Weapon Classes & Skill Specialties

[trechriron]

I'm confused on the interrelationship between these two things and how to break down specialties for combat skills. Looking at the weapons tables, there is a skill listed for each that seems to correspond to a Weapon Class listed on pg. 169. However, artillery weapons (pg. 180) don't list the separate Weapon Classes and instead list the general skill.

1. Is the intent that there should be a skill specialty that corresponds to each Weapon Class?
2. Should artillery weapons have a Weapon Class listed?
3. Is Flamethrower a Heavy Weapon? Seems like a good skill for it.
4. I believe Launcher and Missile could go under Heavy Weapon as well?

Suggestions:

1. In the specialties section of each of these skills, list the available weapon classes in a sentence. Example for Firearms; Pistol, Revolver, Rifle, Shotgun, and Submachine Gun
2. Fix the artillery weapons to list the weapon class instead of the generic skill.
3. Change the skill column to WC = Weapon Class.
4. Combine all Weapon Classes under that same heading to include artillery weapons.

Here is what I've gathered are the Specialties = Weapon Class for each governing skill. Would love to have some input here on correctness. 😄

(Updated List based on some assumptions...)

Spoiler

Artillery
Cannon
Launcher
Mounted Gun
Siege Engine
Missile
Turret

Brawling
Brawl
Hand

Demolitions
Explosive

Energy Weapon
Pistol, Energy
Rifle, Energy

Firearm
Pistol
Revolver
Rifle
Shotgun
Submachine Gun

Heavy Weapon
Launcher
Machine Gun
Missile
Mounted Gun
Other

Melee Weapon
Axe
Club
Dagger
Flail
Hammer
Improvised
Mace
Other
Polearm
Spear
Staff
Sword

Missile Weapon
Bow
Crossbow
Missile
Other

Throwing
Grenade

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by trechriron
Clarified list, put under spoiler

[Mugen]

I don't think you need 3 different skills for Energy Weapons, Firearms and Missile Weapons, just like you have only one Melee Weapons skill. In my view, the difference is purely technological. For instance, would you put a lightsaber under a different skill ?

I also see no Shields, and no difference between 1 handed and 2 handed weapons. Do you intend to keep a separate Shield skill in your list, and let a character with a Sword specialty to be equally efficient with a short sword and a claymore ? I know those are tricky questions...

[trechriron]

The bolded items in the spoiler list above are the actual BRP skills.

Each of the items listed under that are what I believe are the corresponding Weapon Class; as listed on page 169 (Heavy, Missile, Melee weapons) and page 180 (Artillery weapons).

Based on my reading, any skill with (varies) after it requires specialization, essentially making them separate skills. It says in the weapon skills that specialization is based on Weapon Class.

I made a few assumptions in the list above;

• Certain weapon classes belong natively to other skills besides weapon skills. See Brawling, Demolitions, and Throwing.
• Each weapon lists a skill in the skill column. These are the specialties required for that weapon based on Weapon Class.
• Artillery weapons only list Heavy Weapons (broad skill), Artillery (broad skill), and Demolitions (broad skill). This seems to be contrary to how other weapons listed specialties based on Weapon Class.

I want to know;

• What assumptions are correct? Which ones are not?
• Are the Artillery listings incorrect?
• Is my list correct from the designer's point of view?
• Is this list what other players/GMs see as correct?

I made some suggestions above that I believe would make this all clearer (IF my assumptions are somewhat accurate... :D)

[trechriron]

I'm going to push ahead with these as both a) my house rules and b) a suggestion for a future update to BRP:UGE;  😄

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OFnySmefnf8U96a0ilqLH9eGwFi6WWaI_QPJ-xj0hds/edit?usp=sharing

[pansophy]

Hey Trentin,

The Artillery Skills listed in the book got me confused years ago. I think the intention was to simply list the Skill in that table as 'Artillery' as there is (as mentioned in that section) some overlap with 'Heavy Weapons'.

If you want to really stick to the way they use Skills in the Firearms section, you should look at the 'Artillery Weapon Classes' on page 179 - those are the 'real' Skill specialisations and also list the weapons they apply to.

Looking at my 'annotated' version of the old BRP book, this is what I came up with. Hope it helps!