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Old 03-28-2010, 04:27 PM   #24
DanHoward
 
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
Default Re: (Unofficial) FAQ of the GURPS Fora

Just read the FAQ's. This one isn't right

Quote:
3.5.3 Why is chain mail suddenly much better at stopping impaling attacks in Fourth Edition?

We felt that Third Edition mail's vulnerability to impaling weapons didn't pass a reality check. The weapons fine enough to pierce the rings of TL2-3 mail didn't come along until TL4, by which time the mail was fine enough to avoid most of the consequences.
There are plenty of TL2 and TL3 weapons that are as narrow as a TL4 stiletto but there are very very few instances of mail with links large enough to allow a stiletto to slip through a gap in the weave. These weapons were used to bust apart the link, the gaps in mail are not large enough to slip through.

The real reason why GURPS "chainmail" was vulnerable to impaling is because it was modelled on SCA butted mail, which is susceptible to impaling (and retains this vulnerability in LT 4e). Butted links can be pushed apart very easily because the join is not fastened. SCA mail is also the reason why GURPS chainmail is unrealistically heavy. Mail that was historically used in battle was not butted; it was riveted. Riveted mail is much better at resisting impaling damage and is generally much lighter than butted mail.

Last edited by DanHoward; 03-28-2010 at 04:42 PM.
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