Clarification on the Brawn skill for breaking objects

[Spaceman Spiff]

I am trying to understand the system explained in the Brawn skill for breaking items, such as shoulder barging a door. The mechanism states that the maximum weight capacity is compared against the Damage Modifier tables found on page 9 of the rules.

What confuses me is the damage output to object durability.

For instance, a character with a STR of 15 and a Brawn of 46% has a maximum weight capacity of 34, resulting in a +1d4 Damage Modifier. A basic wooden door has an AP of 4, and 25 HP. Does this means that the character (with a fairly high STR of 15) cannot even damage the door enough to get through the door's AP of 4? And (although it is not stated anywhere that it would) if Breaking a door down in this way somehow ignores the AP value of the door (4), it would still take between 25 and 7 attempts at 1d4 damage per Brawn roll to shoulder barge a basic wooden door down. Am I translating this correctly?

Now what about a character with a maximum weight capacity of 18, giving them a -1d2 Damage Modifier. Can this character do any damage to inanimate objects at all by making a Brawn roll?

Could you please clarify the rulings on this for me as I am having a great deal of difficulty understanding it, or finding references to provide a clear explanation (the way I am translating it seems off, it is difficult to imagine that a low STR character could not break a simple clay pot or a glass window, and how even a relatively strong character [STR 15] would have to spend so much game time to shoulder barge a basic wooden door down is an accurate translation of the rules as written).

Edited July 28 by Spaceman Spiff

[Mugen]

I didn't pay much attention to this rule until today, but I think you're right...

[Raleel]

On 7/27/2024 at 11:03 PM, Spaceman Spiff said:

For instance, a character with a STR of 15 and a Brawn of 46% has a maximum weight capacity of 34, resulting in a +1d4 Damage Modifier.

35, as the brawn rounds up to 5: and the strength is doubled to 30. This doesn't particularly impact your calculation, but it is there.  Your assessment is correct, though it does leave out augmentation, and what you are thinking of as a door may be different than what the book thinks of as a door.

For your glass or clay pots, they simply don't offer much resistance (low armor points) and probably few hit points. Tossing them to the ground would be more equivalent to using a club on them.

I've never been especially happy with the door bashing rule, but classic fantasy does offer 4 man portable battering rams that allow everyone to contribute their entire lifting capacity. I would probably simplify it rather heavily, allow a brawn roll by anyone, put on a difficulty modifier, and success opens it. 

[Chris]

Just come across this

I think that AP and HP are for destroying a thing, using brawn to open a door by breaking the lock or hinges would be different, I think.

That would make Raleel's answer make more sense.

A well made and fitted door might be hard or formable to bash open whereas a poorly fitted one might be easy.  Bashing doors open is more about skill than brute strength I think as well.