(History) One SERIOUS chunk of steel!!

[S'mon]

Anyway, it should also be noted that Wallace's sword is actually longer than what people called a 'greatsword' back then, putting it in the 'zweihander' or 'two-handed sword' category, which is what D&D calls a Greatsword. An actual greatsword was usually just an extra-big bastard sword, which was beefed up to better survive contact with armor. The Wallace sword is more along the lines of what you use to counter pike formations or cavalry.

That's roughly how I do it in my game - from my campaign notes:

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Swords of Ea
Heavy Sword/Broadsword: This is a 2-handed weapon with a broad blade of at least 4' length, some are 4'6" or more. Originally developed to cut the heads off enemy pikes, it makes a very effective man-killer and is a common primary weapon of knights and heavy infantry. This is the heaviest practical fighting sword, though ceremonial zweihanders with blades of 6'+ length also exist. The 1st 12" of the blade on most heavy swords is blunt, allowing it to be gripped above the hilt. Uses D&D greatsword stats.

Bastard sword/Hand-and-a-half sword: This weapon is an uneasy compromise between broadsword & arming sword, with a blade typically 3'6" or so, it is most easily used two-handed, but can with training be an effective though unwieldly single-handed weapon. Unlike the heavy broadsword, it is marginally concealable beneath a long cloak. Uses D&D bastard sword stats.

Sword/Arming Sword: This classic, perhaps somewhat archaic one-handed sword is typically of blade length 2'6"-3', and is often used as a back-up weapon by knights and well-equipped soldiery. It is also favoured by practitioners of the 'Imarran' dueling style such as Erin Wist, which employs sword & buckler or sword & dagger. Uses D&D longsword stats.

Rapier: This light, narrow blade is edged but primarily employs a piercing point. Blades are typically up to 3' long. Rapiers are favoured by rogues and dandies, they are not generally considered a serious military weapon though in the hands of a skilled practitioner of the 'Bretanian' duelling style they can be exceptionally lethal. Uses D&D Rapier stats.

Short blade: This is more an oversized dagger than a true sword, with a blade of around 18". Short blades are relatively cheap and easily concealable, thus are often wielded by ruffians and vagabonds. Uses D&D shortsword stats.

(edit: lengths are for the steel blade only, the hilt is usually an additional 6-8" (1 hand) to 12-18" (2-handed)

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I assume the D&D 'weights' for weapons & other objects include an encumbrance multiplier, as Gygax explicitly stated in 1e.

 

[sword-dancer]

There didn`t exist GReatswords in Europe at this time.

 

[Greylock]

How on earth did a warrior carry this sword when not in use?

 

[Galethorn]

There didn`t exist GReatswords in Europe at this time.

Not true; the english called them 'Grete-swerdes' and they were typically exceptionally large versions of the hand-and-a-half warswords they were using at the time.

As well, all of the conventions for weapons were broken to some extent at any given time in history; I don't have any direct sources, but I remember several references to two-handed viking swords and very accutely tipped one-handed swords from the 11th century. And don't get me started on mycenean 'rapiers'.

However, greatswords as seen in D&D most definately did not exist in scotland at the end of the 1200s. My feeling is that Wallace's sword was just a 'grete-swerde' that was made to scale for the 6'6" tall wielder.

 

[Galethorn]

How on earth did a warrior carry this sword when not in use?

Wallace, being 6'6", could have fairly easily carried it across his back on a baldric, or at the very least kept it on his shoulder, holding the hilt in one hand. Being 6'6" tall myself, I know that it's possible to carry something that long in that fashion. I wouldn't recomend going through any doorways--or indoors at all--before setting the sword aside, though.

 

[S'mon]

I make the 'greatswords' IMC like historical 'grete-swerdes' because in 3.5e the greatsword is the default superior weapon (the way longsword was in 1e, only moreso); so most fighters carry one, and I think it's silly to have everyone wielding 6' zweihanders - I think the true zweihander should be an exotic weapon, it wouldn't do any more damage than a greatsword but it might get a sundering bonus; historically they were more often used to thrust than hack and might even have reach.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I think the true zweihander should be an exotic weapon, it wouldn't do any more damage than a greatsword but it might get a sundering bonus.

So...a Fullblade, but not completely.

 

[Jolly Giant]

Not true; the english called them 'Grete-swerdes' and they were typically exceptionally large versions of the hand-and-a-half warswords they were using at the time.

As well, all of the conventions for weapons were broken to some extent at any given time in history; I don't have any direct sources, but I remember several references to two-handed viking swords and very accutely tipped one-handed swords from the 11th century. And don't get me started on mycenean 'rapiers'.

However, greatswords as seen in D&D most definately did not exist in scotland at the end of the 1200s. My feeling is that Wallace's sword was just a 'grete-swerde' that was made to scale for the 6'6" tall wielder.

I think maybe you got the two mixed up. Vikings stuck to the shield + broadsword/waraxe combo, while the scotsmen often used greatswords.

 

[francisca]

When I think of two-handed swords, I always think of the Renaissance weapons used by the Swiss and Germans (Dopplehander and Bidenhander, Zweihander is actually a more modern term, IIRC). These swords featured a blunt portion of the blade forward of the hilt, which was meant to be grasped. This opened up many more combat maneuvers than simple cut and thrust. You could wheel the sword around and bust the opponent in the mouth with the pommel, or use the big cross-hilt to disarm. Pretty cool stuff to actually see a skilled swordsman wield one.

So to me, the Wallace sword would be classified as a large Bastard Sword or simply a medium Greatsword, in D&D terms, but that just me.

 

[Desdichado]

For sclae-

Is that a Scottish word? What does it mean?