[LT] Two Armor questions

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Same with a pick. The pick has an extra failure mechanic.

But is easily subsumed into skill, it's the sort of thing which a person without familiarity with a weapon struggles with, but which a person skilled with a weapon doesn't give a second thought to.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

But is easily subsumed into skill.

Why yes, it can easily be subsumed into making pick DX/H.

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by Icelander

On the other hand, it is significantly easier to teach people to use cutting or crushing weapons than for them to develop the technique to use a thrusting weapon competently.

If one were redoing the difficulty scales in GURPS, I think that one would have to account for that. Thrusting is probably a Technique, not a basic use of a weapon. On the other hand, simply hitting something with a blunt object or even a sharp one does not default to skill 5 for an average person. It is far easier.

I've previously suggested a skill penalty equal to the reach of the weapon when it is used fror thrusting.

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

That's part of the skill of using the weapon.

which suggests that picks might deserve a -1 skill penalty compared to other weapons in the same skill category.

[Verjigorm]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

which suggests that picks might deserve a -1 skill penalty compared to other weapons in the same skill category.

Which would certainly explain why many picks also had a blunt striker! I kinda like this!

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Why yes, it can easily be subsumed into making pick DX/H.

Problem is it's not 4 points worth of difference, it's not even 2 points worth of difference.

I'd be ok with it being 1 point worth of difference, but everyone keeps shying away from Average Techniques for some reason.

[Dustin]

Originally Posted by Icelander

There are too many skills in melee weapons anyway.

IIRC, Kromm once mused that he could go for a system with 4 basic melee skills: One-Handed Balanced, One-Handed Unbalanced, Two-Handed Balanced, Two-Handed Unbalanced.

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by Dustin

IIRC, Kromm once mused that he could go for a system with 4 basic melee skills: One-Handed Balanced, One-Handed Unbalanced, Two-Handed Balanced, Two-Handed Unbalanced.

Makes a lot of sense to me. You could always have optional specialisations.

[lwcamp]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

With a digging pick it is certainly hard to hit properly but something like a bec de corbin is much smaller and lighter.

I haven't found digging picks to be particularly prone to glancing off of rocks (even rounded, curved rocks) - but I acknowledge that this probably has little to do with knights swinging military picks at other knights in armor.

Luke

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Dustin

IIRC, Kromm once mused that he could go for a system with 4 basic melee skills: One-Handed Balanced, One-Handed Unbalanced, Two-Handed Balanced, Two-Handed Unbalanced.

Having a universal 'melee combat' skill isn't entirely unreasonable; there are a number of aspects of melee combat that are basically universal (for example, understanding what your opponent might do).