Item Saving Throws for Knave 2e

Them's the breaks!

In earlier playtest drafts of Knave 2e, items in wounded slot could be destroyed, not just dropped. This feature was understandably softened in the final release, but I think there’s something neat there.

Below is a few tweaks to the Item Slots & Wounds rules on page 6.

DAMAGE: Damage a PC receives is subtracted from their HP. Once their HP reaches 0, each point of damage fills an item slot with an appropriate wound (stabbed, frozen, burned, etc.), from the highest slot to the lowest. Items in a wounded slot must save or be destroyed. Items that successfully save must be dropped.

ITEM SAVING THROWS: Roll a d20 against a target number of 16. Tough items such as non-precious metals have a +5 bonus. Apply a –5 penalty if the item is weak to the damage type, such as wood against fire or glass when being crushed. At the GM’s discretion, magic items gain a +5 bonus to this check.

DESIGNER’S COMMENTARY: This idea is inspired by earlier drafts of Knave 2e along with item saving throw mechanics of older D&D editions.

OD&D: Monsters & Treasure, pg. 38

AD&D Dungeon Master’s Guide, pg. 80

Knave is a system that strives for simplicity, so instead of a lookup chart, we can just use the advantage and disadvantage mechanic to simulate if a item is strong or weak against whatever caused the wound.

This is a middle of the road compromise that allows the threat of item destruction while still not dooming every single item when struck with a wound.

(art is from the Hackmaster Hacklopedia of Beasts, Volume II)