OIF got a question

[Boll Weevil]

Just how do I get that crown off that pointy villainous head?

 

The Obvious Inaccessible Focus (OIF) has always given me trouble. Can I take it off or not? The text describes well which foci are OAFs or OIFs or the wacky IAF. Any thoughts or personal tales of inaccessible focus removal? I am particularly interested in battles with those tiara'ed toughies, those hellions in haberdashery, those demons in diadema, the Krim Boys.

[Edsel]

Well, according the the rules: "...someone taking one Turn out of combat can take an Inaccessible Focus away from a character."

 

It is pretty rare that a character has been able to make off with another character's Inaccessible Focus while they are still conscious. Usually you have to have KOed them before you can peel that armor off. As stated in the book, if its much harder than that (say you have to take them back to the lab to remove it) its really not a focus. However you can still target an Inaccessible Focus (at the standard -2 OCV) to try and break it.

[Lord Liaden]

There was an interesting variation on OIF written up for a character in the 4E sourcebook Champions of the North which doesn't follow quite the standard pattern, but is IMHO equally limiting. I think it would work well for the Crowns of Krim.

 

The hero Myrmidon had mystic power gems which grafted themselves to the back of his hands, and could only be removed by the wearer, or by someone else when the wearer is unconscious. The latter method requires a normal EGO roll on the part of the would-be looter, and only one such attempt is allowed per person per day (additional tries by the same person automatically fail). OTOH the gems can be removed freely if the wearer is slain...