Reducing the number of weapon skills

[Anders]

Have you mucked about with redefining the weapon skills in GURPS? Here's what I've done:

All the Fencing skills are reduced to one skill: Fencing. Defaults to Knife and Sword at -4.
Broadsword, Shortsword, Jitte/Sai, and Two-Handed Sword reduced to the Sword skill. Defaults to Knife at -4 and Fencing at -4.
Knife defaults to Sword and Knife at -4.
Two-Handed Axe/Mace and Axe/Mace is one skill, called Axe/Mace. Defaults to Flail-4 and Polearm -4.
Two-Handed Flail and Flail is one skill. Defaults to Axe/Mace and Whip at -4.
Spear and Staff is one skill, called Pole. Defaults to Polearm at -4.
Polearm defaults to Axe/Mace and Pole at -4 but is otherwise unchanged.
Whip and Kusari are collapsed into the Whip skill. Defaults to Flail at -4.

Opinions?

[Maz]

I've done almost the same :)

I like it.

[AlexanderHowl]

It is fairly unbalanced. In general, I would suggest increasing the difficulty of the skills by one level and only halving the weapon skills. For example, Broadsword would be a H skill and include Broadsword and Two-handed Sword, Shortsword would be a H skill include Shortsword and Tonfa, Knife would be an A skill and include Knife and Thrown Weapon (Knife), etc. That way, people could specialize by the component for the same cost as the current weapon skill list.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

It is fairly unbalanced.

Compared to what? The existing melee system? Sure, but it's supposed to be. What exactly are the effects you see? Why are they an issue?

[Donny Brook]

I din't understand the purpose.

Also, I disagree with some of the particular proposals:

Two-handed weapons are used substantially different from one-handed ones, in regard to footwork, parrying, and available lines of attack.

Military spear use and training also bears little resemblance to how staffs are used.

Rapier (epee) is a different style of fighting from sabre.

[AlexanderHowl]

It makes a certain amount of sense to have an overarching skill that the weapon skills are merely specialties of. Perhaps a VH Flail would include Flail and Two-handed Flail or a H Axe/Mace that would contain Axe/Mace and Two-handed Axe/Mace.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

I didn't understand the purpose.

The purpose is to reduce the number of skills. GURPS is pretty skill-heavy anyway.

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Also, I disagree with some of the particular proposals:

Two-handed weapons are used substantially different from one-handed ones, in regard to footwork, parrying, and available lines of attack.

Military spear use and training also bears little resemblance to how staffs are used.

Rapier (epee) is a different style of fighting from sabre.

Do you have another suggestion? Maybe merge Axe/Mace and Flail into one skill, and the 2-Handed versions into another would be more sensible.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Anders

Have you mucked about with redefining the weapon skills in GURPS? Here's what I've done:

All the Fencing skills are reduced to one skill: Fencing. Defaults to Knife and Sword at -4.

Fencing was a Classic Skill - (Physical/Average) Defaults to DX-5 (Classic B50)

Originally Posted by Anders

Broadsword, Shortsword, Jitte/Sai, and Two-Handed Sword reduced to the Sword skill. Defaults to Knife at -4 and Fencing at -4.
Knife defaults to Sword and Knife at -4.
Two-Handed Axe/Mace and Axe/Mace is one skill, called Axe/Mace. Defaults to Flail-4 and Polearm -4.
Two-Handed Flail and Flail is one skill. Defaults to Axe/Mace and Whip at -4.
Spear and Staff is one skill, called Pole. Defaults to Polearm at -4.
Polearm defaults to Axe/Mace and Pole at -4 but is otherwise unchanged.
Whip and Kusari are collapsed into the Whip skill. Defaults to Flail at -4.

Opinions?

Given the reasonable defaults why would this be needed?

[RyanW]

I think putting shortsword and greatsword in one skill and knife in another is placing the break in the wrong place. I'd suggest something more like Short Blade (replacing Knife and Shortsword) and Long Blade (Covering Broadsword and Two-Handed Sword).

[Anders]

That's a good point. Hmmm... Tinker tinker