Cape, Cloak & Robes as Armor

[JohnPaulB]

I feel that a cape can add protection of sorts.

Many a swashbuckling movie has had villain or hero swirl his cape during a sword fight. Many a barbarian has had blows to the back softened by a fur cape.

I suggest there are two ways of using these:

1. Misdirect/Parry: done by swirling the cape toward the attacker.

ITL Defending p 117
"Defending is effective only against non-missile spells and attacks. A figure can defend only if it has a staff, sword, club, [CAPE] etc., ready to parry the attack with. In other words, dodging makes a missile likely to miss; defending is used against physical attacks from adjacent hexes.
A figure must have a physical weapon (staff, sword, club, [CAPE], etc ready to parry the attack with. In other words, dodging makes a missile likely to miss; defending is used against physical attacks from adjacent hexes."

I would suggest that a cape has a set number of "defends" before it is ruined; perhaps 5. Also, a torn cape is evidence of a fight and lowers your respectability. See ITL p 108 "Using up" your shield.

2. Armor - done by wearing it.

A fur may act as leather armor per Hexagram #4 Not By Iron Alone by Howard Kistler p. 23. I would give a fur cape Stops 1 point capability as its not tailored to be armor.
I think a fur cape offers protection to the rear. It could also provide protection to the sides if the GM consents.

Is there a Dex Penalty if your fur cape can help protect you? I'd say there is no Dex penalty as it never interfered with you doing any other activity in previously in the game.

Unless you have your fur cape hooked by iron clasps, it shouldn't interfere with your spellcasting.
__________________
- Hail Melee

[hcobb]

I'd unlock cloak as a zero damage weapon for Fencers.

[larsdangly]

My treatment of the fencer's cape from my house-rule equipment guide:

Cape: Some fencers use a cape as an off-handed weapon. It is most often used to block like a shield, stopping 1 point of damage, but is effective only against one handed melee weapons. Alternatively, a cape can be used to attack a foe or his weapon, much as a main-gauche. Such attacks cause no damage, but can trip or entangle the foe, or bind his weapon. If you choose to attack a foe’s body, resolve as an attack with a bola (including all hit-location-specific aiming penalties, but with no range penalty — the cape stays in your hand). However, all effects of a successful entangling attack persist for only 1 turn (i.e., the target will naturally come loose relatively easily and quickly). If used to successfully attack a foe’s 1-handed weapon, the target weapon and cape are tangled together and useless for other purposes. The foe can attempt to pull the weapon loose in place of a normal attack (resolved as a 3d roll vs. DX). Simultaneous attacks with cape and another weapon follow standard rules for two-weapon fighting rather than the unique main-gauche rules. A Cape counts as a fencing weapon (and can be used to deliver the fencing talent disarm attack), but only if you also know the ‘Cape’ Unusual Weapon talent.

[phiwum]

John Paul,

I think this is a nice bit of flavor, not really overpowered. The fur cape, for instance, plays about the same role as a small shield strapped to the back.

Using the cape for Defend, however, doesn't quite capture the cinematic examples. Most swashbucklers have a weapon in one hand and use the cape in the other, in which case defend is already an option and the cape adds nothing. Perhaps instead one could use it as a parry action, as in the Two Weapons skill?

Henry, I'm not sure what you mean by a zero damage weapon. What good does that do? It doesn't even allow a forced retreat, does it?

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by phiwum

Henry, I'm not sure what you mean by a zero damage weapon. What good does that do? It doesn't even allow a forced retreat, does it?

That would unlock the "attacks against a Fencer who has weapon(s) in hand" adjustment to the attacker's DX.

[hcobb]

Also useful for two-weapon defend and attack or double defend options, but not as good as a main gauche.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

My treatment of the fencer's cape from my house-rule equipment guide:

Cape: Some fencers use a cape as an off-handed weapon. It is most often used to block like a shield, stopping 1 point of damage, but is effective only against one handed melee weapons. Alternatively, a cape can be used to attack a foe or his weapon, much as a main-gauche. Such attacks cause no damage, but can trip or entangle the foe, or bind his weapon. If you choose to attack a foe’s body, resolve as an attack with a bola (including all hit-location-specific aiming penalties, but with no range penalty — the cape stays in your hand). However, all effects of a successful entangling attack persist for only 1 turn (i.e., the target will naturally come loose relatively easily and quickly). If used to successfully attack a foe’s 1-handed weapon, the target weapon and cape are tangled together and useless for other purposes. The foe can attempt to pull the weapon loose in place of a normal attack (resolved as a 3d roll vs. DX). Simultaneous attacks with cape and another weapon follow standard rules for two-weapon fighting rather than the unique main-gauche rules. A Cape counts as a fencing weapon (and can be used to deliver the fencing talent disarm attack), but only if you also know the ‘Cape’ Unusual Weapon talent.

This seems reasonable. However, from what I've seen, cloaks are very awkward to wield, so using one offensively might come with an automatic DX penalty--perhaps a fairly large one. I'd expect that a cloak would have to be pretty heavy to serve as passive armor, so I'm not a fan of having one subtract damage as "free armor" even from just rear hexes.

[warhorse11h]

I treated this issue as a talent.

Cloak (2) You can use a cloak effectively in combat as a shield and/or distract an opponent. It stops 1 hit like a small shield and it also gives an opponent a penalty of -1 DX in attacks against the cloak user.

I know no one will like the idea, just thought I would throw it out there.

[Shostak]

Actually, the simplicity of that solution is appealing.

[larsdangly]

I'm not crazy about the idea that cloak gives you the same -1 to hit benefit as shield expertise.