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Author Topic: 11/14 Monday Design Update - Weapons: Brush Hook  (Read 23714 times)
Brian
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« on: November 14, 2011, 07:08:54 pm »

Time for another weapon update. This week is the brush hook, which is used for tree trimming, brush clearing, and ending swimming careers.




The Brush Hook is a proud member of the axe family of weapons. Let's discuss some pros and cons of the axe weapon class:

 Axes are a bladed weapon that puts a lot force behind their slash. They are more efficient at causing limb damage than any other class, but they are also good at causing bleeding. Most are two-handed weapons.

Pros

-Excellent for crippling enemies
-Decent critical multiplier
-Higher critical rate
-Fairly common weapons

Cons

-Slower to wield
-lower base damage
-Somewhat high strength needed

Axes are good against zombies and humans, especially when targeting limbs. Most of their special attacks will cripple a human and dismember a zombie. Let's look at the stats:

Name: Brush Hook
Scarcity: Uncommon
Hands: 2
Range: 1
Type of damage: Slashing
Stat Chance: Bleeding 25%
Noise: 5 (Quiet weapon)
Strength: 4 (Average strength required to wield - better axes are heavier)
ZDamage: 105% (Effective against undead)
Critical Hit Chance: 10% (Good chance for criticals)
Critical Multiplier: 2.5 (Decent critical multiplier)
Weight: 3 (Not heavy)
Break: 0 (Weapon will not break)

Basic Attack – The default attack
AP Cost: 6 (Slower attack speed)
Damage: 17-37 (Good damage, especially if causing bleeding)

Cripple – An attack targeted at the arms
AP Cost: 7 (Slow)
Damage: 10-29 (Okay damage)
Modifier: Arm Sprain chance 30% (Arm sprain doubles the cost of AP for everything except walking)

Hack - A furious series of wild slashes.
AP Cost: 7
Damage: 17-37
Modifier: Double damage if the target presently has a status effect

Hamstring - An attack aimed at the legs.
AP Cost: 7
Damage: 10-29
Modifier: Leg Sprain Chance 30% (Leg sprain doubles the AP cost of movement)

Best way to use the axe is to keep enemies from being able to escape or do much damage to you, then finishing them off. Note that unless you have extremely high AP, you're going to most likely get one whack per turn, so make it count. The higher level axes do more damage, but require more strength to use them effectively. That said, they are nasty weapons and axe-wielding characters should be approached carefully, kind of like in real life.

In other news, I meant to post this last week, but I was busy getting my book out the door. Now, I know this isn't technically Dead State news, but I have a book out! It's called One Sentence Stories: Tales for the Short Attention Span (by b mitsoda) and as of yesterday, the Kindle version is available here:

One Sentence Stories

I will let everyone know when the print version is out. If you happen to get a copy of either, I would be eternally grateful (especially if you like it and tell others about it.) Really hope you like it.

Feel free to post about weapons in this thread. There is a thread for my book in the Reading Lounge forum.
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Caidoz
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« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2011, 12:17:01 am »

Great update Brian, glad to see that there will be plenty of variety in the weapons; something like this hadn't even occurred to me.

Although, I have to wonder...whose swimming career was ended by one of these?  Huh?
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« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2011, 06:06:42 am »

Will you have a scythe? It could be an upgrade to the hook but would need more stregnth to use....
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sporky
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« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2011, 09:29:01 am »

I vote no on scythes. Have you ever held one? I could see taking the blade off and mounting it straight on a straight pole or handle, but not using it as is.
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« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2011, 11:15:59 am »

A scythe on a handle would have good head lopping off ability if the character was strong enough.... Wink
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Brian
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« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2011, 02:11:35 pm »

I vote no on scythes. Have you ever held one? I could see taking the blade off and mounting it straight on a straight pole or handle, but not using it as is.

I have to agree - they're not efficient weapons. Maybe sickles, but neither is going to work as well as a simple bladed weapon or baton. Scythes aren't terribly common these days either. We chose the brush hook because they're sold at every hardware store and look menacing. Scythes seem to have been adopted as badass fantasy weapons, and I think that's where they would function best.
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sporky
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« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2011, 02:15:47 pm »

The grim reaper thing is more symbolic of the reaping of people by death, rather than lopping heads off literally.
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« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2011, 06:51:08 pm »

Well it is not a gamebreaker if a scythe is not included, but I do know that I would not want to be on the wrong end of one....I must say that the sickle idea is a good one....
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Caidoz
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« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2011, 07:38:19 pm »

Will there be any concern about having room to swing a long or two-handed weapon?  I'm mostly wondering if you and some allies are in an alleyway or someplace narrow and you swing your axe or brush hook, will it get stuck or hit one of your allies?
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« Reply #9 on: November 15, 2011, 07:56:18 pm »

Will there be any concern about having room to swing a long or two-handed weapon?  I'm mostly wondering if you and some allies are in an alleyway or someplace narrow and you swing your axe or brush hook, will it get stuck or hit one of your allies?

Sort of like in the show THE WALKING DEAD...the survivors do more harm to each other than the zombies do... Grin
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DrunkZombie
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« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2011, 11:30:57 am »

Good update.  Although I hope you guys have rebalanced the weapon weights.  In the past you listed a 9mm pistol as 6 lbs when at worst they weigh 3 fully loaded.  Now a bursh cutter at only 3 lbs?  Should be more like 5. I know you are trying to make melee weapons more attractive than firearms, but that is what the noise rules are for.  Don't make the weights all goofy.  Other than that, looks good.
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« Reply #11 on: November 25, 2011, 10:10:13 am »

I love abilities that work off of other abilities, so special attacks like Hack sound like a lot of fun!
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wiande
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« Reply #12 on: December 08, 2011, 03:23:51 pm »

still disagreeing with the fact that melee weapons can't break, and can't be used as junk weaps or raw material. Same for hand guns and shotgun, you should be able to bash a zomby with a shotgun and it should've a chance to break.
me = buzz killer i know

i hope it could be modable at least  Approve

Moar weappppsss

was my birthday the 14th so thanks for that nice update ^^
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RussellClank
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« Reply #13 on: December 13, 2011, 09:45:03 pm »

I wonder how this game's coming along so far now?  So far I'm liking everything I see (except the glock 19 weighing 6 pounds, but that'll probably change  smug) and the whole thing is absolutely making me obsessed!  Tongue

I've never seen a game that lives up to the true potential of the zombie genre until now, and I'm looking forward to seeing Dead State fill that role with pride!
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