Disarm Skill

I ask every time this pops up but no one has ever given me a good solution. I have a new player who wants to spend points in the Disarm Foe skill. The problem with the skill is no one will ever (EVER!) give up all their OB (and consequently parry/DB) to try to disarm an opponent so the skill has always seemed unusable. In the past I've treated it the same way as a martial artist's weapon kata; reduce the attacking OB by 20 and the attacker can make a Disarm Foe check. That's totally a house rule and there is probably a better answer out there somewhere! Does anyone have a good solution for using the skill?

It is indeed a gamble, I tried using it once and learnede the hard way to only try if my Initiative was higher than my opponent's or if they were stunned or otherwise unable to strike back. Basically, you don't randomly decide to disarm a foe, it's about taking a calculated risk at the right time.
Your kata idea sounds fine from my point of view, but it costs more points. Speak with your player and try and see what method they'd prefer.

Nice idea/house Rule.

Sam has a great reference for its use. Like Silent Kill or Ambush, one doesn’t get to apply all skills equally, all the time.

Its use is akin to a Fumble Spell for completely removing access to one’s Über Weapon/Shield, though, and those are usually 6th-7th level spells.

When even not fully developed, and the General RR mods table is used as a kind of “how awesome was this attempt, this time?” situation, it is a highly effective ability for sure!
Never feel bad for a skill that can end combat for your BBEGs instantly. :pirate::rv:

I’m intrigued by this line of thinking. As a static action, when would you imagine using the skill? I personally can’t picture myself using it unless an enemy was stunned or somehow couldn’t attack back. But if my opponent was stunned, I still don’t think I would try to disarm him. I would swing at my opponent with a +10 bonus and all of my OB to try to get a kill shot. Wouldn’t you?

Always used with a pal or pals next to you so you aren’t the lone recipient of failed attempts!

Best used to start combats against slowpoke Tanks where your Init has them drop their accoutrements and other faster party members are there to scoop up those drops to prevent said Tank BBEGS from merely stooping to retrieve their gear from the ground for a 30% hit to their actions.

Not many PCs have backup weapons, nevermind the BBEG with their über device, so have someone rabbit it away and watch how quickly the GM attacks the party with Martial Artists after that first successful usage of Disarm(armed/unarmed)!!! Bwahahaha.
:hurt:

Round 1
PC1: “I disarm the Evil Doer Big Boss! WOOHOO, success!”
PC2: “I run away with the ‘Lightsaber of Order 66’”
PCs 3 thru 6(if not Murder Hobos): “We surround the beeyotch - Opportunity Action to chop them in twain if they don’t immediately surrender.”
PCs 3 thru 6(if Murder Hobos): “We surround and chop the Mutha- down, like Piggy in Lord of the Flies!”

GM: *thinks a reread of Sun Tzu’s Art of War is in order…*

I like it! But what if...
Round 1
PC1: "I disarm the Evil Dor Big Boss! Oh crap, I failed!"
PCs 3 thru 6: We Surround the beeyotch and beat him down!
Evil Doer - hits the guy with no DB that tried to disarm him.

The above aside, would you ever use the skill in a one-on-one fight?

Definitely!

When immediately outclassed by the opponent’s OB insomuch that they are hitting my PC even on low roll results.
i recently had a GM run a homebrew Demon that had a +180OB but maxxed out on Small/Medium for the Weapon they used. No amount of parrying helped avoid a hit with I think it was a B, every attack it had.

Get rid of the weapon with Adrenal Haste(or spell) to give extra % activity in the round so you can do it all yourself, otherwise, never split your party as said Player wanting to play with that skill. Numbers always win out in RM.