From: ses52823@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Marius   )
Subject: Re: Multiple spec. 
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 22:51:02 GMT
Keywords: Q: Who ever read keywords?  A: I dunno

Here's my HO on the subject of specialization -

Specialization is (obviously) representative of intensive time-
investment in the weapon of question.  Why can only fighters
specialize?  Because no other profession (multis included) can
invest that time in!  Warrior specialists must spar with every
available master around and pick up pointers.  (At least, with as
many who are around as he can find...)  The specialist has to
keep up on current usages and new offenses/defenses so that he/she
doesn't end up out in the cold when a more up to date fighter comes
along...

The way I see it, only a COMPLETELY weaponskill-intensive warrior
should even be allowed to specialize in more than one weapon.  (A
good example would be a gladiator, whose entire life involves and in
fact depends on his proficiency with any and all weaponry.)  The 
others are too involved;  a fighter who isn't all that serious about
combat and entertains notions of horseback riding, courting princesses,
etc.  simply WON'T have all the time to devote to multiple specializations.
The question isn't one of learning how to use each weapon and leaving it
at that, or even practicing with the weapon for an hour each day... the
warrior has to tone various muscle groups with calisthenics such that
specialized maneuvers will be possible with the weapon (do you all
remember Conan's 'behind the back' parrying trick?  Do you all realize
how much that would HURT if you didn't have huge deltoids and lats and
ended up shrugging off hundreds of footpounds of force each blow?  Have
your friends (hopefully not good ones) pull your arms up over your
shoulders and behind your back as hard as they can and then respond.)
The warrior has to cultivate sense of balance and 'omnivision' such that
he/she won't get dizzied after all the frantic maneuvering necessary
(such as, again, Conan's swinging of the sword in a defensive figure 8;
this trick is borrowed by Kurgen in *Highlander*), much like a figure
skater learns to sweep his/her head rapidly around trying to keep it
fixed on one spot so that they don't become dizzied through motion of
their inner ear fluid.  And then there are the tricks of the trade,
nasty combination maneuvers like a feint-thrust-punch with free hand
job, or a rapid switch of weapon hands (a good example of this is seen
in *Dune* when Paul gets in the knifefight with the Fremen towards the
beginning of the movie).

The point of all of this is that specialization is just that;  special.
Picture Larry Bird practicing his 3-pointers all day long (or most of it
when he's not doing commercials), or Bob Ross painting trees at random
so that he can figure out how best to insert one when he needs it, or
a boxer watching endless supplies of videotaped matches with his opponent
so that he can observe just when the guy will feint, or duck, or let his
guard down towards his gut... BOOM!

Any fighter who does not roleplay the intensive work put into this
endeavor should perhaps be allowed to specialize in *one* weapon (maybe
he used it almost exclusively when he was first taught by [Insert whoever
may have taught him here] and it comes more or less naturally now).  Some
characters ('Village of Hommlet' types who don't see much action besides
the emergence of a few giant rats from the cornfields now and then) should
not be allowed the opportunity to learn such refinement.

Double specialization (which I agree is kind of munchkin) begins to
approach that level of devotion typical of a warrior priest or kensai.
This attitude is where you start getting towards 'I am my weapon.' The
many schools of weapon-oriented defense often concentrate on key aspects
of concentration, rather than physical strength or speed, as being the
sole concept;  if you have shut all else out from your mind, your weapon
will not deviate from its premeditated course.  Any deviation from perfect
isolation results in error.  I also believe that under *no* circumstances
should any character be allowed to double specialize in two or more
weapons -- such devoted specialists are at the height of their order and
might not even consider using another weapon!  Specialization in one
weapon and double specialization in another is also haphazard at best --
if your character uses one weapon THAT much, what is the point in using
the other to specialist level?  Are there that many hours in the day?
(A notable exception here would be daisho, the samurai's paired weapon
combination of katana and wakizashi.  The samurai are trained in the use
of both weapons together since youth and fight better with both than with
either one.  Anything similar to this precept would probably be workable
as well...)

One last thing to remember --

In my own campaigns (most assuredly *not* munchkin) a +2 sword is considered
a godsend.  They're not that common *at all* which makes 'enchanted weapon
only' creatures a real bitch to fight... gives them that well-deserved fear
and respect... 

Now, consider a double specialized character;  he's earned +3 to hit and
+3 to damage through his own skill alone (to say nothing of Strength bonus).
That's already 150% as good as that +2 godsend sword!

Better justify that skill.

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Marius
ses52823@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu

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