Feng Shui The Art of Pointed Things
From: Ovronnaz Posted on: 7/14/2003 11:04 pm
To: ALL
Message: 266.1
Hi,

I'm not sure about this... A player of mine would like to create a katana-wielder and take katana schticks. Until now, everything is cool. My biggest problem is that I don't know if these schticks are Gun schticks or Fu schticks. Is it mentionned anywhere? It would be normal to have them use Fu schticks but they might be at some disadvantage compared to say, the killer, which has the same kind of schticks. But, the player would have access to Martial Arts schticks, which might make up for the trouble. Which template would you use? Any recommandations?
Thanks!

Ovronnaz

From: CCAMFIELD Posted on: 7/15/2003 12:22 am
To: Ovronnaz
Message: 266.2
in reply to: 266.1
They're Gun schticks. So the character would probably best be created as a Killer or similar archetype. (Maybe change background as see fit, to match a martial artist if that's what's desired.)

As far as the character later accessing Fu schticks... well, depends on the archetype used. If a Killer, the character will start with lousy Fu.

You might allow a revised version of one of the other archetypes with slightly fewer Gun schticks than the Fu ones. I think the Ex-Special Forces archetype can have either, the difference there in the number of schticks you get depending on the style of the Ex-SF character might be helpful.

From: Ovronnaz Posted on: 7/15/2003 7:14 am
To: CCAMFIELD
Message: 266.3
in reply to: 266.2
Am I the only one who had trouble with this? I checked but never find it wrote down. Could you please point me where you found this answer? If my player want to "see" this, I'd like to be able to show him if it is written down. Even if it isn't, your answer satisfy me plenty. :-) Thanks!
From: CCAMFIELD Posted on: 7/15/2003 6:10 pm
To: Ovronnaz
Message: 266.4
in reply to: 266.3
It's just my conclusion, that's all.

The book says "Sword schticks are like gun schticks, but not quite identical." So, one presumes, they follow all the rules of Gun schticks - no Fu cost, and no prerequisites. That doesn't match the setup for most Fu schticks, of course.

I think there would also be balance issues if you let any martial artist take them using Fu schticks. Spend one Fu schtick for Carnival of Carnage? It would make things too easy for 'em!

From: Master_Kiero Posted on: 7/16/2003 6:51 am
To: Ovronnaz
Message: 266.5
in reply to: 266.1
Weapon schticks without a doubt. If the character has trained extensively with weapons, as opposed to developed chi-related powers from meditation and internal martial arts. That said, a high MA rating says lots of training too.

That's one I would get strict on. Unless the archetype allows gun schticks they can't get weapon schticks. Any mixing and matching of Fu and weapon schticks could get ugly. Unless the archetype already allows it (ex-Special Forces).

In other words the only archetypes useful for that are ex-Special Forces, Masked Avenger, Medic etc. I wouldn't mess with the Killer - they're very much gun-oriented. You get the same number of gun/weapon schticks with the ex-Special Forces anyway, with less playing around with the skills. Just have Martial Arts 14 and Guns 10.

Symphony of Slaughter (aka Carnival of Carnage) does allow mooks to go down like tenpins, but they have to be close. Don't see that as any more unbalanced than someone who can do that at range.

Kiero

From: urbwar Posted on: 9/9/2003 1:30 pm
To: Master_Kiero
Message: 266.6
in reply to: 266.5
Well, A Killer could use weapon schticks over gun schticks, especially if it's set in like AD 69 or 1850. An old Shaw Brothers film, Flag of Iron (I think it's also known as Spearmen of Death), had this hired killer who used martial arts with a spear as his preferred weapon. So it's possible to do, just not as common. Then again, I think the Killer, if you changed the gun schticks to Fu schticks, and used the ranged fu path from Blood of the Valiant, makes a better ninja than the ninja archetype (except that you need to adjust the chi stat so he can use the path to begin with!)
From: Master_Kiero Posted on: 9/9/2003 1:36 pm
To: urbwar
Message: 266.7
in reply to: 266.6
You could, but I don't see the point in all that messing around, when the ex-Special Forces is a much better template to work from.
From: urbwar Posted on: 9/9/2003 2:04 pm
To: Master_Kiero
Message: 266.8
in reply to: 266.7
Not really. Now that I actually have my book in front of me, I realize that the Killer can start with Chi, since they get to add 3 to a primary attribute (so they could start with a chi of 3, which also gives a fu of 3, etc), and they can add 1 to a secondary attribute, which would allow them to start with a fu of 4, which is equal to the starting Fu of an Ex-Special Forces guy.

All you do is switch Guns for Fu (or just add it with the skill bonuses), and replace driving with Intrusion, and you're done. It wasn't that hard at all. Took me all of 1 minute :)