A stupid but so AWESOME idea

[Killer Angel]

Some days ago, i stumbled upon this.
Seriously, the man is a danger for himself and people around him, but if you think to his idea and you take it in a Roleplaying concept, that would be awesome.

So, the questions:
1 - What game system would you use to replicate in an efficient way the "deadly rotating chainsaw"?

2 - Do you have other examples of this kind of stupid but potentially awesome ideas?

[BWR]

Efficient or accurate?
Efficient, any system where rule of cool trumps physics and sense.
Accurate - any where stupid moves don't work and get you killed.

Other stupid ideas - the ever popular sword-chucks, and it's retarded cousin the (light)saber-chuck.

[Jormengand]

You'd probably need a step-up-from-free-form game like AIE, and to make it actually useful you might give the wielder the ability to attack multiple enemies on his turn, or just make a chainsaw a weapon that does what you might expect it to and give the actual character a special ability that allows him to swing it around like that.

[valadil]

1 - What game system would you use to replicate in an efficient way the "deadly rotating chainsaw"?
2 - Do you have other examples of this kind of stupid but potentially awesome ideas?

Honestly I don't think it would be a great weapon. It can't be aimed and your leverage is poor. (I'd also be that's some sort of hedge trimmer rather than a chainsaw, but that's besides the point.) It'd make a lot of superficial injuries that require some stitches, but little permanent damage.

I'd use something like this as a villain who either had no regard for his minions or had simply dominated random people into being his minions. That's a visually cool way to have a unique combat that builds up the character of a villain.

[Jay R]

1 - What game system would you use to replicate in an efficient way the "deadly rotating chainsaw"?

1. TOON.

2. I can model it in Hero System quit easily. 1d6 Killing attack = 15 basic points. Area effect radius +1, Continuous +1, Hole in the Middle +1/4 = 49 Active Points. Concentrate -1/4, Extra Time 1 Turn -1, Obvious accessible Focus -1, Gestures Throughout -1/2, Independent -2, No Range -1/2, Does not work in water -1/4, Requires a Skill Roll -1/2. Real Cost = 7 points.

2 - Do you have other examples of this kind of stupid but potentially awesome ideas?

I don't do stupid ideas, but I had a character with a boomerang in Chivalry and Sorcery once. The GM ruled that it was a thrown weapon with the range of a missile weapon.

[Anderlith]

World of Darkness. Aggravated Chainsaw damage. Give it a chain to hold on to instead of a string. Give it to a Brujah or a Malk

[Sith_Happens]

2. I can model it in Hero System quit easily. 1d6 Killing attack = 15 basic points. Area effect radius +1, Continuous +1, Hole in the Middle +1/4 = 49 Active Points. Concentrate -1/4, Extra Time 1 Turn -1, Obvious accessible Focus -1, Gestures Throughout -1/2, Independent -2, No Range -1/2, Does not work in water -1/4, Requires a Skill Roll -1/2. Real Cost = 7 points.

On one hand I feel like using a generic system is cheating, on the other hand it's probably the only way without homebrewing.

Since Hero's already been done, here's how I'd model it in M&M 3E:

Strength-based Damage 4 (Multiattack, Distracting, Move action activation, Quirk: Must attack all targets within reach exactly once each, Quirk: User is hindered until beginning of next turn, Equipment), 0.2 points

[Killer Angel]

...and now, I only have to wait 'til the moment when our group will play with one of the cited systems...

[Demidos]

Ooooorrr...A Frenzied Beserker with Whirlwind attack.

[Jay R]

I would never do this in any game but TOON.

[erikun]

Isn't this basically the Spiked Chain from D&D3e, but with a motor?

Spoiler

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[Jay R]

Isn't this basically the Spiked Chain from D&D3e, but with a motor?

Yes, of course, but with one difference. Even people with no knowledge of fighting weapons can tell that this version of the spiked chain is impossibly stupid.

[MLMII]

Is there anyone that ever thought that the spiked chain was ever anything other then "rule of cool"?

[Sith_Happens]

Is there anyone that ever thought that the spiked chain was ever anything other then "rule of cool"?

Maybe if the handles were placed differently...

[Jay R]

Is there anyone that ever thought that the spiked chain was ever anything other then "rule of cool"?

I don't think it's "rule of cool" because it isn't particularly cool - just overpowered.

The "rule of cool" is invoked in two different circumstances.
1. to allow a cool, exciting maneuver at the extreme ends of the possible, for a single thrilling moment, or
2. to defend getting a cheesy and unrealistic advantage all the time.

I consider the spiked chain to be overpowered, awkward, and unrealistic. Maybe it could be used effectively against a single opponent on ground with no trees or other impediments, like in a gladiatorial arena. But it's just not workable in a melee. Maybe you could make it work as a weapon for a few moments until you recover your sword, but it is simply not a weapon more generally useful than a sword.

And the proof is that there is no historical record of hundreds of years of usage as a standard weapon by multiple cultures, like we have with the sword, axe, mace, pole arm, etc.

If you are cornered with nothing but a chain, and you say, "I want to try the once-in-a-lifetime attempt to use the chain as a weapon," that's rule of cool. In The Mask of Zorro, Antonio Banderas parries with a horse collar once. That was a cool move. If you want to turn an extremely unlikely, unrealistic attempt into your standard everyday fighting style, that's more like Zorro fighting with a horse collar instead of a sword all the time.

But the main point is this. It's not "rule of cool", because it isn't particularly cool - just weird and overpowered.

[Knaight]

I consider the spiked chain to be overpowered, awkward, and unrealistic. Maybe it could be used effectively against a single opponent on ground with no trees or other impediments, like in a gladiatorial arena. But it's just not workable in a melee. Maybe you could make it work as a weapon for a few moments until you recover your sword, but it is simply not a weapon more generally useful than a sword.

It's kind of like a rope dart. An awkward, dangerous to use, mess of a rope dart. Which is saying something, as even the standard one is a weird martial arts weapon with minimal actual utility.

[Sith_Happens]

I've seen plenty of characters in fiction use a chain as a weapon. Not a spiked one, but still.

[Raimun]

Deathwatch.

Chainswords are standard issue weaponry for assault marines. If you don't know already, chainsword is exactly like a chainsaw but it has a hilt like sword.

Get two of them and join them together like Darth Maul. You could just rule twobladed chainsword uses the rules for the standard rules for dual wielding (like they do in D&D 3.5). Except you can't split the weapon, of course.

[Killer Angel]

Is there anyone that ever thought that the spiked chain was ever anything other then "rule of cool"?

It's one of the best weapons in Core, so we tend to focus on numbers, discarding the related images.

[Wraith]

Chainswords [.....] Get two of them and join them together like Darth Maul. You could just rule twobladed chainsword uses the rules for the standard rules for dual wielding (like they do in D&D 3.5). Except you can't split the weapon, of course.

Reach for the stars, sir - Why not do the same thing with a a pair of Eviscerator (an 8ft long, two-handed, double-edged chainsaw sword used for improvising entrances into tanks)?

I'd imagine that a weapon like this could easily feature in Feng Shui, a game where I have previously assaulted people with cash registers, live lobsters, a lasso of cooked noodles and the flower taken out of the little vase on my table. A chainsaw on a rope is positively plausible compared to what can be achieved with sufficient Fu.

[Knaight]

I've seen plenty of characters in fiction use a chain as a weapon. Not a spiked one, but still.

A chain and the D&D spiked chain are very much not the same beast. While a chain is really not an ideal weapon (there's a reason they didn't show up in any real frequency on battlefields), it doesn't have the capacity for inevitable self injury as the spiked chain. It also is a much more flexible design, and thus useful. Though, in keeping with the thread, tossing a chainsaw on the end of it pretty much kills all utility and brings back the self injury possibility.

[Jay R]

Despite all the contempt I have for the idea of the spiked chain, I must in fairness point out its one aspect that is superior to the chainsaw on a rope.

When you stop wielding the spiked chain, it stops being a danger to the wielder and his allies. The chainsaw still has to be turned off.

[Jormengand]

Also, the spiked chain at least looks a little bit like it might be a viable weapon - look at the kusarigama - hells, look at the damn morningstar. If you can't wield either of these weapons without whacking yourself, or an ally, with the chain, then frankly you shouldn't be wielding them. Yeah, it's a little bit different from either of those weapons, but I'm sure it's usable.

Or just refluff that your spiked chains are all, "In reality," kusarigamas.

[No brains]

My guess would be to take a Sugiin (Cold Outside) without proficiency and continually try to coup-de-grace yourself. Maybe you could use some rules about missing yourself bad enough to hit other people, but what we really want to go for is a huge, dumb, scary weapon being useless while looking very nearly impressive, not real power. Right?