A variety of Kusari questions

[Toptomcat]

-Per Basic p. 406, (successfully?) parrying a kusari with a weapon permits the user to make a skill roll, entangling that weapon on a success. This then permits the user to make an attempt to disarm with a Quick Contest on their next turn without rolling to hit first. RAW, is this the only rules consequence of entangling a weapon? It doesn't meaningfully impede attacks with the weapon entangled, it doesn't impede use of the Kusari, it doesn't persistantly entangle the weapon such that the QC can be made on occasions other than the next turn or require some action on the part of the fellow with the entangled weapon to clear it of the kusari before it can be used again? And, despite annoyingly sharing a name with the Technique detailed on Martial Arts p. 71, it has nothing to do with the Entangle technique, which deals only and exclusively with entangling an opponent's body parts as an active attack rather than entangling an opponent's weapon as a reaction to their parry?

-The default kusari hits the user in the face on a critical miss result of 3, 4, 17, or 18, again per Basic Set p. 406. Would instead using the standard critical-miss table (typically instead resulting in dropping the weapon) be a valid Perk? If not, what would be a fair price for that trait, and what *would* be fair for a Perk that mitigates that drawback? (Maybe forcing a limb or torso hit instead?)

-Speaking of that Entangle Technique: would -80% be an appropriate Limitation on Lifting ST for (only for the Quick Contest provoked by the Entangle technique)? (It would be Lifting ST, right?) Would something like a kusari-aspected Power Grappling perk (use a ST-based Kusari roll rather than a ST roll on Armed Grapple or Entangle) make more sense?

-It is generally held on these forums that 25 points is a fair value for Extra Ready, per a frequently-cited Krommquote. This makes sense to me: covers quick-draws of any weapon or item, making unbalanced weapons act as if they weren't, manipulating objects and performing other non-fighty physical actions during combat time, and a bunch of other good miscellany. For this reason, I'm inclined to take one level and feel that I've gotten good value out of it. Kusari, though, are so Ready-hungry that I'm greedily eyeing a second level- particularly for getting more use out of an extra-long kusari, which takes *two* ready maneuvers after one landed attack at Reach 3 or 4. What would be an appropriate Limitation value for Extra Ready (Single Skill?)

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Toptomcat

-Per Basic p. 406, (successfully?) parrying a kusari with a weapon permits the user to make a skill roll, entangling that weapon on a success. This then permits the user to make an attempt to disarm with a Quick Contest on their next turn without rolling to hit first. RAW, is this the only rules consequence of entangling a weapon? It doesn't meaningfully impede attacks with the weapon entangled, it doesn't impede use of the Kusari, it doesn't persistantly entangle the weapon such that the QC can be made on occasions other than the next turn or require some action on the part of the fellow with the entangled weapon to clear it of the kusari before it can be used again?

I'd probably treat it as grappling the weapon with the kusari, but RAW I think the only consequence is, indeed, that the kusari-wielder can attempt a disarm next round.

And, yes, it needs to be a successful Parry to allow you to attempt to entangle; hitting your target in the face and entangling his weapon is just adding insult to injury, really.

Originally Posted by Toptomcat

-The default kusari hits the user in the face on a critical miss result of 3, 4, 17, or 18, again per Basic Set p. 406. Would instead using the standard critical-miss table (typically instead resulting in dropping the weapon) be a valid Perk? If not, what would be a fair price for that trait, and what *would* be fair for a Perk that mitigates that drawback? (Maybe forcing a limb or torso hit instead?)

A Perk sounds valid to me - critical misses are fairly uncommon, and this is just making the rarest results of a critical miss a bit less harsh. Feels like Perk territory to me, easy.

Originally Posted by Toptomcat

-Speaking of that Entangle Technique: would -80% be an appropriate Limitation on Lifting ST for (only for the Quick Contest provoked by the Entangle technique)? (It would be Lifting ST, right?) Would something like a kusari-aspected Power Grappling perk (use a ST-based Kusari roll rather than a ST roll on Armed Grapple or Entangle) make more sense?

I'd say you'd want Power Grappling first; if you want further Lifting ST, Single Attack is typically -60% on various Advantages, so using that here seems appropriate.

Originally Posted by Toptomcat

What would be an appropriate Limitation value for Extra Ready (Single Skill?)

Single Skill is a canonical Limitation on Extra Attack, which is what most Extra Ready builds tend to use as their base. It's -20% there, so -20% here seems appropriate. Of course, you aren't really getting as much flexibility out of it as you can out of Extra Attack (Single Skill), so I could see justification to make it -40% or maybe even -60% (but for the latter, I would only let it be used to negate the Readies after making an attack, not for Readies for "Turns in your hand" critfails, to initially draw and ready the weapon for combat, to pick it up from the ground, etc).

[Plane]

When whips, including kusaris, target an opponent, entangling them follows the Lariat rules on B411.

If you Lariat an arm or a torso, winning a contest of ST (using a Ready) on later turns (i guess Extra Attack is no help?) you immobilize them...

I'd take that with a grain of salt (ie lariating a right arm or a torso shouldn't stop you from firing a gun with the left hand) and probably think of it as pertaining mostly to melee combat...

It would seem fair to apply a similar ST contest to try and immobilize a weapon if you had it lariated, though the wielder should be able to attack with something other than the weapon.

Technical Grappling helps here, with T15 covering Entangling weapons. TG17 covers the Lariat (left column) as an Entangling+Incrementing+Flexible+Thrown weapon, however (right column) Whips (Entangling+Flexible+Melee) aren't incrementing, they are 1-time inflictions of Control Points, which I'm guessing applies to the Kusari.

T33 specifies that unlike normal whips you don't have to choose between CP and dmg, you get both.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Plane

If you Lariat an arm or a torso, winning a contest of ST (using a Ready) on later turns (i guess Extra Attack is no help?) you immobilize them...

This is a combination of "holdover from earlier editions where there was only one attack per turn"† and "not letting a character get steamrolled with sufficient chances to resistance or react"‡.


† Yes, I know we've had AOA(Double) for the longest, but look to the Feint Maneuver and Wrestling in general. Most most holds and locks are set and then apply effects on following turns. You can certainly run it as "on next attack" for cinematic games, and I find in such games it really doesn't break anything, except mooks into pieces.

‡ And one set of such reactions are runaway (in the case of Feint), breakfree (for Wrestling), or Attack (basically anything in the hopes your foe will be down or fail their roll due to penalties).

[Plane]

MA121 rules for Cross Parry is BRUTAL for kusaris: "If you parry a kusari, the wielder may attempt a free Entangle as usual (p. B406), with success binding both of your weapons."

MA224 defines a six-dollar piece of chain as usable as an improvised one... although there's a HUGE penalty...

M78 "return strike" M71's elaborate on "Entangle" technique also cool, but being limited to using Readies (which don't benefit from Extra Attack) is BRUTAL for a martial artist. Would be nice if there was something similar to a Quick-Draw skill for turning this ready into a free action.