[Playtest 2] Weapons and Armor

Plus, bastard sword ins only listed as two handed. In this case I think they just forgot a side note telling that it can be used one armed as a longsword. Same thing for the katana, otherwise you can not build the iconic katana / wakizashi wielding samurai.

I have never understood why people think that a samurai fights with both the Katana and Wakizashi at the same time. The katana was the primary fighting sword and was wielded with both hands to devastating effect. The wakizashi was a back-up/auxiliary weapon that was used for close-quarters combat, beheading defeated enemies, and committing ritualistic suicide.

So in short yes, you can still be a samurai but now you more closely mirror the reality because your not trying to wield a 12-24 inch blade (Wakizashi) at thee same time as a 23-28 inch blade (katana).
 

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I have never understood why people think that a samurai fights with both the Katana and Wakizashi at the same time. The katana was the primary fighting sword and was wielded with both hands to devastating effect. The wakizashi was a back-up/auxiliary weapon that was used for close-quarters combat, beheading defeated enemies, and committing ritualistic suicide.

So in short yes, you can still be a samurai but now you more closely mirror the reality because your not trying to wield a 12-24 inch blade (Wakizashi) at thee same time as a 23-28 inch blade (katana).

I didn't say that it was historically accurate, only that is iconic. ;)

Most people think that it was the way the fought because literature (including comics and movies) show them do it, so they expect them to play them in RPGs.
 

I agree they have probably missed out the using Bastard swords and Katana one handed . This could be because it takes a feat or equivalent to use them one handed?

Some samurai did wield a Katana one handed with a Wakizashi. Indeed perhaps the most famous samurai of all time did this.

From wikipedia;

Musashi created and perfected a two-sword kenjutsu technique called niten'ichi (二天一, "two heavens as one") or nitōichi (二刀一, "two swords as one") or "Ni-Ten Ichi Ryu" (A Kongen Buddhist Sutra refers to the two heavens as the two guardians of Buddha). In this technique, the swordsman uses both a large sword, and a "companion sword" at the same time, such as a katana with a wakizashi. Although he had mastership in this style of two swords, he most commonly used a katana in duels.
The two-handed movements of temple drummers may have inspired him, although it could be that the technique was forged through Musashi's combat experience. Jutte techniques were taught to him by his father — the jutte was often used in battle paired with a sword; the jutte would parry and neutralize the weapon of the enemy while the sword struck or the practitioner grappled with the enemy. In his time a long sword in the left hand was referred to as gyaku nito. Today Musashi's style of swordsmanship is known as Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū.[citation needed]
Musashi was also an expert in throwing weapons. He frequently threw his short sword, and Kenji Tokitsu believes that shuriken methods for the wakizashi were the Niten Ichi Ryu's secret techniques [13].
Musashi spent many years studying Buddhism and swordsmanship. He was an accomplished artist, sculptor, and calligrapher. Records also show that he had architectural skills. Also, he seems to have had a rather straightforward approach to combat, with no additional frills or aesthetic considerations. This was probably due to his real-life combat experience; although in his later life, Musashi followed the more artistic side of bushidō. He made various Zen brush paintings, calligraphy, and sculpted wood and metal. Even in The Book of Five Rings he emphasizes that samurai should understand other professions as well. It should be understood that Musashi's writings were very ambiguous, and translating them into English makes them even more so; that is why so many different translations of the Go Rin No Sho can be found. To gain further insight into Musashi's principles and personality, one could read his other works, such as Dokkodo and Hyoho Shiji ni Kajo

Note I am no Katana fan boy, and indeed don't really think that it should be included in a mostly western list of weapons or diferentiated from a Bastard Sword. They have called this type of weapon a Falchion before in D&D (even though this a one handed axe like sword) and this is at least more in keeping.

As a quick aside from other reading I thought that Musashi was inspired by Portugeese duelists who acted as guards for the Jesuit enclaves?
 
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However, Musashi was an unusual guy. Using him as your baseline is a bit like saying "all martial artists can play ping pong with nunchuks because Bruce Lee could".

Of course, D&D player characters are supposed to be Musashi and Bruce Lee types, so they ought to be able to do the same things they did. But the rest of the game world shouldn't necessarily be able to.
 

I'm fairly sure the katana was a sidearm for the samurai, carried but not their main fighting weapon. Whether that would be daikyu, yari, or naginata (or something unusual) would depend on the era.
 

I think you must hate heavy armour for some reason...

No, I was just running off the basic stats from the armor table from the playtest doc. I can see bumping the heavy armors up a point each, though. I kinda wanted to keep the basic Plate + heavy shield from moving past AC 20, given the general "number flatness" theme that 5th is going for. Why'd you sub the mail shirt for basic leather armor, though? If you're gonna go that route, I'd rather just pull it completely. For control purposes, though, I'd just jack the price a bit, and move some of the other numbers around.

How's this look to you?

Common Armor

Name

Light armor Price Armor Class Wgt Speed Stealth
Padded Jack 25 sp 11 + Dex - -
Leather Jack 10 gp 12 + Dex - -
Brigandine* 25 gp 13 + Dex - -
Chain Shirt 150 gp 14 + Dex - -

Medium armor
Hide 15 gp 13 + max 2 Dex - -
Scale 100 gp 14 + max 2 Dex - -
Breastplate 250 gp 15 + max 2 Dex - -

Heavy armor
Chain Hauberk 200 gp 16 (no Dex) -5 ft Disadv
Laminar** 500 gp 17 (no Dex) -5 ft Disadv
Plate 1500 gp 18 (no Dex) -5 ft Disadv

Shield
Buckler 15 gp +1 (vs 1 att)
Light Shield 10 gp +1
Heavy Shield 25 gp +2


*Studded Leather
**Splint/Banded/reinforced mail

I kept "laminar" instead of your "reinforced mail", just because I'm a classicist jerk like that. My players give me crap about that kind of thing all the time. Weenies.
 

Lamellar*

Lamellar, scale, brigandine, and the apocryphal "studded leather" & "splint" mail, are all basically the same thing: small pieces of metal either lashed together or riveted to a flexible backing in a manner that resembles scales.

*(apologies for being pedantic.)
 

I kept "laminar" instead of your "reinforced mail", just because I'm a classicist jerk like that. My players give me crap about that kind of thing all the time. Weenies.

Where is Lammelar armour, and the Linothorax? ;)

Also, if you're going to pendantic about armour, why are you continuing to undervalue the shield?
 

Lamellar*

Lamellar, scale, brigandine, and the apocryphal "studded leather" & "splint" mail, are all basically the same thing: small pieces of metal either lashed together or riveted to a flexible backing in a manner that resembles scales.

*(apologies for being pedantic.)

Actually, Laminar is a type of armour as well. (from the sometimes (though increasingly) accurate wikipedia:

Laminar armour (from Latin: laminae - layer), sometimes confusingly referred to as "banded mail", is an armour made from horizontal overlapping rows or bands of solid armour plates.[1] as opposed to lamellar armour which is made from individual armor scales laced together to form a solid looking strip of armor.
 

Actually, Laminar is a type of armour as well. (from the sometimes (though increasingly) accurate wikipedia:

Laminar armour (from Latin: laminae - layer), sometimes confusingly referred to as "banded mail", is an armour made from horizontal overlapping rows or bands of solid armour plates.[1] as opposed to lamellar armour which is made from individual armor scales laced together to form a solid looking strip of armor.

Ah; I've never heard it called that, though I've I know the term, laminae. I just always called that a lorica segmentata. Hoist on my own armor nerd pretensions. Well played sir!

TBH, I prefer to lump laminar and plate armor together.
 

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