Fantasy Weapons and Cultural Significance

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In fantasy games and books we sometimes see weapons chosen arbitrarily, but in most recorded cultures what weapons you were likely to carry was highly related to your culture, beliefs, laws, even religion. So when arming fantasy characters we should try to consider this and how carrying weapons outside your cultural or story background would have repercussions in many subtle ways.
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[@scholagladiatoria]

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[@exploatores]

My guess would have been that Raid was 20 years. It feels like that I have heard about that game for ages.

[@samehedi]

i like you matt. but no. fuck them. i swear, if i keep hearing that name, i'll go rampage some day. probably with a bokken, but nevertheless

[@mikesummers-smith4091]

Is Jotun really equipped with a metal plank with a hilt on one end?

[@tomnunya9121]

Another youtuber promoting gambling for kids....

[@al-imranadore1182]

FOR GODSAKE find a better sponsor like "Audible" or "Campfire blaze" etc!!!!!

[@reapr31337]

Imagine being laughed out of a tavern for being the fantasy equivalent of a weeb.

[@markfergerson2145]

And then meeting the thief in the alley who saw what was coming and decided to leave before you did so he could get that fancy foreign sword for free...

[@Delgen1951]

No those are most often the Mage or assassin of the party specially if the assassin is halfling. Never let that @##$% Thief out of your sight.

[@butwhataboutdragons7768]

A western movie called Big Jake has a scene with this equivalent. A guy goes into a rough bar, with a new style of pistol in an ostentatiously fancy holster. Some dudes in there immediately make fun of him and try to start a fight, which is exactly what he wants. He's trying to cause a scene to distract from his compatriots doing something elsewhere. Minor scene but it works.

[@Likexner]

@@butwhataboutdragons7768 What kind of pistol?

[@butwhataboutdragons7768]

@@Likexner Just looked it up. Bergmann 1896. Apparently not the real thing, they made a Walther P38 look like one though. It has a magazine instead of a cylinder, and it's in front of the trigger. Funky-looking even today, it would've definitely turned heads on its own at the time, and as mentioned it's in a fancy holster too.

[@jacobcharleszimmerman7934]

I just want to say the Grandaddy Tolkien certainly thought about this kind of thing in his world, especially with the elves. A little bit of time is given in The Fellowship of the Ring is given to the differences between Mirkwood elves and Lothlorien elves, like how Lothlorien elves build their homes in trees. One of the things mentioned is that Lothlorien bows are longer and heavier than Mirkwood bows. Legolas, a Mirkwood elves, originally had a smaller Mirkwood bow, but Lady Galadriel gives him a Lothlorien bow as a gift so he uses that from then on. So, elves tend to prefer bows to other kinds of weapons, but different groups of elves have different kinds of bows. The point of this comment is to say that Tokien knew what he was doing.

[@Agarwaen]

Well.. not quite. Mirkwood elves, being dark elves (not in the d&d sense) had way less finesse in weapons and armour manufacture than noldor like Galadriel. Nor did they ever really fight in (at least as many) many large scale battles as the eldar, so did not have a reason to develop such. Secondly mirkwood did not have malorn trees to build such bows from. Ie, at most mirkwood elves might have favoured bows, but it's far more likely to be something legolas himself was particularly trained with. Though to note he did quite effectively fight in melee too, which is hardly surprising since even as a young elf he'd still have had hundreds of years to practice both.

[@jacobcharleszimmerman7934]

@@Agarwaen I just want to point out that the Lothlorien elves are also dark elves. In fact, they are both Silvan elves. Galadriel is Noldor, but the majority of the inhabitants of Lothlorien are Silvan elves, or at least the majority of their ancestors were Silvan. Tokein specifically says that they are related to each other in the Fellowship. But yes, the Mirkwood elves didn't have access to the Malorn tree, which is another reason for the two cultures to have different weapons.

[@ironpirate8]

Sorry this isn't adding anything to your discussion, but I think it's a cool passage. 😁 "Suddenly the great bow of Lórien sang. Shrill went the arrow from the elven-string. Frodo looked up. Almost above him the winged shape swerved. There was a harsh croaking scream, as it fell out of the air, vanishing down into the gloom of the eastern shore. The sky was clean again. There was a tumult of many voices far away, cursing and wailing in the darkness, and then silence. Neither shaft nor cry came again from the east that night."

[@Agarwaen]

@@jacobcharleszimmerman7934 True enough, though the lineage of Celeborn is a bit unclear. It's common for tolkien to tell how more knowledgable people teach others their customs and craft though (which is another point actually, that gondorian armour, weapons and even some customs hail back to the elves who thought the numenoreans, and the differences between ancestors of them are described both in their looks, behaviour and equipment).

[@Gilbrae]

The fact is J.R.R TOLKIEN was Second Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers appointed Battalion Signal Officer on the WW1 battlefield where he could see, probably during the Battle of the Somme, different armies fighting with the same types of weapons but slightly different in design, such as infantry rifles which although used by all armies were of different styles and calibers, as well as similar uniforms but with choice of different colors, helmets and so on. Even with a relatively similar strategic conception, the armies of this time cultivated their differences (like those of today). There is no doubt that this can only jump out in the eyes of those who find themselves on a battlefield. Note however that TOLKIEN mainly mentions weapons that are unique more than types of weapons produced in series. So, without wanting to be disagreeable, I do not find that his works are the best example of cultural differences in the design of weaponry in Fantasy, even if they have been better put forward in the films of Peter JACKSON and visually give each people a visual identity that marks clearly its cultural and CONTEXTUAL differences.

[@hellmes1826]

I'm appreciating all the thumbnails where you're just hiding creepily in the corner.

[@kindermord]

Like a goblin.

[@naldormight6420]

... while holding a weapon. 😂

[@Dale_The_Space_Wizard]

Now I have sympathy for Conner Macleod, who must of been constantly asked about his Japanese katana for literally hundreds of years.

[@robbikebob]

"Hey, Connor, do you have many of those swords?" "no, there can be only one..." Or "Connor, where did you get the sword?" "oh, its a Japanese sword that I got from a decapitated Scottish Spaniard." "oh"

[@Ayeskint]

He's not Shpanish- he's Egyptian 😁

[@TrueMentorGuidingMoonlight]

"What is haggis?" "Sheep stomach stuffed with meat and barley." "And what do you do with it?" "You eat it!" "How revolting!"

[@digitaljanus]

It got easier for him in the 80s, when every other guy he ran into had a mall katana.

[@sarchlalaith8836]

@@TrueMentorGuidingMoonlight haggis is amazing, you're just weak :P

[@BisectedBrioche]

One thing I like the idea of in D&D and Pathfinder style fantasy worlds, where people are professional adventurers and loot or buy the best gear they can find, is that talking about where they got their current weapon is like a handshake.

[@camerongunn7906]

Careful. Asking some of us about our characters could lead to a two hour long retelling of their epic adventures. It could get emotional.

[@reinerzufall2192]

I recently joined a d&d party, and while thinking about character creation I realized, that you cannot make a normal dude like an artisan, a peddler or a farmer. I admit there are some Professions which are represented, a rogue for example but i refrain from calling a criminal normal, or a bard (which is always a magic user...), or elite classes like knight and clergy, a Hunter is probably the most ordinary you can get. And I personally love realistic worlds and playing people down to earth who learned a craft and have a fairly normal live (at least at the beginning) who would be outraged to be confused with some unemployed homeless snobs who do not contribute in any way to society. Quite funny now that i think of it RPG: DM: "You can be anything you want, so what do you want to play?" Player: "How about an ordinary guy who has a stable life" DM: ".... what? But why would he want to go on an adventure?" P: "He wouldn't."

[@BisectedBrioche]

@@reinerzufall2192 Strictly speaking you can. They're represented in 5e D&D by tool proficiencies, and there are rules (in Xanathar's Guide to Everything IIRC) for working a normal job in downtime.

[@reinerzufall2192]

@@BisectedBrioche True but, with the class system, the tool proficiencies are secondary to the main purpose of your class. So you would probably end up with a warrior who knows a deal about smithing but not a smith who knows only a bit of fighting. The Problem (which in fact is no problem, different styles for different wishes is a good thing) is that D&D is designed for adventuring, not simulating everyday life. And since I grew up and fell in love with GURPS, which has no class system and actually has more of a reality simulation than a game, I tend to see all the disadvantages in comparison. But still lovely for some variety.

[@vde1846]

Long live the murder hoboes!

[@seanpoore2428]

In the books, king Theodens armory has a bunch of gondorian armor that Aragorn and legolas pick from, and gimli picks a rohirrim shield and helmet that used to belong to Theoden. But that's the king's armory

[@ironpirate8]

Plus it shows that they were spares 🧐

[@emmitstewart1921]

@@ironpirate8 It also shows that that there was a long period of social and cultural interchange between Rohan and Gondor.

[@louisvictor3473]

Gondor and Rohan also have history. Rohan was part of Gondor, and they retained friendly alliance afterwards. It makes sense they'd have access to each other's equipment, even if the armies as a whole would still have their own styles.

[@emmitstewart1921]

@@louisvictor3473 Rohan was originally a part of Gondor. When the Rohirrim began to move into what was basically unoccupied territory, Gondor formed an alliance with them and ceded the land to them with pledges of alliance.

[@louisvictor3473]

@@emmitstewart1921 Yes, that is what I said just with more details.

[@Ekseth]

"You see those warriors from Hammerfell? They've got curved swords. Curved. Swords."

[@delfinenteddyson9865]

I have to say morrowind did that quite well with the very specific equipment the dunmer used, due to their environment.

[@Hushashabega]

One point: in a lot of fantasy settings, such as the implied setting for early versions of Dungeons and Dragons, humans are often assumed to be the most ubiquitous and culturally varied of the races. While multiple human nations with varied cultures are to be expected, often elves and dwarves are much more monolithic. Depends on the setting obviously, but sometimes calling something an "elven sword" could make sense if there happens to be only one nation of elves remaining in the known world.

[@markfergerson2145]

Considering that early D&D was inspired by LOTR, lot of that comes from the LOTR implication that the Age of Man is beginning because nonhumans are dying off while humans are having a population explosion. Larger population eventually leads to more cultural diversity while falling population means a lot less, so yeah.

[@Robert399]

I don't mind that specifically but in most cases I find it hard to believe that fantasy cultures would have settled on the things that they do. It most cases, it doesn't seem to match how they fight, who they fight against or have a plausible developmental history.

[@lachlanmckinnie1406]

@@Robert399 That's largely because most authors don't go to the insane lengths of historical worldbuilding that Tolkien did in his books. A lot tend to make the current day and some major historical events, and maybe some recent historical evolutions; whereas Tolkien really went all in in his history.

[@markfergerson2145]

@@Robert399 Well, if one's culture is based on The Rule Of Cool...

[@Robert399]

@@lachlanmckinnie1406 Of course. But any layman could achieve a reasonable level of authenticity with just a dozen or so best practices. Things like: - In battle: spears and shields, not swords - In town: 1H swords and knives only - wool, not leather - Give everyone mail or give everyone plate (I know it's more complicated but this is to avoid the ridiculous tech gaps you get) ... They don't need to understand why if they don't want to.

[@nonna_sof5889]

"Allied soldiers wouldn't wear Wehrmacht helmets." Wehrmacht soldier wearing Soviet winter clothes: "Screw looks, it's cold!"

[@AdamWhitehead111]

Legitimate reason!

[@johnnyjet3.1412]

there's a Willie and Joe cartoon where one accidentally runs into a German in a dark alley, and is apologizing as he puts on a German helmet.

[@edi9892]

My grandfather got into trouble for ditching a jamming MP40 and returning with a Ppsh41...

[@coreys2686]

modern US soldiers use a helmet design that's looks a lot like WW2 German helmets.

[@digitaljanus]

There's a 90s German film called Stalingrad I watched in undergrad history. Literally the first thing that happens is one German soldier grabs a Soviet SMG from a dead Russian and says to his new comrade "Theirs work better."

[@lv2943]

"That's really weird, can I buy it?" That particular comment on the Englishman's katana killed me.

[@carrias1]

Another element to the fitting in - training. If you’re training with locals you might adopt their weapons because that’a what’s taught here.

[@Intranetusa]

According to ancient Chinese generals, the best weapons for the Dawi/Dwarves are halberds: ”The basic rule of warfare that should be taught is that men of short stature should carry spears and spear-tipped halberd, the tall should carry bows and crossbows, the strong should carry the flags and banners, the courageous should carry the bells and the drums, the weak should serve in logistics, while the wise should be involved in planning." -"Wuzi" by Wu Qi

[@frankharr9466]

So he wanted small people to do mele. Interesting.

[@J_n..]

makes perfectly sense. tall bow/crossbow man can ease shoot, and aim, above the heads of the shorter man in front of them while at the same time compensating the reach disadvantage of shorter people with longer weapons. strong in this context probably means high willpower, stamina and maybe battlehardenend to keep the units together and in formation with the flags and banners.

[@Intranetusa]

@@J_n.. Yeh, strong being "mentally strong" in this context makes sense. The Roman army's positions of standard bearers (their flag bearer equivalents) were prestigious positions that were given to courageous and brave soldiers who fought in the front ranks and would protect their standard from capture.

[@PobortzaPl]

@@Intranetusa Or throw that standard into enemy formation to make their comrades in arms charge.

[@reinerzufall2192]

@@J_n.. I think the main argument for tall people as archers ist that they can operate bigger bows. I consider that Shooting above comrades in direct aim, bears a high risk of friendly fire and with more than two rows the chances of succes are very slim, and if it is no diret shot the height should be no problem as long it is within the normal human range.

[@evilwelshman]

I suppose a major thing to consider is how isolated each fantasy race/culture/faction is. The more isolated they are, the likelier they are to use distinct equipment including weapons. Meanwhile, the more two (or more) races/cultures/factions interact with one another, the likelier and more normal it would be for there to be crossover between them; including either their producing equipment influenced from the other, or even their outright using the equipment of the other race/culture/faction's (e.g. acquired through trade, etc). As such, if a fantasy world's races/cultures/factions are quite well interconnected with one another, it would be plausible for them to be using each other's weapons (and other equipment) to greater or lesser degrees, depending on the individual races/cultures/factions and resources available to them and the spheres of influences at play.

[@p_serdiuk]

Most fantasy worlds, in fact, have some factions that are cosmopolitan and some that are isolationist. In LotR, for example, Elrond's Rivendell has a blend of peoples and cultures, while dwarves prefer to keep to themselves.

[@Tallus_ap_Mordren]

Great gag throughout the HBO series Generation Kill. Marine loses his kevlar helmet (a common occurrance in the USMC, as exemplified by the phrase, "Gear adrift, is a gift") and is predictably dressed down for walking around without a helmet. He scrounges a green motorcycle helmet and wears it for awhile, but is predictably dressed down for wearing a non-ballistic helmet. He then acquires an Iraqi helmet and paints it to resemble US camo. On patrol, he is tackled by Marines from another unit, because they believe he is an armed Iraqi soldier 'sneaking up' on his squad.

[@DGFTardin]

In Role Playing Games, I think one of the main reasons people pick weapons "outside the norm" for characters is to try to combo it into everything else for maximum efficiency (essentialy "power play")

[@danhaas9730]

Or maybe people just like playing against stereotypes. I can’t tell you how much fun I’ve had playing a gnome barbarian, or a half-orc mage, or a lawful good dark elf Paladin of Bahamut. Are they “power gaming” combos? Not by a long shot. But they’re fun precisely because they invert the stereotypes most people tend to associate with that race/class.

[@stephena1196]

DGFTardin so things like dual wielding longswords?

[@robbikebob]

Yeah, the Lord of the rings was pretty forward in having different cultures within the same species. Orcs, elves, humans and even hobbits from different areas had markedly different characteristics and suspicion, animosity and even downright aggression to each other. Never really considered it before.

[@dutch6857]

Not so much with aggression amongst hobbits, but yeah, pretty much bang on. Always felt that the Dunlanders were given a raw deal...

[@johan.ohgren]

@@dutch6857 the are quite a bit of aggression between hobbits, but they are quite pacifistic so it manifests in squarrels, insults and not feuds or battles.

[@johan.ohgren]

@@bigredwolf6 yes, the Bri Hobbits.

[@dutch6857]

@@bigredwolf6 Yeah, other than the Breelanders JRR himself said in the Fellowship that there were more 'outsiders' than the Hobbits of the Shire realised, but they were probably tramps and wanderers.

[@drizzt102]

This is needed for me. I appreciate this. Im trying to figure out how to do cultural arms, weapons, stylings of combat and how to really make it far more interesting, less blocky and more...organic and well alive? I guess? Its a challenge but i always find outside references, ideas and knowledge helps. So wonderful timing

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

Don't forget that interactions within your world will change how weapons, armour, fighting styles, etc all develop over time. If 'the neighbours' use something and use it effectively expect the people they use it against to either adopt it or adopt strategies to defeat it.

[@Robert399]

It's always a balancing act between making things that are universally effective universal (or close enough) while having enough stylistic differences to feel realistic. Most fantasy fails on both counts.

[@drizzt102]

@@Robert399 i see it as not a failure if one can get within a reasonable level of suspension of disbelief. My goal is not ultra real it is fantasg after all. Just realistic enough to allow the immersion of story. But it is a hard road to nail and indeed most fantasy worlds seem to trip in some places

[@Robert399]

@@drizzt102 Of course but most fantasy neglects things that are incredibly simple and cost effective (like spears and shields and daggers and helmets) and assumes that entirely the wrong things are common (like longswords and greatswords and leather and "platemail"). They then overly homogenise cultures with this unusual/non-existent gear. Btw, there is no objective standard for "suspension of disbelief"; it's entirely relative to what the individual knows. e.g. For most laymen, there's nothing unbelievable about _Helen of Troy_ whereas for us it's borderline comedy.

[@reinerzufall2192]

It is so frustrating when some fantastic crap is better than something approved by countless cultures over millenia, honed to perfection by experts.

[@TristanDonaldson]

I love how Matt has gotten comfortable enough in his format to show us how much of a lovable goofball he really is.

[@Adam_okaay]

My favorite thing in fantasy games are the primitive societies living in huts and wearing loin clothes but they somehow have sophidcated metal weapons unique to their society. Looking at you blizzard.

[@RaoulKunz1]

I think a nice example would be the Aiel in *Wheel of Time* using spears and bauernwehr-esque big knives because of historical (some forgotten) and cultural reasons and they frown upon the use of swords in spite of having the tech and knowledge to build them. Best regards Raoul G. Kunz

[@dutch6857]

In the Two Towers the orcs of Isengard have different kit from the Mordor orcs, so even back when JRR was thinking of this. As a side note, what is up with dwarves and axes? Are there a lot of trees underground? Why not hammers and picks?

[@scholagladiatoria]

lol! That is a really good point!

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

Hammers, picks, heavy shields and relatively short spears. A small phalanx can block a tunnel pretty effectively. Swinging axes seems like a lot of work and would leave a lot of gaps in the line.

[@dutch6857]

Correction. I just looked it up, the Isengarders carried short, broad bladed swords unlike the crooked swords used by the Northern orcs of the Misty Mountains. But the orcs of Mordor had a different physiognomy from the Uruk-Hai

[@p_serdiuk]

Axes are short (important in tight confines), good at piercing crude metal armor, and require a bit more strength and stamina to use, so they are a perfect fit for fighting against orcs and goblins in the tunnels. Dwarves often like warhammers and maces for the same reason. Their weapon choices, in fact, are similar to preferred WWI trench weapons, and to naval boarding weapons. Those environments are similar in many respects.

[@nathanbeverley247]

I personally think short spears (roughly the height of the user) would be perfect for dwarves. Not so long as to get tangled on things or hit ceilings underground, but excellent for holding a tight corridor.

[@TodayLifeIsGoood]

Take it from a former soldier: -A weapon is better than no weapon. Junk is better than the bare fist. -Gear is adapted to its environment -Gear is also adapted to the user and the user's capabilites and personality -Fashion is a thing -Are you typically fighting alone or are you fighting in a group/line?

[@AlexanderHamburg]

As a former soldier, I call BS on #3. Uniformity trumped adaptation to user capabilities in almost every case I saw. #4 sounds pretty dubious, but I'll give you that one.

[@Thesandchief]

i love your fantasy series. please keep it up

[@3richardrussell]

I think its really lovely that you're still producing fresh and interesting content that makes me think after so many years. Cheers.

[@kirohaas3193]

Thank you so much for videos like these. It helps me so much when trying to give help to friends that are trying to world-build in a fantasy setting!

[@brucetucker4847]

In the book The Two Towers there' a discussion between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli of the different styles of armor and weapons used by the orcs they and Boromir have just killed, and they conclude based on those items that the orcs they're facing aren't a single unit but a mix of orcs from Mordor, Isengard, and Moria.

[@BoomerZ.artist]

I don't think fashion is given enough credit in history or fantasy. People like looking good. Everything is not utility.

[@TheBaconWizard]

Sure, that is true, but vastly more-so in peacetime or civilian life. One's aesthetic values tend to take a very distant second-place to utility once you have experienced having multiple shades of faeces kicked out of you by someone with a better killing-tool.

[@rediius]

Qing dynasty is pronounced, "Ching." I hope that helps for the future!

[@pavelholub4206]

time for Deadly Mantis, thanks :-)

[@RobinChubb]

Context is pronounced “coitus” 😃👍

[@bramdewit8440]

I love how you emphasise that it makes little sense for fantasy races/species to be homogenous. Especially when humans are the exeption to that. Treating elves, dwarves, centaurs, unicorn-tiger-folk or any other fantasy species as diverse makes for much more interesting settings anyway. I like giving my species and cultures distinct weapons and armour when worldbuilding and having this reflect in my characters in story writing. It makes a diverse cast more interesting with every member being distinct, and when you break the norm and give a character an unusual item it makes it all the more noticable and memorable. Great video, eh!

[@danhaas9730]

In some settings though, it makes sense for certain races to be more homogenized than others. If elves in your setting live for thousands of years, for example, you wouldn’t expect them to have even close to the same kind of variation that you’d find in a human civilization, given that societies/cultures don’t usually change all that much within a lifetime.

[@nate665]

This is the level of thought that separates a “meh” dungeon master from a great one in role playing games.

[@Jtbrahh]

I once had a D&D character who was a swashbuckling bard who had travelled far and wide. He dressed much like you would expect a swashbuckler to except he carried a katana. The story behind it was that he had traveled to the distant lands in the east (we were playing on the forgotten realms setting) and was gifted the sword by a lord as reward for a task that he had completed. The events of the campaign were such that most people had more pressing concerns than some dandy with a weird sword but I was happy that I came prepared with the explanation if it came up.

[@kevingooley9628]

Captain Kronos? Is that you? 😄

[@rifleman2c997]

It should be of note this also applies to modern arms. For example- Look at the countries of NATO- all the countries use the 5.56x45mm cartridge, yet every country in the bloc has their own design based on the local doctrine and production capability. The L83A2 is a Bullpup like the French FAMAS both are different despite being so similar. Then you have the US with the M4/M16 family of weapons which is of a different set up compared to the L83. Then you got the Poles with their rifles being AK based despite using NATO ammo which is different to the US patters of its rifles. The more things change, the more they are similar to the old days of Italian Knights looking different to that of England. All the technology is similar of all the weapons, yet they all look different. This can also be applied to tanks where NATO countries again have similar technology, but the M1A2 Abrams looks different to a Challenger II, or heck lets throw in the Merkava into the mix as it has similar technology but the Israelis have it designed to the needs of their army and their logistical needs.

[@daveharrison4697]

L83???

[@daveharrison4697]

@tokul76 fully aware of what the L85 and L86 are. Got lumbered with the Crow Canon in my reserve days. Was just wondering if someone had actually been issued the mythical carbine version!

[@rifleman2c997]

@@daveharrison4697 Apologies SA80, more specifically the L85. British nomenclature is odd.

[@daveharrison4697]

@@rifleman2c997 Makes perfect sense to me ;) . SA80 was "small-arms for the 80s". L because ALL UK built weapons have been L since the second world war and production started in 1985. And the LSW was the follow-on dubbed the L86.

[@rifleman2c997]

@tokul76 Still while France wasn't NATO, both countries thought to replace multiple categories of arms with a bullpup. Which doesn't negate my thought that we still have national variations on similar technology, like how a Helm used in England is not what would be found in Germany.

[@6reve]

It's also important to recognise that the writers/directors (usually) aren't just picking weapons from what is cool, but that the weapons are props that help tell a story about that character. Just like a good movie fight isn't as much about being historically accurate, but wether it aids in telling the story

[@Stratplayer05]

"This backwards-curved saber blade, if we're 'Frank' about it..." What you did there, I see it.

[@vikingshaman3079]

As an amateur novelist (nothing published so far), I am heavily influenced by the fact that I am also an apprentice blacksmith and an amateur historian while writing. Knowing how/when/where certain types of weapons or armour is made, helps to somewhat ground the story in reality. I have been working on a "Conan-esq" litterary world now for about 16 years now, and I have done extensive research in order to populate that world with a variety of different cultures (34 so far). Each one influenced by various cultures from history, from 5th century Germanic tribes to 12th century Arabia. And while I have a lot of different characters belonging to these various cultures, and they might carry weapons or armor from another culture, I have put a lot of thought behind why that is and where that character may have acquired said weapons or armor.

[@Zajuts149]

I like the idea of adopting foreign arms and armour if it is better than the one you got, like in LotR, Bilbo has non-Hobbit sword and armour("Made by the Elves, you know"), and British officers in India would recognize the quality of Wootz steel swords, while Indian princes would later appreciate the quality of German-made steel that allowed good swords made in quantity for a lower price than local swords.

[@arthanor9631]

I don't know if Bilbo is a great example. Sticking to hobbit gear would probably mean a sling, a knife, a pan and sturdy clothing. I can't remember if they use bows but they don't seem particularly well suited to it. Gimli does pick stuff up in Rohan though, when the task at hand goes from walking long distance to fighting battles.

[@Zajuts149]

@@arthanor9631 Yeah, the Hobbits have no great warrior traditions, but there were some warriors back in the day, IIRC. Their smiths are probably mostly occupied with making farming tools.

[@dogman9291]

@@Zajuts149 Yeah, the closest thing to a sword that a hobbit would probably have is a bushknife, which would be short even by Hobbit standards, so you wouldn't want to bring that to battle.

[@edi9892]

What I lack in fiction and movies in general is often a sense of practical history. By that I mean that you may live in a city with some fancy stone houses in the new style, but most homes are still timber frame as they were built for centuries. Elite troops may have the newest weapons and styles, but the average soldier may have some repaired hairloom...

[@ilejovcevski79]

Some good points there on cultural identity of fantasy environments and i can definitely see it working for large masses of people, like communities, kingdoms, armies and so..... but individual adventurers? I think on-the-move small scale mercenary groups would act in a much more pragmatic manner then organized armies. Basically, i imagine them using either what's immediately available or seams to get the job done in the best way possible. Self expression and ego manifestation may also play a part, like outlandish or exotic styles, colors and materials. In other words all the things usually frowned upon in social structures that rely on global rather then individual identity.

[@mauricewalshe8234]

The well known solders love of Guci kit - look at the osprey SF books covering Afghanistan ETC

[@markfergerson2145]

Well, there's a multiplier for Reputation points game designers obviously didn't think about. Reminds me of the bit in The Thirteenth Warrior when Banderas' character turns a Viking sword into a "knife".

[@danieltaylor5231]

I was waiting for his archaeology roots to show, "It was ceremonial or ritualistic."

[@shawn6860]

Saying it was "ceremonial or ritualistic" might get Metatron in here ranting on it. 😁

[@morriganmhor5078]

Btw, Hungarians used saber in the time when Arab have straight swords (9th century) and mamluks came even later; Seljuks in the 11th cent.

[@ad3z10]

I imagine cultural difference within fantasy races probably decreases with lifespan, new generations are the ones that tend to push for cultural change. Taking the Persian/Indian example, you're looking at dozen of generations innovating to result in the differing weapons. For an elf though, you can have the same master smith travelling around once every few hundred years and basically defining the "elven style" by himself.

[@kinslowrainer3982]

I think you used the word "Qin/Qing" when referring to the Chinese sword, and you pronounced it as "queen" or perhaps "Quin". In Chinese, the "Q" is pronounced quite similarly to "ch" in English (but perhaps a little closer to the front of the mouth, but that's not super important). So you could probably pronounce it as the "Cheen/Ching Dynasty" and not be too far off, depending on if you were saying "Qin" or "Qing". Cheers. I hope this helps.

[@DSlyde]

Qin is Cheen (like Clean) with a long e sound, and not Chin (like ...chin or kin) with a short i?

[@kinslowrainer3982]

@@DSlyde The first one. The "in" sound in Chinese is quite different from the "ing" sound; "in" sounds more like "een", whereas the "ing" sounds just like "ing" in English.

[@MrGhostTheBigRoast]

You seen those warriors from Hammerfell? They've got curved swords. Curved! Swords!!

[@ryklatortuga4146]

"Iron sword, huh? What are you killing, butterflies?"

[@smokenmirrors8869]

Hungary didn't "adopt" Ottoman swords, there was western influence that popularized the double edged blades in the centuries preceeding the Ottoman invasion, but the traditional curved sabres were in the region well before any Ottoman influence, both the hungarians and the avars before them had sabres as you mentioned (as did many other eastern cultures mainly because it was preferable to straight blades when it comes to horseback fighting). The Ottoman invasion repopularized the old, out of fashion hungarian sabre, but the true unique Ottoman sword styles like the yatagan were quite different and didn't stick around.

[@JustGrowingUp84]

Indeed, the Magyars were originally a steppe culture, so when they came into the Carpathian basin they already had sabres.

[@laszlohetyei8589]

Meh

[@stevenumerator]

The “Branded” TV Western starring Chuck Connors could also serve as inspiration for a fantasy character using an unusual weapon. Connors was falsely accused of cowardice and drummed out of the U.S. Cavalry. His saber was broken in half, but Connors kept the shortened blade, sharpened it, and became proficient with it as a weapon. Perhaps a fantasy character could experience a similar false accusation and be thrown out of their elite unit. Their longsword was broken, but they turned it into a shortsword and became deadly with it. One day they will sink the shortened blade into their false accuser and be vindicated, leaving the half-sword buried in their enemy and regaining the right to once again wield the longsword of their former unit. It’s worth looking up the Branded theme song on KZbin to see how Connors is literally “drummed” out of the Cavalry. The following lyrics are sourced from the website Lyrics on Demand. BRANDED All but one man died, There at Bitter Creek, And they say he ran away ... Branded! Marked with a coward's shame. What do you do when you're branded, Will you fight for your name? He was innocent, Not a charge was true, But the world will never know ... Branded! Scorned as the one who ran. What do you do when you're branded, And you know you're a man? And wherever you go for the rest of your life You must prove ... You're a man! [Third and Fourth Verses:] Stripped of all his rank, Stripped of all his pride, Still he held his head up high! Branded! Friends are a thing unknown! What do you do when you're branded? Can you go on alone? Of his Gen'ral Reed, And the men who died, He can never speak the truth! Branded! That's not the way to die! What do you do when you're branded? Can you live with a lie? Branded!

[@stephena1196]

A very catchy tune, I saw it once years ago and as I read the lyrics the tune came into my head.

[@samsteen700]

I’ve been watching your channel for years and this is my favourite video! I enjoy all your content but this one is so validating for how I think about fantasy!

[@PalleRasmussen]

That is a beautiful longsword. Now, as for early medieval Scandinavians, they were infamous for going everywhere, but also for adapting their enemies' or employers' gear. A Swede that had gone east looked very different from a Dane that had gone west, even though their own culture and arms and tactics was very similar. For 15-20 years the Eastern look has dominated amongst us reenactors because of the many well-researched graves from Birka that people could just copy a set from, because things bought in Poland and Russia from our craftsman friends there are cheap. And because it is already tailored to the full contact fights we do in "Eastern Style" (the name is a hint to its origin). The past five or so years there has been a growing demand for "Western" themed sets (from myself included), but the research of those are harder. Fortunately skilled archeologists amongst us (like my good friend Lars Grundvad - the guy excavating Fæsted), are on the case and I love seeing what they come up with. However, I am 50 (fortunately I look younger and can still portray an active fighter), and if the warrior I portray has raided Francia, The Cordoba Caliphate, England and Ireland, and taken a trip down Russian rivers; how would he look? We know that famous warriors would flock to magnates who would reward them the most and had the greatest reputation, so it is quite plausible. And what about the famous Jomsvikings with their base in Poland amongst the Slavs and most of their activities in Denmark, Norway and England? How would they look.

[@harryhaller5748]

You're a gold mine of ideas and an excellent teacher for those like me willing to write history based novels. Thank you sir.

[@beachmaster3486]

Love how consistent you are with uploads!

[@williamalston3324]

Hipster elves talking about sword fashion. "You're carrying That!? That's so last century."

[@hailexiao2770]

"My sword had that hilt style before it was cool."

[@glennnanod3160]

Thanks for saying what needed to be said about weapons and culture in gaming. You have very salient points which I agree with. Mahalo and Aloha.

[@LordofDragns]

Matt and Shad always up in here churning out content for us Dungeon Masters. Thanks!

[@ericvanvlandren8987]

Great video Matt and as always, great food for thought. As I write I find that I am guilty of sinking too far into the psyche and motivations of my protagonists (and their antagonists) but you remind me not to forget the thoughts and reactions of the other citizens of the world. Important! It strikes me that a weapon, or armor, or maybe even some other talisman like jewelry might be worn as a badge of honor (or intimidation) or ... perhaps as a “curse” or a burden to be Bourne. Something which will forever mark the person as an outsider - a manifestation of a past they can not escape? Great stuff - thanks Matt!

[@Helltanz98]

Explanation: Conan picked up and thought this was good choppa!

[@shawn6860]

Pick up the Choppa if you want live!

[@JinKee]

@@shawn6860 8 words, three universes

[@joestacey6185]

An interesting video with a lot of ideas to think about. Coming from a roleplaying point of view, in my experience, a lot of players want to create characters with characteristics and equipment that sets them apart from whatever the norm is in their fantasy society without seeing the value in starting as what would be more typical for their culture and setting where the story takes them. There can be too much "I wanna be cool". I like the idea of social consequences for having outland equipment.

[@bartonbrevis3831]

Another well done video Matt, very informative. Small (haha, after I wrote this) quibble when it comes to Races vs. Cultures, and truth be told the fantasy genera often uses one as a substitute for the other, or as proxies for 'real world' groups, so do some other groups. Races are typically differentiation based on recognizable physical morphological traits (akin to species) , ie how you visually recognize a Human, from and Orc, Dwarf, or Elf, most commonly, but also from more extreme forms like Troll, Minotaur, or Centaur. Culture is a psychological grouping, based on recognizable ideological 'symbols' often expressed physically via artifacts, like clothes, food, weapons, tools, and buildings, but also things less physical like language and beliefs by which the group identifies. Often this is a divider between subraces (really cultures) of a race. High/Light/Sun Elves vs, Dark Elves, vs. Feral/Sylvian/Green/Wild Elves. All are of the Elven race, but are different cultures. Race: Hobbit (H. sapiens trichotópódius) or Elf (H. sapiens gracilis/nobilis) Culture: Gondorian or Rohirric. Problem arises in that many fantasy races, also are typically also culturally different from other races, in LotR Elves and Dwarves for example always seem to stand apart from one another physically and culturally. Yet some others like Hobbits/Halflings and Humans, can blend so easily into each others cultures as to be hard to differentiate, other than physically (size).

[@stephenleggett4243]

I don't tend to find any issues with any racial/cultural influence on my gear in my RP games, but it always feels a bit harder to fit into the immersion when I find my character gaining some fancy magic weapon way better than what I already have, but is described by my DM/GM as being significantly different from what my character is used to using. The rules say I can use that weapon just as well as any other, even if I can see no reason for my character to have seen much of such a weapon, let alone be skilled in such a different fighting style it would require.

[@julietfischer5056]

When Conan meets Belit, REH describes his kit, which consists of various pieces he'd acquired in his travels. It doesn't take much to acknowledge regional or ethnic variants in clothing, armor, weapons, tools, and so on. That should be the minimum.

[@Taras2612]

Matt is such a loveable guy He`s like a rlative abroad, who you talk to in Skype few times a week xD

[@poochkane]

Definitely a fun concept to think about, the WWII point is a really good one too. There's no telling how many items of cultural significance changed hands throughout the war, especially at the end. In E.B. Sledge's wartime memoire "With the old Breed" he talks at length about the different things the Marines would loot off of the Japanese after combat. One of the most prized things they could find would be a Japanese pistol, and Sledge talks about a few of the pistols they found on campaign. You wouldn't expect a farmer from Iowa to carry a highly decorated Japanese pistol, but maybe if his father claimed it on campaign and it's a highly prized family heirloom.

[@mariusreinecker1556]

... just a thought... but to my mind, the different races in fantasy games just represented different cultures with a more interesting and extreme twist. In old fantasy rpg all humans always just were of one culture. In some games, when orks developed from generic enemy to cultured race, they sometimes got central asian nomad features. Huns, Mongols. Meaning, from human cultures in our world. Wood elves occasionally got influenced by south american jungle tribes and/or even Mayan or Aztec elements. Again, different human cultures becoming a different race. Dwarves often have a weirdly nordic touch, but usually are strongly influenced by nordic mythology and the dvergr (who never where explicitly said to be short and had some features we would associate with fantasy dark elves, too, but I'm digressing). Then some games started to introduce different human cultures and things got complicated. Like you said, then why should all other races be culturally homogenous? But I think it is even more complicated than that - in some rpg's humans are notoriously heterogenous, versatile and adaptive, with no racial advantages or disadvantages, that being a racial feature. And rather short lived, compared to some other races, too. So it would make sense to a certain degree for humans to develop different cultures and somebody else wouldn't. Long lived races sort of make sense to be more culturally static. And then there often is something like high elves and wood elves as different "races", both usually long lived, which again messes things up and makes the whole thing inconistent again. Anyways, just wanted to say, "historically",different races in rpg's were most probably meant to just introduce (often radically different) cultures, often influenced by existing different plain human cultures, - which can really be alien enough to each other, can't they-, "race" sort of was synonymous to "culture", and then life happened and all became a complicated inconsistent illogical mess, as things usually do.

[@karllehne8441]

For a better example in fantasy I can give you Aventuria the world of The Dark Eye p'n'p. Lots and lots of cultures, weapons, clothing, armor for each of them. Was playing with my group, when our warriorpriest wanted a new helmet. The guy was from a mixture of Persia/India and inside a dwarfen hold. Took him 3 hours to explain to the blacksmith how he wanted the helmet and what a turban was... Hillarious stuff

[@maaderllin]

This stuff about fantasy characters in fiction or in roleplay taking any type of weapons has a lot to do with two things: 1st: Since these weapons are not in (military/common) use anymore, people don't think about how and where they were produced, they just see a "catalog of ancient stuff from wich to pick". This is the same when people are building LARP weapon. They'll see some outlandish design in a video game and try to recreate it and bring it to the fight without thinking what is the culture of their character. 2nd: RP and fantasy writers are often stuck in our individualist understanding of society in wich people could just "Chose to become adventurers". They chose their gear like one simply chose a consumer product and are portrayed or played with complete disregard for the origin of the character (the farmboy trope, or, even more frequent trope in RPGs the "son of a blacksmith whose entire village was killed by orcs"). They don't understand that a character must be included in its social network: They must have their relatives, they most likely have some form of authority ruling over the lands who ask stuff from them like ressources or military service. etc. All of this is not very well understood in our society in wich you are never forced to have the same job as your parents, and in wich you can move in any town or city you like without anyone ever asking any questions. I was the organizer of a LARP game and I tried to bring something like "class" but more in the sense of "socio-economic class" rather than the DnD class, creating advantages for the "Farmer" class: People who would just come, wouldn't fight and just have a good time in the LARP could chose the "Farmer" class and their mere presence on the LARP would create ressources. There were already a non-negligeable pool of players who would only come for the Role-play and didn't like fighting. I also had "Artisan" and "Merchant" class. The concept was COMPLETELY foreign to most of my players and even some people in my organising team.

[@maaderllin]

@@F1ghteR41 Thank you. It is quite recent still though

[@andraskovacs8959]

Matt, being a sabre expert I'm sure you know wery well that Hungarians used sabres(szablya) well before the Ottoman Empire even came into existence, back before we conquered the Carpathian basin in the 9th century, being a steppe nomadic tribes people, also in frequent contact with turkic peoples around the Black Sea(e.g. the Khazars and Pechenegs) all already using curved blades. The Ottomans were rather "late in the game".

[@scholagladiatoria]

Right. But if you look at the forms of 17th century Polish and Hungarian sabres, they are very clearly inspired (in some parts) by Ottoman swords and not particularly by earlier sabres. There was a big switch in sword designs in the 16th/17th century.

[@scholagladiatoria]

(Of course there was also influence from Austria and elsewhere in some designs)

[@andraskovacs8959]

@@scholagladiatoria Actually all the sabres I remember seeing from the late 17th- early 18th century Rakoczi uprising and the 19th century War of Independence looked like these: huszarok.nadasdymuzeum.hu/targyak_.php?page=5&keres=93&fajta=3 Most of them not nearly as curved as either shamshir or kilij, but yes, going through them I do see quite some that are definitely and heavily influenced(maybe some of them looted), so I get what you 're saying.

[@trollsmyth]

Interesting! I'd love to hear more about how geography, culture, and how people learn how to fight shape the types of weapons and armour they would use.

[@brightmal]

I strongly recommend reading the Dies the Fire series by S.M. Stirling regarding weapon choices and martial arts systems developing in a fairly high-pressure environment.

[@chadherbert18]

Good video! Definitely played through this thought experiment over 3 decades of running D&D games. It’s interesting to look back at how I dealt with this at 12, and how that differed from 22, 32, and 42 as my understanding increased and worldview and experience grew. Personally, I tend to approach everything with curiosity, so it was tough not to have a town full of curious, well-meaning inhabitants! 😂 Or, go the way of TV/movie troupes. I found that I had to spend a lot of time putting myself in the situations of the NPCs and just reason out my mood, desires, fears, and think about how I’d go about solving those issues in my limited context, and thus what were my current conflicts? I learned that the conflicts were a great way to generate interest and motive etc., and that tied all the neighbours into a web of intrigue. Who were the allies and enemies of each other. But, if you create a really interesting community, the players won’t want to leave (except the murder-hobos), but it’s kinda great because they get attached to the town and will go out of their way to save them from threats, which means the DM has leverage of the characters - always helpful to pull a story along! Immersion is a thing and as a DM, you’re competing with cell phones, games, and TV for player’s attention...

[@anantasheshanaga3666]

In Indian epics, the most important weapons are the bow and the various arrows that go with it.

[@nowayjosedaniel]

In THE ONE RING rpg, your CULTURE determines your starting choices of weapon skills. Bardings choose between mastery of great bow and spear OR all swords and spear. Mirkwood Elves choose between all Spears OR mastery of bow. Their special cultural weapon is a BOW not a Great Bow bc they favor the smaller more wieldy weapon in the forests. Every culture has 3 special gear - either a weapon, armor of type, or shield type. They also help fit their culture to be wildly different than others. Love it!

[@Cleanpea]

Those 20 minutes just flew by, hehe. I am really looking forwards to your full reviews of the Darksword duo, the Squire in particular! Cheers

[@Yeknodathon]

The exception, of course, being the spadroon as it is the universal weapon for everybody. Even orcs.

[@Centurion-st5pe]

The USMC Officers sword is based off of the sword presented 1st LT O'Bannon for actions taken in the battle of Derna(1805) and is the sword worn by officers to this day.

[@Krishnaeternal]

I was practicing my Miao Dao when Matt suddenly took out his! LoL...Happy Birthday Raid!

[@franzmauer6505]

"Allied soldiers wouldn't wear Wehrmacht helmets." A lot of Polish partisans during Warsaw Uprising wore German helmets, because such a captured helmet was the only helmet they could get.

[@joejoelesh1197]

And always remember, the elves with the green bows don't care about the orcs, but they truly hate the elves with the blue bows.

[@ramjiv77]

Genuinely appreciate you calling out that fantasy races should be addressed as cultures rather than 'races' or 'species'. This is a helpful video for fantasy authors/game makers and dungeon/game masters to avoid making their worlds full of weird monocultures and then the generic 'fantasy mishmash' - thanks for making it!

[@brjames87]

My Saturday just got better. Thanks Matt.

[@iDEATH]

When world building for D&D I always like to also take the alignment system into account.* Less variation across time and distance for more lawful races, like dwarves and hobgoblins, more for chaotic ones like elves and orcs. Plus some "just because" in places, like humans, say, just because one of the strengths of humanity is an uncommon degree of adaptability or whatever, so they vary more than other races. On the other end, perhaps dwarves vary even less, depending on how fantastical you want to get; maybe they are very set in their ways, and change at the pace of mountains. Then you need to account for lifespans as well, as that will impact cultural shift... *Obviously that thing isn't realistic, but in a fantasy world where Good and Evil are quantifiable to a degree they just aren't in the real world, and divine beings provably exist, it's something that should be considered.

[@KFRogers263]

Always love your videos. I've learned a TON in the past year about arms and armor because of you. This topic however is a great cross over for me as I'm old enough to have played D&D before there were "editions" of it...let alone video games. I'm often surprised how wrong modern fantasy games get real combat SO wrong. BUT, I've always been thrown of by "unreal" things in fantasy games...which weird since it is just fantasy!

[@brotherandythesage]

Also always remember to be equipped for the mission. It's very difficult to carry a Sarrisa in room to room fighting.

[@jothomas573]

I'm pretty sure the exact details of how a pikeman got hold of a katana should remain a Noodle Incident. It could never live up to the excitement it generates

[@kwanarchive]

Almost two minutes in, I was afraid we weren't going to get an ad for Raid.

[@euansmith3699]

Talk of the character carrying a katana reminded me of the Hammer Film, "Captain Kronoss, Vampire Hunter"

[@joemagill4041]

Differing equipment between different races / cultures is also a quick and easy method of visual storytelling.

[@EyeOfMagnus4E201]

One video game that features every culture having it’s own armor and weapon styles is Elder Scrolls Online. While the ten major cultures (including not only 4 human cultures but also 4 elven cultures as well - orcs being considered a type of elf in the Elder Scrolls universe) all have the same 3 types of armor, the same 6 types of melee weapons, a shield, and a bow, every culture has a distinctive cultural theme of it’s own for each of these items.

[@JudithOpdebeeck]

so its been 2 years since the curse of Raid Shadow Legends started haunting the internet, and it has still not been destroyed

[@joshuastamos2213]

This makes a lot of sense. Although I think that most most people playing low level characters in table top rpgs tend to keep their starting weapons pretty generic, because they are hoping to replace them with something better. And when they do get their better weapon they’ll have a story about how they got it.

[@Anti_Woke]

Under the Geneva convention and others, it was a requirement for soldiers to wear recognisable, documented, uniforms and insignia. Failure to do so was grounds for treating captured combatants as spies or saboteurs. Being properly dressed was therefore often the difference between a prison camp or a firing squad. Imagine how much worse it would appear if you wore the enemy's uniform - actively disguising yourself as them.

[@scholagladiatoria]

That's a pretty complicated topic. In some cases, British and American planes were used by the Axis and German tanks were used by the Allies in WW2. I'm not sure where a 'uniform' starts and ends, when we're talking about a piece of military kit. Certainly both sides picked and and used firearms of the other side in both WW1 and WW2.

[@Anti_Woke]

@@scholagladiatoria Yes, it gets complicated with kit and most of your discussion is, understandably, about weapons. You did talk a fair bit about armour and helmets at first, however, and this seemed relevant. Mind you - 'fantasy' doesn't have to be related to any real-world norms.

[@juliahenriques210]

It's common for players to just loot anything for its stats and go around with disjointed sets of arms and armour. Iconography based on such characters would never make sense to those studying it in the future. Comparatively, imagine future archaeologists trying to explain why an Irish man from the 21st century was buried with a Persian sword, a Scottish shield, and a Japanese dagger. "It must have been highly ceremonial..."

[@RobertFisher1969]

There are lots of reasons why the elfin swords might be distinguishable from swords of other kindred. In many stories elves have a distaste for iron, so elfin swords from any elfin nation would be made of other materials. In Poul Anderson’s Three Hearts & Three Lions, the elfin weapons must avoid a cruciform shape as the elves are opponents of Christendom. And in lots of stories, people are only familiar with the local elves, so it would not be unusual for them to call weapons of the local elves simply “elfin” because they simply don’t know that there are elves elsewhere that use a different style.

[@daddyleon]

Shadiversity: "You could make a series out of this!"

[@bushcraftninja5098]

Sir you should write a film about that guy in Warwickshire with a katana, I'm heating up the popcorn already, love your videos. Keep them going.

[@shinjofox]

One of my steampunk cosplay is a faux Canadian/British officer he has an India saber that he carries because he lost his sword while defeating a Kraken, it is still stuck in the beast. He then had to replace it and he was in India at the time.

[@mikepapp9084]

If I'm remembering my history correctly, the 斩马刀(ZhanMaDao) or the Horse Chopping Sword was the progenitor to the Niao Dao and other 2 handed swords of that type. I believe it showed up for the first time in the 7th Century in the Tang Dynasty. In the late Tang Dynasty there was some cultural exchange between Japan and China.

[@GenghisDon1970]

well Matt, this idea of yours was already well entrenched in RPG's from the earliest days (which means we are talking about AD&D); both in mechanical function of race (elves get +1 to hit with long or short swords & bows) or specific equipment/magic items (+3 hammer, dwarven thrower, which is limited to be a +2 hammer for non dwarves), and so on. What is more interesting for me today is on what weapons actually do suit whom. There was little thought given to it, no rhyme or reason back in the day, sometimes, and knowledge of arms & armor was more limited as well. Dark elves/Drow, for example, were introduced; well, the whole gamut of their gear could be a topic, but for ranged combat they commonly used KO/sleep poisoned atlatl/javelins or hand crossbow/crossbow pistols, a rather wildly variant pair...

[@patrickgrounds2157]

I read that William the Bastard made all his troops replace their non Norman style accoutrements for standard Norman equipment ie Nasal helm, byrnie, straight double edged sword and spear.

[@gfunkHP]

Wondering if a video has been done about class or social standing and sword design. Considering some details about the art, practicality, and sophistication or technology that would follow a historic/logical progression for context based on resources or class/religiosity would make for an excellent video for us gamers. Thank you @scholagladiatoria. Things like this invigorate the imagination

[@arthanor9631]

Would have been cool to get clips of examples with either why it sticks out or why they did it! Otherwise, great vid as always!