Fencing

[Zenvis]

I was wondering if you had your more civilized communities excersize fencing as a past time. I know that it deals with stab weapons over slash weapons but none the less....

[Rimmer]

There are some interesting fencing rules in one of the rifters, 20 something i think, worth a look, but thats about it. PFRPG dosen't seem to lend itself well to the subtleties of fencing, simply grab big axe and smash.

[Svartalf]

In PF? you know, in that world, using a sword is still definitely more a WP than an execise skill... even for such jaded noble who never expect to use their pig sticker, except for the occasional duel

[Adam of the Old Kingdom]

some where in the Timiro kingdom is a fencing school that can teach you some fancyness and you get a bonus.

I know it's in book 2 some place.

[Cranus]

Honestly, I have never really thought about fencing in my games. It has not come up as know one has "brought it up". Although I acknowledge that the practice exists somewhere...

Then again, I may not remember...

[Nekira Sudacne]

I say sure.

then again, by and large I let you take any skill from any book that's appropriate to the setting (as fencing is a Hero's Unlimited skill)

[Shin Kenshiro]

Fencing is so wuss. Give me a huge battle axe over a little thin stick of metal anyday.

Bah...not all of the fencing swords are the rather effeminate epee.

The rapier is one of the best swords ever created, and lends itself to infinitely cooler fighting scenes than 2 barbarians going at each other with battle axes.

[Goliath Strongarm]

I fence myself, and I can tell you that while it would definately add a PP bonus and perhaps a melee attack, it really won't help you in any real combat, unless of course you were fighting on a narrow ledge or strip, or focusing only on attacking a single opponent while advancing in lines on a battlefield. It would also only apply to stabbing attacks, if you've trained with Foil and Epee. I've not done Sabres, they would probably be more transferable to using other one handed swords involving slashing. Even then, the lack of a third dimension will make attacking only a bonus if the defender can't move to the side.

Also have to consider various rapiers. A bladed rapier has much more to use than a basic one.

--
GS

[Shin Kenshiro]

Wouldnt it be kind of tough to perry a battle axe with that little metal toothpick?

How do you parry a battle axe with a battle axe? Catch the incoming axe handle with your own handle? I dunno, I always kinda thought that an axe should have negatives to hit, but at the same time have higher negatives to anyone who tried to parry it. That's alot more force coming down on you than a sword slash after all...

[The Immortal ME]

Keep in mind that the modern tradition of fencing is rather distantly decended from actually melee training; namely, dueling. As far as I know, there are no surviving schools of actually combat training with a sword, though there is some interest in attempting to recreate it from manuals and such. Much the same way that modern martial art schools are loosing their focus on actual combat training and moving towards competitions and with rigid rules that have limit applicability outside the sparring ring.

[Veknironth]

Kobe Bryant is much rapier than Shaq.

-Vek
"For the NBA Fans out there."

[Shin Kenshiro]

Kobe Bryant is much rapier than Shaq.

-Vek
"For the NBA Fans out there."

but just as many chicks want to be Shaq'lled

[Hotrod]

Keep in mind that the modern tradition of fencing is rather distantly decended from actually melee training; namely, dueling. As far as I know, there are no surviving schools of actually combat training with a sword, though there is some interest in attempting to recreate it from manuals and such. Much the same way that modern martial art schools are loosing their focus on actual combat training and moving towards competitions and with rigid rules that have limit applicability outside the sparring ring.

Just a clarification. There are three weapons in modern sport fencing.

The foil comes from the martial tradition of the rapier. Its right-of-way rules are intended to simulate the back-and-forth of battlefield sword-fights.

The saber comes from the martial tradition of the cavalry saber. It has a similar right-of-way system to foil.

The epee comes from the dueling tradition of the rapier, in which fights were fought to first blood, not to the death (usually).

[drewkitty ~..~]

I was wondering if you had your more civilized communities exercise fencing as a past time. I know that it deals with stab weapons over slash weapons but none the less....

From a Ren Fair Scott (paraphrasing)" Fencing is a style of sword fighting of men who don't want to get their clothes all dirty or bloody when fighting."
The person in question is schooled in a different sword art school where the school of thought is "Make sure the other person is the one to die."

In PF? you know, in that world, using a sword is still definitely more a WP than an execise skill... even for such jaded noble who never expect to use their pig sticker, except for the occasional duel

As the fencing skills in the other settings are formatted to give bonuses to the use of a sword, is how a PF fencing skill be formatted.

This is how I use the fencing skill in the rifter, even though it is formatting in a stand alone fassion.

Wouldnt it be kind of tough to perry a battle axe with that little metal toothpick?

How do you parry a battle axe with a battle axe? Catch the incoming axe handle with your own handle? I dunno, I always kinda thought that an axe should have negatives to hit, but at the same time have higher negatives to anyone who tried to parry it. That's alot more force coming down on you than a sword slash after all...

If the axe has a basket hilt it can be done. But they would have to be one handed, so they would be more "Battle Hatchets" then "Battle Axes."

Hotrod, there is a 4th weapon in the fencing sports, the Shinai. What the Japanese use in place of a metal sword favored in the west.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinai

[pblackcrow]

YES, I do include it and rules for kendo.

[kiralon]

Wouldnt it be kind of tough to perry a battle axe with that little metal toothpick?

conversly try to parry the toothpick with that axe, he runs you through (chainmail isnt good at stopping knitting needles), you lop his head off and later die from complications from being run through.

i give duellists combo bonuses depending on where they trained but they generally go

offensive style
first attack: +3 strike -3 parry, - 3 damage
second attack: if first hit +3 strike +0 parry +3 damage
third attack: if second hit +5 strike, cant parry double damage

defensive style
first attack: - light probing attack -5 strike, 1/2 damage
second attack: if parried +2 strike +2AP(i use armour penetration roles), nothing if dodged
third attack: free after being attacked and the attack was succesfully parried, +3 strike +5 ap max weapon damage from blow

[Hotrod]

Shinai/kendo aren't generally included in most definitions of sport fencing, though to be honest, I have no idea why.

[pblackcrow]

Shinai/kendo aren't generally included in most definitions of sport fencing, though to be honest, I have no idea why.

Uh, I don't think you understand. The art of kendo was not done with bamboo sticks. It is a totally different martial art form as apposed to fencing. Not talking about the "sport".

I work the skill hand to hand: kendo is basically as in Rifts: Japan. But you must be from the (Land of the South Winds or was it the Floenry Islands? Can't remember which one we decided to put the Samurai...the opposite to the Rifter article!), a female, and a member of either a warrior clan, the wife or concubine/concubinus of a samurai warrior, or a member of the upper class. They can not make rune sword, but they may petition for one to be made for them.

[Lord Malachdrim]

some where in the Timiro kingdom is a fencing school that can teach you some fancyness and you get a bonus.

I know it's in book 2 some place.

Your looking at the City of Old Timiro. The College there has a couple of things that can give bonuses or access to better riding skill then your OCC would allow.

[eliakon]

Shinai/kendo aren't generally included in most definitions of sport fencing, though to be honest, I have no idea why.

Uh, I don't think you understand. The art of kendo was not done with bamboo sticks. It is a totally different martial art form as apposed to fencing. Not talking about the "sport".

I work the skill hand to hand: kendo is basically as in Rifts: Japan. But you must be from the (Land of the South Winds or was it the Floenry Islands? Can't remember which one we decided to put the Samurai...the opposite to the Rifter article!), a female, and a member of either a warrior clan, the wife or concubine/concubinus of a samurai warrior, or a member of the upper class. They can not make rune sword, but they may petition for one to be made for them.

Of course FENCING was not a 'sport' for much of history, but a full fleged martial art in its own right. The point of the skill fencing is to add sword play, as much as boxing or wrestling are just skills and not full martial arts.