Dagger skill

[Stormcrow]

No amount of powergaming will replace the satisfaction of using my tactic of choice successfully.

[Angelalex242]

Speak for yourself.

I for one demand efficiency of my characters.

And that's that.

[Deadmanwalking]

For the record, my posts aren't really advocating any particular playstyle. I'm just trying to explain why people may be disinclined, taken as a whole, to buy up the Dagger skill.

[Stormcrow]

Speak for yourself.

I do!

[Morgoth]

In our last campaign we had one character split his XP into three weapon skills (greatsword, great bow, and dagger) while everyone else focused on one weapon. The gap was widened even further since the one character was a Dunedain. As the LM, it made things a little difficult sometimes. In combat, most of the players were regularly getting great successes while the one player would regularly miss (combat tasks were not his forte either). It was hard to make combats where all the characters would feel useful, but the other's didn't feel overpowered. It all worked out well in the end, but I do think it's good for the party to be (at least somewhat) on the same page in this regards.

[Valarian]

Rather then making people spend good XP on this, I'd say a worthy houserule is that 'your dagger skill is always one die lower then your primary weapon skill.'

I would strongly disagree with that. The dagger skill isn't a waste of XP, it depends on the character. The dagger skill controls not only knife fighting, but throwing and unarmed/brawling as well. It's a separate skill, and should be treated as such.

In our last campaign we had one character split his XP into three weapon skills (greatsword, great bow, and dagger) while everyone else focused on one weapon.

This will always happen though. A generalist will always have lesser skills than specialists. However, they have breadth of skill. I would suggest that, in a tavern brawl, your other character would have excelled while the specialists wouldn't have had much success; unless they were willing to whip out the longswords and start killing people - with the resulting shadow point gains.

[Angelalex242]

Actually...I imagine if somebody drew a sword/spear/axe in a barroom brawl, they'd get to immediately make an Awe check to stop the fight, as most people understand going unarmed against a swordsman is suicide. I'd even say the Awe check is TN 12, for 'Oh My Eru please don't kill me!'

[Deadmanwalking]

Actually...I imagine if somebody drew a sword/spear/axe in a barroom brawl, they'd get to immediately make an Awe check to stop the fight, as most people understand going unarmed against a swordsman is suicide. I'd even say the Awe check is TN 12, for 'Oh My Eru please don't kill me!'

Even without weapons involved, anyone in the party good at Rally Comrades or Intimidate Foes can contribute pretty well to a bar brawl even with Dagger 1 (Rally Comrades is particularly absurd given that most attacks will do 1 point of damage). Good Battle will also likely get you a good attack or two even at low skill, and standing in Forward stance gives even one die attacks a decent shot at hitting.

So...unless you get in a bar brawl with a whole group of Dagger 3-4 professional brawlers, I'd expect most PCs to hold their own, even if they don't bother to raise their Dagger skills or resort to drawing their weapons.

[Stormcrow]

Actually...I imagine if somebody drew a sword/spear/axe in a barroom brawl, they'd get to immediately make an Awe check to stop the fight

Sure, which would last until they were arrested. In towns there are usually laws against that sort of thing.

[Angelalex242]

Who said they had to comply with arrest? The law is only as strong as the martial skills of those who keep the peace.

The power of the Shadow is strong in some.