[suggestion] Let's steal good ideas from well made RPG's on weapons and armor

from Elemental Forums

The weapons and armor system in Elemental just bugs the hell out of me. I'd really like to see more choices and have the items available actually make logical sense and reflect reality.

 

I'm very much surprised that there are no requirements in order to use any of the weapons or armor from what I've seen. Penalties from wearing armor too heavy like combat speed would make a lot of sense. Your wimpy mage puts on the heavy armor but can barely move one square as a consequence invites a little more thought and provides different valid strategic options.

 

This is from Gurps and PD is passive defense which is the ability for a glancing blow because of the armor which improves the chance that you'll take no damage and DR is damage resistance which absorbs damage from a successful attack. TL is the Tech Level in which the ability to make that armor arrived.

Though there is always asynchronous development such as the advanced metallurgy of Celtic Gaul and their invention of "chain mail" along with exquisite fine wired jewelry or the swords from Damascus that through luck stumbled upon creating carbon nanotubes from trace deposits in the Indian iron which granted the swords amazing strength and flexibility.

The myth of armor severely impacting your speed is partly as said in the article because of the late medieval practice of jousting and partly because of the role of tailored armor. Quality armor made specifically for your build doesn't restrict movement that much and is significantly more comfortable than piecemeal stuff just "put together". If you've ever had a men's wearhouse suit and then put on a quality tailor made business suit you might have an idea of the difference.

http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=849

 

Item TL    PD    DR    Cost Weight (lbs.)   
Clothing any 0 0 ~$20 2+
Winter clothing any 0 1 ~$60 7+
Padded cloth armor 1-4 1 1 ~$100 14
Light leather 1-4 1 1 ~$150 10
Heavy leather 1-4 2 2 ~$200 25
Jack (see notes) 3 2 3 ~$375 17
Light Mail 3-4 2 3 ~$1750 18
Med. Mail 3-4 3 4 ~$1100 30
Heavy Mail 2-4 3 4 ~$550 45
Medium Banded Mail    3 3 4 ~$1650    35
Heavy Banded Mail 3 3 4 ~$825 50
Scale armor 2-3 3 4 ~$750 40
Brigantine 3-4 3 4 $1250+ 35
Half plate 3-4 4 5 $2000+ 40
Light plate 3-4 4 6 $4000+ 35
Heavy plate 3-4 4 7 $6000+ 55
Jousting plate 3-4 4 8 $10000+

110+

 

http://www.gamesdiner.com/sites/gamesdiner.com/files/GLAIVE_Mini_v1_0_for_GURPS_4e_0.pdf

 

The above provides a simple guide that could allow the creations of any type of weapon you've never heard of with all sorts of different weights and sizes. How much damage does a two handed weapon wielded by a 14 foot tall ogre do that ways 40 lbs?

Most weapons weigh a lot less than most people think. I've seen people wield a claymore in one hand and manipulate it like others use an epee. About 3 pounds is a good broadsword and 5 pounds is most two handed weapons from claymores to katanas. So that equates the metal stat in Elemental to one metal is equal to a handful of pounds of iron...

 

I'd like to see modifiers to different building materials. Like bronze swords to iron to steel to midnight etc...

 

 

5,248 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Penalties from wearing armor too heavy like combat speed would make a lot of sense.
End of quote

This already exists. If you research up to plate armor, each piece has a combat speed penalty. The same exists on a lot of heavy weapons, which do higher damage but decrease the number of attacks you can make.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

I am fully aware of that but the penalty applies to all wearers not just people who aren't physically that strong putting on plate. My roommate can't lift fifty pounds so if he were to put on plate he'd barely move while I on the other hand am twice is size and can lift him off the ground with one arm.

WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Your roomate would be left to do farmwork because of his slieght frame, while you would be the one put in plate mail and sent to the battlefield. Thus, you would still get a movement penalty, because platemale will still be considered heavy for you...

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Okay for whatever reason that throwaway sentence got a reaction even though the vast majority of PnP rpgs and pc rpgs don't use that mechanic at all. The majority of the PnP games and even some pc rpgs do however have strength requirements for using weapons or armor.

I've worn armor and fought in it. Well made and tailored armor really doesn't slow you down that much but what it does do is increase fatigue. In moderate heat wearing Cuirbolli (boiled leather armor) after five or ten minutes of sparring you're drenched in sweat and need a break unless you're really used to it. As a fencer I'll tell you it is a really big difference. But, armor doesn't change how fast you can swing a sword unless it is badly fitted and thus not articulated well thus causing you to have a lessened range of motion. Even in that case there are martial styles designed to take advantage of that particularly shield styles and formation team fighting techniques like a tower/short sword combo with a partner with a pole arm behind you. This can allow heavier armor on the shield man as basic thrusts and overarm cuts are the only thing he'll be doing.

Are any of the other ideas slightly appealing?