Umbrella as an Improvised Weapon

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Escrima sticks use Smallsword (whether that makes sense or not)..

I always found that weird, since Smallsword was not a Swing weapon.

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

I always found that weird, since Smallsword was not a Swing weapon.

Smallsword is a Fencing skill and gets an improved Parry, Escrima is represented as having good defense techniques, Escrima gets a Fencing Parry. If it weren't a legacy build, it would probably be represented as a Style Perk in 4e.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Dalillama

Smallsword is a Fencing skill and gets an improved Parry, Escrima is represented as having good defense techniques, Escrima gets a Fencing Parry. If it weren't a legacy build, it would probably be represented as a Style Perk in 4e.

What legacy? Escrima used Short Staff skill in 3e. Jamming it into Fencing is a purely 4e thing.

[acrosome]

So, no, no umbrella stats anywhere I guess...

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by acrosome

So, no, no umbrella stats anywhere I guess...

Not as such. The stats on p. 225 of Martial Arts for a car's antenna as an improvised weapon look as if you could use them, but both the umbrella and the antenna are likely to break on a full-force blow, or a parry against such a blow.

[Pursuivant]

It might not be what you're looking for, but the nearest thing to official stats for an umbrella are in GURPS 3E Steam-Tech for a weaponized umbrella called "The Defensible Brolly."

It can use Spear or Shield skill, doing thr+1 imp with a thrust. As a shield it has DB 2, DR2, 4/22 HP. Min ST 11 (one-handed)/10 (two-handed). Max dmg 1d-1 hp. 5 lbs. $125+

The stats don't give the option of using the handle to Hook or just swinging the umbrella to thwack someone, but those could be improvised from stats for a Large Knife (for a folded mini-umbrella) to a Cane or Baton for more serviceable weapons.

The Bulgarian spy umbrella would just do ~1d-3 HP of pi- damage with a thrust, but delivers pellets of highly lethal poison/radioactives.

FWIW, there are also real-life tactical umbrellas which can parry edged weapons, for people who want to channel their inner John Steed or Oswald Cobblepot.

[pawsplay]

An umbrella is probably a lot more dangerous than a car antenna, although a car antenna is mean. I would have no problem using an umbrella as a weapon. As improvised weapons go, it's one of those things that is already halfway there to being as effective as a dedicated weapon. Some of the cheap ones obviously have a weight issue, but a proper umbrella is a cane with a metal spike at the tip.