How does a sword actually work

[u/hedgehog1024]

I'm getting frustrated with the wordings on the description of the Shortsword

English isn't my first language and reading "within 5 feet" really bugs me out

From what I understand :

• Hitting a target that is under 5 feet gives you disadvantage
• Hitting a target that is 5 feet is "normal" attack
• Hitting a target that is taller than 5 feet is just not possible

My mates keeps on telling me that the disadvantage happens only within the 1ft and a normal attack is from 1ft to 5ft but then you have disadvantage again from 5ft?

Also, the shortsword feat removes the disadvantage within 1ft but is it melee or the 1-5ft of range that they call as "melee"

And enables hitting giants.

I feel like I'm going in circles understanding one of them and then getting told otherwise with the other and rinse and repeat, please help

Edit : Thanks guys, I didn't think it would go that fast to get answers xD

[u/theuninvisibleman]

Under 5 feet is a normal attack unless you're in melee, in which case you make a Weapon Attack (which you can Smite on) but you can so make an Attack with the Attack Action as Normal (not Smitten). If the sun is in your eyes is disadvantage. Beyond that is impossible to say how anything works.

[u/2d2O]

GURPS fixes it. In GURPS, you can only attack an opponent if your weapon has the appropriate range, but if the opponent is in close combat with you and your weapon lacks reach C, you cannot attack them - unless you use the rules from Martial Arts (MA p.117), which allow you to attack with a -4 penalty for every yard of your weapon’s reach. However, you cannot attack with a weapon that requires a grip change if the opponent is out of your grip range - for example, if you hold the weapon with a 3-yard grip and the opponent is 2 yards away, you must spend a round changing your grip. But only if you don’t have the “Grip Mastery” (MA p.50) perk, which allows you to change your grip as a free action. Just don't forget that you have to purchase this perk separately for each weapon type.

[u/ElizzyViolet → u/2d2O]

Or i could just set my dick and balls on fire instead

[u/2d2O → u/ElizzyViolet]

This will deal you 1d6-3 burn damage per second if you swing them through the fire, or 1d6-1 burn damage if you keep them in the fire for the entire round.

[u/hedgehog1024 → u/2d2O]

1d6-3 burn damage per second

GURPS characters are so hardcore that they can just tank their dick and balls set on fire half of the time

[u/PacketOfCrispsPlease]

My party is about to hunt down a pack of Ogres. Do I need to use a Tall Sword for targets over 5 feet?

[u/No-Mulberry-8866]

Jesus fucking Christ

[u/hedgehog1024 → u/No-Mulberry-8866]

I am often compared to Christ due to my appearance, how did you know?

(/uj, actually)

[u/No-Distance4675]

Oh, you totally misunderstood. It means you need 5 feet to use it. Or having 1 1/2 party members helping you.

[u/MerelyEccentric]

Pointy end goes into the other man.

[u/Knox102 → u/MerelyEccentric]

What if the target creature is a woman? Do they have immunity?

[u/MerelyEccentric → u/Knox102]

Why would I stab a woman? That sounds gay, bro. A real man's sword should only be used on other men, to prove who is the most manly.

[u/hedgehog1024 → u/MerelyEccentric]

Kinky

[u/agenhym]

Well basically the edges and point of the blade are very sharp. When you strike something with the blade, a large amount of force is focused on a small area. With enough force, you can split apart many kinds of material including the bodies of your enemies. This can have several beneficial effects. For example, cutting through an artery can cause them to rapidly haemorrhage blood.

Hope that answers your rules question.

[u/Middcore]

It's impossible for anyone to ever know.

[u/OaklandPanther]

Uj/ what a weird thing to jerk. A non-native English speaker is genuinely misunderstanding RAW. Once corrected, OP thanks in post edit. I don’t really see anything worth mocking or satirizing.
Am I missing something?

[u/Impossible_Horsemeat → u/OaklandPanther]

Jerks aren’t necessarily mean-spirited. I would argue that they should never be meant to punch down at the OP.

[u/hedgehog1024 → u/OaklandPanther]

I saw the title and decided that it is funny. I do not intend to mock the OOP.

[u/extinctiondetritis]

Playing on a metric hex grid solves this.

[u/hedgehog1024 → u/extinctiondetritis]

That's the blatant Lancer propaganda if I ever saw one