I read those Gygax pole-arm porn articles too much. (Anyone else remember the very first one, from issue #2 of the Strategic Review? I wish I still had my copy...)
13. Probably on account of UA was the first D&D book I owned and I just sat around and stared at it for months yet haven't owned it since the early 90s
18/22. Missed the Glaive-guisarme, the Glaive, the Guisarme, and for some stupid reason the Bill-hook. So, it's that Glaive and Guisarme stuff that gives me the most trouble.
21/21. I refuse to say that I got the one about the "awl pikes" wrong, b/c UA seems to imply that only the one on the end is an all pike while the entire group is labeled pikes, and that is what I was going on.
Zak S is right, the changes in magnification were deceptive.
Not that it matters - as soon as I saw that bewildering away of weapons with all roughly the same stats, I told my players "you can have a polearm." We never after that ever bothered distinguishing. So I wouldn't know a pole axe from a pile driver.
I also found that whatever RPG you read had a different definition of all of these weapons (plus the morning star/mace/flail confusion was quite common). I couldn't understand why when in most games they all have the same outcome (except in Rolemaster, of course).
apparently I don't know my lochaber axe from my poleaxe: 15. I was in Haut Keonigsberg castle a couple of months ago with my son and they had a Gygaxian polearm collection - one of the few I've ever seen - and my son asked me why there were so many different kinds, when they were really all just snarly bits of metal on the end of a broom handle. And on that question UA was no help at all. (yes, I know some are for dismounting riders and others are for particular infantry formations and others are badges of office, but really in D&D's abstract combat system, who cares?)
...I mention that the collection was Gygaxian because usually (Venice Doge's palace, British Museum, Met) they don't go for the library of varieties approach: apparently lots of museum curators are happy to just call then polearms. I've still yet to identify a Bohemian Earspoon in the field.
I met Gary at the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester MA back in, oh, 2004? He had been invited by the curator of medieval weaponry there to give a talk about how historical weapons related to their D&D counterparts. Imagine spending a rainy Saturday with Gary in a gothic castle full of weapons and armor and you'll get the picture. Anyhow, I remember him saying that he had included the polearm nomenclature in D&D just to add spice to the game, and didn't give a whit about modeling their various characteristics.
15 (factoring in WOTC's screwup on the awl-pike). LOL, it's frightening to think that "back in the day" I could probably have named them all without the multiple choice.
Not bad! I only got 14 right.
ReplyDeleteOh, Lord! 9 of 22. I must now add Appendix T from the UA to my reading list!
ReplyDeleteOnly 10 right, back in the eighties I would have done much better but I haven't looked at UA in a long time.
ReplyDelete13 here. Loved that old Order of the Stick cartoon they linked to, too!
ReplyDelete14 right... I be a swashbuckler. I did grow up in a house with a spear and a halberd.
ReplyDelete17 of 22, not too bad for having notp aid much attention.
ReplyDelete12 out of 22. Not as good as I would have thought.
ReplyDelete13. I thought I woul do a bit better too.
ReplyDelete9 of 22. Not bad for mostly-random semi-informed guessing.
ReplyDelete15 right.
ReplyDeleteI read those Gygax pole-arm porn articles too much. (Anyone else remember the very first one, from issue #2 of the Strategic Review? I wish I still had my copy...)
13. Not bad, considering that it's been a while since I read the UA.
ReplyDelete8 for me, which is waaay better then I expected. I guessed most of them. To me there should have only been three choices:
ReplyDeleteLong pointy thing.
Flat pointy thing.
Forky pointy thing.
Got 12 out of 22. Need to study.
ReplyDelete14/20, but in fairness, since it was multiple choice, I got to make a lot of reasonably logical guesses even though I didn't truly *know* the answers.
ReplyDelete8 of 22, but I'm heavily medicated. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.
ReplyDeleteMy campaign will feature the dreaded Coast Guard Spork at one point or another...
13.
ReplyDeleteProbably on account of UA was the first D&D book I owned and I just sat around and stared at it for months yet haven't owned it since the early 90s
13/22
ReplyDeleteGot the volge-guisarme right, but swapped volge and guisarme, getting both exactly wrong.
Also forgot to check spear, like a big dummy head.
Now if they'd asked me which was a mace, a flail, or a morning star, I'd been in trouble.
Also, if WOTC were playing fair and showing how long each weapon was, I think everybody would've scored higher...
ReplyDelete15/22 Booya
ReplyDelete18 out of 22. I got confused on the glaive family.
ReplyDelete18 out of 22...and I'd call it 19, since only that one on the left is a real "awl" pike, dammit!
ReplyDeleteWhile I've never been one to geek out on polearms, I used the Unearthed Arcana A LOT back in 1985-87.
: )
14/22. I would've had three more if I hadn't second-guessed myself. I always do that!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, James. I totally would've missed this if you hadn't posted it here.
Edit: Just thought this was funny - my captcha word was "disco"!
10 :/
ReplyDelete19! Boosh and/or Ka-kow!
ReplyDelete18/22. Fun little quiz!
ReplyDelete10...Er. Too much 2nd/3E around here.
ReplyDelete18/22. And I never even read the original UA.
ReplyDelete14/22 I'm a Swashbuckler! :-)
ReplyDeleteDangnammit. 19/22. Mixed my partisans up with my spetum!
ReplyDelete18/22. Missed the Glaive-guisarme, the Glaive, the Guisarme, and for some stupid reason the Bill-hook. So, it's that Glaive and Guisarme stuff that gives me the most trouble.
ReplyDelete21/21. I refuse to say that I got the one about the "awl pikes" wrong, b/c UA seems to imply that only the one on the end is an all pike while the entire group is labeled pikes, and that is what I was going on.
ReplyDelete18, and while tipsy. I'll take that as a win. Thanks for the link!
ReplyDelete13!
ReplyDelete14 correct. I'm a little hazy about guisarmes.
ReplyDeleteZak S is right, the changes in magnification were deceptive.
ReplyDeleteNot that it matters - as soon as I saw that bewildering away of weapons with all roughly the same stats, I told my players "you can have a polearm." We never after that ever bothered distinguishing. So I wouldn't know a pole axe from a pile driver.
I also found that whatever RPG you read had a different definition of all of these weapons (plus the morning star/mace/flail confusion was quite common). I couldn't understand why when in most games they all have the same outcome (except in Rolemaster, of course).
Being Wizards, I'm surprised there wasn't a couple "Dire" scrambles...
ReplyDelete15/22
9... Which is what I pretty much expected. I ignored pole arm variations 27 years ago so didn't expect much retention.
ReplyDelete15/22
ReplyDeleteNot bad for having not played since the mid-80s.
17/22, and I too was tricked by the stupid "awl pike" question. Inaccurate! So I'd call it 18, I guess.
ReplyDeletePolearms?
ReplyDeleteSaw some new ones last week in a Christie's Auction Catalog:
Christie's Chateau De Gourdon Auction
Also, the castle the auction came from
Chateau De Gourdon
15 right. Never owned UA (or looked at that I remember)
ReplyDeleteHighest score you can get without cheating (according to the website)
16 out of 22, but I would have had 19 if I hadn't second-guessed myself on halberd, pole axe, and ranseur.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I second-guessed myself on the pike/awl-pike, too, which would have made it 20.
ReplyDeleteapparently I don't know my lochaber axe from my poleaxe: 15. I was in Haut Keonigsberg castle a couple of months ago with my son and they had a Gygaxian polearm collection - one of the few I've ever seen - and my son asked me why there were so many different kinds, when they were really all just snarly bits of metal on the end of a broom handle. And on that question UA was no help at all. (yes, I know some are for dismounting riders and others are for particular infantry formations and others are badges of office, but really in D&D's abstract combat system, who cares?)
ReplyDelete...I mention that the collection was Gygaxian because usually (Venice Doge's palace, British Museum, Met) they don't go for the library of varieties approach: apparently lots of museum curators are happy to just call then polearms. I've still yet to identify a Bohemian Earspoon in the field.
ReplyDeleteI met Gary at the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester MA back in, oh, 2004? He had been invited by the curator of medieval weaponry there to give a talk about how historical weapons related to their D&D counterparts. Imagine spending a rainy Saturday with Gary in a gothic castle full of weapons and armor and you'll get the picture. Anyhow, I remember him saying that he had included the polearm nomenclature in D&D just to add spice to the game, and didn't give a whit about modeling their various characteristics.
ReplyDelete11/22. Of course, having French as a first language helped a bit.
ReplyDeleteGahhh! Only a 12? But I don't want to study Unearthed Arcana!!!! :P
ReplyDeleteOnly 14 out of 22 for me. I need to do some research.
ReplyDelete15 (factoring in WOTC's screwup on the awl-pike). LOL, it's frightening to think that "back in the day" I could probably have named them all without the multiple choice.
ReplyDelete18 of 22. Disagree with awl pike, forget to change another, and I always get two confused with each other.
ReplyDeleteI'm so dorky.