[Help] A problem with parry and unbalanced weapons.

[IslandGamer]

Thanks to everyone for their help.
I think will let me put this issue to rest.

[lachimba]

Originally Posted by nick012000

They're distinct effects; with enough ST, you'd be able to weild it with full capability. If it had U, you wouldn't be able to parry with it even then.

I don't have martial arts with me (so I could be wrong), but I think if you use it with a defensive attack you can attack and parry with it even then though.

[Phoenix_Dragon]

Originally Posted by lachimba

I don't have martial arts with me (so I could be wrong), but I think if you use it with a defensive attack you can attack and parry with it even then though.

Yep, which is very important for polearm and two-handed axe/mace users. And if allowed in the campaign, there's also an Extra Effort option (Rapid Recovery) that lets you parry with a U-parry weapon after an attack, at the cost of 1FP.

[vitruvian]

Originally Posted by Phoenix_Dragon

Yep, which is very important for polearm and two-handed axe/mace users. And if allowed in the campaign, there's also an Extra Effort option (Rapid Recovery) that lets you parry with a U-parry weapon after an attack, at the cost of 1FP.

Although sacrificing that little bit of offense for the Defensive Attack option is far more efficient, and in any of my campaigns would probably be how any wielder with a reasonable skill would go, except when delivering a coup de grace against a foe that's not expected to strike back...

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

Although sacrificing that little bit of offense for the Defensive Attack option is far more efficient, and in any of my campaigns would probably be how any wielder with a reasonable skill would go, except when delivering a coup de grace against a foe that's not expected to strike back...

Well, that's good if you don't mind losing 2 damage or 1/die. Which can make your attack useless against armor, and tends to make it hard to figure why you chose a U-parry weapon instead of a normal-parry one in the first place.

[SuedodeuS]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Well, that's good if you don't mind losing 2 damage or 1/die. Which can make your attack useless against armor, and tends to make it hard to figure why you chose a U-parry weapon instead of a normal-parry one in the first place.

Indeed. A character using a Parry U weapon should probably either have a good deal of armor or a nice Dodge (or Block, if using a one-handed weapon).
Well, that or enough ST to get through armor even with that -2...

[bolondro2]

I'm making a note of it . In our gaming circle we are using the rule in the wrong way. Perhaps a 3rd ed habit?

[Critical]

Originally Posted by Kromm

If it will help, here it is from the line developer, who has managed the game for 14 years and who revised the latest edition:

All that a "U" on a weapon's Parry stat means is that you cannot use it to parry after making an attack. That's it, that's all. It has nothing to do with readying the weapon. Barring a note on ST that says otherwise, a weapon with a U on its Parry can attack every turn. It just can't attack and parry.

To learn whether a weapon takes time to ready after an attack, you must look at the ST stat, not the Parry stat. A † on ST doesn't generally mean that the weapon becomes unready, only that it requires two hands. It will require a turn to ready only if you use it one-handed without at least twice the listed ST. The rarer ‡ usually does mean that the weapon becomes becomes unready after you attack with it . . . unless you have at least 1.5 times the listed ST and use it two-handed or three times listed ST and use it one-handed.

The term "unbalanced" is sometimes used for weapons with any of the three marks above, but it's loose usage. The specific stats are the final authority, and those work as noted above. In general, U doesn't imply the effects of † or ‡. These three things are independent of one another.

Lifting ST or striking ST? I've always assumed Lifting ST, but I just wanted to make sure.

[Anaraxes]

If it makes your GM feel better, it's a common confusion. The wording is a bit unfortunate, given people's normal assumptions about what they mean -- and also, for old GURPS hands, because the 1e through 3e rules about becoming unready after parries were different than 4e in exactly this way.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Critical

Lifting ST or striking ST? I've always assumed Lifting ST, but I just wanted to make sure.

I think the ruling is that Striking ST is the one used for actually doing damage and using the weapon; Lifting ST would just be for carrying it around.