[CONAN] Catching a Javelin

[Supplement Four]

In my last game, a character had a javelin thrown at him. The player playing the target of that toss wanted to be cool and catch the javelin that was thrown at him.

This became a non-event quick when I told the player that he was out of actions for the round. But, I am curious. Would you allow this in your game? Too fantastic for you? If you did allow it, how would you handle it mechanically?

 

[Spectator]

Realistically: NO WAY.
Heroic Fantasy: make em burn a fate point. I would allow that FP to give em another action.

 

[Spectator]

I thought about the Feat possibility but ruled it out since it is such a far fetched concept I don't want to see some 7th level chump with high enough REF and INIT, catching spears, javelins, and whatnot all the time. This should be for the character's "David v. Goliath" moment, thus the once in a lifetime, talked over the campfire many years later moment.

Make em burn a Fate Point for it.

 

[Supplement Four]

On another forum, I posed the same question and got this interesting answer:



The Snatch Arrow feat allows you to catch thrown weapons.

The Prereqs imply a pretty sophisticated but applicable process by which someone gets this skilled.

A decent amount of natural ability (Dex 15)
+
Impressive combat skill with your hands (Improved Unarmed attack)
+
Practice and skill reacting to ranged weapons (Deflect Arrow)
=
The ability to catch these weapons in midair. (Snatch Arrow)

This is a pretty serious commitment, 3 Feats and some intentional stats to pull off this ability. If a player was that committed to do all this, then I say more power to ya, catch a javelin!

But what this feat says to your player is "If you wanna catch a Javelin in midair, you need to seriously train to develop that specific skill. It is NOT something most people can do."

 

[Spectator]

Catching spears in combat with a bunch of Kushite javelin-ers is probly a lot different than you in your back yard telling your pal to toss it at you on the count of 1-2-3.

Just saying that you should not confuse reality with a well prepped test environment.

 

[Spectator]

Yeah it is a waste to try and compare a very fixed and staged activity with what could happen in a bloody melee. I suppose you could engineer a set of rolls/ feats to have a staged javelin catch, but I think it's pretty damn near impossible to emulate real life combat.

 

[Supplement Four]

I think it depends on the level of "heroisim" vs. the level of "reality" you've got going in your game. If you've got a game where your characters are swinging off of ropes, knocking guys from horses, and landing in the saddle, then catching a javelin is just another cool thing the players can do as in a Hollywood action movie. OTOH, if in your game, leaping from a rople to knock a bad guy off his horse and taking the horse for your own is the type of thing that is bloody impossible to accomplish, then your game has more "realism" in it, and catching a javelin is close to impossible to do.

It depends on the flavor of the game.