GURPS Fantasy-Tech 2: Weapons of Fantasy

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

The relevant section in DF7 is supposed to make that sort of point clear, if people have read it. Though I was thinking more of "vice" than "sexual violence". The Goddess of Negotiable Affection has a pretty substantial worshipper base, after all.

It's often a useful exercise to play with your pantheon a bit. Flip the gods alignments, flip their genders, randomize their parentages and marriages, imagine what they are like as the sole major god of a great empire, or when their only remaining worshippers are a handful of people fleeing a world ending disaster, or how they would go about joining the pantheon of some culture on the other side of the world - because those are the kinds of things that *happen* to the myths of real world gods and it can generate some useful ideas for quirky little myths and subcults.

[scc]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

The relevant section in DF7 is supposed to make that sort of point clear, if people have read it. Though I was thinking more of "vice" than "sexual violence". The Goddess of Negotiable Affection has a pretty substantial worshipper base, after all.

Which part of it but? The bit on page 19 would suggest that whips are more likely to be wielded by those who work for evil love gods (Whips aren't exactly associated with healthy relationships after all).

And using a whip means you'd have to wear icky leather armor, and why would who want to wear that when my Armor of the Chaste Maiden and Armor of the Celibate Maiden is on offer?

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

The Goddess of Negotiable Affection has a pretty substantial worshipper base, after all.

But are they really worshiping? Or just giving (and getting) lip service? ;)

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

But are they really worshiping? Or just giving (and getting) lip service? ;)

Worship costs extra.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Worship costs extra.

So does dressing up like a nun.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by scc

Whips aren't exactly associated with healthy relationships after all

There's a whole sexual kink that revolves around one partner being intimidating and dominating, but not doing anything to the other other than posture. It's a role-playing schtick, it's just the role is "scary person" rather than "sexy nurse" or whatever. Having a real whip and knowing how to use it properly doesn't mean using it on someone.

Further on, there's a whole set of kinks that are basically larping - the velvet or suede floggers you see on Amazon are the nerf-bats of whips.

[sir_pudding]

Even pain play can be part of a healthy relationship, but really this is probably straying too far afield for this forum. Whips probably don't figure much in actual abusive relationships, though since people who buy toys are looking to play and people looking to just hurt someone else have plenty of weapons available.

[PK]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Whips are, but the two power-ups and diabolical whips aren't...

Right, which (since those came from my website and a brand-new book, respectively) means that the only relevant trait would be the Whip skill, which Phil included as an explicit option for Holy Warriors of Love and Fertility. As such, Phil's right that there's nothing "unusual" about this sort of build -- it's explicit that HWOLAF are often whip-wielders.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Even pain play can be part of a healthy relationship,

Absolutely. Nothing about BDSM is inherent to healthy or unhealthy relationships, any more than saying that couples who love taking cruises must be in a healthy or unhealthy relationship. One life rule that I advocate strongly is "Don't judge others just because they like something you don't."

but really this is probably straying too far afield for this forum.

Yeah, I think this particular topic has been wrapped up pretty well already, so let me make it official:

<MOD> Please don't continue the semi-tangent about real-world BDSM relationships. However, talking about whip-wielding HWOLAF and how that ties into the concept of kink is still on-topic as long as you aren't explicit, gratuitous, etc. </MOD>

[Refplace]

Besides with those options making disarming and entangling easier a whip is a decent choice for several combat options.
Whips can be disguised as clothing (Belts) or even luggage wraps and fool metal detectors and are organic so could be used with the Staff skill or a variant. Back in Second Edition I had a whip mage with Body Control spells and he enjoyed the longer Reach.
But entangling is not only good when you dont want to kill your foe but handy if they are not strong but have a high DR.
Also intimidating which is a more traditional use.
An old teacher liked to use a throway lne joke about how he was so good he could teach someone how to whip a fly off a person without ever touching them in just a few minutes.
The trick was of course the fly would naturally buzz off at the sound even if the crack was several feet away :)

[scc]

One potential problem with whips is that they're weapons of intimidation, at least in the hands of someone of works for a Love God. And while Intimidation is a valid method of getting information from someone that's probably a job better left to the parties muscle bound fighter-type, love devotee's should use Sex Appeal and Carousing as their primary information gathering skills, in fact they should probably serve as the party face in general.

As for weapons, for ladies I'd suggest a pair of long, thin, elegant daggers and for men a large, suggestive lance.