Asperion Posted August 22, 2022 Report Share Posted August 22, 2022 Here's something that I got thinking about recently. While everyone has the ability to grab random items and use them as weapons at no charge, some individuals seem to possess an innate ability that exceeds what most people can do. I have not been able to discover some method that will properly simulate some way to perform this. To remedy this, I am proposing the Improvised Weapon skill. This will be a conventional 3/2 DEX skill that will allow someone to grab something that can be used in one hand that cannot be considered a weapon and then turn it into a weapon. This could be a stone, eraser, tablet, or any other device that GM allows. Exceptions will be afore mentioned weapons, pool cues (too large for one hand and arguably a weapon), furniture (too large for one hand), and much more. I would like to hear everyone's thoughts about this - good, bad, ugly, friendly, hostile, any other way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steriaca Posted August 22, 2022 Report Share Posted August 22, 2022 8 minutes ago, Asperion said: Here's something that I got thinking about recently. While everyone has the ability to grab random items and use them as weapons at no charge, some individuals seem to possess an innate ability that exceeds what most people can do. I have not been able to discover some method that will properly simulate some way to perform this. To remedy this, I am proposing the Improvised Weapon skill. This will be a conventional 3/2 DEX skill that will allow someone to grab something that can be used in one hand that cannot be considered a weapon and then turn it into a weapon. This could be a stone, eraser, tablet, or any other device that GM allows. Exceptions will be afore mentioned weapons, pool cues (too large for one hand and arguably a weapon), furniture (too large for one hand), and much more. I would like to hear everyone's thoughts about this - good, bad, ugly, friendly, hostile, any other way. Having a new skill for that seems odd. WF: Improvised Weapons sounds more doable for a smaller price. And for Champions, a Multipower to simulate it (OIF: Improvised Weapon Of Opportunity). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted August 23, 2022 Report Share Posted August 23, 2022 What individuals possess the knack you mention? Cuz to me, I don't see it being worth any points. I'll grant: my interest is in supers, and this might not be the case for agent-level games, but the vast majority of Random Scene Junk is useless by Hero rules. Unless you're a brick, of course, and we're talking steel safe doors, jail cell bars, cars, cubic feet of rocks or concrete, and the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mallet Posted August 23, 2022 Report Share Posted August 23, 2022 Yeah, to me that sounds like someone just having a higher base OCV then another character. Maybe have Improvised Weapons come with a -2 OCV to use, then make, like Steriaca suggested, a WF: Improvised Weapon (for 1pt) that negates the -2 OCV for using an Improvised Weapon. Characters who have the WF have an easier time using improvised weapons then characters who don't, but someone with a really high OCV and no WF, will still be better then someone with a low OCV and the WF when using Improvised Weapons, which is how it should be. Christopher R Taylor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf Posted August 24, 2022 Report Share Posted August 24, 2022 The new skill does not make since especially a DEX based skill. What exactly does making the skill roll do that a character cannot do already? The WF is a much better idea. If you want to go beyond the WF you could always buy a martial art or even a WE improvised weapon. Sticking within the rules is generally a better than trying to invent something new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asperion Posted August 24, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2022 I have tried the WF and since it basically says that a character has ability to wield stated weapon with no penalty, there is no way to determine who is better other than straight DEX roll, and in this case why have have any skill? This skill is attempting to simulate characters who have practiced with random items that can be quickly grasped and used in combat situations beyond that of normal people, or even most combat trained individuals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted August 24, 2022 Report Share Posted August 24, 2022 Oh, we get it I think, but a) it's not worth 3 points. Improvised weapons are a desperation move, particularly in Hero, because of their *massive* limitations in most cases. Or they're patently obvious...like a brick using a car. b) if anything it's not DEX, it's INT. Grabbing an item is trivial. Being aware enough to recognize something can be used...and HOW to use it...is INT. And even then, it's not worth spending 3 points, IMO. Player: "I wanna find something I can throw at him, to knock that wand out of his hand." GM: "So not too big, decently balanced to throw. You look around...make an INT roll." (possibly PER instead) And if he makes the roll, he'll find something. Makes it by a bunch, it' fits VERY well...no negative modifiers. Is this really something you expect to be used so much, that a skill is necessary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher R Taylor Posted August 24, 2022 Report Share Posted August 24, 2022 Almost any improvised weapon is just a club with varying STR MIN which everyone has a familiarity in already for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted August 25, 2022 Report Share Posted August 25, 2022 For a non-brick for HTH, that's largely true, but there's the occasional oddball...full sheet of 1" plywood, for example. For a brick, you get cars. And for ranged, by and large, everything becomes mostly just a brick...with all sorts of variations. Unbalanced and not aerodynamic are more likely to matter...throwing a half-full champagne bottle accurately would seem to be tricky.... Or a cleaver. Or, of course, in honor of Ed Ames...a tomahawk.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf Posted August 25, 2022 Report Share Posted August 25, 2022 I am still not sure what the proposed skill is even supposed to do. Since a character can already use an object as a weapon what exactly does it do? If all it is doing is removing the penalty for using an improvised weapon that is better done with a WF. Not only does it cost less, it fits better. If it is increasing the damage, that would be better of being done some other way. I mentioned martial arts as one way, but there are also other ways to do it. You could use something like deadly blow to increase the damage. Just convert the damage from killing damage to normal damage Also why is it limited to one handed weapons? Using a chair or a barstool is a classic. If you are proposing a new skill at least specify what it does. Using something as a weapon is too vague to really give any kind of feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted August 25, 2022 Report Share Posted August 25, 2022 LW's point got me thinking... If you want to do this, how about penalty skill levels with improvised weapons? I'd be fine saying they're 1 point for HTH or Ranged, separately, 2 point levels for both. These would be penalties based on the improv weapon's deficiencies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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