big brawler backup weapon

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

If you want to combine this idea with the Improvised Weapons angle, a huge variety of smaller kitchen implements fit into this category.
r.

The aforementioned ladles, spits, rolling pins, assorted fire irons, large spatulas, and roasting forks come immediately to mind

[RGTraynor]

Originally Posted by Varyon

A polearm isn't going to be a good weapon for the close confines of a restaurant. It's also absolutely not a "backup weapon" that she "quickly pulls from her belt," or similar.

Yeah. I mean, good grief. Rasna, think about it. Go get yourself a six, seven foot long pole. Now carry it into your local pub and wave it around. Now just imagine the destruction you'll cause all around. If Big Mama doesn't want to mess up her pretty dress, she really doesn't want to mess up chairs, windows, random patrons ...

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by Kromm

A cast-iron skillet. For those without Dungeon Fantasy 10: Taverns:

Frying Pan: Swing as small mace at -1 damage [Axe/Mace-3] or block as a light shield [Shield-2].

There are many other options on p. 12, all suited to bars and dining establishments. To avoid the skill penalties, take the Improvised Weapons (Kitchenware) perk on p. 8.

This seems like it's a perfect fit & I think the "random" weapon availability added by Thrash is fun.

[Rasna]

Originally Posted by Varyon

A polearm isn't going to be a good weapon for the close confines of a restaurant. It's also absolutely not a "backup weapon" that she "quickly pulls from her belt," or similar. I think a tonfa really is the best fit for a dedicated weapon, provided it's appropriate for the setting (otherwise, maybe a light club with a hilt - which gets Parry +1 over a sword with a hilt, Because Reasons, I guess?).

In the 13th century to 16th century Italy, it was common for wealthy people to keep polearms in their houses, in order to defend their lives and their wealth from a night assault made by a rival household or more rarely by an enraged mob. The Italian word for wardrobe is either "guardaroba" and "armadio", the latter deriving from "arma" (weapon), because it was where weapons like polearms were kept. A 1,80-2,10 m shaft polearm can be wielded in a number of ways: the most common of them is the combination of a hand near the butt of the shaft and the leading hand towards the center of the shaft (Polearm skill) {https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/c...g?format=1000w}, but a polearm can be also wielded in a staff-like manner (Polearm skill with Defensive Grip) and it can be used to hit nearby foes with the butt of the shaft (Staff skill) {https://grauenwolf.files.wordpress.c...ng?w=644&h=468} in cramped spaces and even with a strong grip of both hands towards the butt of the shaft, about 2/3 to 4/5 or the shaft lenght (Two-Handed Axe/Mace skill) {http://www.aemma.org/onlineResources...s/arme_6-3.jpg} in order to deliver powerful blows. I don't think that fighting in a big room with tables and chair as obstacles would be much a problem for a polearm-wielding character providing that the polearm is a Reach 2 polearm (better not to use a Reach 5 pike in such spaces!). But you're right that it isn't a weapon she could bring constantly with her tucked in her belt, and that's why I've written that would be a good idea keeping a polearm in good sight behind the counter. As a reminder to swordsmen that "if thou will draw thine sword, thou shall face myself armed with this weapon".

Other functional alternatives being not kitchen tools but dedicated weapons may be: batons, tonfa (as you said), quarterstaves (maybe a special quarterstaff with prongs and blunt hooks functional to disarm the swordsman and/or pulling him/her on the ground without killing him/her) or just swords.

[Rasna]

Originally Posted by RGTraynor

Yeah. I mean, good grief. Rasna, think about it. Go get yourself a six, seven foot long pole. Now carry it into your local pub and wave it around. Now just imagine the destruction you'll cause all around. If Big Mama doesn't want to mess up her pretty dress, she really doesn't want to mess up chairs, windows, random patrons ...

A modern pub can be a very narrow space. I don't know how Big Mama's tavern is: if it is "saloon-like", then a polearm can work very well inside its spaces and customers that are not involved in the fight can escape with relative ease from the fighting zone. But if it is of modest dimensions, then using a polearm might not be the best idea.

[Donny Brook]

Knuckle-bow cleaver:
https://i.etsystatic.com/37500844/r/...08273_4coh.jpg

[Anthony]

A low tech (or faux low tech) kitchen is likely to have one or more spits, which are perfectly capable of being dangerous weapons; probably equivalent to some sort of thrusting-only broadsword.

[RGTraynor]

Originally Posted by Rasna

In the 13th century to 16th century Italy, it was common for wealthy people to keep polearms in their houses, in order to defend their lives and their wealth from a night assault made by a rival household or more rarely by an enraged mob.

You mean a weapon where you're seeking to defend a fixed position, and in fear of your life, might not give much of a damn about bashing about the decor (which you can afford to replace anyway), and you're likely to have ample time to prepare?


Not really comparable to the bloke who draws a sword on Big Mama, looking at her all the while, and may well not be courteous enough to allow her to go for and ready the partisan. (Because, after all, this is a guy who's drawing on an unarmed woman in the first place.)

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by RGTraynor

You mean a weapon where you're seeking to defend a fixed position, and in fear of your life, might not give much of a damn about bashing about the decor (which you can afford to replace anyway),

Probably intended for thrusting and some tight slashing through windows and doors you're trying to defend. That's where the extra Reach would be most useful.

Also, there's the issue of morale effects. If Big Mom escalates from "they draw a sword then I ready a polearm!" It has a much different effect than "They draw a sword and then I clean their clocks with a rolling pin.". One is funny but the other is just worrying.

To me at least the Improvised Kitchen of Doom was overwhelmingly the best answer.

[Kromm]

It comes down to who scares the bad guys more: The possible poseur with the serious, basically battlefield weapon that they may or may not know how to use, or the person confident or crazy enough to face such a weapon with a ladle?

A (now ex-) cop I know once said he worries more about knives than handguns, because random shooters tend to assume their guns are magic death wands that just work, and pay little attention to good shooting skills or police body armor, while someone willing to face a cop with a knife often knows that if they rush, they'll do serious harm even if they get shot. Same idea.

Also, an established business will have a local reputation that some random thug lacks. Goon with a polearm? Who are they? Are they any good? Big Mama? Oh, everybody knows she can beat a polearm using nothing but a roasting spit! A frickin' kitchen ninja!