Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post

TheOneTrueClockWorK · 11-18-2016, 06:18 PM

There's a few house rules I'm thinking about implementing in my game, and I'd like the opinions of the forums.

Combat Skills

The Shortsword skill would be merged with Broadsword to create One-Handed Sword (DX/A). All fencing skills minus Main-Gauche would be merged in Fencing Sword (DX/A). Main-Gauche would be renamed Fencing Knife (DX/A), and would lose its off-hand parry bonus, as well as the elimination of parrying penalties with small knives, which both could be regained via a perk named Parrying Dagger Training. The Knife (DX/E) skill would have an additional -1 penalty to parry, on top of any penalty the knife already has, as a result of less training to defend with a knife. Staff and Polearm skill would simply be merged into a Polearm (DX/A) skill. Spears could use the Spear (DX/A) skill for one or two-handed use, or the Polearm (DX/A) skill for two-handed use only.

Familiarity rules would then replace the penalty for using weapons typically in a different skill.

I still need to work out how defaults would change.

Two-Handed Weapon Damage

Weapons wielded in a two-handed grip deal and additional +1 damage per die of basic damage after the first. This is to help two-handed weapons scale better with high strength.

Two-Handed Grip

Any one-handed weapon may be wielded with two hands by placing the off hand overtop of the main hand, on the wrist, on the pommel, etc. This is awkward, giving -2 to attack, but giving +1 to damage as well as allowing the Two-Handed Weapon Damage rule to be used. In this case, use the better of the One- or Two-Handed weapon skill. If the weapon has a longer grip designed to accommodate two-handed use, such as a longsword or an axe, you may simply opt to use the weapons standard two-handed use rules.

Assuming this grip takes a ready maneuver, unless you have Grip Mastery (MA50).

Defensive Stance

This is a modification to Defensive Grip (MA109). This does not require a two-handed grip. Instead, the fighter holds his weapon out and the rest of his body back, or diagonally in front of him if he is wielding a polearm or spear. This makes it easier to parry frontal attacks, but tougher to parry any other attack. The fighter gains a +1 to parry attacks from the front, but a -1 to parry attacks from anywhere else.

With a two-handed weapon, this usually involves widening the grip. A fighter may widen the grip on their two-handed weapon, such as by gripping the ricaso or sliding one hand up a polearm. This effectively reinforces the weapon, giving -1 to odds of breakage, while also reducing the arc of swing, giving -2 to hit with a wild swing and giving the worse of -2 or -1 per die to damage with swinging attacks. However, they do not need to do this.

A sword user may place one hand near the end of the sword. This gives all the benefits of the extended grip on a two-handed weapon, with the addition of giving +1 to hit on thrusts, as well as removing -1 to hit an armored foe. This reduced damage further, however, and gives -1 per die to thrusting damage, along with the worse of -3 or -2 per die to damage on a swing.

Assuming this stance requires a ready maneuver, Grip Mastery reduces this to a free action.

Parrying Flails

Flails are parried at -4, and still blocked at -2, but any weapon weighing less than two pounds is not substantial enough to parry a flail at all. If a weapon weighing less than two pounds is held two-handed, it may parry flails at the usual penalty.

Thoughts on these? I have some others, and I may post them later, but I'm out of time right now.

11-18-2016, 06:18 PM	#1
TheOneTrueClockWorK Join Date: Oct 2016	Thoughts on some house rules? There's a few house rules I'm thinking about implementing in my game, and I'd like the opinions of the forums. Combat Skills The Shortsword skill would be merged with Broadsword to create One-Handed Sword (DX/A). All fencing skills minus Main-Gauche would be merged in Fencing Sword (DX/A). Main-Gauche would be renamed Fencing Knife (DX/A), and would lose its off-hand parry bonus, as well as the elimination of parrying penalties with small knives, which both could be regained via a perk named Parrying Dagger Training. The Knife (DX/E) skill would have an additional -1 penalty to parry, on top of any penalty the knife already has, as a result of less training to defend with a knife. Staff and Polearm skill would simply be merged into a Polearm (DX/A) skill. Spears could use the Spear (DX/A) skill for one or two-handed use, or the Polearm (DX/A) skill for two-handed use only. Familiarity rules would then replace the penalty for using weapons typically in a different skill. I still need to work out how defaults would change. Two-Handed Weapon Damage Weapons wielded in a two-handed grip deal and additional +1 damage per die of basic damage after the first. This is to help two-handed weapons scale better with high strength. Two-Handed Grip Any one-handed weapon may be wielded with two hands by placing the off hand overtop of the main hand, on the wrist, on the pommel, etc. This is awkward, giving -2 to attack, but giving +1 to damage as well as allowing the Two-Handed Weapon Damage rule to be used. In this case, use the better of the One- or Two-Handed weapon skill. If the weapon has a longer grip designed to accommodate two-handed use, such as a longsword or an axe, you may simply opt to use the weapons standard two-handed use rules. Assuming this grip takes a ready maneuver, unless you have Grip Mastery (MA50). Defensive Stance This is a modification to Defensive Grip (MA109). This does not require a two-handed grip. Instead, the fighter holds his weapon out and the rest of his body back, or diagonally in front of him if he is wielding a polearm or spear. This makes it easier to parry frontal attacks, but tougher to parry any other attack. The fighter gains a +1 to parry attacks from the front, but a -1 to parry attacks from anywhere else. With a two-handed weapon, this usually involves widening the grip. A fighter may widen the grip on their two-handed weapon, such as by gripping the ricaso or sliding one hand up a polearm. This effectively reinforces the weapon, giving -1 to odds of breakage, while also reducing the arc of swing, giving -2 to hit with a wild swing and giving the worse of -2 or -1 per die to damage with swinging attacks. However, they do not need to do this. A sword user may place one hand near the end of the sword. This gives all the benefits of the extended grip on a two-handed weapon, with the addition of giving +1 to hit on thrusts, as well as removing -1 to hit an armored foe. This reduced damage further, however, and gives -1 per die to thrusting damage, along with the worse of -3 or -2 per die to damage on a swing. Assuming this stance requires a ready maneuver, Grip Mastery reduces this to a free action. Parrying Flails Flails are parried at -4, and still blocked at -2, but any weapon weighing less than two pounds is not substantial enough to parry a flail at all. If a weapon weighing less than two pounds is held two-handed, it may parry flails at the usual penalty. Thoughts on these? I have some others, and I may post them later, but I'm out of time right now.