GURPS Fantasy-Tech 2: Weapons of Fantasy

[PK]

My falchion needs be
Titanic and quicksilver . . .
Hast thou layaway?

— Myriam Sicarius, Unemployed Knight

Admit it, when a new GURPS gear catalog comes out, you flip right to the weapons so you can find new ways to kill monsters and loot their equip-- er, defend the innocent! Combat has long been at the heart of most roleplaying campaigns, especially GURPS Dungeon Fantasy ones, partly because it puts the "G" in "RPG," but also thanks to fiction's long tradition of associating heroes with iconic and unique weapons. And there's no better place to shop for your next piece of Signature Gear than GURPS Fantasy-Tech 2: Weapons of Fantasy.

If you enjoyed the arms of GURPS Fantasy-Tech 1: The Edge of Reality, you'll long for these new options, which draw on everything from the speculation of actual medieval armorers to the most over-the-top fantastical fiction. Smite your foes with multi-headed flails and massive 86-lb. cleavers. Fill your blades with poison reservoirs for chemical death or weighted quicksilver for potent impacts. Wield whips crafted from the skin of damned souls, mighty double-ended halberds, and rapiers longer than you are tall. Damn practicality and embrace the Rule of Cool!

GURPS Fantasy-Tech 2: Weapons of Fantasy will add a bit of wonder to any fantasy game, whether it's a single iconic weapon representing the end of a quest, or a straight-up shopping list for your GURPS Dungeon Fantasy heroes. After all, every campaign can benefit from a little more Awesome.

—

Store Link: http://www.warehouse23.com/products/SJG37-1669
Preview PDF: http://www.warehouse23.com/media/SJG37-1669_preview.pdf

[Humabout]

Smite your foes with multi-headed flails and massive 86-lb. cleavers. Fill your blades with poison reservoirs for chemical death or weighted quicksilver for potent impacts. Wield whips crafted from the skin of damned souls, mighty double-ended halberds, and rapiers longer than you are tall. Damn practicality and embrace the Rule of Cool!

I have no idea if I personally have need of this product, but those four sentences make me want to throw money at SJGames!

[Mailanka]

I'm a big fan of the Fantasy Tech series, so I instantly bough this the moment I realized it was available. I'll note that the double-edged weapon rules are great for double-bladed lightsabers.

[evileeyore]

Does this book mesh 'properly' with DFRP stat lines?

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

I'll note that the double-edged weapon rules are great for double-bladed lightsabers.

First place my mind went when I read that in the manuscript.

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Does this book mesh 'properly' with DFRP stat lines?

It's a GURPS product rather than a DFRPG product, but I believe all the stats are copacetic with the stats in Adventurers.

[Pseudonym]

It does include one technique, and neither DFRPG nor GURPS Lite explains the mechanics of techniques, so for a complete neophyte or solely DFRPG user, it might not be obvious that the technique can simply be turned into a five point "power-up."

It makes several references to enchantment, as in, "what enchantments are valid for a piece of equipment with these unusual properties?" which might be slightly different between GURPS Magic and DF Spells and DF Magic Items, but I think they are mostly similar, and that most of the enchantments, if not all are covered by DFRPG.

It has several "perks" and it might not be obvious in DFRPG that they are simply one point advantages (and sometimes have a few special rules in GURPS to limit players to buying them; such limits don't seem to exist in DFRPG)

It also mentions tech level, but that is a mechanic mentioned in GURPS Lite on p.18, so the meaning of the numbers is freely available, and the intro to the pdf explains the superscience caret.

Finally, and very optionally, it has some rules for extrapolating more gigantic weapons that builds on Low Tech Companion 2.

If someone with DFRPG reads "perk" as one point advantage, and the one technique as "5 point advantage that requires specialization (or 6 points really if you follow the pattern in DF11,)" then it's 99.9999% usable.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Pseudonym

If someone with DFRPG reads "perk" as one point advantage, and the one technique as "5 point advantage that requires specialization (or 6 points really if you follow the pattern in DF11,)" then it's 99.9999% usable.

True, I was thinking strictly in the terms of the main selling feature, the equipment itself (and simple modifiers done with CF or straight multipliers).

The math on some of the optional elaborations is clearly why this is a GURPS book and not a DFRPG book, but the base stuff is solid and simple. If you drop the perks and techniques entirely, some of the equipment does become less useful, so it's going to have to be one of those books where you stick a note on it for your DFRPG-playing-friend before you lend it to them.

[Christopher R. Rice]

I wonder what an all-metal diabolic whip would look like . . .

Also, this book is awesome. Feel sorry for my players because the crazy weapons are a'coming.

[PK]

Originally Posted by Humabout

I have no idea if I personally have need of this product, but those four sentences make me want to throw money at SJGames!

As long as it isn't rolled coins, throw away! :)

Originally Posted by Mailanka

I'm a big fan of the Fantasy Tech series, so I instantly bough this the moment I realized it was available. I'll note that the double-edged weapon rules are great for double-bladed lightsabers.

Oh yeah, there are several ideas in this book that could easily be extrapolated to high- or ultra-tech gear. The goal here was to keep this supplement simple and focused, so you won't see explicit advice for such things, but there's a lot here that may inspire crazy thoughts involving other gear catalogs.

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Does this book mesh 'properly' with DFRP stat lines?

Yep. It's compatible with GURPS Dungeon Fantasy, and the only major changes regarding gear in the Dungeon Fantasy RPG were to armor and low-end enchantments. Some DFRPG weapons do slightly different damage compared to their GURPS counterparts, but that just means you'll get slightly different results when applying the conversions from Weapons of Fantasy.

[GM Joe]

Lots of good stuff in this one to use and abuse, as usual. :)

I really like the quicksilver sword idea. I'd never heard of it before reading this booklet!