How are spiked chains carried?

[Impeesa]

The last character I played that wielded a spiked chain used it for suspenders.

--Impeesa--

 

[frankthedm]

Is spiked chain a historical weapon? If not, I suppose you could carry it any way you wanted. I don't think it actually looks like a very useful weapon.

There are a good many D&D weapons that I don't usually include in my games because they are simply preposterous. Take the "mercurial greatsword" for instance.

PS: Yeah, yeah, it's fantasy; I know. But I like the non-magical parts to be realistic, at least.

historical, no. If the DM decides natural 1's are bad news then it is hysterical.

 

[Norfleet]

historical, no. If the DM decides natural 1's are bad news then it is hysterical.[/QUOTE]
Well, if I were running a game, I'd declare a fumble anytime a character's to-hit was negative. Making it happen on a 1 seems ludicrous, as a character would then fumble and make a fool of himself once every 20 swings....which is WAAAY too high for somebody who has any idea what he's doing. On the other hand, if you can get a negative attack roll result, you clearly don't know what you're doing, and are at risk for impaling yourself.

 

[Drakmar]

the only live action show I have ever seen that even vaguely shows how to carry a spiked chain as d&d has it would be Salute of the Jugger.

but the Chinese have that wonderful chain whip which was worn as a belt etc. no spikes on the chain.. instead just a spike tip and a chain. Much more useful than a spikey chain.

 

[BrooklynKnight]

I like swords.

FIGHTERDOKEN!

 

[Thresher]

Cheesecloth bag along with your snails?

 

[Shallown]

I had a fighter/rogue character who carried his with the center round loop in the center of his back then the length of the chain traveling up and over his shoulders sort of like a Y back suspender. His harness had a hook facing downwards that the middle loop hooked to. It was rigged so it made little noise and didn't rub against anything else metal. After all he was a scout. He would sort of shrug to give it slack allowing the chain to pop off the hook. Sounded cool visually but who knows how realistic it is. Probably about as relaistic as the spiked chain. I never pictured the spikes as very sharp the caught and tripped as much by binding together in those flexible joints as by actually hooking unto clothing, armor etc. Same as for disarming.

I always thought the image of this spiked weapon hanging over each shoulder with ends attaching to the belt as being menacing which is part of the image my character went for.

later

 

[Wombat]

Got the idea from the "flail" thread.

Those things are nasty, but I'd be way worried about hurting myself half the time!

Hmmm, my first answer would be "they aren't", but that probably isn't much help in a fantasy world...

Maybe in a really thick leather sack?

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Draped over the back of the neck like a scarf, the ends depending from the shoulders.

And yes, there were things very similar to spiked chains... Asia has any number of, umm, unusual weapons. Often they were things that didn't look like weapons, or things that could be turnedinto weapons but normally served some more mundane purpose.

For what it's worth Europeans did much the same among the commons.

Me? I'll stay with a walking stick - be it short staff, quarter staff, or clubbed stick.

The Auld Grump, an axe modified to work as a walking stick is also pretty good. (Eastern Europe and Egypt of all places.)

 

[Synicism]

Hmmm. The monk I'm playing in my current game uses one. If you've ever watched Jet Li or Jackie Chan use a rope, belt, chain, or other similar weapon, that's how I envision carrying and wielding it. If you've ever seen Shanghai Noon, Jackie fights a bunch of gunfighters with a rope and a horseshoe and there are times when he carries it wrapped up around his arms and torso in such a way that he can disengage it and attack really fast, without entangling himself.