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Old 07-19-2021, 06:33 AM   #4
Varyon
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Default Re: Combo Suggestions for point starved Witch wanting to be effective in melee?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Malleable View Post
The character is Japanese, has only put a single point into broadsword (katana), karate and judo - so I've not started down any one path. I have a 16 Int and 14 DX.
Don't get too hung up on the skill names - if you opt not to develop your unarmed striking skill much, Brawling will work just fine, even if the character technically learned how to fight in his/her high school Karate club. Karate's primary purpose is getting further bonus damage (there are some special Techniques that are Karate-only, but such a build isn't really appropriate for a character where unarmed striking is a secondary/tertiary role). Unless you expect your character to frequently have his/her off hand occupied (or perhaps want to keep it open for Judo Parries/Throws, although note the latter would be penalized for one-handed use IIRC), you may want to opt for Two-Handed Sword over Broadsword - with low ST, every point of additional damage matters, plus a two-handed grip is much more common for the katana (both historically and in modern kendo and the like). There are also some optional rules in Martial Arts that make two-handed weapons better at Parrying multiple attacks in a round, in case you end up outnumbered or against a monster with Extra Attack or similar.

No complaints about Judo - personally, I feel it's the best grappling skill for the point investment.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Malleable View Post
I am strongly thinking about getting Precognitive Parry so I can parry bullets.
How often do you expect to be up against firearms? I'm not terribly familiar with the Monster Hunters setting, but I always thought it was the hunters using firearms, not the monsters (although perhaps you're expecting to be up against monsters with lots of human soldiers under their sway?).

Regardless, you're a Witch. Consider a ritual (probably in Charm form) that makes firearms less of an issue, such as DR that only works against ranged attacks (perhaps Semi-Ablative to save on energy; I know there's an example in GURPS Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic that is fully Ablative, but that actually bounces bullets back at the shooter), or similar.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Malleable View Post
From that I could either get Iron Hands DR2 or use my katana (or maybe both).
Unarmed combat really calls for dedication - it's good to put a few points in as a backup, but there are very good reasons why humans developed weapons. I'd strongly suggest you focus on the katana.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Malleable View Post
If I go the parry route, I'd like to use Counter Attack in my Combo.
Since my Int is high I'd like to develop Feint (Ruse).
I think you need to define exactly what you mean by "Combo." Are you talking about Combinations from Martial Arts, where you basically predefine a Rapid Strike and then buy off the penalty? Or are you meaning something more like a particular attack your character favors using?

That aside, Counterattack is a pretty good option, provided you buy off the penalty. Do note that reliance on it calls for a reliable defense - you may want to use All Out Defense (Improved Parry) a lot in combat, then once you successfully defend follow that up with an Attack (or even Defensive Attack, depending on how resilient your foe is) using the Counterattack Technique.

Ruse can be worthwhile when you have higher IQ than DX, but do note that it's problematic against certain foes, as it can be resisted by IQ, Per, or Tactics, in addition to DX. I believe it also requires you to use a social skill rather than a striking skill, so it's not a great option if your character doesn't also have "Face" skills. I suspect you'd be better off just buying up Feint.

For someone that has "melee combatant" as a secondary role in the party, I think you want to go with either Counterattack or Feint, not both.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Malleable View Post
Using the katana for some kind of attack might be good, since decapitation kills most monsters. Maybe Targeted Attack (neck)?
Again, that's really more the role of a primary combatant. I think you'll want to focus on being able to avoid getting hit and being able to hit back when needed (to dissuade the enemy from continuing to attack you), not so much on heroically one-shotting the monster. Plus, even for monsters who require decapitation to kill, you can often incapacitate them with easier strikes (such as slashes against the torso), then decapitate them easily once they're down.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Malleable View Post
Or I could go down the Judo route and do some kind of Arm Lock or Head Lock thing. I won't have the highest strength, so maybe I might not be effective against strong monsters with this type technique? I've never played a melee combatant in GURPS, so not sure about all the rules.
I think for Judo you want to use it defensively, like Counterattack above. Once you do a Parry, you'll want to throw rather than grapple - most monsters are going to outclass you too much in strength (a dedicated judoka can make up for that with skill, but you're a Witch, not a Wrestler), but technically you can Judo Throw an elephant after a Parry (while typically a sane GM will disallow that particular sort of ridiculousness, so long as the monster isn't extremely heavy you should be fine).
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Last edited by Varyon; 07-19-2021 at 06:36 AM.
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