So the rules state that you can take a quick draw action to draw and use a pistol-sized weapon or smaller. However, the rules also state that you use the Pistols skill to make the check to pull the weapon.

I would like to quick draw a throwing knife. Since throwing knives are pistol-sized or smaller, I would think that I should be able to use the Throwing Weapon skill to make the quick draw check.

This seems like the correct ruling, but I'd like to hear what others might think.

I'd allow it.

I'd have no problem with going so far as to allow quickdrawing a katana and see little reason to deny a character the ability to quickdraw any weapon so long as that character is wearing the weapon in a fashion that allows quickdrawing.

I wouldn't allow it with things like katanas because using them is a complex action where as shooting a pistol or throwing a prepared weapon is a complex action. Instead of using quick draw for throwing kniuves, you ready a weapon to throw, and can prepare upto agility/2 (not sure about that one) in knives shuriken whatever. Once prepared you can throw them each as a simple action.
So instead of a quick draw which requires an extra test, you ready the weapons and use only the one test to attack.
As a gm I might allow it with small thrown weapons, but I'm not sure.

soory I don't know how to edit stuff, but I looked at my response and realised I should have said throwing weapons orr shooting a pistol is a simple action.

What about the situation where you've seen a person quickdraw a sword and do a slash in one fluid movement? Does that not also qualify as quickdrawing? Just food for thought.

To edit, log back in, go to your post and click on the edit button, it should be available next to the profile, report, and quote button of that post. It's on the upper right portion of the specific post.

Obviously you all don't understand what the skills represent. Throwing covers throwing weapons, such as knives, grenades, etc. Pistols covers firing handguns and handgun like weapons and drawing smallish objects out of things. Duh. You also roll agility + pistols to get your keys out really fast, to open your mail while under duress, etc.

edit: never mind...

Duh, of course, I see the light. I'll use my pistols skills so I can quickdraw my lockpick.

I'm rolling Pistols + Agility when I hit the "Fast Reply" button on the forums.

That's weird. I'm rolling a Reaction (4) test for that.

Ahh, the skill web. I'm glad it's dead.

afm
A fucking men

Who knows what I'm talking about, he might get 'lucky' though...

While I'm aware that the "draw and strike" technique of katana usage exists (but I can't remember the name for the life of me), I'm pretty sure katanas were designed to be used in a slightly more... extended format?

IMO using melee weapons with a quick draw would require the sr3 adept ability- quickdraw which specifically allowed adepts to quickdfraw a weapon and use it in the same action.
Katanas may be "designed" to be used this way, sometimes, but it takes the special ability to do it; those who could were highly trained warriors, not the lowly newbies. The other problem is tat if you allow it for katanas why not allow it for every other weapon?
I might allow a player with the quick draw adept power (when it gets ppubliched, assuming it's included int eh new magic book) to have a lower threshold for using a katana or other weapon that "historically" was used in a quickdraw method.

I guess I get lost on the part of this scenario where people whip their katanas in and out of the sheathes during any kind of battle. Wouldn't it make more sense to have it out ahead of time, or to keep it out once you'd drawn it because of the 50 other random dudes running around?

Which is why it's generally not practiced except in dueling situations.

It isn't even practiced in dueling. It is prcticed as a response to a surprise attack. Most iaido katas begin with responding to an an attack with a quickdraw and a cut and then continue with the sword drawn untill all imaginary opponets have been slain.

An beginner can draw and cut at the same time after being shown the technique. Correct form and deadly accuracy requires a great deal of practice just like everything else.


It doesn't take much skill to sraw and cut with one motion. Any beginner can do it. It does take skill to get the timing right and to cut correctly.

Ruleswise, I think I'd be inclined to make a "quickdraw" action take as long as a normal attack with that kind of weapon. So yeah, RAW Quickdraw lets you spend a simple action to draw and make a simple-action type attack with a firearm... it's not much of a leap from there to allow a complex-action QD to haul out a SMG and go full auto, or a complex-action QD to haul a knife out of your armpit and slam it into a guy's throat.

You'd use the applicable weapon skill, of course...