Part 2.
Treat weapons as physical objects in your games not just stats. Here's some stuff on how to do it. Stats listed are from the 5e Compendium. Let's go.
Part 3: Swords!
'Sword' is a really broad term, used for a huge family of weapons. Broadly, they're metal and used to cut and/or thrust, but that's not universal. Zweihänders and rapiers are both 'swords' even though the former is a heavy two meter long slashing weapon, and the latter is half the length and a quarter the weight, used in an entirely different fighting style. So let's look at the compendium again.
Shortsword: 1d6 piercing.
Shortsword: 1d6 piercing.
Longsword: 1d8/1d10 slashing.
To start with, the gaming definition of a 'longsword' is not on par with what was historically considered a longsword. The shortsword category could include such weapons as the xiphos, kopis, kukri, wakizashi and potentially the machete. What D&D calls a 'longsword' could include weapons such as the dao, jian, arming sword, gladius, Viking sword, scimitar or spatha. It's... kinda vague, honestly. Some models are intended to cut, others are intended to thrust, some can do both. Most are one-handed, some are two-handed. It's possible with most to punch with the pommel or strike with the guard on most swords with a pronounced pommel or guard, though it's definitely going to give a shorter reach.
To start with, the gaming definition of a 'longsword' is not on par with what was historically considered a longsword. The shortsword category could include such weapons as the xiphos, kopis, kukri, wakizashi and potentially the machete. What D&D calls a 'longsword' could include weapons such as the dao, jian, arming sword, gladius, Viking sword, scimitar or spatha. It's... kinda vague, honestly. Some models are intended to cut, others are intended to thrust, some can do both. Most are one-handed, some are two-handed. It's possible with most to punch with the pommel or strike with the guard on most swords with a pronounced pommel or guard, though it's definitely going to give a shorter reach.
Scimitar: 1d6 slashing.Rapier: 1d8 piercing.
Scimitar is a strange distinction here, I'd personally roll curved swords such as the shotel, kilij, sabre, falcata, ōdachi or even khopesh into the regular categories above. Curved swords don't really thrust, so that part of your arsenal is limited, but many of the other elements are still there. Some, like the shotel, have a curve so pronounced that it's not out of the question to completely bypass an opponent's guard (if they're not paying attention). Likewise, Rapier is a narrow category that really could be rolled into the above. I'm pretty sure it's only distinct in 5e because of the designers not wanting to put the 'finesse' rule on the 'longsword.' Weapons like the rapier, estoc or smallsword are notable for their sharp (ha) focus on thrusting and their narrow blades. Weapons such as the cutlass or broadsword were also light weapons often designed for dueling, but had much thicker blades intended for strong slashing attacks.
For all the above swords, there's not much to say. Stab if they're pointy, chop if they're edged, both if they're both. Thicker swords such as the arming sword might be able to bruise if the user strikes with the flat of a blade, but it probably won't damage much more than the enemy's pride. Make sure, however, that you take into account things like 'sheathe shape and position.' I know, it seems pedantic, but having your players specify that the fighter has a gladius sheathed on their left hip can come in handy later if they're partially engulfed by an ooze and are saying that they TOTALLY could reach their weapon.
Greatsword: 2d6 slashing, two-handed.
There's a lot of different kinds of 'big sword' out there. European two-handed swords came in various sizes and names such as zweihänder (German for 'two-hander') or claidheamh-mòr (Scottish Gaelic for 'great sword'). Even the smallest of these swords is intended to be used with two hands (or possibly on horseback). These swords could cut or thrust, and in fact were sometimes held by the blade and thrusted like a spear, or even swung like a warhammer to bludgeon enemies with the pommel or guard. No, really. Here's a (detailed) video.
Some other weapons such as the Japanese ōdachi or Chinese zhǎnmǎdāo or chángdāo would also fall under the 'greatsword' category. These swords weren't designed to be used like the pointed and double-edged European swords above, but were still a deadly cutting edge with a lot of mass & momentum behind them. I'd personally use these with what 5e calls a 'longsword' statblock. In fantasy, some two-handed swords can get absolutely obscenely massive. I'd probably come up with a custom statblock for these monsters, more like an 'exotic weapon' (and I will get to exotic weapons).
So how to play with a European greatsword? I'd personally draw attention to the twin cutting edges, point, and the weighty guard and pommel all being potential striking surfaces. Let the user thrust like a spear, and maybe even use spear damage and range dice. Let them bludgeon enemies like a greatclub... and again, maybe even use the statblock of a greatclub for those attacks. A sword like this is truly a multipurpose weapon. Balance this versatility in two key ways. Firstly, a greatsword like this is bigger and heavier than a dedicated spear or hammer, and would be correspondingly harder to carry, store, lift, and even just hold in your hands. Secondly, the sheer difficulty of making a weapon like a greatsword would make one very expensive, and it would take the user a lot of time to keep it oiled, sharpened, and rust-free.
The last thing that's worth mentioning is that historically, swords weren't intended to be used against metal armour. Even simple padded armour like a gambeson can prevent a blade from cutting into skin and organs, and something like this suit of Swedish plate armour would turn even a larger sword aside with barely any difficulty. Most systems (such as Dungeons & Dragons, say) don't model armour with a great degree of fidelity, and that doesn't bother me too much. That said, it may be worth factoring an enemy's armour (or scales) into your combat narration. A roll of 16 against AC 17 doesn't simply 'miss,' it's a lethally precise sword-slash aimed right for the neck that simply doesn't pierce the target's armoured gorget.
A critical hit with a pata against a chitinous thri-kreen wearing a suit of mithral-alloy Gothic plate armour doesn't just 'cut through' the enchanted über-metal and the exoskeleton underneath, the attacker looks for a gap in the armour plates and strikes where the protection is weakest. The greatsword doesn't 'cleave through' the breastplate, the barbarian simply flips the sword over, grabs it by the blade, and crushes the foe's ribcage with the ram's head carved on the pommel.
Greatsword: 2d6 slashing, two-handed.
There's a lot of different kinds of 'big sword' out there. European two-handed swords came in various sizes and names such as zweihänder (German for 'two-hander') or claidheamh-mòr (Scottish Gaelic for 'great sword'). Even the smallest of these swords is intended to be used with two hands (or possibly on horseback). These swords could cut or thrust, and in fact were sometimes held by the blade and thrusted like a spear, or even swung like a warhammer to bludgeon enemies with the pommel or guard. No, really. Here's a (detailed) video.
Some other weapons such as the Japanese ōdachi or Chinese zhǎnmǎdāo or chángdāo would also fall under the 'greatsword' category. These swords weren't designed to be used like the pointed and double-edged European swords above, but were still a deadly cutting edge with a lot of mass & momentum behind them. I'd personally use these with what 5e calls a 'longsword' statblock. In fantasy, some two-handed swords can get absolutely obscenely massive. I'd probably come up with a custom statblock for these monsters, more like an 'exotic weapon' (and I will get to exotic weapons).
So how to play with a European greatsword? I'd personally draw attention to the twin cutting edges, point, and the weighty guard and pommel all being potential striking surfaces. Let the user thrust like a spear, and maybe even use spear damage and range dice. Let them bludgeon enemies like a greatclub... and again, maybe even use the statblock of a greatclub for those attacks. A sword like this is truly a multipurpose weapon. Balance this versatility in two key ways. Firstly, a greatsword like this is bigger and heavier than a dedicated spear or hammer, and would be correspondingly harder to carry, store, lift, and even just hold in your hands. Secondly, the sheer difficulty of making a weapon like a greatsword would make one very expensive, and it would take the user a lot of time to keep it oiled, sharpened, and rust-free.
The last thing that's worth mentioning is that historically, swords weren't intended to be used against metal armour. Even simple padded armour like a gambeson can prevent a blade from cutting into skin and organs, and something like this suit of Swedish plate armour would turn even a larger sword aside with barely any difficulty. Most systems (such as Dungeons & Dragons, say) don't model armour with a great degree of fidelity, and that doesn't bother me too much. That said, it may be worth factoring an enemy's armour (or scales) into your combat narration. A roll of 16 against AC 17 doesn't simply 'miss,' it's a lethally precise sword-slash aimed right for the neck that simply doesn't pierce the target's armoured gorget.
A critical hit with a pata against a chitinous thri-kreen wearing a suit of mithral-alloy Gothic plate armour doesn't just 'cut through' the enchanted über-metal and the exoskeleton underneath, the attacker looks for a gap in the armour plates and strikes where the protection is weakest. The greatsword doesn't 'cleave through' the breastplate, the barbarian simply flips the sword over, grabs it by the blade, and crushes the foe's ribcage with the ram's head carved on the pommel.
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