QUOTE (wilcoxon @ Aug 3 2012, 10:27 AM)
Looking at dates, I think part of the problem is that Street Magic was published before Arsenal (and nobody ever bothered to clarify Missile Mastery in the errata).
That's not just part of the problem. That's the entire problem. The only way to solve this is to apply rules chronologically.
Shadowrun : 26000
Street Magic : 26001
Arsenal : 26003
With the original rule book (26000), there was two throwing weapons. Shuriken (STR/2)P and Throwing Knives (STR/2+1)P.
Now apply Street Magic. Shuriken becomes (STR/2+1)P and Throwing Knives become (STR/2+2)P. All other objects that are thrown as a weapon become (STR/2)P. Essentially, any other thrown object has the potency of a shuriken, shuriken have the potency of throwing knives, and throwing knives become more potent. It is also probably worthwhile to note that the power permits staging stun damage to physical as well.
That is the original intent of the power. To restate that original intent, the power was designed to permit you to turn any object into a lethal throwing weapon and permit you to be more lethal with weapons that were designed to be thrown.
Now, along comes Arsenal and creates a table of sample objects that are not intended to be thrown and gives them a damage code and a range table with the implication that any object can be thrown and given a damage code. It also comes along with a new 0 to -3 penalty for throwing awkward objects. Most of these improvised weapons have a damage code on par with or greater than (STR/2) and many are P class damage rather than S.
Yes, you could give a +1 damage to every weapon, however that is definitely not in line with the spirit of the rules.
I think that there are three things that should happen that keeps the power within its intent.
1. Only weapons that are listed under "Throwing Weapon" categories in books get the straight +1 damage.
2. Adepts with the power get (STR/2) or the listed improvised damage code, whichever is higher and they have the option for that damage to be either S or P.
3. The optional awkwardness penalty for improvised throwing weapons shall be enforced with a minimum of -1 and a maximum of -3 based on the awkwardness of the object. Adepts with this power ignore the penalty. This gives them anywhere from +0-3 extra damage on the attack.
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QUOTE (All4BigGuns @ Aug 3 2012, 12:54 PM)
So basically, you're so concerned about injecting more "realism" that that little, tiny +1 somehow offends your sensibilities? *rolls eyes*
It has nothing to do with realism and everything to do with consistency, coherency, and how well the rule continues to align with its original intent as more and more splat is piled on. This power fails on at least two, if not all three, of those counts.