improvised weapon: red-hot fire hook and other hot stuff

Yafnag · 05-28-2013, 11:17 AM

I'm setting up a brawl scene in a kitchen (LT 4) and need some help about burning damage of hot stuff: boiling water, hot stove and red-hot fire hook.

Any idea about how calculate burning damage of these?
What base skill required to use a fire hook and what stats give it?

Other ideas about other dangerous stuff to exploit in a kitchen are agreeable.

Trigonomicon · 05-28-2013, 12:23 PM

As a guideline, High Tech lists a bunch of kitchen appliances. Most doesn't apply to TL4, but a pot of scalding coffee is listed as inflicting 1d-3 burn, and this probably works for boiling water as well.

Seneschal · 05-28-2013, 12:26 PM

You know that pole that hangs from the ceiling in some kitchens, from which people hang pots, pans and utensils? That's probably the best "weapon", or at least the most straight-forward one. It can be used with Staff, Broadsword and Two-Handed Sword. Everything else in the kitchen is probably used with a penalty on skill checks - including kitchen knives and cleavers. I'm not sure how balanced those are for combat.

Alternatively, you should put all knives and easily-used weapons in drawers if you want the PCs to actually utilize stoves, pans and boiling water. I once GM'd an exciting kitchen brawl that turned into a typical knife-fight as soon as both combatants grabbed one.

Boiling-water-to-the-face mechanics: DX-2 roll to hit, cone attack, 1×1 hex in front of the user; can be dodged by retreating outside of the area; deals large-area damage. Probably small damage, 1d burn or something. I don't know, I'm pulling this out of my ass; someone smarter than me should probably do it properly.

Blind Mapmaker · 05-28-2013, 12:33 PM

Dungeon Fantasy 8: Taverns gives a roasting spit the stats of a smallsword with -2 damage and -2 skill. It adds 1 burning damage as follow-up when still red hot. I would put a hot poker in the same league if you change the smallsword's damage to crushing.

Alternatively use the Knobbed Club with -2 damage or the Baton as is from Low-Tech, both would probably get a Parry of 0U or worse. Skill -2 is a given, too. It all depends on how big and unwieldy the thing is.

Edit: Pans are pretty good too. You can use them as a small mace with -1 damage and -3 skill and as a light shield with -2 skill. You really could get some use out of DF 8, I guess.

Yafnag · 05-28-2013, 01:57 PM

Thanks to everyone, very useful!

dcarson · 05-28-2013, 02:03 PM

If you have time to prepare add flour and such to the boiling water to make it into a thick gravy that will stick and do damage longer. Oil on the floor so the first one to enter fall down works also.

Trigonomicon · 05-28-2013, 02:11 PM

Now that you mention flour, remember the old "dust in the eyes"-trick, as described in B405.

Humabout · 05-29-2013, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trigonomicon

Now that you mention flour, remember the old "dust in the eyes"-trick, as described in B405.

Flour? Use salt. Or ground pepper.

There are probably a dozen fist loads laying around a kitchen, too. Or the never-used-too-often slamming your opponent's <body part> in the freezer/refrigerator/pantry/dishwasher/oven door.

fifiste · 05-29-2013, 09:59 AM

The hot poker - i thought that on top of the +1 fire damage, it might also have a penalty to shock rolls or smth. Even a rather tiny burn can hurt much more than a big cut or bruise. I seem to recall something like this for whips and cat-o-nine-tails etc. in some GURPS book. Some things hurt unproportionally.
Also you could get some fright checks or penalties at those etc. from some people.

Stripe · 05-29-2013, 11:12 AM

The Flaming Weapon spell in GURPS Magic does +2 follow-up damage.

05-28-2013, 11:17 AM	#1
Yafnag Join Date: Jan 2013	improvised weapon: red-hot fire hook and other hot stuff I'm setting up a brawl scene in a kitchen (LT 4) and need some help about burning damage of hot stuff: boiling water, hot stove and red-hot fire hook. Any idea about how calculate burning damage of these? What base skill required to use a fire hook and what stats give it? Other ideas about other dangerous stuff to exploit in a kitchen are agreeable.

05-28-2013, 12:23 PM	#2
Trigonomicon Join Date: May 2013	Re: improvised weapon: red-hot fire hook and other hot stuff As a guideline, High Tech lists a bunch of kitchen appliances. Most doesn't apply to TL4, but a pot of scalding coffee is listed as inflicting 1d-3 burn, and this probably works for boiling water as well.

05-28-2013, 12:26 PM	#3
Seneschal Join Date: Jul 2009	Re: improvised weapon: red-hot fire hook and other hot stuff You know that pole that hangs from the ceiling in some kitchens, from which people hang pots, pans and utensils? That's probably the best "weapon", or at least the most straight-forward one. It can be used with Staff, Broadsword and Two-Handed Sword. Everything else in the kitchen is probably used with a penalty on skill checks - including kitchen knives and cleavers. I'm not sure how balanced those are for combat. Alternatively, you should put all knives and easily-used weapons in drawers if you want the PCs to actually utilize stoves, pans and boiling water. I once GM'd an exciting kitchen brawl that turned into a typical knife-fight as soon as both combatants grabbed one. Boiling-water-to-the-face mechanics: DX-2 roll to hit, cone attack, 1×1 hex in front of the user; can be dodged by retreating outside of the area; deals large-area damage. Probably small damage, 1d burn or something. I don't know, I'm pulling this out of my ass; someone smarter than me should probably do it properly.

05-28-2013, 12:33 PM	#4
Blind Mapmaker Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Mannheim, Baden	Re: improvised weapon: red-hot fire hook and other hot stuff Dungeon Fantasy 8: Taverns gives a roasting spit the stats of a smallsword with -2 damage and -2 skill. It adds 1 burning damage as follow-up when still red hot. I would put a hot poker in the same league if you change the smallsword's damage to crushing. Alternatively use the Knobbed Club with -2 damage or the Baton as is from Low-Tech, both would probably get a Parry of 0U or worse. Skill -2 is a given, too. It all depends on how big and unwieldy the thing is. Edit: Pans are pretty good too. You can use them as a small mace with -1 damage and -3 skill and as a light shield with -2 skill. You really could get some use out of DF 8, I guess. Last edited by Blind Mapmaker; 05-28-2013 at 12:38 PM.

05-28-2013, 01:57 PM	#5
Yafnag Join Date: Jan 2013	Re: improvised weapon: red-hot fire hook and other hot stuff Thanks to everyone, very useful!

05-28-2013, 02:03 PM	#6
dcarson Join Date: Mar 2008	Re: improvised weapon: red-hot fire hook and other hot stuff If you have time to prepare add flour and such to the boiling water to make it into a thick gravy that will stick and do damage longer. Oil on the floor so the first one to enter fall down works also.

05-28-2013, 02:11 PM	#7
Trigonomicon Join Date: May 2013	Re: improvised weapon: red-hot fire hook and other hot stuff Now that you mention flour, remember the old "dust in the eyes"-trick, as described in B405.

05-29-2013, 09:59 AM	#9
fifiste Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Estonia	Re: improvised weapon: red-hot fire hook and other hot stuff The hot poker - i thought that on top of the +1 fire damage, it might also have a penalty to shock rolls or smth. Even a rather tiny burn can hurt much more than a big cut or bruise. I seem to recall something like this for whips and cat-o-nine-tails etc. in some GURPS book. Some things hurt unproportionally. Also you could get some fright checks or penalties at those etc. from some people.

05-29-2013, 11:12 AM	#10
Stripe Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Midwest, USA	Re: improvised weapon: red-hot fire hook and other hot stuff The Flaming Weapon spell in GURPS Magic does +2 follow-up damage. __________________ . "How the heck am I supposed to justify that whatever I feel like doing at any particular moment is 'in character' if I can't say 'I'm chaotic evil!'"? —Jeff Freeman