comitatus

Shrinking UAA, that is actually an attack, not "Here you go, my arch-nemesis, have a DCV bonus without any loss of abilities!"

So how would one cleanly build such an attack?

Re: Filthy Rich Burghers

all righty then.

 

what is

 

village

 

town

 

 

city

 

 

(hamlet, ect)

 

We need to get on the same page for the discussion to make since.

 

okay maybe to make since to me.

Mutant for Hire basically stated the definitions, except that an area which also had a cathedral was also classified as a city (up until and including the 19th century). I think there are still some places in the world where the cathedral definition still holds (but don't quote me on that.)

The very modern definition of a city has changed. I believe to be classified as a city now you need a minimum of 100,000 people. Not that long ago it was 30,000.

Re: Filthy Rich Burghers

I would think a hamlet as being no more than 100 or so people' date=' give or take. A village would be larger, perhaps up to 500 or so. [/quote']

 

In Medieval-speak the difference between a hamlet and a village was a village had a church.

Re: Filthy Rich Burghers

There would be those who would claim that Old Kingdom Egypt really didn't have much in the way of cities and towns. The administrative and religious centers did not resemble what we would think of as cities and towns at least. A gathering of a few scribes and temples does not a city make. IIRC it is a subject of debate.

Huh? Egypt had towns before the advent of Pharaohs.

Re: Another take on fantasy campaigns

...

 

I think I can add unicorns without stretching credibility too much.

I remember reading an article a few years ago believing the unicorn (or the origin thereof) had been discovered; A Persian goat whose horns can twist together to give the illusion it has only one horn. Also bear in mind that the earliest depictions of an unicorn are goats. In my copy of a 1220AD Bestiary the unicorn is most definitely resembles a goat (the description even says so.)

If you examine the British Coat of Arms the unicorn has a beard, and cloven hooves (horses have a closed hoof, and no beard.)

On my list of tasks to do is discover when the unicorn transforms from a goat like creature to a horse like creature. It is rumoured to be 15th century, but cannot confirm or deny.

Re: When to use larger than normal weapons

Hmm. What I'd heard from non-gaming sources was that the greatsword gained in popularity as armour got thicker - thick enough to withstand most weapons, so shields became less useful. So they started using two-handed weapons, because they needed them to be able to penetrate the armour on the other side.

 

Not true?

Not quite sure what you mean by the 'other side' It is not so much a thickening of armour, but more armour became better at deflection (especially through a tempering process). As such a plate harness could ignore most attacks from most weapons.

Certainly if you were wearing a plate harness the shield would be redundant in actual combat (ignoring 'friendly' contests like the tilt). Two hands on a sword gave superior control.

Re: When to use larger than normal weapons

UMA has more than before' date=' but there could be a lot more[/quote']

 

Could be a bit of fun trying to write them up. Of course the Italian concept of tempi is antithetical to Hero's speed chart (though I happen to like Hero's speed chart -- seems to replicate literature rather well.)

Re: When to use larger than normal weapons

Even back then' date=' he mentioned that the genre convention of "greatswords do more damage" was too ingrained to easily break.[/quote']

 

Too true. But then I'm not really looking at trying to re-create realism in Hero, otherwise I'd need a MASS stat amongst other things.

 

And we still need a good write up of some off the 16th century weapon based martial arts, like the German and Italian masters were teaching in the age just before fencing took off.

 

I was under the impression that the 5th ed. of UMA covered Western Martial Arts. That's why I've just ordered a damaged copy of it (I've got 4th.)

 

Under 4th edition MA rules, I was never quite sure how to map something like strezzo tempo

Re: When to use larger than normal weapons

 

Its interesting that this thread is here. I was thinking of posting something similar today, but instead of based on weapons size, its based on the weapons mass/weight.

...How much extra damage based on mass?

Speaking outside Hero game terms, you'd inflict damage by both mass and velocity (and if memory serve the formula is 1/2 mass x velocity squared.)

Of course in an arc a longer weapon can pick up greater velocity than a shorter one.

I suppose it comes to six of one, half a dozen the other.

Re: When to use larger than normal weapons

Well..

most people tend to think of "rapiers" as the more modern fencing blades... and even with a proper rapier, 3 lbs is still light compared to a 5 lb broadsword or an 8 lb claymore...

Not to metion that old FRPG staple..the 20 POUND BROADSWORD!!!

I presume by broadsword you're referring to a 18th/19th century Scottish sword by that name (sometimes also called claymore too )? All the stats I've ever seen on extant examples weigh little more than 2lbs. Pretty comparable in weight to a knight's arming sword.

As for greatswords, I think the heaviest I've ever heard of is 7lbs, with 5lbs being considered on the heavy side (with many at the 3lb weight.)

(European) Swords are my passion...

As for 20lbs it belongs with those legends of knights needing cranes for mounting a horse (did anyone ever think of the poor horse when they thought that one up?!?)

Re: When to use larger than normal weapons

They would probably need a new hilt (too narrow) and then they might be using it almost like a rapier' date=' due to the low weight. Interesting question.[/quote']

 

It is interesting how deeply ingrained the concept is of rapiers being light. As European swords go, rapiers are heavy (typically around the 3lb mark). Arming swords OTOH are light (typically around the 2lb mark), yet most people think arming swords are heavy.

 

I wonder if any of the swordmakers who do custom work have done blades for VERY small people, say 4'?

 

I've once made a sword for a 5ft tall woman. Since I was making it to George Silver's perfect length it was shorter than everyone elses, but not excessively so, nor was it expressly lighter for that matter.

Re: Weapon not up to the Armor

My question is...

1) do you see this as okay? No problem, it just means that the PC will be knocked out first or should the bad guys find a way to do BODY?

It was this aspect of combat that really attracted me to Hero