The Main Gauche

[Garris Shrike]

Here's a little something Bovek and I were just chatting about, due to an RP that took place with him.

Item/Style: Main Gauche

Description:
A main gauche is a short sword, with more defensive capabilities, such as a wider hilt and a thicker blade, like a oversized dagger of sorts. It is capable of offensive stabs and is a good defensive blocker for any type of blade but an outright "LARGE" sword, I.E. Claymore, Broadsword. Here:


The Wikipedia definition:

The parrying dagger is a category of small hand-held weapons from the European late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. These weapons were used as off-hand weapons in conjunction with a single-handed sword. As the name implies they were designed to parry, or defend, more effectively than a simple dagger form, typically incorporating a wider guard, and often some other defensive features to better protect the hand, as well. The main-gauche (French for "left hand"; IPA: [mɛ˜ goʊʃ]) is used mainly to assist in parrying incoming thrusts, while the dominant hand wields a rapier or similar longer weapon intended for one-handed use. It may also be used for attack if an opportunity arises. The general category includes two more specific kinds of weapon: sword breakers and trident daggers[1].

The handles are usually curved, to catch and spin blades away from the opponent. However, since game mechanics cannot oblige to alot of the Gauche's properties, here's my suggestion for those who would think this is an interesting implementation.

Ingame Working:

The gauche would be used in the opposite hand of a saber, short sword, or typical one-handed blade. The gauche is a defensive as well as offensive weapon,so:

In the stance "Bloody" both the gauche and the opposite weapon are used to attack your opponent

In the stances "normal" "agressive" and "defensive", a the figurative ingame "dice" (or chance factor, if you will) is used to decide whether the gauche is used offensively, or as a defensive 'shield' type option. (Extra dice chance for defensive if set to "defensive", extra chance for offensive if set to "agressive", etc.)

In the stance "Fulldefensive" the gauche acts as a shield, with bonuses vs. sabers, short swords, and normal swords, and weakness vs. claymores, axes, and maces/polearms. Normal defensive stats for anything else.

My suggestion is that the higher quality the gauche, the better defensive and offensive properties it has, like any normal weapon. Perhaps varying types of gauches can be more geared towards offense or defense, depending on the user.

Learning the Gauche:
The Gauche would be harder to learn that typical sword, due to it being a complicated style. It would take more time with more PP and tria cost, due to its capabilities as both offensive and defensive. Another thought is, you could start learning Gauche as a split style from sword when you reach lvl 10-20 sword or so?

I don't think this would be too hard to implement into game, it'd be a job though, of course. Modeling, Coding, etc...it's a whole new style.

Thoughts, Ideas?

[Unnamed_Source]

My understanding of this weapon was the use with or rather against rapiers and foils as the curled ends of the hilt could trap these thinner blades, where as short swords(gladius-esk) and long swords were too broad for this purpose.

Since these thiner blades are mainly piercers, unless you slash with the tip ala Zoro, they were more common after the introduction of hand Fire Arms(hand cannons/arquebus/muskets/etc) as these weapons proved devastating to armor and thus these thin blades had no armor to contend with, all be it perhaps a small metal breastplate(akin to conquistadors) and/or thin leather, these flexible blades thus could easily pierce the leather or circumvent the plate at the joints/edges. And with no traditional shields either, a second blade was a logical choice and with a sai like hilt to improve parries and trapping of opponents blades.

So ask yourself, what Era of European civilization does planeshift fall under? Middle/medieval ages, Roman, or later .. Napoleonic, etc.

[Garris Shrike]

PlaneShift does not fall into an era. It may be similiar to the dark ages however. Note the lack of firearms.

Therefore, this is a valid suggestion, due to the massive use of swords as the primary weapon. The weapons era matches up more to the medieval age more than anything, with its own tweaks due to being a fantasy game. This should fit in perfectly as it's a logical weapon for anyone to think of.

[zanzibar]

I'm guessing that the weapon class would be shield?  It can't be a dagger, because then sword fighters wouldn't be able to use it... it can't be a sword, because dagger experts wouldn't be able to use it.  Since it's used defensively, it should be a shield so no one is prevented from using it.

[Garris Shrike]

That sounds about right, unless a new class would be created for it.

[Vannaka]

I could also be used as a shield/melee, i believe eventually the spiked shield is also supposed to double as a weapon in a similar way.  melee level for attacking, shield level for defending

[Entevir]

What its effectiveness is should be dictated by the corresponding skill. Shield skill will increase the defense bonus of it. And sword or dagger skill the offensive capabilities.

[Garris Shrike]

That's definitely not a bad idea.

[Dermathil]

I really wish this gets implemented, as I was already RPing this weapon, accompagnied with a Foil, before this request was posted.   

[Lanarel]

You know a foil is only a light training weapon? It was never meant for combat.

[Garris Shrike]

And yet it somehow got moved in for superior speed and maneuverability.