Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Phaylan the Drow 08-22-05, 08:17 AM	after fighting a medieval battle re-enactment reciently and doing a kendo exhibition, i was wondering if you should take penalties when your pc fights a npc from a different area ie: waterdeep human vs calimsham human (both same class and feats.) all due to how they were taught and the local styles of attack and deffence. also the idea that a bastard sword does less damage than a katana is rediculos as a katana is for soft targets (splint mail and below) and a bastard sword is for hard targets (splint and above). a katana also does not have the stength or the weight to crush armour just to pierce/slash soft spots or criticaly wound soft targets with less effort, where as a bastard sword has the weight to smash/distort hard armour and sever or smash bones, the real weights for a katana = 4-6 lbs, bastard sword 8-12 lbs
Norhg 08-22-05, 08:36 AM	You seem to be looking for a level of realism not existant in the system of DnD. I describe different styles of fighting, imposing penalties would be wrong for a couple of (balance) reasons.
Phaylan the Drow 08-22-05, 08:56 AM	but there is a bonus if you specialise in a school of magic why not do the same for fighting styles with bonuses and penalties for doing the same kind of thing ie: european(or d&d equiv.) +2dam, +2to hit hvy armour,-4 to hit light eastern +2+2 light, -4 dam hvy armour ect...................
a_psh 08-22-05, 09:14 AM	The best way to handle unfamiliarity with a fighting style is, in fact, to throw an unfamiliar style at the players. Stuff like enemies who use Improved Disarm or Sunder a lot (if the PCs prefer to just, y'know, hit things), or even just tend to make 5-foot adjustments backwards. Surprising the players tactically works a lot better than trying to figure out rules for their characters being surprised. The katana in D&D uses bastard sword stats. They're the same. It's a much stronger weapon in Modern, but that's to capture the cinematic power of the thing in action movies (also, Modern weapons generally don't get enchanted). Differentiation between hard and soft armor, &c. is outside the scope of the system. Also, not every weapon that does 1d10 slashing damage necessarily does it in the same way (I don't know how to properly weild a bastard sword, but I feel like the katana is probably better at getting to certain not-often-well-armored areas even if it lacks raw power, as you say).
Thesen 08-22-05, 09:31 AM	There are penalties for specializing in fighting styles. Fighters get +1attk and +2dmg with it at 4th level. Theoretically their enemies are penalized for the skill with a weapon. Your idea for expanded rules for different fighting styles will probably become a head ache for you with minus "this" and plus "that". Not to mention it will make your players irate. I think a_psh has the right idea.
Pryrates 08-22-05, 11:35 AM	Check out complete warrior, and take a look at the fighting style feats, i dont know if youll be interested in anyof those but even if your not you could probably design your own from them.
Laranis Callirr 08-22-05, 03:07 PM	K.I.S.S. I see your proposal as an unnecessary degree of realism for a fantasy game.