Well, not really. Sounds fun, though.

On the GURPS Discord, someone was asking about nets. That led to GURPS Martial Arts: Technical Grappling, which does have such support, and then to Fantastic Dungeon Grappling, which doesn’t.

Well, not explicitly. As I noted, there’s a lot of FDG that is “some assembly required.” In this case, nets are enough of a special case that a new rule is needed. I wander my way through a bit…so read on to the end.

The TG Version

The net is listed explicitly on p. 17. It notes it’s an “entangling, enveloping, flexible, thrown melee weapon.” Yowzer. Let’s see. CP based on weapon skill, fine. Attacks an area (enveloping). Accounts for SM. A “SM+2 net fills a 5-yard diameter area, and can envelop a single SM+2 creature.” Each of the catch phrases unpacks a lot of stuff.

The FDG Version

So, you want to throw a net. Booyah. Here we go. We’ll work this through and then make sure it’s simple enough at the end.

Wriggle Wriggle

• Keep the Net’s range from the weapon table (Adventurers p. 104, and Note [4] on p. 105).
• Throw using Net skill, per Exploits p. 45
• If it hits, inflict Control Points. More on that below
• The victim will need to try and get out. That should be covered using the usual CP-based DX penalties, and choosing what roll to use.
• One possible result from p. 45 is that the victim entangles themselves. Hmm hmm.

The hit is supposed to grapple the target, thus the penalty of -4. So that’s just “a good CP roll.” But what does “good” mean? Apply control points based on Net skill: look it up on the swing column of the Damage Table on Adventurers, p. 10. Someone with Net-14 does 2d control.

That really depends on how you get OUT of it. We want to make thieves good at this, and thieves who invest in Escape better still.

• To wriggle free of a net, roll vs. the better of Escape or DX, applying the usual DX penalties for the net’s applied control. You may choose to “All-Out Attack” the net, which costs you your defenses but adds +2 to skill.
• If you succeed on the roll to wriggle out of the net, remove CP from the net equal to your margin of success, minimum 1
• If you fail by 5 or more, roll 1d and add that many CP to the total – you’ve entangled yourself further!

So if you are ST 10-14 by a 7-point net attack, you’ll be at -4 DX. DX ranges from 11-15; the Thief’s Escape starts at 16. That means rolling vs 8-11 and preserving your ability to defend yourself if attacked, it’s going to be hard to get out. If you AoA to get you, our thief will escape in 2-3 turns, and wizards and other low-DX folk will struggle longer. That doesn’t seem too bad. If you biff your roll by 5+, it will add a few turns to your problem, but it’s a dynamic thing.

Strength and Edges

While it might be preferable to move away from Contests of ST in general, for the Dungeon Fantasy RPG, the existing “burst the net” rule on p. 45 seems fine. Apply the penalty based on the quality of the grapple to the user’s ST (being bound more tightly means you can’t apply your ST as well). So ST 22 barbarian will usually only be at -2 for a typical roll, rolling 20 vs the net’s 14 (melee net) or 22 (large net). So large net for big strong folks. Works.

For edges, use a weapon you can use in C. Make a DX or Escape roll to hit, and if you succeed, apply the weapon’s damage (and almost all cut damage for C weapons is swing) directly to reducing control points. Definitely include the cutting multiplier, and minimum CP removed is 1. The natural reduction in CP as you slice nicely represents the loosening of the net as you part strands. Even with smaller knives you’re out in a turn or two.

Size Matters

A melee net is useful against creatures SM 0 or smaller. A “large” net vs creatures of up to SM +2.

A net has no effect against a creature of Size Modifier 3 or more larger than the net itself. Nets thrown vs creatures larger than their SM do half damage. (An SM 0 net vs an SM 3 creature is ineffective; vs SM +1 or SM +2, it does half damage).

Bigger nets should be possible. Each +2 to SM increases the ST of the net for breakage by 50%, and doubles weight.

If using a very large net vs many small creatures, a net can affect an area with radius equal to HALF the linear measurement on the Size and Speed/Range table. Treat radius as you do for spells: 1-hex radius is “just the target hex,” 3-hex is “target plus two more.” Everyone in the zone is affected. You don’t get a bonus for “targeting a hex” when throwing a net; it’s included in “roll vs Net skill.”

Parting Shot

There are probably other ways to do this, but this is a start. One wants to keep it simple (roll to hit, roll damage) on the attack, and simple (roll to hit, margin dictates CP removed) on removal.

Size Modifier is usually ignored in the Dungeon Fantasy RPG when it comes to grappling, but I feel nets are a special case. Too small a net and you’re really not going to do anything (Picture a 2-yard diameter net thrown at an elephant or T-Rex).

I’m not a fan of Quick Contests of ST for stuff, but really, “roll one thing, if you win you burst forth!” is just too heroic not to use. Our ST 22 barbarian rolling at -2 (20) vs a large net (22) will probably take 4 turns to break out. That’s not horrid. They’ll shred a melee net. That’s as it should be. A super-lucky net shot that puts the Barb at (say) -8 to DX will still be rolling even odds. One restrains Conan with bigger nets made for bigger game.

Cutting your way out of a net should be easier. And since we’re looking at sw-3 to sw depending on the weapon, that IS a lot easier.

Further Musing

I do note a philosophical issue, in that the “attack” roll is:

• Wriggle: roll DX or Escape
• Cut: roll DX or Escape
• Burst: QC of ST

and the effect roll is

• Wriggle: margin of success
• Cut: damage roll
• Burst: win or lose binary

Ideally, it would always be the same:

• Attack: Roll DX or Escape
• Effect: Roll something and compare/apply it to control points or HP on the net

Cut and Wriggle could both be “roll damage.” For Wriggle, one might remove control points based on thrust (but Wrestling damage bonuses do NOT apply), or by looking up Escape on the Damage Table on p. 10 of Adventurers. That means our ST 11 thief has effectively ST 18 for getting out of nets. Why 18 and not 16? Because if you have Escape at DX+1, you get +1/die, and at DX+4, +2 per die . . . just like the Wrestling bonus. If your raw skill hits 19 it’s a huge double whammy. But that moves both cut and wriggle to the same sort of attack-damage-apply to control basis.

For bursting out of a net, you can probably just try and apply the usual thrust damage of our barbarian directly to the HP of the net: 14 for a melee net and 20 for a big one. But that’s rough: 2d damage is only going to bust the net on a best-possible roll. I might try something else: roll swing damage for your ST. If you exceed the HP of the net, it bursts. If not, no effect.

Return Fire

Driving around cleared my mind a bit, and I’m thinking this can even be simplified further.

Throwing the Net

• Attack using Net skill. Maybe throwing a large net (SM +2) vs a smaller person (SM 0) gives the delta as a hit penalty.
• If you hit, do swing damage based on your skill as control points.

Getting Out

• Always start by taking a Ready maneuver, and rolling the best of DX or Escape skill, but state your intended effect roll beforehand. If you fail by 5+, add 1d to the CP binding you. You’ve wriggled and struggled your way into more trouble.
• Choose one of these three options if you hit:
  • Wriggle free using strength or skill. Remove CP based on thrust damage based on either ST or your Escape skill, whichever is better. If you have Escape at DX+1 or higher, add +1/die; if you have it at DX+4 or higher, you get +2 per die.
  • Cut your way free. You must use a weapon that does cutting damage and can be used in C, and you apply the weapon’s damage to both CP reduction AND reducing the HP of the net
  • Burst out all at once. Roll your swing damage for your ST; add bonuses for high Escape skill as usual. If your damage total exceeds the net’s HP (14 for a melee net, 20 for a large net), you burst forth in an appropriately dramatic fashion. If you roll less than half the HP of the net, sorry. Still bound up. If more than half but not enough to sunder the net, remove 1 CP as a consolation prize.*

The consolation prize is something that can easily be jettisoned. Roll swing-based damage, and it’s all or nothing. This is sorta-kinda like the Contest of ST that’s the official rule, and has the nice effect of being binary and requiring no tracking.

But this way, it’s “make the same hit roll, always” and “roll damage, always.” Sometimes you apply it to CP (wriggling and cutting), sometimes it’s HP (cutting and bursting).

For fun:

“Han, can you reach my lightsaber?”

It’s not DFRPG, but a Force Sword does 8d(5) burn. So on an average roll, you’re looking at 28 HP, which will destroy in one swipe any net.

As it should be.