Weapons Foci, Do they need to be weapons? Options

[Dashifen]

[Dashifen]

Damn ... meant to write this in the above post. Anyway, I do see that it says "The damage of the weapon is the same on the astral plan as it is in the physical world," but that still doesn't mean the focus has to be the weapon as your fists could be the "weapon" you use on the Astral plane since it's all based on your Astral Combat roll anyway.

[Thanee]

If you wanted to write something in the above post, why don't you just edit it? ;)

Anyways... I think a weapon focus needs to be a weapon.

Bye
Thanee

[Azralon]

Yeah, it's a weapon focus, implying pretty strongly that it's a weapon.

In your Bear example, I'd give him an enchanted fur mitten or two to wear on his hands and call that his weapon focus. The claws could maybe do +0P damage (in the physical and astral worlds).

[Dashifen]

[mfb]

well, i dunno. a spell focus isn't a spell, and a spirit focus isn't a spirit. if the text doesn't specifically state that you have to hit someone with your weapon focus in order to gain the benefits, i'd allow a weapon focus for unarmed combat that you don't wear on any striking surface. though, things get sick and weird as soon as reach comes into the equation.

[Dashifen]

That was actually my counter argument as well. I guess to me it makes very little sense to make your weapon focus a weapon. Make it a ring or a belt buckle or something my more innocuous than the katana that you mystically conceal in a trenchcoat (go Highlander!).

[mfb]

come to think, the quoted text doesn't limit using your weapon focus to a single form of attack. as stated, you could wear your force 5 claymore on your back and get the benefits when you punch people. here, reach makes things even sicker and weirder.

[Dashifen]

True, but you wouldn't get the reach benefits of the claymore if it's strapped to your back, just the extra 5 dice from the focus.

[Kanada Ten]

Were I to allow a weapon focus to be separate from the weapon(s) used in combat, then I would say that Reach in the bonding formula represents the highest reach weapon it functions with. However, I believe the rule intent is that the weapon be the focus.

[mfb]

me too. but i really like the idea of a guy who wears bear claws around his neck, and hits like a sack full of locomotives as a result.

[Kanada Ten]

[Thanee]

Not yet. ;)

Bye
Thanee

[Glyph]

Mystic adept with killing hands and critical strike? Or just have the weapon focus be a pair of magical brass knuckles.

Heh. Reminds me of the old debates we had, about adepts of the magician's way using shock glove weapon foci along with improved ability in unarmed combat, the ambidexterity rules, and a touch spell. :D

[Dranem]

As in SR3, when they had to elaborate that a focus required a certain amount of Oricalcum depending on the force, I see they'll have to do it here for SR4. The rare magical ore is the primary reason for the horrendous cost of foci.

If you've played SR long enough, you should know by now that a weapon focus is tied to the weapon itself, and hence can only benefit attacks with the item. ;)

I'm anxious for the magic book to come out, I have an SR3 Talismonger trapped in conversion, as there are no rules for them yet in the new edition... despite the fact they have one in the contacts section. grrrr.

[Jhaiisiin]

My group has always played as the weapon focus being a weapon itself. It states you can take your weapon into the astral as a result. Can't take a sword into the astral unless it has an astral form, hence the weapon focus needing to be a weapon to work.

[Cain]

Yeah, but then things get weird when you start thinking about unarmed combat. Gloves aren't really weapons, they're just add-ons-- your hands and your feet (or elbows, knees, forehead, etc.) are your weapons. And since you can get the benefits of an unarmed combat focus even if you're not using it to hit people with-- you're wearing gloves as your focus, but it works for your kicks as well-- the thought of a weapon focus that just helps out overall doesn't seem too terrible.

[Jhaiisiin]

I'd figure because you're using a hand that's gloved to hit someone, it counts. You're using the focus itself in the attack, so whynot? Or just rule it has to be sap gloves. Maybe get real stringent if you try and say only your when smackin' people around with your hands it counts as the focus.

Mayhap your bearclaw necklace idea would work, so long as the necklace was wrapped around one of his hands first, so the focus knows what it's being used for, so to speak...

[GrinderTheTroll]

[Thanee]

[Cain]

[Dissonance]

Academic, in the sense that you could write a doctorate thesis on the pain? Snerk.

Anyhoo, I don't see there being anything immediately wrong with getting an unarmed-combat style weapon focus in the form of an unarmed-combat style enhancer. Like Cain just mentioned.

As for the loophole you mentioned, Cain? Two things.

1) I always interpreted the cost of the foci to just be for the actual enchanting of the item. The item itself still has to be purchased, but in the case of most foci, the cost might as well be negligable.

2) Monowhips are chargen-legal. In fact, there aren't _any_ melee weapon in SR4 that aren't. In this system, they're exactly as illegal as cybernetic spurs. 12F.

[Thanee]

[The Jopp]

Hmm, weapon foci, shock frills...

[Kyoto Kid]

Weapon focus Louisville Slugger

talk about a corked bat....