Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Staff Spears, Spear Staffs, and Associated Baggage

martinl · 08-10-2018, 09:59 AM

If you add a pointy metal bit to the end of a combat staff, it seems to me that you could still use it as a staff. The balance would be a little off, and cupping the pointy end in your palm is no longer an option, but it seems to me a skilled staff user would not be seriously inconvenienced.

Similarly, if someone grabbed a normal spear of appropriate length it seems like a serviceable improvised staff. A combat spear already needs a stout shaft.

What kind of penalties are appropriate here? How would they interact with stuff like weapon mastery, weapon bond, staff parry bonus, etc?

My gut feeling is around here:
1. A staff with a spear head requires a bit of time to get used to it, and costs +4 CF for a spear. Your staff thrust becomes impaling. Otherwise it works as a staff or a spear depending on what skill you are using. (Note there is a good default.)
2. A spear specifically beefed up to work as a staff is the same as 1.
3. A staff with the tip whittled into a point is as above but no tip slashes, damage is -1, and AD is 0.5.
4. A normal melee combat spear can be used as a pretty good improvised staff if it is the right length. -1 to effective staff skill.
5. A regular staff with a pointy bit slapped on the end in a less skilled manner is at -1 to both spear and staff uses.

Weapon master, etc. apply according to the skill you are using. Weapon bond is per weapon. Weapon mods that require metal or an edge/point only apply to the spear part.

Thoughts?

08-10-2018, 09:59 AM	#1
martinl Join Date: Jan 2006	Staff Spears, Spear Staffs, and Associated Baggage If you add a pointy metal bit to the end of a combat staff, it seems to me that you could still use it as a staff. The balance would be a little off, and cupping the pointy end in your palm is no longer an option, but it seems to me a skilled staff user would not be seriously inconvenienced. Similarly, if someone grabbed a normal spear of appropriate length it seems like a serviceable improvised staff. A combat spear already needs a stout shaft. What kind of penalties are appropriate here? How would they interact with stuff like weapon mastery, weapon bond, staff parry bonus, etc? My gut feeling is around here: 1. A staff with a spear head requires a bit of time to get used to it, and costs +4 CF for a spear. Your staff thrust becomes impaling. Otherwise it works as a staff or a spear depending on what skill you are using. (Note there is a good default.) 2. A spear specifically beefed up to work as a staff is the same as 1. 3. A staff with the tip whittled into a point is as above but no tip slashes, damage is -1, and AD is 0.5. 4. A normal melee combat spear can be used as a pretty good improvised staff if it is the right length. -1 to effective staff skill. 5. A regular staff with a pointy bit slapped on the end in a less skilled manner is at -1 to both spear and staff uses. Weapon master, etc. apply according to the skill you are using. Weapon bond is per weapon. Weapon mods that require metal or an edge/point only apply to the spear part. Thoughts?