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Why a rapier is bad for an adventurer
- Thread starter Quartz
- Start date
Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
It's not the digital art you're buying -- exhale -- it's the URL pointing to it. Completely different.
Less an argument about whether OMGz broadswords is a better weapon and would be picked over rapier, and more about basis for these kinds of positions.
I'm familiar with this particular channel; it makes the rounds among HEMA & martial reconstructionist devotees-- one really has to take their opinions on fuzzy-and-not-very-clear medieval & renaissance manuscripts with a grain of salt.
As alluded briefly by Ungainlytitan above, the rapier evolved out of very specific circumstances; it was not strictly speaking a "military" weapon like a broadsword was. For the time period and purposes it was used, it did its job quite well.
W'rkncacnter
Hero
sounds like a magic weapon
From stills I'd hazard it's a theatrical epee? For film during that time, they'd use a prop like that because actors likely had theater training; also just for safety purposes.
The bell guard on his to protect the hand is similar to certain designs you'd see with rapiers from that period; other styles included pierced cup hilts, pierced dish hilts, forward guards, hilt rings, counter guards, loop guards, side rings and so on.
The obvious weapon for a dungeon crawler is a pike. It combines long reach and thrusting action (because you'll often have limited space preventing you from taking a swing); a pike is perfect for holding back a monster in a narrow tunnel.
Your sidearm would be a short sword, something to use at close quarters when a foe gets past the pointy stick. It would probably acquire some morbid slang name, because if a monster is close enough that you need the short sword, your odds of survival are... not good.
Crossbows would be the ranged weapon of choice. Again, they work better in tight spaces than other ranged weapons, and pack a lot of punch for Large-sized foes.
I can't see either a rapier or a broadsword getting much use. It's not that they're bad weapons, they're just designed for very different forms of combat.
Your sidearm would be a short sword, something to use at close quarters when a foe gets past the pointy stick. It would probably acquire some morbid slang name, because if a monster is close enough that you need the short sword, your odds of survival are... not good.
Crossbows would be the ranged weapon of choice. Again, they work better in tight spaces than other ranged weapons, and pack a lot of punch for Large-sized foes.
I can't see either a rapier or a broadsword getting much use. It's not that they're bad weapons, they're just designed for very different forms of combat.
MGibster
Legend
According to Wikipedia, a pike was typically 3-7 meters long. Have you ever tried carrying a 9+ foot pole indoors? Can you imagine how difficult it would be to manuever through doors, around corners, and being unable to point the pike up because the ceiling is too low? Pikes were also designed to be used in formation rather than small skirmishes like D&D combat usually has. A pike would be a terrible weapon for a dungeon because it's so unwieldy. You're right though, it's great for holding back a monster in a narrow tunnel. As an adventurer, good luck getting to all the obstacles and setting up that pike though.
sevenbastard
Hero
I always house rule a saber. Same stats as a raiper but does slashing damage. Plus sabers are where it's at is what I learned from A Mighty Fortress back in my 2e days.
trappedslider
Legend
So, when do we start asking about the environment in the dungeons and how things live down there?
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