Official ICE Forums
Systems & Settings => Rolemaster => Topic started by: Lorgalis on July 11, 2017, 10:12:05 AM
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I have a player in my group who carries two 2-handed swords on the back while moving around on foot. He started out with just one, but he was unlucky in the beginning and broke a couple of swords, so he decided to always carry a spare one.
I have read about historical ways of carrying 2-handed swords, and in my mind it doesn't seem practical at all to have a very long metal object fastened to your back.
Would you allow your PC's to carry a 2-handed sword (or two) on the back?
P.S. he's got a magic "scabbard" that lets him draw the sword from the back. The sword is just clicked on to a metal object on the shoulder weapon belt almost like a magnet, and he can "release" the sword from the "magnet" at will.
The second sword is in a scabbard and cannot be drawn from the back. without first removing the whole weapon belt and scabbard.
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Interesting question, and it is something I've always wanted to know. The following youtube video is by just some guy, but he has some interesting things to say. He says that the back scabbard was not really used historically, because it caused the sword to protrude out the side (which was dangerous) and it is actually very hard and slow to draw a sword from a back scabbard. I cite his video because he shows actual historical depictions, showing that there is art evidence that larger swords were usually simply carried (in a couple of different ways) rather than put on back straps:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjURzgkCuAE
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Yeah i've seen a couple of videos about the issue. Maybe I have to strap a couple of long objects to my back and run around my neighborhood, doing different moving maneuvers...
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Game play over realism!
It is fantasy roleplaying, there is fire bolts and teleport spell.. Let the warriors have their weapons and use encumbrance rule :)
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Game play over realism!
Strong This!
When I look back on our adventures we propably had a caravan with the two of us.
Countless of weapons. Swords and bows. Literally hundreds of thousands of coins. Gems and jewels. Couple of armours to choose from, depending on task at hand...
Great times! ✌️
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I thought Noble Warrior or Armsmaster had a mystical scabbard spell or kinda, but couldn't find it anywhere. Then you still have the option of bag of infinite holding or whatever name :D
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I've worn a 66" sword on my back in a LARP. It gets in the way a bit but I don't think it's that bad. Could be an issue crawling through tunnels and you'll have to duck entering some doorways etc. You can do a simple strap with a ring at each end, it's perfectly fine for carrying but you have to take the whole thing off rather than drawing. I don't know what else was used historically, but in practice, quickdrawing was probably never a thing for two-handed swords. If someone was jumping you in the street, they would probably be attacking from inside your reach and you'd be dead anyway. Pull a knife instead. On the battlefield, you'd already have the sword in your hand.
Still, for gaming we postulate heroes carrying around two-handers on a routine basis, so...
Back sheaths are kind of inconvenient to draw from. You certainly could not draw a two-handed sword over your shoulder from a regular type sheath that is the full length of the blade, your arms are not long enough (without grasping the blade, which is possible but shifting grip partway through will make it slow). But a lot of two-handed swords have a ricasso that wouldn't fit in that type of sheath anyway. If the sheath is only half the length of the blade, drawing is fine, you just need to add something closer to the hilt to keep it from swinging around too much, smacking the back of your head and not being in the right place when you need it. Could just be a cord tied with a bow at your shoulder, pull the string to untie, and then draw.
The best arrangement I used had a two-part closure that fit sort of like a buckle, just below the hilt of the sword, but held together with a strap attached to the sword. So, as soon as the sword was drawn more than a few inches, the buckle released, completely freeing the sword. It drew very easily, just required some fiddling to sheath again.But that's ok, sheathing your weapon after the battle is not the part that has to be quick! I'm probably not explaining this very well but it was all done with leather and rivets, nothing magical, magnetic, or modern.
I think it's reasonable to imagine that people who routinely wear two-handed swords and get jumped by giant monsters could figure out an arrangement that would work.
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I've worn a 66" sword on my back in a LARP. It gets in the way a bit but I don't think it's that bad. Could be an issue crawling through tunnels and you'll have to duck entering some doorways etc. You can do a simple strap with a ring at each end, it's perfectly fine for carrying but you have to take the whole thing off rather than drawing. I don't know what else was used historically, but in practice, quickdrawing was probably never a thing for two-handed swords. If someone was jumping you in the street, they would probably be attacking from inside your reach and you'd be dead anyway. Pull a knife instead. On the battlefield, you'd already have the sword in your hand.
Still, for gaming we postulate heroes carrying around two-handers on a routine basis, so...
Back sheaths are kind of inconvenient to draw from. You certainly could not draw a two-handed sword over your shoulder from a regular type sheath that is the full length of the blade, your arms are not long enough (without grasping the blade, which is possible but shifting grip partway through will make it slow). But a lot of two-handed swords have a ricasso that wouldn't fit in that type of sheath anyway. If the sheath is only half the length of the blade, drawing is fine, you just need to add something closer to the hilt to keep it from swinging around too much, smacking the back of your head and not being in the right place when you need it. Could just be a cord tied with a bow at your shoulder, pull the string to untie, and then draw.
The best arrangement I used had a two-part closure that fit sort of like a buckle, just below the hilt of the sword, but held together with a strap attached to the sword. So, as soon as the sword was drawn more than a few inches, the buckle released, completely freeing the sword. It drew very easily, just required some fiddling to sheath again.But that's ok, sheathing your weapon after the battle is not the part that has to be quick! I'm probably not explaining this very well but it was all done with leather and rivets, nothing magical, magnetic, or modern.
I think it's reasonable to imagine that people who routinely wear two-handed swords and get jumped by giant monsters could figure out an arrangement that would work.
I think what you are describing is similar to this back quiver. The arrow is only secured by about an inch at the tip. As soon as it is drawn that much it is then able to start pivoting over the shoulder. Although in your case rather than the band half way up the shafts, you have a buckle and securing point at the shoulder?
(http://www.mountedarchery.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/DSC_0347-768x826.jpg)
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That archer in the picture.. She must work out...
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There are arrows in that picture???
:o
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There are arrows in that picture???
:o
LMAO!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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What I saw!