Striking with the flat of the blade

[Anders]

Yeah, I'm gonna reduce the damage by a point or two.

[DanHoward]

I'd allow it but reduce the base damage of the sword by a couple of points. Note that battle axes aren't the same as wood axes; they don't really have a flat back to strike with. You'd be hitting with the socket that holds the blade on the haft.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

I'd allow it but reduce the base damage of the sword by a couple of points. Note that battle axes aren't the same as wood axes; they don't really have a flat back to strike with. You'd be hitting with the socket that holds the blade on the haft.

Which is still metal and has the mass of the axe head behind it...

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

There are videos on that (this one by Skallagrim, for example), if you want to show your players.

And if you want to end your opponent rightly, throw your pommel at him!

Originally Posted by Anders

Yeah, I'm gonna reduce the damage by a point or two.

-1/die seems fair enough, and compensated for when smiting things with Vulnerability (Crushing).

[Joe]

Does anyone else kind of feel as if this should attract a -1 penalty to skill, at least until bought off with a technique (or maybe just worked off, like a familiarity penalty) ?

I realize this would a departure from RAW, so obviously, I'm wrong. But I think I would probably rule that way if GMing this: after all, this involves a change of grip, an unfamiliar blade profile, the blade would respond very differently when striking/sliding against surfaces (i.e. when blocked or parried), you'd have to leave out any of your techniques that relied on draw cuts etc, some openings in the flow of combat would no longer be viable, other kinds of opening would become available... and so on.

Any takers?

[benz72]

Originally Posted by Joe

Does anyone else kind of feel as if this should attract a -1 penalty to skill, at least until bought off with a technique (or maybe just worked off, like a familiarity penalty) ?

I realize this would a departure from RAW, so obviously, I'm wrong. But I think I would probably rule that way if GMing this: after all, this involves a change of grip, an unfamiliar blade profile, the blade would respond very differently when striking/sliding against surfaces (i.e. when blocked or parried), you'd have to leave out any of your techniques that relied on draw cuts etc, some openings in the flow of combat would no longer be viable, other kinds of opening would become available... and so on.

Any takers?

Agree, but probably below the resolution of fun.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

And if you want to end your opponent rightly, throw your pommel at him!

Yeah, that was a funny one. I still think it was something medieval writers put in as a joke or a trap, though - IIRC, the fechtbuchen were a means of advertising their services as teachers, so they would sometimes leave things out, or add pointless bits, so that people would need to go to them.

[Ji ji]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Do note that this is likely to change the skill required to Axe/Mace due to making the weapon Unbalanced (U-Parry).

This is how it is managed in Martial Arts. Swords held by the blade are two-hand round maces.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Joe

Does anyone else kind of feel as if this should attract a -1 penalty to skill, at least until bought off with a technique (or maybe just worked off, like a familiarity penalty) ?

I realize this would a departure from RAW, so obviously, I'm wrong. But I think I would probably rule that way if GMing this: after all, this involves a change of grip, an unfamiliar blade profile, the blade would respond very differently when striking/sliding against surfaces (i.e. when blocked or parried), you'd have to leave out any of your techniques that relied on draw cuts etc, some openings in the flow of combat would no longer be viable, other kinds of opening would become available... and so on.

Any takers?

Unfamiliarity maybe - if you never ever used the Broadsword skill with a stick.

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

That seems to amount to 1-2 points of damage on a normal sword (the amount that can be attributed to sharpness of a sword as opposed to just its mass×velocity; compare to a stick of a similar mass, with no edge).

Its also that a sword is not built to move perpendicular to the plane of the edge, that its flexible in that line, that its very wide in that line so distributes the impact which is left after flexing ... so yes, -1 or -2 damage would be fair. Someone who wants to bludgeon the undead should use the pommel or an actual mace or club.