Negative Object BODY and Knockback

[Zane_Marlowe]

So, I'm a little confused about what happens when an object is broken (i.e., at negative BODY), but not yet totally destroyed (i.e., not at its negative BODY score), and then is struck by a knocked back character. Imagine that Muttonchop Joe has been struck by his foe and is knocked back 16m into a truck. As it happens, during the course of his battle, the truck was already broken, but it is not yet totally destroyed. It is currently at -12 relative to its original 17 BODY.

 

1. Does the truck stop Muttonchop Joe, or does he continue through as though the object were already destroyed?

 

2. Assuming the truck does stop him, is the amount of knockback necessary to continue through the truck calculated with its current BODY or its total BODY? (The former could present a problem if the object is at negative BODY obviously.)

 

3. If Muttonchop Joe has enough knockback to continue through the object (as is likely the lower the object's BODY), the character would normally take the Truck's BODY + PD in Normal Damage. However, given that the truck has negative BODY, is that even possible?

 

So what happens to Muttonchop Joe and what happens to the truck?

[Steve Long]

Re: Negative Object BODY and Knockback

 

First off, just to make sure everyone’s clear, the rules for having to do twice the listed BODY to destroy an object (6E2 170) apply to devices. They don’t apply to all objects. A rock that reaches 0 BODY is destroyed; a clock reduced to 0 BODY doesn’t work anymore but is still more or less intact physically.

 

Second, again to be clear, devices that have taken so much BODY damage they aren’t functioning, but which are not yet destroyed are not “at negative BODY.” That carries connotations that could cause problems or confusion. Think of it as a separate “pool” of BODY if you prefer, or conceptualize some other way if that makes it easier for you, but don’t treat it as akin to a character who’s bleeding to death.

 

1. Yes, of course it stops him. If the object isn’t yet destroyed, characters are still capable of physically interacting with it.

 

2-3. When a character takes Knockback into an object that is at less than its full BODY (whether that object is a device or not), use its current BODY for purposes of determining various effects of Knockback.