Hey, someone has almost certainly already asked this, but what’s the Load value of the Fine Lightning Hook? There are two boxes on the loadout section of the playbook, but it explicitly says it’s only one in the Whisper’s gear section.
Hey, someone has almost certainly already asked this, but what’s the Load value of the Fine Lightning Hook?
Hey, someone has almost certainly already asked this, but what’s the Load value of the Fine Lightning Hook?
I believe a regular Lightning hook is an example of one of the “Unusual Weapons” people could grab.
Hm. I wouldn’t think that would change how many boxes it takes on the Whisper’s sheet, but I see what you’re getting at.
From the book:
“WHISPER ITEMS
Fine lightning hook: A long, two-handed pole […]. This custom-made hook collapses into a compact form, thus reducing its load to 1, even though it’s two-handed. [1 load]”
May be a special feature of a >fine< lightning hook, though
I want to see the Lightning Hook in play as often as possible, so my personal stance is that the book write-up is correct and the boxes on the sheet are the bug.
Maybe the compact form could be dual weilded, with each box representing one hook?
Maybe when it’s fully extended its two? The text even implies that’s the case.
My understanding is as Christopher Bedford described. It is 1 load or 2 load, depending on whether collapsed or not.
Christopher Bedford thanks! That’s how we house-ruled it, which makes sense since Load refers to how noticeable you are as well as how encumbered.
I actually don’t think that really makes sense — it’s no heavier when it’s collapsed, so why would it slow you down more? Why would you ever carry it on you extended, and why would you ever not extend it when you take it out to use it(except in certain weird spacing situations)? If you’ve hit your load limit, why are you suddenly forbidden from extending it?
I take book as canon over sheets always, so I’d say it’s one load.
If a player didn’t have time to collapse it and tried to run with it in confined space, against someone who didn’t have a big unwieldy pole, I’d consider that for position. Just one example.
Also, you are visibly armed for trouble versus it being collapsed. Plus one hand is occupied unless you have time to collapse the hook or drop it (which might not be ideal in a chase, or rowdy gondola fight) limiting your options a bit. I mean it’s not an area that I think will make or break the game either way.
Oh, I agree that it won’t make or break the game either way. Maybe I’m just picturing ‘collapsible’ differently than you are? For instance, I can’t think of a situation where someone wouldn’t have time to collapse it. I’m imagining it as a quick-snap kind of thing, not time-consuming screwing segments together — although I don’t see anything wrong with picturing it that way, now that I think about it.
Yeah, and since visibility is a big part of Load, having a collapsed lightning hook in your satchel is pretty subtle. Having it open and crackling is easily going to be the difference between light and subtle and “scoundrel looking for trouble”/normal load.
Right, I get that, but my point is that unless you’re trying to go for the intimidating look(which you could accomplish by just pulling it out and snapping it together), why would you walking around with it already extended?
I can think of lots of situations when you might have it open and not have a chance to put it away.
I would be interested to hear some.
The visibility argument also doesn’t track because visibility is determined by the load you picked at the beginning, not the current load you’ve ticked off. If I have a light load with an extended lightning hook(2 load according to your thought), I’m still lighter and less visible as a scoundrel than someone with a normal load and a collapsed lightning hook.
Also, I can’t think of any other items that spontaneously change load mid-score once you’ve already ticked them off. I don’t see any precedent. (Though obviously I don’t have all the item lists memorized, feel free to correct me.) It doesn’t seem to work with the idea behind load — you either have the item or you don’t. If I was carrying a light load and had a collapsed lightning hook and 2 other load worth of items, why am I suddenly unable to extend the lightning hook?
It gets even more problematic when you’re in heavy load and you’ve used all your item slots, then you extend your lightning rod. Now you’re over-encumbered. Does that mean you’ve got too much stuff to weild it effectively? What if you’ve used up or discarded disposable items (e.g. used all your alchemicals) and are no longer carrying them? Does that mean you can again?