Weapon focus, What weapon to use for unarmed combat Options

[Namer18]

Can you get hardliner gloves or normal gloves as a weapon focus that would add dice to a character's unarmed combat? What other items would you let a character take as a weapon focus for unarmed combat?

Namer18

[Fortune]

Yes, Hardliner Gloves can be made into Weapon Foci, as can pretty much any melee weapon you choose to name. :)

Personally I'd draw the line at Shock Gloves and Stun Batons though.

[ialdabaoth]

Hardliner gloves, 'tiger claws', shivs, brass knuckles... anything like that.

[Ancient History]

Oh, shock gloves are fine. You just have to remember to re-charge 'em between runs.

[Fortune]

[Tanka]

Shock Glove Weapon Foci? No. Plain and simple. Firstly, IIRC, Orichalcum doesn't conduct electricity too well, so, there goes the idea of electricity being ran through them to power the shock. Second, then you could (possibly) stage it to doing D Physical from a freaking shock! Uh-uh, no way.

Anything that is based primarily on your Strength is OK, as far as I'm concerned.

[John Campbell]

I don't see any reason that shock gloves couldn't be made into weapon foci. Orichalcum isn't required (I know the corebook says it is, but, IMAO, MitS enchanting rules have priority, and they don't require it), and even if it were, there's nothing that says the entire thing has to be made of it.

They'd be a bitch and a half to enchant, though. Weapon foci start out with a TN of 6, then you have to add in the OR of the telesma (the shock gloves, in this case), which is probably 8, and add the Force of the focus, and you're not going to be getting the handmade or virgin telesma bonuses... so a Force 6 shock glove weapon focus would have a base TN of 20 to enchant. Orichalcum might not be actually required, but using mass quantities of it, and alchemical radicals, to bring that TN down is highly recommended... and that should be reflected in the price. If a PC were trying to buy one, I'd make it much more expensive than a regular weapon focus (and they're not cheap to begin with)...

[ialdabaoth]

Orichalcum doesn't conduct electricity? It seems like an alloy of gold, copper, mercury and silver would conduct damn well.

[Tanka]

Eh, might, but some alloys don't contain their parents properties too well. I'd suggest between Sodium and Chlorine, but that isn't an alloy, if I remember my Chemistry days right... Frag if I remember anything from that now. But, I vaguely remember reading that it isn't a conductable material. Don't remember where or what, but it's sticking out for some odd reason.

[mfb]

there's nothing that says the orichalcum has to be the conductor, anyway. you could attach a plate of it to the inner lining on the back of each hand, if you want. and, like Campbell says, MitS should probably take precedence.

[John Campbell]

I wouldn't be too quick to assert anything about orichalcum's physical properties based on chemistry. Chemistry says it's not even possible to make the stuff...

[Fortune]

I don't recall MitS specifically stating that Orichalcum is not required for Weapon Foci enchantment.

[Kagetenshi]

But there are very specific rules for when it is used, rules that are apparently at odds with Orichalcum being in all weapon foci.

~J

[mfb]

*shrug* doesn't matter. either way, the orichalcum doesn't have to be the conductor.

[Stonecougar]

I wanna see a roll of quarters as a weapon focus. Or a 4 1/2 inch long piece of 3/4 inch steel pipe. The steel pipe would be really cool, especially for a ganger adept who doesn't necessarily have access to the drek-hot toys the big boys use.

[Arz]

I played a mage that used a sap as a weapon focus mostly for fighting spirits. He didn't like to kill them, just knock 'em out.

[Req]

Alright! It's time for the Radiant Lead Pipe of Beating. Got some new ideas for a gang mage... :)

[Munchkinslayer]

Can't believe everybody got so hung up on shock gloves. The pipe was way cool, but what about cestus? Ya know those big ol' wicked-horny gloves that senator ahnold wore in conan the librarian? During the pit fight near the beginning. Gauntlets from hell. Yeah that'd be sweet.

[RedmondLarry]

Consider also the Reach "-1" weapon foci: horns or teeth. You can get a Rating 4 for under 400,000 at character creation, and they are cheaper to bond.

[Kagetenshi]

...Teeth weapon foci?
*Runs away screaming in horror*

~J

[Kanada Ten]

[Tanka]

[Siege]

Trust me, when you're looking at a vamp up close and pesonal, lots of foci teeth or not becomes almost moot.

-Siege

[El_Machinae]

How about a plate on the head for head-butting? That would work too, I betcha. Plus, you could use a different colored die to represent the weapon focus, and if THAT die rolled a success, you could say "ooh, look, I head-butted him!"

[The Jopp]

How about a Geas to your “Killing Hands” skill so they only work with a “Bite” attack? Add a “Teeth” weapon foci to that. Still, there are SEVERAL problems attached. What happens when you need to go to the dentist and he insists that he must drill into your 400.000,00 foci?