Ambidexterity And Its Use

[Nestor]

I noticed that you offer Ambidexterity as a Perk. I was wondering if it's something you see coming up that much in the game?

I've played a certain other well-known superhero RPG for a long while (all the way since 1st Edition). I played a martial artist that had Ambidexterity as a Talent in a quite successful campaign. In the three years I played, the issue of handedness did not come up, once. And this was using a system that actually had rules for dealing with off-hand use.

Then I noticed this little tidbit in the book on page 29:And in case you're wondering, the fact that he [Psidearm] dual wields is just for show. It has no game effect.

That makes it sound like which hand you use a weapon with (or even using both hands) is not a critical issue.

Just curious what the idea was behind including the Perk.

[rune]

I think that for Psidearm it is so that when someone burns 4 Successes to outclass someone with a disarm effect that he still has a gun in his hand. When he grabs someone and is trying to stop them from falling and suddenly needs to shoot people at the same moment (or while his hand is occupied) he can do it.

I also play Hero, and have not seen Ambidexterity come up in Super Hero stuff. TWF Skill is much more where it is at.

[LakeSide Len]

There are a few perks and even a few traits that are there more for flavor than for game utility. Ambidexterity is one, as is Immortality, and Unkillable (yes, you get a small bonus to defense from Unkillable, but considering the fact that (i) there's a rank cap and (ii) as per the rules, heroes can't really die, Unkillable is mostly there for flavor). Even abilities like Dimensional Travel and Time Travel are mainly for flavor (if the GM has a story set in another dimension or time, I promise you, you'll get there regardless of whether or not anyone has these traits). So, sure, being ambidextrous may have some narrative or highly situational utility, but it's really there as fluff.

[LakeSide Len]

Oh, and as for Psidearm, here's the deal: his Blast trait has the Marksman con, meaning that it only applies when he's armed with guns, guns, guns (thank you original Robocop movie that will never be equalled). If someone rolls well enough to disarm him (which would not be easy), I would totally let him be disarmed, both guns. The 2 guns are there for show, not because they have any game effect at all.