Arabic Legends, Themes & Phrases

[Dannyalcatraz]

Anyone know the proper name for (and have a link to pictures of) the 2-handed version of the arabic curved sword/axe? I've been looking at kilij, scimitars, tulwars, etc., but cannot find what I'm looking for. The closest thing I've found is the Chinese pudao.

 

[tuxgeo]

Anyone know the proper name for (and have a link to pictures of) the 2-handed version of the arabic curved sword/axe? I've been looking at kilij, scimitars, tulwars, etc., but cannot find what I'm looking for. The closest thing I've found is the Chinese pudao.

There's the Filipino chopping panabas which is used by Muslim tribes; but my overall impression of Arabic culture was that they mostly used one-handers, with the design heavily influenced by cavalry -- one hand to control the horse, one hand to wield the sword.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Thanks for the info! It looks a lot like the pudao...

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

OK, so you are going with Paladin as one hybrid, and you were talking about sorcerer for the other, but did you decide to go with warlock instead? Either way you CAN get yourself into a single weaplement.

As a sorcerer you have it easy, you start with dagger as an implement, so you can fight with an off-hand dagger. There is also a DDI article on converting some sorc powers to melee range which could be interesting. You can just pump up the dagger and use it as your main 'weapon' and carry a scimitar etc as a backup that can be swapped with some other implement like a rod or holy symbol if you want certain other enchantments later.

You can also go with warlock and get a pact dagger. This is a bit more limited but will work too. You can still use AIP to get access to other daggers as implements later if you want (or even pick up a sword of some kind as an implement). You could also use a pact hammer as a weaplement, though it is kind of off on flavor.

Remember, hybrids can always use any of their implements with any power they have. As of RC the way I understand it this is true for any implement, there are no longer artificial restrictions of specific power sources for specific implements (RC p113). It seems a bit unclear if this wording is intended to supersede ALL other restrictions of implements to specific power sources/class powers or not. Personally that's the way I've been interpreting it as it makes it much easier to design characters.

Warlock has vastly superior PPs in general than sorcerer does. OTOH Cosmic Sorcerer would make a pretty cool astrologer/scholar type.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've really settled into a Hybrid (quasi-)Virtuous Paladin of Bahamut/Cosmic Sorcerer build with Pact Initiate: Starlock as the mechanical core of the build for Rigel Ibn Azimech (inspired by Ahmad ibn Fadlān).

I'm strongly leaning towards salting the character with themes lifted from the character Joscelin Verreuil, a Cassiline Brother from the Kushiel books. The Cassiline Brothers fight wearing light to medium armor, with small blades & unarmed combat techniques most of the time, but also use a greatsword when things really get rough. For Rigel, this means he'll be carrying a 2HD weapon (Greataxe, Falchion or Executioner's Axe) for use when he gets fully engaged in melee, but will usually be using a Jambiya (Dagger or Shortsword) or a one handed curved sword (Khopesh or Scimitar), keeping one hand free for an implement. (I'm planning on using some kind of Holy Symbol as well.)

For the Jambiya, I'd really like to get that as a Pact Dagger. It just feels right. But mechanically, its nearly useless since its main power is that it interacts with Warlock's Curse...which Rigel doesn't have. His Jambiya will probably have some kind of power, but it will be something else.

I also would have liked to have had Rigel use a bladed shield, but its too feat intensive for this particular build (1 for Shield proficiency, 1 for Weapon Proficiency).

Warlock has vastly superior PPs in general than sorcerer does.

I do like Warlock Paragon paths, but even though I'm not averse to using a Multiclass PP, almost all of the ones for Warlocks have some kind of tie-in to the Curse, which Rigel doesn't have.

 

[treex]

Just wanted to pop by and say that this is a wonderful character concept. I'm impressed with the amount of time and energy you seem to be putting into this. Maybe I'll do an Oriental/Chinese character, seeing that I'm a Chinese, living in Malaysia, that speaks English...this thread has inspired me to open new doors to many more paths.

EDIT: On another note, I've never tried Multi-Classing or Hybrids, so I'm probably easily awed by this....perhaps...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Glad you like it!

Gotta tell you, though, it took me a long time to get to this level of...obsession. I've always been a multiclassing junkie, but it was always about mechanics. Not about being über, but doing KEWL STUFF. And nothing else.

I'd been in the hobby more than a decade when I figured out I'd have more fun if my characters were more like the characters in the stories by my favorite authors. Not in terms of copying them (though I have done that), but in the sense of rounding them out more. Using the concept to find the mechanics that match. Giving them personalities & quirks meant I could react to in-game stuff like they would, not like I would.

Or as one of my gaming buddies mocked me- "You know, man...roleplaying!"

Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying I brainstorm every PC like this. Some PCs are simple- even stereotypical- and come together quickly. And inspiration comes from all directions...a song, a piece of art...a cool looking weapon...an unusual spell. An erupting Icelandic volcano.

If you do decide to do that PC, start a thread- maybe I can help you like the others here have helped me!

Oh yeah- if it helps, don't think of this kind of in-depth PC design as something you need to share with other players or even your DM. Think of it as notes for yourself. The file* for my Dwarven Starlock PC I'm playing right now has things like his Clan motto on it.







* as in, computer file- all my PCs of the past 6 years are stored on personal portable electronic devices.

 

[treex]

I don't think I'll be crafting up that Chinese character just yet...
But I do have a Warforged Vampire that I'm making for L4W, and I was hoping to get some feedback on it (I mentioned this in another thread) But I'm no sure if it warrants a thread all on it's own.

 

[El Mahdi]

* as in, computer file- all my PCs of the past 6 years are stored on personal portable electronic devices.

You know, it's probably time to retire your Zip and floppy drives...

 

[El Mahdi]

Anyone know the proper name for (and have a link to pictures of) the 2-handed version of the arabic curved sword/axe? I've been looking at kilij, scimitars, tulwars, etc., but cannot find what I'm looking for. The closest thing I've found is the Chinese pudao.

Scimitar is actually an English word (from the 16th century), passed on from either Middle French or Italian.

Arabs call it a Saif (which simply means "sword").

Persians call it a Shamshir (same thing: "sword"). (Farsi)

Don't know if the Arabic or Persian languages differentiated between the different types by name (one-handers, two-handers, large, great, etc.). In English we call the 2-hander a Great Scimitar. I'm just guessing (but I should be pretty close), but since nouns and adjectives in Arabic have case, gender, and number, and inanimate objects usually recieve the feminine gender - a two-hander or Great Scimitar could be called: Saif-kubra. (Adjectives come after the noun in Arabic - kubra is the feminine singular for great.)

In Arabic, a dagger (the curved ones) are known as Jambiya.

The wavy long daggers from Indonesia/Malaysia were know as Kris (where Frank Herbert got his name for his Crysknifes from Dune).

Kindjal is a Turkish word for dagger, but usually describes a long, double-edged, straight or slightly curved dagger (not the extreme curved Jambiya).