Edit 12/7/21: This was my first Extra, so it's really, really rough. But since it was in a Dicebreaker article, I guess I have to clean it up a bit, eh? Most of this will be completely replaced by a new Extra I'm working on, Specialized Assets, which will cover both Personal Weapons and magic item/special equipment generation and will come with a random generator for making new items on the fly! For now, though, I'm going to throw a few of the "Traits" from my new Extra into this one as Tags, so it'll at least have more content! And while you're here, be sure to check out my generic World Force Generator to quickly create the major players in your TTRPG world!
Edit 2: A basic generator for my Specialized Asset Extra is up now!
Hello all! I've been a bit inspired lately, so I'm slowly putting together a new Extra for the Charge TTRPG.
This will be updated as I add new things. Feel free to post feedback, thoughts, or ideas on this!
Here's the official text so far. Words in [brackets] are my personal thoughts and notes.
Personal Weapons is an Extra that adds personalized weapons with various boosts, skills, and abilities to the world of the Charge RPG. Such weapons will be a major part of your game's fiction, as often these weapons are created with great passion and losing one is akin to losing a part of oneself.
Such a weapon is unique and may have been created by or heavily modified by your character. You may have trained with it or simply have an innate connection to it. At the very least your character has spent enough time with this weapon that they know every little thing about it - know how it is balanced, how strong it is, and any weaknesses it may have.
Your character's personal weapon will have two major things that make it unique: Boosts and Tags.
Boosts are things that modify the rules of the game. Boosts may allow you to roll extra dice, to resist consequence, gain advantages, and various other things.
Tags are things that modify the narrative of the game. Your weapon may be destructive, or armor piercing, or can change shape. These do not usually allow you to roll extra dice or anything of that sort, but they may adjust how your character approaches a problem or how they find a solution.
At the start of the game, your weapon will have one Boost and three Tags. Your weapon will gain more of both over time.
If your weapon is ever lost or damaged, you may spend Downtime to replace or repair it, as detailed in the Attachment Extra.
To create a personal weapon, first imagine it's general shape and type. Is it a huge blade, as long as you are tall? Is it a stylish sniper rifle, gleaming and catching the eye of all who see you? Perhaps it is something more exotic, like a sword that transforms into a bladed whip? Discuss ideas with your GM and fellow players, and look at the Tags for inspiration. Looking to media that frequently features unique weapons can also help. Both RWBY and Soul Calibur were influences on this Extra and might be a good place to start.
Once you have a good idea in mind, choose your first three Tags and your first Boost. These will represent your weapon's "base" state - what is most obvious about it, what someone could easily see on first glance. As your character grows in experience they will become more capable with their weapon, or they will modify their weapon to become more functional and effective.
The following are the base Boosts you may choose from:
[Adding examples of types of weapons for each Boost is a good idea and will be done soon.]
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Muscle action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon is a large, heavy weapon that makes mighty blows, or if your weapon is reinforced enough to use as a wedge to force open doors and containers.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Finesse action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon is small and easily accessible, or if your weapon would often be used for stabbing and thrusting rather than for slicing and crushing.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Move action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon could easily be used to propel your character or to help them reach new locations, as in a whip, grabbling hook, or even the recoil of a shotgun blast.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Stealth action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon is subtle or unassuming, or if your weapon is particularly made to stay quiet and out of the way. A hidden blade at your wrist or a gun that is strapped to your shin are both examples of weapons that could assist with your stealth.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Shoot action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon is scoped, highly accurate, or is perfectly balanced for throwing.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Tinker action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon could be used as a common tool, or if provides extra kits, gadgets, and gizmos.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Study action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon has a rich and storied history, or if having your weapon nearby keeps your character calm and focused.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Notice action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon emits light, has a scope, or enhances your natural senses in other ways.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Bond action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon has a recognizable emblem or crest, or if your weapon has a unique, peculiar design.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Command action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon is flamboyant, impressive, or deadly-looking.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Focus action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon is magical or has a connection to another world.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Sway action, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon requires great skill to wield, or is something that appears to be useless or impractical at first glance.
"When I use my personal weapon to make a Determination roll, I roll an extra die."
- choose this if your weapon can easily be used for defense, such as when using a shield or a parrying dagger.
Tags from the other Extra I'm working on, ported to this Extra:
Destructive: This item can cause widespread damage, both to property and people. Examples: explosives, large animals or tools.
Venomous: This item can inflict others with a lasting poison. Those inflicted will suffer deliberating effects, up to and possibly even including death.
Piercing: This item is made for stabbing, pinning, or puncturing. It can easily pierce thin materials and cause a large amount of damage to armor as well.
Shining: Emits a bright light or glow, radiant enough to cover a small area or unleash brief, blinding flashes.
Protective: Defends the user. Deflects and mitigates damage. May possibly allow for disarming or bashing blows.
Ranged: Can make attacks or manipulate objects at a distance. Usually has an optimal range, beyond which will cause less damage or have less effect.
Thrown: A collection of identical objects, made to be thrown, lobbed, or tossed for best effect. Usually has a short range, directly related to the user's strength and accuracy.
Heavy: Difficult to carry, but will have a greater effect. Hard to block, and will still have an effect even if the impact is deflected somewhat.
Sharp: May cause bleeding, deep cuts, or even server limbs. Can cause a massive amount of damage to biological material, and can chop and cut at harder substances as well.
Shocking: Can create a shocking or electrical discharge. Can stun creatures and overload technology.
Stylish: Looks impressive and unique. Draws the eye and attracts attention.
Holy: Has a religious significance. May cause those evil, demonic, or damned to flee at the sight of it. It may cause great harm to such creatures as well.
Elemental: Branded with or has the ability to cause a single lasting elemental reaction. May blaze with fire, freeze at a touch, etc.
Secretive: This item is small, disguised, easily hidden, or inconspicuous in some other way. It may possibly be masked from various means of detection, both magical and technological.
Additional Rule: "Keyed Weapons"
Personal Weapons are unique.. but just how unique are they? If you are playing in a setting where each player has created their own weapon from scratch or has heavily modified them, it may make sense to consider each personal weapon as "keyed". This means that if anyone besides the weapon's creator/wielder attempts to use it, the weapon will be much less effective than normal. This can easily be represented by the following:
- If a Personal Weapon is used by anyone besides the player who created it, the weapon is considered to have no Boosts. The weapon's Tags can still modify the narrative, but no dice rolls may be modified. Optionally if the GM considers the "borrowed" weapon to be similar in style, class, or category to the user's main weapon, they may allow the user to access the first Tag assigned to the weapon as well.