A stab only 1h sword (rapier)?

[Christo]

Perhaps it should mark a new weapon type.  A long pointy sword that can only stab when used with a shield but which can dual very effectively without a shield.  It's hard for me to articulate this normally so:

- a long and very pointy sword with low blunt/stun damage on the swing
- can only stab when used with a shield
- fairly fast (99/100?)
- fancy looking
- basically a weapon for very skilled blockers which: (1) isn't as damaging as a 2h (2) nor as good with a shield as 1h (3) isn't as long range as a hoplite's stabbing spear when used with a shield

Note: To make this fair it would need some tight balancing and probably a nerf on the weapon change/shield drawing speed



Ideas?  Impossible?  Silly?  It's late and I'm procrastinating writing an essay right now 

I like these ideas.

[jspook]

You guys aren't talking about a rapier with that blunt damage.  You are talking about a fencing foil,  foils were used for dueling in later periods, and were much more sporting.  They are also blinding fast.

A rapier is always a flat bladed weapon.  Pretty much like the side sword.  And the last 9 inches of the blade is thin and razor sharp.  Its designed to cut tendons at the joints of you opponent.  No blunt damage on a rapier.

[Diomedes]

The issue with that is that it would be like an espada+side sword's bastard child; and we all know what that is.*  If it needs to be a foil I say so be it, innovation in 1h is tricky to balance - so any prototype ideas need to be initially non-dominating.










*666

[Tydeus]

A rapier is always a flat bladed weapon.  Pretty much like the side sword. And the last 9 inches of the blade is thin and razor sharp.  Its designed to cut tendons at the joints of you opponent.  No blunt damage on a rapier.

Meaning it has a slash. Give it everything except an overhead and I think this idea could turn out to be quite interesting.

Here's my take on the stats:
Cost: 11,000
weight .75
requirement 6
spd rtng 102
weapon length 110
swing damage 22, cut
thrust damage 34 pierce
Cannot be used with a shield

Tempered =  103spd 23cut 35pierce
Balanced =  104spd 24cut 36pierce
Masterwork = 106spd 25cut 37pierce

With the extreme light weight and use without a shield, you're going to get stunned constantly. This being the downside to a brutal thrust. I like the idea of there being a 1h that's meant to be used without a shield.

[Diomedes]

No shield at all?  As far as I know the only weapons with that tag are ones which you actually couldn't lift or wield in your spare hand if you had a shield.  Perhaps allow shield but have it only capable of stabbing?


This sword would look great with pirate clothes and a fancy feathered hat.

[Seawied]

There would be no logical reason to give a "cannot be used with a shield" tag. Despite what hollywood shows us, Rapiers were used with shields. Rapiers just showed up late in history (17th century) and was mostly a dueling weapon. You would most likely see them with a buckler. It was a self-defense weapon, not an army weapon.

[Tydeus]

I've only ever heard of them being used with a buckler. But how do you get people to prefer the buckler rather than a huscarl when using the "rapier"?

The idea of only being able to only thrust if you equipped a shield works, albeit it seems like a slight cop-out.

[Casimir]

Espada eslavona is pretty good for playing in a rapier style. If you want a weapon for thrusting id say use that. A dedicated one would need alot of pierce to be particularly effective.

[Heroin]

There would be no logical reason to give a "cannot be used with a shield" tag. Despite what hollywood shows us, Rapiers were used with shields. Rapiers just showed up late in history (17th century) and was mostly a dueling weapon. You would most likely see them with a buckler. It was a self-defense weapon, not an army weapon.

I wasn't suggesting the "cannot use with shield" tag to make it realistic. I was suggesting only being able to thrust while using a shield, specifically because I knew rapiers were used with bucklers. The reasoning behind my thought that it should only be able to thrust is simple, and can be summed up in one word: Balance.

See, I think this weapon should have significantly more reach than the current 1h swords do, and to make up for that, I feel that it shouldn't be wholly effective when used with a shield. If they make a rapier that is 115-120 range, I don't think that it is necessary to also be 100% effective with a shield. My hope, should they take notice of this thread, is that the rapier becomes the go-to weapon choice for 1h duelists, to help put them on even footing with 2 handers when using this sword without a shield.