implausibly long swords, stats?

[Plane]

Does anyone know if there are rules on how to instruct implausibly long swords (like say 4+ yards) that would've never been traditionally useful beyond ornamental purposes since they would normally either need to be very thin/brittle to be light enough to wield (so would break in battle) or very thick/heavy to be usable (limiting their speed, assuming they could be swung at all) ?

I was thinking that because there are special enchantments which can increase the durability of items or decrease the weight of items that such swords, initially constructed with horrible stats, might actually be improved through enchantment to become useful in battle.

They should still probably have a lot of drawbacks, like the penalty for using high-reach weapons at closer ranges... and compared to ranged weapons, you couldn't as easily just shoot overtop allies in an arc (like arrows) you would need to aim in a straight line THROUGH them, making it harder to avoid.

I realize in terms of designing advantages you would probably just make it a 'jet' but I'm wondering for non-advantage approaches to doing these, how to assign realistic stats so you could use them (maybe just once, then it breaks) in battle (sword of like how the Giant's Knife breaks while the Biggoron's Sword doesn't) and then maybe compensate for that using enchantments or some kind of DR-endowing Affliction.

[GWJ]

Maybe "Absurd Rapiers" from Fantasy-Tech 2? Or "Giant Swords" (the same book), but they are just greater versions, not just longer (giant sword with Reach 5 weiighs 86 lbs :P )

[zoncxs]

Scaling weapons is in Low Tech companion 2.

Thrusting greatsword SM+0
sw+3 cut or thr+3 imp; Reach 1, 2; $900; 7 lbs.; ST 12.

Following the rules in the above pdf we get:

Thrusting greatsword SM+2
sw+8 cut or thr+8 imp; Reach 2, 4; $5625; 43.75 lbs.; ST 30.

But that means anyone of SM 0 has a -2 to skill to use this weapon, before ST penalty. The best we can do is the following (also in the pdf):


Thrusting greatsword SM+2, with SM+1 grip.
sw+8 cut or thr+8 imp; Reach 2, 4; $8437.50; 43.75 lbs.; ST 30.


For a normal-ish person to use it without penalty due to SM difference they would need Huge Weapons (SM) perk.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by zoncxs

Scaling weapons is in Low Tech companion 2.

Thrusting greatsword SM+0
sw+3 cut or thr+3 imp; Reach 1, 2; $900; 7 lbs.; ST 12.

Following the rules in the above pdf we get:

Thrusting greatsword SM+2
sw+8 cut or thr+8 imp; Reach 2, 4; $5625; 43.75 lbs.; ST 30.

But that means anyone of SM 0 has a -2 to skill to use this weapon, before ST penalty.

Thanks for directing me here, read pg 21.

That's a good place to start, but I'm thinking in terms of scaling down the thickness of the weapon so that it isn't as heavy (and has a lower ST requirement) in exchange for being easier to damage.

Like say you kept the total mass fixed (you made the sword thinner, or hollow) as you lengthened a sword to double, triple, or even quadruple it's normal reach.

The ST requirement might still be higher (bad leverage) but it should be less than the ST required by the equal-density scaled up version.

Even if the same total weight meant the same amount of total HP, since that HP would be spread out over a bigger volume, it should be a more fragile weapon.

Originally Posted by zoncxs

The best we can do is the following (also in the pdf):

Thrusting greatsword SM+2, with SM+1 grip.
sw+8 cut or thr+8 imp; Reach 2, 4; $8437.50; 43.75 lbs.; ST 30.

I don't know why it would be capped to at most a 1 SM difference though. It should in theory be possible for ANY disparity, but perhaps with it being more costly? InuYasha's Tessaiga comes to mind as one example where there's a huge disparity between the length/width of the blade compared to thickness handle, as an example. The Zanbato wielded by Sagara Sanosuke is another, although it had a long handle, it was narrow.

Originally Posted by GWJ

Maybe "Absurd Rapiers" from Fantasy-Tech 2?

This is the closest match I've seen in the books so far...

It doesn't elaborate as much as I'd like though. I was hoping on more specifics like making them flimsier in exchange for being lighter (without losing reach).

The examples in the list seem to have higher ST requirements than usual rapiers.

I think this could serve as a baseline but I'd need some other kind of rule on how to lighten weapons whilst weakening them.

Originally Posted by GWJ

Or "Giant Swords" (the same book), but they are just greater versions, not just longer (giant sword with Reach 5 weiighs 86 lbs :P )

*reads pg 8* I think the "Lighter Giant Swords" option is NEARLY what I'm looking for, but it treats the weapon as having full weight for calculating HP, which isn't what I want...

These basically assume it to be "orichalcum" or similar, but I'm looking for the pathetic baseline stats if you made such things out of wispy or hollow amounts of mundane materials with normal weights.