RuneQuest Basic Close Combat Question

[Homunculus]

Hello everyone.
I'm starting a new RuneQuest group in Denver, Colorado. I have a question for the people who have been playing RuneQuest for longer then myself or my group:

Is the Basic Close Combat and Basic Range Combat a skill by itself? That is, can it be increased like a skill over time with improvement rolls? And if so, is it an advance skill or basic skill?

Thank you in advance.

 

[RosenMcStern]

No, it is not. It is just the "default" at which a previously unknown weapon is used. Only individual weapon skills, like "Two-handed Sword" or "Crossbow" can be raised. Note, however, that weapon skills are rather broad, and "Crossbow", for instance, includes all sorts of crossbows, including the Arbalest.

 

[Homunculus]

Ok, so if the Basic Close Combat skill cannot be raised, then this means that an adventure who has spent his whole time in the study of the 1 handed sword, for example, would have say 140% in the skill.

Then an unsessioned opponent with say 45% in 1 handed hammer comes along. The two warriors are forced into a duel. For whatever reason, the two are only allowed to use war hammers in the combat. This may be due to the enemy troops which holds character A (140% in sword) forcing him to fight character B (45% in hammer) to save his friends or whatever.

Without increasing the Basic Close Combat skill, then character B, a far much weaker and unsessioned character then A, would have a clear advantage in the combat, as character A would only have his Basic Close Combat skill to go on with using the war hammer. This seems a little unfair and unbalanced, as it would give the unsessioned character a clear advantage in the combat.

Are their any special rules to deal with this situation?

 

[RosenMcStern]

This problem has never been really dealt with in all BRP-derived games (and in many others, including the self-styled "most realistic game system ever" that is GURPS as well). If you allow the Basic Close Combat to be raised, you end up with a system that it way too similar to That Other Game, and this is anathema for most BRP players :shock:

On the other hand, a really seasoned fighter should be able to fight decently with most weapons, including impromptu ones, if forced to use them in a fight. The GM must make up for the lack of a "General Melee" skill as he sees fit, avoiding abuses by the players.

In your example, I would rule that the most experienced warrior only has his Basic Close Combat ability when fighting with a 1H Hammer, but he can use his 1H sword ability as an augment for his 1H Hammer, using the rules for Assistance at page 22 of the Core Rulebook. This means that his Basic Close Combat has a bonus of +14, which should raise it to about 40%. The combat is thus balanced. Be careful, though, if you use this as an established houserule some players could abuse it :wink:

 

[Mage]

Basically there is a basic ranged and close combat skill. Then there are differet categories: crossbow (applies to heavy and light crowssbow), 1H Hammer (Hammers, maces, clubs) polearms (Spears, halberds...) and it goes on. Each one goes up seperately like different skills, but have the same starting scores, and apply to a relatively broad range of weapons in the same category.

 

[weasel_fierce]

The question is.. does a master knowledge of fencing teach you anything about smashing things with a hammer or prodding people with a spear ?

If you believe it does, take 1/5 of your best weapon skill and apply that to other weapon default chances.

Im fairly inclined to say there's no relevance between the skills. If you want to be a "generally seasoned fighter", spread out your experience gains over the most common weapons, or implement RQ3 training rules.