Re: [HoE] weapons rant

["Damon Harper" <nomad74@hotmail.com>]

>Why do people insist on having a katana in EVERY game in the world?

   Why not?

>JUST LET IT GO!  It's a clich, and a pretty dumb one at that.

  Cliches?  In an RPG?  Say it ain't so...
   I think you are the one who needs to let it go.  Personally, I've 
never had the problem of folks in my group insisting on carrying a 
katana.  But if they did, I wouldn't really mind, it's about having fun- 
something I think you overlooked in your post.

>  If you want a world where
>everyone and their little brother has a katana up his sleeve, go play 
>one of the Highlander ripoffs.  I promise not to stop you.

  Thanks, but no thanks.  I happen to like HoE.

>Every game has its own particular style. 

  Yes, and katanas (or any other hand weapon) fit HoE nicely.

>Characters in the game should fit into the milieu of the setting.  If 
>you haven't noticed, HoE is NOT set in feudal Japan.  The differences 
>are subtle, but they're there.  Get your character a gun, maybe a 
>sword or big knife (the sledgehammer idea sounds cool), and leave the 
>ninjas back home in Tokyo.

    Now, sit back and think about this one.  Since Mr. Simon, myself, 
Mr. McGlothlin, and everyone else that has talked about katanas has no 
clue what the Hell on Earth setting is about, maybe you can enlighten 
us.  Personally, I think the only predictable thing about HoE- at least 
at this point- is it's unpredictablity.   Think about all the 
sword-making businesses and cutlery stores that sell katanas- even 
cheesy second-rate ones.  That means there would be a lot of katanas out 
there.  Now think about a sledge hammer.  Which do YOU think would be a 
more likely prospect for someone finding something to defend themselves 
with?  An 8 pound sword, or 15 pound hammer?   If I had to carry my 
food, clothes, and  personal effects on my back, I'd opt for the lighter 
sword.  But, once again, I'm kooky like that.  Not that I'm slamming the 
hammer idea- just offering a more "practical" aspect.

>If anyone ever asks me if they can have a katana in any of my games, 
>they will be swiftly beaten about the face and neck with the largest 
>fish I can find, whilst I give them a long history lecture, informing 
>them of everything that has happened in the past 1000 years.  If they 
>don't wise up after that, I will put THEM into a forge and fold them 
>over a hundred times, and see how they like it.

   Well, God forbid any of your players have fun.  If I'm ever in your 
game, I'll ask for a thermonuclear device instead of a Japanese sword.  
My point here being, PCs can do much worse than ask for sword.
   And let me point out to you, Mr. Malik, that that's exactly what you 
are whining about here:  a effing sword.  Hopefully none of your players 
will ask for a katana, because if they do, I have a feeling in the end, 
you'll be the one to lose out- when your posse realizes it's marshal has 
a hang up over a piece of steel.
   I'm not even going to go into the history of the past 1000 years you 
talked about.  Because you did a fine job of slitting your own 
proverbial throat on that one.  I'd love to see you rationalize why a 
savage can carry a sword and shield made from car parts, including the 
sharpened hubcap, but a katana is just out of the question (and on the 
other end of the spectrum, a firearm is just fine).
   So, to sum up, I think Mr. Malik needs to leave his issues at home or 
discuss them his therapist, since critizing other people's choice of 
weapons- especially when they are perfectly reasonable for a world like 
Hell on Earth- has no bearing here.

-Damon Harper
      "Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish." 
		-Euripides
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