On Swords, Blades and the Song of Swords

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Weapon Control† [New]
You are adept in controlling your unbalanced weapon and avoiding over-commitment in your attacks. When using an Unbalanced weapon, you may remove the U tag from the thrust attack mode of your weapon, if any. You may also elect to make a swinging attack at -1 damage that ignores the U tag of your weapon.

What do forumites think of it? Overpowered? Badly worded? Needs something more or less?

I don't think it's overpowered. It basically gives the benefit of a Defensive Attack, with a reduced damage penalty. It may only be appropriate for falchions et al, which IIRC are right on the breakpoint between regular and U parry, as opposed to axes and polearms which tend to be more solidly unbalanced.

[Mateus]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Under GURPS rules, a heavy saber like the dao is not tremendously useful. While a sw+2 cut damage is nice and all, being Parry 0U means that it's no better for defence than an axe and it's a lot more expensive than one.

On the theory that a trained swordsman can use a dao for both attack and defence, I have the following Perk, available as a Style Perk for any style teaching the dao or a similar weapon.

Weapon Control† [New]
You are adept in controlling your unbalanced weapon and avoiding over-commitment in your attacks. When using an Unbalanced weapon, you may remove the U tag from the thrust attack mode of your weapon, if any. You may also elect to make a swinging attack at -1 damage that ignores the U tag of your weapon.
You must specialise by Weapon, such as Weapon Control (Dao) or Weapon Control (Large Falchion). This Perk is only available for weapons approved by the GM, generally only unbalanced swords. At the GM's option, it might also be available for dueling polearms, axes and impact weapons, but in that case it is recommended that it only works with Fine (Balanced) versions of such weapons.

What do forumites think of it? Overpowered? Badly worded? Needs something more or less?

Sounds very nice to me. I can allow it as it is written. Is this sort on perk that can make a Style feels unique and stimulate the players to want a style badly =).

Congrats for all your work

[gjc8]

Originally Posted by Icelander

What do forumites think of it? Overpowered? Badly worded? Needs something more or less?

Seems a lot like Exotic Weapon Training, in the sense that it implies that certain classes of weapons are more difficult to use if you're unfamiliar but that training with that weapon removes the disadvantage.

[aesir23]

I've trained with the Dao (in Hsing-I and Bajiquan classes), and I wholeheartedly support your claim that it can be used to attack and defend better than it is represented in GURPS.

I suggested my own solution in a thread quite a long time ago, here. But I might like yours better.

Another essential thing about Dao that GURPS overlooked is that the handle is almost always long enough to allow two-handed use. When using the Dao, we have a second hand on the handle (or the back of the blade) as often as not.

So I would also argue for a second stat-line for the Dao used two handed, which should by no means be treated as Unbalanced.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Another essential thing about Dao that GURPS overlooked is that the handle is almost always long enough to allow two-handed use. When using the Dao, we have a second hand on the handle (or the back of the blade) as often as not.

So I would also argue for a second stat-line for the Dao used two handed, which should by no means be treated as Unbalanced.

If you look at the first page of this thread, you'll see that I do just that on the table there. I use the names 'Large Falchion' and 'Great Falchion' (depending on size), because it really doesn't matter whether it's a European or Chinese weapon, it will have more or less the same stats.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Icelander

If you look at the first page of this thread, you'll see that I do just that on the table there. I use the names 'Large Falchion' and 'Great Falchion' (depending on size), because it really doesn't matter whether it's a European or Chinese weapon, it will have more or less the same stats.

Ah, so I see. Well done.

I guess now the only thing I need is stats for the Da Dao :)

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Ah, so I see. Well done.

I guess now the only thing I need is stats for the Da Dao :)

'Great Falchion'.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Icelander

'Great Falchion'.

Fair enough.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Fair enough.

If it's large enough so that one-handed use is clumsy and only possible for very strong men, it can use 'Odachi' stats. There's even room for a 10.5 lbs.* version that is +1 to swing damage relative to the 'Odachi', has ST 13† and is Parry 0U. But these would be exceptionally big and heavy, even for dadao.

*Which means that the sword alone, without a sheeth, would weigh 7 lbs.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Icelander

If it's large enough so that one-handed use is clumsy and only possible for very strong men, it can use 'Odachi' stats. There's even room for a 10.5 lbs.* version that is +1 to swing damage relative to the 'Odachi', has ST 13† and is Parry 0U. But these would be exceptionally big and heavy, even for dadao.

*Which means that the sword alone, without a sheeth, would weigh 7 lbs.

Yeah, I'm sure any that big were made for showing off, long after sword fights were serious business.