Rapier Wit is kinda awesome

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by bocharuk

"What a coincidence. You fight like a cow."

"Yet it was your mother than I milked last night."

[daniel_gudman]

Personally I've always considered Rapier Wit a very cinematic Advantage.

I mean, if you're using it against a mook, then maybe you could get to use-as-written (but, y u not shoot mook???), but against a serious character?

Maybe you could make somebody really angry, but if it's game effect, that's more like, "Affliction (causes Disadvantage: Berserk; limitations: sound-based, must share language)" or something. If it's something like mind-games that grind away at the opponent's confidence, than that's full-blown Fast-Talk with relevant modifiers for what's going on in the combat (you Feint successfully etc)--and it takes Fast-Talk amounts of time, ie, not a free action.

Or maybe you could have the training to have two fights at once--swords and debating--and your objective is to split the opponent's attention so they get distracted and present an opening.

I guess the thing is, I'm trying to imagine like two boxers in a punch-up, and I cannot imagine anything one boxer could just say that would be so shocking or clever that the other boxer would be mentally stunned. Not just professionals, but even two high-school boxers or something.

Any situation that's deadly serious--like a sword fight--I'd give hefty bonuses for a character having the perspective to realize that words don't stab people, swords stab people, and prioritizing their attentions accordingly.

Anyway, if a player brought a character like this to the game, then first I would ponder that realistic-vs-cinematic thing, and if I decided it fit, than I would probably be with the "once per person per encounter" thing; and I would allow the mooks to (take a free action to) shout "Don't let 'em get to ya Jerry thar tryin' to rattle yer cage!" to give each other bonuses once it became clear what was going on, so it might be at the level of a "once per encounter" thing.

[Snargash Moonclaw]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

"Yet it was your mother than I milked last night."

"No, actually it wasn't. And I must say, your technique could use a lot more practice."

[Gef]

Yes, rapier wit is awesome, especially with Words of Power (+100%) and Reliable (+50%) - you stun a whole group at one time. Throw out the special effect and treat it as a sound-based superpower, and it punches above its weight in points, but I think you gamed it correctly as a free action. As a Word of Power, sonic stunner, or even as a snappy comeback or zinger, maybe a derogatory nickname the subject hasn't heard since gradeschool, then it makes sense as a free action. Otherwise, I'd think it'd take some kind of setup. How fast can you actually hurl an insult? "You fight like a dairy farmer!" takes me about a second.

GEF

[Snargash Moonclaw]

Originally Posted by daniel_gudman

Personally I've always considered Rapier Wit a very cinematic Advantage.

More than that actually "This advantage is usually only appropriate in a silly campaign!" (italics author's, B79 - last line of the Advantage description.)

[Langy]

Originally Posted by Snargash Moonclaw

More than that actually "This advantage is usually only appropriate in a silly campaign!" (italics author's, B79 - last line of the Advantage description.)

Once you tack on Words of Power, it's actually appropriate for quite a few campaigns that aren't silly.

[Purple Haze]

Originally Posted by daniel_gudman

Personally I've always considered Rapier Wit a very cinematic Advantage.

I mean, if you're using it against a mook, then maybe you could get to use-as-written (but, y u not shoot mook???), but against a serious character?

Maybe you could make somebody really angry, but if it's game effect, that's more like, "Affliction (causes Disadvantage: Berserk; limitations: sound-based, must share language)" or something. If it's something like mind-games that grind away at the opponent's confidence, than that's full-blown Fast-Talk with relevant modifiers for what's going on in the combat (you Feint successfully etc)--and it takes Fast-Talk amounts of time, ie, not a free action.

Or maybe you could have the training to have two fights at once--swords and debating--and your objective is to split the opponent's attention so they get distracted and present an opening.

I guess the thing is, I'm trying to imagine like two boxers in a punch-up, and I cannot imagine anything one boxer could just say that would be so shocking or clever that the other boxer would be mentally stunned. Not just professionals, but even two high-school boxers or something.

Any situation that's deadly serious--like a sword fight--I'd give hefty bonuses for a character having the perspective to realize that words don't stab people, swords stab people, and prioritizing their attentions accordingly.

Anyway, if a player brought a character like this to the game, then first I would ponder that realistic-vs-cinematic thing, and if I decided it fit, than I would probably be with the "once per person per encounter" thing; and I would allow the mooks to (take a free action to) shout "Don't let 'em get to ya Jerry thar tryin' to rattle yer cage!" to give each other bonuses once it became clear what was going on, so it might be at the level of a "once per encounter" thing.

NFL, NBA, and MLB use it on each other frequently. Sometimes to great effect.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Gef

"You fight like a dairy farmer!" takes me about a second.

Which is (amazing coincidence!) how long it takes to perform a full combat action. And, forgive me my critical judgment, monsieur, but I regret to note that your exemplary insult lacks that certain je ne sais quoi that is required for the true slackjawed amazement that grants the advantage to a foe. No doubt the fault is purely that you supposed such rhetoric could be delivered in haste and did not take the time to mobilize your surely formidable powers of sarcasm.

Bill Stoddard

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Which is (amazing coincidence!) how long it takes to perform a full combat action. And, forgive me my critical judgment, monsieur, but I regret to note that your exemplary insult lacks that certain je ne sais quoi that is required for the true slackjawed amazement that grants the advantage to a foe. No doubt the fault is purely that you supposed such rhetoric could be delivered in haste and did not take the time to mobilize your surely formidable powers of sarcasm.

Bill Stoddard

Which was about 4 seconds

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Which was about 4 seconds

Indeed, but I myself am not blessed with Rapier Wit. Were it otherwise I would not go on at such length.

Bill Stoddard