Armed "Unarmed" Parry

[Dalren]

According to Power-Ups 2: Perks, the Unarmed Parry perk allows you to use a Melee Weapon skill (unmodified by the weapon's parry stat) to parry while unarmed (taking the normal -3 vs non-thrusting weapons and being susceptible to hand injuries). Is there a perk that would allow using an unarmed skill to parry while using a weapon (perhaps without the benefit of the weapon's parry stat)?

Specifically, I'm looking to see if it's viable to carry a quarterstaff for the purposes of reducing spell range penalties while still being able to use brawling parries with both hands. Perhaps Weapon Adaptation is the better perk to base this on, but as written it only allows unarmed skill adaptations for reach C weapons.

What I'm looking for also somewhat resembles Akimbo, basically letting you operate as if hands free while wielding weapons. Unfortunately, Akimbo as written is for one-handed weapon skills.

Finally, Pistol-Fist allows melee attacks and parries using Pistol specialties. This feels similar to what I'm looking for as well. Any suggestions as to which perk would be best adapted to what I'm looking for or any reason why you would not allow it? If allowed:

1. Would you allow the +2 parry bonus from the staff to apply?
2. Would parrying still be at -3 vs non-thrusting attacks (assuming an unarmed skill other than Karate or Judo)?
3. Would parrying still risk injury to the hand (even though the parry was actually using the staff)?

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by Dalren

According to Power-Ups 2: Perks, the Unarmed Parry perk allows you to use a Melee Weapon skill (unmodified by the weapon's parry stat) to parry while unarmed (taking the normal -3 vs non-thrusting weapons and being susceptible to hand injuries). Is there a perk that would allow using an unarmed skill to parry while using a weapon (perhaps without the benefit of the weapon's parry stat)?

As I read it, you use the weapon's parry skill to parry without the weapon. Even in my rather cinematic games I'd disallow it, though of course player characters can try to do this (it would be a quirk and they would use their brawling parry -2 unless they put a *lot* of time into studying this). I believe the perk recommends wearing a chain mail glove for a good reason.

There is only one PC in my current game that has a good chance to parry melee weapons unarmed. Though she'd be safer with her chi-based force sword and shield. :)

[Dalren]

It's probably worth mentioning that I've already assumed that any version of the perk I'm looking for would be considered cinematic (just like all of the existing perks mentioned in the original post) and that when determining viability it should be put in the context of a highly cinematic (super powers, magic, vampires, superscience, psionics, bionicly enhanced ninjas, etc) campaign with a points value somewhere around 700-800 points.

[Anaraxes]

If you want to fight with a staff, buy Staff skill. If you want to be utterly clueless with a staff as far as combat is concerned, and it's just a stick for reaching two hexes, then drop it before you start Brawling.

You might also consider Fast-Draw to "sheathe" your staff and whip it back out on a later turn to cast a spell.

As yet another option, how about Grip Mastery to let you toss the staff from one hand to the other so you can claim your Brawling Parry on whichever hand is the least-used and thus least-penalized. Grip Mastery for a skill you only have at default it kind of weird, but there we are.

If you're using Brawling skill to parry unarmed, then you don't get any bonuses for an armed parry -- no +2 from the weapon, no avoidance of risk of injury. That's what you get for parrying unarmed because you didn't put any points into an armed combat skill, but put them all into Brawling instead. (If it's that high powered of a game, why skimp?)

[Dalren]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

If it's that high powered of a game, why skimp?

The reason for not dumping a large number points into Staff is because the character is a shapeshifting druid and so spends most of his combat time in various animal forms. As a result, his Brawling skill will be pretty high and the investment to raise Staff to the point where it's as good (or even close to) Brawling is a pretty significant investment that's only relevant in a single form (even considering the +2 parry bonus for using a Staff). I suppose quickdraw may be the way go to draw the staff as needed. I'm not looking to benefit from the staff's parry stat. All I really want is to be able to parry with either hand while holding a staff (for turns I want to cast a spell). It didn't sound too out there considering we already have cinematic perks like Akimbo and Pistol Fist.

[sir_pudding]

If you aren't Readying the staff as a weapon, then why can't Akimbo alone do this?

[mlangsdorf]

Why don't you just hold the staff as a one-handed spear in one hand and make Brawling Parries with the other? You could reasonably buy a Perk that lets you make Brawling parries while holding the staff in your hand (some variant of Akimbo as you note). A Staff in one hand is just a blunt spear, after all.

[Dalren]

Originally Posted by mlangsdorf

Why don't you just hold the staff as a one-handed spear in one hand and make Brawling Parries with the other?

Since parry penalties accumulate separately per hand, only parrying with one hand would be inefficient.

The only concern I had about Akimbo is that it says you need to specialize in a specific one-handed weapon skill. I see no reason it couldn't be adapted to apply to a two-handed weapon (the staff) instead of two one-handed weapons though.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Dalren

The only concern I had about Akimbo is that it says you need to specialize in a specific one-handed weapon skill.

Which Spear is. If you aren't going to even be using the thing as weapon though, I don't see a problem with a variant for "Unready staff".