why is an Attack usable as a Ready when it comes to chairs?

[Plane]

DF10:Taverns pg 12 talks about this for using chairs. Normally it's 2 readies:

1) pick up chair

2) re-orient the chair in your hands so you're holding it in an Axe/Mace grip

It seems everyone has an innate "quick-draw" type skill to roll at DX-4 to do this in a single ready maneuver instead of two, and unlike quickdraw you can opt to sub ST for DX to accomplish this as well.

But what especially stands out is how you can do All-Out Attack: Double to do this "two readies in a turn" plus attack, so instead of "1 ready to do 2 readies" you're doing "1 attack to do 2 readies".

I thought you couldn't normally just swap out attacks for readies and had to get them separately?

This also seems a bit unclear as to where to draw the line on poorly-made chairs. You'd assume maybe they have less HP or DR or maybe Fragile: Brittle?

Instead of "half damage" I was wondering if maybe we could link the HP of a chair to the damage it does when wielded as a weapon?

[Anthony]

Being able to trade attacks for readies is a fairly common house rule, so might be someone was thinking it was official.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Being able to trade attacks for readies is a fairly common house rule, so might be someone was thinking it was official.

Or decided to make it official (at least for DF) by publishing it.

[JulianLW]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Or decided to make it official (at least for DF) by publishing it.

Do you happen to know where this is in DF?

[Donny Brook]

IMO, a typical tavern chair can be grabbed in a way that is already ready for swinging.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by JulianLW

Do you happen to know where this is in DF?

DF10:12 (that is, page 12 of the Taverns book), apparently, based on OP. I don't actually have that book, so can't check it.

[Not another shrubbery]

The rules referenced in DF 10 are specifically mentioned to be for bar brawls (but may be used for *any* fight in a DF game if the GM thinks they would be appropriate). They're also good for other genres where such fights might be more entertaining using those switches.

[PTTG]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

IMO, a typical tavern chair can be grabbed in a way that is already ready for swinging.

I think this is the real answer here. I can easily imagine someone grabbing a chair or a stool well enough to beat someone with it in a second.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Plane

DF10:Taverns pg 12 talks about this for using chairs. Normally it's 2 readies:

1) pick up chair

2) re-orient the chair in your hands so you're holding it in an Axe/Mace grip

The forgoing assumes that the chair is light enough that it's less than your BL. If not, then add an extra Ready.

The whole "reorient the chair" Ready seems a bit redundant. If you're standing you're naturally going to pick up a chair by its back, which lets you Ready it for a 2-handed swing on your next turn.

A Quick Draw (Improvised Weapons) specialization seems fair, allowing you to quickly ready things like beer mugs or bar stools.

Originally Posted by Plane

This also seems a bit unclear as to where to draw the line on poorly-made chairs. You'd assume maybe they have less HP or DR or maybe Fragile: Brittle?

Instead of "half damage" I was wondering if maybe we could link the HP of a chair to the damage it does when wielded as a weapon?

I'm not sure it's worth the effort. Heavier objects have greater potential energy when readied to strike, but lighter objects allow you to develop more speed on the attack. Unless you can get serious speed or leverage, however, the difference is too granular, even for GURPS.

This is how I'd work it:

Assume that any attack with an improvised object which hits a solid target does the same damage to the object as to the target.

If the damage inflicted is sufficient to break the item it only does 1/2D to the target because part of the force is absorbed when the item breaks. Keep full Knockback, however, because we're modeling a fantasy barroom brawl, not reality.

Any item that the GM rules is Brittle, Fragile, or otherwise likely to break due to hard treatment must make a HT roll even if it doesn't take HP damage sufficient to wreck it. Failure means that the item does 1/2D and somehow fails (but can be repaired).

Obviously, this doesn't apply to weapons or objects which are designed to withstand regular abuse.

You can also adapt the rules for equipment quality to furniture. A Cheap-Quality item will have -1 or -2 HT & up to 40% fewer HP than Good-Quality. It will also weigh & support less based on its lower HP total. (If you want to work backwards from HP, weight in lbs. is (HP/4)^3 for an Unliving/Machine item or (HP/8)^3 for Homogeneous/Diffuse).

Of course, real restaurant & bar furniture is built to take abuse, while the chairs which shatter to bits in Hollywood barroom brawls are props made from balsa wood & are specifically designed to break.

Treat Cinematic bar furniture as being Cheap-quality, with -2 HT, -40% HP, & -40% weight for everything except load-bearing, striking, and throwing purposes.

[Black Leviathan]

I feel like I've never lifted furniture that required orientation before I could hit someone with it. It could be that I lack the Barstool Martial Arts training to correctly hit someone with a stool, but if I don't know how to do it right, your character certainly wouldn't have any more experience.