Re: Cool Stuff & NPCs & swords

From: Paul <kax_at_...>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 04:25:22 -0000

• In HeroQuest-RPG_at_yahoogroups.com, "Jane Williams" <janewilliams20_at_y...> wrote:
  > Out of Gloranthan bronze, yes, I think. It isn't much like RW
  bronze, more like RW low-quality iron. (Would this be good enough? Or do we need the properties of higher quality steel?)

 You can get bronze to that tough, with some work. Mediaeval European armour was always iron, never steel - steel was for sword and axe blades.  

> RW bronze, I'd say probably not. There *was* bronze Full Plate, but
I gather it looked rather like wearing a dustbin. RW bronze is soft. You can bend it by hand. Straightening swords over one's knee in mid-fight was not unknown, I gather :(

 You get that with iron weapons as well; I've seen it happen in AAF (live weapons group) fights...
 In fact, an iron weapon is more likely to bend, as a bronze weapon has hardened and relatively brittle edges to get it sharp, and is therefore more likely to break than an iron weapon.  This can, of course, be fixed by enchanting the metal. That can fix any RW-style problems with a metal. :)

 Now, a scary set of weapons was the set of early Egyptian and Pictish axes & swords a friend made as part of his Ancient History Masters - beryllium bronze. Sharp as steel, about as tough, slightly blue-tinged bronze colour, very pretty. But you have to wear a mask to sharpen them, and he had to use a sealed suit to forge them... ;)

Paul