Defense Bonus for Staff questions (4e)
 

I see that the quarterstaff gets +2 DB when used with the Staff skill, but the naginata does not. Is this because the naginata is a staff with a shortsword stuck to one end, and thus is not balanced well enough to get the DB?

If so, is it safe to assume this would also be the case with other polearms used with the Staff skill? Low Tech has the option of making short polearms (like halberds and glaives) with reach 1,2.

Would a spear used with Staff skill (and I'm amazed it wasn't listed on the weapon table as an option) get the +2 DB or not? While it is a staff with a large dagger stuck to one end, I don't believe that the spear head weighs enough to change the balance of it's "staffness" very much. Quarterstaff and spear have the same weight and reach.

And finally, what about the tetsubo? It is a metal staff that weighs 10 lb and has a minimum ST 13 (I think). I think it should get the +2 DB, since it is not unbalanced, just rather heavy; the high minimum ST should make up for that.

Or is it all just a typo and any weapon wielded with the Staff skill should get +2 DB?

Re: Defense Bonus for Staff questions (4e)
 

Any balanced weapon used with Staff skill gets +2 Parry. However, there is no such thing as "+2U" Parry, which is why the naginata is "0U." Note that contrary to gaming myth, a tetsubo isn't really an iron staff . . . it's closer to a honking huge maul. It just happens to be baseball bat-shaped instead of hammer-shaped. It would definitely use Two-Handed Axe/Mace skill, not Staff.

Re: Defense Bonus for Staff questions (4e)
 

That makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.

I was going on the Martial Arts description of a tetsubo. I had no clue what they actually looked like.

Thanks!

Re: Defense Bonus for Staff questions (4e)
 

He's right...
It looks like an over-sized, metal-shod, baseball bat.

Here:
http://www.l5r.co.uk/chronicles/personae.htm
Scrol down to the picture of Hida Komatsu

Re: Defense Bonus for Staff questions (4e)
 

A bat with nails in it. That's pretty cool.

Re: Defense Bonus for Staff questions (4e)
 

And not to forget the tonfa!
I'm missing it's DB, or at least that I can use it with my Karate skill...

Re: Defense Bonus for Staff questions (4e)
 

Well, the Basic Set didn't have room to list all these, but they'd have a Parry statistic of 0F. They wouldn't have a bonus to Parry; they're too short, however many tines they have. Still, 0F is a huge benefit.

Re: Defense Bonus for Staff questions (4e)
 

That looks like a D&D Morningstar.

Re: Defense Bonus for Staff questions (4e)
 

Another one that needs to wait for Martial Arts, basically. It won't get a bonus to parry, I'm afraid . . . it's just not that much better than a stick without a sidegrip. It definitely needs to work with Karate, though, which lets you use the benefits of the Karate parry.