Bastard Sword

Game Stats

• Range: melee
• One-handed base damage: 1d6 (slashing/impaling)
• Two-handed base damage: 1d8 (slashing/impaling)
• Secondary: -5 Weapon Skill when used one-handed; +5 melee Avoidance when using two-handed
• Concealable:  no
• Civilian Carry: no

Description

The bastard sword is a "hand-and-a-half" sword, a weapon longer than a one-handed sword that can nonetheless be used with one hand if necessary.

Unlike most swords, which are defined by their blades, the hilt of a true bastard sword has a distinctive tapering handle with a "waist" midway down the grip.  This waist seats the swordsman's sword hand more firmly when wielding the weapon with one hand, and is a distinguishing feature of true bastard swords as opposed to short longswords.

Use and Characteristics

The bastard sword is so-called because its form is halfway between that of an arming sword and a longsword; it is the "bastard" child of both.  Historically, the bastard sword arose in Sevilla as a shortened longsword suitable for shorter swordsmen; the distinctive waisted grip was adopted after some fencing masters developed fighting systems for using such short longswords with only one hand.

A bastard sword typically has a blade length of about 32-36 inches, with a hilt about 10 inches long to accommodate a second hand.  Its blade is longer than an arming sword, but slimmer, with a more pronounced taper towards the tip of the blade.  This allows a bastard sword to have greater reach than an arming sword without weighing significantly more; a bastard sword weighs only just over two pounds.

In battle, a bastard sword is still capable of delivering an arming sword's devastating cuts, but it places greater emphasis on thrusts.  This is because a bastard sword cuts best where its blade retains some width, farther down; the sword makes greatest advantage of its reach by thrusting with its narrow point.  Many bastard swords are forged with much stiffer blades than would be ideal for an arming sword to emphasize the sword's thrusting power.

As a one-handed weapon the bastard sword is wielded essentially like an arming sword, albeit with more reliance on thrusts than cuts.  Many swordsmen feel that the sword is wasted when wielded one-handed, though, and even find the long hilt something of an annoyance.  Most bastard swords are used with two hands as longswords, which opens up a wide range of techniques.  In this mode of use the bastard sword is an extraordinarily quick and powerful weapon, capable of providing even an unarmored man with a complete defense and offense.

Advantages

The bastard sword offers unmatched versatility in a sword, allowing one-handed or two-handed use.  It offers great thrusting reach without sacrificing cutting power at closer ranges.  Many Sevillan knights who practice the art of armored longsword use the bastard sword as their weapon of choice, as it allows them a one-handed sword that they can use while mounted as well as a two-handed sword with which to use longsword techniques.

Disadvantages

A bastard sword's primary disadvantage is its size.  It can be out-reached by a longsword, and it is significantly harder to carry than an arming sword.  When used one-handed, much of the bastard sword's reach advantage disappears.  A bastard swordsman usually cannot rely strictly on thrusts, meaning he must close the range with his opponent to cut effectively.

Variants

Like most blades in Harkania and Sevilla, bastard swords are produced in high-quality steel (referred to as "steel" colloquially) and low-quality steel (referred to as "iron" colloquially), and some have crystal edges.  A few Dolotai steel blades are extant as well.  Bronze bastard swords are virtually unknown.

Like arming swords, the bastard swords of the rich are often decoratively ornamented and handed down as family heirlooms.  Some are produced with more complex hilts than those found on arming swords, adding features such as side rings to offer greater protection to hands that may be exposed in more esoteric longsword maneuvers.

Party Associations

None

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