[MA] Throwing Art and Techniques

[ADAXL]

Throwing Art makes all other "Thrown Weapon" Skills unnecessary (Basic Set p. 226). So what does this mean for Techniques?

Can a character with Throwing Art take one Technique such as Targeted Attack for all items that can be hurled with Throwing Art or does he have to learn the Technique for each weapon (based on Throwing Art skill, of course)?

Is it possible to learn Techniques specific to one type of weapon only (such as Thong Throwing from p. 12 on Low Tech for spears and javelins) with Throwing Art only?

[PK]

Techniques are always learned per skill, whether that skill is Thrown Weapon (type), Throwing Art, or a wildcard skill encompassing ranged attacks.

So you could learn Targeted Attack (Throwing Art Attack/Face) and use it to reduce the penalty to target the face with any weapon you hurl via Throwing Art. You could learn a technique like Thong Throwing (Throwing Art) and use it with any weapon for which you could logically do so.

(And yes, this makes Throwing Art a ridiculously good deal. Honestly, it probably should have become a wildcard skill in 4e. But I've yet to see it break a game, so I'm okay with it.)

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

Techniques are always learned per skill, whether that skill is Thrown Weapon (type), Throwing Art, or a wildcard skill encompassing ranged attacks.

So you could learn Targeted Attack (Throwing Art Attack/Face) and use it to reduce the penalty to target the face with any weapon you hurl via Throwing Art. You could learn a technique like Thong Throwing (Throwing Art) and use it with any weapon for which you could logically do so.

That's not the way I would have ruled. Not only is it very generous for throwing art, it's more generous than the usual targetted attack in which you have to specify the type of attack in addition to the location.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

That's not the way I would have ruled. Not only is it very generous for throwing art, it's more generous than the usual targetted attack in which you have to specify the type of attack in addition to the location.

Are there that many options with throwing attacks? I thought "throw the @#$~! weapon" was pretty much it!

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

Are there that many options with throwing attacks? I thought "throw the @#$~! weapon" was pretty much it!

The particular options mentioned by the OP are the different types of object you can throw with Throwing Art.

[PK]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

The particular options mentioned by the OP are the different types of object you can throw with Throwing Art.

"Type of object" != "type of attack".

If you know Targeted Attack (Thrown Knife Attack/Face), you don't have to learn a new technique for using a dagger, a new one for using a sai, a new one for using a hungamunga, and so on. The same technique covers every weapon you can use with that skill. It's the same for Throwing Art.

Now, if you want to rule otherwise in your games for balance reasons, I definitely understand -- but the RAW for Targeted Attack is that it varies by hit location and type of attack only. Because thrown weapons essentially have only one type of attack ("throw at target"), that means TAs for thrown weapons (including Throwing Art) are just going to vary by hit location.

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

... Now, if you want to rule otherwise in your games for balance reasons, I definitely understand -- ...

Yep, that's pretty much it. It just seems too generous and way too unrealistic to say that the same body of learning will let you fling a pen in someone's eye or a croquet mallet.

So much so, that had it been up to me, I would have made an official exemption.

[lexington]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

Yep, that's pretty much it. It just seems too generous and way too unrealistic to say that the same body of learning will let you fling a pen in someone's eye or a croquet mallet.

So much so, that had it been up to me, I would have made an official exemption.

If you're concerned with realism why are you using Throwing Art?

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by lexington

If you're concerned with realism why are you using Throwing Art?

Agreed, Throwing Art is a distinctly cinematic skill. I do think it should have been replaced with a bang skill, however - it is a little too cheap as it is. I always used to wonder why anyone would take any other throwing skill when this was available...

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

I always used to wonder why anyone would take any other throwing skill when this was available...

It requires TBAM or WM.