Quote from: Kiero;1088221Spears. Common in history and probably in the setting, but rare in the hands of PCs.

Spears are excellent weapons, historically the sword was often a backup weapon to the spear.

On the other hand, I wouldn't take one into a cave, or use it to clear out a building. So maybe the way that fantasy games favor the sword makes some sense.

I'd love to have a Casaba Howitzer in my science fiction games. With just a little real-world finagling, you have a programmable multi-modal weapon of extreme versatility and destructiveness.

I'm going to end up having to write it up.

Quote from: Lurkndog;1090021Spears are excellent weapons, historically the sword was often a backup weapon to the spear.

On the other hand, I wouldn't take one into a cave, or use it to clear out a building. So maybe the way that fantasy games favor the sword makes some sense.

A 10' wide corridor is perfect for a hoplite phalanx. Two ranks of four files, and the monsters aren't getting past that.

The Garrote.

Good friend of "rogues" and their sub-classes associated with nastiness.

Should be in any equipment list since it comes from 'street-level' crime.

Quote from: Kiero;1090050A 10' wide corridor is perfect for a hoplite phalanx. Two ranks of four files, and the monsters aren't getting past that.

But how well would it deal with corners and doorways opening to the sides?

The Book of Five Rings mentions using a short sword for indoor work, and I am inclined to agree.

Different Worlds had the Thermonuclear Hand Grenade. I can see a use for it with a PC who can Teleport or has similar technology.

Put me down for atlatls, kpinga (the african throwing thingies), and bolas already mentioned. I also would love to see the kopia lance of the winged hussars- longer than a normal lance, so you get to hit first, but hollow to offset the weight and attached to the rider's saddle by a cup to add extra shock. They were really effective.



 

Quote from: Lurkndog;1090116But how well would it deal with corners and doorways opening to the sides?

The Book of Five Rings mentions using a short sword for indoor work, and I am inclined to agree.

Wheel manuever would take care of either. Wheel 90 degrees to go around the corners. For the open doorways: 1 door way with no enemy in front of you, you wheel to block the side passageway with your second line following. two passage ways no enemy in front of you, you wheel from the center, 2 to each side with your second line  advancing and filling the far edges of your line.

If you have enemies in front of you, probably best not do any fancy maneuvering but you could wheel to block the side passage(s) and then charge the enemy in front of you with your second line. I wouldn't do it, lol. If the enemy in front of you is behind a passage way or two and is sitting there daring you to attack, sure smells like ambush.

Unless the spears are short it seems they would be likely to hit the wall, the ceiling, the floor, or your comrade when trying to wheel a line of spearmen in a 10' wide corridor. It would be even worse when you have to change directions half way through a doorway.

Quote from: Bren;1090510Unless the spears are short it seems they would be likely to hit the wall, the ceiling, the floor, or your comrade when trying to wheel a line of spearmen in a 10' wide corridor. It would be even worse when you have to change directions half way through a doorway.

True. Spears are made for a single very specific kind of fighting.

Quote from: Bren;1090510Unless the spears are short it seems they would be likely to hit the wall, the ceiling, the floor, or your comrade when trying to wheel a line of spearmen in a 10' wide corridor. It would be even worse when you have to change directions half way through a doorway.

Sure! But that's why you have a side-arm. But in a tight corridor, a short-spear is a great weapon for holding a position of fighting in a retreat. The abstraction of RPG's is always going to lose some fidelity of realism unfortunately.

Quote from: Theory of Games;1090059The Garrote.

Good friend of "rogues" and their sub-classes associated with nastiness.

Should be in any equipment list since it comes from 'street-level' crime.

I've always felt very few games can pull the garrote off well. I totally agree it needs more love and should be a must-have for sneaky bastiches

Quote from: tenbones;1092029I've always felt very few games can pull the garrote off well. I totally agree it needs more love and should be a must-have for sneaky bastiches

I really like the way GURPS handles it. The decreased defenses of the victim (assuming they are garroted while unaware), strangulation plus the neck damage multiplier, the distinction between rope garrotes and wire garrotes (which can slice into the neck) as well as improvised garrotes from rope, cables etc. Pretty great so long as granularity doesn't put you off.

Then again, I like the way GURPS handles the distinctions and subtleties with a lot of weapons. And GURPS in general. I'm a bit of a GURPS'o'philiac. I'm only even settling for my fianceé because I realized I couldn't marry my GURPS collection (I'm still keeping them around for booty calls).