Has anyone done any Melee Weapon Talents?

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Typically, any situation the GM has specifically engineered to screw your character screws your character, and being a generalist isn't going to protect you from that.

Neither is being an extremely competent specialist; the question is which one you and the GM find easier to handle. The GM matters as well because if you make it so that the GM has to be a genius and/or result to "cheap" tactics, neither of you are likely to enjoy the game for long.

After all... if your Skill 20 character is regularly facing Skill 16 cannon fodder, perhaps it is because you're Skill 20 and the GM knows it takes Skill 16 to present the appropriate challenge... instead of Skill 14 or even 12 (cannon fodder!) because you have only Skill 16 or 18. It is all about knowing what the GM and players want, and finding the common ground... and this tangent came up because of blanket statements about how it is never really worth doing anything but specializing in a single skill (it most certainly often is, just not universal).

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

How about a +1/lvl bonus to reduce whatever weapon breakage penalties my be in play, e.g. poor quality, parrying a heavier weapon. The idea being you know how to use the weapon in such a way as to avoid breaking it. If that seems like too much, maybe charge a -1 to skill or damage for the +1 to avoid the potential breakage.

That seems a bit excessive, although I could see something similar where if you "fail" the breakage check by fewer points than you have levels of the Talent you get a reroll. That is, if you're up against a weapon that you have a 5-in-6 chance of suffering a breakage (you have to roll a 6 to not break), and you have 3 levels of a relevant Talent, a roll of 1 or 2 is a break while a roll of 3, 4, or 5 is a reroll (on this next roll, anything but a 6 is a break). I'd probably lean more toward the "+1/level to negate penalties" idea, however.

Originally Posted by Otaku

... and this tangent came up because of blanket statements about how it is never really worth doing anything but specializing in a single skill (it most certainly often is, just not universal).

Do note nobody said anything of the sort - only that specialist is typically the way to go in GURPS, because a specialist tends to be be so much better than a generalist for the same point cost.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Do note nobody said anything of the sort - only that specialist is typically the way to go in GURPS, because a specialist tends to be be so much better than a generalist for the same point cost.

I stand corrected:

Originally Posted by Otaku

...and this tangent came up because of blanket statements about how it is never really worth doing anything but specializing in a single skill (it most certainly often is, just not universal).

Originally Posted by Anthony

To be honest, I'd classify 'all melee weapons' as a 5 point talent, and to heck with the ordinary talent rules; being good at multiple melee weapons is only barely better than being good at one.

Honestly, I still think that qualifies as something of the sort, but it is significantly different than how I misunderstood it several times removed.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Otaku

After all... if your Skill 20 character is regularly facing Skill 16 cannon fodder, perhaps it is because you're Skill 20 and the GM knows it takes Skill 16 to present the appropriate challenge...

This is something of a 'meta' problem with high skill: having high skill may have a hidden side penalty of causing your opponents to become more powerful, and that in turns means that if you are without your favored weapons they probably slaughter you. However, this winds up being an argument for just having low skill.

[Pragmatic]

Originally Posted by Varyon

That seems a bit excessive,

One of the ideas for alternative bonuses for Talents (IIRC...) is that the leveled bonuses don't have to be consistent for each level.

So, the first one or two levels of the Talent could grant bonuses to prevent weapon breakage. The third level of the Talent would then grant... whatever you want.

Or you could do it alternating (1st level, weapon breakage; 2nd level, penalty offsets; rinse and repeat). Or any combination you want.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by Anthony

This is something of a 'meta' problem with high skill: having high skill may have a hidden side penalty of causing your opponents to become more powerful, and that in turns means that if you are without your favored weapons they probably slaughter you. However, this winds up being an argument for just having low skill.

Except of course having too low a skill will get you slaughtered as well. I like to think of it as an argument for making sure the GM and players are on the same page about the "power level" of combat within the game. In fact, I probably need to search out or start a thread about skill levels, because reading the boards I shouldn't be building any character with less than Skill-16 in its primary combat skill unless combat is tertiary to the campaign... with Skill 20 being preferred.

I've been trying to update two of my favorite 3e characters at various point totals, and it just isn't working out... but then I glanced at the Soldier of Fortune Template (priced at 100 points) in Characters and am wondering if I am just aiming too high because a lot of board discussion centers on things like Dungeon Fantasy, Monster Hunter, etc. where point totals are more than the 100-200 point range (usually).