Bastard Swords and Sunchaser

[Ferretz]

So our group's thinking about giving FantasyCraft a shot, and I have a couple of questions.

First, are there any kind of bastard swords in Fantasy Craft. You know, swords that can be used in one or two hands? Or is this a feat or something?

Next, we're going to use Sunchaser as the setting. In the book, there's a map, but what is the scale of this map? Any ideas?

Cheers,

Eirik

[Jake]

You can use any 1 handed sword in one or 2 hands, no feat needed. There is a Bastard Sword but it doesn't require you to have a feat to use it one handed. You can also use 2 handed swords in 1 hand with a -4 penalty and the penalty can be negated with a feat.

[Ferretz]

Oh, I couldn't find those rules. Will the Strength Bonus be higher when using a sword in two hands then?

Eirik

[Krensky]

They get +1 to damage (well, technically it's +2 to Strength when figuring damage, but most of the time the former is the same thing).

The rules are on the bottom right of page 215 in the second printing.

Also, because it often comes up, your shield fighters want two weapon chain, not the darting and flashing feats.

[Ferretz]

Ok, thanks.

E.

[Mister Andersen]

Also, because it often comes up, your shield fighters want two weapon chain, not the darting and flashing feats.

Why? The two weapon chain is only useful if you're planing on using multiple weapons simultaneously. Not so much a concern for board+sworders.

[MilitiaJim]

Also, because it often comes up, your shield fighters want two weapon chain, not the darting and flashing feats.

Why? The two weapon chain is only useful if you're planing on using multiple weapons simultaneously. Not so much a concern for board+sworders.

That board is a weapon...

[TheTSKoala]

Also, because it often comes up, your shield fighters want two weapon chain, not the darting and flashing feats.

Why? The two weapon chain is only useful if you're planing on using multiple weapons simultaneously. Not so much a concern for board+sworders.

That board is a weapon...

This board is a weapon...

[Krensky]

Also, because it often comes up, your shield fighters want two weapon chain, not the darting and flashing feats.

Why? The two weapon chain is only useful if you're planing on using multiple weapons simultaneously. Not so much a concern for board+sworders.

Shields are weapons. Admitedly Eric from the D&D cartoon would want the Darting chain, but most shield users have some other weapon in their other hand.

[Mister Andersen]

Not having the 2-weapon chain doesn't prevent you from using 1 action to attack with the sword and the second with the shield. Having fought sword and board, that thing is heavy and usable as a weapon only under a limited set of conditions. The Shield BMS chain would be a significantly better use of feat resources.

Not to mention that the two-weapon and darting/flashing chains are differentiated only by a thin veneer of sophistry, being otherwise identical in their mechanical effect (as well as the cousin chains from the unarmed and ranged trees). I know that as a GM I wouldn't count a shield as violating the parameters of Darting just because it's been reclassified as a defensive weapon instead of armour you can hit people with.

[Krensky]

What you do as a GM doesn't change what the rules say.

The comment was based on the fact that a number of people miss the fact that shields are weapons.

[Mister Andersen]

Certainly true, but it's well worth raising with the GM: a sword&boarder really shouldn't be down two melee feats, and Captains who dual wield shouldn't be objectively better than those who pursue different fighting styles.

[Tamdrik]

Huh... I hadn't noticed that the Darting/Flashing feats were only if you were armed with a single melee weapon (I thought it was just for attacking with the same weapon twice).  Looks like if you're a shield-user, the correct answer is to avoid extra-attack feats altogether.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Next, we're going to use Sunchaser as the setting. In the book, there's a map, but what is the scale of this map? Any ideas?

The closest I can give is that it was once described as "Middle Earth on the Mississippi", so you could use that and scale appropriately.  Otherwise it's probably intentionally left unsaid to avoid issues of canon.

[pawsplay]

Next, we're going to use Sunchaser as the setting. In the book, there's a map, but what is the scale of this map? Any ideas?

The closest I can give is that it was once described as "Middle Earth on the Mississippi", so you could use that and scale appropriately.  Otherwise it's probably intentionally left unsaid to avoid issues of canon.

Basically. For a while this annoyed me, but it has gradually begun to make sense to me that, actually, if you are wielding a shield and sword, your sword really isn't a darting weapon. If you want to simulate a sword-and-board wielder who fights buckler style, above the shield, and makes rapid attacks, take Quick Draw, and then you can have your Darting Weapon. However, in my reflections, All-Out Attempt, Cleave, Concempt, and Elusive are better reflections of sword-and-board combat. And really, in game terms, there should be a levy for wielding a high damage weapon in one hand and a guard +2 or more weapon in the other, and then expecting extra attacks.