A question about sword-and-planet

[whswhs]

So I'm looking at doing a planetary romance campaign set on Lowellian Mars.

A human being, with ST 10, has BL 20 lbs. On Mars, an object that weighs 20 lbs. on Earth weighs only 7.5 lbs. So a human-equivalent Martian with Martian native gravity needs ST 6 (approximately).

So here is a thrusting broadsword that weighs 3 lbs. and requires ST 10 on Earth. Which of the following is true?

* On Mars, its weight is reduced to 1.125 lbs., so it requires less ST. For simplicity, since ST 6 on Mars corresponds to ST 10 on Earth for lifting, it does so as well for wielding weapons, and a broadsword on Mars requires ST 6.

* On Mars, its mass in unchanged, so it still requires ST 10, and hardly any Martians can use broadswords. Suitable weapons for Martians are knives, batons, short staffs, smallswords, javelins, and whips up to 1 yard long. Buff Martians can wield blackjacks, nunchaku, quarterstaffs, and whips up to 2 yards long.

Or is something else true? I'd rather not use a complicated formula if a simple one is a tolerable approximation, but I can work with one if I have to.

I stipulate that things are going to be more complex for bows; let's focus primarily on melee weapons first.

[Boomerang]

I would go with the mass is unchanged so strength requirements are the same. Mainly for simplicity, I don't know what the official rule is. I expect GURPS Space would cover something like this.

[Anthony]

Depends somewhat on what you think min ST actually means. Realistically, the ST 6 character can wield it, but really slowly (all actions are executed at 60% normal speed), which would not be very effective against someone with earth-gravity reaction times.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Depends somewhat on what you think min ST actually means. Realistically, the ST 6 character can wield it, but really slowly (all actions are executed at 60% normal speed), which would not be very effective against someone with earth-gravity reaction times.

Well, "what min ST actually means" is exactly the question I'm asking, I think. So what's your analysis?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Well, "what min ST actually means" is exactly the question I'm asking, I think. So what's your analysis?

I think by RAW it doesn't change. There's something to be said for applying the skill penalty for insufficient ST, but not applying the fatigue penalty.

[Culture20]

I would rule that mass and weight interact to create the ST requirement, so someone can use a Broadsword, but because they can't handle the inertia properly, the weapon becomes unready. Weapons that normally become unready would become two-handed weapons, etc.

The biggest problem the Martians face is they'll only do damage according to their ST, not their "Earth Equivilant" ST.

I'm curious about the DX affects of armor. If I'm ST 8 but wearing double maille with heavy plate over that, I can stand and walk, but starting and stopping will be slow. Do full encumbrance penalties for fighting occur but not for fatigue from fighting or hiking?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I think by RAW it doesn't change. There's something to be said for applying the skill penalty for insufficient ST, but not applying the fatigue penalty.

I can see some logic to that. And of course it will apply to Earthmen, too; a ST 11 Earthman won't get tired swinging a mace (its weight is reduced to that of a hatchet), but he'll be at -1 to skill because it's still too massive for him.

What does this imply about Martian weapons technology? Assume that the "typical" Martian is actually rather taller than an Earthman, but skinnier, giving him ST 8 and 10 HP. What weapons will he favor? Are there any weapons that work better for him?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by whswhs

So I'm looking at doing a planetary romance campaign set on Lowellian Mars.

A human being, with ST 10, has BL 20 lbs. On Mars, an object that weighs 20 lbs. on Earth weighs only 7.5 lbs. So a human-equivalent Martian with Martian native gravity needs ST 6 (approximately).
.

Starting here you've gone astray by making all humanoid uses of ST measured by weight and not mass. This is obviously false. Moving your own body and objects at a "normal" speed is opposing inertial mass and not gravitational mass.

You could do something complicated but 4e-like by giving human-like Martians Striking ST 10 and Lifting ST 6. HP would probably still be 10 as well. As I said rather complicated.

Or you could average the 100% of Striking and the 38% of Lifting into a composite ST score of 69% which would round to an 8. Simpler ad there is still a quite adequate number of weapons (particularly Fencing ones) usable at ST 8.

As to Encumbrance it would probably be only load while Hiking that truly benefited from the lower gravitational mass. Almost everything else and especially combat-related involves inertia and will be unchanged.

[vicky_molokh]

Low-Tech Companion 2, page 15-16, says to use weight (not mass) for figuring up weapon MinST, and lists numbers in pounds (not slugs). So MinST is clearly calculated by weight, not mass.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Low-Tech Companion 2, page 15-16, says to use weight (not mass) for figuring up weapon MinST, and lists numbers in pounds (not slugs). So MinST is clearly calculated by weight, not mass.

.....or maybe it just says "weight" when it means "mass" the way many people do.