Mechanics I Want to Use - Boomerang Stunning Attack

I like the idea of weapon-specific deeds in DCC, because they feel like an easy way to add "tricks" that certain kinds of warrior can learn (possibly by "questing for it") without overwhelming the game as a whole with too many options. In deciding what kind of weapon to specialize in, a warrior is already committing herself to a particular combat style, and perhaps a particular style of play more generally. So some warriors might be very grim, others might be rather show-offy, and still others, perhaps, might be a bit whimsical.

In the Legend of Zelda games, one use of the boomerang is to fetch objects (which I'll return to later.) But the other use is to temporarily stun or paralyze enemies so that you can attack them more easily (or run away from them without being followed.) This deed is meant to imitate that mechanic from the video games.

The main question I had in mind when writing this up was "What do you call a warrior who uses a boomerang?" But then I realized that "boomeranger" shortens to "ranger" quite nicely. (I'll leave it to the reader to decide if that should be pronounced like the-one-who-ranges or like the-one-who-rang.)

 

Weapon Specific Deed - Stunning Attack (boomerang)

The ranger throws her boomerang to stun her opponent, briefly knocking the breath from their lungs or the thoughts from their head. This deed is most effective with the ranger acts before her opponent in the initiative order.

3     The ranger’s opponent acts last in the initiative this round.
4     The ranger’s opponent acts last in the initiative this round, and for the next 1d3 rounds.
5     The ranger’s opponent cannot act this round, and acts last in the initiative for the next 1d3 rounds.
6     The ranger’s opponent cannot act this round, or for the next 1d3 rounds, and acts last in the initiative until the end of combat after that.
7+     The ranger’s opponent is knocked completely unconscious until the end of combat.

Of course, to learn this deed, the warrior first needs to own a boomerang, which might be a quest in itself in the pseudo-medieval setting of most DCC games.

Weapon Boomerang, Damage 1d4, Range 10/20/30**, Cost in gp 25

Although it is a thrown weapon, the boomerang follows a curving flight-path that usually returns it to its owner at the end of each combat round. However, if the ranger rolls a natural 1 on either her Action Die or Deed Die when using the boomerang, it lands on the ground near her intended target rather than returning.