Weapon bond & Striker

[Hide]

Hello, I hope you've been enjoying the holidays!

I have found and perk in the book "power ups 2" called "weapon bond" and I would like to employ it with my striker (arm). Is it possible? Or else, do you know if there's something similar to this for a striker?

Thank you!
- Hide

[Varyon]

By RAW, no. Personally, I'd probably allow it as an Enhancement on Striker* for something like +25% per +1, based on the price for Good Defense (from Pyramid #3/65). My justification here is that Good Defense +30% is comparable to Enhanced Parry [5], and as +1 to skill typically costs [4], this should be around 4/5 the price, for +24%, which we round up to +25%.

*Of course, I don't actually use the Striker Advantage, or Claws/Teeth for that matter, preferring to simply use Natural Weapons from the above Pyramid issue for all such cases.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Hide

I have found and perk in the book "power ups 2" called "weapon bond" and I would like to employ it with my striker (arm). Is it possible? Or else, do you know if there's something similar to this for a striker?

"+1 Brawling Skill [4]"

[Hide]

Oh I get it, but weapon bond costs 1 CP and the other options would be more expensive, right?

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Hide

Oh I get it, but weapon bond costs 1 CP and the other options would be more expensive, right?

Yes, but there's a reason for that.

I suppose if it is as easy to remove or destroy the Striker as it is an ordinary weapon - that is you are willing to give up any of the protection you normally get for it just because you paid points for it, and are comfortable with the risk of permanent crippling going up a lot - I might let you get away with that. If you are claiming a price break for a risk, I really need to be sure there *is* a risk, even if I probably wouldn't remember to have come up very often otherwise.

[Celjabba]

I may allow it ... if the Striker is 'breakable' or 'can be stolen'.
Otherwise, it is +1 to skill (aspected, only with this specific striker, -20%).
Technically still worth 4, but [3] is reasonable imho, since -40% for a narrow focus aspected is a common houserule.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Anthony

"+1 Brawling Skill [4]"

A +1 to the whole skill provides said +1 for other things. Such as fists, head, kicks, some improvised weapons, and even some semi-grapply moves.

I'd say it's worth approximately [2], comparable to a level of a Hard Technique, or a +1 to an Average Technique plus a Rules Exemption/Extra Option/etc. for being allowed to do the normally-RAW-illegal thing.

[whswhs]

I wouldn't allow it. If you read Weapon Bond, there are just too many nuances that don't work with a body part.

This is a trait that started out from a narrative trope: The combatant who has a sword, or bow, or rifle or whatever that is just exactly the right shape to fit his hand, the right length for the balance to suit his arm, that sort of thing. It didn't cost any more than any other weapon of the kind, but when he picked it up it felt right. All of the mechanical details were designed to go with telling that particular story. That's why you have that exact combination.

I'm not saying that a different narrative couldn't fit the same mechanical details. But if that different narrative doesn't fit all or nearly all the mechanics, then I wouldn't call it "weapon bond" or treat it as an analog of Weapon Bond. I'd say you needed to define the game mechanical effects for your preferred narrative, and consider what the fair cost for them was. Because GURPS is narrative-first.

And what kind of story are you telling? "My fist just happens to be exactly the right shape for me to grasp it easily"? "My arm just happens to be exactly the right length so my punches are well balanced"? I don't think I've encountered that in fiction, video, graphic media, or what have you.

[GodBeastX]

Weapon bond is priced at 1 CP because a skill boost can cost up to 4, and you are paying 1 CP for a skill boost on a UNIQUE weapon. So you get a price discount.

You might argue that a striker is a unique weapon, and as a GM you might allow it on Brawling, Karate, etc for the unique weapon, where you can use brawling, karate, etc with other implements as well. Personally, I would not because a Striker will probably always be your goto weapon since you can't drop it or replace it.

[dcarson]

If I allowed it at all the first time you were injured in that arm badly enough to hit the HT/2 limit when it healed the Weapon Bond would be gone. You could of course train (and spend a point again) to get the just right feel back.