Power Cord
Most appliances require power from a wall socket, and everything from printers to vegetable steamers use an everyday power cable. These cords can be used to grapple and strangle a victim. A character looking to choke a target into unconsciousness or death can wind the cable around the subject’s throat and tighten.
Attempting to strangle someone with a power cord first requires the combatant to succeed on a grappling roll. Once a grapple is successful, the attacker can apply the wire to the subject’s neck with a successful Strength + Weaponry roll (–3 for a targeted attack, but the victim’s Defense is not subtracted from the attacker’s roll). The victim may attempt to break the hold every subsequent turn (per the grappling rules, pp. 157–159, the World of Darkness Rulebook). Every turn after the first, the victim takes a cumulative –1 penalty to the escape roll, as the blood flowing to her brain diminishes (maximum –5 penalty). Once the victim takes damage equal to her Size, she passes out. She can fight unconsciousness by succeeding on a reflexive Stamina roll. One success allows her to stay conscious until the following turn, when she must succeed again on another Stamina roll.
This works only on living creatures. Vampires suffer the damage, but have no concerns about strangulation. Werewolves or other living supernatural entities cannot heal any of the damage caused by strangulation until they manage to take more air into their lungs.
Note that a power cord isn’t the only household object that can do this. Any kind of cord or rope that can be gripped with two hands can be used to choke a subject, including extension cords, speaker wire, bungee cables, even the cable connecting an Xbox controller to the console.
A power or extension cord can be used as a makeshift whip. To use such an item, refer to the Whip stats (p. 36) and apply the –1 improvised weapon penalty.
Attempting to strangle someone with a power cord first requires the combatant to succeed on a grappling roll. Once a grapple is successful, the attacker can apply the wire to the subject’s neck with a successful Strength + Weaponry roll (–3 for a targeted attack, but the victim’s Defense is not subtracted from the attacker’s roll). The victim may attempt to break the hold every subsequent turn (per the grappling rules, pp. 157–159, the World of Darkness Rulebook). Every turn after the first, the victim takes a cumulative –1 penalty to the escape roll, as the blood flowing to her brain diminishes (maximum –5 penalty). Once the victim takes damage equal to her Size, she passes out. She can fight unconsciousness by succeeding on a reflexive Stamina roll. One success allows her to stay conscious until the following turn, when she must succeed again on another Stamina roll.
This works only on living creatures. Vampires suffer the damage, but have no concerns about strangulation. Werewolves or other living supernatural entities cannot heal any of the damage caused by strangulation until they manage to take more air into their lungs.
Note that a power cord isn’t the only household object that can do this. Any kind of cord or rope that can be gripped with two hands can be used to choke a subject, including extension cords, speaker wire, bungee cables, even the cable connecting an Xbox controller to the console.
A power or extension cord can be used as a makeshift whip. To use such an item, refer to the Whip stats (p. 36) and apply the –1 improvised weapon penalty.
Item type
Miscellaneous
Size: 1/P
Durability: 1
Cost: n/a