Fighting style classification

cblackthorne · Post by **cblackthorne** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 10:15 am

Greetings,

Im writing a rulebook for upcoming RPG that is to be released soon. Specifically, I would like some help with the combat.

I would like input on the different moves and styles that everyone uses in their medieval re-enactment fighting.

Cross shots, wraps, off-side, spin moves, etc....

What moves do you have in your arsenal? How would you describe them? How hard were they to learn? Are there moves you wish you could do, but cant for some reason?

Which styles are harder to learn than others in you opinion? In the SCA, you have weapon/shield, greatsword, pole-arm, etc...

Any ideas and thoughts would be appreciated.

------------------
Christopher
"Duc, sequere, aut de via decede."

Vladimir · Post by **Vladimir** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 10:25 am

I would suggesst looking at the ARMA website, or picking up a copy of Tolhoffer or Fiore and basing the fighting moves off of that.

Otherwise it would be like basing street fighting off of a boxing match.

cblackthorne · Post by **cblackthorne** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 10:37 am

What is ARMA?

------------------
Christopher
"Duc, sequere, aut de via decede."

mattmaus · Post by **mattmaus** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 11:01 am

As a gamer of several systems... my advice is... forget about including specific moves. There isn't enough room on a 8.5X11 character sheet to list all the specific techniques used in any style of combat... and there certainly ins't enough room in a gamers mind to learn, and memorize all of them, so he knows what his character can do.

M S Anderson · Post by **M S Anderson** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 11:09 am

Association For Renaissance Martial Arts, www.thearma.org

Matt Anderson
ARMA VAB

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by cblackthorne:
What is ARMA?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Kenwrec Wulfe · Post by **Kenwrec Wulfe** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 11:13 am

being a gamer of many years (20+) I came up with mods (as any group would) that could be used as optional. The mod broke the basic fighting into several styles of combat. I believe it was done, to a very basic degree in one of the AD&D Add on books some time later, but was still not that detailed.

Each style had advantages and disavantages. Example:

A base Defensive style added 2 to the over all "Armorclass" of the person and allowed for parries equal to the number of attacks the would normally make. However, you could only make 1/4 the number of normal attacks and they were at a small penalty, since you efforts were at defending, not attacking.

A base offensive style increased attack and damage by 2, increased the chance ov a critical hit but also lowered your "armorclass" by your (dex bonus+2) given that your efforts were on an all out assault and not caring about defense.

In my system there were intially 5 base styles and 15 substyles. After two years of play with the system, our group had a total of 32 different sub-styles. Each one was considered a combat profiency, so you could only have so many.

Sorry so long winded.... :")

------------------
"It is not the oath that gives me faith in the man, but the man that gives me faith in the oath."
With Honor,
Kenwrec Wulfe
Squire to Sir Galen of Bristol
The 1/2 Scottish, 1/2 Norman, English-raised Irishman of the Early-Late Mid Period.

Ashi · Post by **Ashi** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 3:40 pm

If you were to base the fighting moves off of the ARMA stuff, or a Tolhoffer/Fiore book it would be like basing street fighting off of a Tae Bo class.

Vladimir · Post by **Vladimir** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 3:52 pm

point, but maybe not Tae Bo, perhaps Karate,

regardless, it would be closer than SCA sport combat

M S Anderson · Post by **M S Anderson** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 4:28 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Ashi:
If you were to base the fighting moves off of the ARMA stuff, or a Tolhoffer/Fiore book it would be like basing street fighting off of a Tae Bo class. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I know this is derailing this thread somewhat, but I'm just curious as to why you would say that? Most ARMA members train in a very martially effective way with a lot of free sparring. How is that like Tae Bo?

And to suggest that Hans Talhoffer and Fiore Dei Liberi, men who fought for their lives and trained others to do so, were doing something like Tae Bo is rather odd. Could you perhaps explain the reasoning behind your analogy?

-Matt Anderson

[This message has been edited by M S Anderson (edited 08-29-2003).]

Kilkenny · Post by **Kilkenny** » Sat Aug 30, 2003 9:58 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by cblackthorne:
Greetings,

Im writing a rulebook for upcoming RPG that is to be released soon. Specifically, I would like some help with the combat.

I would like input on the different moves and styles that everyone uses in their medieval re-enactment fighting.

Cross shots, wraps, off-side, spin moves, etc....

What moves do you have in your arsenal? How would you describe them? How hard were they to learn? Are there moves you wish you could do, but cant for some reason?

Which styles are harder to learn than others in you opinion? In the SCA, you have weapon/shield, greatsword, pole-arm, etc...

Any ideas and thoughts would be appreciated.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Here's my suggestion - don't ask any of the people doing it today, because it just invites them to throw stones at one another pretending that their particular way is more real than the next fella's.

Instead, go to some of the manuals that have survived from the middle ages and renaissance and work some of the techniques shown there into what you are designing.

I would recommend the AEMMA website as an excellent avenue for finding a number of such manuals.

Gavin

theodrik · Post by **theodrik** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:27 pm

Would it be possible to get your email addy so I can send my complilation. I have cataloged 57 different shots and variations that I use, that that list is NOT complete. The opponate's stance, equiptment, terrain, goal and perceved skill level all affect the shot selection process. I have been needing to write this out anyway and don't have a web site to post it on and it's gonna be a long one.

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Sir Theodrik of Skane,
West, Mists, Blackwood Company
'Lude Fortier, Lude Juste, Nemini Damnum!'

cblackthorne · Post by **cblackthorne** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 11:16 am

Hello,

Kilkenny, Im not not baseing the combat system on modern day fighting, but I would like to use it as part of my guideline. Esentially I writing a reality combat system set in a fantasy environment. Since no one in current times or history can give specifics on what its like to fight montsters (i.e. orcs, dragons, etc.) its all based on theory anyway. But like all theories, they have to have some basis on what we know and see now.

I do appreciate the input.

Theodrik, you can e-mail me at cblackthorne@hotmail.com.

------------------
Christopher
"Duc, sequere, aut de via decede."