Hardness and Touch Attacks

In combat Hardness will guard against touch attacks.

If the attacker’s potential damage (Strength + Weapon Damage) is insufficient to pierce Hardness they would do not be allowed to use touch attacks upon the target.

However, an ineffective touch attack may still go through if the attacker comes up with a 2 dice stunt.  He however gains no bonus dice nor regain any essence/willpower for such an stunt but is now allowed to make the touch attack normally.

This is effect is applicable as long as the defender has the behavior that dictates he avoid being touched – which is the automatic assumption when in combat.

Touch attacks most of time will just be Strength.  However weapons with “M” or “N” tags can add their damage to the calculation for Touch vs. Hardness. 

The “M” tag weapons are only counted when the wielder is using Martial Arts to attack (and not melee).  This exception is not to be confused with Form Weapons, since not all Form Weapons have the “M” tag – namely Swords.

Example

Tyr decides to use a Dire Chain to make his attack.  Dire Chain has the “M” tag, as long as he is using Martial Arts ability to make his touch attack roll he can add the weapon damage to his Strength to decide if he punctured Hardness.  This will be true if he is using Smash Fist, or Armored Cestus, or even Spike Harness.

So his Strength (2) + Dire Chain (+8B) = 10B worth of Damage.  This means he is only 1 die damage short of puncturing through Super-Heavy Artifact Plate.

Keep in mind the assumption is not that the Martial Arts weapon is the touch attack.  It means the character uses the Martial Arts weapon to puncture through Hardness and follows through with his Touch. 

E.g. Tyr strapped the chain to the defender’s arms and pulled him off balance enough to be able to go through the invisible barrier given by the artifact armor and inject his essence into the target.

As with all Rules, it is a frame work that needs to be combined with common sense.  If the target is on the other side of a chasm, even if Tyr did wrap his chains around the target he obviously cannot make a touch attack because he can’t reach over and touch him.