Handedness

From: Andrew Barton <100010.533_at_CompuServe.COM>
Date: 01 Mar 97 17:38:10 EST


>> 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.  

RQ2 had a rule that 'all adventurers are right-handed'. Obviously, this isn't true literally in our world and probably not in Glorantha either. - -But-, anyone taught to fight with hand-to-hand weapons in a formed unit would be taught to use them the right-handed way round. Otherwise, they wouldn't fit in their place in the shield wall (or pike block for those with two-handed spears and such).  

In re-enactment groups, I've heard of putting lefties on the right of the line so as to avoid presenting an unshielded side. You never hear of this arrangement in history - the vulnerability of the right, unshielded flank is a tactical commonplace and if it could be fixed in that way it surely would have been. I think the difference may lie simply in the much smaller size of units in re-enactment battles - in a Roman cohort of 480 men, drawn up 4 deep, 4 men are on the right flank and 476 aren't ...  

So, in my game, -all- adventurers -start- with prior experience fighting right-handed. If they want to learn off-hand skill in play they can, but trainers aren't easy to find.  

Andrew  


End of Glorantha Digest V4 #231


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