Discuss discus

[Not]

Is the discus a throwing stick for GURPS purposes?

[Strabo]

No, it's a Thrown Weapon (Disc) as per LT, p. 77.

[The Colonel]

Does anyone know if there's much evidence for the discus as an actual weapon? The presence of it as an olympic event implies that the Greeks had a reasonable regard for it, but I do wonder how much it was sytlised, and from what (much as with the olympic hammer)?
I'm aware of the Sikh chakram, but not sure if that's common ancestor or indepedant development... certainly they're used very differently...

[Anaraxes]

I've never come across a mention of ancient Greeks using the discus in a military context. (Javelins, slings, crossbow, occasionally bows -- though those were better left to non-Greeks -- yes. Discus, no.) There are a number of mentions of them in stories and mythology where they do kill people, but as I recall it's always in the context of an accident, or perhaps an "accident" -- a game that could show off prowess, as with Odysseus, but not something that you issued to hundreds of troops in special units and fired in volleys in battle.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Does anyone know if there's much evidence for the discus as an actual weapon?

I don't think there really is. It's all over Greek myth as a way to get accidentally hit in the head and killed while playing the ancient version of quoits. I tend to think of it as ancient Greece's answer to lawn darts: a fun game with playing pieces held to be dangerous because this one guy got killed.

But it's in GURPS because, well, in fantasy, anything that can kill will be weaponized. There isn't much evidence that half the bizarre stuff in the Roman gladiatorial games (like the trident and quadrens), or pretty much any version of a bullwhip, ever went to war . . . but fantasy heroes tote around that stuff, too. Same with throwing knives, which appear to have been part of a game (like the discus). And the same with things like shuriken, which have had their deadliness amplified in fiction.

So, we have stats. I imagine there are lighter, more effective weapons you could carry for murdering people, though.

[The Colonel]

I was wondering if it might be a stylisation of throwing the hoplon or something... but that might be a little too cinematic.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

I was wondering if it might be a stylisation of throwing the hoplon or something... but that might be a little too cinematic.

I think that only works if you're Steve Rogers.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I think that only works if you're Steve Rogers.

And bizarrely, GURPS has stats for that as well. You can use Thrown Weapon (Disc) at -4 for thrust crushing, as suggested on GURPS Martial Arts, p. 220, or you can pick up Pyramid #3/118 and go full-on cinematic with Thrown Weapon (Shield) for thrust+2 to thrust+4 crushing, improvable by another +1 and/or to cutting if you have the right gear.

[Willy]

The way the discus is thrown adds more power to the throw than just arm strengh, the whole body is behing the movement. I would add the thowers strengh by 1/3 when using that move. Same making a shot put or hammer throw.

We can throw maces in Gurps and I would use the 1/2 damage range to the modified strengh from that weapon. You may add a bit more rnge because of the shape of a discus, but I don´t think it would have a much longer range a massive round ball of the same weight. It´s way to slow to make effective use of aerodynamics, maybe again 1/10 more to the modified strengh but not more. For the rest you need to know the mass and that´s it.

Anyway I´m a big fan of history and never found a actual use of a discus as a weapon. If you find a example please tell me.

[Flyndaran]

Wouldn't that just be All Out Attack: Strong? I'd imagine it wouldn't be more full body with wind up than sports' javelin or hammer throw.