Main > Combat > Damaging Objects

Smashing a weapon or shield with a slashing or bludgeoning weapon is accomplished with the sunder combat maneuver. Smashing an object is like sundering a weapon or shield, except that your combat maneuver check is opposed by the object’s AC. Generally, you can smash an object only with a bludgeoning or slashing weapon.

Armor Class

An object’s Armor Class is equal to 10 + its size modifier + its Dexterity modifier. An inanimate object has not only a Dexterity of 0 (–5 penalty to AC), but also an additional –2 penalty to its AC.

Furthermore, if you take a full-round action to line up a shot, you get an automatic hit with a melee weapon and a +5 bonus on attack rolls with a ranged weapon.

Magic Armor, Shields, and Weapons

Each +1 of enhancement bonus adds 2 to the hardness of armor, a weapon, or a shield, and +10 to the item’s hit points.

Damaged Objects

A damaged object remains functional with the broken condition until the item’s hit points are reduced to 0, at which point it is destroyed.

Energy Attacks

For energy attacks divide the damage by 2 before applying the object’s hardness. Some energy types might be particularly effective against certain objects, subject to GM discretion. For example, fire might do full damage against parchment, cloth, and other objects that burn easily. Sonic might do full damage against glass and crystal objects.

Ranged Weapon Damage

For mundane ranged attacks divide the damage dealt by 2 before applying the object’s hardness (unless the weapon is a siege engine or something similar).

Immunities

Objects are immune to nonlethal damage and to critical hits.

Tables: Object Hardness and Hitpoints

Weapon or Shield	Hardness	Hit Points
Light blade	10	2
One-handed blade	10	5
Two-handed blade	10	10
Light metal-hafted weapon	10	10
One-handed metal-hafted weapon	10	20
Light hafted weapon	5	2
One-handed hafted weapon	5	5
Two-handed hafted weapon	5	10
Projectile weapon	5	5
Armor	depends on material	armor bonus x 5
Buckler	10	5
Light wooden shield	5	7
Heavy wooden shield	5	15
Light steel shield	10	10
Heavy steel shield	10	20
Tower shield	5	20

The hp value given is for Medium armor, weapons, and shields. Divide by 2 for each size category of the item smaller than Medium, or multiply it by 2 for each size category larger than Medium.

Object	Hardness	Hit Points	Break DC
Simple wooden door	5	10	13
Good wooden door	5	15	18
Strong wooden door	5	20	23
Iron door (2 in. thick)	10	60	28
Small chest	5	1	17
Treasure chest	5	15	23
Masonry wall (1 ft. thick)	8	90	35
Hewn stone (3 ft. thick)	8	540	50
Rope (1 in. diameter)	0	2	23
Chain	10	5	26
Manacles	10	10	26
Masterwork manacles	10	10	28

Substance	Hardness	Hit Points / inch of thickness
Glass	1	1
Paper or cloth	0	2
Rope	0	2
Ice	0	3
Leather or hide	2	5
Wood	5	10
Stone	8	15
Iron or steel	10	30
Mithral	15	30
Adamantine	20	40

Damaging Objects

From Titan's Teeth

Contents

Smashing an Object