In Mongoose RuneQuest (ie, BRP), there is a rule that if you roll an Impale with a bladed weapon, you can either make a Strength Check to pull it out, thus causing extra damage, or leave it in.
I think RQ II or RQ III had some pretty detailed rules for leaving a weapon in a target. Impaling weapons (arrows, spears etc) could become stuck in a target - even if you didn't want them to.
all of this is from memory so I could be wrong on some of the details (its been a while)
Impales occured on 20% of your attack (I think). Implaing a target dealt damage x2.
The weapon would continue to do damage x1 over the subsequent ranks so long as the victim moved. For an arrow I belive this was 1D8, which in RQ terms was pretty unpleasant. The damage ignored armour of course and couldn't be dodged.
The victim could pull the weapon out (on a Str + Con) taking damage one last time. The attacker could also pull the weapon out (Str x2) - though this rarely happened in any game I played - most characters had back up weapon's and an impaled victim was generally screwed.
You could also leave weapons impaled in shields - which could mean that the shield became useless if the impaling weapon or weapons were big enough.
All of this tended to slow combat a little (though not much for an experienced group) but also added to the 'feel' of combat. My group was certainly very happy with the added complexity.
Burying a Weapon in the Target. Regardless of skill level or ability all characters have the option of leaving a weapon buried in a target; doing so has both advantages and disadvantages. The following holds true for this maneuver:
• Leaving a weapon in a target can only be done if the weapon is of the proper size. For a human-sized target, the largest weapon that can be used effectively is approximately short sword/hand axe size.
• A weapon left buried in a target hampers movement. The target has their Move score reduced by the weapon Size and suffer a penalty to all movement based Challenges (such as Dodge or Run). Weapons and weapon Sizes are cumulative, as are accrued penalties.
• Missile and thrown weapons of the appropriate Sizes are assumed to automatically bury themselves in a wound.
• Note that in order to burying a weapon in the target the weapon must be of the piercing or stabbing variety; blunt or slashing weapons cannot be used in such a manner.
• If using a thrown or melee weapon the attacker is left weaponless until they can draw another weapon.
• If the A/B of the target reduces the initial damage of the attack (i.e. before the second option below is applied, if chosen) to 0 or fewer Health the weapon does not impale the target.
The character must declare they are performing this maneuver prior to making an attack Challenge. If the character fails to hit the target with a melee attack they will drop the weapon (as per Disarm) if they have a negative Luck score. Otherwise (including missile and thrown attacks) the attack simply fails. For melee attacks the character must spend a point of Fatigue in order to perform the maneuver. At the time the maneuver is declared the character must also decide what additional affect is applied. Some possible effects are as follows:
• Because the character doesn’t need to worry about backstroke or follow-through the attack can be made with a melee weapon as an Instant action (note the Fatigue cost).
• The damage inflicted by the attack is increased by one degree (melee attacks only). Therefore, if the Challenge indicates a Normal success it would instead inflict damage as a Good success.
• The target is more likely to suffer a Wound. For purposes of comparing to the target’s Wound Threshold increase the damage inflicted by two. Note that the target does not actually suffer this damage. Any Wound DC Challenge is also increased by a modifier of 2.
• If the weapon is barbed the target suffers an equivalent base amount of damage (i.e. without Strength or other modifiers, including any A/B) equal to that caused by the attack when the weapon is removed. The weapon can only be removed without causing damage through the use of magic or a CR 19 Healing Challenge.
Only one such effect can be applied for any given attack.
This combat option exists to quantify a maneuver often seen in film and fiction but difficult to justify mechanically in a game. Now a character has a reason to potentially leave their daggers buried in an opponent as they carve a trail of gore through a battle that justifies the temporary loss of a weapon. In addition, it gives some parity to missile and thrown combat when compared to melee.
As a player in 1st Ed Exalted (in a a group that hadn't read the rules very well), I botched a roll against an extra. The story teller (generously) told me I put my jade spear through the extras head, but it would be stuck for a while. I believe his intent would be that I would have to waste future actions on getting my spear out. I had other plans.
I told him "rock on", and proceeded to use the unfortunate extra as a pivot point; I could now clothesline my foes, use him to vault myself around in fancy athletics checks, and so forth. I think at one point I used the victims torso to attack multiple extras in a single attack. I didn't have the lethal point of my spear for attacking, but my foes were mere mortals, and bashing damage would suffice.
If the game supports stunting your actions, then lodging a weapon in a foe is just a great opportunity to stunt further.
-bucket of cats
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Currently playing: 4e, Dwarven Bowling Ball (small, round, impossible to break)
Looking forward to: Building the right Exalted campaign to introduce new people to the system, make up for my last one.
Burying a Weapon in the Target. Regardless of skill level or ability all characters have the option of leaving a weapon buried in a target; doing so has both advantages and disadvantages.
Near as I can tell, you've piled on a heap of advantages, but given very few disadvantages. Under your rules, I'd have a crapload of daggers, and try burying them all the time. What do you hope to get from making this "an option" rather than something that "happens from time to time?"
By virtue of having it happen, you'll support the trope without making it something that players will try to game. Either you're prepared to lose a weapon, or you aren't. I really don't think any warrior worth his salt thinks "Should I leave my weapon in my foe?" The seasoned fighter may be prepared for that contingency, but he doesn't think of being disarmed, even temporarily, as a viable option.
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