03-28-2023, 10:32 AM | #11 | |
Join Date: Jun 2013
|
Re: Katana in defensive grip
Quote:
The question for the thread is if weapons usable with a one-handed skill (Broadsword or Axe/Mace, typically) can continue to use that skill when used with Defensive Grip, or if they change to using a two-handed skill (Two-Handed Sword or Two-Handed Axe/Mace, typically) instead. It sounds like the intent is that they use the latter, although that does mean Defensive Grip is largely useless for a character who favors using a one-handed skill (that +1 to Parry becomes a net -1 to Parry when considering the -4 to skill for defaulting from the one-handed skill).
__________________
GURPS Overhaul Last edited by Varyon; 03-28-2023 at 10:35 AM. |
|
03-28-2023, 10:49 AM | #12 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
|
Re: Katana in defensive grip
Quote:
Hafted weapons just need more haft but most arming swords wouldn't allow Defensive Grip at all unless maybe you had a thick gauntlet on your off-hand for grabbing the blade.. The shorter your blade is the less use it is because you're putting your off-hand closer to your enemy. You have more leverage but less flexibility or fluidity. I judge it to be a much more limited Technique than many people around here seem to. It's not very high on my list of things to teach to newbies.
__________________
Fred Brackin |
|
03-28-2023, 11:10 AM | #13 | |
Join Date: Jun 2013
|
Re: Katana in defensive grip
Quote:
From short conversations with people who have actually done some training with such weapons, the defensive grip seems to be something that lets them use even unbalanced weapons more like a staff or spear, for markedly improved parrying and tip control. But then from such conversations I get the idea that most combat skills should default to each other much more readily than in GURPS (with the possible exception of one-handed spear, which seems to pretty much be its own thing), and with cross-training being much easier than the default GURPS rules. But that gets well into the weeds of houserules and my general beef with GURPS' combat skills, which are probably not appropriate for this thread.
__________________
GURPS Overhaul |
|
03-28-2023, 12:42 PM | #14 | |
Join Date: Aug 2018
|
Re: Katana in defensive grip
Quote:
I see Katana as having 2 options: 1) you wield it via the 2H skill and treat it as a 2H weapon in defensive grip (retains 2H skill) 2) you wield it via the 1H skill and treat it as a 1H weapon in defensive grip (retains 1H skill) |
|
03-28-2023, 02:52 PM | #15 | |
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: earth....I think.
|
Re: Katana in defensive grip
Quote:
"Treat a weapon that can be used one- or two-handed ... as two-handed for this purpose." A katana can be used one or two handed, so it is treated as a two handed weapon for defense grip. |
|
03-28-2023, 05:32 PM | #16 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
|
Re: Katana in defensive grip
Quote:
And, because it's a two-handed grip, by GURPS' normal rules, it used a two-handed skill. |
|
03-29-2023, 05:59 AM | #17 |
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: earth....I think.
|
Re: Katana in defensive grip
And this is where the extra -2 to skill comes in, the weapon is not meant to be used with 2 hands and incurs an additional penalty to use.
|
03-29-2023, 07:15 AM | #18 | |
Join Date: Jun 2013
|
Re: Katana in defensive grip
Quote:
*From my understanding there are two-handed uses of knife-class weapons. I believe the disk-shaped pommel of the rondel dagger was to facilitate using a second hand to help push the blade in (and I've heard from one Marine that the USMC teaches a similar technique for their combat knives, which also have a flat pommel, albeit not an extended disk like the rondel). And of course there's something that has been done in at least one high-profile murder/assassination in Japan (and shows up with some frequency in anime; I've seen a few isekai stories start with the protagonist being murdered by some rando in such fashion, although I think truck-kun still holds the record for number of people isekai'd) of someone holding a semi-concealed knife in two hands down near their waist and rushing their target to stab them.
__________________
GURPS Overhaul Last edited by Varyon; 03-29-2023 at 07:19 AM. |
|
03-29-2023, 08:56 AM | #19 |
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: L.I., NY
|
Re: Katana in defensive grip
I read the paragraph in MA about weapons that can be used as one- or two-handed being treated as two-handed as applying only to the bonuses, penalties, and limitations described in the preceding paragraph -- not to the skill used, damage stats, or anything else. It seems odd to me that someone could add a hand to a sword like a broadsword or cavalry saber (which was not designed for two hands) using broadsword skill, but if they grip a bastard sword (which was made to be used one or two handed, and can normally be used with broadsword skill) the same way, for some reason they have to use two-handed sword skill at default.
Note that it says "for this purpose." To me that indicates it's just for the purpose of determining the effects of a defensive grip. Last edited by Mr_Sandman; 03-29-2023 at 09:05 AM. |
03-29-2023, 10:45 AM | #20 | |
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Central Europe
|
Re: Katana in defensive grip
Quote:
It would be silly to have two different sets of stats for using a Longsword with both hands on the grip: one from the Weapons Table under Two-Handed Sword, and the other from the Defensive Grip rules. That encourages players to cherrypick. I think the rules were designed to make it clear that if the weapon already has stats for two-handed use, you use those.
__________________
"It is easier to banish a habit of thought than a piece of knowledge." H. Beam Piper This forum got less aggravating when I started using the ignore feature |
|
Tags |
defensive grip |
|
|