06-03-2023, 01:57 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Stats for Ancient Roman (Gladiator) Weapons?
I was wondering if this appeared in any supplements? Particularly I was hoping to find the stats for a "Gladius"...or should I just use the stats for a shortsword?
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06-03-2023, 02:07 PM | #2 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: Stats for Ancient Roman (Gladiator) Weapons?
Martial Arts: Gladiators has a lot on this.
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06-03-2023, 03:51 PM | #3 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: Stats for Ancient Roman (Gladiator) Weapons?
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The Gladius is an iconic shortsword and should use those stats unless as a GM you want to get into a lot of fine detail. From known examples the gladius seems to have been on the heavy side of shortswords, very often more than the 2lbs Gurps lists. A GM who wanted to create stats for a "Heavy Shortsword" and perhaps give it another pt of damage along with a higher Min ST would be within his rights. This would blur the difference between Thrusting Broadsword and Shortsword but what rules make a bright line for the sake of clarity was often rather blurry in the real world.
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Fred Brackin |
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06-03-2023, 04:44 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Re: Stats for Ancient Roman (Gladiator) Weapons?
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06-03-2023, 05:04 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Houston, TX
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Re: Stats for Ancient Roman (Gladiator) Weapons?
Actually, Roman period military manuals emphasize stabbing: its more easily done through a shield-wall, and can cause deeper wounds (vitals for x3!).
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06-04-2023, 01:11 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York City
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Re: Stats for Ancient Roman (Gladiator) Weapons?
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06-04-2023, 01:23 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: Stats for Ancient Roman (Gladiator) Weapons?
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Feel free to give the gladius +1 damage to Thrust _and_ Cut. I've seen modern replicas cut deeply on Forged in Fire. You can go even further out into the weeds chasing the difference between tempered high carbon steel (probably at least Fine at TL2) and low carbon iron (Cheap). That might be the biggest change to default rules. Modern blades of inadequate carbon content or poor tempering cut very poorly.
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Fred Brackin |
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06-04-2023, 01:30 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York City
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Re: Stats for Ancient Roman (Gladiator) Weapons?
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It's just that stab wounds to the torso are much more lethal than cuts (which can also be deadly. I'm not saying they cant be.) |
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06-04-2023, 01:53 PM | #9 | ||
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Re: Stats for Ancient Roman (Gladiator) Weapons?
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That said, did the gladiators use legionary fighting styles? I can see the doctores not being keen on a style which leads to quick scuffles and dead gladiators when you could have a more performative style that leads to longer, visually impressive fights with a lot of showy, shallow cuts and plenty of non-fatal blood loss. |
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06-04-2023, 02:06 PM | #10 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: Stats for Ancient Roman (Gladiator) Weapons?
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The quote was early period when them backwards foreigners were first encountering units armed with gladii compared to the more narrow thrust-only weapons (like javelins) they would have been used to. Mars alone knows if it was true at the time it was written but it was the sort of story Roman sources were telling at that time. Those shallow wounds in gladiatorial combat would have been more likely with strange things like scissore. On the other hand, Sica do almost nothing but cut deeply.
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Fred Brackin |
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