Re: (TFT) stainless sword and pole arms

[Peter von Kleinsmid <pvk@oz.net>]

TFT doesn't seem that far off of these examples. A one-handed sword 
averages 6-8 damage per 5-second attack (11-13 max, without magic or extra 
fine weapons). A knight in plate armor stops 5-11 (depending on quality, 
toughness, and shield). So, in TFT it can also be pretty inefficient, or 
even near-hopeless, to go after someone in plate armor with an ordinary 
1-handed sword, if there's something better to do. It's also another case 
of abstraction with opaque details, and an inflexible interpretation 
seeming more wrong than it has to. Clearly, not all areas of a body are 
covered by plate armor, and a TFT attack doesn't have to mean bonking on a 
breastplate - it could include the chance to hit weak points, or even 
wrestling, sword-as-crowbar, or whatever.

There are also some anecdotal examples of plate-armored people being killed 
by single-handed weapons, sometimes in single blows. There's also the 
anecdote about some fine chainmail being so good that it couldn't be 
pierced, and knights having to be bludgeoned to death. Of course, again, a 
TFT attack could include pommeling and kicking or whatever, if that's what 
works.

What's this "use your sword as a crowbar" maneuver exactly? I can picture 
the grip, but have a hard time imagining what one does next.

PvK
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