weapon. A snared figure with a one-handed cutting weapon should be allowed additional Pluck rolls to cut through the rope.

I had thought about a couple of non-lethal capture weapons last month (blunderbuss-like gun that fired a weighted net and a grenade that released a weighted net after apogee). I was rather stuck on a cost reduction as neither would permanently remove a figure from a game (plus, blunderbuses and grenades have an unlisted cost reduction).

[Craig]

Lasso eh?

Okay using the KISS principle you could make it as follows:

FV+1, Range 6", Two-handed, Pluck -0, Ignores armour

Any hit is non-lethal and knocks the target down.

If the shooter holds onto the rope then the target has a pluck penalty of -2 to get up unless they have a short bladed weapon such as a knife.

Cost = 1 + 1 (FV+1) + 1 (Range <12") + 2 (max Pluck penalty -2) + 3 (ignores armour) -3 (non-lethal) = 5pts

If the shooter is mounted and proceeds to move in the next movement phase then the target is dragged and takes a hit at FV+1, Pluck -2 (in the movement phase).

A figure that moves into contact with the rope in the movement phase can attack it in the fighting phase and automatically cut the victim free.

[Conquistador]

Lasso eh?

Okay using the KISS principle you could make it as follows:

FV+1, Range 6", Two-handed, Pluck -0, Ignores armour

Any hit is non-lethal and knocks the target down.

If the shooter holds onto the rope then the target has a pluck penalty of -2 to get up unless they have a short bladed weapon such as a knife.

Cost = 1 + 1 (FV+1) + 1 (Range <12") + 2 (max Pluck penalty -2) + 3 (ignores armour) -3 (non-lethal) = 5pts

If the shooter is mounted and proceeds to move in the next movement phase then the target is dragged and takes a hit at FV+1, Pluck -2 (in the movement phase).

A figure that moves into contact with the rope in the movement phase can attack it in the fighting phase and automatically cut the victim free.

Very good representation of what I was thinking though the others have merit too.  I envision the reata being used to dismount riders, (as in the MAW in California,) removing them as mounted threat and making them vulnerable to followup attacks by lance armed vaquero/presidials, (swords were difficult to use on prone targets without falling off your horse,) and, (as actually was done,) injuring/killing (over several turns in 'real world time,') targets unable to free themselves from the entanglement.  Being wrapped up by a reata is easy to escape if the thrower doesn't maintain the 'grasp' of the reata and you are not stunned even without a knife.   

Correspondingly, anything longer than a knife/Fighting Knife is significantly less effective in cutting a (twisted grass/strips of rawhide) reata, if you are free enough (grasp of reata not being maintained) to position a sword/etc., then you can just shrug off a reata easily enough (been there/done that, actually.)     I personally advise 'jumping' off/out of a falling reata as you drop it to the ground lest it hooks you feet rather than lifting it over your head if the user still has the other end just incase they realize you are escaping and have time to act.  Even if a person on foot pulls the reata you may get lucky and just lose a boot.        Bootless is a problem but less so than a rope around your neck.

So if Tarzan loops a target from up in a tree and pulls them up (and they don't can't escape) how would you determine damage both during and after battle?  Trust me, Vaqueros don't climb trees - it is demeaning for a "hildago" or a cabellero to do so unless there are no peons around...   and even then...    

Gracias,

Glenn