[DF] 125 pt start?

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Hm, I guess one could read it that way by the strictest interpretation, but I certainly never have. Not donning fist protection is "fight unarmored."

I refuse to believe a bladed hand is armour :) Even a Cestus is really dubious on that point.

Originally Posted by Kromm

It's just a happy coincidence that some fist protection improves damage.

It's a happy co-incidence that this cutlass with a full hilt basket happens to have this big blade sticking out of it. I know that's not what you mean, and it's totally in tune with the munchkinny attitude of the situation, but oy vey with the eyerolling. My players aren't actually evil munchkins, but they do like to play devils advocate. It's sometimes a bit like being stuck in a debating society.

Originally Posted by Kromm

Anyway, that Vow isn't mandatory or even especially likely as an option . . . Mostly, I see Code of Honor [-15] and Obsession ("Perfect my art at any cost!") (12) [-10], like classic bad-movie martial artists.

I think you're missing the point :D (Or adding some sharp ones on the knuckles there)

Player sits down with me to make a character, and says "I want to make a kick ass unarmed karate master who beats up monsters with his bare hands!"

This guy does not want to use a cestus, or a bladed hand. That's not a kick ass unarmed karate master who beats up monsters with his bare hands. It's a little weird but I really do run into people in totally pure Dungeon Bashing games who don't want to compromise the "vision" of their character, even if the "vision" mostly consists of the specifics on how they want to kill monsters.

So, I'd say this guy - the guy who won't compromise on the vision - clearly wants the points back from Vow: Only Fight Unarmed, because he's doing that anyways. He's voluntarily tying that millstone around his neck, I think he should get every point back for it. Especially if he's that dedicated to the concept. And hey, it's even on the template, but it's listed at [-15] and I was questioning this as "enough". But if that wasn't really supposed to be including things up-to and including bladed hands, then that explains it. He needs something else on there too to cover the extra "millstone" he's voluntarily taking on - he's playing a character with TWO vows, and that's where the extra disadvantage value for taking this particularly difficult character concept on is coming from.

If that's Vow: Always Fight Unarmored (or never wear metal armor, or Only wear ninja armor, or Never wear armor over my BL in weight, or whatever) and it also happens to cover "And never use fist-enhancers", the guy going for the "purity of vison" is probably going to want that one too.


I would, for reference, allow any bare-hands fighter in a DF game to violate the disad limit with whatever extra disads are required to represent "I want to be a bare-hands fighter for reals", because those are REAL disadvantages that character will face, and I think they should get the points back for them.

Or they can choose to stay in the limit and have nearly no other disads, and go waltzing through the game Unfettered ;)