Two Weapons Use

From: David Weihe <weihe_at_gsidanet.danet.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 97 12:42:57 EST

> Now, this is a bit rules-ish. Has anyone dealt with people wielding two
> weapons (for instance two broadswords)? I realize that a shield/weapon
> combo is more popular due to the increased armor points of the shield. Yet,
> it would still seem that a weapon/weapon combo could be quite potent,
> especially with a few armoring enchantments and/or geases. Is fighting with
> two weapons more popular than is let on in the general literature? Or, is
> there a good reason most people use a shield? It seems like it would be
> much more difficult to use two weapons than a weapon and shield. Has anyone
> dealt with this, perhaps even coming up with rules?

First, two weapons techniques are usually reserved to martial artists, not working warriors. The historical exceptions have been Florentine Fencing Style (aka Rapier and Parry Dagger), Two-Swords School of Musashi Miyamoto, and using a handaxe to hook the opponent's shield. I am classing a left handed combat net as a modified shield, here, like a rolled-up cloak.

The point is that you will almost never see two of the exact same weapon used. They will get in each other's way, without giving the wielder more options. Also, most people are cripples on their off-side, with neither the strength nor dexterity. This limits the real choices to a few light and easy weapons.

In my original group, we rolled for handedness, rather than accepting the Righthand Chauvanist position that all Gloranthans save Dragonewts are using the wrong hand. We used a D4 for Left, a D10 for Right, and the difference between the rolls as the deficit in both STR and DEX for the off side. It came into importance a few times, when adventurers lost one of their arms to gorps, so that they couldn't just Healing VI it back on.

Training in OffSide Weapons use was available in Pavis-sized or larger cities, and various Dragonewt cities (if they bothered to notice you without eating or sacrificing you). Presumably it would be available from the Kralori, as well, but we never bothered, as it was much easier and cheaper to get the skill via experience. OffSide STR and DEX training was a matter of finding the right scrolls, as no one advertized it.

PS: The Vikings also had a trick of throwing two spears at the same time, supposedly from either hand. This seems to have been a specialty of Odindescended  families, though.

PPS: We need the Rules Digest back online.

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