I have no idea what it is but I have always felt that blunt weapons were harder to hit with than edged or puncture weapons.

Here is an example 2HB vs Pike

2HB: 563 Ranks
A giant steel mallet is a two-handed blunt melee-ranged weapon.
A giant steel mallet trains the two-handed blunt skill.

You are certain that it could do:
poor puncture damage
somewhat fair slice damage
very extreme impact damage
no fire damage
no cold damage
no electric damage

The giant mallet is superbly designed for improving the force of your attacks.

You are certain that the mallet is soundly balanced and is fairly suited to gaining extra attack power from your strength.

You are certain that the giant mallet is somewhat unsound against damage, and is practically in mint condition.

The giant mallet is made with metal.
You are certain that the giant mallet weighs exactly 55 stones.
You are certain that the giant mallet is worth exactly 6562 dokoras.
Roundtime: 8 seconds.


Pike: 581 Ranks
A kertig javelin is a heavy thrown and pike melee-ranged weapon.
A kertig javelin trains the heavy thrown and polearm skills.

You are certain that it could do:
very great puncture damage
somewhat fair slice damage
somewhat moderate impact damage
no fire damage
no cold damage
no electric damage

The javelin is inadequately designed for improving the force of your attacks.

You are certain that the javelin is soundly balanced and is decently suited to gaining extra attack power from your strength.

You are certain that the javelin is unusually resilient to damage, and is practically in mint condition.

The javelin is made with metal.
You are certain that the javelin weighs exactly 52 stones.
You are certain that the javelin is worth exactly 247585 dokoras.
Roundtime: 8 seconds.


The pike hits far more often than the 2HB.

- Creature Assassins.
- Attack Style - I just use attack.

Its a fairly noticeable difference I think - I guess I could really test it to make sure but does anyone else notice differences?


Codiax.
Forged Weapons:
http://www.elanthipedia.org/wiki/User:Codiax#Codiax-Forged-Weapons

If the blunt weapon has identical balance to the edged weapon, the to-hit chance will also be the same. There is no penalty for using a blunt weapon. Blunt weapons also have a large bonus to Force, which should result in more knockdowns and stuns.

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"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes

>I suppose a COMPARE would indicate this information, but I'm not sure how accurate it is.

The difference COMPARE can detect is larger than a category. As it stands, there's no point to ever using it except to get a fast and dirty comparison.

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Weapons for Sale:
http://www.elanthipedia.org/wiki/User:Caraamon#Wares
Hunta Talna Kortok, built by Gor'Togs, for Gor'Togs
http://www.angelfire.com/rpg2/caraamon/home.html
Combat Balance List:
http://tinyurl.com/DRBalance

>>Could it come down to that thrusting weapons generally use higher to it attacks? thrust vs swing etc...

Could also be this, although jab/thrust/lunge match the help output for feint/swing/bash as far as accuracy goes. If you're using attack it would be hard to judge the to-hit accurately.

>>Funny - mastery, which is basically a free skill you do nothing extra for, breaks global caps.

I don't understand this statement. Barbarians get no "mastery boost", unless you just meant the one from skill? Thrust/Swing/Slice have near-identical stats, as do LUNGE/BASH/CHOP.

Don't forget your particular enemy may have armor that is corrupting your testing. Hope to add that to the appraise skill at some point.

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"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes

>>I believe he means there is no real cap (that I am aware of) to the skill boost that master can provide.

^This. It's not a complaint it just got me thinking. I assume the mastery skill boost is independant of caps etc? Like in his example of 800 rank mastery and 50 staves giving a 300 rank boost. The boost from the skill is independant of abilities boosts so you can tack on another rank buff right?


Codiax.
Forged Weapons:
http://www.elanthipedia.org/wiki/User:Codiax#Codiax-Forged-Weapons

I don't think the benefit from mastery ranks should really be considered a "bonus," for the same reason that high Perception helping you forage isn't thought of as a bonus subject to caps either. It's just a new type of skill check. Swinging a two-hander isn't a THE check any more, it's a THE/Melee Mastery check, and teaches like one. It just has the characteristic that bad Mastery can't make your skill worse.