Just had a discussion about gaffi sticks and how disappointing they are compared to recent use of them in The Mandalorian season 2. I hearby present to you my draft house rules to make it a bit more deadly:
Gaffi Stick
Item is underpowered to how we see Boba Fett use it. (Of course, he’s Boba Fett, so don’t expect the same results). But anyhow here’s additional qualities for a Gaffi Stick:
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Includes 2 Hard Points
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Has Pierce (1) quality, but Bladed qualities (e.g. Pierce, Vicious) cannot be activated in the same hit as Disorient (different end of the weapon) or other blunt-end qualities (e.g. Weighted Head can give Concussive)
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Inherent “attachment”: Sharpened. Gives it Pierce +1. HP required: 1. Average Mechanics check to perform self (requires a tool); only lasts that session (i.e. gets dull, perform again). Or pay 25 credits for someone else to do it.
[edited per discussion below]
I think it’s fine as-is. With +2 and a crit of 3, it’s on par with (non vibro) swords, better because it has Disorient 3.
In the case of Boba Fett, it comes mostly down to skill and the fact that he’s attacking minions.
If you do as little as give him 4 Brawn and Feral Strength 2, it only takes 3 Success and 3 Advantage or a Triumph to take out two minions. If he has Deadly Accuracy (Melee), then we’re likely looking at Brawn+3+2=9 base damage, meaning he only needs 2 Success and a Triumph or some Advantage, without any Feral Strength.
So I think it’s about right for what we see.
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Wow, Deadly Accuracy is good!
You may be right that it was minions and his great skill, but I still think thematically it should have Pierce. I mean the thing has two sharp points, and 4 blades! If you feel that is too much, change it to start with Pierce (0) until you add Sharpened.
Actually, it only has one sharp end. One end culminates in a point that is not sharp, the other end culminates in four blades. However, sharp alone isn’t enough for Pierce. Most non-vibro sharp weapons do not have Pierce.
I suppose Sharpened is alright. I just hesitate to make something that, for all intents and purposes, increases the damage by 1 so cheap and readily accessible. Most of the attachments that grant Pierce aren’t just attachments, but mods on attachments, meaning you not only must purchase the attachment, but then succeed on a Hard Mechanics check and spend 100 credits.
It’s actually slightly easier to get damage modifiers, though harder to stack.
If you add the HP and allow the edged ones on a gaffi stick, maybe that’s good enough.
Looking at Monomolecular Edge, it costs 1,000 and it decreases crit 1, with 2 Pierce mods. Then add Serrated Edge for vicious +1 for 50.
Or add Weighted Head for 250 for +1 damage and potential for Concussive mod. But I would still insist on one hit can only trigger the “blunt end” OR the “sharp end” qualities.
Now with a fully modded mono-molecular edge, you’re looking at a weapon with stats almost identical to the Vibrosword.
The Gaffi Stick is intended as a simple weapon, and that’s how it’s statted in the game. What we see is someone who is a very skilled combatant using a simple weapon well to defeat minions. I think you’re needlessly complicating a simple weapon.
Damage is relatively high, on par with truncheons and swords. Crit is low, on par with simple bladed weapons. It has Disorient to represent the blunt force trauma, and it has 0 customization points because it’s a very simple weapon without much room for improvement.
As for only triggering the “blunt end” or “sharp end” qualities, what about fighting minions? You slam one of them in the face with the blunt end, then slam the other end back and stab a second in the chest. That could be seen as straight damage with one end, then a crit with the other.
Or even attacking a Rival, you hold it in the middle and bring the blunt end crashing down on his head, then follow through and bring the blade around to plunge it into his chest.
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My limit of blunt/sharp qualities is also to nerf how OP the weapon could get with a lot of mods.
Or you could just not add HP. That would prevent it becoming OP with a bunch of mods pretty effectively.
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