One-Handed Staff Parry Questions

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

The thrusting damage line for a quarterstaff corresponds to the staff being used for a poke. A poke has the staff held in one hand while the other hand manipulates the staff forward and back, so as per B270, it always requires two hands when used in this mode regardless of ST.

...How are you 'holding it in one hand' while manipulating it longitudinally with the other? I can't picture a geometry for this other than something like a pool cue, which I'm pretty sure is not how you'd actually thrust with a staff.

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Perhaps the better question is, why can you use a Naginata with staff skill at all? Staff skill under Melee Weapon skill B208 states that Staff skill is for "any long, balanced pole without a striking head" and that the +2 to Parry comes from making good use of the staff's extensive parrying surface. The Naginata has a striking head. It is the Japanese version of a glaive and, as a glaive, properly should be classed as a polearm. While the Polearm skill does not mention the Naginata by name, it does specifically mention the glaive as one of the weapons covered by the skill. One can only assume that the way in which the Naginata is used makes greater use of the haft in parrying than would be the case with Western polearms and hence it is allowed the use of the Staff skill to reflect that, but having a striking head, it is ineligible for the +2 Parry that a true staff would get.

What is your reasoning for having a striking head precluding the +2 parry? Yes, you've provided a reason for it precluding using Staff skill at all (a textually fine one, though IMO that's a fault of the text) but not for depriving it of the bonus if you do permit it to be so used.

Martial Arts makes references to using spears as staffs at multiple points, and to staff masters putting a spike on one end of their staff (making it a spear in all but name). For that matter, the standard GURPS quarterstaff has a (blunt) striking head.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

...How are you 'holding it in one hand' while manipulating it longitudinally with the other? I can't picture a geometry for this other than something like a pool cue, which I'm pretty sure is not how you'd actually thrust with a staff.

It can be done that way; it's fast and deceptive, if less powerful than getting your whole body into it. It doesn't give a lot of motion to give you away, can be quite accurate. I've done it in sparring, though not a lot.

Using both hands and combining that with body movement is stronger (obviously) but also more obvious.

All of this is "fluff text" for want combination of various combat options and maneuvers from martial arts and basic are you using, including Deceptive, Defensive, Telegraphic, Committed, All-Out, or throwing in some perks here and there. Obviously not all at once. :-)

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

Question #1: Would a Quarterstaff wielded in this way get the +2 Parry bonus? I.e. when you wield a Quarterstaff one-handed, are you still using the Staff skill to wield it, or does the Staff skill require a two-handed grip?

Yes. Because your grip and arm ST is so massive, you can easily keep the weapon from being knocked aside by weapon blows as it parries.

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

Question #2: Why does the Naginata (B273) not get a +2 Parry bonus when used with the Staff skill?

Possibly because the bladed end interferes with balance just enough to mess with Parrying.

More likely it seems like an oversight. Any light, relatively balanced pole type weapon should get a bonus to Parry if used with Staff skill using a Defensive Grip.