Adding Hooks to Swords

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Sindri

A hook is fundamentally a variation on the basic chassis of another sword.

No, actually, a hook is almost certainly a fundamental design decision, meaning that adding a useful hook changes many other properties of the sword.

[Sindri]

Originally Posted by Anthony

No, actually, a hook is almost certainly a fundamental design decision, meaning that adding a useful hook changes many other properties of the sword.

I don't see how that's a contradiction. It's a fundamental design decision. It's also a variation on other sword forms rather than a thing itself.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Sindri

I don't see how that's a contradiction. It's a fundamental design decision. It's also a variation on other sword forms rather than a thing itself.

In the end, the variables on a sword are length, weight, and weight distribution (which edges are sharpened doesn't really change the performance of the sword, though it tends to correlate to weight distribution). Hook swords can be variable length and weight, but their weight distribution is probably heavily constrained, meaning that it's simply incompatible with certain other sword types.

[Sindri]

Originally Posted by Anthony

In the end, the variables on a sword are length, weight, and weight distribution (which edges are sharpened doesn't really change the performance of the sword, though it tends to correlate to weight distribution). Hook swords can be variable length and weight, but their weight distribution is probably heavily constrained, meaning that it's simply incompatible with certain other sword types.

And length and weight are enough by themselves to go with a modification on other weapons rather than a heavily modified single weapon even without other differences that GURPS tracks.

[Tomsdad]

Originally Posted by Sindri

And length and weight are enough by themselves to go with a modification on other weapons rather than a heavily modified single weapon even without other differences that GURPS tracks.

Maybe but length and weight are pretty easy to do with just the mods on weapons.

Takes a SM0 one handed hook sword and make it a SM+1 one handed hook sword assume it handles are still designed for a SM0 wielder, and there you go a two handed longer hook sword. With revised weight, damage and reach

[Sindri]

Originally Posted by Tomsdad

Maybe but length and weight are pretty easy to do with just the mods on weapons.

Takes a SM0 one handed hook sword and make it a SM+1 one handed hook sword assume it handles are still designed for a SM0 wielder, and there you go a two handed longer hook sword. With revised weight, damage and reach

I'm not talking about details as broad as whether it is one or two handed in normal use. Swords commonly used with one hand encompass short, medium and long in A Matter of Inches. That's the sort of thing I'm talking about. The GURPS rules support a large amount of detailed differentiation of swords. It's highly inefficient to try to replicate that through a series of weapon mods and it's highly unrealistic for swords to suddenly lose an incredible amount of rules support for variations that are still possible when you add a hook if you opt to not add the amount of mods necessary.