03-11-2022, 02:11 PM | #51 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: [Low-Tech] Smallsword with the Bronze Age 'Rapier?'
Smallswords were fairly long and narrow blades, unclear how well it would translate to a shorter, thicker blade, but I'd probably just say you can fence with any balanced blade as long as you have 150% of its required ST.
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03-11-2022, 03:31 PM | #52 | |
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Central Europe
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Re: [Low-Tech] Smallsword with the Bronze Age 'Rapier?'
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In my proposed house rules, you could try it, but it does not offer good hand protection and lacks length for rules like Contesting Waits and A Matter of Inches (GURPS Martial Arts). And defaults between Melee Weapon skills would be much less punitive anyways (although i think Sword to Fencing is not so harsh). Realistically, in situations like that you wrapped your cloak around your left arm. Ancient art, biographies, and novels show this.
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"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 |
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03-11-2022, 08:05 PM | #53 |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: [Low-Tech] Smallsword with the Bronze Age 'Rapier?'
Smallsword and Shortsword mutually Default at -4. That's only one better than the Default to Dex.
This might be a decent candidate for a Skill Adaptation Perk.
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Fred Brackin |
03-16-2022, 02:45 AM | #54 | |
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Re: [Low-Tech] Smallsword with the Bronze Age 'Rapier?'
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As you mention, Hollywood movies of the 1930s to 1960s proved the point (so to speak) that it's possible to use a Shortsword or Broadsword with Saber or Rapier technique. The only drawbacks are that they're a bit heavy for the purpose and you give up your ability to make devastating swing attacks, since all but the most committed swing attacks from a fencing stance are limited to using the muscles of the shoulder, arm, and wrist. In GURPS terms, you effectively have -1 or -2 per die of damage with Swinging attacks and Min ST goes up, but you might gain an extra yard of Reach due to change in stance. A non-fencing weapon will be sufficiently awkward that it doesn't get a Fencing parry, but it should get a +1 bonus to Parry other thrusting weapons. Parry modifier vs. Swinging attacks is 0. As a suggestion: Saber (Broadsword-4, Shortsword-4) Weapon Dam Reach Parry Cost Wgt ST Thrusting Broadsword sw-1 cut 1,2 +1 $600 3 11 thr+2 imp 1,2 +1 - - 11 Shortsword sw-1 cut 1 +1 $400 2 9 thr imp 1 +1 2 - - 9 Last edited by Pursuivant; 03-16-2022 at 03:02 AM. |
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Tags |
fencing skill, low-tech, martial arts |
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