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Old 08-20-2019, 06:53 PM   #1
FuelDrop
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Default Low Tech Favorite Weapon

What is your favorite weapon from Low Tech and why?

My personal favorite is the spear. It's cheap, works for throwing and melee, can deal impaling or cutting (tip slash), can be used as a staff for defensive bonuses and to deal crushing damage, can be used one handed with a shield or two handed, has reach, is balanced for parrying... the humble spear is truly a worthy weapon in skilled hands, with its primary disadvantage being that it's rather inconvenient to carry around day to day, unlike a sword which can easily be worn on the hip.
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Old 08-20-2019, 08:40 PM   #2
Sorenant
 
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Default Re: Low Tech Favorite Weapon

My inner min-maxer loves Dueling Halberd and Katana, and my spirit advisor, George Silver, is nagging me to say Backsword, but it's hard to pick one weapon I really like.
That said, the first weapon that came to mind is Hatchet, it's a cheap axe that can work as both weapon and tool, pretty neato.

As for the Spear, it's a great weapon indeed. I wish it could poke at reach 2 when used with one hand, feels odd a katana can swing at reach 2 and a longsword can stab at this range but a spear can't. Also, IIRC parry bonus for using spear as staff is just +1, but I honestly can't remember where I read that,
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Old 08-20-2019, 10:29 PM   #3
AlexanderHowl
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default Re: Low Tech Favorite Weapon

I generally use a staff with hooks (one cutting and one crushing) and prongs (+$100 and +0.5 lbs). The extra utility for the Staff skill is well worth the extra expense.
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Old 08-20-2019, 11:36 PM   #4
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Low Tech Favorite Weapon

The quarterstaff. It's not purely a weapon, being helpful as a source of mobility. It's pretty effective when it IS used as a weapon. And in particular it gives you a great bonus to parry, and thus to defend yourself. And besides, when I was a kid I was impressed by Robin Hood's duel with Little John. . . .
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Old 08-21-2019, 03:16 AM   #5
FuelDrop
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Default Re: Low Tech Favorite Weapon

I love me some polearms, Sorenant, and the hatchet is absolutely beautiful, but honestly I can't really get behind a sword in a TL 3-4 setting. They're just way too expensive for the benefits they give, often eating up more than half of your default starting cash for just a basic sword when a dueling halberd or a pollaxe offers so much more as a main weapon.

I could definitely see a cheap sword as a sidearm, or just a walking around weapon, but not really as a primary.

That said, my campaigns tend to use the "Blunt Trauma and Edged Weapons" rules from page 102, which really limits how much use the swing attack with a sword is.
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Old 08-21-2019, 05:02 AM   #6
Tomsdad
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Brighton
Default Re: Low Tech Favorite Weapon

earlier stuff a spear, nice duelling halberd later on



But swords, swords are just nice things! (long sword is my fave)
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Last edited by Tomsdad; 08-21-2019 at 06:10 AM.
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Old 08-21-2019, 06:03 AM   #7
Rasna
 
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Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Pisa, Tuscany, Italy
Default Re: Low Tech Favorite Weapon

Of course, it depends on setting.

If my character can, usually I opt for a polearm coherent with the setting. If possible, the first choice would be a Dueling Halberd or a Pollaxe, both with Butt Spike (thr+2 imp, +$20) and rondel guard (Hilt; +1 to Parry,+$30, +0.25 lbs.).
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Old 08-21-2019, 07:37 AM   #8
mlangsdorf
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Default Re: Low Tech Favorite Weapon

For the fantasy delver, an axe with hammer head ($25, 0.5 lbs) and spike ($30, 0.5 lbs) provides solid cutting, crushing, or impaling damage, while still allowing the use of a shield to ward off arrows.

A dueling glaive with hammer is also useful, but gives up the use of shield for a little more reach and the ability to cross-check people.

As a back-up weapon, I like the long knife - cheaper than a cheap shortsword, adequate for parrying swords and axes (unlike a large knife), useful in a grapple or at reach 1, uses the easy difficulty knife skill instead of the medium difficulty shortsword skill, and can be fast-drawn. My preferred emergency weapon. The fine large knife is a little more expensive, doesn't parry as well, and is vulnerable to breakage, but does slightly more damage on a thrust. That's generally not a worthwhile trade-off to me.
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Old 08-21-2019, 07:44 AM   #9
Flyndaran
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
Default Re: Low Tech Favorite Weapon

The humble knife is a near must have as weapon and tool. Ubiquitous from pre-mankind all the way to the present.
Almost never one's primary, but almost everyone's tertiary or even secondary weapon.
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Old 08-21-2019, 07:57 AM   #10
zoncxs
 
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: earth....I think.
Default Re: Low Tech Favorite Weapon

A fine kukuri, does same swing damage and range as a long knife, better thrust damage than said long knife, and won't break as easy as said long knife, it also cost $200.
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