Big Sword small Hallway.

DavetheLost · September 10, 2017, 07:01:23 PM

To avoid confusion my games now use the following "official" definitions of swords:

Short Sword: It's kind of short, but really too long to be a dagger.

Long Sword: It's longer than a short sword.

Broadsword: A sword used by women.

Greatsword: A really, really good sword.

Philotomy Jurament · September 10, 2017, 07:16:44 PM

I like those definitions.

Armchair Gamer · September 10, 2017, 07:53:30 PM

Quote from: Philotomy Jurament;991304Just to avoid potential confusion, it's worth noting that when Easton talks about "longswords" he's not talking about what is called a "longsword" in (A)D&D. When he talks about "longswords" or "bastard swords" the (A)D&D equivalent would be the (A)D&D bastard sword. When he talks about "arming swords" the (A)D&D equivalent would be the (A)D&D longsword.

It's things like this that make you think Basic D&D was on the right track with 'short/normal/two-handed' swords.

Philotomy Jurament · September 10, 2017, 08:19:46 PM

For the level of abstraction in most D&D games, I think broad categories like that are fine.

If a DM wants some additional detail, it's available for those interested in such things. (And different editions of D&D have various rules that can be used with that kind of detail, if desired.) You just have to be aware that real-world sword nomenclature isn't consistent or precise, and the common terminology that's used, today, doesn't always line up with the terminology used in the game rules. I happen to be interested in stuff like this, so I enjoy looking into the details and figuring out what kind of historical weapons best fit certain D&D weapons, but it certainly isn't necessary or something for everyone.

Bren · September 10, 2017, 10:43:17 PM

Quote from: Philotomy Jurament;991330You just have to be aware that real-world sword nomenclature isn't consistent or precise, and the common terminology that's used, today, doesn't always line up with the terminology used in the game rules.

And the current expert nomenclature doesn't match up with the nomenclature from a different decade or century or expert. Nor does it match all that well with the terminology used by the people from the time periods where those weapons originated or were used in deadly earnest. And that's not even considering that what information we do have of original nomenclature comes from a limited number of literary sources. That number is extremely limited if we look at the period prior to the widespread adoption of printing and moveable type.

Philotomy Jurament · September 10, 2017, 11:41:50 PM

Quote from: Bren;991354And the current expert nomenclature doesn't match up with the nomenclature from a different decade or century or expert. Nor does it match all that well with the terminology used by the people from the time periods where those weapons originated or were used in deadly earnest. And that's not even considering that what information we do have of original nomenclature comes from a limited number of literary sources. That number is extremely limited if we look at the period prior to the widespread adoption of printing and moveable type.

Yep. It's all over the place.

crkrueger · September 11, 2017, 01:38:01 AM

Quote from: Voros;991155As if you can't see the humour in the dead earnest Wikiexpert talk here Kruger.

Granted, it's hard to take seriously any definition of medieval swords that doesn't refer to Ewart Oakeshott's Typologies, based on actual form.

Headless · September 11, 2017, 02:22:58 AM

Oh man. Nerd penis and swords. I almost forgot. COLD STEEL

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DI0S3cjd-emk&ved=0ahUKEwiTy4nlvpzWAhUE7yYKHe9LCX8QtwIIMzAC&usg=AFQjCNH3TKehxc3gjeqa8xoCr-e2ybWHew

I fucking love this guy. "No one will mess with you if you open the door with 5 feet of steel in your hand, no matter how small your penis is." I can't remember which vid that was in they are all awesome.

Philotomy Jurament · September 11, 2017, 10:36:05 AM

Quote from: CRKrueger;991374Granted, it's hard to take seriously any definition of medieval swords that doesn't refer to Ewart Oakeshott's Typologies, based on actual form.

Between Oakeshott and the HEMA guys, there seems to be a kind of consensus in some circles, but it isn't really that widespread, from what I can tell.

RPGPundit · September 13, 2017, 03:26:59 AM

I'm not a military historian, but from what I researched, the gigantic swords were not really in use in War of the Roses-era England. There were two-handed swords, but not of the obscene lengths that would be found later. A term apparently used by weapons historians in reference to it were "hand-and-a-half" swords.

S'mon · September 13, 2017, 04:20:25 AM

Quote from: Headless;991383Oh man. Nerd penis and swords. I almost forgot. COLD STEEL

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DI0S3cjd-emk&ved=0ahUKEwiTy4nlvpzWAhUE7yYKHe9LCX8QtwIIMzAC&usg=AFQjCNH3TKehxc3gjeqa8xoCr-e2ybWHew

I fucking love this guy. "No one will mess with you if you open the door with 5 feet of steel in your hand, no matter how small your penis is." I can't remember which vid that was in they are all awesome.

Massive Zweihander hilt on a moderate sized longsword blade? That's a weird sword.

DavetheLost · September 13, 2017, 08:33:48 AM

Quote from: Headless;991383I fucking love this guy. "No one will mess with you if you open the door with 5 feet of steel in your hand, no matter how small your penis is." I can't remember which vid that was in they are all awesome.

Unless it's a small door in a low ceilinged room...or worse, a narrow hallway. But it is a great quote.