[Skarg]

Originally Posted by Nils_Lindeberg

So the whole thing comes down to the fact that you can do a left-handed attack (with the knife talent) at -4. Or you could use a shield. And those are the reasons why people wouldn't often use a left-handed fist attack. You usually have something in that hand, and if nothing else, a torch.

I think rather that the main reason is that it works better in reality to focus your attention on fighting with the sword, as opposed to trying to add a left-hand punch in with what you're doing with yourself while sword fighting.

Despite having a left hand and arm that aren't holding anything, it does not follow that you can also generally do an attack with that and not interfere with your sword use.

In this way, I think the original rules felt more correct to me.

As another player suggested on the TFT Discord server recently, perhaps Main Gauche should be a 1-point talent (prereq: knife) required to do the new Legacy version of Main Gauche, but that it be included in Fencing (if you have it, you can learn Fencing for 2 points).

Originally Posted by Nils_Lindeberg

With the two-weapon talent you can whack them with any weapon at a -4, so can you do it with a fist attack? Does the fist attack qualify as a weapon in the context of the 2-w talent? Or do you need some sort of improvised weapon, knuckle duster or some such?

Not RAW, no. It specifies weapons that you have a talent for.

Originally Posted by Nils_Lindeberg

Could you use a right cestus for your main attack and then with the 2-W. talent attack at 0/4 instead of -3/-3?

Ask your GM. The Fencing and Two Weapons talents mention the concept of what's traditionally taught. So I'd tend to think each school might train in certain specific types of weapons, and while maybe one could involve Cestus, probably many/most would not, and I don't think of it as a necessary conclusion that you can combine anything. Then again, Cestus is pretty rare for anyone to know even by itself in my campaigns, so... again, ask your GM.

Originally Posted by Nils_Lindeberg

The rules are not really clear or logical/intuitive on this.

They're not, probably because there are so many possible combinations, and they were written and re-written in phases. The TFT rules overall tend to turn over details to the GM at a certain point.


If someone really wanted a character that could punch at -4 while using a weapon, I might offer it as a special combat talent, though I might tease them by calling it Bitch Slap. ;-)