Broadsword

[Ian Sturrock]

1E initiative had it sorted.

In the round that someone closed or charged to melee range, the first attack went to the person with the longer weapon, regardless of initative.

After that, however, speed factor came into play. And when there was a great disparity between speed factors - dagger and two-handed sword, for example - the opponent with the faster weapon could potentially gain more attacks than the person with the slower.
-Hyp.

Too complex for me. I think 3E handles it far better -- if you have a dagger against a greatsword, you need to be closing to grappling range to get any real advantage out of the difference between weapons.

Bear in mind that a greatsword is all weapon -- if someone's past the point, you use it for half-swording, or smack 'em with the hilt or pommel, rather than just standing there and getting stabbed. Unless of course they've controlled your weapon (i.e. grappled you).

 

[Hypersmurf]

Too complex for me.

We haven't even started.

Wait until someone casting a spell is attacked by someone with a melee weapon.

The two sides roll initative (1d6). If the spellcaster wins initiative, follow this procedure:

Subtract the losing die roll from the speed factor of the melee weapon, and take the absolute value of the result (call this value M). Compare this total to the casting time of the spell in segments (call this value S). If M is greater than S, the spell is cast first. If M and S are equal, the strike and the spell occur simultaneously, so in theory, both people could die (or whatever). If M is smaller than S, the strike hits before the spell is completed, and the spell is disrupted.

A note to what I said earlier - when you have two opponents wielding weapons, speed factor is only considered when the two initiative rolls (1d6) are tied. If the two-handed sword rolls a 4 and the dagger rolls a 3, the two-handed sword goes first; speed factor is not considered. If the two-handed sword rolls a 3 and the dagger rolls a 4, the dagger goes first; speed factor is not considered. If both roll a 3, then speed factor is considered, and the dagger goes first.

But the rules for a faster weapon achieving multiple strikes before a slower weapon only apply when speed factor is a determining factor in who goes first. Which is only when initiative rolls are tied.

So, as written in 1E, if a dagger wielder clearly wins initiative against a two-handed sworder (and assuming nobody needs to charge or close to combat), he gets one attack before the two-handed sworder can respond. But if he closely wins initiative (tied roll, broken by speed factor), he gets two attacks.

1E initiative rules are so cool.

-Hyp.

 

[hong]

We haven't even started.

Wait until someone casting a spell is attacked by someone with a melee weapon.

The two sides roll initative (1d6). If the spellcaster wins initiative, follow this procedure:

Subtract the losing die roll from the speed factor of the melee weapon, and take the absolute value of the result (call this value M). Compare this total to the casting time of the spell in segments (call this value S). If M is greater than S, the spell is cast first. If M and S are equal, the strike and the spell occur simultaneously, so in theory, both people could die (or whatever). If M is smaller than S, the strike hits before the spell is completed, and the spell is disrupted.

And so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me!

A note to what I said earlier - when you have two opponents wielding weapons, speed factor is only considered when the two initiative rolls (1d6) are tied. If the two-handed sword rolls a 4 and the dagger rolls a 3, the two-handed sword goes first; speed factor is not considered. If the two-handed sword rolls a 3 and the dagger rolls a 4, the dagger goes first; speed factor is not considered. If both roll a 3, then speed factor is considered, and the dagger goes first.

And so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you!

But the rules for a faster weapon achieving multiple strikes before a slower weapon only apply when speed factor is a determining factor in who goes first. Which is only when initiative rolls are tied.

But as everyone knows, Australia is populated entirely by CRIMINALS, and so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me!

So, as written in 1E, if a dagger wielder clearly wins initiative against a two-handed sworder (and assuming nobody needs to charge or close to combat), he gets one attack before the two-handed sworder can respond. But if he closely wins initiative (tied roll, broken by speed factor), he gets two attacks.

But in studying, you must have learned that man is mortal, and so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you!

1E initiative rules are so cool.

YES! ... where was I?


Hong "possessed of a dizzying intellect" Ooi

 

[Hypersmurf]

But as everyone knows, Australia is populated entirely by CRIMINALS...

Gotta love that movie

-Hyp.

 

[Dirigible]

Darn you to Ecumenical Post-Humanite Purgatory, hong... you burst my funnybag.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Mongols had long before perfected "get past that spear". It was called "arrows". Mongols were never notable stand-up fighters. Their power was in mounted archery.

It's true that mongols were very good mounted archers, but that wasn't the only style of warfare that they were good at (nor did they only use bows from horseback, they also used spears and swords). During their invasion of China, they quickly mastered siege warfare (it's hard to capture a walled city if all you've got are horsemen). They also exceled at psychological warfare, and got so good at it that many cities would surrender without even putting up a fight rather than face the wrath of the mongols if they resisted.