Waylay Target Area

[Alex319]

I see two possible interpretations of the rules about the target area for the "Waylay" skill.

Interpretation 1: The wording in the rulebook telling the Waylayer to "not hit the spine" is just a suggestion for safety purposes. If the target is hit on the spine with a Waylay, he should still take the Waylay.

Interpretation 2: The spine is an illegal target area for a Waylay. If the target is hit on the spine with a Waylay, he should not take the Waylay.

Which of these interpretations is correct?

(Also, if Interpretation 2 is correct, is there a good rule of thumb for "where the spine ends and the shoulder blade begins"? For instance, is it reasonable to say that if you draw imaginary lines from either side of the neck down, then the area in between those lines is the spine?)

 

[Polare]

The intent of the Waylay wording is to make sure that players are safe in their weapon blows. A player who targets the spine intentionally is not being safe, but this should not be used as justification to claim you don't need to take a waylay because there was some unavoidable incidental contact with the spine area.

Basically: As with all weapon strikes we rely on players following the "good sportsmanship" rule. Don't aim for the spine, and at the same time don't be a bad sport to avoid taking a Waylay if a weapon accidentally crosses the center of the back.

-Bryan Gregory
ARC