The Longsword, a Common Misconception

Two posts, back-to-back, in one day!!

Time for me to get all POE.  That's "Pissed-Off Expert" for you Ren-Fest goers.  A lot of people playing fantasy RPGs don't really know what a longsword is, and, well, it bothers the crap out of me.  Even some RPG systems don't know what a longsword is, and that bothers me even more.

So, I found this collection of supplement material for DragonQuest one day while searching for... supplement material for DragonQuest.  I wanted to see what was out there.  I found multiple supplements for "new" weapons, including the "longsword" and "bastard sword."  I thought back on the Song of Ice & Fire RPG, and how they, too, had a longsword and a bastard sword.

The thing is, those are both the same weapon.  Additionally, DragonQuest already had it, it is called "Hand & a Half Sword."  The longsword, bastard sword, and hand-and-a-half sword are all the same weapon.  They are all the European sword designed with two sharpened edges and a point, and have a handle designed for one-to-two hands, or hand-and-a-half.  Granted, this weapon sees minor variations based on period and country of origin, but even I (who has previously stated that there are nine different daggers in my system) can't really distinguish between them.

What is commonly confused as a longsword is the arming sword, which, after the rise of the longsword, starting being called the short sword.  The arming sword is the classical knight sidearm, fit to be wielded in one hand.  Too many people think of a short sword as a gladius or cinqueda, and are often less attracted to it when looking for that "knightly" weapon.

The Song of Ice & Fire RPG and Dungeons & Dragons 3.5e list the longsword as a one-handed, which is basically false when you allow for weapons to be either one- or two-handed interchangeably, such as the Adaptable keyword, placed on the bastard sword, in SIFRPG which has mechanics for wielding the sword with two hands.  In D&D 4e, the longsword has the keyword Versatile, which has mechanics for wielding the sword with two hands.  Kudos.  In fact, the Players Handbook (1) for 4e also lacks the repetitive bastard or hand-and-a-half swords, so even more kudos.  Basically, you dropped the ball, Green Ronin Publishing, publishers of SIFRPG.  You have a longsword and a bastard sword and no short sword.  For shame.

I thought about ending this with a snide remark to the supplementers, but to me this isn't really about correcting other's mistakes.  Think of this more as some knowledge, or a bit of education.  The next time one of your friends compares a bastard sword to a longsword, you can be that one educated jerk that corrects him.  You can also keep this in mind as you are GMing, and a player is looking for the right sword for his character.  Go, and spread the word!  Or, you know, don't.  I don't know, I'm in one of those moods.

There's also that whole misconception of the basket-hilted sword and broadsword, but I haven't found enough evidence to rant on it...  Let's just say, people think the arming sword is the broadsword, when the broadsword is actually the basket-hilted sword.  And the basket-hilted sword is not the claymore...

And don't get me started on MMORPGs...