Character Concept and Costuming

I'll pick up that Gauntlet, Stephen. Spear/Shield is an intensely powerful DEFENSIVE style. If you're using a punch-shield and a max-length spear, most opponents can get within five feet of you, let alone optimal striking distance. If you hold the spear near the pommel, it gives you almost half-again the range of most long-swords. It's amazing in line-fights since you keep most people at bay and can snag the occasional toe-punch; it's effective in skirmishes because the Spear fighter has the advantage when choosing combat distance; and it's great for attrition since it's such a bloody effective defensive technique. You do have to be light on your feet since your opponent's primary move is to rush into your weapon range, but a quick side or back step usually returns you to control.

That being said, it's beans for dishing out damage. Since the Spear is thrusting only, it's easy to deflect any attack and the Spear-fighter has to be VERY careful about over-pressing a strike (those things can hurt) and avoiding the tender and naughty bits of their opponent. Stephen is right that it works a lot Better on a team since the Spear-fighter basically holds the opponent in place while her sword/axe friends take the pick, but having a team is not necessary. Just know that it's not a flashy style for high-damage - it's also a pretty tiring style as most times you're holding the spear with a very short fulcrum distance and five feet of weapon gets heavy (even ultra-lights).

Though, of course, Sword/Board is the most effective style in Alliance, you really can't go wrong with it.
 
It is an excellent style for combat in a line fight with people who know how to support you. But, he already indicated that he'll be travelling all over, so it would be best for him to fight in a style that is adaptable and will meld well no matter where he is.

Just sayin'.

In the end... he should do whatever he thinks is fun. I am the one man anti spear/shield bandwagon.

Stephen
 
HA! I disagree with you both. I am a strong fan of dual weapons. I have been since JP of Alliance Oregon taught me the ropes so many years ago. Don't get me wrong, the "board" should not be overlooked, especially in a "squirrel tap" LARP like Alliance. However, with the advancement of Latex Weaponry and how light they can be, I find myself a much better fighter with "two sticks" especially since the game revolves around "How fast can you hit your opponent" (aka Hit Point based system).

I noticed a lot of dual weapon players use the "One stick up, one stick down" method of fighting. Which is defensive for sure. But when you are fighting by yourself you NEED to be on the offensive or else you will die. I have NPCed many LARPs and have found myself on my own a lot. With a spear and board, yes you have reach and defense. But you are limited to thrusts only (at least that was how it used to be when I played back in the day). Once you miss a thrust, you are screwed. Especially if you are up against a shield fighter. With dual weapons, you can be in and out and on to your next target. Besides, it is also WAY easier to Slay someone when you have 2 weapons. Don't believe me? Try this move next time you are fighting:

Hold your off hand weapon across your belly and behind your back. (Like you are grabbing a sheathed weapon from the opposite side of your off hand) With your dominate hand hold your weapon over your dominate shoulder. (Both weapons are now on one side of your body). Next say "Prepare to die" to activae your slay. Quickly attack with your off hand weapon with a normal blow either High or Low. The target will 9 times out of 10 block high, leaving your dominate hand open for the slay. So many other tricks you can do with 2 weapons it isn't even funny lol.

Bleh, now this is the point in which someone will counter with "Nuh-uh!" and defend their style with examples of past battles. Lol. So instead of arguing on how to fight each other, I will simply say "I am going dual weapons" and leave it at that. Lol!
 
I was just responding to the zulu shield/spear thing.

Two sticking is a valid fighting style with like 47 trillion ways to do it right. Go for it.
 
p.richard said:
Hold your off hand weapon across your belly and behind your back. (Like you are grabbing a sheathed weapon from the opposite side of your off hand) With your dominate hand hold your weapon over your dominate shoulder. (Both weapons are now on one side of your body). Next say "Prepare to die" to activae your slay. Quickly attack with your off hand weapon with a normal blow either High or Low. The target will 9 times out of 10 block high, leaving your dominate hand open for the slay. So many other tricks you can do with 2 weapons it isn't even funny lol.
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You've been out of the game too long. This does not work anymore due to profs/slays/etc. having lost being handed. Once you call PTD, your next swing with either hand must be your Slay/Evisc/whathaveyou. If you call a normal blow, you've lost the Slay you prepped.
 
That said, given two fighters of equal skill, sword/board will win every time. Our limit on attack speed is verbals, not ARM speed, given functionally weightless weapons. The extra defense doesn't cost any offensive utility other than feints.
 
Make sure, when borrowing from real world cultures to get it right. Do the research. Making a culturally stereotypical character can be insulting. I am from a pacific islander family and we take our culture seriously. If you do it right I am all about it! Totally rad when people use pacific islander culture.
 
I know you said you were scrapping the shark idea... but you can make the prosthetic yourself pretty easily making a mold and using liquid latex, or some other medium. If you play your cards right, you could possibly be able to make it for under $30 (if you're crafty enough).

I personally love a well-done kin. It gives something to look at -fits the perfectionist just fine-
 
evi1r0n said:
Make sure, when borrowing from real world cultures to get it right. Do the research. Making a culturally stereotypical character can be insulting. I am from a pacific islander family and we take our culture seriously. If you do it right I am all about it! Totally rad when people use pacific islander culture.
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See, I go the other way. For starters, we're supposed to be a fantasy game, not a re-enactment game. Secondly, the mere application of a real-world culture to a fantasy stereotype may well be insulting ("We based our dwarf packet off of European Jews because they're jewelers!"). And ultimately, no matter how accurate you think you are, you're probably still going to annoy someone who may or may not think they're in a better position to judge than you, so why bother?

When borrowing from real world cultures, I say pick one or two key components of that culture and build everything else off of that. Don't base it on the culture, base it on the specific behavior. Sometimes, go out of your way to do it wrong so that it's clear you're not trying to re-enact a real-world culture, but that you're creating one of your own based on key components from other historical references. Better yet, pick multiple cultures that have some primary commonality and then mix-and-match in addition to bringing in your own ideas.

Not to tootle my own horn in public, but Oregon has a culture packet for the primary opposition that I think plays well off of this idea. It's an amalgamation of three or so historical reference points, without ever trying to be any one of them. The monstrous (literal and figurative) nature of the NPCs helps make the culture distinguishable as not necessarily being any one real-world culture.
 
Here is an idea to make the mako-kin work:

Gills: http://www.aradanicostumes.com/gills

Nose: this will be the trickiest part so may want to go 'normal', can't find much outside of http://www.northfur.ca/shop/index.php?m ... cts_id=356

Bald Cap: http://www.makebelievecostume.com/detai ... d_Cap.html
Body Suit or other suitable base costume:
http://www.lycra-zentai.com/Silver+Gray ... p-352.html (picked white because it would take a dye easier than bleaching out a blue)

Makeup: face white/gray with some blue gray to pull in the cap.
 
Wow... lots to reply to. So...

You've been out of the game too long. This does not work anymore due to profs/slays/etc. having lost being handed. Once you call PTD, your next swing with either hand must be your Slay/Evisc/whathaveyou. If you call a normal blow, you've lost the Slay you prepped.
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Interesting. I guess do what I had said but instead of calling out damage with your first swing... just swing it. *shrugs* Though you are right. It has been a long time. Lol. I have been playing other LARPs and have been using their rules that I haven't quite adapted back to Alliance rules. Thanks for the heads up JP!

That said, given two fighters of equal skill, sword/board will win every time. Our limit on attack speed is verbals, not ARM speed, given functionally weightless weapons. The extra defense doesn't cost any offensive utility other than feints.
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Sigh. I disagree 100%. (I knew this would happen). Again, it depends on your OOG skill and your IG skills as well. I would consider myself an "above average" boffer fighter, especially with latex weapons. Would I be able to beat a sword and board fighter all the time, heck no! He might have skills to disarm me or wither my limbs. But on an even fight (without using any Alliance in game skills) I tend to be favored in combat with dual weapons.

AGAIN! It is all about peoples tastes and skill. One mans "Ultimate Combat Style" is another man's "Horrible Style of Stupid."

Make sure, when borrowing from real world cultures to get it right. Do the research. Making a culturally stereotypical character can be insulting. I am from a pacific islander family and we take our culture seriously. If you do it right I am all about it! Totally rad when people use pacific islander culture.
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Plus JP's Comment:

When borrowing from real world cultures, I say pick one or two key components of that culture and build everything else off of that. Don't base it on the culture, base it on the specific behavior. Sometimes, go out of your way to do it wrong so that it's clear you're not trying to re-enact a real-world culture, but that you're creating one of your own based on key components from other historical references. Better yet, pick multiple cultures that have some primary commonality and then mix-and-match in addition to bringing in your own ideas.
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As JP says, (which I agree 100% btw) this is a fantasy game with unique cultures and behaviors. While I may have been inspired by some "Islander" themes, I am not entirely basing my character on them. Heck, he is a shark and I thought being a creature of the sea he would have some sort of "islander" feel. Yet that is where the cultural similarities end. *shrugs*

I know you said you were scrapping the shark idea... but you can make the prosthetic yourself pretty easily making a mold and using liquid latex, or some other medium. If you play your cards right, you could possibly be able to make it for under $30 (if you're crafty enough).

I personally love a well-done kin. It gives something to look at -fits the perfectionist just fine-
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I agree with you. The perfectionist in me is looking at all angles of this before I give it a green light. I am talking to my Special FX makeup friend at the Haunted House I work at. He is slammed with work and wouldn't be able to "fit me in" until august or september... which is far to late since I plan on going to all the summer games I can... I have some theories (I always do)... and I will post them as I go through them all...

Thanks for all the input guys! It sure means a lot!

Paul
 
Thank you, JP. My reply was going to be much less polite, so I refrained from posting it.
 
Wraith said:
Thank you, JP. My reply was going to be much less polite, so I refrained from posting it.
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Thank you. :thumbsup:
 
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