What is the difference between an unbalanced and an unreadied weapon? Can I make an unbalanced weapon balanced by having enough ST?
An unreadied weapon is a weapon which is hard to manipulate because of weight or bulk. It is possible to reduce the unreadiness by having sufficient ST (see p. B270 for all the possibilities). An unbalanced weapon is inherently unbalanced, and you can only either attack or parry with it in a turn. Not because of its weight or unwieldiness (which could be overcome with high ST), but because it is physically held differently for attack and defense. For instance, if you’re swinging an axe at full force or lashing with a whip, the weapon isn’t in a guard position. If you’re holding the axe across your body or using the whip’s handle to parry like a stick, it isn’t in an offensive position. It has nothing to do with how “unready” attacking or parrying makes the weapon – it has to do with how the weapon is gripped. As for the Bastard Sword being listed as an Unbalanced weapon, you can safely change its listing to make it Unreadied if wielded in one hand.
