Firing Guns with Multiple Arms

[Gorkamorka]

Firing Guns with Multiple Arms

So I have been looking for anything on this an failed to find any answers. Well I did find DangerMouse's answers, but they are from the last edition.

So I'm bringing this to the hive-mind.

I'm going to be playing an alien in a space game. That alien will have 4 arms. What are the rules for that alien shooting with all arms. I will not be buying the extra attacks advantage.

Here are my thoughts so far.

You shoot 2 guns at the same target and you get -4/-8 to hit.
So what happens with 4 guns at the same target? -4/-8/-8/-8 or -4/-8/-12/-16? Or something else?

You shoot 2 guns at the same target and you have ambidexterity. You get -4/-4 to hit.
So what happens with 4 guns at the same target? -4/-4/-4/-4 or -4/-4/-8/-12? Or something else?

You shoot 2 guns at the same target and you have dual weapon attack technique. You get -0/-4 to hit.
So what happens with 4 guns at the same target? -0/-4/-4/-4 or -0/-4/-8/-12? Or something else?

You shoot 2 guns at the same target and you have dual weapon attack technique and you have ambidexterity. You get -0/-0 to hit.
So what happens with 4 guns at the same target? -0/-0/-0/-0 or -0/-0/-4/-4? or -0/-0/-8/-12 Or something else?

Should you make a technique called Quad weapon attack? What would that technique look like?

Thanks

[mlangsdorf]

As far as I can tell, you're at -4 for using a non-dominant hand and there is no way, RAW, to make 4 attacks in a single maneuver without having Extra Attack. You can make a dual-weapon attack at -4 on both attacks. So the best you can get is -4/-8.

At her option, the GM may allow you to make more than 1 extra Rapid Strike (MA127). These are normally at -6 to all attacks per extra attack. If this were a multi-hand Combination (MA80), it looks like the additional attacks would be at -5 per attack.

Going with the combination progression, you'd be looking at -14 in penalties for the rapid strikes/dual weapon strikes, and -4 in penalties for handiness. That would look something like: -14/-18/-18/-18. With Multidexterity*, the -4 penalty for non-dominant hands goes away, putting you at -14/-14/-14/-14. Assuming a maxed-out dual-weapon attack technique at skill and no Multidexterity, you go to -10/-14/-14/-14, or -10/-10/-10/-10 with Multidexterity. If the GM lets you buy up a Quad-Attack combination, you could bring the penalty down to 0/0/0/0. Assuming you have Multidexterity and are buying down the -10 penalty, it would cost 16 points to buy the technique at maximum.

All this is a guess based on reading the rules. Kromm may come back and correct me.

* I think having all arms being equally dominant is just 5 point Ambidexterity, but I can't find a definite rules quote to that effect.

[Gorkamorka]

RAW I think you are right. Mostly because there are no rules about it at all. At least I could not find any.

But it sounds silly. I have four guns and four arms. I'm standing 1 meter from a target and there is no way four me to pull all for triggers at once?

[Kalzazz]

I would love to see Kromm or RPK answer this myself

[Langy]

I'd base it off of a further -4 per extra attack by a different limb. So, it'd just be -12 to hit on all attacks when firing all four arms (assuming you were ambidextrous).

[mlangsdorf]

If you take Extra Attack, and make an all-out (double) and dual-weapon attack, you can attack with all 4 guns at once. Eitherwise, you don't have enough co-ordination to use all 4 limbs that way.

[smurf]

Independent focusing eyes... or is that 3rd ed?

I thought it was bought with extra attack, with a limitation guns only.

Wait compartmentalised mind allows you to make an extra aim manoeuver. Again limitations can bring the cost down as in Powers IIRC.

[jacobmuller]

Originally Posted by Langy

I'd base it off of a further -4 per extra attack by a different limb. So, it'd just be -12 to hit on all attacks when firing all four arms (assuming you were ambidextrous).

Would allowing two extra techniques, Triple-weapon attack (hard, -8) and Quad-weapon attack (hard, -12) be reasonable?

further down that track
Should the penalty for using your master-side subordinate hand be the same as the penalty for a two-arms off-hand or an extra -2 for lower hands?
Or would that result in something overly annoying; right-upper 0, right-lower -2, left-upper -4, left-lower -6?
And the Off-Hand Weapon Training Perk being 1 per hand?
And then should Ambidexterity be priced for number of hands? (5/ hand?)
{sorry, too much thinking. I think I better go take a nap - doh!}

[Langy]

Originally Posted by jacobmuller

Would allowing two extra techniques, Triple-weapon attack (hard, -8) and Quad-weapon attack (hard, -12) be reasonable?

further down that track
Should the penalty for using your master-side subordinate hand be the same as the penalty for a two-arms off-hand or an extra -2 for lower hands?
Or would that result in something overly annoying; right-upper 0, right-lower -2, left-upper -4, left-lower -6?
And the Off-Hand Weapon Training Perk being 1 per hand?
And then should Ambidexterity be priced for number of hands? (5/ hand?)
{sorry, too much thinking. I think I better go take a nap - doh!}

The penalty for any and all 'off-hands' should be the same, and neither Ambidexterity nor Off Hand Weapon Training should scale with number of hands. Anything else is complicating things too much.

[Kromm]

Eveything is at -4 for using multiple hands at once. You get one master hand and everything else is at -4 for the off hand. Thus, it's -4/-8/-8/-8. Anything worse and Extra Arms wouldn't be worth 10 points/level.

Treat abilities that remove these penalties normally. Those that remove the -4 for multiple hands at once cost the usual amount and remove up to -4, for at best 0/-4/-4/-4. Those that remove the -4 for off hands cost the usual amount and remove up to -4, for at best -4/-4/-4/-4. Getting both can remove all penalties.