Combat Styles

[ledpup]

Hi

Short query about combat styles. I was making a character and an option was "hammer and shield." Unfortunately, even though I can see a number of two-handed hammers in the close combat weapons list, I can't see any one-handed hammers.

There doesn't seem to be any explicit link between a weapon and a combat style. For a number of styles the connection is obvious, i.e. spear and sheild. But for hammer and shield, it doesn't seem so obvious to me.

Do clubs and maces fit into "hammer and shileld"?

Thanks

 

[Loz]

Do clubs and maces fit into "hammer and shileld"?

Yes they do.

 

[ledpup]

Hi all

I've compiled a list of all the weapons and shields that I think are suitable for the four main combat types that combine with a shield. It seemed like a logical list to make as it links the general styles available in the Cultural Background with the weapon list. Maybe this could go in the errata?

Hammer and Shield

Club
Heavy mace
Light mace
Military flail
Shillelagh

Spear and Shield

Harpoon
Shortspear
Trident

Sword and Shield

Archer’s Blade
Bastard sword
Broadsword
Cutlass
Falchion
Flamberge
Longsword
Sabre
Scimitar
Shortsword
Wakazashi
War sword

Axe and Shield

Battleaxe
Hatchet
Kukri

Shields that are useable in "Weapon and Shield" styles

Buckler
Fang shield
Heater Shield
Hoplite Shield
Kite shield
Target shield

 

[andyl]

A poignard is a kind of dagger. So I class it in with the daggers. I certainly couldn't see it being used as sword and shield.

 

[ledpup]

A poignard is a kind of dagger. So I class it in with the daggers. I certainly couldn't see it being used as sword and shield.

I've removed it. Thanks.

 

[havercake lad]

Would have thought tanto fitted catagory of a knife as well.

 

[Loz]

I'd seriously recommend reading Pete Nash's wonderful S&P article on combat styles too.

Whilst summarising what weapons fit a standard style, like Sword & Shield, you don't have to follow such constraints. You can be creative to reflect certain cultural and military preferences. For example...

Barbarian Hunter (spear, sling, dagger)
Gladiator (shortsword, trident, net)
Militiaman (spear, shield, sword)
Hard Bastard Mercenary (sword, shield, spear, bow, mace, pike)

And any of these - or others you think of - include as part of their style both one handed and two handed weapon use. Where you've got a dagger or spear, it could include ranged, too.

I've taken this more creative, package approach in recent RQII supplements. 'Pavis Rises', for instance, includes the style Big Hitty Things for one non-player character, and some specific cultural fighting styles for military cultures like the Yelmalians.

 

[Mikko Leho]

Hard Bastard Mercenary (sword, shield, spear, bow, mace, pike)

What is the basic percentage for this style as it features a mix of close and ranged combat weapons?

 

[Loz]

The higher of either close combat (STR+DEX) or ranged (DEX x2). If you want to complicate things then take the average of the two.

 

[andyl]

Surely you will have to use a slightly non-standard char-gen routine if you are going to use styles like "Hard Bastard Mercenary".

The core rules says "Barbarian Adventurers choose three Combat Styles and gain a +10 bonus to each ...".

Now I don't mind explaining to my players they can choose a mega-style with lots of applicable weapons (as long as I say it is reasonably OK culturally or fits in with the character's history) but that they only get one +10 bonus. That it is better for them as it will increase for all weapons at once instead of increasing three separate smaller combat styles. But I do know some people who like to "play by the book" who would argue it makes it more favourable to be civilised as their one style can now include more weapons than previously.

 

[ledpup]

Surely you will have to use a slightly non-standard char-gen routine if you are going to use styles like "Hard Bastard Mercenary".

The core rules says "Barbarian Adventurers choose three Combat Styles and gain a +10 bonus to each ...".

Now I don't mind explaining to my players they can choose a mega-style with lots of applicable weapons (as long as I say it is reasonably OK culturally or fits in with the character's history) but that they only get one +10 bonus. That it is better for them as it will increase for all weapons at once instead of increasing three separate smaller combat styles. But I do know some people who like to "play by the book" who would argue it makes it more favourable to be civilised as their one style can now include more weapons than previously.

Yeah, I was rolling up a character using the standard rules and couldn't find a 1H weapon that was actually called a "hammer". That's why I came up with this list.

You can get the +10 bonus and choose from the list of weapons above without worrying whether you're getting too many free bonuses.

Not that other campaigns or GMs couldn't change or modify these items, it just wasn't all that clear initially.