khagler

Re: STR minimum question On a related note, here's a handy real-world STR minimum test, originally proposed by Jeff Cooper: Hold your rifle vertically out to your side at arm's length, shoulder height, for one minute. If you can't do it, the rifle is too heavy.

Re: STR minimum question Good grief, this thread has really gotten ridiculous. If my lack of strength really bothers people or threatens them so much, then feel free to keep right on denying my existence. I long since got the information I needed about STR minimums for firearms, so I consider the matter closed.

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Re: STR minimum question Yes, exactly. Just so. I understand completely. STR was actually the single easiest thing to do when translating myself into a character, because the strength table gives nice, clear values for each strength rating. I suspect that there may be some cultural differences getting in the way, here. The assumptions implied in your example about "carry your bride" do seem to point in that direction. Would it help to mention that one of the disadvantages I gave myself is Social Limitation: Geek? :-)

Re: STR minimum question That's a rather odd post. Believe it or not, I actually do have a reasonable idea of how much I can lift. If I were also left-handed, would you tell me that you're sure I must really be right-handed because very few people are left-handed?

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Re: STR minimum question Here's what I ended up using:

Re: STR minimum question I did see that rule. I was going by the heaviest thing I can ever remember picking up, and even then I may well have been too generous. I never felt any need to press benches--I much prefer sitting on them. ;-)

Re: STR minimum question Thanks for pointing out Gun Muscle. I'd missed that. In real life strength has nothing to do with recoil, but that's a common game mistake, so you may be right. Here's an idea for a recoil limit: Assign an EGO minimum to each weapon based on recoil, noise, and muzzle flash. If the shooter doesn't meet the minimum, the player has to make an EGO check for each shot after the first. Failure results in a loss of accuracy, or even an inability to fire at all, to reflect the character being scared of the gun. :-)

Re: STR minimum question Thanks for the ideas. I had noticed the reduction for two-hand use--my point was that with that reduction I would still get a penalty, which is not the case in reality, and that in any case I can actually use all those weapons with one hand just fine. I've seen people flinching on the gun range too, but that's a factor of noise and recoil. Some friends and co-workers are intimidated by my .45 ACP pistols, but have no problem with my 9mms, even though they weigh almost the same. The penalty skill levels seem like a good way to shoehorn reality into the game system. I hadn't even considered that--I guess one of the things I need to learn about this system is that things in the book can have many more uses than just those given as examples. :-)

I'm relatively new to the Hero system, and as I slowly plow through the main rulebook I decided to model myself as a character, to get acquainted with character generation and Hero Designer. While doing so, I realized that the STR minimums for various weapons are _much_ too high. For example, the STR minimums given in Dark Champions for the Colt Detective Special, M1911, and CZ-75 are all 9. My STR would be 5--that's the easiest characteristic to determine, thanks to the handy chart of lifting capabilities. However, I know from considerable personal experience that I have no trouble using any of those pistols in either hand, or in a two-handed grip. (Also, the Detective Special is maybe half the size of the other two.) The same thing shows up in rifles. The models I'm familiar with and can use effectively aren't listed (Steyr Scout Rifle and Winchester 94), but I'm also well acquainted with the Garand, M14, and M16 (or rather, the semi-auto versions of the last two). These have STR minimums of 12-15. Now, I know that I can't use these effectively when firing offhand, but I _can_ use them just fine from a braced position. Does anybody know why the STR minimums are so high? I do like the idea of a minimum--I know that most rifles are too heavy for me to use effectively, and I like a game mechanic that reflects that.

Re: Ultimate Martial Artist status? Thanks for the answers! I found a copy for sale from Noble Knight Games, an online retailer that specializes in out-of-print titles. I personally prefer paper to PDF, so I bought it from them. :-)

Is the Ultimate Martial Artist out of print? It's listed as "available now" on the products page, but the only copies available in the online store are damaged, and it looks like Stiggybaby (my normal source for online RPG purchases) doesn't have it either.