Weapon advice

My main character fights with two small weapons and does just fine. Of course, he's not really a front line fighter but has done so on occasion.

Not saying a dagger will beat a longsword - just that it doesn't always suck.
 
Mark's right, there are plenty of characters who successfully fight with daggers as a style. One of my characters does shortsword/dagger (using only Florentine, no Two Weapons - I know, according to popular lore he can't actually exist) and does just fine. Works great for backstabbing and running through forests and other tight quarters, but he's not going to win an even frontal fight against sword and board. Daggers have their own advantages, they just don't happen to include "win every fight from the front".
 
Thanks everyone for your great advice!

One new question: what is the best way to attach a bow to yourself, when not in use? I like being able to run and fight unencumbered...

Ideas I've seen:
1) Put a string/rope on it.
Pros: its easy
Cons: you're technically not supposed to have a string on it while using it in combat, and I plan to use it in to block, with a short sword in the other hand. So it may be slow to get ready if you need to take the string off first.

2) Attach it with something like this: http://www.palnatoke.com/products.php?c ... 8521E97C2C
Pros: it looks like it would be pretty sturdy, but maybe I'd need two...
Cons: Maybe slower to get ready? More expensive and probably takes a bit of tweaking to get it just right.
Question: Belt or back attachment?


Any other ideas?
 
I've actually seen people use a Quiver (an actual one, or something that looks a lot like one) to hold their bow. It works well if there's not an especially drastic bend to the bow.
 
To be honest, you'll probably be carrying your bow around almost all the time as it is nice to have at the ready and if you do sheath a weapon, it is almost always in a secure area. That is to say that on your way out to adventure or in from it, you'll have it in your hand. so you don't need to quickly remove it. It would be more important to have a good sheath for the short sword.
 
Just for the record I never want to see a dagger coming at me. It is not safe in the hands of 90% of the people who use it...somewhat having to do with the fact that 98% of the people who could won't.

As for shields not making sense for the sea-faring types...well consider your time period. The pinacle "marine" of the approximate age was the Viking. They were not swashbucklers or fencers. Those crazies did not show up till gunpoweder so yes, shields make sense. Chain mail makes sense. Learning how to stay on your boat makes sense. Falling off and climbing back on board after the funny prank...that is crazy.

So ultimately do what you want. It takes the smallest bit of will to make it make sense for your character so you the paying customer can hve your enjoyment.

Joe S.
 
Simon said:
Just for the record I never want to see a dagger coming at me. It is not safe in the hands of 90% of the people who use it...somewhat having to do with the fact that 98% of the people who could won't.

As for shields not making sense for the sea-faring types...well consider your time period. The pinacle "marine" of the approximate age was the Viking. They were not swashbucklers or fencers. Those crazies did not show up till gunpoweder so yes, shields make sense. Chain mail makes sense. Learning how to stay on your boat makes sense. Falling off and climbing back on board after the funny prank...that is crazy.

So ultimately do what you want. It takes the smallest bit of will to make it make sense for your character so you the paying customer can hve your enjoyment.

Joe S.
Click to expand...

Even during the age of fencing, punch bucklers and strapped bucklers were very common. Every surviving fencing manuscript has forms for them, after all. Add to that the simple fact that single-sword fencing was primarily a civilian thing, while the military of the day were still pushing pikes in armor, and shields are perfectly justifiable all the way up to the advent of massed arquebus fire.
 
For that matter, police forces around the world still employ hand held shields in riot control situations. The idea of having a protective barrier under your control has merit up to the point where incoming danger is both highly accurate and travelling faster than human reflexes can adjust for.
 
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