Martial Arts: Polearm/Quarterstaff/Weapon Adaptation

[bearit]

I going through my first GURPS campaign right now and have become stumped while reading through the weapons/skills sections of both Characters and Martial Arts. I hope this is not seen as long-winded, but thorough.

Ultimately i wish to design a fighting style similar to what i can assume Matrim Cauthon uses in the Wheel of Time series: using a Naginata weapon with the Staff skill.

Based off of defaults in Characters, the Naginata is a Polearm, and as such, defaults from Staff skill at -4.

The first question i have is: are the benefits and drawbacks listed by the weapon lists in Characters inherent to the use of the actual weapon or the skill? (e.g if i use a naginata with the staff skill, do i get +2 parry and free action reach change because the skill is staff? -or- if i use a quarterstaff with the polearm skill, do i get +2 parry and free action reach change because the weapon is a staff?)

The confusion comes from two differing perspectives.

1. The first is found under the Staff skill in Characters (p. 208) where it defines the skill (and subsequent +2 parry benefit) by defining the weapon used (balanced pole without striking head).

2. The second is found as an example in Martial Arts on p.50 under Form Mastery where it is implied that (using a spear) it would be advantageous to switch to Staff skill to defend (presumably to gain the +2 parry).

The second example promotes the idea that the +2 parry is innate to the use of the skill despite the actual weapon (a spear) having a striking head. This clashes with the first definition.

On a more practical note, even if my character could use a Naginata with the Staff skill and gain the +2 parry and free action reach change, that default is at -4 for polearms. This negates the bonus to parry while also lowering the skill to hit, giving (in my mind) no benefit over just using the Polearm skill other than the free action reach change.

So...

How am I to understand the Weapon Adaptation perk (Martial Arts p.52) and does this solve my problem?

By my understanding, this would allow me to use a Naginata (for cutting and impaling damage) with the benefits of the Staff skill (+2 parry, free action reach change) without a -4 default for Polearms.

Again, sorry for the essay here. I am trying to consolidate several threads for a more holistic understanding.

Edit: I feel like there are two issues here...

1. Does defaulting from the Staff skill grant staff-like qualities (e.g. +2 parry) or are those inherent in specific weapons (e.g. the quarterstaff)?

-and-

2. Does the Weapon Adaptation (Polearm to Staff) provide the +2 parry to a polearm used with the Staff skill?

Thanks for the responses so far. Just be sure to specify to which issue you are adressing.

[simply Nathan]

In the Basic Set you can also strike with the butt end of your Naginata at full Staff skill.

[Toptomcat]

I am facing an almost precisely similar problem with a character I'm putting together and am just about exactly as confused as you are, despite having read the books carefully and gone on an archive trawl for this forum. I eagerly look forward to the answers the great minds of the forum can give us.

[Railstar]

Checking my copy of Low Tech, there are weapons that use the Staff skill and do not give +2 Parry. Duelling Polearm is among them, with 0U Parry when swung and 0 Parry when thrusting. It also has [18] which says it's the butt of a two-yard polearm (list includes naginata) used as a staff.

On that basis I would assume no bonus to Parry from using Weapon Adaptation, because the +2 Parry is not universal. One could argue it is the skill and not the weapon… but other weapons on the list have +2 Parry when used with the Staff skill (not when used with Two-Handed Sword for quarterstaff or Broadsword for jo staff), and I doubt they are intended to give +4 total.

In essence, I would only give the +2 Parry if both the skill and weapon are a staff (although I would count spears as a staff unless stabbing).

[bearit]

Originally Posted by Railstar

Checking my copy of Low Tech, there are weapons that use the Staff skill and do not give +2 Parry. Duelling Polearm is among them, with 0U Parry when swung and 0 Parry when thrusting. It also has [18] which says it's the butt of a two-yard polearm (list includes naginata) used as a staff.

On that basis I would assume no bonus to Parry from using Weapon Adaptation, because the +2 Parry is not universal. One could argue it is the skill and not the weapon… but other weapons on the list have +2 Parry when used with the Staff skill (not when used with Two-Handed Sword for quarterstaff or Broadsword for jo staff), and I doubt they are intended to give +4 total.

In essence, I would only give the +2 Parry if both the skill and weapon are a staff (although I would count spears as a staff unless stabbing).

Under Weapon Adaptation it says, "This lets you wield the weapons covered by one weapon skill using a different skill and its techniques, with all the benefits and drawbacks of that skill, provided the replacement skill defaults to the usual one at no worse than -4 and uses the same number of hands (emphasis added)."

Perhaps I just don't know what this perk does.

What are the benefits and drawbacks that are gained from the replacement skill?

What remains from the replaced skill/weapon?

[Ulzgoroth]

It's simple enough: although the rules never actually say so that I can tell, a spear is balanced exactly the same as a staff and simply can be used as one.

This isn't true of polearms.

The staff parry bonus is part of the stat-line. Not all Staff skill stat-lines get it, and using a Staff with another skill doesn't either (see Two-Handed Sword).

[Gollum]

The +2 to parry is still in the definition of the skill:

"Staff (DX/Average): Any long, balanced pole without a striking head. This skill makes good use of the staff’s extensive parrying surface when defending, giving +2 to your Parry score. Defaults: Polearm-4 or Spear-2." (Basic Set, Characters, page 208).

And I second Bearit's question. If the perk doesn't give this +2 for polearms, what benefit and drawback does it give for them?

[Ji ji]

Originally Posted by Gollum

This skill makes good use of the staff’s extensive parrying surface when defending, giving +2 to your Parry score.

Here it specifically nominates the staff, not any shaft used a pole.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Ji ji

Here it specifically nominates the staff, not any shaft used a pole.

Is the pole of a polearm significantly different from that of a staff?
If so, I'll need to use the weapon modification rules in order to add a spear/polearm head to an actual staff (it's in MA).

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Is the pole of a polearm significantly different from that of a staff?

Yes, on account of having a big thing on the end...