Help - Search - Members - Calendar
Full Version: using things outside of your means
Dumpshock Forums > Discussion > Shadowrun
Raptor1033
how would you guys handle a human trying to wield a sword that's meant for a troll to use with two hands? what if it was even bigger? +1 to the char's melee tn's and -1 to oppositions tns? would this be able to be offset by reach bonuses? and what would the damage code of such a monstrosity be? background for anyone that's interested... i have a player trying to make Gatsu, the guy from Berserk. i'm trying to work with him cause i know if i just veto the idea he won't play so i need to come up with some reasonable rulings for him. though i might have to explain to him that he won't get any special treatment "cause it's frickin Gatsu! it's not hard for him!"
Connor
Well, I'd probably just treat the sword as a polearm for simplicities sake. Since Gatsu's sword is the size of one basically. Perhaps require him to have at least a 6 STR, maybe the bonus attribute thing for strength. Also, 0 conceal. He might want to buy a step-van or something since it'd be impossible to carry it around in a city...

Speaking of which, I'd also point out that Shadowrun is in the 'modern' age. People carrying around huge friggin' swords aren't looked upon kindly. And if he goes anywhere that has any sort of police activity at all he'll probably be stopped. Plus it's not exactly stealthy to carry around a weapon taller than you while trying to sneak into an office building, or use one in the halls of an office building for that matter.

I don't think it needs to get more carried away than that though, as far as rules.
theartthief
Hmmmm....

In all honesty, I would not only give him TN penalties but would reduce the effectiveness of the sword for being so huge. Have you ever even picked up a medieval long sword (or at least a good replica)? Has he? Those things are heavy. Now imagine that it is a broad sword or a claymore or a bastard sword or a ... well you get the idea - they are heavier still. NOW, make it Troll sized....

Ok, if he just has to have it, I would double the strength minimum of a race appropriate sword and see if he could wield it. I would not give him any more reach due to the fact that any additional reach is countered by how difficult the thing would be to swing accurately. If you want to mess with him beyond that, I would apply the encumberance (sp) rule to the sword.

Anyway, that's my nuyen.gif 2.

- theartthief

[edit]Corrected misspelled words.[/edit]
Crusher Bob
Just treating it as a 'combat' axe is probably a good place to start with the stats. He should be at least as strong as 'the average troll' (6?7?). Then, for the penalties of doing it with one hand, you could try letting him use it for an attack (At full stats) with one action, then make him spend and action to 'reset' the sword. This means that if he can whack the baddie with one swing, he's fine but he'll quickly lose to a guy with a more reasonable weapon. When 'unset' let him use it at (str +1)M or something like that.
Connor
'Real' longswords only weigh a few pounds, hardly heavy. Swords aren't very heavy and a little bit of training with them gets you used to the weight easily enough. About the only penalties I'd give is for trying to use it indoors or in an ally or other close quarters.

I think his 'Troll-sized' comment might have been a little off. Gatsu's sword wasn't that big. Probably the size of what you see when you look at those huge ceremonial swords from the middle ages. About twice the size of a Scottish Claymore (the big kind). Definately not something that could be used in close quarters effectively, but hardly unwieldy for a strong character who did nothing but train with it, and much more a pole arm or something than a sword really.

Maybe give him a +2TN penalty when he's 'defending' in melee combat. To represent the definite slowness of the weapon.
Raptor1033
well i haven't talked with him too much about it yet, beyond "i'll play sunday if i get my character made. i wanna play gatsu" yeah i had already thought about the space restrictions for swinging the darned thing, i'll just have him take the polearms skill instead of sword since he can't exactly handle it with finesse like a normal sword. i don't know how far advanced he wants to play the character, so he may want a cyber forearm with a gun in it. if he does at least he won't be restricted to just melee. i just hope he doesn't want to keep it too close to the character, it might be hard allocating his resources if he does.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.
Dumpshock Forums © 2001-2012