[Verjigorm]

I still don't agree with Krom's rules on staff/spear and crushing/impaling. It just doesn't feel right.

I'm almost thinking that spear should be used for one-handed use, and staff for two-handed use. Generous default between the two; I personally favor a -2 default because it allows for a nice discount for characters who are skilled. Either spear or staff can be used with the blunt end or the pointy end, depending on the design of the weapon.

I think it boils down to the fact that Pole-arm, Spear and Staff should all blend rather well with each other, and share generous defaults. Staff and Two Handed Sword are also close skills, and there's a strong case for two-handed axe/mace having a generous default, but neither Two Handed sword nor Two handed axe should default from each other. I would allow Axe/Mace and Sword(I combine short sword and broadsword, and treat different weapons as different familiarities*) to default from their two-handed variants, though at their current rate.

This kinda makes the Staff skill a "master" skill, in that high levels of skill with a staff will translate well to a variety of other skills. I'm not sure that's a bad thing though.

*This gets pretty extreme. A signifigant difference of length or weight(6" or .5lbs) is worth a -2, A difference in hilt(None, Cruciform, Asymetric, complex ring or basket hilts, etc) is worth -2, a difference in blade design(Straight vs curved, diamond cross section vs flat, distal tip vs rounded tip, wide blade vs narrow) is worth -2.

These familiarity penalties would all stack: a Knight used to a Longsword going to a Katana would have -6 to skill for familiarity.