[Keita]

I've been looking for similar weapons to certain fictional ones...but I haven't been able to always match them up. So my question is...if you want to give a character an unconventional weapon, how do you go about rating it?

An example would be the Bat'leth. Looking at the thing and comparing it to other weapons, I noticed that griping a Bat'leth is very similar to weilding a staff. It's the same two-handed grip, so I assume using it would follow the same convensions as a staff. The difference comes in with the damage it inflicts. If you use a Bat'leth like a staff, you can stun like a staff, slice like a sword and stab like a spear. How would you go about rating a weapon like that?

Note that I'm no weapons expert. I like using unusual weapons for characters because there's always an interesting story behind it and makes for characterisation. 

[Carmody]

I am no weapon expert and I do not know what a Bat'leth is. However I would recommand you to keep it simple. Remember that with a sword you can slice and stab. The rules does not reflect it and everybody is ok with that.
Therefore I would recommand a n exotic weapon skill and a single damagevalue. Or 1 physical and 1 stun damage value.

[CanRay]

Bat'Leth, (ex)fictional weapon designed by Dan Curry, Martial Arts Enthusiast and Effects Producer for Star Trek:  The Next Generation.

[JustADude]

A Klingon stun someone? That is the act of a dishonorable coward! A TRUE warrior fightsto the death!

Kidding aside, I've never heard of them being used for nonlethal combat. I'd give it stats similar to a nodaichi, but with a bonus to blocking/parrying to make it worth being "exotic".

[CanRay]

Yeah, but sometimes you need Intel, and it's hard to question a corpse.  You can always cut him loose and give him a knife to fight to the death afterwards.

[Crash_00]

I'd say Str/2 +3, AP -1, Reach 1 personally, but I'm usually conservative when it comes to weapons. Maybe allow two weapon fighting maneuvers while using it? I'm not a trekkie so I really don't even see how its used without being extremely awkward. Generally if someone makes a thrusting point attack (with an axe or the ends of this thing) I treat it as knife damage with the weapon's normal reach and AP mod. As far as smacking someone with the flat (assuming that's what you mean by stun), I'd just use club damage. I always take the normal stat to be the most damaging way to use it.

[JustADude]

I'm not a trekkie so I really don't even see how its used without being extremely awkward.

Guard position is gripping the two outside grips in a cross-body position. The inner, bladed surface, of course, faces your opponent. To attack you can either thrust the bladed crescent at your opponent, jab with one of the tips (which is the closest you can come to "stabbing" with this weapon), or shift one of your hands to the center grip to get more reach and cutting power at the expense of defensive ability. One can also even move to the same grip as your other hand for a really all-out attack.

Basically, you fight with it more like a staff than a sword.

In my defense, I'd never seen Star Trek until recently, so I decided to watch all of it. Just finished DS9 recently, so its fresh in my mind.

[CanRay]

The dual-blades on each side are also useful for disarming more traditional weapons (Swords, staffs, etc.), just like a Sai or some types of Parrying Daggers ("Main Gauche") are used.  (Of course, used properly, a Sai or a properly made Main Gauche can BREAK a sword.).

Used with both hands, it's used like a short staff, only sharp at both ends.  With one hand, it's held alongside the arm (Like a "Reverse Hold" with a knife or sword, but it's intended specifically to be used that way) and used in a swinging pattern, or swung out with a flick of the wrist while moving the body to help with momentum, as well as able to be used to parry with the whole arm (Like a Tonfa).

I took martial arts (Although without weapons), and my GM back home was also taking martial arts, and was a big Trekkie.

I would certainly say it's an exotic weapon, however.  And the options given for damage and reach are very applicable.  Not so sure about the AP, but that would depend on the quality of the blade (Replica versus Weapon steel and skill of the craftsman.  Just like a cheap knock-off Katana wouldn't have AP -1.).

[Keita]

Mmm...thanks guys.  I'm glad to see my instincts aren't entirely wrong.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

I'm not certain but I wouldn't give it penalties, even once you had the skill.  There's a reason they create these things in fiction, and why they didn't evolve in Real Life.

Not that there aren't hook-ended swords with nasty crescent-shaped guards in RL ...



... it's just that they tend to be rare, and require a fair bit of training to use well.  Besides, the Bat'leth is made for an openly-armed society in a selection-for-strength species.  I'd put a strength minimum of 4 or 5 onto it ...

[CanRay]

Besides, the Bat'leth is made for an openly-armed society...

You mean like the UCAS/CAS? 

I mean, hell, the number of elven adepts/cyberninjas walking around with Katana's sticking out of their longcoats like Blade... 

[Mirikon]

One fun thing about Japan is that while most firearms are illegal, carrying swords is perfectly acceptable, and doesn't require any licensing.

[CanRay]

One fun thing about Japan is that while most firearms are illegal, carrying swords is perfectly acceptable, and doesn't require any licensing.

Sir Terry Pratchett could carry his knightly sword there! 

[JustADude]

One fun thing about Japan is that while most firearms are illegal, carrying swords is perfectly acceptable, and doesn't require any licensing.

Sir Terry Pratchett could carry his knightly sword there! 

You mean the one made of Thunderbolt Metal (aka meteoric iron)?

Just when I thought he couldn't get any more awesome, he goes and pulls a stunt like that.

[CanRay]

One fun thing about Japan is that while most firearms are illegal, carrying swords is perfectly acceptable, and doesn't require any licensing.

Sir Terry Pratchett could carry his knightly sword there! 

You mean the one made of Thunderbolt Metal (aka meteoric iron)?

Just when I thought he couldn't get any more awesome, he goes and pulls a stunt like that.

While suffering from a physical form of Autism!  And is still writing!  And has outright stated that the disease won't kill him, he'll KILL IT!

Honestly, the guy is toning himself *DOWN* to write Granny Weatherwax and Sir Sam Vimes in order to make them "Believable" as no one would think a person could be so full of awesome.

He's also had numerous letters from people with terminal illnesses hoping that Death is just like he wrote...  He stared at the wall for some time after reading those.  And now, he faces that question himself.    All I can do is hope that he gets what he's created.