Cybernetic teeth

[WaterAndWindSpirit]

How much would it GURPS $ would it cost to have the jaw and teeth replaced by high strength material to give them the Fangs advantage (with and without an Accessory perk [Fangs are actually Superfine])? Could someone like that pull the pin on a grenade one handed with their teeth without being a cinematic hero and as such should be given that perk as well?

Thanks!

[mr beer]

Cost, I don't know. As far as grenades go, Fangs are massive curved uberteeth that cost 2 CP so I would certainly let someone pull grenade rings with them for no extra cost.

I probably would let human normals pull grenade rings with their teeth in any campaign I ever ran. If it came up in a particularly gritty setting I'd probably read up on it to decide if it was a problem or not.

[Ashtagon]

Can you pull a grenade pin with your teeth?

TV Tropes says you'll likely suffer some nasty dental damage in the process. Doesn't go into more specifics than that.

Reddit notes that someone tried it with a smoke grenade, failed, and have a toothache next day.

Basically, in any realistic/gritty game, it shouldn't be possible unless your teeth have been enhanced somehow. And even then, because the pin is shaped so you have to twist as well as pull (to prevent it accidentally falling out I guess), you'd need a fair amount of oral dexterity.

It's conceivable that older grenade designs weren't built to such safety-conscious standards and could be armed this way.

[WaterAndWindSpirit]

Originally Posted by Ashtagon

it shouldn't be possible unless your teeth have been enhanced somehow.

I've been asking if it was possible precisely with enhanced teeth as per the topic totle (cybernetic teeth).

[mr beer]

Ashtagon might be correcting my (incorrect) assumption that would be doable (if unwise) with normal teeth.

Fangs are sabre-tooth tiger weapons though so should be fine - if you can pull something with a finger, you should be able to do it with a huge bony spike. It might degrade the enamel analogue after repeated pin pulls but I still think this ability should be included in the 2 CP cost if the player wants it.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by mr beer

Fangs are sabre-tooth tiger weapons though so should be fine - if you can pull something with a finger, you should be able to do it with a huge bony spike.

I don't think the problem is the teeth - teeth are quite strong - it's the anchoring of the teeth into the jaw that's the problem here. The failure point isn't the tooth itself after all. It can already apply a lot more force biting down on something with no problem at all than you can sustain pulling on a tooth before it comes out.

Honestly though this seems like a ridiculous approach. It's much easier and cheaper to modify your grenade pins so they are easy to pull than to replace your jaw. You can likely do it yourself in 30 seconds with a pair of pliers, and maybe a bit of sandpaper depending on the pin design.

Whether or not it is a *good* idea is more debatable - plenty of soldiers already have stories about pins getting snagged on gear and pulled out, or just falling out for no apparent reason. Though perhaps those are stories about designs that you already could have pulled with your teeth - not all grenades are the same.

[dcarson]

Or attach a little hook to your load bearing harness and use that to hook and pull pins on.

[mr beer]

Originally Posted by malloyd

I don't think the problem is the teeth - teeth are quite strong - it's the anchoring of the teeth into the jaw that's the problem here. The failure point isn't the tooth itself after all. It can already apply a lot more force biting down on something with no problem at all than you can sustain pulling on a tooth before it comes out.

I can see how this is a problem with human teeth but with a sabre-tooth a) the thing is much bigger to start with, hence has a lot more anchoring and b) you can slip the metal loop over the pointed tip and then yank in a mainly vertical motion rather than laterally.

Typed that out and realised that I'm envisioning a tusk narrower at the tip and wider at the base than the little metal circle that the grenade pin is attached to. I guess it depends on the exact dimensions involved.