BRP BGB - Where does it explain minimum Str/Dex for weapons?

[PoppySeed45]

Like, looking in the book at the weapons lists, I see there are minimum Str and Dex scores for using weapons. Awesome - I loved those rules back in Traveller, I love them here.

 

However, I can't for the life of me see what happens if you don't have the minimums. Is there a penalty? How much? Or something else? I've searched through the book and now I turn to the community to see the magical page where it's explained.

[nclarke]

I play it that you just can't use them let alone with a reduction in effectiveness. I suppose you could do a 10% loss per point under the minimum if you wanted to play that way.

[Montjoy]

I could have sworn it makes the action difficult.

For shields it says it is difficult on pg 264 but I can't seem to find it mentioned elsewhere sorry.

 

I hope someone else can chime in for ya.

[Montjoy]

Magic World halves skills when the requirements are not made as well.

Pages 71-72.

 

^ this might of been what I was remembering.

[PoppySeed45]

I play it that you just can't use them let alone with a reduction in effectiveness. I suppose you could do a 10% loss per point under the minimum if you wanted to play that way.

 

This was my plan (the 10% reduction) but I don't know WHY that was my plan? Did I read it somewhere? Or 10% is a nice penalty number for the system so it jumped in our heads? I was just sort of hoping to find the actual rule, if there was one.

[PoppySeed45]

I could have sworn it makes the action difficult.

For shields it says it is difficult on pg 264 but I can't seem to find it mentioned elsewhere sorry.

 

I hope someone else can chime in for ya.

 Interesting. That's a good rule too (though I have one player I'm sure will quip "But what if I only miss the minimum by 1 point?" Might go with the 105 option, actually, but I like the stronger penalty like that under the shield rule. Wish it said the same for weapons.

[smjn]

RQ3 had the penalty at 5% per point below minimum.

[soltakss]

It is unclear for weapons, but clearer for shields.

 

 

BRP p266:

STR/DEX:The minimum STR and DEX required to

use the shield. If your character does not meet the minimum required STR and DEX, any uses of the shield are

Difficult. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For ease of use, I'd just make the roll Difficult.

 

But, that would be the same for someone who just misses out and someone who is way short, so you might want to make it harder for someone who is way short of the characteristics.

 

[PoppySeed45]

For ease of use, I'd just make the roll Difficult.

 

But, that would be the same for someone who just misses out and someone who is way short, so you might want to make it harder for someone who is way short of the characteristics.

 

 

I think this is what I'll do, and call it done. Nice and simple and straightforward, which is what I want anyway (or why else chose BRP?).

[RosenMcStern]

Back in the days of RQ3 when maths did not scare players, the rule was -5% per point. But in that case I had players consistently using inappropriate weapons because they could afford to take the penalty due to high skill score.

The "Difficult" rule is much better: no big computations, and no abuse of the rules on the part of smart players. You just go with a weapon your character is comfortable with, as it would happen in real life.

[PoppySeed45]

Back in the days of RQ3 when maths did not scare players, the rule was -5% per point. But in that case I had players consistently using inappropriate weapons because they could afford to take the penalty due to high skill score.

The "Difficult" rule is much better: no big computations, and no abuse of the rules on the part of smart players. You just go with a weapon your character is comfortable with, as it would happen in real life.

 

Aye, that's the way to go, and I think I shall simply extend the shield rule to all weapons, as discussed (shields are sort of weapons, after all, since they have a separate skill).

[The Venomous Pao]

Sounds like this is solved, but I thought I'd add in the Elric!-era info since that's what much of the BGB's weapons info appears to be based on...

 

From Elric!, p. 71:

 

 

Minimum STR/DEX: weapons require a minimum Strength and Dexterity-how much depends on the weapon;

people below minimum can still fight with such weapons, but clumsily, halving their effective skill.  

 

So that's a match

[PoppySeed45]

Sounds like this is solved, but I thought I'd add in the Elric!-era info since that's what much of the BGB's weapons info appears to be based on...

 

From Elric!, p. 71:

 

 

So that's a match

Cool! It's official!

(Also cool that BRP is so loose anyway, that rules from other editions are just peachy).