[Gun Fu] Fitting a Gun to Its Owner

[Captain Joy]

GURPS: Gun Fu, p. 41 says this about "Fitting a Gun to Its Owner.

The ideal way to model this in GURPS is to treat it as a Weapon Bond (p. 23).

My question is, can one take the Weapon Bond perk for a weapon that has been "fitted to you", thus gaining a +2 to skill when using it?

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

My question is, can one take the Weapon Bond perk for a weapon that has been "fitted to you", thus gaining a +2 to skill when using it?

Fitting a gun provides a very good reason for gaining a Weapon Bond. But that's all it does: there is no separate "+1 for a fitted gun" modifier. In 3e, you got -1 to the Snap Shot number for a fitted gun, but Snap Shot doesn't exist in 4e.

[Captain Joy]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Fitting a gun provides a very good reason for gaining a Weapon Bond. But that's all it does: there is no separate "+1 for a fitted gun" modifier. In 3e, you got -1 to the Snap Shot number for a fitted gun, but Snap Shot doesn't exist in 4e.

Gun Fu has this to say about the Weapon Bond perk.

Add +1 to effective skill when using it. This has nothing to do with quality – you’re just used to your weapon.

Gun Fu also recommends doubling the price of a pistol that has been "fitted to the owner". The implication, to me at least, is that a "weapon bond" is obtained because of your experience with the gun and "fitting the gun" is gained because the gun itself has been modified for you. I can see that "fitting the gun" may simply be a subset of the Weapon Bond perk: one of several explanations for having it. But, I'm not yet convinced.

Could a gun be both "Fitted to the Owner" and fine (accurate) or very fine (accurate)?

[HANS]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

Gun Fu also recommends doubling the price of a pistol that has been "fitted to the owner". The implication, to me at least, is that a "weapon bond" is obtained because of your experience with the gun and "fitting the gun" is gained because the gun itself has been modified for you.

No.

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

I can see that "fitting the gun" may simply be a subset of the Weapon Bond perk: one of several explanations for having it.

That is exactly it. "Fitted to the Owner" cannot be represented under current rules other than by taking a Weapon Bond. Simultaneously, a Weapon Bond can represent something other than "Fitted to the Owner."

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

Could a gun be both "Fitted to the Owner" and fine (accurate) or very fine (accurate)?

Yes.

Cheers

HANS

[Captain Joy]

Originally Posted by HANS

That is exactly it. "Fitted to the Owner" cannot be represented under current rules other than by taking a Weapon Bond. Simultaneously, a Weapon Bond can represent something other than "Fitted to the Owner."

Then am I correct in assuming that there is no compelling reason within RAW to ever spend the extra money to get a weapon "fitted" to you, since you can get the Weapon Bond bonus for free simply by saying "My character is really comfortable with his weapon."?

It's possible that a GM might make the Weapon Bond off limits, and allow for a "fitted to the owner" exception; but, generally speaking, beyond character concept, spending 2x money to get a pistol "fitted" to you is a complete waste of money in a campaign that allows the Weapon Bond perk anyway. Correct, or am I missing something?

I'm harping, I know. But if it's any consolation, you two have convinced me I can't take "Fitted to the Owner" and the Weapon Bond perk. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something in the "Fitted to the Owner" explanation that would make me want to spend the extra cash to use that as the explanation.

[VariousRen]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

Then am I correct in assuming that there is no compelling reason within RAW to ever spend the extra money to get a weapon "fitted" to you, since you can get the Weapon Bond bonus for free simply by saying "My character is really comfortable with his weapon."?

It's possible that a GM might make the Weapon Bond off limits, and allow for a "fitted to the owner" exception; but, generally speaking, beyond character concept, spending 2x money to get a pistol "fitted" to you is a complete waste of money in a campaign that allows the Weapon Bond perk anyway. Correct, or am I missing something?

I'm harping, I know. But if it's any consolation, you two have convinced me I can't take "Fitted to the Owner" and the Weapon Bond perk. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something in the "Fitted to the Owner" explanation that would make me want to spend the extra cash to use that as the explanation.

A Weapon Bond requires a special weapon that you (and only you!) are very good with. It may be the target pistol you've used since you were a kid, your service revolver you keep in your boot while you sleep, your grandfathers shotgun you've used at the range since you were a teen, whatever. If you walk into a store and buy a brand new, top of the line Very Fine(Accurate) 9mm pistol to replace your antique 1911, you can't just spend an extra point to immediately become weapon bonded to it. This limits replacing equipment after the game has started, rather than at character creation.

Having a gun fitted to you costs cash, but it allows you to purchase a Weapon Bond with points by having a reason the gun is so perfect for you. In this case it's the gun that's been modified to fit your quirks, rather than you learning every single quirk of the gun, but the result is the same. Without this, I would require several adventures using the gun heavily before I would allow a player to purchase a weapon bond with it.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

It's possible that a GM might make the Weapon Bond off limits, and allow for a "fitted to the owner" exception; but, generally speaking, beyond character concept, spending 2x money to get a pistol "fitted" to you is a complete waste of money in a campaign that allows the Weapon Bond perk anyway. Correct, or am I missing something?

Correct as far as I know. The description provided for fitting to the owner allows reproducing something that happens in the real world, which is worthwhile in and of itself in a very detailed book on guns. But one can't tell, in the real world, if a gun user has anything resembling a Weapon Bond.

Also, a GM may have a position in between "You can have a Weapon Bond to anything you like" and "You must have a weapon expensively customised before you can buy a Weapon Bond to it."

I'm harping, I know. But if it's any consolation, you two have convinced me I can't take "Fitted to the Owner" and the Weapon Bond perk. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something in the "Fitted to the Owner" explanation that would make me want to spend the extra cash to use that as the explanation.

You keep talking as if "Fitted to the Owner" was something that had a specific game effect. It doesn't: it's background that may allow for buying an effect with points.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

I just want to make sure I'm not missing something in the "Fitted to the Owner" explanation that would make me want to spend the extra cash to use that as the explanation.

There's always roleplaying. There are after all a great many things people spend money on in the real world that somehow fail to improve their character stats. It's actually a flaw in RPG equipment lists in general that just about everything has to have a game mechanical effect, never mind that better game mechanical effects are expected to cost more.