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 Elven "whipswords"
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RodOdom
Senior Scribe

USA
509 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2006 :  18:05:28  Show Profile  Visit RodOdom's Homepage Send RodOdom a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Came across a reference to this in "Elminster's Daughter". Has this item ever been covered in the sourcebooks or WOTC website? Thanks.

Kalin Agrivar
Senior Scribe

Canada
956 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2006 :  19:35:15  Show Profile  Visit Kalin Agrivar's Homepage Send Kalin Agrivar a Private Message  Reply with Quote
i dunno, check Races of the Wild or the Arms and Equipment Guide?

Kalin Xorell El'Agrivar

- High Mage of the Arcane Assembly
- Lore Keeper of the Vault of Ancestors
- 3rd Son of the Lord of the Stand
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Jorkens
Great Reader

Norway
2950 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2006 :  20:18:29  Show Profile Send Jorkens a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I could be wrong about this, but I think the lady Gayrlana (sp?) of the Mindgulph mercenaries carried one in 2ed. I only saw her stated on a card of some kind where the whipsword was given a short mention, but that is all I can think of.
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Zimme
Learned Scribe

Denmark
209 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2006 :  22:20:28  Show Profile Send Zimme a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I may be mistaken.... but try to look for it in the Greyhawk setting. I recall reading about it several times there.

Sometimes I feel like Beshaba is sitting on my back, devoting her entire attention to me!

Rannek.

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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore

Finland
1564 Posts

Posted - 24 Nov 2006 :  23:32:57  Show Profile  Visit Asgetrion's Homepage Send Asgetrion a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens

I could be wrong about this, but I think the lady Gayrlana (sp?) of the Mindgulph mercenaries carried one in 2ed. I only saw her stated on a card of some kind where the whipsword was given a short mention, but that is all I can think of.



She was statted in Ruins of Myth Drannor boxed set, and yes, she wields a whipsword, although I cannot recall exact stats for the weapon.

"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36804 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2006 :  05:01:12  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion

quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens

I could be wrong about this, but I think the lady Gayrlana (sp?) of the Mindgulph mercenaries carried one in 2ed. I only saw her stated on a card of some kind where the whipsword was given a short mention, but that is all I can think of.



She was statted in Ruins of Myth Drannor boxed set, and yes, she wields a whipsword, although I cannot recall exact stats for the weapon.



You sure about that? I just did a quick scan of the pdf, and found no such reference.

I did find this, though, on page 14 of Gold & Glory:

quote:
Gayrlana uses a special whipsting sword, which does 1d6 damage and may be used as a whip as well.

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Jorkens
Great Reader

Norway
2950 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2006 :  05:25:16  Show Profile Send Jorkens a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I cant remember Gayrlana being in Runis of Myth Drannor either, I cant see why she would be in that particular tome. I had forgotten that the sword was mentioned in Gold and Glory, but that seems to be the same description I have seen before.

Now, what does that sword look like? I am trying to use my imagination here but the combination whip and sword is a little hard for me to see; is it soft and sinuous steel or does it magically entwine the opponent? Or is it a whip with some sort of short blade at the end? Any one got any ideas?
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Archwizard
Learned Scribe

USA
266 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2006 :  05:56:15  Show Profile  Visit Archwizard's Homepage Send Archwizard a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Maybe something like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urumi
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Jorkens
Great Reader

Norway
2950 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2006 :  06:04:46  Show Profile Send Jorkens a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:

Originally posted by Archwizard
Maybe something like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urumi


Yea, that would look about right; to congratulate my own great memory, I remember reading this article a couple of months back but it seems to have gone straight through my head without sticking anywhere useful.
Thanks Archwizard
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Thauramarth
Senior Scribe

United Kingdom
729 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2006 :  09:22:05  Show Profile Send Thauramarth a Private Message  Reply with Quote
For those among you who have seen "Le Pacte des Loups" (English title "The Brotherhood of the Wolf") (see: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0237534/ ), the main villain, Jean-François de Morangias uses a weapon that you could qualify as a whip-sword - it has the aspect of a normal, thick, blade, which is segmented. The wielder can release the chain, and turn the sword into a flail of sorts, similar to a kau sin ke. de Morangias could switch it easily between "sword mode" and "flail mode", but I have no idea how it would work in practice.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36804 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2006 :  14:39:46  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Thauramarth

For those among you who have seen "Le Pacte des Loups" (English title "The Brotherhood of the Wolf") (see: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0237534/ ), the main villain, Jean-François de Morangias uses a weapon that you could qualify as a whip-sword - it has the aspect of a normal, thick, blade, which is segmented. The wielder can release the chain, and turn the sword into a flail of sorts, similar to a kau sin ke. de Morangias could switch it easily between "sword mode" and "flail mode", but I have no idea how it would work in practice.



I've seen some pics from some video game that had a similar concept... I thought it silly and unworkable, kinda like the insanely huge blades in some of the FF games.

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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore

5056 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2006 :  16:07:20  Show Profile  Visit The Hooded One's Homepage Send The Hooded One a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Whipswords come from the fantasy literature of Barsoom, via Lin Carter's Callisto novels. Ed Greenwood and I long, long ago discussed how they could be made practical, and he put them in the Realms forthwith.
Ed sees them thus: 4 to 5 foot (or for tall wielders, even a 6 or 7 foot) long sword: conventional hilt and blade configuration for about 8 inches down from the hilt (for parrying). Below that, a diamond-shaped cross-section (so, very thin) blade that narrows almost to a wire or ribbon for two feet or more, widening again to a "barb" (big enough for a conventional swordpoint) at the end. They must be made of a special alloy so as to "whip" without breaking, and are obviously useless for stabbing, and (a la Carter) require great skill (training) to use effectively - - but can be devastating if the wielder can leap upwards and swing with precision, simultaneously. The closest real-world experience would probably be flailing at something with banded steel (of the sort that used to be used to fasten bundles, in various industrial processes).
The secret, of course, lies in the alloy. Otherwise, they're impractical, break-at-first-real-use toys.
Hope this Realmslore helps.
love to all,
THO
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RodOdom
Senior Scribe

USA
509 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2006 :  18:16:45  Show Profile  Visit RodOdom's Homepage Send RodOdom a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thank you Lady THO, that's very interesting. In the novel no whipsword actually made an appearance. It was depicted by elven statuary, so I guess it's an exotic item that elves have mastered.
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore

Finland
1564 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2006 :  00:19:34  Show Profile  Visit Asgetrion's Homepage Send Asgetrion a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion

quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens

I could be wrong about this, but I think the lady Gayrlana (sp?) of the Mindgulph mercenaries carried one in 2ed. I only saw her stated on a card of some kind where the whipsword was given a short mention, but that is all I can think of.



She was statted in Ruins of Myth Drannor boxed set, and yes, she wields a whipsword, although I cannot recall exact stats for the weapon.



You sure about that? I just did a quick scan of the pdf, and found no such reference.

I did find this, though, on page 14 of Gold & Glory:

quote:
Gayrlana uses a special whipsting sword, which does 1d6 damage and may be used as a whip as well.




Ahem! It seems that this old scribe has made a fool out of himself (again ;). Indeed, Gayrlana is not statted in the aforementioned boxed set, although I have a hunch that someone in the NPC section was proficient in the whipsword?

"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36804 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2006 :  05:06:24  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion


Ahem! It seems that this old scribe has made a fool out of himself (again ;). Indeed, Gayrlana is not statted in the aforementioned boxed set, although I have a hunch that someone in the NPC section was proficient in the whipsword?



Not that I recall. When I didn't find Gayrlana's name, I did a couple of other searches, including for the word "whip". I don't recall -- though I certainly may have missed it -- seeing any other whipsword weilders in there.

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