House Rules for big and small fighers
 

The following rules are not tested nor very thought about; in fact, they were made in the bath tube, so take them as a mere idea. Some help from Dungeons Fantasy:Adventurers was used.

- There is no more a discount to purchase Strength or Hit Points for positive SM characters.
- Big Fighters Only: A big fighter’s weapons have boosted damage. For weapons with a damage penalty (ie. a swung large knife) the bonus equals half the penalty, rounded up, per +1 to SM; weapons with a damage bonus (ie. a broadsword) have it increased by half, rounding down (minimum +1), per +1 to the intended wielder’s Size Modifier. Weapons with no bonus or penalty get a +1 at SM +1, then follow the aforementioned rules. Therefore, a “SM +1” thrusting greatsword deals thr+4 imp or sw+4 cut, while a “SM +1” large knife deals thr+1 imp or sw cut. A "SM+2" greatsword would deal thr+6 or sw+6.
- Big Fighters Only: A big fighter’s weapons weight more. Increase weight and minimum ST by 1.5 per +1 to SM; that is, a “SM +1” greatsword weights 10.5 lbs and requires a minimum ST of 18!
- Small Fighters Only: A small fighter’s weapons have reduced damage. For weapons with a damage bonus, the bonus is halved per -1 to SM, rounding up (minimum -1); weapons with a damage penalty have it increased by half, rounded down, per -1 to SM. Weapons with no bonus or penalty get a-1 at SM -1, then follow the aforementioned rules. Therefore, a “SM -1” thrusting greatsword deals thr+2 imp or sw+2 cut, while a “SM -1” large knife deals thr-1 imp or sw-2 cut. A "SM -2" greatsword would deal thr+1 or sw+1.
- Small Fighters Only: A small fighter’s weapons weight less. Reduce weight and minimum ST by 0.25 per -1 to SM: that is, a “SM -1” greatsword weights 5.25 lbs and requires a minimum ST of 9.
- Natural weapons follow the same rules of crafter weapons. So, a SM +1 character deals thr+1 crush with a kick and thr crush with a punch, while a SM -1 character deals thr-1 crush and thr-2 crush respectively.

Comments? Ideas? Insults?
Thanks for your attention.

Re: House Rules for big and small fighers
 

Sorry, I only can do now a quick comment:

I think rules as these are very needed for GURPS doing Dungeon Fantasy well.

Perhaps they can be adressed in a official way in the next DF book (the third?). I really hope it...

So we can equip, at last, from pixies, hobbits, to giant humanoids, from SM+1 Dungeon Fantasy ogres, to SM+3 frost giants or whatever... At last!

I would be happy with at least Q&D official rules about this.

Re: House Rules for big and small fighers
 

At first glance, and lacking of anything official about this, I believe they are good rules of thumb.

On the other hand, this is a good example showing a Q&D treatment of this subject can be officially done and published filling only from 1/2 page to a full page.

Re: House Rules for big and small fighers
 

The first DF book already has the rule of thumb for SM +1 creatures. Klaus is extending that rule in a way that I suspect will dovetail with anything official.

The weight part matches the "equipment for different SM races" box in Ultratech, and I think the extension of the DF damage bonus for SM+1 to other size modifiers is logical and good.

This is basically what I was going to use in my campaign :D

Re: House Rules for big and small fighers
 

Could you define "dovetail", so I may know if it's a comment or an insult? :-P

Re: House Rules for big and small fighers
 

My purpose was to mean, "lacking of anything official about scaling for Size Modifiers different of 0 (Basic Set) and 1 (Dungeon Fantasy)".

Great!

If these rules (extrapolated from Dungeon Fantasy regarding SM 1 characters and, as you say, matching with Ultratech weights) really make sense, I think it would be great to put something as this (or about this) in a single box, for easy reference and because it is needed, and then publish it. And the box could be a full page or less in extension, so it should be feasible.

Regarding the possible objection about part of its content as being "repeated info" (for instance the DF rule about weapons for SM 1 characters, or Ultratech SM weights), I think it is suitable, at least as much as the Heroic Archer advantage we have in Dungeon Fantasy: Adventurers directly reprinted from G4e Martial Arts.

Cheers

Re: House Rules for big and small fighers
 

You've got a bath tube!?!? Those things are clean-tacular!

Re: House Rules for big and small fighers
 

But.... how do you keep the water from just falling out? Ahhhh, maybe a quickly solidifying cleaning foam?... Breathing is for wimps!

Re: House Rules for big and small fighers
 

Mesh well with, come together with, etc.

The saying comes from woodworking, where a "dovetail joint" is a kind of joint that holds together without nails or glue because the two pieces being joined are perfectly cut to fit each other.

Re: House Rules for big and small fighers
 

Thank you. I feel much better now. ;-)

Re: House Rules for big and small fighers
 

Here's another paragraph I made today:

Excessive Weapons

It is hard to wield a weapon sized for someone much bigger or smaller than you: balance is different, the hilt is too short or too large, extension is ineffective, etx. All together, this factors impose a (cumulative) -2 to skill for each point of SM a weapon differs from his wielder's: therefore, a giant (SM +2) and a human (SM 0) would have -4 to use each other's weapons. A specific Exotic Weapon Mastery perk (see Martial Arts p.50) eliminates the penalty for both a given weapon and a difference of one point of SM; in a heavily cinematic weapons it is possible to buy more than one level of the perk, allowing human characters to wield monstrous weapons (yes Black Warrior, I'm thinking of you). A notorious example is Exotic Weapon Mastery (Oversized Sword).

Re: House Rules for big and small fighers
 

Bump for another adding, made during another bath. :-P

The Large, the Short and the Manipulators

A large fighter with the No Fine Manipulators or No Manipulators disadvantage loses most of his bonus for size, while a small fighter isn't that crippled. Therefore, the values of both disadvantage are modified by +-5 per point of positive or negative SM of a character: the trait's value is increased (that is, it grows in the positive direction) for people with negative SM, it is reduced (that is, it goes deep into the negatives) for those with positive SM. Therefore, a SM +1 monster gets [-35] for No Fine Manipulators and [-55] for No Manipulators, while a SM -1 creature gets [-25] and [-45] respectively.

I'm unsure if I should modify the cost of One Harm and One Hand accordingly: after all, they don't modify Strength's price by the RAW...