Damaging enemy weapons with spears/hafted weapons

[Mordante]

I think I read somewhere that when attacking/parrying with spears/hated weapons you cant damage opponents weapon. I'm not sure the exact rule but I know it had somekind of special ruling.

Can anyone clarify the ruling for me?

[Ludo Bagman]

This was a rule in RuneQuest 2 (they would still affect shields).

RuneQuest 3 had that a parry with a bladed hafted weapon only damages an unsuccessfully attacking weapon on a special success. A sword would always do damage, a staff or similar weapon with no blade would do no damage. On the other hand, swords were susceptible to sword breakers.

In RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha all weapons may possibly damage each other with one exception - a critical hit by an impaling or long hafted weapons does no damage to a successfully parrying weapon (also a rule in RQ2).

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by Ludo Bagman

[Mordante]

Thanks! Looking at the various methods I think RQ3 has the best implementation.

[Akhôrahil]

17 hours ago, Mordante said:

I think I read somewhere that when attacking/parrying with spears/hated weapons you cant damage opponents weapon. I'm not sure the exact rule but I know it had somekind of special ruling.

Can anyone clarify the ruling for me?

RQG rulebook, p. 200: ”If the attacking weapon is a long-hafted weapon or an impaling weapon, the parrying weapon takes no damage”, but only when you roll a crit.

Personally, I think that’s weird. A halberd or a longaxe is going to make far more of a mess of a shield than a regular sword will, and more and not less on a really good hit. Not sure if this is an intentional rule or a cut & paste error.

Edited October 28, 2023 by Akhôrahil

[SDLeary]

10 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

Personally, I think that’s weird. A halberd or a longaxe is going to make far more of a mess of a shield than a regular sword will, and more and not less on a really good hit. Not sure if this is an intentional rule or a cut & paste error.

Probably not. In melee, especially against someone with a shorter weapon and shield, a “swing” is going to allow an opportunity for your opponent to get inside. So I always envision longer weapons like this being choked up to improve personal defense.
 

The situation would be as you describe though IF the Halberer or Longaxe weirder can rely on someone else to defend them.

SDLeary