Equipment Familiarity

[jsbrewster1]

Another related question, if I pick up something I've never used before, say a broadsword when I have no sword skills whatsoever, do I take all the unfamiliarity penalties as well as the lack of skill penalty. So if I don't have an unarmed skill I have an unfamiliarity penalty for not knowing how to make a fist? In case you couldn't tell, I get a little frustrated at times with the complexity of GURPS. And yes, I could ignore all the rules I don't like, but then why bother with a game system at all.

[Celjabba]

Originally Posted by jsbrewster1

Another related question, if I pick up something I've never used before, say a broadsword when I have no sword skills whatsoever, do I take all the unfamiliarity penalties as well as the lack of skill penalty. So if I don't have an unarmed skill I have an unfamiliarity penalty for not knowing how to make a fist? In case you couldn't tell, I get a little frustrated at times with the complexity of GURPS. And yes, I could ignore all the rules I don't like, but then why bother with a game system at all.

Familiarity rules are for using equipment, so your fist are safe from them :)
Melee weapon are not listed as taking familiarity penalties in the basic book, although martial Arts suggest it as a option (MA 202).

Gurps is very simple as it core, you make it as complex as you want by deciding which level of detail you want.

If you have it, "How to be a Gurps GM" help with deciding which setting to toggle off or on.
In it, Familiarities are classified in the "for full bells and whistles, result in the most detail and complexity at the cost of some speed" category.

[jsbrewster1]

Ah, thanks! Didn't realize it existed, I'll consider getting that. I do like the GURPS system, 3d6 is such a better range of results than a d20, but as I said, sometimes I get frustrated with what I consider to be needless complexities in the game. I'd never penalize a player for using a Colt .38 instead of a S&W .38, as long as the mechanisms are the same. And even if they are slightly different, for example, a striker-fired versus hammer-fired 9mm, that's about 15 minutes of familiarity, not 8 hours.

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by jsbrewster1

I'd never penalize a player for using a Colt .38 instead of a S&W .38, as long as the mechanisms are the same. And even if they are slightly different, for example, a striker-fired versus hammer-fired 9mm, that's about 15 minutes of familiarity, not 8 hours.

Lots of other people wouldn't either. It totally depends on the style of game you're going for. I don't really worry about what GURPS officially marks as optional or not. I think of the whole thing as a menu and I'm trying to plan delicious meals for my players. My 10+ year 3e fantasy campaign never even used hit locations. What I love about it, though, is that the complexity is there if I need or want it.