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Old 07-11-2016, 05:14 PM   #45
Gollum
 
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: France
Default Re: Realism; Strength is not important for swordsmanship(?)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerrard of Titan Server View Post
Ok, I'm definitely becoming convinced that comparing ST 7 vs ST 13 is not the best comparison.

I'm also becoming more sold on the proposition that if there is any truth that general strength is not important in a swordsman, it's because the HEMA people are talking in the context of no armor, against real opponents, where any significant cut is going to incapacitate, which probably is not applicable to a dungeon fantasy of monsters with extraordinarily thick hides, full plate, and super strength (whether supernatural or merely from being ridiculously big i.e. dragons).

Again, thanks all.
And don't forget that if a good but not very strong swordsman can easily cripple a limb, a good and very strong one can easily severe it. Which makes a huge difference ... Likewise, if a trained but not very strong karateka (like me) can hurt someone and even knock him out (with some luck), a trained and very strong one can break his ribs. Here again, the result will be very different.

This is true in reality, and this is true in GURPS.

Have you seen the Game of Thrones TV series (the combat between The Mountain and The Viper)? Even if it is fiction, and somehow cinematic, it perfectly illustrate that: the Viper needs a lot of attacks where the Mountain only needs a few ones (if not just one).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM9wWtHozCM
(Warning: violence - for informed audience only).

At any rate, thank you for this very interesting thread.

Last edited by Gollum; 07-11-2016 at 05:53 PM.
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