[Basic] Advantage of the Week (#52): Extra Attack

[Otaku]

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Basic

Extra Attack (p. B53-54), a Mundane (first level only), Physical Advantage that costs 25 per level*. Each level of this trait grants you an extra Attack maneuver on your turn during combat but does not offset any naturally occurring penalties (such as from using your offhand). You cannot take more levels of this than you have methods of attacking available (natural weapons, limbs, and attack powers) and it is okay to use a weapon (or weapons) in these attacks, provided you're not violating some other rule (like trying to fire a normal gun with your non-manipulator foot). You can use some of these on Feints, but only one may be used for a Rapid Strike, which grants only one extra attack over your baseline but only two of your attacks suffer the Rapid Strike's -6 Skill penalty. When the character with any levels of Extra Attack chooses to All-Out Attack, it may select

• Determined, with all attacks gaining the +4 bonus to hit.
• Double, which grants only one additional
• Feint, which (if successful) gives your opponent a penalty to defend against all of your remaining attacks that turn.**
• Strong, which grants +2 damage (or +1/die if better) to your ST-based attacks.

The mundane version of this trait simply represents a person with exceptionally good coordination. Note that, even though a normal human has two arms, two legs, and is capable of biting or headbutting, one level of Extra Attack is still the cap; if you can do all that in one turn without All-Out Attacking, you outside of the realm of mundane human (at least, as far as RAW is concerned). Also, note that it doesn't allow extra Aim or Evaluate maneuvers; take Enhanced Tracking for that.

Other Supplements

• GURPS Powers offers clarifications on what Extra Attack can do, using it in a Powers-inclusive setting, custom Modifiers (Multi-Strike, Single Skill), and Powers that include Extra Attack.
• GURPS Supers offers a little more detail on using Extra Attacks in the Supers genre and contains new Talents, Powers, and templates that utilize it.
• GURPS Update lets us know that the Third Edition trait "Full Coordination" corresponds to Extra attack, but more on that in our next section.
• Pyramid 3/83 features many alternate rules, hence declaring "Alternate GURPS IV" on its cover. One article within is titled "Pointless Monster Hunting", and explains how to run a GURPS Monster Hunters campaign without using Character Points. One package (not sure what to call them) does include Extra Attack.

Past Editions

As stated earlier, under the Third Edition rules - and perhaps earlier - Extra Attack was known as "Full Coordination". I shall refer to the trait's entry found in Compendium I, on page 56; this puts in in the chapter for Super and Racial Advantages. It is priced at 50 CP/level* and the text makes no exception to allow a single level for mundane humans, though it does mention that a character with two arms could indeed take one level of the trait so as to attack with each arm. Besides other differences native to how Third Edition Operates versus Fourth Edition (such as referencing Independently Focusable Eyes instead of Enhanced Tracking), the final major difference is that, when taking an All-Out Attack and selecting the option to increase your number of attacks, it provides a 50% increase instead of a single, additional attack. Thus, a creature with Full Coordination Lv.3 could attack six times when All-Out Attacking (or 50% more than the four times it would usually be allowed to attack).

Useful Links

Feel free to suggest any existing threads or other, appropriate links on this matter.

Discussion Starters

This is (usually) a generic list of questions for those who want to participate in the discussion but need a little help. If you already know what you want to say, feel free to skip these. ;)

• Have you ever taken this trait for one of your PCs or NPCs? How did it work out?
• Is there anything this trait does really well?
• Is there anything you think this trait could or should do differently?
• Any related traits you believe are necessary for full discussion? Go ahead and bring them up, but remember that this is a thread for Elastic Skin.
• Any thoughts on how the 4e version of these traits compares to them in earlier editions?

*The actual text does not use the term "level", but uses the term "attacks", which I found more confusing instead of less, and even if I hadn't I prefer uniform terminology for such things unless grossly inconvenient. Feel free to let me know if you would prefer I do or do not take such liberties in the future.

**Extrapolation on my part. The rules for Feints on p. B365 states that the penalty applied to the opponent's Defenses from a successful Feint lasts one second. It also states that if you Feint, then use All-Out Attack (Double) on your next turn, your opponent suffers the Defense penalty against both attacks. The rules for the All-Out Attack (Double) entry of the All-Out Attack section (same page) states that if you wish, you may Feint and then Attack instead of Attacking twice for All-Out Attack (Double), but that if you do, the penalty from a successful Feint only applies to your next attack.