Cutthroat

Cutthroat Available To Rogues Mnemonic [CUTTHROAT] Cost Base 20 (-5 Rank 1, -2 Rank 2) Roundtime 5 sec. Requirements Weapon; Ambush training Prerequisites None

Rank Square 1 2   2 4  3 6  4 8  5 10

Cutthroat is a combat maneuver available to rogues. It allows the rogue to spring from hiding to slit an opponent's throat.

The target will not be able to speak or prepare a spell until they are healed by an empath, eat an appropriate herb, or die. They will only cough up a gob of blood when they attempt either. While Empathic spells can usually be cast regardless of physical damage, cutthroat will prevent an empath from casting all spells, including healing magic, until it is healed. For this reason, Empaths fighting bandits or other enemies that use cutthroat are advised to carry aloeas stem (or another herb that heals major neck wounds).

Mechanics

The following affects the use Cutthroat:

• The attacker must be standing and hidden in order to use the maneuver.
• The attacker must be holding a one-handed edged weapon in order to use the maneuver. Using a dagger will give a +5 bonus; all other OHE weapons will receive a -5 penalty.
• It is possible for the weapon used to flare against the target on a minor or major success.
• The attacker gains a +10 bonus if the target is stunned.
• The target must be corporeal.
• The target may be in any position (standing, sitting, lying down, etc) to execute the maneuver.
• If the height difference between the attacker and target is too large (a human vs a giant, a giantman vs an illoke, or even a gnome vs a human) then the maneuver cannot be performed. The maneuver can always work against a target that is lying down.
• The target's padding, resistances, flares, armor divisors, and the like are all bypassed when the maneuver succeeds.
• The maneuver can be used more than once against the same target. Each major success will increase the bleeding by 4 and will give the target a rank 3 neck injure if it didn't already have one.

There are 4 possible outcomes depending on the end roll result as indicated by maneuver's messaging. Below is a table of the results and how they affect the attacker and target.

Success Level	End Roll	Attacker RT	Target RT	Other Effects on Target
Major Failure	< 0	5 sec	0 sec	None
Minor Failure	0 - 100	5 sec	0 sec	None
Minor Success	101 - 124	5 sec	3 sec	Causes 1 point of damage and a rank 1 neck wound.
Major Success	125+	5 sec	3 + (end roll - 120)/5 sec. (max 8)	Cause (endroll - 100)/5 damage and a rank 2 neck wound, bleeding 4 hp/round. Cannot speak (see below)

Only a major success (125+) will prevent the target from speaking. A major success prevents the target from speaking until the neck wound is healed down from rank 2. For creatures, this only means no casting spells but for adventures this affects a larger amount of actions cannot be performed:

• PREPARE or INCANT spells.
• Divert maneuver.
• War Cries.
• Using the ASK verb.

Attempting any of these actions only results in the message: "All you manage to do is cough up some blood." After healing the wound, it will take a few moments to the target to clear their throat before they can act normally.

Creatures that use this maneuver

• Triton executioners
• Bandits

Bugs

The aiming system has trouble figuring out if you can reach the targets throat. This affects attackers of smaller races more than normal sized races.

Example: a forest gnome vs a Fire Salamander that is standing

H>appraise salamander
The fire salamander is medium in size and about one foot high in its current state.
The salamander is too easy for the likes of you!

H>cman cutthroat
The salamander's throat is too high to reach!

H>ambush salamander neck
You leap from hiding to attack!
You swing a sharp black glaes knife at a fire salamander!
AS: +136 vs DS: +34 with AvD: +25 + d100 roll: +5 = +132
... and hit for 18 points of damage!
Deft swing strikes the fire salamander's neck.
Maybe not fatal but it's sure distracting.
The fire salamander is stunned!
Roundtime: 4 sec.

Messaging

Trying to Cutthroat without hiding first:

R>cman cutthroat
For this to work, you'll need to take your target by surprise.  Try hiding first.

Trying to Cutthroat with a 2-handed edged weapon:

H>cman cutthroat
The twohanded sword is too cumbersome to use with cutthroat.

Trying to Cutthroat with a non-edged weapon:

H>cman cutthroat
The spiked club is not something that will cut a throat very well.

Attacker point of view, major success with flare and minor success:

[Roll result: 274 (open d100: 94) Bonus: 5]
You spring from hiding and attempt to grasp Target by the chin while slitting his throat with your skinning knife!

You slice deep into Target's vocal chords!
... 34 points of damage!

** Your skinning knife emits a searing bolt of lightning! **

... 20 points of damage!
Heavy shock gives Target fits!
He is knocked to the ground!
He is stunned!

[Roll result: 122 (open d100: 131) Penalties: 16]
You spring from hiding and attempt to grasp Kembal by the chin while slitting his throat with your vaalorn bodice dagger!

Your aim is slightly off and you only manage to inflict a minor flesh wound upon Kembal!
  ... 4 points of damage!
Roundtime: 5 sec.

Target point of view, major success:

[Roll result: 146 (open d100: 82)]
A triton executioner springs upon you from behind and attempts to slit your throat with his sharply tapered longsword!
A triton executioner slices deep into your vocal chords!
  ... 9 points of damage!

!>'Hey!
All you manage to do is cough up some blood.

Target point of view, minor failure:

[Roll result: 86 (open d100: 56)]
Attacker springs upon you from behind and attempts to slit your throat with his black rolaren longsword!
You manage to fend off Attacker's attack!

Roundtime: 7 sec.

Attacker point of view, major and minor failures:

[Roll result: -40 (open d100: 65) Penalties: 28]
You spring from hiding and attempt to cut Kembal's throat!  Unfortunately, your aim is off and your attack goes wide!
Roundtime: 6 sec.

[Roll result: 44 (open d100: 65) Penalties: 28]
You spring from hiding and attempt to grasp Kembal by the chin while slitting his throat with your vaalorn bodice dagger!
Kembal manages to fend off your attack!
Roundtime: 5 sec.

Trying to use the ASK verb:

[Adventurer's Guild, Lobby]
Thick and windowless marble walls enclose this rather spacious lobby, which is liberally decorated with the mounted heads of both exotic and mundane beasts.  The floor is covered with fine bearskin rugs and various specimens of antique dwarven stone furniture.  Overhead, a massive candle-lit chandelier adequately illuminates the area and provides for the impressive shadows cast by the various stuffed beasts arrayed about the room.  You also see the Hymore disk and Guild Taskmaster Dayle.
Obvious exits: east, west, out

!>ask dayle for bounty
All you manage to do is cough up some blood.

Resources

• List of combat maneuvers by profession
• Combat Manuevers List: Cutthroat, on Play.net

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