 September 1, 2011 - 12:39pm | Considering an optional rule for characters with a knife fighter character concept. Knife fighting skill is military and only open to someone with that PSA. A character with this skill is adept at small blades. They do their skill level divided by two rounded up in d10 of damage with a knife in melee. When throwing a knife they have a rate of fire of their skill level divided by two rounded up. While unobserved and from behind they make make a lethal strike at their skill check level but the side are modified by 1/2 the INT of the target (target gets RS check for 1/2 damage). In addition the knife fighter does maximum damage (no rolling) if he gets a critical success like the martial artists nerve combat rule. I toyed with the idea of a whole series of knife wielding specialabilities much like the cinematic martial arts but decided against it as being too d20 ish feat system like. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
September 1, 2011 - 1:01pm | The basic idea is to allow a character concept that can be every bit as deadly with a knife as a character with a gun but with the caveat that he needs to be up close. I also think that if the knife fighter is 3rd level and he manages to reduce an opponent to 0 STA by any means he can catch the body and lower it without a sound. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
September 1, 2011 - 1:25pm | Also not all knives are created equal. Though in the real world most 6-8inch, knives can be lethal if they hit a vital spot. But what I'm thinking about is a Royal Marine/Royal Guard style combat knife. Probably comparable to a K-bar. Shouldn't it do more than the std. 1d10? If so how is that done; 2d10 or 1d10+x? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 1, 2011 - 1:58pm | Are you saying anyone who wants to to have this character concept should be allowed to bend the character creation rules? If so why not build a framework that encompasses more than knife fighting. The Skilled Frontier Agent is available to a lot of character concepts and should be required. Of course, you could also use the AD Environmental skill as well. I think the best option for you to consider is the SKILLS article form Issue 1-pg15. It's called "Specialization" and allows a character to purchase a skill and receive a +10% bonus each time it's purchased. The cost is the same as-if it was in your Primary PSA. Here are some damage options to consider; Requirement, must have one of the following; Military PSA, Agent, Environmental or Specialization
|
September 1, 2011 - 2:13pm | Yeah that works too. I also like the option for a fast character to be able to throw multiple knives in one turn. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 4, 2011 - 6:07pm | Here's a interesting statistic for you Jedion. In law enforcement training you are taught about 'the 21 foot rule'. The 21 foot rule is simply this in a nutshell: A average person with a knife can close from a distance of 21 feet and deliver a fatal wound to a police officer in 1.5 seconds, simultaneously to or before the police officer can react and retrieve his/her side arm from their holster. Some law enforcement instructors nowdays teach that subjects should be considered deady at 32 feet. Because of this rule, many law enforcement officers train to ignore thier side arm in such instances and instead, relie on their hand to hand training. I don't have to outrun that nasty beast my friend...I just have to outrun you!  |
September 4, 2011 - 6:25pm | Yeah, I heard that statistic before, I like the idea of a character that uses only knives or the yazirian honor weapon. its different and requires some thought about how you will handle things in game. Though a vrusk knife fighter will be even faster and have a longer range to move and deliver a fatal wound. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 5, 2011 - 7:04am | Would make two comments. One knife fighting and knife throwing are two different things. A knife designed to be thrown is very different from a hand to hand knife. Possibly using a skill with two subskills could work better. Also consider the different biologies of the four races human standard, yazirian faster, vrusk ambidexterous, dralasite multi-limb (could a dralasite make hidden scabbards in its skin?) Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
September 5, 2011 - 9:39am | Dralasite are often rolled out in star port searches, to check for hidden caches. human afros are subject to searches as well. |
September 5, 2011 - 10:11am | I'm against dralasites hiding thing s in their bodies - been discussed elsewhere plus the concentration to form a sheath or holster would eliminate one limb that they could otherwise generate. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 5, 2011 - 10:43am | w00t, how about those invasive searches of robot lubricant fluid pans? |
September 5, 2011 - 12:26pm | Ya know... I never quite get put back together correctly. |
 September 9, 2011 - 10:46pm | I'm for dralasites hiding things in their bodies - and still maintain that is how the dralasite "mouth" works... grow a hole insert steak, impress your friends with odoriferous goodness for days... Humans and Yazirians just don't get it... steak smells great!!! Some Vrusk do tho' ... But putting something not-for-consumption in a mouth-pocket indefinitely? ewwww!!!! NO!!! For all that is available in civilian accessible tech... for all that is possible by the menagerie of alien tourists... for all that is not yet known about the "Hidden Xenos" amongst the population... Frontier Law Enforcement might as well consider deadly at "line-of-sight" and ignore all side-weapons and close-engagement, for preference of a call to artillery strike... Fortunately the assistance of Enforcement Companion Bots, Smart Patrol Vehicles, Armed Urban Security Emplacements, and an ever watchful City Sentinel Core-net Artificial Intelligence ... and the fact that most illicit activity is want to occur in the "safer" wilds of open frontier rather than in a "dangerous" colony proper... means cities are fairly safe, and only one officer or civilian will likely be sacrificed in any given engagement... before extreme prejudice results in kind on the unlawful... As far as close-quarters experts, and any other specialist tactics training... yea, I like it... and I agree, such skills in complementary package sets, should be available as a subset option, to various professional types... so skill focus after initial training determines higher specialization of chosen skills... I wouldn't see a basic starting character as a "knife master" or even a "skilled knife-fighter" but as a "knife-preferred fighter" ... a slight tweak allowing "pre-game experience" might boost that some, however, but not all the way to "veteran commando" without more back-story involvement or a highly specialized game scenario ... I balk at anything that sets initial creation of a character above or below the level of, average citizen at age ... average "veteran commando" or "licenced surgeon" is not "average citizen", these represent a "skilled citizen" possibly even a "very skilled citizen" ... so I am not sure where I place this idea at the moment... but I like it!  and it dosn't seem beyond the scope of the "average streetpunk" so far ...Oh humans!!  We discover a galactic community filled with multiple species of aliens, and the first thing we think about is "how can we have sex with them?".~ anymoose, somewhere on the net... so... if you square a square it becomes a cube... if you square a cube does it become an octoid? |
