Difference between Greatsword/Thrusting Greatsword

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by Dorin Thorha

When I read the rules for a non-thrusting Greatsword I always pictured something like what the Uruk Hai use in LOTR, without the spikes. Even if they were never made in real life, swords like that are common in fantasy settings.

http://www.moviepropshopuk.com/image...%20hai%20x.jpg

http://www.ucforums.com/photopost/da...rsword-med.jpg

GURPS treats these as falchions, not broadswords.

[Michele]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

GURPS treats these as falchions, not broadswords.

Hmm. But one might consider giving them a pick-like swing-impaling effect, treating the 90-degree point as a back spike. I seem to remember that the 3e Low Tech allowed such a customization.

[Dangerious P. Cats]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

I have had a hard enough time here just trying to convince people that the Romans cut with them at all. Most people consider the gladius to be a "thrust only"" sword. And they are shortswords not broadswords. "Spatha" is usually the term given to any Roman sword that is longer than a shortsword. It is as meaningless as the term "broadsword"

That a gladius can cut is not something you really understand until you hold one. There's a lot of cultural baggage attached to both thrusting weapons and Roman military prowess in western countries, so much so that they've become quite strongly allined. On the whole though people tend to automaticaly assume that strait weapons are for thrusting, curved for cutting, which isn't all that true. I don't think I've done a public event for any group I'm in without having to explain at least once that a backsword or cross hilted sword is first and foremost a cutting weapon.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Michele

Hmm. But one might consider giving them a pick-like swing-impaling effect, treating the 90-degree point as a back spike. I seem to remember that the 3e Low Tech allowed such a customization.

The combination weapon rules on MA 214 seem to limit picks and sickles to hafted weapons, but allow swords to be given hooks. This looks like a demonstration that that need not be the case.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Dangerious P. Cats

That a gladius can cut is not something you really understand until you hold one. There's a lot of cultural baggage attached to both thrusting weapons and Roman military prowess in western countries, so much so that they've become quite strongly allined. On the whole though people tend to automaticaly assume that strait weapons are for thrusting, curved for cutting, which isn't all that true. I don't think I've done a public event for any group I'm in without having to explain at least once that a backsword or cross hilted sword is first and foremost a cutting weapon.

IIRC, the Macedonians were horrified by the cutting power of the gladius and the wounds it left on bodies.

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

IIRC, the Macedonians were horrified by the cutting power of the gladius and the wounds it left on bodies.

"With the view of doing more to win the affections of his men and make them more ready to meet danger on his behalf, Philip paid special attention to the burial of the men who had fallen in the cavalry action and ordered the bodies to be brought into camp that all might see the honour paid to the dead. But nothing is so uncertain or so difficult to gauge as the temper of a mass of people. The very thing which was expected to make them keener to face any conflict only inspired them with hesitancy and fear. Philip's men had been accustomed to fighting with Greeks and Illyrians and had only seen wounds inflicted by javelins and arrows and in rare instances by lances. But when they saw bodies dismembered with the gladius hispaniensis, arms cut off from the shoulder, heads struck off from the trunk, bowels exposed and other horrible wounds, they recognised the style of weapon and the kind of man against whom they had to fight, and a shudder of horror ran through the ranks."
Livy 31.34.

[Dorin Thorha]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

GURPS treats these as falchions, not broadswords.

Even the big two-hander carried by the berzerkers?

[DanHoward]

Any blade from knife to two-handed can be a falchion variant. IIRC you just look up the stats for a regular blade, add +1 cut damage and reduce thrusting damage by -1. If it doesn't have any kind of point at all (like the orc example) then I'd convert thrusting damage to cr. A machete is a falchion, so is a kukri.

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by Dorin Thorha

Even the big two-hander carried by the berzerkers?

If you mean historical berzerkers then they never had any kind of two-handed sword. The only two-handed weapon they might have used would have been a Danish axe (or a spear) - same as all Scandinavian fighters.

[Dorin Thorha]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

If you mean historical berzerkers then they never had any kind of two-handed sword. The only two-handed weapon they might have used would have been a Danish axe (or a spear) - same as all Scandinavian fighters.

I was talking about the Uruk berzerkers in LOTR.

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/images...m/SSC10653.jpg

So I guess the question here is then "Why aren't all swords either Falchion variants or Thrusting variants?"