The loadout problem when creating new PCs

[Balor Patch]

Originally Posted by bocephus

You can limit it a little to a light edged rapier which lowers the damage -1 and limits reach to just a 1, if you really feel that a 250pt character shouldn't start the game with an appropriate weapon.

Given the way Weapon Master and Weapon Bond work this leaves him relatively at -4 to hit (on the inevitable rapid strike) and -4 damage compared with his designed weapon. That's... OK as long as he has Signature Gear on the weapon he didn't buy and it's waiting in the first dungeon.

[corwyn]

Originally Posted by Balor Patch

Given the way Weapon Master and Weapon Bond work this leaves him relatively at -4 to hit (on the inevitable rapid strike) and -4 damage compared with his designed weapon. That's... OK as long as he has Signature Gear on the weapon he didn't buy and it's waiting in the first dungeon.

I don't fully follow. WM would still work on the light rapier - it's not bought per weapon, but but weapon class. WM that included any rapier would include all rapiers. So -1/-1. I'd allow such a character to hold his Weapon Bond in reserve as he hadn't found that perfect weapon yet.

Even if that were not the case, that skill can be used for other things - hit location, Deceptive. Swashbucklers don't always Rapid Strike.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Another thing I've done is assign random loot. You can get something you can't use (and I always allow for skills/advantages to be switched if you want to), but you can also get awesome stuff too. DF8 for the win here.

[tbone]

Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice

Another thing I've done is assign random loot. .

That sounds like a fun idea.

Could work as a "grab bag" idea, too: a PC can spend some amount to get a bunch of stuff guaranteed to be of higher value - but it's random stuff.

(DF8 is fantastic for rolling up stuff, as you note. I'd advise any DF GM to snap it up - but also to put it to work before play. Rolling up its more detailed creations can take a surprising amount of time.)

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by tbone

That sounds like a fun idea.

Could work as a "grab bag" idea, too: a PC can spend some amount to get a bunch of stuff guaranteed to be of higher value - but it's random stuff.

(DF8 is fantastic for rolling up stuff, as you note. I'd advise any DF GM to snap it up - but also to put it to work before play. Rolling up its more detailed creations can take a surprising amount of time.)

It can also incentivize team dynamics before play begins: If you take Sense of Duty (Teammates) you get to share gear so if the wizard rolls the Bow of Awesome and the Scout rolls a Staff of the Magi then they can trade IF they take SoD.

[benz72]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

I plan on running I Smell A Rat, so getting characters kitted out for long hikes is not really my issue. What I really need to solve for is the issue of, say, the barbarian not needing a weapon fancier than an axe, while the swashbuckler really wants to start play with an edged rapier (especially because swashbucklers won't want to plan on switching weapons as soon as they earn their first five gold pieces, due to Weapon Bond).

Running this logic in the opposite direction... having a swashbuckler NOT start with a fancy sword and weapon bond makes all of these easier:
Provide an easily identifiable path for CP use (weapon bond)
Provide an easily identifiable path for $ use (the weapon you want)
Avoid explaining why someone with an expensive sword would take a low level starter job
Let the GM dangle increasingly fancy swords in front of the PC to let him decide when to spend the Weapon Bond point
Let the GM showcase some weapon-destroying opponent without totally screwing the swashbuckler
Let the GM provide some quest level story to justify something like Signature Gear

Starting poor isn't necessarily a bug, it's a feature.

[sjmdw45]

Originally Posted by corwyn

I don't fully follow. WM would still work on the light rapier - it's not bought per weapon, but but weapon class. WM that included any rapier would include all rapiers.

Is it, though? Adventurers page 54 says "One specific weapon (e.g., nunchaku or rapier). 20 points". If it were a weapon class, wouldn't it say "flail" instead of "nunchaku"?

To me (as a DF novice) it seems plain that a Swashbuckler is going to prioritize starting with an edged rapier at any cost, even if he winds up having no other gear including armor or even basic rations. It's just that important. I think of Inigo from the Princess Bride: reduced to working for criminals like Vizzini "to pay the bills", but he's still got his father's sword!

[Balor Patch]

Originally Posted by sjmdw45

Is it, though? Adventurers page 54 says "One specific weapon (e.g., nunchaku or rapier). 20 points". If it were a weapon class, wouldn't it say "flail" instead of "nunchaku"?

To me (as a DF novice) it seems plain that a Swashbuckler is going to prioritize starting with an edged rapier at any cost, even if he winds up having no other gear including armor or even basic rations. It's just that important. I think of Inigo from the Princess Bride: reduced to working for criminals like Vizzini "to pay the bills", but he's still got his father's sword!

Your way is the GURPS standard ruling. DFRPG does make specific exceptions for bows and knives.

[sjmdw45]

Originally Posted by Balor Patch

Your way is the GURPS standard ruling. DFRPG does make specific exceptions for bows and knives.

Right, and rapiers vs. edged rapiers are not an exception. Ergo a different kind of rapier really is -4 penalty on Rapid Strikes relative to your edged rapier weapon of choice.

[Celjabba]

Originally Posted by sjmdw45

Right, and rapiers vs. edged rapiers are not an exception. Ergo a different kind of rapier really is -4 penalty on Rapid Strikes relative to your edged rapier weapon of choice.

Weapon master(one specific weapon (type) : rapier) [20] does cover all kinds of rapier.

The following post is for DF, not DFRPG, but it should apply :
http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...1&postcount=37

It was discussed before here :
https://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?p=2436133

See also http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...5&postcount=25 for Gurps, DFRPG is more generous for the knife category, as noted above.