COmbat styles and parry

[Flambeau]

Can somebody parry with a 1h sword using his Combat Style of Sword and Shield, or he only can parry with the shield or evade?

In the character creation some Combat styles listed are 2H Spear, Spear and shield and Spear. Spear includes both 2H and 1H spears?
The barbarian (in pege 14) has 1H Sword, should it be 2H Sword? If not, why would choose anybody this instead of Sword and shield?(unless that with Sword and shield you can't use your sword to parry)

 

[GoingDown]

Free hand can be used for unarmed combat maneuvres

Or just to taunt opponent

 

[Deleriad]

Free hand can be used for unarmed combat maneuvres

Or just to taunt opponent

I occasionally ruminate on running a swashbuckling campaign where one of the combat manoeuvres for someone using a 1H weapon with a free hand is, precisely, "taunt."

Ideally in French.

 

[Rurik]

Ideally in French.

Preferably twice.

 

[Flambeau]

So if you have Sword and Shield combate style, can you use your sword to parry an attack?

 

[jarulf]

So if you have Sword and Shield combate style, can you use your sword to parry an attack?

Yes.
And you can attack with the shield.

 

[Flambeau]

That was my guessing, but then why would somebody pick 1H Sword combat style instead of Sword and Shield?

 

[Deleriad]

That was my guessing, but then why would somebody pick 1H Sword combat style instead of Sword and Shield?

The answer to that, in strict game terms, is that no one would. However RQ occasionally puts a notion of simulation before pure game. So, in some cultures shields might be unknown or seen us unheroic or their use as taboo. This question has come up a few times, which means it probably ought to have had a small text box about combat styles, cultures and game balance.

If you want to create a *game* advantage for a 1H weapon style to balance the lack of shield you can. For example

Superior Riposte. (Parry, 1H Weapon style only). You may immediately riposte using the same weapon you parried with without spending a Combat Action.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

If you want to create a *game* advantage for a 1H weapon style to balance the lack of shield you can. For example

Superior Riposte. (Parry, 1H Weapon style only). You may immediately riposte using the same weapon you parried with without spending a Combat Action.

Assuming a person deliberately fights with a single weapon (i.e. has the 1 H only style), then they probably fight in something approaching a fencing stance, with off-hand turned away from the opponent to present a smaller profile. This suggests a modest bonus to parry or evade (or both), but only when fighting a single opponent straight up. (You don't need to move an attack out of line or yourself out of line, very far when turned this way.) Any increased riposte ability would be, I think, from the presumed thrusting nature of the weapon, not the fighting style itself. I can't see it applying to, say, a broadsword--though I'm no SCA or ARMA re-enactor.

So a sword and shield person finding themselves without a shield would still be accustomed to fighting squared off with their opponent, and thus would receive no bonus. I'm also not sure if one can "lunge" very effectively from a squared off posture, but that is really a minor issue in deathly fights (i.e. not sparring with mock weapons), as I understand the lunge to be a very low percentage option in serious combat.[/quote]

 

[Mikko Leho]

That was my guessing, but then why would somebody pick 1H Sword combat style instead of Sword and Shield?

No one as in real life. Shield gives you such a tremendous advantage that you would always use it if you have the chance. This is however limited by the surrounding social standards and training available.

 

[superc0ntra]

There is a reason that (almost) all cultures before the invent of firearms have used shields in battle. It gives you a massive advantage over a shield-less opponent.