Fast Draw (Axe)

[Rhino]

Does anyone allow this? Not included in the list of specialties, but if you can fast draw a scroll or potion, perhaps it should be.

[martinl]

We allow fast draw for basically anything that can be readied in one turn, and Kromm hasn't kicked down the door and cursed us.

You could assuage your guilt by requiring a special harness etc.

[Dalin]

I would definitely allow that.

There is support for this in the larger GURPS canon, too. The GURPS Basic Set explicitly allows GMs to add other variations: "The GM may add Fast-Draw skills for other weapons (or even tools) that one could reasonably draw quickly" (B195).

For DFRPG, I would rewrite this to say, "The GM should add Fast-Draw skills for other weapons that it would be fun to draw quickly." With Dungeon Fantasy, I definitely don't get hung up on things being "reasonable." I figure that if a Barbarian needs something quickly, they'll figure out how to manage it.

[Gnomasz]

I usually do allow this (and ask my GM for this, as a player), but I do sometimes have doubts, because a fine, balanced dwarven axe is a bargain compared to a fine, balanced broadsword. And that's even before I start to consider if an axe counts as a metal weapon and could be meteoric silver-coated. The possibility of being fast-drawn could give swords… an edge.

[Anders]

Shadiversity made a video about an axe attachment that made it easy to fast-draw the axe. I would definitely allow a special harness for this purpose.

[Balor Patch]

I don't like it simply for balance reasons.

<cynical><oversimplified>
An axe costs $900 and gives reach 1, +1 to hit, and either 2d6+6 or 3d6+8 cutting (because DF knights).

A sword costs $650, reach 2, +0 to hit, two less damage, but can be fast-drawn. It can also do 1d+3 or 1d+5 impale, for what that's worth.

That extra reach is nice but it's giving up a lot, and letting the axe be fast-drawn makes it worse.
</oversimplified></cynical>

[ArchonShiva]

If you want to do this but are worried about balance, you could mitigate by giving the axe (e.g.) -4 to Fast-Draw.

[martinl]

Originally Posted by Balor Patch

I don't like it simply for balance reasons.

<cynical><oversimplified>
An axe costs $900 and gives reach 1, +1 to hit, and either 2d6+6 or 3d6+8 cutting (because DF knights).

A sword costs $650, reach 2, +0 to hit, two less damage, but can be fast-drawn. It can also do 1d+3 or 1d+5 impale, for what that's worth.

That extra reach is nice but it's giving up a lot, and letting the axe be fast-drawn makes it worse.
</oversimplified></cynical>

Big bonus for impale is the hit locations it opens up, but you can get a spike for an axe too.

The big bonus for the sword is it "goes higher." If you are not limited by money, get a sword. If you are, get an axe or whatever. I like that.

[Kromm]

In a genre where people mix TL1-4 with abandon, have skin tough enough to stop weapons, are half-cat or half-ogre, and explode heads with magic, I don't see the world screeching to a halt if the GM permits Fast-Draw (Axe/Mace)!

Someone with more time and investment can find it for me, but somewhere on these forums I mentioned a breakaway rig that would seem to allow this skill. Provided that the delver were paying something in the ballpark of $10 per axe to carry axes that way, I'd allow Fast-Draw (Axe/Mace). This is similar to how Fast-Draw (Potion) requires delver's webbing or a potion belt ($7.50-15/potion), and how and Fast-Draw (Scroll) requires delver's webbing or a scroll belt ($6/scroll). Weight would be at most 0.5 lb. per axe, and I'd be fine with 0.25 lb. per axe.

So for a quick hack:

Quick-Draw Axe Rig. Belt with four "breakaway" pouches that can carry any one-handed Axe/Mace weapon. The business end goes in the pouch while the handle protrudes, enabling Fast-Draw (Axe/Mace) skill. $45, 1.5 lb.

[Polkageist]

Fast drawing is cool, so you should be able to fast draw anything.

Store a thing fast-drawishly, roll fast-draw (thing), get thing fast.