Real World Swording Techniques in OOTS and DnD (Possible Spoilery Ideas inside)

[MReav]

I've watched youtube channels like Shadversity, scholagladiatoria, Metatron, and Skallagrim, and start to think about things like half-swording and mordhau, and how they might apply to DnD.

For those that don't know, half-swording is the technique in holding a sword in part by the blade, giving you a greater degree of control, allowing you to get in between the gaps in the armour more easily. Mordhau is taking the blade as the handle and using the pommel and crossguard as a bludgeon, allowing you to more easily hurt a heavily armoured opponent.

Now, one advantage of this is that it could be a partial answer to the "golf bag of weapons". Sure, it might not be a perfect solution, as different creatures are vulnerable to different materials, so unless you're making the crossguard out of silver while the main blade is cold iron, you're still somewhat stuck with it. But now a sword can fulfill the role of a slashing weapon, a piercing weapon and a bludgeoning weapon, and even be used in a grapple (okay, maybe not Roy's sword).

Now, as for spoilery stuff, Roy's main tactic is to slash things. In his dream sequence, Roy is using the sword the way we normally associate with swords, and Roy's a pretty tough dude (Class and Level Geekery puts his current strength at 29), so he's dealing 13 (1.5 str two handed weapon) + 5 (sword) +2 (Weapon specialization) +2d6 (sword base damage) for a total of 2d6 +20 before we start theorizing. Add +10 (assuming -5 Power Attack) and +2d6+2 (assuming Roy's sword functions as a Bane of Undead weapon) and we get to 4d6+32 (averaging 46 damage a hit) before adding Weapon of Legacy stuff (but I don't know what abilities he has with it aside from self-heal). Pretty nasty, but Xykon has 15 points of Damage reduction, so he's "only" taking 31 damage a hit.

However, what if he were to use mordhau on Xykon? Assuming Roy is proficient with the technique and all his focus and specialty still applies (he's a 14+ level fighter and there are many manuals on the subject, it's not like it's some sort of exotic form of combat), and assuming that it deals a large improvised weapon levels of damage (not really expecting it to, but it makes my formatting easier), it goes to 3d6+32 (average 42 damage a hit, but Xykon's DR no longer applies). That's a good extra 11 average damage.

Of course, this is entirely predicated on the notion that the sword's enchantment has permeated to the hilt and that Roy can use these techniques, since the blade is the part that contains the lion's share of the Starmetal. Still, I think it would be cool if Roy Greenhilt ultimately deals the final blow to Xykon with the hilt of his sword.

[Peelee]

I doubt that the Giant either knows or cares about real-world sword techniques, much less incorporating then into the comic.

[Elanasaurus]

I think it would be cool if Roy Greenhilt ultimately deals the final blow to Xykon with the hilt of his sword.

Me too! Xykon would never forget the Greenhilt after that, even in the Abyss!

[brian 333]

That would be the ultimate Chekov's gun. He's been Greenhilt since the very early strips, and at one point only the hilt of his sword was intact. It's even been forshadowed by Xykon repeatedly forgetting Roy's name. But so far there has been nothing about the hilts, pommel, or crossguard of Roy's sword featured in comic.

I can even picture the scene:
(Roy charges Xykon) Vengeance is mine! Prepare to die again, Xykon!
(Xykon turns to Redcloak) Do we know this dude?
(Roy gets angry) I'm Roy Greenhilt!
(Xykon) Who Whatnow?
(Roy) Roy, son of Eugene Greenhilt!
(Xykon) Eugene who?
(Roy) Greenhilt! Eugene, son of Horace Greenhilt!
(Xykon) Then who's this Roy character you were going on about?
(Roy) I'm Roy, son of Eugene, and grandson of Horace Greenhilt!
(Xykon) Ah, you're the guy who wants revenge because I spilled a soda on your grandfather or something. Little Boy Blueknife, or something.
(Roy, raging) Greenhilt! Greenhilt! I'm ROY (smashes Xykon with his sword hilt,) FREAKIN' (smashes Xykon in the face with the hilt again,) GREENHILT! (Roy cleaves Xykon's skull, then pauses to pant.)
(Redcloak) Hey, thanks for that. I thought he was going to kill me. We have to undo this ritual Xykon was using to destroy the world. Mind if I borrow your elf?

[Peelee]

That would be the ultimate Chekov's gun. He's been Greenhilt since the very early strips, and at one point only the hilt of his sword was intact. It's even been forshadowed by Xykon repeatedly forgetting Roy's name. But so far there has been nothing about the hilts, pommel, or crossguard of Roy's sword featured in comic.

I can even picture the scene:
(Roy charges Xykon) Vengeance is mine! Prepare to die again, Xykon!
(Xykon turns to Redcloak) Do we know this dude?
(Roy gets angry) I'm Roy Greenhilt!
(Xykon) Who Whatnow?
(Roy) Roy, son of Eugene Greenhilt!
(Xykon) Eugene who?
(Roy) Greenhilt! Eugene, son of Horace Greenhilt!
(Xykon) Then who's this Roy character you were going on about?
(Roy) I'm Roy, son of Eugene, and grandson of Horace Greenhilt!
(Xykon) Ah, you're the guy who wants revenge because I spilled a soda on your grandfather or something. Little Boy Blueknife, or something.
(Roy, raging) Greenhilt! Greenhilt! I'm ROY (smashes Xykon with his sword hilt,) FREAKIN' (smashes Xykon in the face with the hilt again,) GREENHILT! (Roy cleaves Xykon's skull, then pauses to pant.)
(Redcloak) Hey, thanks for that. I thought he was going to kill me. We have to undo this ritual Xykon was using to destroy the world. Mind if I borrow your elf?

(Redcloak) Hey, thanks for that. I thought he was going to kill me. We have to undo this ritual Xykon was using to destroy the world. Mind if I borrow your elf?

The guy who hates humans? The guy who actually knows what the ritual does, as opposed to Xykon, and has wanted to do it for the vast majority of his life? The Redcloak who is perfectly A-OK with the world being destroyed, if that fails? That Redcloak?

[Kish]

I believe brian333 is implying that Redcloak would play the role of near-mindless tyrannized lackey that Roy believes he has and trick Vaarsuvius into performing the Dark One's ritual with him, on the pretext that it would reverse something Xykon had supposedly actually started.

[hroþila]

The Mordhau is a good technique that makes your sword more versatile against armoured opponents, but if you're going all in for the blunt damage you're better off switching to a mace or a warhammer, which is what they usually did back in the day*. But sure, it'd be perfectly workable in some situations and I could see Roy doing it, although it would be tricky to pull it off with this artwork style.

*Although they're only really good options if you're fully armoured yourself or at least have a shield.

edit: As for Redcloak, I imagine the Order knows better than to take him for an unwilling lackey, especially after what Haley, Belkar and O-Chul saw in Azure City.

[Peelee]

I believe brian333 is implying that Redcloak would play the role of near-mindless tyrannized lackey that Roy believes he has and trick Vaarsuvius into performing the Dark One's ritual with him, on the pretext that it would reverse something Xykon had supposedly actually started.

That would make a lot more sense. Thanks!

[wumpus]

I've watched youtube channels like Shadversity, scholagladiatoria, Metatron, and Skallagrim, and start to think about things like half-swording and mordhau, and how they might apply to DnD.

...

Of course, this is entirely predicated on the notion that the sword's enchantment has permeated to the hilt and that Roy can use these techniques, since the blade is the part that contains the lion's share of the Starmetal. Still, I think it would be cool if Roy Greenhilt ultimately deals the final blow to Xykon with the hilt of his sword.

It would be cool, but since Xykon can't wear armor and Roy+greenhilt [the sword] can presumably cleave through old bone, I'd recommend sticking with slashing attacks. Hasn't he already decapitated Xykon at a much lower level?

The real problem is that OOTS is a work of fiction set in a universe where D&D rules are scientific facts. The Giant is willing to break any rule that gets in the way of plot or would confuse the audience. The main catch is that actual swordfighting is much more obscure than even D&D rules, so the idea of Rich deciding to make things work "the way swords and armor actually worked" instead of blindly following D&D rules (which has helped ossify fantasy fiction and movie depictions) would simply leave nearly *everybody* confused, with most of them unwilling to follow any suggestion that such things "really worked" that way. I don't know, maybe if Game of Thrones had made a point to show armor really working (read the books when he was on schedule, that was decades ago now, no idea how the TV works, but the books never emphasized the difficulty of getting through armor) then and only then would it make sense to change how OOTS swords work.

[factotum]

It would be cool, but since Xykon can't wear armor and Roy+greenhilt [the sword] can presumably cleave through old bone, I'd recommend sticking with slashing attacks. Hasn't he already decapitated Xykon at a much lower level?

A lich isn't just a pile of old bone--there's dark magic binding them together which makes them far stronger than even the strongest fresh bone (hence the rather large damage resistance they get). Also, when he decapitated Xykon he did it with his fist, not by slashing with his sword, and believe me, that is way beyond what is actually possible in the D&D rules--Rule of Cool was what applied there.

[MReav]

It would be cool, but since Xykon can't wear armor and Roy+greenhilt [the sword] can presumably cleave through old bone, I'd recommend sticking with slashing attacks. Hasn't he already decapitated Xykon at a much lower level?

The point is to deal bludgeoning damage, as a Lich has 15/Magic and Bludgeoning.