More Flailing around from Jim Bickmeyer on 1997-03-04 (Glorantha Digest Vol 04)

From: Jim Bickmeyer <JFBickmeyer_at_msn.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 97 03:23:33 UT

Lorne
>I would think that - if you could -parrying with a flail would cause the
>weapon to loose its momentum and thus render it ineffective as an attack
>weapon. I'm guessing that it would be difficult to attack and parry with a
>flail in the same combat round. I don't know, I have never used a flail.

For the weapons momentum being slowed down I just don't deal with it in a rulesy way. I tried to take a weapon that was more than swing and hit and give it some special rules. My intent was to give a feel for a different weapon as other than the common swords and spears.

I have swung a steel ball and chain as kid and my (not to bright) brother agreed to try and parry. When I almost killed him we decided that it was not such a good idea to play that way. (I wasn't too bright either)

As for unentangling the flail, I have given PC's a 3X or 4X POW roll as a Luck roll to get it free. When a PC was the entangled I would make it a 2X or 3X roll. The difference or higher or lower roll depended on who had the greater strength and size.

James Frusetta suggested that spinning the flail would give better coverage.

You might be right. However, the figure 8 was used to give more option when the wielder wanted to attack. The circle is far more limited.

I also would be interested in what Jane had to say in how chain weapons are used, other than trying to knock a brothers head off his shoulders.

Jim Bickmeyer