Winding up throws

[Bicorn]

Are there any official rules for what kind of modifiers you should get to throwing for spending a turn to "wind up"?

[AlexanderHowl]

No, but I think that it would represent Extra Effort. For example, a ST 12 character with Throwing (DX+4) could increase their effective ST to 15 by spending 1 FP and making a Will-based Throwing roll at -5.

[tbone]

IMHO, what's missing from throwing rules is a simple All-Out Attack (Strong) option.

If you're hurling javelins from a far-back (and safe) spot on the battlefield, or hurling anything in a track and field competition, you're not going to make a cautious "combat attack" and instantly return to a defensive pose, ready to dodge and parry and block. You're going to heave with all your might!

Rather than some tricky new mechanism for that, I like the idea of just allowing All-Out Attack (Strong) with throws. Here's my proposal; nothing fancy, just (1) allow the usual damage bonus, and (2) add 30% to distance (or a third, if that's easier). That's it.

I think it nicely simulates how people actually throw things (when they don't have to simultaneously defend themselves from combat attacks), and makes GURPS throwing distances a bit more realistic, too. (Compare your strongest PC's javelin distance with the actual world's record, which is over 100 yards...)

Final note: GURPS' All-Out Attack isn't quite what you're asking for, which is a special wind-up that requires an extra turn of prep (a Ready, I'd call it). There just isn't a wind-up move like that in the game, whether for a throw or a melee attack; if you describe a "wind-up" haymaker punch or axe blow, most any GURPS player will suggest abstracting that into an All-Out Attack. Is AOA good enough for your purpose, or are you definitely wanting a "wind-up that takes extra time" effect?

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by tbone

Final note: GURPS' All-Out Attack isn't quite what you're asking for, which is a special wind-up that requires an extra turn of prep (a Ready, I'd call it). There just isn't a wind-up move like that in the game, whether for a throw or a melee attack; if you describe a "wind-up" haymaker punch or axe blow, most any GURPS player will suggest abstracting that into an All-Out Attack. Is AOA good enough for your purpose, or are you definitely wanting a "wind-up that takes extra time" effect?

There's always Ready. A simple ruling that Ready (to All Out Throw) is a different state than Ready (to Throw), and that it's incompatible with moving around, seems to recover most of the prep turn requirement. Yeah OK, it's just as fast to go from carrying the thing unready to All Out Throw as to an ordinary throw, and in principle you can still Ready (to All Out Throw) and then wait motionless in that state for a while until you actually All Out Throw the thing, but that doesn't seem too bad, and I'm not sure that second one is even incompatible with what you might imagine as a wind-up move to be like.

[Bicorn]

Originally Posted by tbone

Rather than some tricky new mechanism for that, I like the idea of just allowing All-Out Attack (Strong) with throws. Here's my proposal; nothing fancy, just (1) allow the usual damage bonus, and (2) add 30% to distance (or a third, if that's easier). That's it.

Originally Posted by malloyd

There's always Ready. A simple ruling that Ready (to All Out Throw) is a different state than Ready (to Throw), and that it's incompatible with moving around, seems to recover most of the prep turn requirement. Yeah OK, it's just as fast to go from carrying the thing unready to All Out Throw as to an ordinary throw, and in principle you can still Ready (to All Out Throw) and then wait motionless in that state for a while until you actually All Out Throw the thing, but that doesn't seem too bad, and I'm not sure that second one is even incompatible with what you might imagine as a wind-up move to be like.

A combination of these feels like a good way to go about it. Thanks.