Crossbow version of Run & Gun?

[thom]

So one of my PCs wants to be more effective with his crossbow - but not to the point of Heroic Archer or Gunslinger. He basically wants a crossbow version of Christopher Rice's very cool Run & Gun advantage from Monster Hunters Power-Ups. I'm trying to build it as follows:

Run & Shoot (original, I know!)
Prerequisites: Crossbow at 16+

When using a crossbow, you ignore the penalty when making a Move and Attack. In addition, you can keep any Aim bonus (if you aimed the previous turn) and you ignore the crossbow's Bulk Penalty.

Perks: Unique Technique (Run and Shoot) [1].
Techniques: Run and Shoot (H) Skill+0 [4]
• Benefit: Enhanced Grip. Ignore the Bulk penalty when any crossbow while making an attack. ‑1 (This seems kind of a low cost to me).
• Benefit: Steady Shot. Retain weapon's Accuracy on previously aimed shots. ‑1.
• Benefit: Practiced Movement. You ignore the penalty for doing two actions at once when using a Move and Attack. ‑1.

So the final cost would be 1 + 3 +1 (for a Hard technique) = 5 character points. Does that seem reasonable? This is the first time I've ever tried to build a technique so I'm not sure I've got it down. Thanks for any help!

thom

[Varyon]

I don't have any MH books, so can't comment on Christopher's build, but I will note that the Technique I'm aware of that reduces/eliminates Bulk penalties is Close Quarters Battle, from GURPS: Tactical Shooting. There it simply gives a bonus to reduce the Bulk penalty and follows normal Technique guidelines, at [1] per +1 (plus an additional [1] for being a Hard Technique), negating up to -4 worth of Bulk. I could see Steady Aim as an available option to benefit from a previous Aim even when doing a Move and Attack, at least in a cinematic campaign, and setting it as a single Special Benefit (for -1) seems alright. I'm not sure what you are referring to with removing the penalty for doing two things at once - if you're referring to the penalty Move and Attack suffers, for ranged attacks it only suffers from Bulk, nothing else (although weapons with Bulk better than -2 are treated as though they had Bulk -2).

So, if you are setting the price to [5], you're probably looking at [1] for Unique Technique, [1] for the Special Benefit, and [1] because it's a Hard Technique, leaving [2] for purposes of negating Bulk - that'll negate the Bulk for a typical handgun (letting you use Move and Attack at full skill), but only make it +2 better for larger weapons, including most crossbows (so a Bulk -6 crossbow functions as though it were only Bulk -4). But it's possible that Power-Up made different assumptions.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by thom

So one of my PCs wants to be more effective with his crossbow - but not to the point of Heroic Archer or Gunslinger. He basically wants a crossbow version of Christopher Rice's very cool Run & Gun advantage from Monster Hunters Power-Ups. I'm trying to build it as follows:

Run & Shoot (original, I know!)
Prerequisites: Crossbow at 16+

When using a crossbow, you ignore the penalty when making a Move and Attack. In addition, you can keep any Aim bonus (if you aimed the previous turn) and you ignore the crossbow's Bulk Penalty.

Perks: Unique Technique (Run and Shoot) [1].
Techniques: Run and Shoot (H) Skill+0 [4]
• Benefit: Enhanced Grip. Ignore the Bulk penalty when any crossbow while making an attack. ‑1 (This seems kind of a low cost to me).
• Benefit: Steady Shot. Retain weapon's Accuracy on previously aimed shots. ‑1.
• Benefit: Practiced Movement. You ignore the penalty for doing two actions at once when using a Move and Attack. ‑1.

So the final cost would be 1 + 3 +1 (for a Hard technique) = 5 character points. Does that seem reasonable? This is the first time I've ever tried to build a technique so I'm not sure I've got it down. Thanks for any help!

thom

Yup. That looks fine.

[thom]

Thanks Christopher! Always nice to hear from the writer who inspired the thought. I confess I'm still a bit dubious about -6 worth of Bulk Penalty being removed for only 1 CP - but that's how you wrote yours, and since Sean edited it I can't argue with both of you! <sg>

thom

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by thom

Thanks Christopher! Always nice to hear from the writer who inspired the thought. I confess I'm still a bit dubious about -6 worth of Bulk Penalty being removed for only 1 CP - but that's how you wrote yours, and since Sean edited it I can't argue with both of you! <sg>

thom

I thought about just buying the penalty off, but it's so situational it's not really worth a Hard technique. You could if you wanted it to be less cinematic.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice

I thought about just buying the penalty off, but it's so situational it's not really worth a Hard technique. You could if you wanted it to be less cinematic.

Treating it as a Special Benefit is honestly probably fine in a campaign where Gunslinger/Heroic Archer/etc is available, yeah, seeing as it normally comes free with those traits. Tactical Shooting assumes a markedly-less cinematic setting, where having it as a Technique (and limiting it to negate no more than a -4) is arguably more appropriate.

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by Varyon

So, if you are setting the price to [5], you're probably looking at [1] for Unique Technique, [1] for the Special Benefit, and [1] because it's a Hard Technique, leaving [2] for purposes of negating Bulk - that'll negate the Bulk for a typical handgun (letting you use Move and Attack at full skill), but only make it +2 better for larger weapons, including most crossbows (so a Bulk -6 crossbow functions as though it were only Bulk -4). But it's possible that Power-Up made different assumptions.

FYI the CCB technique allows one to buy off bulk upto -4.
So just the full technique would be 5 points if it's a hard technique.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Treating it as a Special Benefit is honestly probably fine in a campaign where Gunslinger/Heroic Archer/etc is available, yeah, seeing as it normally comes free with those traits. Tactical Shooting assumes a markedly-less cinematic setting, where having it as a Technique (and limiting it to negate no more than a -4) is arguably more appropriate.

Originally Posted by Tinman

FYI the CCB technique allows one to buy off bulk upto -4.
So just the full technique would be 5 points if it's a hard technique.

A'yup. That's one of the reasons why I felt it was fine for a cinematic game.