Swashbuckling more

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by whswhs

From what I've read, in the proper swashbuckling era, say around 1700, pistols were not used in duels; that came in later.

Bill Stoddard

Not too much later: by my understanding it became increasingly popular throughout the 18th century, and with the publication of the Irish "Code Duello" in 1777, it became the norm (after the golden age of piracy, but well within the golden age of highway robbery!)

Sorry, for the off topic post anyway.

On topic: I've always wanted to devise a swashbuckling style with the perk Weapon Adaptation (Pistol to Main Gauche), so that a spent gun can be used to parry in the off-hand.

[combatmedic]

How about a sword and pistol style? A bandoleer of flintlock pistols and a cutlass would be a nice combo. Shoot, drop, draw, shoot---slash, stab,slash!

[benz72]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

How about a sword and pistol style? A bandoleer of flintlock pistols and a cutlass would be a nice combo. Shoot, drop, draw, shoot---slash, stab,slash!

....crawl..stagger.. roll... crawl... crawl .... stagger

[Dangerious P. Cats]

Pistol duelling was only really ever popular in the English speacking world mind. Duels with swords persisted in Europe reputedly as recently as the first world war. Personally I'd be inclined to add intimidation as an optional skill since pistol dueling is primarily about staying calm enough to shoot the other person.

As much as British military sword styles were taught in regiments rather than as an official training program we know that they were generall quite similar, certainly similar enough to construct a fairly indevidual style. Given my campaign to get British fencing more recognition here's a rough suggestion at British naval cutlass based on the bit of it I've done with my historical fencing group. The style is a highly simplified version of Broadsword fencing (it was felt that saliors couldn't learn anything too complicated). Most of the cinimatic skills a fighter might know would come from broadsword fighting.

Skills: Shortsword, Savior-Fair (military)
Techniques: Counter Attack (shortsword)
Cinimatic skills: Flying leap
Perks: Drunken fighting, Naval Training, Weapon adaptation (broadsword with shortswrod skill)

Optional traits
Skills: Brawling, Wresting, Guns (pistol), Broadsword
Tecniques: Feint

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Dangerious P. Cats

Pistol duelling was only really ever popular in the English speacking world mind.

It was MORE popular in the English speaking world, but it was common enough in the western world from 1800 on. At least in Literature, "The Count of Monte Cristo" (French) and "Eugene Oneigin" (Russian) both feature pistol duels prominently. (Oniegin's author, Alexsandr Pushkin, fought at least two duels himself, but I can't seem to find record of what weapons were used.)

Originally Posted by Dangerious P. Cats

Skills: Shortsword, Savior-Fair (military)

You certainly know more about historical swordsmanship than I do, but it seems like this would be an excellent opportunity to finally have a historical Saber based style, perhaps with Weapon Adaptation (Swordsword to Saber). If the footwork and blade positioning are derived from fencing styles it makes sense to me. As a GM I'd even wave the 10 pt minimum to buy Weapon Adaptation for such a style. And I'd build the parent styles (of which sailors were allegedly taught a truncated version) as full saber styles if appropriate.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by benz72

....crawl..stagger.. roll... crawl... crawl .... stagger

Yellowbeard!

[Philosopher Rogue]

I really like that "Doesn't Flinch" perk.. Nice touch!

[Kale]

A sword and pistol style WOULD be nifty. Since most gun-like weapons of the period were single shot it would be handy to come up with creative ways to use them once empty. I think a basic start would be using the butt of a pistol as a club, which they were designed for. Also, I'm really chomping at the bit for Low Tech to come out.

[Dangerious P. Cats]

Originally Posted by aesir23

It was MORE popular in the English speaking world, but it was common enough in the western world from 1800 on. At least in Literature, "The Count of Monte Cristo" (French) and "Eugene Oneigin" (Russian) both feature pistol duels prominently. (Oniegin's author, Alexsandr Pushkin, fought at least two duels himself, but I can't seem to find record of what weapons were used.)

Well, all generalisations are faulse...

From the research I've been doing I'm begging to think that the popularity pistol duelling was one of the main reasons why English Fencing declined, compared with the continent where most nation's fencing schools survived in some form to the present day.

Originally Posted by aesir23

You certainly know more about historical swordsmanship than I do, but it seems like this would be an excellent opportunity to finally have a historical Saber based style, perhaps with Weapon Adaptation (Swordsword to Saber). If the footwork and blade positioning are derived from fencing styles it makes sense to me. As a GM I'd even wave the 10 pt minimum to buy Weapon Adaptation for such a style. And I'd build the parent styles (of which sailors were allegedly taught a truncated version) as full saber styles if appropriate.

The cutlass style is a condenced verion of Highland Broadsword acording to Henry Angelo, but in general I like your thinking. If I were going to suggest a style (and I am) I'd suggest Aldred Hutton's method from Cold Steel, which is basically just English braodsword with bit of Classical Fencing for use with a 19th sabre (the Fencing Sabre in GURPS). It goes a little something like this:

Skills: Sabre, Savior-Fair (Salle)
Techniques: Counter Attack (Sabre), Feint (sabre),
Cinimatic skills: Precognitve parry, Sensitivity
Cinimatic Techniques: Fightng whilst seated (sabre), Initial carving, Timed defence (parry),
Perks: Weapon adaptation (broadsword with sabre skill), Detect Feint (+1 to resist feints)

Optional Traits:
Adavatages: military rank
Disadvantages: Code of Honor (gentelman's), Code of honour (soldier's)
Skills: History (fencing), Brawling, Wresteling, Two handed sword, Kinfe, spear, shield

Originally Posted by Kale

A sword and pistol style WOULD be nifty. Since most gun-like weapons of the period were single shot it would be handy to come up with creative ways to use them once empty. I think a basic start would be using the butt of a pistol as a club, which they were designed for. Also, I'm really chomping at the bit for Low Tech to come out.

In that case might I suggest this:

Englsih sword and pistol play
The ssytem of sword and pistol was devised by a number of English Naval officers sharing their expreince of using sword and pistol in the press of close combat. With it's roots in Highland braodsword the style teaches the practisioner to be sparing in their use of shot, firing only under circomstances where a hit is garentted. The prime concent is not the accuracy of the weapon but that the opponent might attack so as to meddle with one's aim, so shots are ussally fired after the opponent's sword has been bound or beated aside, or when the oppent is retreating. In this sense the pistol is secondary to the sword. The style also teaches how to safely ready a loaded pistol while fencing and to use the pistol and basket to club the enemy if they press too close.

Skills: Broadsword, Brawling, Guns (pistol), Fast-draw pistol
Techniques: Feint (Broadsword), bind (Broadsword), Close combat (Broadsword), Disarming (Broadsword), Close Quarter battle
Cinimatic skills: Precognitve parry, Zen Markesmanship
Cinimatic Techniques: Grand Disarm (Broadsword),
Perks: Quick-Sheath (pistol), May use bind with Broadsword (need to think of a better name)

Optional Traits:
Adavatages: military rank, enhanced dodge, Fearless
Disadvantages: Code of Honor (gentelman's), Code of honour (soldier's)
Skills: Guns (any), riding (horse), intimidation

[aesir23]

Excellent, I'm happy to have both of those styles at my disposal now.

I'd love to see a write-up of the Highland Broadsword style that you've now mentioned twice. Is it perchance the style that Rob Roy would have used?