One-handed or Two-handed sword, that is the question

[Kromm]

In real life, the shield-hand weapon method was for (1) one-handed weapons (most often daggers), and (2) bows. For two-handed melee weapons, especially chopping weapons, the guard position would turn the shield wholly out of line, making it totally worthless, while holding the shield in line would take the weapon out of play. I'd rule that "two-handed sword with strapped-on shield" is legal, but that it has no effect . . . you either use the sword at full skill and get nothing (no DB, no block, etc.) out of the shield, or you use the shield at full skill and get nothing (no parry or attack) out of the sword. Decide which one you're using at the start of each turn, just as for any form change.

A guige would work fine with a two-handed weapon. If you don't think it would look cool enough, that's your call. Historically, users of big spears and even the occasional swordsman wore a shield this way. Advanced Guige Use (Low-Tech Companion 2, p. 19) covers all the complications, and I'd say that you could learn a Hard technique to buy off the -3 to Block, but there's nothing you could do about using your weapon on your shield side.

As for Imbuement Skills, they most closely resemble things like Breaking Blow and Power Blow, or even certain spells. Penalties to melee combat skills won't affect them unless they would also affect these other things. In general, this limits the meaningful penalties to those that affect DX and IQ, like shock and afflictions.

[Kromm]

Separate from the above, I'll echo the comments on two-handed weapons being very nice if you can afford to do without a shield. They enjoy damage and Reach advantages. If using all the rules in Martial Arts, they also give greater effectiveness in shoves, extra options for slams, and a significant advantage when parrying against multiple attacks or attackers. Moreover, they mean you need to get good at one skill instead of two; compare, say, Broadsword (A) DX+4 [16] & Shield (E) DX+4 [12] to Two-Handed Sword (A) DX+7 [28]. And of course you can Fast-Draw a sword in a hurry, but never a shield.

Shields are awesome, but two-handed weapons definitely have a strong niche if you wish to play a highly-skilled single-weapon specialist who controls the gap between himself and his foes, and wants lots of parries. In my last fantasy campaign, the two-handed sword guy got hurt less often than the more skilled sword-and-shield guy, except when he went All-Out. This was because he could constantly circle away, striking from Reach 2, and could invest all his points in just sword tricks (Enhanced Parry without Enhanced Block as well, sword perks, sword techniques, etc.), which meant that he had twice as many contingency plans for half as many skills.

[simply Nathan]

Personally, I think one-handed swords are cooler. IME GURPS is a rare beast among RPGs for making the sword-and-shield style useful, whereas others I've seen tend to only reward two-handed weapon use or dual-wielding.

To me, the "heavy fighter" archetype is either a guy so strong that he uses a greataxe with Axe/Mace and carries a big shield around or uses some form of two-handed axe/mace/hammer/flail.

I don't know anything about the Mystic Knight template or Imbuement skills you're clearly making use of, but I think sword and shield guy is cooler than two-handed sword guy.

[Gnomasz]

If your GM won't agree with Can Imbue Dancing Shield (I've named it so on purpose, to make it clear that Extra Arm is just for build, and in-game effect is not an additional limb), there's another idea (for which GM approval is still needed) - maybe stupid, maybe funny, maybe noone here will ever read my posts after this - but we're not talking about realistic playing, are we?
So, block with your sword.
Seriously, you've seen Siegfried's sword (from Soul Calibur) - it has huge surface.
I'd try to convince my GM for something like this: I'll buy the sword and the shield as one, paying price for both. The thing here is item's weight, as sword heavy as a shield should have higher minimal ST. We could waive this logical assumption and just write the sum of masses, so the character would be properly encumbered and still using sword freely, or pay extra cash for "this is mithril, it's really light," or use RPK's or uFAQ rules for making heavier weapons. Then:
- I have one item to be ready/unready.
- I still have to use one skill to strike, one skill to block (Block or Parry Missile Weapons).
- Blocking with the sword counts as active defense with it, causing penalty for multiple parries in one turn (or even "blocking is the only way to defend with this sword" - if the GM disagrees for the first).
- I still have only one side hex covered by 'blocking', due to the training, if using Block skill (there should be some pros of using Parry Missile Weapons).
- Finally, I can use shield and weapon imbuements on my huge monster-whacking shieldblade.

Now if this isn't cool, I don't know, what is.

[Carlos]

Originally Posted by Kromm

In real life, the shield-hand weapon method was for (1) one-handed weapons (most often daggers), and (2) bows. For two-handed melee weapons, especially chopping weapons, the guard position would turn the shield wholly out of line, making it totally worthless, while holding the shield in line would take the weapon out of play.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but the same idea seems to apply with bows. I don't see how an archer with a shield strapped in his arm could shot and block at the same turn.

Originally Posted by Kromm

...and a significant advantage when parrying against multiple attacks or attackers...

By the way, what if you're using a Zweihander (from Fantasy Tech) and have Weapon Master?

Zweihander is a two-handed weapon, so multiple parry penalty is halved, becoming 0/-2/-4/-6/-8...

But it's also a fencing weapon, which also halves again penalties, so its parry value are 0/-1/-2/-3/-4/-5... right?

And what if you also have Weapon Master? Does it halves again for 0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-3/-3...?

Originally Posted by Kromm

A guige would work fine with a two-handed weapon. If you don't think it would look cool enough, that's your call. Historically, users of big spears and even the occasional swordsman wore a shield this way. Advanced Guige Use (Low-Tech Companion 2, p. 19) covers all the complications, and I'd say that you could learn a Hard technique to buy off the -3 to Block, but there's nothing you could do about using your weapon on your shield side.

Ok, ok... It's just the case that guige shield's are uncommon on media. The first time I ever heard about that was on Gurps Low-Tech!!! I don't have even the slightest idea of how a fighter can move around and block attacks with that.... Let alone to use Widen Shield in that way.

About the technique, it's a great idea for a DF combat Power-up! Thanks!

EDIT: By the way, how your two-handed sword guys does to deal with arrows/rain of arrows, explosive attacks and dragon's fire breath?

[Bruno]

I am clearly going to have to meditate on the way of the shieldblade :)

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Gnomasz

So, block with your sword.

What a martial artist would call a block with a weapon is a parry in GURPS terms.

[Carlos]

By the way, is this a shield guige usage?

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...elord.jpg/sr=1

[Carlos]

Gnomasz, surely Siegfried's sword is kind of.... exotic. But I'm not sure if that could work as a shield at all. If so, axes and great axes could also work for that purpose (and I already wondered an axer user blocking an arrow with his axe).

[Agramer]

Plate over chain could compensate for shield.Historically knights stoped carrying shields when plate was introduced.So maybe invest 50 cp in Filthy rich and buy magical(+db,+dr) fine,hardened plate.

Top it with very fine balanced magical greatsword combined with appropriate perks and weaponmaster....Shockwave,Dazzling display work great with 2 handed weapons that can dish more basic dmg(Combined with Powerblow they become devastating)....Telescopic weapon can be fun...

Extra attack is a must...

So between Armour Imbuements(on layered plate armour) and numerous Weapon imbuements you should be fine.

If you have enough points than Magery could be fun(considering that it functiones as talent for Imbuement skills;further increasing them) and few handpicked spells at 15 can make even greater difference if you use them as "enhancements" maintaining 5-6 spells when you have time to prepare(blur+1,haste+1,shield+1,nightvision ...)