At last, my personal equipment house rules

[larsdangly]

My reasoning is that the mundane talents don't buy you broad access to a category of weapons; they simply enable use of one or more tools, most of which are inferior to weapons. For that reason, I think it's fair.

[TippetsTX]

I'm also playtesting several changes to the following weapon talents (all are now considered 'simple' or 1-point talents)...

• KNIFE and SWORD are replaced by LIGHT BLADE (covers daggers up to shortswords) and HEAVY BLADE (covering all other swords).
• AXE/MACE is divided into two separate talents: AXE/PICK (also covers kama and other scythe-type weapons) and HAMMER/MACE (also covers flails).
• SLING is now a stand-alone talent (pulled from BOW).
• SPEAR/JAVELIN is the prerequisite talent for POLE-ARMS.
• CLUB/STAFF replaces QUARTERSTAFF and also covers things like batons, rods and escrima sticks.
• CHAIN/WHIP to cover all long, flexible entangling weapons.

[hcobb]

I'd put the sword split at one to two handed.

Also is the "Staff" spell also a weapon talent and can you take expertise for a traditional wizard's staff?

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by hcobb

I'd put the sword split at one to two handed.

I considered that, but decided on a more even split between 'heavy' and 'light' weapons.

Originally Posted by hcobb

Also is the "Staff" spell also a weapon talent and can you take expertise for a traditional wizard's staff?

Not the way I use it, no, but I suppose you could make proficiency another effect of the spell.

[Hobgoblin]

Interesting list. One thing that stands out as a bit odd to me is the use of the claymore in one or two hands.

Every description of that sort of claymore (as opposed to the basked-hilted Highland broadsword; I gather there's some dispute as to which was originally given the name) that I've read describes it as a two-handed sword. And all the examples I've seen appear to be designed for two-handed use (hilts over a foot long, etc.).

I'm certainly no expert on this. But do you have much evidence of the (sloping-quilloned, quadrefoiled) claymore being used in one hand?

[Hobgoblin]

Just to back that up, these are some of the ones I've seen "in the flesh":

http://collections.glasgowmuseums.co...43444;type=101

and:

http://collections.glasgowmuseums.co...32345;type=101

[hcobb]

"Solidly entrenched misnomer"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moKNGGI2XaQ

[Hobgoblin]

I'm not sure the video settles the argument. Both types of sword appear to have been called "claymore" at roughly the same time. One argument I've read is that when the two-handed swords were in widespread use in the Highlands, they were called claidheamh-mór, and when basket-hilted broadswords replaced them (or became the most commonly used swords), they took the name.

I've also seen the suggestion that some broadswords may have used cut-down/reforged two-hander blades, though I'm not sure if there's any evidence for that happening.

In the written sources, the term's used for two-handers in 1772 and broadswords in 1773. My guess, for what it's worth, is that, as so often, the terminology is less exact that "us nerds" might like it to be (whether the nerdery concerns from gaming or historical weaponry).

It's perfectly conceivable the that the Gaelic for "great sword" was used for both two-handed swords and basket-hilted broadswords - even contemporaneously. "Glaive", as I'm sure you all know, is used for either a sword and a polearm by different authors.

(As an aside, and in reference to systematising gaming nerdery, it's amazing how reluctant many gamers are to accept that Tolkien used "orc" and"goblin" synonymously - even when he tells us that he does AND uses "goblin" to refer to the largest sorts of orc!)

Anyway, my point here is that of the two types of sword that are commonly called "claymore", one is very much a two-handed sword (with an average hilt length of 13 inches), and the other is very much a one-handed sword (with a snug basket hilt that you can't get two hands around).

[larsdangly]

I intended the Claymore to be a stand in for any heavy bladed hand-and-a-half sword. My interpretation is that the bastard sword in the official rules is effectively a typical longsword, whereas the 'claymore' is the same idea but with a heavier blade and hilt.

[TippetsTX]

BTW, does anyone else prefer a different placement for the rapier on the current weapon table? Personally, I would keep it as a ST9 weapon, but give it a bit more damage (1d+1) and then shift shortsword down to ST8 and 1d damage so that the weaker races have a decent melee option besides the dagger.