The 10-foot pole, antithesis of what adventuring should be?

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Well, considering my monk had a 17 Str and Exotic Weapon Prof: Iron Staff, I think it was usable.

Besides, how much weight are those lovely swords that everyone carries around?

 

[Hussar]

Grrr, that was meant to be underdressed not undressed.

But, in any case, JRRNeiklot, you are still mistaken. Try going around in metal armor and not sweating. Try riding a horse and not sweating. Try carrying a 50-100 pound backpack (which is likely what an adventurer is carrying) and not sweating.

 

[JohnSnow]

Besides, how much weight are those lovely swords that everyone carries around?

Less. This is the case for most FUNCTIONAL blades. I don't mess around with poorly-made, over-heavy wall-hangers. Most of the blades I mention below are swords I've handled in live-steel practice.

I own a battle ready replica 16th-century sword rapier. It's very well-balanced with a 32 inch blade. It weighs less than 3 pounds. A late-16th or early 17th-century rapier might weigh just over 3 pounds, but usually weighs less.

I also own a replica 15th century longsword (hand-and-a-half) with a 38 inch blade. It's a big, sturdy sword, and weighs just about 4 pounds.

I've handled a heavy German katzbalger. It also weighed about 4 pounds, relatively heavy blade for its length (about 24 inches).

My brother owns a replica 11th-century Viking broadsword. It also weighs about 3 pounds. A later period basket-hilted broadsword, similar to the one Liam Neeson used in Rob Roy, is also about 4 pounds.

By contrast, a Scottish claymore (think of William Wallace's sword from Braveheart) weighs about 5 pounds.

Most real swords are in that range: 2-5 pounds. Maybe 6 maximum. And in most cases, about half the weight is in the hilt and pommel. The sole exception is a true German Sweihander. They weighed much more, but they weren't used in combat MUCH and even they topped out at about 9 pounds.

A final note should be spared for ceremonial blades, which could weigh considerably more, but were never used. Many of the early weapons people had as models were ceremonial pieces, giving rise to unrealistic expectations about the weight of blades. But real combat swords just weren't that heavy.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I've never been in a game that was made less fun by acting without thinking. Sometimes bad things happened to the PCs, sure, but they were fun bad things, at least fun for the players. On many occasions though a game has been made less fun by too much time spent planning, or getting bogged down with trivialities such as keeping an exact record of money.

So in essence I agree with ThirdWizard's point that the ten foot pole represents a style of gaming that, for me, is not fun.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Less. This is the case for most FUNCTIONAL blades. I don't mess around with poorly-made, over-heavy wall-hangers. Most of the blades I mention below are swords I've handled in live-steel practice.

I own a battle ready replica 16th-century sword rapier. It's very well-balanced with a 32 inch blade. It weighs less than 3 pounds. A late-16th or early 17th-century rapier might weigh just over 3 pounds, but usually weighs less.

I also own a replica 15th century longsword (hand-and-a-half) with a 38 inch blade. It's a big, sturdy sword, and weighs just about 4 pounds.

I've handled a heavy German katzbalger. It also weighed about 4 pounds, relatively heavy blade for its length (about 24 inches).

My brother owns a replica 11th-century Viking broadsword. It also weighs about 3 pounds. A later period basket-hilted broadsword, similar to the one Liam Neeson used in Rob Roy, is also about 4 pounds.

By contrast, a Scottish claymore (think of William Wallace's sword from Braveheart) weighs about 5 pounds.

Most real swords are in that range: 2-5 pounds. Maybe 6 maximum. And in most cases, about half the weight is in the hilt and pommel. The sole exception is a true German Sweihander. They weighed much more, but they weren't used in combat MUCH and even they topped out at about 9 pounds.

A final note should be spared for ceremonial blades, which could weigh considerably more, but were never used. Many of the early weapons people had as models were ceremonial pieces, giving rise to unrealistic expectations about the weight of blades. But real combat swords just weren't that heavy.

Fair enough.

Still, 25 lbs of steel isn't that bad, and hey, they're supposed to be heroes, right? My 12th level monk with a high Str, and precise feats (I was forced to take Monkey Grip to be able to use the bars in combat) isn't exactly like Joe Shmoe picking them up.


Now, onto the range of the cold...

Having had the unfortunate experience of training at Graf and Wildflicken during the winter for WintEx, I have to say:

Sweating makes it worse. The sweat freezes, turns to ice, and makes you colder. As soon as the temperature drops below freezing, you need to start wearing the correct equipment, such as cold weather parkas, field jacket liners, winter gloves, and in the case of Wildflicken, cold weather masks.

Even then, more than a few people got frostbite on their toes from sweating inside their boots.

 

[mmadsen]

20 degrees could possibly kill you, but if you stay dry, it will take a long, long, time.

In fact, anything over -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit) is considered "little danger" according to the US Army Survival Manual -- assuming no wind, and thus no windchill.

 

[mmadsen]

Still, 25 lbs of steel isn't that bad, and hey, they're supposed to be heroes, right?

A 25-lb club would be totally unusable. A medieval mace only weighs about as much as a sword -- 3 to 5 lbs -- and it's fairly short. "India clubs" (the old school workout implements) only weigh a few pounds too.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Grrr, that was meant to be underdressed not undressed.

But, in any case, JRRNeiklot, you are still mistaken. Try going around in metal armor and not sweating. Try riding a horse and not sweating. Try carrying a 50-100 pound backpack (which is likely what an adventurer is carrying) and not sweating.

I have done all the above except wearing the metal armor and done little to no sweating. Riding a horse, hiking, etc at 20 degrees provokes little sweat. Possibly enough to be noticable in today's cotton clothing, but the medieval adventurer would not likely have had access to an abundance of cotton and would most likely have been wearing wool which is a natural wicking fabric and stays warm when wet.

On a side note, that 50 pound backpack should be carried by a henchman or porter. Hiking with one is no problem, FIGHTING with one on is a different matter. Today's military might find it easy enough to fire a rifle wearing a 50 pound plus pack, but swinging a sword accurately is another matter.

 

[Thurbane]

If I'm calculating correctly, 20F = -7C.

Dude, that is coooold. Not Siberia type cold, but cold enough to mess the average person up pretty badly after an hours or so, unless they are wearing appropriate clothes.

 

[mmadsen]

On a side note, that 50 pound backpack should be carried by a henchman or porter. Hiking with one is no problem, FIGHTING with one on is a different matter. Today's military might find it easy enough to fire a rifle wearing a 50 pound plus pack, but swinging a sword accurately is another matter.

Soldiers often drop their packs before engaging in combat. They don't need a dedicated porter. In fact, getting rid of the baggage train and having soldiers carry their own gear was one of the major innovations of Alexander the Great's army -- and of the Roman legions under Marius. Adding extra men or beasts to carry supplies adds to the amount of supplies they must carry, which means you need more men or beasts to carry those extra supplies, which means, well, you get the idea; it's not very efficient. (A soldier can only carry about a week's rations.)