Signature Weapon (Operator)

What are the limits of a signature weapon?  I wanted my Operator to have a harpoon gun with a winch.  I didn't care if it did a lot of damage and was fine with it being slow, due to +reload.  I was excited about the idea of harpooning someone and then dragging them to me.  My MC felt that a signature weapon was more of a fancy-looking standard weapon and shot down my idea.  I didn't see any examples of what was allowable, but perhaps I missed them.

"Signature weapon" isn't clearly defined. There's one section that says:

Distinctive weapons
• antique handgun (2-harm close reload loud valuable)
• hidden knives (2-harm hand infinite)
• ornate dagger (2-harm hand valuable)
• ornate sword (3-harm hand valuable)
• scalpels (3-harm intimate hi-tech)
None of these are more effective than their common counterparts,
so they exist solely to give your characters character.
Operators get a “signature weapon.” It might be one of these
distinctive weapons, or it might be some other weapon made
distinctive and personal.

So the rules as written lean toward your MC's interpretation that an operator's signature weapon shouldn't have any special functionality like harpooning someone and dragging them around.

On the other hand, the MC is supposed to be a fan of your character, and a harpoon gun is cool. The tag set (2-harm reload messy drag-your-victim) don't seem severely out of balance with the other options.

To me, it seems like the letter of the law supports your MC, while the spirit of the game supports you. At this point, you're into social contract territory.

If I was your MC, I'd say yes, but I'm not your MC.

Got to disagree with your MC. A harpoon gun is just awesome.

Though I generally am not stingy with initial gear if it makes sense. I gave one Operator a semi truck instead of a crew for her long hauls for instance. Plus a giant mutant potato she couldn't unload.

Its easier to lose a thing than to gain it.

I'm on the side of "when I'm the MC, of course you can have a harpoon gun."

But it's also your MC's job to have and hold onto an imagination full of apocalyptica, and to have and hold onto enthusiasm for your character as a part of it. If a harpoon gun struck the wrong note in your MC's imagination, it's their job to say no, and it's good that they did.

-Vincent

Vincent, that sounds like an entirely adult way of looking at things.  I do want my MC to be excited about the game and my character.