Poll: Historical Kit & realistic rules

[doghead]

OK. Done. I'll buy the pdf's just to find out what an arming sword is.

I would love to offer to playtest this, but pbp games are my only option at the moment - which can mean months between combats (and a month to complete them).

So I'm going to offer to pony up the dough. I'm not sure where you are with the pdfs. I would be interested in the universal rules and some medieval rulesets, possibly also a japanese ruleset for my Kore campaign setting.

If you would prefer to discuss this by email, you can reach me at doghead206 at netscape dot net.

the head of the dog.

 

[Drifter Bob]

OK. Done. I'll buy the pdf's just to find out what an arming sword is.

I would love to offer to playtest this, but pbp games are my only option at the moment - which can mean months between combats (and a month to complete them).

So I'm going to offer to pony up the dough. I'm not sure where you are with the pdfs. I would be interested in the universal rules and some medieval rulesets, possibly also a japanese ruleset for my Kore campaign setting.

If you would prefer to discuss this by email, you can reach me at doghead206 at netscape dot net.

the head of the dog.

Thanks for all your comments. We should be ready with the main rules and the medieval ruleset by the end of the month. I'll be posting details to this thread. Other historical sets will be coming out every couple of weeks after that, and Japan will be high on the list since it is one of the most popular, and we have most of the art done for it. Thanks again, I'll drop you a line by email as well.

DB

 

[mythusmage]

First, I'm interested in such a book. A good work on Early, Middle, and Late Bronze Age arms and armor would get my vote. (I'm something of a frustrated Sumerianophile, resources in my area are notable in their lack.)

Second, when it comes to combat folks do have a tendency to overlook the importance of how one defends.

Lesson number one: Never take a blow square on. That improves the chances of the blow, or the force of the blow getting through your defenses. You want to deflect or redirect the blow. Thus you want to use slanted, curving, or fluted surfaces for your armor, and to slant your shield when taking a blow. Straight forward blocking will work sometimes, but is more likely to result in damaged or even broken equipment.

Lesson number two: Everything is prone to catastrophic failure. That suit of Maximillian may be proof overall to most anything except an expertly weilded lucern hammer, but there is always the possibility a single square inch of the breastplate will fail, and thus be penetrated, when hit by the tip of an arrow from a hunting bow.

Lesson number three: We're not as weak as we've been told. Football players can hit each other with tons of force. A simple claw or ballpeen hammer in the hands of an ordinary man can dent good quality steel. Or even tear holes if the weilder strikes with the claw. Even a low quality stone spear head weilded by an Aztec peasant can get through high quality Maximilian style plate if the peasant is real lucky. And in the chaos of battle people do tend to get lucky more often then you'd think.

Three things to consider when modeling combat in an RPG.

Oh, Drifter Bob, expect a PM from me soon.

Update: Which didn't go through (grump). So, DB, you can drop me a line at

mythusmage@mythusmage.com

If I can I'd like to assist with this project.

 

[Drifter Bob]

Alan, I think you'll find all three of your rules are represented!

DB

 

[mythusmage]

On Resources

When considering the arms and armor of a people it's a good idea to consider the available resources. Not what's there, what the locals can make use of.

The state of Michigan in the United States is especially rich in iron ore. Trouble is, even the purest form of iron ore is a pain to smelt. About the time Columbus made his trip to the Caribbean the local indians were starting to produce small amounts of low grade iron, and using it in jewelry plus some tools and weaponry. Given time they could've progressed to better quality items, and eventually mild steel. But, for most of their needs iron was simply not available thanks to the lack of the appropriate technology (real hot fires) needed to obtain it.

At other times the resource might be 'available', but the potential users have not developed the technicques necessary to use it. Applewood is a good example. Apple is a hard wood. It is also a dense wood, very hard to work, and needs special treatment if you're not to lose it to rot. So it has to be cleaned of bark and any pre-existing rot and damage, then cured. That is, dried thoroughly. But not to the point dry rot sets in. Then you get to work with it. And while you're working with it you need to keep it in a cool, dry place and—exceedingly important—you must keep conditions constant. No extreme fluctuations in temperature and humidity that is.

So there you have the first two considerations when dealing with a culture's armor and weapons. Do they have access to the resource in question? Can they shape the resources as they wish for the result desired?

Next posting, Maintenance

 

[dekrass]

Any news on the progress of this project?
It was mentioned that the main rules should be done by the end of the month.

 

[doghead]

Was thinking about this the other day. Thought I would drop in and see if there was any news.

thotd.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Although it appears that the matter is long since decided, I think I'll chime in anyway.

I would not buy such a product because, in the initial examples given, the designer appears to have an at-best tenuous grasp of the way d20 and D&D combat works to begin with.

While I am a staunch supporter of Rule 0 ("Yea, verily, the DM is like unto the Law, and that which He speaks shall be the Law,"), I am an even bigger supporter of Rule 0.5 - "And yet the Law should count the hairs on the head of that which He does, for He may by Chance screw it up big time."

In other words, if you don't really comprehend the system to begin with, how can you possibly expect to implement good House Rules?

 

[Ace]

Would you be interested in a suppliment which included historical weapons and armor from various eras: bronze age, classical (greek and roman), dark ages, viking era, medieval, and renaissance, as well as Eastern (indian, chinese, and japanese weapons). Realistic portrayals of such equipment have yet to be seen in role playing games. Is the community ready for this now? Would you like to see it?

To compliment this, would you like to see Rules which easily incorporated features such as weapon effects on attack and defense, armor as damage reduction, defensive fighting abilities, and feats based on actual fighting technques from the Masters, and interpreted by historical martial artists?

I'd love to see such a suppplement ! One thing though if you do make one -- please make armor work the way it did IRL as a rules options

The current --chain shirt+20% to hit reduction is silly --