Improvised weapons

[CCamfield]

There's a rule for thrown improvised weapons which imposes a -4 penalty to hit with them (vases, pitchers, small animals,etc). How would you handle improvised melee weapons - is everything of a reasonable size a club, or maybe a sap instead?

I'm thinking about running a barroom brawl - without lethal weapons unless the players draw theirs - and so I'd like to see beer mugs and chair legs used as weapons. Or other people, for that matter.

Does anyone think that in that context, the -4 penalty for throwing a beer mug etc is too much? I'm thinking maybe they should just have a range increment of 5'.

 

[Murrdox]

Ah, nothing like a good bar-room brawl!! No adventure should be without one!

Anyways, for improvised weapons, use whatever makes sense. -4 penalty for improvised weapon takes effect on ALL these obviously.

For range increments, do it by size. I'd give a beer mug or a spitoon (ick!) a 10' range increment, and something like a chair a 5'. Something like a table would need a STR check to pick it up (unless it's a tiny table for 2) and then a 5' range increment.

Other improvised weapons, use what makes sense. A broken-off chair leg can probably be used as if it were a club, without the improvised weapon penalty. Someone swinging a WHOLE chair, on the other hand, would take the penalty. Broken wine bottles can be used as daggers (with the penalty).

In one of my Mechwarrior games, I had a bar-room brawl which unfortunately involved one character rolling REALLY well on an attack roll and damage... he killed his superior officer with a glass ashtray to the skull.

 

[CCamfield]

Well, I really have a problem with the -4 penalty. I mean, a chair is big. It should not be that difficult to hit somebody with a chair. I think the -4 penalty is likely to encourage my players to pull out their swords, and I wanted to have some fun with the situation without it turning deadly. The people they'll be brawling with are other members of their mercenary company so lethal attacks could have some very bad consequences.

 

[Murrdox]

It's easy to hit someone with a chair, yes, but is it really easy to swing that chair in such a way that it actually inflicts DAMAGE on the opponent? A chair is pretty large and cumbersome, and not properly balanced.

Have a bouncer at the entrance to the Tavern collect all weapons from bar patrons as they enter. This way you don't have to worry about them drawing steel.

If you don't want to give them the -4 for improvised weapons, that's fine, it's your game, do what you like!

 

[hong]

Have a bouncer at the entrance to the Tavern collect all weapons from bar patrons as they enter. This way you don't have to worry about them drawing steel.

But, but, but... if you do that, you'll NEVER beable to have a barfight like the one in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon!