Q: How do Jets (the attack enhancement and weapon type) work?
A:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
(Post 722520)
Jet simply turns your Innate Attack into a 10-yard melee weapon that cannot parry or be parried, and that inflicts only half damage past five yards. It's +0%, despite pathetic range, because it lets you Feint, use AOA (Double) from a safe distance, make a Rapid Strike, etc. It's worth more than Melee Attack because, relative to that modifier, it gives spectacular Reach and can't normally be parried. There's no assumption of being able to strike multiple targets unless you use AOA (Double) or Rapid Strike, but note that High-Tech allows AOA (Jet) for flamethrowers, and this lets you engage lots of foes at a cost in damage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
(Post 722563)
You can use any option that works with a melee attack. It's a melee weapon, in every sense. It just can't parry (but then, neither can some melee weapons).
A note on Critical results in attack/defence:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
(Post 17100)
Treat it just like a melee attack, except that when you "unready," "drop," "throw away," or "break" a jet, it goes out and you have to spend time reactivating it. Most of the other results are quite sensible: a jet user could shoot himself by mistake, or even overreach himself so badly while tracking his target that he becomes unbalanced, falls, or strains something.
vicky_molokh
08-18-2015 08:01 AM
Re: (Unofficial) FAQ of the GURPS Fora
Q: Some traits are obvious, some aren't. Some take the Low Signature / No Signature enhancements, others take the Visible limitation. E.g. just how obvious is DR (Damage Resistance) supposed to be? What other principles are there to figuring which applies? A:
First, a bit of a basic split from GURPS Powers:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Powers, p. 163-164
If the ability isn’t based on a mental-
influence advantage (e.g., Mind
Reading or Mind Control) or another
trait with explicitly invisible effects,
isn’t totally passive, and isn’t enhanced
with No Signature (p. B106), then the
buyer must describe a set of effects that
are obvious to one or more ordinary
human senses. These occur whenever
he uses the ability. Observers notice
them automatically, barring obstruc-
tions or missing senses.
[ . . . ]
Advantages with invisible effects,
such as Clairsentience and Telekinesis,
are genuinely undetectable to normal
senses – even if their consequences are
obvious, like a rock tossed with TK –
unless given the Visible limitation
(p. 112).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Powers, p. 228
Some supers with relatively subtle
powers, such as the ability to absorb
the energy of others’ attacks and use it
for themselves, even make a point of
boasting about their abilities . . . when
they’d surely do better to keep quiet
and exploit the ensuing surprise. GMs
may choose to allow supers to take the
Visible limitation (p. 112) when a
power is not actually visible but the
character’s bragging and behavior
make its effects obvious anyway.
Absorbing energy of enemy attacks is surely a form of DR with Absorption.
A more direct exchange with Kromm: Q: How obvious is DR (Damage Resistance) to onlookers? Does it include any incoveniences? Is there a point to making it Switchable? A:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
(Post 479362)
Damage Resistance is normally "always on," per the first paragraph of Turning Advantages Off and On (p. B34). It has no crippling bulk or appearance issues by default, so "it never inconveniences you."
There's little value to being able to switch DR on and off. You must still add Switchable, +10% if you wish to do that, though. Presumably, if you want such a feature, you have ways of making it useful. You can balance that cost with Nuisance Effect and so on to get DR at +0% that's funny-looking or bulky when on, out of the way when off. This isn't a net drawback, because once again, it has its uses. If nothing else, it's really annoying to have to subtract DR from the HT rolls for beneficial Afflictions, or to turn aside hypodermics when you need to be immunized against plagues!
Finally, you can take limitations that shut down or reduce the availability of your DR. These are most often such things as Accessibility and Uncontrollable. If you have a drawback like that, then you don't need Switchable as well.
Kromm later elaborates further:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm's email
Normally, DR isn't visible. It may BECOME visible if:
* it has a modifier -- not necessarily a limitation -- that renders it
active rather than passive (true for the Active Defense limitation and
the Switchable enhancement), or outright states that it transforms the
DR into something visible;
* it has a power modifier that always has some visible special effect,
which isn't necessarily a drawback worth points when balanced by some
small positive special effect;
* it is justified by a perk like Feathers, Fur, or Scales; or
* its visibility is an effective zero-point racial feature, like being
a tank or being a mammoth, either of which is obviously tough to those
who know what it is (aliens would have no reason to know that a mammoth
has tough skin and may never notice that if they never dissect one and
their ultra-tech weapons cleave right through DR 4, while stereotypical
cave-men would know about the mammoth but not realize they can't spear
a tank);
However, if a human-looking super or android has armored skin, that is
not automatically visible. Attacks will soon reveal the truth, but that
isn't the same as the super or android looking like a mammoth or tank
all the time.
SP.
The author of MH notes a genre-specific handling for Monster Hunters:
Spoiler:
Quote:
Originally Posted by PK
(Post 1928843)
Quote:
Originally Posted by scc
(Post 1928801)
OK, Low or No Signature is B109 and Visible is P112. Both of these Modifiers effect whether or not your attack, power or other effect can be seen. The problem is what is and isn't effected. Low or No Signature says: 'An attack normally has a “signature”: a flash of light, a sound, etc.', so Innate Attack and probably Affliction and Binding as well, seems simple enough.
For attacks, a good general rule is that any advantage which uses the attack/defense roll mechanic is always obvious by default (even if you change this by adding Malediction), while an advantage which uses a Quick Contest is inobvious by default. I expound on this a bit in GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery.
Quote:
Unfortunately since buying MH1 I've been a bit confused on that front, PK used Low or No Signature several times on DR
Yes, and while I stand by it, part of me wishes I'd taken a less contentious approach.
First, it's important to note that attacks are not the only thing that can be obvious. Passive abilities can definitely be obvious; consider Extra Arms for one easy example. No Signature is not only used to remove an attack's report, but also to do things like making such passive advantages invisible or unnoticeable. To continue the example, Kromm has suggested "Extra Arm 1 (No Signature; Weapon Mount)" as a way to simulate a cinematic warrior's ability to hold a ready shield while still retaining full use of that arm.
So the question becomes, is Damage Resistance obvious? And I'd say that past a certain point, the realistic answer is clearly "yes." Someone with unmodified DR 6 has the equivalent of a hard, chitinous shell; their skin can repel small-arms fire and any hand-to-hand attack is likely to injure the person attempting it. (The sole exception to this seems to be the supers genre, which is its own weird and wonky thing.)
Thus, since Monster Hunters places such a high priority on stealth and fitting in, I felt that it was appropriate to take a realistically austere approach to DR and consider it to be visible. To my eye, in such a setting, humans can only have DR with Tough Skin without looking like freaks, and only a few levels at that:
DR 1 (Tough Skin): "She's got that leathered, biker skin. I guess she tans a lot."
DR 2 (Tough Skin): "Man, he looks like you could break a bottle over his head and he'd just glare at you."
DR 3+ (Tough Skin) or DR 1+ without it: "What the hell are you?"
Hopefully this makes sense. Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to associate DR exclusively with superheroes and complained that GURPS Supers took a different approach. I don't see any issue there; we're talking about two unrelated genres with radically different approaches to the whole "secret identity" thing. Yet this seems to really bother some people. So while I still stand by it, in retrospect I would have taken a different approach (by bundling a UB into the cost of DR) simply to avoid that outcry.
I hope this makes sense.
Q: Are Claws retractable if no modifiers are applied to them? If yes, how hard are they to notice? Or do they get in the way all the time? A:
Quote:
Originally Posted by PK
(Post 185882)
You pretty much have three alternatives with Claws.
1. You cannot retract them at all. Buy Claws normally, and probably also Poor Grip to reflect the issues with holding equipment, etc.
2. The claws don't get in the way, due to either good design or the ability to partially retract them (but where they're still completely visible and obvious). Buy Claws normally.
3. You can retract your claws fully, so that they're impossible to even notice when you have them withdrawn (without x-rays, etc.). Buy Claws with the Switchable (+10%) enhancement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PK
(Post 186635)
The cost of Claws assumes that they don't get in your way and make life difficult -- if they do, that's a separate disadvantage. Otherwise, it's safe to assume that you can retract them somewhat, so they're not in your way, but so that they're still very visible and noticeable.
You only need to add Switchable (+10%) if you want to be able to conceal them completely -- as if they actually retracted fully back into your hand, like Wolverine's do (in the movie and most of the comics).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
(Post 186657)
Yes. Switchable is intended to let you pass as someone without the advantage. If all you can do is avoid the logical drawbacks of an always-on physical ability . . . well, that's the default situation for an advantage. Anything worse is Nuisance Effect or similar.
vicky_molokh
09-06-2015 11:07 AM
Re: (Unofficial) FAQ of the GURPS Fora
Q: I just put my first point into Karate, and it feels like I got nothing (or almost nothing out of it). What good is Karate at less than DX?
A:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
(Post 1934035)
Remember to use the higher of DX or skill. Going by the Basic Set alone, doing all the math to express things relative to DX (drop fractions at the very end!), and putting the benefits of Karate in boldface, the real progression is this:
0 points (DX only): Punch at DX for thrust-1; kick at DX-2 for thrust; armed enemies who parry your unarmed strikes attack your limb at full skill; parry unarmed attacks at DX/2 + 3, or DX/2 + 4 if retreating; parry weapons at DX/2, or DX/2 + 1 if retreating; cannot attempt Back Kick, Elbow Strike, Jump Kick, Knee Strike.
1 point (Karate at DX-2): Punch at DX for thrust-1; kick at DX-2 for thrust; armed enemies who parry your unarmed strikes attack your limb at skill-4; parry unarmed attacks at DX/2 + 3, or DX/2 + 5 if retreating; parry weapons at DX/2 + 2, or DX/2 + 5 if retreating; Back Kick at DX-6, Elbow Strike at DX-4, Jump Kick at DX-6, Knee Strike at DX-3.
2 points (Karate at DX-1): Punch at DX for thrust-1; kick at DX-2 for thrust; armed enemies who parry your unarmed strikes attack your limb at skill-4; parry unarmed attacks at DX/2 + 3, or DX/2 + 5.5 if retreating; parry weapons at DX/2 + 2.5, or DX/2 + 5.5 if retreating; Back Kick at DX-5, Elbow Strike at DX-3, Jump Kick at DX-5, Knee Strike at DX-2.
4 points (Karate at DX): Punch at DX for thrust; kick at DX-2 for thrust+1;armed enemies who parry your unarmed strikes attack your limb at skill-4; parry unarmed attacks at DX/2 + 3, or DX/2 + 6 if retreating; parry weapons at DX/2 + 3, or DX/2 + 6 if retreating; Back Kick at DX-4, Elbow Strike at DX-2, Jump Kick at DX-4, Knee Strike at DX-1.
8 points (Karate at DX+1): Punch at DX+1 for thrust+1; kick at DX-1 for thrust+2;armed enemies who parry your unarmed strikes attack your limb at skill-4; parry unarmed attacks at DX/2 + 3.5, or DX/2 + 6.5 if retreating; parry weapons at DX/2 + 3.5, or DX/2 + 6.5 if retreating; Back Kick at DX-3, Elbow Strike at DX-1, Jump Kick at DX-3, Knee Strike at DX.
Adding in the Martial Arts rules gives you a bunch more techniques (almost none of which default to untrained DX). You also get to parry with the legs or feet, and may parry grappling techniques with "counters" that don't require a free hand. And you can dive, sideslip, and slip as well as or better than an untrained person can retreat.
The benefits are subtle but real at low levels.
vicky_molokh
01-29-2016 01:48 AM
Re: (Unofficial) FAQ of the GURPS Fora
Q: The Staff skill, various weapons covered by it, Weapon Adaptation . . . uh, how they interact? Is the +2 Parry bonus a property of the skill or the weapon? A: the answers are a bit scattered, but here's what I managed to gather so far:
Regarding the parry bonus:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Basic Set page 208
This skill makes good use of the staff’s extensive parrying surface when defending, giving +2 to your Parry score.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
(Post 18693)
Any balanced weapon used with Staff skill gets +2 Parry. However, there is no such thing as "+2U" Parry, which is why the naginata is "0U."
Quote:
Originally Posted by the Form Mastery perk
you could start your turn using a spear with the Staff skill, switch to the Spear skill to attack, and then return to Staff for parrying.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the Weapon Adaptation perk
This lets you wield the weapons covered by one weapon skill using a different skill and its techniques, with all of the benefits and drawbacks of that skill
Regarding the tetsubo:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
(Post 18693)
Note that contrary to gaming myth, a tetsubo isn't really an iron staff . . . it's closer to a honking huge maul. It just happens to be baseball bat-shaped instead of hammer-shaped. It would definitely use Two-Handed Axe/Mace skill, not Staff.
Regarding use of hooked custom heads on a staff:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
(Post 1912560)
GURPS Martial Arts, p. 74: "You can learn [Hook] for any Melee Weapon skill, but you’ll need a suitable weapon to use it."
GURPS Martial Arts, p. 214 (or GURPS Low-Tech Companion 2, p. 14): "Any swung weapon [...] can have a small hook to permit use of the Hook technique."
A quarterstaff is a swung weapon, so it can have a hook for +$25 and negligible weight. If you want to go nuts and give it a full-on bill head for +$90 ($100 for dueling bill minus $10 for quarterstaff) and +2 lbs. (6 lbs. for dueling bill minus 4 lbs. for quarterstaff), then you've gone above and beyond the call of duty. Go ahead and learn Hook (Staff) to wield it.
Something to keep in mind for those who want to use a Default to wield a staff with the Staff skill:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Basic Set page 173
Regardless of your default skill level, you do not get the special benefits of a skill – especially combat
bonuses such as improved damage, special defenses, and unpenalized off-hand use – when you use a skill at
default. To enjoy these benefits, you must spend at least one point on the skill.
vicky_molokh
03-09-2016 06:00 AM
Re: (Unofficial) FAQ of the GURPS Fora
Q: Main-Gauche's skill description seems a bit ambiguous. Do I get any drawbacks? A: Yes, since it's a Fencing weapon (suffering Encumbrance penalties) and harder than the Knife skill. Otherwise . . .
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter V. Dell'Orto
(Post 269607)
Main-Gauche is basically "knife plus" - it's a better version of knife. If you have it, you don't also need Knife. It does everything Knife does plus a bit more; however it is more difficult and is a Fencing weapon (which has its own ups and downs) so if you don't need the "extras" you are better off with Knife. The line about using a Knife as a primary weapon is confusing, but I am 100% certain you can use a knife as a weapon - to attack, to defend, and in either hand - using Main-Gauche - thanks to discussions with Sean concerning GURPS Martial Arts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
(Post 447039)
Don't forget that Main-Gauche qualifies as a fencing skill, which gives the twin benefits of allowing +3 rather than +1 when you retreat whilst parrying, and halving the penalty for multiple parries with the same weapon. Add that to the ability to ignore the -4 to DX/-2 to Parry with the off hand, and the further ability to ignore the usual -1 when parrying with a knife, and the main-gauche is an exceedingly potent defensive weapon. Moreover, when doing anything short of an All-Out Attack that commits your main weapon in such a way that it can't parry, the main-gauche retains all of these benefits. Thus, you can do nutty things like flying lunges and sword tosses with your rapier, and still parry like mad.
Offensively, Main-Gauche isn't any more potent than Knife. It requires Off-Hand Weapon Training to be really effective, and Dual-Weapon Attack to be even more effective . . . just like Knife. And while it's handy in close combat, it's no more handy than Knife.
But that's as it should be. Generally, the main-gauche is compared to the buckler, cloak, and other parrying weapons. It's only rarely considered a useful part of offense. If what you want is lots of offense, do what some real rapierists did and carry two rapiers instead. Just be careful in close combat. Also, be rich . . . a rapier isn't cheap like a main-gauche is.
vicky_molokh
04-08-2016 11:54 AM
Re: (Unofficial) FAQ of the GURPS Fora
Q:Exactly what sorts of healing are and aren't allowed for characters with Unhealing?
A:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
(Post 1996434)
The limitations on regaining HP are these:
Either Level
Supernatural healing – healing potions and spells, psionic healing, the Healing advantage, etc. – works normally on you.
Gross technological repair with a skill like Mechanic or Surgery (depending on what kind of being you are) works normally on you.
Natural healing is limited:
No daily HT rolls to recover lost HP – meaning that things that merely accelerate this process rather than restore HP directly and on their own are also useless.
No HP restored by using the First Aid or Physician skill to help the body recover from shock. Surgery only!
You cannot have any level of Regeneration. Yes, for this purpose, Regeneration is considered "natural."
Partial
Restriction #1 is suspended when a rare condition is met. When that condition applies, you get daily HT rolls.
You can heal by stealing HP from others supernaturally, through means like the Leech advantage or the Steal Vitality spell; in effect, these are added to "supernatural healing" at this level.
Total
Restriction #1 is never suspended. You never get daily HT rolls.
You cannot heal by stealing HP from others. "Stealing HP supernaturally" is treated as different from "being healed supernaturally" – the former doesn't work but the latter still does.
—
In short, Unhealing is essentially a restriction on whether you can make daily HT rolls to heal, get First Aid, have the Regeneration advantage, or steal HP. Neither level prohibits being healed via supernatural means (e.g., Healing spells) or extreme physical intervention (e.g., Surgery skill), both of which always work on everyone. Invent a new, higher level to forbid those as well.
Q: When trying to calculate the speed of Hiking (long overland walking travel), my characters manage to cross huge distances in little time. Am I doing something wrong?
A: The Basic Set provides outright heroic estimates for hiking speeds of a character with given stats, making assumptions about perfect conditions, 16-hour walking days, and otherwise resolving any doubts in favour of the characters. You may want to switch to the hiking rules found on p. 55 of High-Tech, which are both more detailed and more down-to-earth.
vicky_molokh
04-10-2017 05:11 AM
Re: (Unofficial) FAQ of the GURPS Fora
Q: What happens inf I combine Daredevil and Total Klutz?
A: You get a mild consolation prize, but still get a lot of critical failures:
Quote:
Originally Posted by PK
(Post 1902606)
Daredevil states that you get to reroll a critical failure. It doesn't say that you get to keep rerolling it, over and over, until you get something better. On its own, "reroll" means you get one new shot at a better result -- not infinite shots!
If you do something stupid crazy and get an 18, reroll it. If you get another 18, that just means the Gaming Gods want you to fail.