Page 179 - World of Darkness

your character. Electrocution automatically causes bash- (see below) may not reach the intended target. A dra-
ing damage per turn of exposure. No attack roll is made. matic failure may put the grenade at your character’s feet
If harm from electricity is more than just instanta- or in the lap of an ally. Note that if an explosive has a
neous — there’s a constant flow such as through power large blast area and the item isn’t thrown far, the thrower
cables — a victim may not be able to escape. His muscles could be caught in the explosion.
contract, which can prevent him from pulling away. Roll If your character sets a bomb in a strategic place such
Strength as a reflexive action in each turn of contact. Fail- as on a bridge support or in a mailbox, and the bomb has
ure means your character is still connected to the source a timer or trigger, roll Intelligence + Stealth to actually
and suffers its damage each turn until a successful roll is put it in place without it being detected. The relative
made. subtlety of the explosive may apply modifiers to this roll
Source Damage (+2 if it’s small, -2 if it’s homebrewed and clunky). Then
Minor; wall socket 4 (B) roll Intelligence + Science to determine whether your
character locates, sets and detonates the bomb correctly.
Major; protective fence 6 (B) Modifier dice based the explosive’s reliability are applied
Severe; junction box 8 (B) to your pool (+1 if the technology is proven, +3 if the
Fatal; main line feed/subway rail 10 (B) item is almost foolproof, -1 if it’s homebrewed and -3 if it’s
Worn armor provides no protection against electro- jury-rigged). On a failure, the bomb is mistriggered, its
cution. A magical kind conjured up by supernatural be- explosion is muffled or its placement is flawed. A dramatic
ings might at the Storyteller’s discretion. failure while using a set explosive may detonate the bomb
at the wrong time or the device proves a dud.
Explosives A grenade or bomb has a Blast Area and Damage rat-
ing as indicated on the Explosives Chart. Blast Area is
The best way to do a lot of damage in a short amount the diameter in yards in which the explosion takes effect.
of time is with an explosive. They’re often used commer- Anyone in that area suffers the listed Damage automati-
cially to clear rock or to demolish buildings, or by the cally. The same number of dice is also rolled, with any
military to take out resilient targets such as tanks, bridges successes being added to the total damage done. So, an
or enemy installations. Explosives in the hands of anyone explosive with a Damage of 4 inflicts four Health points
else in the world usually suggests one thing: desperation. automatically, and four dice are rolled. Each success adds
The user is prepared to go to extreme lengths to destroy another point of damage to the total. If three successes
something or someone. Assuming your character can even are rolled, total damage in this case is seven.
lay his hands on and use explosives properly, he probably Damage can be bashing or lethal, depending on the
seeks to lay waste to an enemy, be it human or inhuman, item used. (Someone who jumps on an explosive to save
or to destroy something important to that foe. Alterna- others nearby might be the only one to suffer harm, but
tively, he may be desperate to get through a door or to he could take aggravated damage. An ordinary person
gain access to a safe. might muffle a grenade this way, but larger explosives can-
The Storyteller must remember that these weapons not be smothered.)
aren’t widely available, and many of them are strictly ille- As with most Firearms combat, a target’s Defense is
gal. The Status Merit (p. 116) is required to have personal useless against explosives. A potential target can, how-
access to explosives. The Resources, Allies or Streetwise traits ever, go prone as a reaction to the threat of an explosive.
might also be applied to acquire these weapons. Of course, See “Going Prone,” p. 164. Doing so automatically de-
characters can always steal what they need. creases damage inflicted by two. (A prone target does not
Your character may throw explosives, such as grenades impose a penalty to a roll to throw an explosive at him.
or pipe bombs, or set them in a stationary location and The attack isn’t necessarily aimed at the target, but at his
wait for a target to pass, as in the case of a timed or trig- vicinity. If at least one success is rolled, the explosive lands
gered bomb. where intended and the prone target could suffer dam-
See “Throwing,” p. 67, to determine how far an ex- age.)
plosive can be thrown. Items marked with a “†” on the Armor automatically protects against explosive im-
Explosives Chart are considered aerodynamic. Those with- pact and burning with its rating against gunshots. So, a
out the symbol are not aerodynamic and cannot be thrown flak jacket provides three points of protection. These
as far (or at all). If your character throws an explosive, points are automatically subtracted from the explosive’s
roll Dexterity + Athletics to determine whether she gets damage, rather than subtracting from any dice pool. Thus,
it where she intends. Some thrown explosives such as gre- if your character wears a flak jacket and a bomb does four
nades offer bonus dice to your attack roll, while clumsy damage, your character suffers only one Health. (“Bullet-
ones such as Molotov cocktails can impose penalties. Any proof” armor such as a kevlar vest, flak jacket or full riot
successes on your throwing roll indicate that your charac- gear does not downgrade damage from explosions like it
ter lands the explosive where she intends. On a failed roll, does damage from Firearms attacks. See “Armor,” p. 166.)
the explosive doesn’t land where your character intends. Anyone who is concealed behind a barrier or object
The Storyteller decides where it lands, and the blast area or who is fully covered when an explosive goes off also

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Chapter 7- COMBAT