Hannatti:
Sure, default at -3. I get that.
No, the default is only if you're using a "Knife" weapon in your On Hand and using the Main-Gauche skill. If you're using Main-Gauche to attack with your off-hand there is no default penalty, just the Off-Hand penalty (if you have one, if you do either buy up Ambidextrous for 5 points, or Off-Hand Weapon Training [Main-Gauche] for 1 point). The Main-Gauche skill removes the "Off Hand" penalty for defense purposes only.
But... if you have Ambidexterity, Main-Gauche is a useless skill, just trade it out for Knife.
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I was thinking These templates seem very hightly tuned.
Most genre Templates are pretty highly tuned, and the DF Templates are even more highly tuned to ensure "niche protection" and "minimal competency in all areas".
Honestly, Knife Throwing is also playing to a theme for the Fencing Swashbuckler who is armed with rapier and main-gauche... if you are using different weapons, some skills should be swapped out for better representatives. For that talk with Gwythaint and see if he'll allow you to swap.
Aethul:
I personally find "throw knife" to be almost useless. It takes a lot of points to be accurate and does minmal damage. Shuriken are likewise useless most of the time.
It's literally a back-up. It's so if the mobility warrior cannot reach the enemy they have a shot at contributing to the conflict in some way. I prefer to take Throwing and carry a bag of stones... but that's me. Each of my Characters deals with ranged foes in a different manner; Jareth has a Staff with Stench, Jednesa throws 5 lbs rocks, Stenet has hatchets, Dilandua throws themself (Flying Leap), Ülo has a terrible Innate Attack skill and missile spells (but she isn't meant to be a combat Witch), and Benny is reduced to praying for a miracle (he actually has a terrible Throwing skill so he could scrounge for debris and throw rocks, but Prayer would probably be more effective)...
If you want to throw things as your weapon, either go with a big weapon (Hunga-munga, Spears, Woomera with Spears) or poison your weapons.
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Get a sling and skip it in my view.
Slings are very highly underrated. Go with a Heavy Sling unless you're aiming to "get gud" as piercing damage only shines if you can target vitals or eyes.
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Bow is fast but you need a boatload of points to be good with it.
The difference between Bow and Crossbow is 4 points once you get to DX+2. So... crossbows are not really 'easier' if you're trying to be William Tell. The advantage a crossbow brings is high damage if you're aiming at using it as a fight opener, otherwise bow or sling are the preferable ranged weapons.
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If you talk with the GM, he may allow you a magical spell as a perk, rules say up to three, but I think that is pushing it. In GURPS 4e you could have asked for 'Distant Blow', which would obviate any need for throwing knives. But it isn't in DF or DFRPG, more's the pity.
If you're doing that Winged Knife is probably the best "oops I need to hit someone far away" spell for a non-Caster to include in their arsenal. Because you can use enemy's weapons in a pinch...:
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Magical Bolt - Variable
Magical Bolt is terrible if you're not already going to be a Wizard (or an Elf with a crazy fetish for inefficient point builds). It is incredibly expensive, it's only advantages are no Attack Roll needed if your skill is 3+ after mods, no casting roll, and the enemy can only Dodge, not Block or Parry. It's also "non-elemental" and can hit Ghosts and other Insubstantial foes.
It's great for Wizards (who are already dumping character points on Magery), but otherwise it's really expensive and Charm [Winged Knife], Winged Knife, and Innate Attack (Projectile) are a better investment (in fact a Leprechaun with Winged Knife, Poison Weapon, and Mage Stealth would be an extremely deadly Assassin...).
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The only issue I have is Magery above 3 is in a grey area.
Technically Magery is only available to Elves, Half-Elves, and Wizards, but there are so many non-Elf non-Wizards in this game with Magery that that ship has sailed.
Hannatti:
That's interesting. I've not encountered spell use in GURPS before, so new ground for me.
Magical Bolt is an Advantage (a Power technically) not a Spell, however it obeys certain rules for spells, like Low Mana and No Mana affect it.
Spells require one of two Advantages: Magery or Power Investiture. All spells cost Fatigue Points to cast, though this is usally mitigated with high skill. All spells are skills, as long as we're talking about "vanilla" Magic and not the other types of Magic which we are not going to talk about right now (but if you want I can roll a brief primer on those a well later)
Magery covers having access to Mana based spells and is also the basis for the following specialty "Magerys": Bardic Talent (Bard Magery), Demonic Attunement (Demonologist Magery), Elemental Influence (Elementalist Magery), Deathliness* (Necromancer Magery).
All Magery is shut down by No Mana Zones (areas of no magic) and hampered by Low Mana Zones. Likewise it's increased in High and Very High Mana Zones. It can be stopped by a lot of fairly common methods, such as Folk 'Hexes', meteoric iron, and counter spells.
Power Investiture comes in many flavors, as many flavors as there are Deities as well as being the basis for any "the power is granted to you by a Patron" magical abilities, as such each variant kinda follows it's own rules, but those rules are generally similar. It is basically used for: Power Investiture (Divine)
1, Power Investiture (Nature)
2, Power Investiture (Elder Thing)
3, Power Investiture (Shamanic)
4
Charm Casting - Rage Casting (Barbarian Berserker/Nature magic) and Emergency Casting (Outdoorsman Nature magic), see
Dungeon Fantasy Denizens: Barbarians, are both worked examples of Charm Casting and are only available to Barbarians (both) and Scouts (Emergency Casting) (okay, technically Emergency Casting is also Barb only, but it's based on Outdoorsman and Scouts have that so they should both be able to take it, it will probably be in to
DFD: Scouts if it ever gets written).
1 - Every Deity has their own spell list they grant their Clerics and Holy Warriors, Power Investiture only works in areas that have Sanctity (which is most places) and is hampered and blocked by Unholy Sanctity and Desecration. Divine spells ct like Mana-based spells for other intents and purposes.
2 - Nature spells are granted by Nature, so Druids mostly, and rely on Nature's Strength, so Druids tend to just have to suck it up in city or dungeon where they're taking penalties, but get them out into unspoiled wilds and they can start to rock out, as long as you only need them to cast Animal and Plant spells. Most Druids tend to go for Allies and Shape-shifting since their spells are so very limited.
3 - PI (Elder Thing) allows cultists to invoke Psychic Powers as spells, it's expensive, and the "spell" lists are weird, but, there is very little that can actually impede or stop their "rituals/spells" so the trade off might be favorable.
4 - PI (Shamanism) is, different. The spells can be blocked by counter magics (and probably Folk counters), but are powered by "spiritual" energy, o any where Ghosts and Spirits can be, a Shaman can work there very, very limited mojo. They are not beholden to a God and the gods code of conduct, or limited by Sanctity, or Nature's Strength, etc, rather the big drawback is that very limited spell list. So, like Druids, Shamans tend to have Allioes, just theirs are Spirits. Shamans also have to worry able their Spirit World Reputation, so if they abuse spirits or work to ruin the "spirit energy or vibe" in an area, their reputation will suffer.
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OK, Magery is an advantage. I should know, probably, but I don't - can advantages be gained after char gen?
Yes. Sometimes the GM will require something special be done (like go a quest or you drink an elixir or use a Wish) to gain certain Advantages that are of a "Born With It" category, like Magery. Or sometimes things can happen like an Elder Thing imparts the knowledge and "unlocks" your PC's Power Investiture and you become a Cultist of mind-warping alien entities that will eventually consume this earth and all upon it mwahahaAHAHAHAHAHA... aha... ahem.
Or if you can swap around 5 points, you might be able to convince the GM to let you start with Magery, it only cost 5 points for "Magery 0", which lets you learn and cast the "most basic" spells and sense the magic in an area and magic items when you touch them. But honestly, unless you're really enamored of the idea of taking spells, I'd skip it and just stay a 'straight' Swashbuckler (maybe 'crossclass' into Martial Artist for some sweet Chi Powered skills like Flying Leap, Parry Missile Weapons, Blindfighting, etc).