What's so great about Katanas?

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Thu Oct 04, 2001 3:12 pm

Flail of Ages works on the big baddies with near-zero saving throws...

Masteraleph · Post by **Masteraleph** » Thu Oct 04, 2001 6:05 pm

Quite frankly, the spear does indeed get the short end of the stick. The short sword damage makes sense for a one handed spear (think about it, the greek phalanxes used spears/lances and shields, the Roman legions used short swords and shields).
The thrown spear would be different, traditionally it would've been a totally different weapon, with a soft iron head (rather that hard iron or steel) so that it would hit a shield, stick in it, bend, and make it impossible to use the shield.
Katanas in BG2 should be 1D8. For all intensive purposes, used 1 handed, they're essentially used for the same purposes as 1 handed western swords (although they might be more rapier like), and seeing as BG2 uses them as 1 handed, they should be 1d8. Used 2 handed, 1D10 makes sense.

Loredweller · Post by **Loredweller** » Fri Oct 05, 2001 12:48 am

Originally posted by Masteraleph:
<STRONG>
...the Roman legions used short swords and shields)...
</STRONG>

BTW, Roman legions used both at once. First they threw spears, then engaged with swords. It was their standard battlefield tactic.

Loredweller · Post by **Loredweller** » Fri Oct 05, 2001 1:38 am

The Samurai wore two swords (daisho). One was long; the other short. The long sword (daito - katana) was more than 24 inches. The short sword (shoto - wakizashi) was between 12 and 24 inches.

"The katana, or long sword, is the weapon of choice by samurai. If is about 3 1/2 feet long, with a hilt big enough for two hands. Forged by a long process of sandwiching layers of steel and iron together, and then folding the metal back on itself, a properly made and honed katana is one of the sharpest cutting weapons in existence. Such a weapon is capable of severing a limb, but certainly cannot slice a man in half..." ([url="http://www.devermore.net/surbrook/adaptionsanime/blade/bladeintro.html"]"BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL"[/url])

Katana certainly might be wielded both in one and two-handed style, and for most of fighting schools, if not all, it definitely was used in mixed style, so it is quite wrong to treat it as one-hand weapon. Another question is if here should be a penalty when fighting in two-weapon style, but it might be altogether a bit hard to implement.

[ 10-05-2001: Message edited by: Loredweller ]