Been poring through Tenkar's
Swords & Wizardry Light treatment. Erik was kind/brave enough to leave a Word copy laying about unattended, so I was making some personal edits and additions, including adding pared down interpretations of the four additional S&W Complete Rules classes (Assassin, Druid, Monk, and Ranger). I was working on the Druid, when I noticed that the S&W druid doesn't have 'club' as a weapon option on the equipment list.
I was bit confused by this, as the AD&D 1st Edition, where S&W gets a lot of its inspiration and mechanics, includes the club as a druid weapon - after all, the class is often constrained to non-metallic weapons, in addition to armor...
So I'm not sure if this was an oversight or other simplification. But anyway, my S&W druids will be allowed to swing clubs. Likewise, my Light version of the druid will be issued a club or spear as part of starting equipment.
Which brings me to a very brief rant. Ok, I know that D&D,etc. isn't specifically 'realistic' or sometimes even internally consistent, but after all these years of reading the rules, I noticed that there is only one other class that can't wallop things with a cudgel.
Come on folks, anyone can pick up a stick... no skill or significant strength required... Give the poor magic users a club.
Anyway, here's
my tweaks and additions to Erik's original document - feel free to swipe for use and abuse.
Mages are generally constrained (outside of Darts) to "peasant weapons" they might have learned before. I might actually, setting relevant, allow them clubs, knives (as opposed to daggers), staves, slings, staff slings, and maybe spear or short bow. Real things peasants learn from militia or fathers prior to getting indentured.
ReplyDeleteAll reasonable - weapons for mages being a last-ditch tool anyway, with the exception of perhaps a missile weapon to fire not-so-magic missiles...
DeleteTypically went with darts for mine, RAW.
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