12-08-2023, 08:20 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Sep 2007
|
Melee weapon skills
I'm digging into DF for the first time, and one thing that I notice is that most of the non-magic types have a singular melee weapon skill. Eg. the barbarian has one, and the knight has between one and three. That's neat and simple, and in keeping with the idea of each template being a strong archetype. However, it doesn't quite jibe with other games or the fictional sources, in which strong warrior types are often dangerous with just about anything with a handle.
How do you typical approach this, with regard to DF character creation? Do you spend a couple of points getting minimal skills in various weapons? Do you work mainly from skill defaults? eg. If the barbarian with Two-handed Axe/Mace has to resort to a spare weapon, they go with a one-handed axe or mace, and manage. |
12-08-2023, 11:59 AM | #2 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
|
Re: Melee weapon skills
For the knight; options 2 or 3 are two and three skills respectively and you cam also take full Weapon Master with its improved defaults. Option one for the Martial Artist is four skills, two unarmed and two armed. The scout and swashbuckler are very much specialists; the scout's melee choices are backup weapons, whereas the swashbucler can take option 2 and two weapon skills.
So this leaves the barbarian, whose weapon skill choices do have pretty good defaults, and who is thematically a character of direct methods besides (and also more about survival than any other theme). But if you want a master of all weapons, play a knight with full Weapon Master. Last edited by sir_pudding; 12-08-2023 at 12:46 PM. |
12-08-2023, 04:12 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Saint Paul, MN
|
Re: Melee weapon skills
On a lark, I built a full weapon master knight to see how it would play. My sense is that he's not quite as optimal out of the gate as Sir Yvor Gryffyn (from Delvers to Go), but he would still be a worthy addition to a party of 250-point delvers. Indeed, I hope to try him out in an upcoming game.
Heath Quandt 245-point Human Knight Heath Quandt is a devout warrior in the service of the Lord of Warding. (He wanted to be trained as a holy warrior, but was gently encouraged to focus on his physical talents.) He is well versed with broadsword, knife, morningstar, and throwing axe, but is adept with any weapon he picks up. Indeed, he loves nothing more than to pick up interesting weapons he spots on the battlefield to try them out. ST 14 [40] DX 14 [80] IQ 10 [0] HT 13 [30] Will 10 [0]; Fright Check 12 [0]; Per 10 [0]; Basic Speed 6 [-15]; Basic Move 6 [0]; FP 13 [0]; HP 14 [0] Advantages [95]: Armor Mastery [5] Born War Leader 2 [10] Combat Reflexes [15] Hard to Subdue 1 [2] High Pain Threshold [10] Penetrating Voice [1] Rallying Cry [5] Sacrificial Block [1] Sacrificial Parry [1] Weapon Master [45] Disadvantages [-35]: Code of Honor (Soldier's) [-10] Compulsive Vowing [-5] Overconfidence [-5] Sense of Duty [-15] Quirks [-5]: Deferential toward religious authorities and clerics of the Aesir. [-1] Enjoys picking up and fighting with novel weapons. [-1] Extremely loud, particularly when laughing. [-1] His vows are in the name of the Lord of Warding. [-1] Loves toasting nearly as much as vowing. [-1] Skills [55]: Armory (Melee Weapons) IQ+1 [4]-11 Boxing DX+0 [2]-14 Broadsword DX+2 [8]-16 Climbing DX-1 [1]-11; Axe/Mace DX+2 [8]-16 Connoisseur (Weapons) IQ+2 [2]-12 Fast-Draw (axe) DX+1 [1]-15 Fast-Draw (sword) DX+1 [1]-15 Flail DX+1 [8]-15 Forced Entry DX+0 [1]-14 Hiking HT-1 [1]-12 Intimidation Will-1 [1]-9 Knife DX+0 [1]-14 Leadership IQ+2 [2]-12 Shield (Shield) DX+2 [4]-16 Strategy IQ+1 [2]-11 Tactics IQ+1 [2]-11 Thrown Weapon (Axe/Mace) DX+2 [4]-16 Wrestling DX+0 [2]-14 Equipment [$3500; 102 lb]: 1 Bandoleer [$60; 1 lb] 2 Small Throwing Axes. 2d+5 cut. [$50; 3 lb] 1 Broadsword. 2d+5 cut; 1d+4 imp. [$600; 3 lb] 1 Clothing [$0; 2 lb] 1 Light Cloth Armor Suit [$150; 18 lb] 1 Light Segmented Plate Suit [$1800; 48 lb] 1 Long Knife. 2d-1 cut; 1d imp. [$120; 1.5 lb] 1 Medium Shield. 1d+2 cr. [$60; 15 lb] 1 Morningstar, Dwarven. 2d+5 cr. [$400; 6 lb] 1 Pouch [$10; 0.2 lb] 1 Personal Basics [$5; 1 lb] 2 Gold Coin (Piece of Eight) [$50; 0.0025 lb] 4 Silver Coin [$20; 0.02 lb] 15 Copper Coin [$1; 0.02 lb] |
12-10-2023, 11:12 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Saskatoon, SK
|
Re: Melee weapon skills
I cheat. For DF, I allow all melee weapons to default to any other melee skill at -5 and buy the default off for 5 points per skill (average technique for those with full GURPS). Not very realistic, but...DF. I think it's a fair compromise between GURPS and D&D/Savage Worlds type games.
__________________
MiB 7704 Playing: GURPS Nordlond Dragons of Hosgarth Running Savage Worlds Tour of Darkness (Vietnam + Mythos) |
12-10-2023, 02:09 PM | #5 | ||
Join Date: Jul 2021
|
Re: Melee weapon skills
Quote:
Quote:
Last edited by restlessgriffin; 12-10-2023 at 08:43 PM. |
||
12-10-2023, 02:55 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
|
Re: Melee weapon skills
People raise a single skill because it's by far the most efficient option. If you want to get people to spread out, you really have to do something to make single skill not be optimal strategy, either by limiting the ability to go beyond 8 points in a skill (toss in an unusual background or just straight disallow it) or by allowing raising a group of skills cheaply (say, talent (melee weapons)).
|
12-10-2023, 04:24 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Saskatoon, SK
|
Re: Melee weapon skills
Quote:
__________________
MiB 7704 Playing: GURPS Nordlond Dragons of Hosgarth Running Savage Worlds Tour of Darkness (Vietnam + Mythos) |
|
12-10-2023, 08:23 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: Sep 2007
|
Re: Melee weapon skills
Quote:
|
|
12-10-2023, 08:51 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: Jul 2021
|
Re: Melee weapon skills
Quote:
|
|
12-11-2023, 06:34 PM | #10 | |
Join Date: Apr 2013
|
Re: Melee weapon skills
Quote:
If you want weapon generalization then don't allow weapon master at the "one weapon" level and raise weapon defaults to the [1] level as a free bonus. |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|