Sickle and Shield, Druids and Cops Options

[toturi]

I tried to look for the damage codes for the Druid sickle and the shields that Riot police use. No Canon damage codes so what are your suggestions? And what skills should be used when using 1) sickle and 2) shield?

EDIT: Sorry about the shield question, answer was right under my nose.

[BIG BAD BEESTE]

I'd use the survival knife damage code - the sickle is a bladed weapon and about the same size as that.

[Ancient History]

Riot shields exist in SR...if not in the Cannon Companion, then try the new SOTA64.

Sickles? Most of them are ornamental, otherwise I'd treat it as a sword.

[Ol' Scratch]

Riot Shields are in black-and-white in the SR3 sourcebook, right where you'd expect to find them (in the Armor section of the Gear chapter). Read the description for the Damage Code and special melee rules.

Sickles are just glorified knives specialized for cutting grain and the like. Survival Knife stats sound good to me.

[Botch]

[mfb]

okay, we'll make up stats for sickles, then. they've got a crazy-ass blade, negating any reach they might otherwise get, so reach 0. they're made for cutting grain, not flesh, so L damage. the blade is pretty long, though, so we'll give it +2 power.

so, reach 0, (Str+2)L damage. sound about right?

[Nikoli]

Actually, that blade design is remarkably good. Farmers in the middle ages conscripted would often attach their sickle to a pole and use on cavalry horses and knights. The Kama is the asian version and does a decent enough job to be considered a martial arts weapon.

However you are dead on about the lack of reach, I would say Str +1M

[Botch]

[mfb]

i was actually just making a joke. you might note that my sickle has the same stats as a survival knife. looking at the survival knife's other stats, though, i don't think it's a very good fit. for instance, the survival knife has a conceal of 6.

[Nikoli]

Those style blades are like the Kukuri dagger, you can remove a man's head with a single chop as you do not need to decelerate inthe swing. It maximizes the force placed on the cutting edge.

Also, mfb, we can't tell a joke from an attempt as serious discussion without smilies as some folks might agree with your estimate as they may suffer the same lack of faith in utilitarian design that evolved the scythe and sickle (and other related implements) over the centuries.

[Botch]

Heh, heh it wasn't so much that the (I think hungarian) blades could cut off a head, it was that they would cut straight through the helmet, skull and down into the top of the shields. The helmets had to have triple thickness armour reinforcement, with some campaign specific upper body armour mods thrown in for good measure.

[Nikoli]

The point is, the lofty military minds of the time underestimated the farmers conscripted to defend their home or what-ever patch of dirt they were ordered to defend.

[Botch]

It wasn't farmers the very successful roman army was beaten back by, it was their armed forces who had developed a very dangerous forward curving sword/axe. The defenders were only beaten when the romans used a scorched earth policy on their land and civilians.

[Nikoli]

Those kooky romans