tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post1814251880795549320..comments2024-03-28T00:41:13.514-07:00Comments on B/X BLACKRAZOR: PoleaxedJBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-4911854543789617432014-10-12T23:32:36.220-07:002014-10-12T23:32:36.220-07:00@ Charles:
I *think* what Ffoulkes is saying is t...@ Charles:<br /><br />I *think* what Ffoulkes is saying is that a person looking at a war hammer or battle axe will have no trouble distinguishing it as a "hammer" or "axe" based on its appearance and similarity to modern day tools. He's talking about form, not function, in describing these weapons...it's not a treatise on combat.<br /><br />However, I definitely see how using a descriptive text as a basis for modeling combat mechanics in a game is pretty shaky ground. And I think that's part of the reason so many other designers that came after Gygax (C&S, RQ, DQ, etc.) made it such a point of emphasis.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-91535303315853920942014-10-12T20:34:09.019-07:002014-10-12T20:34:09.019-07:00As an example of the weirdness and poor scholarshi...As an example of the weirdness and poor scholarship in those older books, from the 1909 Ffoulks quote - "and their general form only varies in detail from implements in use at the present day".<br /><br />That's simply incorrect. The only thing I've ever seen these days that's anything close to a medieval one-handed battleaxe is a shingle hatchet - hardly an everyday implement. The typical axe or hatchet is totally different from the weapon of war in weight, balance, blade shape...<br /><br />Similarly with a warhammer. It may be a little more similar to a framing clawhammer than a battleaxe is to an axe, but it's still a specialized weapon with thought put into its design that deserves more description than "it's a hammer".<br /><br />I'd call that a perfect example of poor scholarship on Ffoulks' part, and typical of the level of scholarship of his era and earlier.Charles Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00941603544547428940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-9512622517753986352014-10-10T16:50:01.530-07:002014-10-10T16:50:01.530-07:00Hey there! Glad to see poleaxes finally getting th...Hey there! Glad to see poleaxes finally getting their due.<br /><br />I was writing a response in this tiny box, but it got rather long, so it is on my blog here:<br /><br />http://spellsandsteel.blogspot.ca/2014/10/more-about-poleaxes.html<br /><br />Cheers!Charles Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00941603544547428940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-17730499980473611052014-10-10T05:41:22.242-07:002014-10-10T05:41:22.242-07:00@ Konsumt:
Yes, especially if you like the variab...@ Konsumt:<br /><br />Yes, especially if you like the variable weapon damage rule. Interestingly, the zwiehander (six foot two-handed sword) was used much the same as the many pole-arms and giving them both D10 damage...while not a great model (without damage reduction)...is nice in that it puts them in the same category.<br /><br />More on this point later.<br />; )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-40266528423720026592014-10-10T03:02:41.273-07:002014-10-10T03:02:41.273-07:00one thing keeping me oldschool is polearm damage -...one thing keeping me oldschool is polearm damage - RQ post 3rd ed as well as late DnD weakened them to simular to swords which is BS - one thing has made me not change editions since which is a bit touchy of me - in BX has been nice to have generic polearm which could include a nagimaki, a poleaxe, a halberd, maul, huge spear blade, etc<br />Konsumterrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18170560484656800416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-79645572503960316012014-10-10T00:42:25.420-07:002014-10-10T00:42:25.420-07:00@ Monk:
Some swords were still useful (and used) ...@ Monk:<br /><br />Some swords were still useful (and used) on the battlefield. But even after they became secondary considerations, the sword was still considered a "knight's weapon" and the one associated with the other.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-25197548362539831942014-10-09T17:11:14.354-07:002014-10-09T17:11:14.354-07:00I would also recommend checking out the YouTube ch...I would also recommend checking out the YouTube channel of a gent named Matt Easton (https://www.youtube.com/user/scholagladiatoria). He both studies the original texts and is an instructor in Historical European Martial Arts. His stuff is fantastic and he has a wealth of information.<br /><br />Historically speaking, by the middle of the Medieval Age, swords were largely a civilian self-defense weapon or your last ditch weapon in war. Poleaxes, warhammers, battleaxes, spears, bows and maces were the primary weapons of war. Similar to modern armies where soldiers go into battle with an assault rifle and might carry a pistol as a sidearm, medieval soldiers went into battle with a weapon like a poleaxe or spear and might carry a sword for backup.Monkapotomushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863829877299943297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-83922760970662404162014-10-09T12:09:27.496-07:002014-10-09T12:09:27.496-07:00Interestingly the Pole-Axe mad it into 3.0 and 3.5...Interestingly the Pole-Axe mad it into 3.0 and 3.5 D&D and later Pathfinder though they call it a halberd. It works pretty much as historical and as a trip weapon which is as close to the hook as D&D offers <br /><br />Its also got its own weapon style feat which works a bit like Half Sword granting an AC bonus and an extra (at -5) bashing attack <br /><br />I do suspect Daffy Duck came up with the name though, , spin parry bash ah-ha that s not a surprise, those editions are fully of daffy stuff and half sword technique is pretty boring as a name.5stonegameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10694550968360550229noreply@blogger.com