02-01-2018, 11:14 PM | #11 |
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
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Re: So... how to model certain weapons from a popular TV show
Isn't this an example of what ethnic cool was written for?
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02-01-2018, 11:20 PM | #12 |
Join Date: Nov 2011
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Re: So... how to model certain weapons from a popular TV show
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02-02-2018, 12:07 AM | #13 |
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Brighton
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Re: So... how to model certain weapons from a popular TV show
I'm not sure Valaryian steel is that amazing, it does however have a specific advantage when it comes to white walkers (but I always got the impression that was a lucky coincidence). Id say it's expense and rarity comes more from the fact it's almost lost technique/knowledge.
IIRC Tywin manages to have access (at great expense) to a smith who can work with existing examples but not create it from scratch. I was never quite sure how that worked since the smith in question turns one big sword into two smaller swords?! In TL3-4 I'd make it superfine and just ramp up the cost / availability I think that's thematically a good way to do it (just make it an ethnic cool material/manufacture process) True but you could just say weapons made of it upgrade to Ethnic cool. Historically all kinds of amazing qualities was attributed to "Damascus steel" (not that Damascus steel was completely ordinary, but stories have a habit of growing) |
02-02-2018, 12:29 AM | #14 | |
Join Date: Nov 2011
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Re: So... how to model certain weapons from a popular TV show
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Ethnic Cool doesn't mean anything. It has different results depending on the weapon, and there aren't enough examples to give even basic coverage of standard sword varieties. Nor are the effects appropriate. Valyrian steel has consistent effects regardless of the form its used in, it doesn't make some things into fencing weapons and others better at targeting the vitals. |
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02-02-2018, 02:42 AM | #15 |
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
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Re: So... how to model certain weapons from a popular TV show
Couple of notes.
First, the 'random' Valyrian steel dagger was stolen from the personal collection of the King of the Seven Kingdoms, who rules an area about the size of South America, with, judging from the size of the armies, a population in excess of 100 million people. Yes, from seizing the property of rebellious nobles and the 'gifts' he receives from fearful/favour-currying houses, King Robert has a ridiculous number of extremely valuable objects he doesn't use regularly. No, this doesn't mean that anyone else in the world is likely to have quite such an abundance of cherished heirlooms in his personal possession. Second, it's mentioned enough times that where even a steel sword of high quality, made by renowned smiths, are unable to penetrate the armour of knights, Valyrian steel blade can not only pierce mail and plate, but actually cut through it. This makes a swordsman with such a blade a much greater threat than one wielding a conventional weapon. So, I'd count them as more than Very Fine. Superfine and Balanced should do it.
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02-02-2018, 03:46 AM | #16 | ||
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Brighton
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Re: So... how to model certain weapons from a popular TV show
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If you look at those ethnic cool weapons they're just basically better versions of the underlying weapon anyway. As I initially said make it superfine and have done. The point about "Ethnic cool" is really just more about the theme of mystique and accessibility. *honestly I had a look there seems to be generally "It's sharp", and "it's light" when it comes to bigger swords. So yeah adding 0F and a point or two of damage seems about right Last edited by Tomsdad; 02-02-2018 at 04:05 AM. |
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02-02-2018, 04:04 AM | #17 |
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Brighton
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Re: So... how to model certain weapons from a popular TV show
One other thought, if you use Douglas Cole's "The Broken Blade" (Pyramid 3/87), I certainly think they could qualify for some bonuses there!
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02-02-2018, 06:23 AM | #18 | |||
Join Date: Nov 2011
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Re: So... how to model certain weapons from a popular TV show
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That's not to say that it proves valyrian steel isn't rare, but it does give you a bit of range depending on which parts of the source material you want to emphasize. Likewise, there's the issue of where certain rare maesters are getting the valyrian steel to forge their links if the nobility is guarding the stuff too jealously. Quote:
What is interesting is that reforgeability is apparently it isn't an automatic property of the metal. That is, there's a certain level of forge-like conditions that will de-valyrian a sword. Quote:
Its completely inappropriate for it to add fencing parry. ASOIAF is a setting where fencing vs not-fencing is a relevant distinction and the point of adding fencing parry to the legendary katana or zweihander is to erase distinctions and make them outcompete the jian or edged rapier on its own territory. A bonus to target the vitals is even less appropriate, since it doesn't have anything to do with valyrian steel. And Ethnic Cool is just not the option for accessibility. There isn't even a single Ethnic Cool weapon that uses broadsword. |
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02-02-2018, 07:06 AM | #19 | ||||||
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Brighton
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Re: So... how to model certain weapons from a popular TV show
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Now if the properties are not effected by such a process than yeah sure. Quote:
To be fair maybe it not actually steel or very steel like Quote:
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Why not, as I said originally I think thematically "this legendary cool thing that has all sorts of effects attributed to but is limited to some specific (and now defunct) culture so we only have what's left seem pretty in keeping? Quote:
To me ethnic cool is just an add on / lens? *is that all of them? Last edited by Tomsdad; 02-02-2018 at 08:18 AM. |
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02-02-2018, 07:19 AM | #20 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: So... how to model certain weapons from a popular TV show
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Swords into plowshares never requires you to make a puddle of metal, it just requires heat, hammering, folding, hammering, heat, hammering, and liberal amounts of flux for forge-welding (which is really just more heat and hammering). Watching a smith at work makes you appreciate why it was regarded as a magical art, but that's because metal is freaky in letting you do this sort of thing to it. If you watch Forged In Fire, you can regularly catch smiths stuck with the job of making a sword or knife or hatchet or whatever out of a piece of car, a lawnmower, a bunch of ball bearings, or some other inconvenient thing. They are smiths, they do not smelt. They only hammer.
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