Blackguard Longsword instead of Shortsword

[DeanF]

I don't think that this game needs a huge selection of melee weapons, like some of the weapon mods add.  But...

My understanding is that the Blackguard Shortsword is an iron age weapon.  I'm not sure that it is special enough for a class-locked weapon, though.  I would propose that it be open to being made by all classes (and maybe remove the blackening charcoal ingredient).

And instead give the Blackguard a class-locked steel-age Longsword.

One special thing about a longsword would, of course, be slightly more reach.  But more importantly, if you have nothing in your off hand it should do a little more damage too, because you are wielding it with both hands.  And if the game is supposed to have a pseudo-European flavor, well, the longsword is the iconic European melee weapon.  It is, for instance, the center around which all weapons training revolves in modern HEMA sports.

Edited 17 hours ago by DeanF

[Teh Pizza Lady]

The Blackguards favor shortswords because they were typically deployed as enforcers using a sword-and-shield style. A longsword, as you pointed out, is generally a two-handed weapon, so it doesn’t really fit as their preferred choice once you consider how they operate in the game’s lore.

You were also right to pick up on the pseudo-European tone. In that kind of setting, anything described as "black" was often viewed through a superstitious lens, associated with something less noble or upright.

That contrast becomes clearer when you put them alongside knights. Knights are often depicted with longswords, weapons that demand space, control, and a certain deliberate presence in combat. They are less about crowd control and enforcement and more about formal battle, duels, or standing as visible symbols of authority. The longsword, in that sense, complements the image: it is measured, disciplined, and, in the cultural imagination, tied to honor.

Blackguards sit on the other end of that spectrum. Their shortswords suit close quarters, cramped indoor spaces (perhaps those of survivor hideouts?), quick engagements, and the reality of keeping order rather than embodying it. Where a knight’s weapon reinforces the idea of nobility and righteousness, the Blackguard’s gear reflects function over ceremony. The difference isn’t just mechanical, it reinforces how each group is perceived. Knights are meant to be seen and admired, even idealized. Blackguards are meant to be effective, and if they’re feared or mistrusted in the process, that almost seems to be part of their role.

Shortswords also require less material and less work to make than longswords. Given the circumstances that birthed the need for the Blackguards, it's quickly understood why that was their weapon -- not by choice, but necessity.

I'm sure there were some who believed them to be noble and upright denizens of the dying land as indicated by some conversation you can have with a certain NPC in the game after you've advanced the story to a certain point, but that view was not held by the majority who feared and even sometimes hated the Blackguards.

[LadyWYT]

8 minutes ago, Teh Pizza Lady said:

You were also right to pick up on the pseudo-European tone. In that kind of setting, anything described as "black" was often viewed through a superstitious lens, associated with something less noble or upright.

Not necessarily. It depends on the context of how the term is being used. 

 

1 hour ago, DeanF said:

My understanding is that the Blackguard Shortsword is an iron age weapon.  I'm not sure that it is special enough for a class-locked weapon, though.  I would propose that it be open to being made by all classes (and maybe remove the blackening charcoal ingredient).

And instead give the Blackguard a class-locked steel-age Longsword.

One special thing about a longsword would, of course, be slightly more reach.  But more importantly, if you have nothing in your off hand it should do a little more damage too, because you are wielding it with both hands.  And if the game is supposed to have a pseudo-European flavor, well, the longsword is the iconic European melee weapon.  It is, for instance, the center around which all weapons training revolves in modern HEMA sports.

Like @Teh Pizza Lady says, the Blackguards favor shortswords mainly because they're having to fight in incredibly cramped spaces. Weapons that have longer reach give a definite advantage, but that advantage is completely flipped in such spaces. As for why such a thing is class-locked...it's not exactly difficult to make a weapon, but it does take more knowledge and experience to craft a quality one. Given that Blackguards were basically the police(maybe even secret police and disappearing suspected rebels) in a situation that is quite desperate, the last thing they're going to want is competition when it comes to arms and armor, since competition means a greater likelihood of rebellion. Thus I would say it makes perfect sense to have that be a class-locked weapon; it takes special knowledge and skill that the other classes just wouldn't have had access to acquiring.

As for a classic arming sword/longsword option, I do think it would be nice to have an option that all classes could craft, as well as a few other usable options like the ruined versions of weapons we can find. However, such weapons should have difficulties when fighting supernatural monsters, since the game makes it clear that the falx became the weapon of choice for fighting such since the more conventional weapons just weren't that effective.

22 minutes ago, Teh Pizza Lady said:

I'm sure there were some who believed them to be noble and upright denizens of the dying land as indicated by some conversation you can have with a certain NPC in the game after you've advanced the story to a certain point, but that view was not held by the majority who feared and even sometimes hated the Blackguards.

I don't know that any NPC has really described the Blackguards as "noble", not even the one that has a favorable view of them. I would say it's more a case of, at best, certain individuals appreciate that they did a difficult, nasty job that no one else wanted/could do, and turn a blind eye to how the job was done.