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Oh Hai Katana!
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<blockquote data-quote="mlund" data-source="post: 6029990" data-attributes="member: 50304"><p>No, not really - they lack the raw mass to do the job of a Bastard Sword. A bastard sword can kill a man in plate by caving in his chest (it won't cut through his armor). It can also parry heavier weapons in a pinch. The Katana will probably break.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Again, not really. Swinging one-handed greatly reduces the effectiveness of those weapons against armor, shields, and other weapons. The bastard sword will still carry a lot of momentum, but it's much slower. The katana loses a huge amount of its strength one-handed, needing to rely on the keenness of its edge vs. a lack of armor on the enemy.</p><p></p><p>If you want to handle such a two-handed weapon in one hand ask your DM if you can use the next weapon profile down - the scimitar or the long sword. The drop in power (katana) or speed (bastard sword) can generously be worked out as a single demotion of the damage die.</p><p></p><p>Seriously, you using a bastard sword one-handed if you REALLY need to lunge, hold onto a shield (sub-optimal), hold onto reigns (there are better weapons when mounted by far) or your off-hand is injured and you can't find a lighter weapon.</p><p></p><p>Likewise you use a katana one-handed only if you have an off-hand weapon (mostly a defensive tactic), you have to strike from a drawing stance (iaido), you are mounted, or your off-hand is injured and you need the superior reach over the wakizashi.</p><p></p><p>And yes, D&D doesn't differentiate the reach and threat-zone differences between longer and shorter swords either, except imprecisely by the damage die. There's a very good reason why large swords, axes, and hammers fell out of use once heavy armor went obsolete - faster and lighter piercing and cutting weapons (rapier, epee, saber) are much, much more deadly when armor is out of the picture.</p><p></p><p>- Marty Lund</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="mlund, post: 6029990, member: 50304"] No, not really - they lack the raw mass to do the job of a Bastard Sword. A bastard sword can kill a man in plate by caving in his chest (it won't cut through his armor). It can also parry heavier weapons in a pinch. The Katana will probably break. Again, not really. Swinging one-handed greatly reduces the effectiveness of those weapons against armor, shields, and other weapons. The bastard sword will still carry a lot of momentum, but it's much slower. The katana loses a huge amount of its strength one-handed, needing to rely on the keenness of its edge vs. a lack of armor on the enemy. If you want to handle such a two-handed weapon in one hand ask your DM if you can use the next weapon profile down - the scimitar or the long sword. The drop in power (katana) or speed (bastard sword) can generously be worked out as a single demotion of the damage die. Seriously, you using a bastard sword one-handed if you REALLY need to lunge, hold onto a shield (sub-optimal), hold onto reigns (there are better weapons when mounted by far) or your off-hand is injured and you can't find a lighter weapon. Likewise you use a katana one-handed only if you have an off-hand weapon (mostly a defensive tactic), you have to strike from a drawing stance (iaido), you are mounted, or your off-hand is injured and you need the superior reach over the wakizashi. And yes, D&D doesn't differentiate the reach and threat-zone differences between longer and shorter swords either, except imprecisely by the damage die. There's a very good reason why large swords, axes, and hammers fell out of use once heavy armor went obsolete - faster and lighter piercing and cutting weapons (rapier, epee, saber) are much, much more deadly when armor is out of the picture. - Marty Lund [/QUOTE]
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