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Discovering that the lowly sling is a valid weapon in GURPS against Smedley The Orc got me to looking at other weapons on the list that I would not typically buy for a character.
Then I was wondering if some of these weapons were also valid in D&D.
Getting a spear instead of a sword is one example.
This feels like the same moment when I realized that the bog standard mail I'd been buying for my character might not be the most cost effective option.
Historically, the Spear is Da Man. Like, depending on whether it's a light throwing spear or it's a 6' regular spear or it's a boar spear (a longer dual-edged blade with a stop on it) or a war spear (double edged sword on a stick, longer than a boar spear) or a shorter thrust and cut spear like the assegai (of which many cultures, even medieval Europe, had) the damage could be just from thrusting or tossing or slashing against no armor (regular spear) or slashing against light armor (the bigger edged spears) or against whole armor (sword on a stick spears.)
ReplyDeleteAD&D of original or 2nd edition never really took this into effect.
But I've fought (in the SCA) with a foot long double-edged 'spear' (treated as a short double-edged polearm) and it works quite well for bashing, slashing and poking. You can generate a lot of energy and force at the end of 6' of shaft.
And the 'thrust only' 9' SCA spear is the sniper murder weapon of choice for fighting line to line. Shields forward, spears behind. You can do a lot with a 'thrust only' like grab shields and yank open shield walls, push shields to make openings, bounce off of shields to force the tip to slide sideways into a body and (my favorite) lift shields to make openings then thrust.
I've used it one handed with a shield or in my left arm as a 2nd weapon while using sword in my right.
Spears are much more versatile than people think. So what do most fantasy schlep men-at-arms carry? A spear...
The best spear battle is in the movie "Troy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LfBuyonkUY using light to medium spears.
My SCA weapon of choice was the halberd with a butt spike. The hook-spike was great for pulling down a shield so someone with a spear could get in there.
DeleteMine was a double bladed 'glaive' (more an alspeisse) with a slight curve in the 'blade' portion. Present it with the curve away from the opponent and quietly rotate it so that the curve is now towards the enemy. And use that to gook over the top of the shield.
DeleteThough at one time I had a Byzantine rampale, a two-handed short shafted 'glaive' with a hook on it. The other two-handed 'swordsmen' just didn't understand how this 53" stubby heavy thing could block and get in on them.
Polearms rock! Love them so much more than sword and shield. Always enjoyed it when they had polearm tourneys and I'd watch the 'knights' get their asses handed to them by the proles... (like me.. teehee.)