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Old 03-30-2012, 06:02 AM   #1
giggioz
 
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Default Martial Arts Questions from a Newbie

Hi all,

let me put in these thread some questions about GURPS:

I'm pretty new to GURPS and i've read basic set 4th edition and some pages of Martial Art book.
With the informations I gathered i would like to create an adventure based on martial arts, PCs would be non-cinematic hero with 150 pts each, with a good part of these points devoted to combat skills/advantages/styles.

I would like to create a "final boss" using the Assassin Template (MA, pag 31) to develop an assassin ninja with 150 pts, giving him some cinematic traits.

I would make him very good in thrown weapon (shuriken) so i used SHURIKENJUTSU style (MA, pag 195) to achieve this goal:

Fast-Draw (Shuriken)
Thrown Weapon (Shuriken)
Targeted Attack (Shuriken Throw / Neck)
Ambidexterity
Quick-Swap (Shuriken)
Cinematic:Dual-Weapon Attack (Thrown Shuriken)

Now, i was trying to understand what options he has to use his skills and i found two main options (different from the usual attacks):

Rapid Fire with Thrown Weapons (MA, page 120)
or
Rapid Strike with Thrown Weapons (MA, page 120)
or
(are there other interesting options?)

Rapid Fire assumes he throws all the shuriken together
Rapid Strike assumes he throws all the shuriken one at time

Now, let's assume my boss has

ST 13
Fast-Draw (Shuriken) 17
Thrown Weapon (Shuriken) 17
Targeted Attack (Shuriken Throw / Neck) 15
Cinematic:Dual-Weapon Attack (Thrown Shuriken) 15
Ambidexterity
Quick-Swap (Shuriken)

In case of Rapid Fire

He can throw BL/50 = 34/50=0.68 --> 6 shurikens at once
Damage is 1d-2 (there is an extra -1 because he throws 4 or less shuriken)
Roll to hit is 17 +1 (for Rapid Fire of 6) +/- usual size/speed modifiers
Correct? (Edit: This seems correct)

In case of Rapid Strike

Given N the number of shuriken he wants to throw in a round :

Penality to all the attacks is -(N-1)*6 , half if Weapon Master
Maximum shuriken per hand : 4

So, if he wants to throw 4 shuriken he gets -18 to all the 4 rolls! (correct?) (Edit: This seems correct)

Otherwise he can combine Dual-Weapon Attack with Edit: (Rapid Fire) Rapid Strike, throwing for example 2 shuriken with each hand:

Right Hand: two rolls against Dual Weapon Attack (15) at -6 without -4 (thanks to Dual Weapon Attack). Correct? (Edit: This seems correct)

Left Hand: two rolls against Dual Weapon Attack (15) at -6 without -4 ( thank to Dual Weapon Attack) and without -4 for off hand (thanks to ambidexterity). Correct? (Edit: This seems correct)

If he goes for an All Out Attack (double) can he, for example, doing a Dual-Weapon Attack with Edit: (Rapid Fire) Rapid Strike as above and then a Edit: (Rapid Fire) Rapid Strike attack for, for example, other 2 shurikens (at -6 each) , for a total of 6 shurikens in a round? (Edit: This seems correct too)

About Weapon Readiness

One option is a multiple fast draw (MA, pag 103) (if the shurikens are reachable with one movement) that requires a *single* roll at -2*N

So, for example, if he wants each turn throws 2 shuriken with his right hand and 2 with his left hand (mixing rapid strike and dual weapon attack) he needs roll twice at -4. correct ?

Another options is to draw each shuriken one at time with a -2 for additional attempt, so, in the case above he needs:
Right hand: 1 roll without penalities, 1 roll at -2
Left hand: 1 roll without penalities, 1 roll at -2

Is that correct?

Thanks to all,
Luigi.

Last edited by giggioz; 05-06-2012 at 11:42 AM.
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Old 03-30-2012, 06:12 AM   #2
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Default Re: Martial Arts Questions from a Newbie

AFAIK, correct.
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Old 03-30-2012, 06:36 AM   #3
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Default Re: Martial Arts Questions from a Newbie

Quote:
Originally Posted by giggioz View Post
Otherwise he can combine Dual-Weapon Attack with Rapid Fire, throwing for example 2 shuriken with each hand:

Right Hand: two rolls against Dual Weapon Attack (15) at -6 without -4 (thanks to Dual Weapon Attack). Correct?

Left Hand: two rolls against Dual Weapon Attack (15) at -6 without -4 ( thank to Dual Weapon Attack) and without -4 for off hand (thanks to ambidexterity). Correct?
I think you're confusing the Rapid Strike and Rapid Fire rules. Dual Weapon Attack and Rapid Fire Thrown Wepons are compatible, but it gives you two RoF 2 attacks, not four attacks total. This means you roll to hit twice (once with each hand), hitting with 1 shuriken on a success, or 2 shurikens on a success by 2+ (because they have effectively Rcl 2). They don't have the -6 penalty of Rapid Strike!

Quote:
If he goes for an All Out Attack (double) can he, for example, doing a Dual-Weapon Attack with Rapid Fire as above and then a Rapid Fire attack for, for example, other 2 shurikens (at -6 each) , for a total of 6 shurikens in a round?
Yes, though see my note above about the difference between Rapid Strike and Rapid Fire. With All-Out (Double) + DWA Rapid Fire attacks, you get 3 attacks of RoF 2, Rcl 2 each (ie, success by margin of 2+ hits with the second shuriken).

Quote:
About Weapon Readiness

One option is a multiple fast draw (MA, pag 103) (if the shurikens are reachable with one movement) that requires a *single* roll at -2*N

So, for example, if he wants each turn throws 2 shuriken with his right hand and 2 with his left hand (mixing rapid strike and dual weapon attack) he needs roll twice at -4. correct ?
I assume you mean Rapid Fire. Other than that, correct.

Quote:
Another options is to draw each shuriken one at time with a -2 for additional attempt, so, in the case above he needs:
Right hand: 1 roll without penalities, 1 roll at -2
Left hand: 1 roll without penalities, 1 roll at -2

Is that correct?
I'm not sure about this one. My understanding is that you can't Fast Draw another weapon until you've emptied your hand, either by dropping or throwing the weapon already there. So to throw multiple projectiles at once with Rapid Fire (rather than sequentially with Rapid Strike) you need to draw them simultaneously.
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Old 03-30-2012, 06:41 AM   #4
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Default Re: Martial Arts Questions from a Newbie

Quote:
Originally Posted by vierasmarius View Post
Yes, though see my note above about the difference between Rapid Strike and Rapid Fire. With All-Out (Double) + DWA Rapid Fire attacks, you get 3 attacks of RoF 2, Rcl 2 each (ie, success by margin of 2+ hits with the second shuriken).
With out checking the rules but that presume some successive Quick draw rolls as well, some of which will be at penalization for multiple uses in a turn?
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Old 03-30-2012, 06:41 AM   #5
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Default Re: Martial Arts Questions from a Newbie

I would suggest that for a compelling "Ninja"-style enemy, you don't focus too much on his direct firepower. Shurikens on not very scary as weapons, inflicting only light damage, and were intended more to slow down pursuers than to inflict mortal wounds. Give the ninja plenty of concealment to fade back into, allowing repeated hit-and-run attacks, keeping the PCs on their toes. Have him use other ninja tricks and gadgets too, such as gas bombs, caltrops, climbing claws etc.
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Old 03-30-2012, 06:43 AM   #6
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Default Re: Martial Arts Questions from a Newbie

Quote:
Originally Posted by roguebfl View Post
With out checking the rules but that presume some successive Quick draw rolls as well, some of which will be at penalization for multiple uses in a turn?
See Multiple Fast Draws (MA103) which lets you draw multiple small weapons simultaneously with a single roll at -2 per weapon. In this case the ninja draws two shuriken with each hand (Fast Draw twice at -4) and throws them, then draws another two with one hand (Fast Draw at -8).
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Old 03-30-2012, 06:47 AM   #7
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Default Re: Martial Arts Questions from a Newbie

Quote:
Originally Posted by vierasmarius View Post
See Multiple Fast Draws (MA103) which lets you draw multiple small weapons simultaneously with a single roll at -2 per weapon.
That would take care of you ROF per attack roll, and may your first two attack roll for the both hand attack... however the you still need to 'reload' for the other attack rolls
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Old 03-30-2012, 07:09 AM   #8
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Default Re: Martial Arts Questions from a Newbie

A Kromm example of Rapid Fire with Thrown Weapons from a few years ago, might be of interest.
I have a character idea, for whom this might be a neat little distraction/party trick!
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Old 03-30-2012, 07:59 AM   #9
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Default Re: Martial Arts Questions from a Newbie

vierasmarius: I edited in in red the first thread based on your notes (i don't know how to lay out it better). Does it make sense now?

When i write
Quote:
About Weapon Readiness

One option is a multiple fast draw (MA, pag 103) (if the shurikens are reachable with one movement) that requires a *single* roll at -2*N

So, for example, if he wants each turn throws 2 shuriken with his right hand and 2 with his left hand (mixing rapid strike and dual weapon attack) he needs roll twice at -4. correct ?
and you say

Quote:
I assume you mean Rapid Fire. Other than that, correct.
I mean Rapid Strike! As indicated in MA120 Rapid Strike with
Thrown Weapons at the end of the paragraph.
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Old 03-30-2012, 10:06 AM   #10
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Default Re: Martial Arts Questions from a Newbie

Quote:
Originally Posted by giggioz View Post
I mean Rapid Strike! As indicated in MA120 Rapid Strike with
Thrown Weapons at the end of the paragraph.
The problem is that Rapid Strike and Dual Weapon Attack are mutually exclusive. DWA is basically a specific case of Rapid Strike, limited to two attacks only, but with a lower penalty because it uses both hands. Even if you improve DWA to full skill, you still can't combine it with Rapid Strike. If he wants to make 6 separate attacks in one second, they will be at -30 each (halved for Weapon Master).

For more about multiple attacks, see MA126. In your turn, you can choose one of Rapid Strike, Combination, or Dual Weapon Attack, adding any attacks from All-Out Attack or the Extra Attacks advantage. For example, a character with Extra Attacks 1 will normally have 2 attacks per second. He can take DWA or Rapid Strike to "split" only one of his attacks; Rapid Strike 3 gives him 5 attacks total, 1 at full skill and 4 at -18. Making it an All-Out (Double) gives him an extra attack at full skill, for 2 at full skill and 4 at -18.

Last edited by vierasmarius; 03-30-2012 at 10:14 AM.
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