Whip

Whip Weapon Proficiency

In the game there are two types of whip that characters may employ as weapons. The Bull Whip and the Drover or Stock Whip. The principal difference in the two lies in the handles. The Bull Whip (the kind Indiana Jones uses!) Has a handle that is integral to the lash. It is made from, and is part of, the strips that are woven together from one end to the other. The Drover’s whip or Stock Whip has a wooden handle that has the lash attached to a wooden handle. For purposes of striking blows, cracking and most other functions, the two whips are indistinguishable. However, the Bull Whip is better and more reliable, if you plan on your character swinging from the whip! On the other hand, the Drover’s Whip’s handle can be weighted to use as a short club or black jack.

WHIPS

A Whip strike is a Ranged Attack.

The Wielder may make one (1) attack per Combat Round against anyone in a 180 degree radius of the wielder’s front and within the reach of the whip. Reach = Length of whip +3’ (wielder’s arm length) Example: A 12’ bullwhip has a reach of 15’ NOTE: The Fighter sub class Sportsman may make 2 attacks per round with a whip. No other class or subclass may. See Lightning Lash.

Whip Strikes: The blow from a Whip may be used to inflict damage to a target. The thicker the clothing, armor or hide, the less effective a whip is. A whip is at its most effective against bare skin or lightly dressed individuals. Whip damage may be Lethal or Non Lethal at the wiekder’s option.

Generally a Whip Strike hits a random body part. Most commonly the torso. A ‘Called Shot’ to hit a particular limb is -4 to hit. A Called Shot to the face or head/neck is -6. If the wielder has the Precise Lash Skill then the Called Shot to a limb is -2 and to the face/head/neck is -4. NOTE: A Whip Strike IS NOT Entanglement! Strikes do Damage to the area hit.

A Whip cannot do Critical Damage to a target’s Constitution UNLESS all of the target’s Hit Points have been ‘whipped away’ or it is otherwise at zero hit points and unconscious. Only then is it possible to whip someone to death. An unresisting target of small or medium size, will sustain 1-2 CN Points per blow. A large target, 1 CN Point per blow. Very large, or larger, targets cannot be whipped to death.

Entanglement: Because a whip can wrap around an enemy’s leg or other limb the wielder may attempt to snag a foe’s limb. Such an attempt DOES NOT DO DAMAGE. Additionally, in an Entanglement attempt the wielder MAY NOT use Lightning Lash until the whip is disentangled. Targeting a particular body part is a Called Shot, as a Whip Strike above. If no particular limb is targeted then the entanglement attempt is around the target’s waist at no penalty to hit. IF the To Hit is successful the Target may attempt a Save vs Paralyzation to avoid being entangled. Success means they shook it off or otherwise avoided the entanglement. (If the wielder has Lightning Lash he/she may make a second attack that round.) Failure means that the target’s limb, or body is entangled and will remain that way FOR THE DURATION OF THAT COMBAT ROUND AND AN ADDITIONAL 20 SECONDS – 1 FOR EACH POINT OF DEXTERITY THE TARGET HAS. EX: The target (15 DX) becomes entangled in the 6^th second of the combat round. He loses the remaining 4 seconds in the round AND 5 seconds in the following round. Note: The whip wielder may opt to disengage the whip as a Free Action and have it ready to use the Next Combat Round.
While the target is entangled the wielder may attempt to Trip or otherwise pull the target off balance. (This occurs in the round that the entanglement occurred.) To prevent this the Target must Save vs Petrification, reduced by EITHER any Strength Bonuses OR Dexterity Reaction Adjustment that the Wielder has. (Use the greater number, NOT BOTH.) Failure means that the target has tripped or otherwise stumbled. The target takes no damage but looses all actions that it may have remaining in the round that they trip/stumble AND must spend the next entire round getting back on their feet/recovering balance and getting detangled.

Whip Crack: The sound of a whip cracking can be intimidating and frightening to many people and animals. It may be used to (attempt) to hold an aggressive animal at bay, or even drive them off and it may do the same for some human opponents.

Zero level NPCs have a flat 50% chance of being intimidated by a whip cracking at them. That chance is reduced by 5% for every level the NPC has AND by 5% for every point of Intelligence over 12.
Animals, or ordinary animal intelligence will make a Morale Check to see if they back off or retreat. Note: Once engaged in actual combat with an animal the Whip Crack will NOT cause it to back down.

Whips range in length from 5’ to 15’

The Whip

Name	Damage vs S or M	Damage vs L	Weight (lbs)	Length (feet)	Space Required (feet)	Speed
WHIP	1-2	1	2.5 to 3.5	8 to 18	8 to18	5 to 8

ARMOR CLASS ADJUSTMENTS TO HIT

0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
-14	-12	-10	-8	-6	-4	-2	-1	0	+1	+3

ARMOR CLASS ADJUSTMENTS TO DAMAGE(To Body/Torso)

0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
-14	-12	-10	-8	-6	-4	-2	-1	0	+1	+3

AC 10= Naked or light clothing (Shirt, simple dress, etc)

AC 9= Two to three layers of Clothing (Shirt and vest, Shirt and dinner jacket, Dress and top coat, dress and under garments…)

AC 8= Winter coat, over coat etc

AC 7= Hunting Vest, Corset, Bullet Resistant Vest under or with normal clothing

AC 6 = Outer Coat or Winter Coat combined with Hunting Vest or Corset under or with normal clothing or Bullet ‘Proof’ Jacket.

AC 5= Light Mail

AC 4 = Breast Plate/Corslet

A character with a Proficiency in Whip may opt to learn various Whip Skills in order to enhance their abilities with a whip. These skills ARE NOT necessary to utilize the whip as a weapon! The basic Proficiency allows the user to attack with the whip. These Skills are ‘in addition to’ the basic proficiency and are entirely optional.

Optional Whip Weapon Skills

Each of these skills must be acquired seperately.

Precise Lash: A wielder’s precision with the whips allows her to use them like a third hand—at the end of a flexible 15-foot-long arm—as a standard action. Depositing a lashed object into your hand is a move-equivalent action. A wielder successfully performs a task if her attack roll equals or exceeds the DC for a given task: The first Skill Point invested in Precise Lash gives the Whip Wielder the Skill. Additional points invested, beyond the first, reduce the DC for these actions by 1. To a MAXIMUM of -4.

Precise Lash Actions

1) Punch a button, snuff a candle flame, flick a coin lying along the ground, etc. as a move-equivalent action. Range 15 feet, DC 15.
Retrieve an unattended object of up to 5 pounds, and deposit it at your feet as a move-equivalent action. Range 15 feet, DC 20. Or, into your off hand, DC 25

2) Firmly wrap the end of your whip around a pole, spike, or other likely projection up to 15 feet away as a move-equivalent action. The DC is 22. If used to wrap around a projection at the top of a wall, reduce the DC to climb the wall by 5. If the point of attachment is optimal on a ceiling fixture, you could swing over a chasm of up to 25 feet wide. You can also wrap items heavier than 5 pounds, but you cannot automatically flick them into your off hand (but you could drag them). You can unwrap the end of your whip from the entangled object as a free action.

-3) When the victim of a precipitous fall, you can give up your Reflex save in an attempt to use your whip to snag a likely projection, pillar, rafter, etc., within 15 feet of the edge of the pit, cliff, bridge, etc. Generally, an unattached item (such as a statue, table, etc.) must weight twice as much as you for you to arrest your fall, otherwise you merely pull it after you). You may attempt to snag a friend or foe standing near the edge of the precipice as you fall. You make a ranged touch attack against another creature’s AC (the friend does not apply his Dexterity bonus while an unwilling friend or a foe applies their Dexterity modifier to AC), If you hit, you wrap your whip around the target, who must make a successful Strength check against DC 20 to arrest both you and himself. An unsuccessful Strength check sends both you and your target into the precipice. You can unwrap the end of your whip from the entangled object as a free action.

4) Improved Called Shots. A ‘Called Shot’ to hit a particular limb is -4 to hit. A Called Shot to the face or head/neck is -6. If the wielder has the Precise Lash Skill then the Called Shot to a limb is -2 and to the face/head/neck is -4. Multiple skill points in Precise Lash DO NOT improve Called Shot penalties beyond -2 and -4.

Disarming Lash: The wielder may attempt to disarm an opponent with the whip. This is only applicable to a weapon in hand. The attempt is +2 bonus to the Combat Maneuver Checks to disarm.. On a failure, the defender may immediately react and attempt to disarm the wielder (snatching the whip) with the same sort of opposed melee attack roll. (without the +2 bonus). His attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity from you. If he fails his disarm attempt, you do not subsequently get a free disarm attempt against him. Note: If the defender succeeds in grabbing and yanking the whip AND the whip wielder has the whip attached to her wrist (lanyard or loop) then the defender may attempt to pull the wielder off balance. (See Entanglement.)

Lightning Lash: A wielder can take one extra attack per round with a whip. The Fighter subclass Sportsman may use Lightning Lash for an additional attack in the round (Total of 3.)

Power Lash: The wielder adds a +2 damage bonus to her whip strikes. The wielder may add +2 non lethal damage or +2 regular damage, at her option.