Default between one- and two-handed use

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Icelander

I'm not arguing that these should be the same skill. But I do feel that it is extremely illogical to assess a -2 to skill for someone using a weapon with a grip insufficiently wide with two hands, but give an effective -4 to skill when someone uses a weapon designed for the purpose the same way.

I think the penalty ought to be the same, with training in the two-handed form and technique (Two-Handed [foo] skill) being available to raise it.

What is the reason for the huge default* between Broadsword and Two-Handed Sword?

I'm on the train, replying from my phone, so excuse me if I don't check the books.

I would rule in my games that you can use a weapon that can be used both one handed and two handed with either skill when using a defensive grip. You just apply the necessary bonuses/penalties to the relevant stat line

In my games, my house rule is that you can improve from default, for any skill, as a double cost hard technique, making it cheaper past the initial adaptation, where the cost is the same.

[Kazander]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

In my games, my house rule is that you can improve from default, for any skill, as a double cost hard technique, making it cheaper past the initial adaptation, where the cost is the same.

I didn't even make it that hard; it's just a Hard Technique IMC.

In 20 years of playing GURPS, no one I gamed with ever raised a default past the initial 1 point in the skill if they were defaulting off a higher skill until I instituted this change. It just made no sense to raise 1 skill for full cost (the lower one) when you could raise both of them for the same cost by raising the higher one.

Obviously I'm applying this to more than just one-handed/two-handed defaults here, but it applies.