Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-09-2017, 08:46 PM   #1
Calvin
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Calgary
Default Weapon Master + Jack of All Trades?

So Weapon Master brings up all your defaults to DX-1, DX-2, and DX-3.

Jack of All Trades can bring your defaults up by between 1 and 3, and you could potentially axe the HT, ST, and IQ parts of Jack of All Trades and keep only the DX portion for 4pts per level. (Jack of All Weapons?)

Maybe it's a little silly, but couldn't you use this to build a character that can pick up any weapon and use it at full DX?

The only issue I see is that you waste the damage bonus that comes from having the skill at DX+1 or DX+2. I suppose you could pay the points to get to those skill break points, but that does make the Jack of All Trades portion a little redundant.

That does raise a question though, how much would a limitation on Weapon Master be worth if it removed the damage bonus portion?
Calvin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2017, 09:56 PM   #2
David Johnston2
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Weapon Master + Jack of All Trades?

No, you can't. Jack of All Trades doesn't synergize with anything except high stats.
David Johnston2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2017, 10:25 PM   #3
Calvin
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Calgary
Default Re: Weapon Master + Jack of All Trades?

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
No, you can't. Jack of All Trades doesn't synergize with anything except high stats.
What do you mean? That the two can't stack? As far as I can tell Weapon Master _sets_ it to a specific value, and Jack of All Trades just adds to whatever that value is.
Calvin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2017, 11:00 PM   #4
ericbsmith
 
ericbsmith's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Binghamton, NY, USA. Near the river Styx in the 5th Circle.
Default Re: Weapon Master + Jack of All Trades?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Calvin View Post
What do you mean? That the two can't stack?
I was prepared to make that argument, but then I read Jack of All Trades from Power-Ups 3: Talents. And it doesn't say what I remember it saying, so I begin to go through my 3e collection to find where it came into GURPS and it looks like it wasn't in the Compendium, but I managed to find it in the GURPS Traveller main book. The wording in that book is quite similar to to the one from Power-Ups 3, but it included an additional clause:

"It has no effect on skills without a default, and modified default level may never equal or exceed the level that 1/2 point would purchase."

It seems that the 4e version is a bit more forgiving, and I see no reason rules-wise why it wouldn't affect the more lenient skill defaults offered by Weapon Master. I certainly wouldn't allow a character to get the damage bonus without spending points on the skill, and there's no way I would allow for the "DX only" version of Jack of All Trades you suggest - it's just too much munchkin bait. It's a package deal, if you want it then buy the package.
__________________
Eric B. Smith GURPS Data File Coordinator
GURPSLand
I shall pull the pin from this healing grenade and...
Kaboom-baya.

Last edited by ericbsmith; 08-10-2017 at 12:05 AM.
ericbsmith is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2017, 11:39 PM   #5
Crystalline_Entity
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: England
Default Re: Weapon Master + Jack of All Trades?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ericbsmith View Post
I was prepared to make that argument, but then I read Jack of All Trades from Power-Ups 3: Talents. And it doesn't say what I remember it saying,
I've just found this too; I'm sure there was a rule that effectively said "your default in a skill must be less than its value if you'd spent [1] point in it", but I can't find that. I remember finding this typically affected skills such as Piloting which are DX skills but default from IQ, so a high IQ character with lower DX might fall foul of such a rule. But I can't find that rule now. Hmmm.
Crystalline_Entity is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2017, 12:18 AM   #6
Calvin
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Calgary
Default Re: Weapon Master + Jack of All Trades?

There is still the question of why you'd ever make such a character though. In 90% of cases you'd be better off going for the 1/2 weapon version of weapon master and dropping Jack of All Trades entirely.

It is cool in theory though, actually being able to pick up any weapon and use it pretty effectively.
Calvin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2017, 12:18 AM   #7
Tigrah2k
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Michigan
Default Re: Weapon Master + Jack of All Trades?

If I may, which book in 4e does Jack of all Trades come from? I don't seem to have that in my current loaded list for GCA, and would like to check it out.
Tigrah2k is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2017, 12:39 AM   #8
evileeyore
Banned
 
evileeyore's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
Default Re: Weapon Master + Jack of All Trades?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Crystalline_Entity View Post
I've just found this too; I'm sure there was a rule that effectively said "your default in a skill must be less than its value if you'd spent [1] point in it", but I can't find that.
That's because that line is in Dabbler.


Dabbler and JoAT mix oddly. Be wary.
evileeyore is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:46 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.