shields

[Jujitsudave]

I agree with Redcrow. One full force shot with a hoplite shield upside your head will fracture your skull and ruin your day. Lunging at someone with a knife will cause severe trauma and a possible slow death but unless you stab the neck, between the ribs or under the sternum into the heart, there is a chance of survival. A knife is simply easier, however, to cause injury. Having them both cause relatively the same amount of damage is fair.

In fact, I'd say that unarmed damage is a bit overblown, if anything.

 

[Vortigern]

In fact, I'd say that unarmed damage is a bit overblown, if anything.

More-so than with weapon use this really depends on the skill level of the attacker. For unskilled combatants I would say it is a tad inflated. Generally those without training have seemingly no idea how to hurt someone with their hands/feet etc.

Yet for skilled combatants it doesn't feel at all as decisive as a genuine conflict would be, where one or two well executed strikes can inflict such significant damage as to end the conflict. Of course comparing the relative damage to what is inflicted by some of the low-end weapons, and I'd say it is scaled about right.

With the right selection of maneuvers a skilled Unarmed combatant could still inflict some genuine agony. :wink: