I was working out the events surrounding the battle of Terrabil (Cornwall vs Logres, 491). I was looking up statistics of the Dukle Gorlois when I noticed something odd in the Gamemasters Characters booklet.
The Duke has no mace skill, while in the GPC he grabs his mace as secondary weapon.
Also in the booklet I found him a bit weak.

So that rose the question how did others work out the Duke? And how did it play out in the battle?

i used his sword stats in the GPC -5, a house rule. One of the problem with the way weapon skill work in pendragon is you can be a master swordsman but pick up another weapon and you forgot all your skills at fighting. In the real world fighting skill is at least partially passed on even to an unfamiliar weapon and some weapons are alot closer to each other than others. Short version is assign a -2,-5 or -10 penalty when using other weapons for which you havent improved.

Short version is assign a -2,-5 or -10 penalty when using other weapons for which you havent improved.

What's the long version?


T.

Im not going to put the full list but it goes like this.

All weapons are listed in weapon groupings, very close, similiar, unfamiliar of which several are listed in each category.
1. If its in the same category as your skill, ie sword skill 20 and you find yourself swinging a scimitar, you do so at skill 18. A very close weapon.
2. If its in a related group, sword is similiar to Mace, its at -5. So same example above, sword skill 20, the knight finds himself wielding a mace, he does so at Skill 15.
3. Finally, if the skill has is vastly different its unfamiliar and its at -10. such as Sword 20 swinging a Spear at skill 10.

How it works is weapons are grouped in categories like one handed slashing, now a greatsword fall in the two handed slashing, so it considered similar. Wear a sword wielder using a spear, is unfamiliar completly. I havent had any problem with my table but as always GMS should use thier best judgement when deciding how weapon techniques share familiarity.

Cymric
character still use lance and Spear interchangably.

Weapon Categories are
Swords, one handed slashing
Clubs, one handed blunt
Spears, ambidexterous piercing, etc....
Short
Ranged
Axes
Lance
Great 2H
Thrown
Flail
Dagger
Sling

Thanks! I started a thread on this very subject a long time ago. I agree that there should be some consideration for similar weapon skills.

One poster suggested by weapon fighting style: weapon and shield, weapon and no shield, two-handed weapon, etc.

Thanks for sharing!


T.

Thanks for this as this is all pretty timely for me! Duke Gorlois has just made his entrance onto the campaign stage, so the next couple of months will be his storyline playing out.