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Old 10-13-2017, 07:58 AM   #1
Jasonft
 
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Default Need help designing a Familiar/ Weapon

Due to some interesting background choices connecting with some interesting game world information I am getting the chance to do something I kind of always wanted to try. What I need help with is making sure the math and the underlying logic are correct and legal.

Character background choice means the newly introduced PC swordsman in question has no shadow. He is based off a previous campaign where this Disad {Supernatural Feature} came from making a deal with an elf lord, but in the current campaign came from another source. This {new campaign} source has access to unsanctioned and possibly even Infernal magics - which were used in the creation of the PC's sword, and explains why it qualifies as Signature Gear.

Okay, that's the background. What I want to do is a little more complicated, so bear with me and let me know what I need to include in the cost and/or game mechanics.

There is something living in the sword, or possibly the sword is alive. When banished or brought into a No Mana zone the something disappears for a time and the sword becomes a completely normal sword. Otherwise the something is always there.

{Ally, Always Available, Magic Dependent(-10%)}

Can't really justify the sword as a focus item for the Familiar, so no Gadget stuff involved here. Unique and Breakable would be nice, but Signature Gear pretty much rules out those. Not going to bother with them at all. If the sword gets broken or the 'something' gets killed things can be fixed with difficulty.

How should I write up the physical stats of the Ally from this starting base? What should or should not be included in the build to reflect the concept described above?

Any help would be appreciated, thank you in advance.

The sword in question is a TL 4 Edged Rapier from Low Tech. Do not have the book in front of me so I can't give specific stats. It is, however, a pretty darn good weapon for a low DR/ high Dodge swordfighter build. It's also solid black metal and might give off a weird vibe when it is out.
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Old 10-13-2017, 09:39 AM   #2
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Default Re: Need help designing a Familiar/ Weapon

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How should I write up the physical stats of the Ally from this starting base?
You don't, your GM does. It's especially important in a case such as this, where you're not sure what the Ally is: a living sword or a possessed one.

As guidance, if your GM asks:

If the sword itself is sentient, or the being within is permanently tied to it (which is functionally the same), and it's completely inanimate (can't move on it's own in any way, can't manipulate anything): ST 0, DR/HP based on mass, DX 0, HT 12 +/- quality modifier. A lot of disadvantages like No Legs, No Sense of Smell/Taste, but also Injury Tolerance, maybe some Telesend, if it doesn't speak audibly.

If it's a spirit entity tied to the sword, but present in ethereal plane or something, it might have any physical attributes imaginable, Invisibility, Insubstantial and probably still No Legs (Sessile) to represent anchoring with the sword.


As for your Ally advantage, I'd say Breakable is an option, Signature Gear doesn't prevent this. If you'd use a Signature cheap small knife to parry an over-sized greataxe, it could shatter, in spite of plot protection.
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Old 10-13-2017, 10:06 AM   #3
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Default Re: Need help designing a Familiar/ Weapon

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As for your Ally advantage, I'd say Breakable is an option, Signature Gear doesn't prevent this. If you'd use a Signature cheap small knife to parry an over-sized greataxe, it could shatter, in spite of plot protection.
However, Sig Gear means it should be 'easily' replaceable. In the case of the cheap knife... well cheap knives are cheap and ubiquitious (at least as far as the PC is concerned, there is almost always a cheap knife lying around for them).

In the case of this sword... it would mean that even though broken (or lost) it is fixable somehow (even if it is not easy), also it shouldn't be easily broken.
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Old 10-13-2017, 11:14 AM   #4
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Default Re: Need help designing a Familiar/ Weapon

It is a Fine quality sword, but is also TL4. The campaign world is TL 3.

The PC I built is a mercenary who, somewhere back in his history, worked for a warlord already written into the campaign background. Nasty piece of work called the Black Knight who rules a small kingdom in some mountains way over there (other side of the kingdom from our locale). Nobody else is known to have TL 4 armor and gear.

Black Knight or someone working for them is the source with unsanctioned (Infernal?) magics mentioned in the OP.

Fixing/ replacing might require going there and having them do it.
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Old 10-13-2017, 12:47 PM   #5
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Default Re: Need help designing a Familiar/ Weapon

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However, Sig Gear means it should be 'easily' replaceable.
Why? You should get an opportunity (not necessarily easy one) to recover a Sig Gear lost by plot, but not lost due to abuse. It doesn't make stuff acid- or black hole resistant. So if the GM decides to shatter the sword of Isildur to make an adventure out of reforging it, it's fair game (just like NPC stealing the item, just not permanently). If you decide to parry the giant's maul with your Sig Gear, because you have higher Parry than Dodge, I'd say it's "given away of your own free will" if it shatters according to the normal weapon breakage rules.

Also, discussing Signature Gear might be irrelevant here, as the advantage itself suggests using Allies, if the gear is written up as a character.
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Old 10-13-2017, 03:13 PM   #6
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Default Re: Need help designing a Familiar/ Weapon

Signature Gear gives enough protection against loss and breakage, given your caveats, that I felt I could not give it Gadget limitations when pricing the Ally. That is why I mentioned it.
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Old 10-14-2017, 12:07 AM   #7
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Default Re: Need help designing a Familiar/ Weapon

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Why?
Because it's a cheap knife. I'd rather the Player just drop a point on Sig Gear for his cheap, ubiquitous, knife "advantage" than start playing around with Innate Attack trying to figure out how to have an "I always have a knife" power.


Especially when they realize they can, for 6 points, have this:

"Knife" [6]
-- Cut, 1d (Melee (C, 1) -20%) [5]
-- Imp, 3 damage, ([8]; [x.75]; Melee (C) -30%) [1] AA

Which is slightly better than a Large Knife in the hands of ST 10 character (slightly better damage, no Parry penalty, always Ready) and can never be Broken or Stolen or Lost or etc.
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Old 10-14-2017, 04:36 AM   #8
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Default Re: Need help designing a Familiar/ Weapon

Ah, I thought you're talking about Signature Gear in general. Yeah, a cheap knife should definitely be easily replaceable, I just used it as an edge case to better show that Signature Gear shouldn't be treated as damage protection, or it could get abused really quickly.
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Old 10-14-2017, 05:05 AM   #9
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Default Re: Need help designing a Familiar/ Weapon

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Originally Posted by Jasonft View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gnomasz View Post
Also, discussing Signature Gear might be irrelevant here, as the advantage itself suggests using Allies, if the gear is written up as a character.
Signature Gear gives enough protection against loss and breakage, given your caveats, that I felt I could not give it Gadget limitations when pricing the Ally. That is why I mentioned it.
I believe Gnomaz’s point is that Signature Gear says to “use the rules under Allies instead” (assuming you’re statting the sword portion as a character).
Especially since you’re applying “always” for the ally’s availability. If the sword isn’t anything special and is just inhabited by your ally,sig gear can make sense, but if the sword is ever broken/stolen/lost, Gadget limitations make sense for your ally if the ally ceases to function (as an ally for you) while the sword is being replaced.
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Old 10-14-2017, 10:48 AM   #10
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Default Re: Need help designing a Familiar/ Weapon

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I just used it as an edge case to better show that Signature Gear shouldn't be treated as damage protection, or it could get abused really quickly.
While this is true... it's still an investment from the Player. I tend go a bit more lenient on things Players have invested points in.

I've also taken to liking Sig Gear as a "PC always just has this type of gear" as long there is nothing really special about it. If it's pretty much a 'ubiquitous' item (swords in a medieval fantasy, handguns in a modern USA setting), then no matter how they lose it, they can pretty easily, coincidentally even, find a replacement.

Now if it's highly specific, say a fully kitted out sniper rifle with all the tacticool accessories or a magic sword of XYZ, then nope. It's much harder to replace, but, the implicit promise is there that so long as they didn't yield it of their volition or lose/destroy it 'stupidly', they can replace it.


Spoils of war, however are just equipment.
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