{April Fools Free Zone} What is the damage for a broadsword??

[RogueJK]

Double post...

 

[RogueJK]

The broadsword described in the 2E Arms & Equipment Guide was indeed some kind of bizzare straight bladed cavalry saber.

The writers of the book must have gotten bad information. The broadsword they were referring to in the Arms & Equipment Guide was the Scottish Broadsword, which was used from about the 16th-19th century. Hardly medieval. It usually had a cloth-lined basket hilt. Here is a picture for reference:

Over time, they made the blade more narrow, and it wasn't a true broadsword, though it was still referred to as one.

The typical medieval broadsword, though, was fairly close to the Viking or Celt sword, as you said. Here's a Viking broadsword:

This is what most people probably think about when they think of a "broadsword".

 

[Urklore]

There have been tons of debates on how to handle the broadsword and ringmail in 3rd edition since they were dropped. I myself when I hear broadsword, think of the conan sword from the movies, the sword of power from the He-Man Cartoons, and any blade that is wide and double edged. Just a big wide blade that was made for hacking and not for speed and elegance.

Yes, there were historical versions of the broadsword. Yes, I know there were no histroical versions of ringmail (at least that was the offical answer I got from WoTC).

I just wish we had a decent writeup for said weapon. treating it as a longsword just gives me a bad feeling and makes my guts explode.

 

[AFGNCAAP]

The only correct use of the term "broadsword," IIRC, is for the Dao & for swords like the basket-hilt claymore & schiavona: "broadsword" is a term brought about after medieval times.

The term "long sword" didn't really exist in mediaval times, either: IRRC, I think that the term "long sword" was actually used for weapons more akin to a bastard sword. Medieval swords were just called "swords."

In essence, the "long sword" of 3E is more like the "normal sword" of Basic D&D: covers any 1-handed, straight-bladed sword which (typically) is double-edged, & typically uses the edge of the weapon to inflict damage rather than the point. The 3E longsword covers the old longsword & broadswords of 1st & 2nd Ed., & the "normal sword" of Basic D&D.

So basically, you have a set of stats that covers a bunch of weapons, from the Roman spatha, to the Viking sword, to the sword of medieval knights, and even the basket-hilt claymore or the schiavona; just like the scimitar can be used to cover such weapons as the cutlass, the saber, the tulwar, the hanger, the Chinese Broadsword or Dao, the Russian shashqa, & the storta.

On a side note, the only thing I didn't really see covered stat-wise is something to cover weapons like the falcata: to give you an idea, envision a short-sword sized weapon with a forward-curving blade like a kukri---that's a falcata. That could also cover similar weapons like the cruder khopesh, as well as the yataghan & other forward-curved weapons (a great example being the sword used by the Medjai in The Mummy & The Mummy Returns.

 

[Storm Raven]

I just wish we had a decent writeup for said weapon. treating it as a longsword just gives me a bad feeling and makes my guts explode.

If it makes you feel any better, just think of the longsword stats as the write-up for the "one-handed straight slashing sword" instead. The term "longsword" is just a game artifice to describe a straight bladed one handed slashing sword anyway.

The game system really isn't granular enough to handle the distinction between things that might be called "longswords" and things that might be called "broadswords" anyway.

 

[hong]

The only correct use of the term "broadsword," IIRC, is for the Dao & for swords like the basket-hilt claymore & schiavona: "broadsword" is a term brought about after medieval times.

. . .

Adkison

 

[Doppleganger]

Broadswords were designed for women. Thus the name, broadsword. At the time they were first used there was also another type called a dudesword, but that one never caught on.

 

[hong]

Broadswords were designed for women. Thus the name, broadsword. At the time they were first used there was also another type called a dudesword, but that one never caught on.

Dudesword == longsword

I'm sure you can grok the connection.

 

[RogueJK]

On a side note, the only thing I didn't really see covered stat-wise is something to cover weapons like the falcata: to give you an idea, envision a short-sword sized weapon with a forward-curving blade like a kukri---that's a falcata. That could also cover similar weapons like the cruder khopesh, as well as the yataghan & other forward-curved weapons (a great example being the sword used by the Medjai in The Mummy & The Mummy Returns.

The Khopesh can be found on page 97 of the FRCS. In case you don't have that, I'll post it here:
Medium Exotic Weapon, 20 gp, 1d8 slashing damage, 19-20/x2, 12 lbs.
It can be used to make trip attacks.

This might also work for a falcata or yataghan. Not very original, though. It's basically an exotic longsword that can be used to trip.

 

[Aaron L]

Ahh, RogueJK, very good, you have the same opinion as I. Broadswords are early Norman and Viking swords. You must be very intelligent. I had brought up the Scottish broadsword in my original post, but my computer ate it before I hit submit.

Broadsword is a term that came into use in the 19th century to refer to any sword that wasn't a rapier. Because, as all the fencers back then knew, the rapier was the ultimate evolution of the sword, and all swords that came before were clumsy and useless and therefore didn't deserve seperate classification.

These were the same people that thought that men in full plate had to be hoisted onto their horses by cranes, and drew pictures to illustrate, despite no evidence of said devices or their need whatsoever, so you may want to take their opinions with a grain of salt.