 Weapon Focus at Char Gen, Forgive my weak Search-Fu |
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 Dec 23 2007, 03:14 AM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 162 Joined: 27-January 06 From: Norfolk, Ma Member No.: 8,202  |
I couldn't seem to find exactly what I was looking for anywhere. So, here's my question. When buying a weapon focus at char gen (max Force 2 (for an availability of 10R) if my read of the BBB is correct) do I pay the cost of the weapon, then the cost of the focus (20k) AND another 8 BP to bond with it?
And while I have your attention, if I want to increase the force of the focus in the future. Do I need to toss the old focus aside and get a new one or can I just increase the Force of the current focus? Thanks in advance Mark |
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Dec 23 2007, 03:38 AM
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#2
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 906 Joined: 16-October 06 Member No.: 9,630 |
1:The focus and the weapon are different entities.
2: Bonding a focus at creation costs 1 BP per force. So it only cost you 2 BP not 8. Your thinking of Karma costs. 3: You can't upgrade your focus you have acquire a better one |
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Dec 23 2007, 03:48 AM
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#3
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 162 Joined: 27-January 06 From: Norfolk, Ma Member No.: 8,202 |
1. I'm a bit confused by this, I have a Knife as a weapon focus, I pay the 20 nuyen for it, then the 20k to make it a weapon focus?
2. Is there a page reference for this (so I can point the GM to it)? EDIT: Nevermind, my searchFu really is weak, found it in BBB p. 85 3. That's what I thought. Thanks Mark |
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Dec 23 2007, 04:27 AM
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#4
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 906 Joined: 16-October 06 Member No.: 9,630 |
The cost for a weapon foci has nothing to do with the cost of the weapon. Though the karma cost is linked to the weapons reach. The basic idea is you take a mundane weapon and make it a foci though some just throw that out and have the foci be something you attach to your chosen weapon which then grants the abilities. So if you have a weapon foci in katana it will work for any one katana you wield. |
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Dec 23 2007, 05:12 AM
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#5
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 7,089 Joined: 4-October 05 Member No.: 7,813 |
i've never heard of that interpretation before... the only one i've ever heard is that the weapon *is* the focus. for the record, i would rule that you would indeed have to buy the weapon, pay the extra cost for the focus on top of that, and then bind it (which is pleasantly cheap at chargen) ;) |
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Dec 23 2007, 08:19 AM
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#6
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 906 Joined: 16-October 06 Member No.: 9,630 |
If the cost at creation wasn't so cheap I'd never get a foci of a monowhip.
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Dec 24 2007, 01:59 AM
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#7
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
Since every melee weapon is considerably less than the cost of a focus, it's essentially incorporated into the cost of the focus already. It's like how a gram of latinum in a coin of silver is only worth the gram of latinum.
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Dec 24 2007, 05:47 AM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 458 Joined: 28-March 05 From: NA/UCAS/IN/ Member No.: 7,246 |
Now, for myself and my campaigns, I wouldn't allow this interpretation. In my opinion, to make a weapon into a weapon focus takes a lot of effort, represented by the karma cost or BP cost. Example: Simple Sam wants to make his Ares Predator into a weapon focus so he spends a great deal of time intently studying the weapon and working with it in a magical ritual (Force hours). Perhaps he takes it to the range and shoots with it to tune his spirit with the gun, or takes it apart and puts it back together a few times to know it inside and out, or maybe he engraves runes or a name into the stock. After he spends the time in ritual, he invests some of his personal power (karma) into this specific weapon to remake it into a weapon focus for himself. |
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Dec 24 2007, 06:03 AM
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#9
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,537 Joined: 27-August 06 From: Albuquerque NM Member No.: 9,234 |
So he can pistol whip spirits?
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Dec 24 2007, 06:32 AM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 861 Joined: 27-November 07 Member No.: 14,397 |
Maybe his character is a spirit pimp? No, that would require a glove for b***h slapping. |
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Dec 24 2007, 05:44 PM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 458 Joined: 28-March 05 From: NA/UCAS/IN/ Member No.: 7,246 |
No, so he could add some dice to his pistol skill. But, if a spirit happens to come into whipping range, then I guess so.
Perhaps Simple Sam is an adept who doesn't have Astral Perception, so the astral side of things got ignored. This was just an example anyway, and using a pistol was the best way I could think of to make my point. |
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Dec 24 2007, 05:53 PM
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#12
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 7,089 Joined: 4-October 05 Member No.: 7,813 |
it was a terrible way to make the point. you can only use a weapon focus as a weapon focus in melee. hence the observations about pistol whipping spirits. |
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Dec 24 2007, 06:30 PM
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#13
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Freelance Elf Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 7,324 Joined: 30-September 04 From: Texas Member No.: 6,714 |
What gives you that idea? I'm curious, because I've never, ever, heard of anyone describe it that way (in any sourcebook, in any game, or in any fluff). |
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Dec 24 2007, 06:57 PM
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#14
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 830 Joined: 3-April 04 From: Columbus, Ohio Member No.: 6,215 |
I know what you're referencing, you nerd. One of the pitfalls of me being TOTALLY less familiar with 4e than previous editions is that I assumed you had to spend BP in an equal amount to karma to bind foci. So my shaman's the proud proprietor of a drastically overpriced switchblade focus. But he'll cut you. |
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Dec 24 2007, 07:26 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 458 Joined: 28-March 05 From: NA/UCAS/IN/ Member No.: 7,246 |
Restating the example: Simple Sam wants to turn his katana into a weapon focus. So he spends (Force hours) in a magical ritual, perhaps doing kata's or inscribing runes into the blade or simply meditating and chanting over the sword. Afterwards he invests some of his personal energy (karma or BP) into the weapon which makes this particular katana into a weapon focus for him. Ya happy now? |
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Dec 24 2007, 09:29 PM
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#16
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...hmm, I wonder what the DV of a Super Warhawk would be for pistol whipping? :grinbig: |
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Dec 24 2007, 09:33 PM
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#17
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
STR/2 +1 P. ;) |
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Dec 24 2007, 09:41 PM
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#18
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...hmmm, gotta think about that. Not as much DV bonus as a Katana but already have the licenses to carry them, a bit more concelable & there's always the Attribute Boost power. :grinbig:
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Dec 25 2007, 12:45 AM
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#19
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 573 Joined: 17-September 07 Member No.: 13,319 |
Shockrod/Stunrod also makes a good weapon focus. I'd say it does cost the ¥400 to buy a stunrod, plus the listed cost to have an enchanter implant the astral form into the physical object. My PC has a "masterwork" stunrod, costing ¥550, which is more resilient, because getting the physical weapon broken would suck when it's got a super-expensive astral form worked into it.
On the Astral plane, it doesn't do shock damage, because the only part of it that works on the Astral, is the astral form, which is equivalent to a baton. |
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Dec 27 2007, 12:54 PM
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#20
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Awakened Asset Group: Members Posts: 4,464 Joined: 9-April 05 From: AGS, North German League Member No.: 7,309 |
No, not happy. Simple Sam finds this super-sweet katana he wants to use. He pays for the katana. He caries it to Eddy Enchanter to make a weapon focus out of it. He pays for the enchanting and waits until Eddy is done (see Street Magic). After Eddy is done, he binds the focus by spending the necessary karma. It is common to handwaive the cost of the weapon itself. |
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Dec 30 2007, 05:31 AM
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#21
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 458 Joined: 28-March 05 From: NA/UCAS/IN/ Member No.: 7,246 |
I agree with most of that, Ryu. So what it seems to be is that you pay whatever the actual cost of the physical weapon is (usually from between 20 :nuyen: to about 3,000 :nuyen: ) and then pay the (Forcex10k :nuyen: ) for the magic "pixie dust" or whatever to turn the weapon into a weapon focus, plus the karma or build point cost to bond it to yourself. Am I reading that right?
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Dec 30 2007, 12:02 PM
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#22
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Awakened Asset Group: Members Posts: 4,464 Joined: 9-April 05 From: AGS, North German League Member No.: 7,309 |
Yes.
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Dec 30 2007, 05:58 PM
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#23
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,883 Joined: 16-December 06 Member No.: 10,386 |
Be careful about putting all your eggs in one basket though; had an adept in my group with an attuned and bound monofilament sword; was pretty nice until he lost it in a run. |
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