Siangham and Dwarven Urgrosh.

[Shin Okada]

I have posted same kind of question few days ago on Generic RPG board but could not get enough answers. So I am posting this question here.

Do anybody know if those weapons are just created by authors or do exist on our earth? Or at least have some etymology for the names?

I guess "Urgrosh" is a coined word created by authors, but not sure.

"Siangham" sounds like a kind of chinese word, but none of my friends (some speak Chinese fluently, some have learnt various Japanese and Chinese martial arts) know this word. Do anybody know whether it is a coined word or not?

 

[Plane Sailing]

A search on Google reveals no use of either word that isn't connected with 3rd edition D&D.

So I deduce that they are both WotC coined words.

Cheers

 

[Henrix]

I recognize the weapon "siangham", I have seen pictures of weapons more or less like it from India and Malaysia (I think, but I cannot recall their names), but the name "siangham" (or even "siankam") does not ring any bells.

It could of course be a badly translitterated word filtered through generations of wargamers/roleplayers.

Aha! I actually found a picture of a couple of "siangham", but called "emi piercers", here.


The name "urgrosh" sounds very much like a (rather bad) generic english fantasy name.
The weapon, of course, exists.

 

[Shin Okada]

Aha! I actually found a picture of a couple of "siangham", but called "emi piercers", here.
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I know that weapon. But that is E-mei-ci (or Ga-bi-shi, in Japanese pronunciation), used in some of chinese martial arts. And that is basically double-tipped stick with a ring to put a finger in. Siangham in PHB looks more like a kind of short spear or something.

The name "urgrosh" sounds very much like a (rather bad) generic english fantasy name.
The weapon, of course, exists.

Yeah, I have been expecting that kind of weapon, axe with spearhead on the another end of the hilt, could be exist on earth. But what I am truly looking for is the origin of that name, Urgrosh. Have you seen similar name in other fantasy material?

 

[Henrix]

I know that weapon. But that is E-mei-ci (or Ga-bi-shi, in Japanese pronunciation),

Thank you, I hadn't seen that name before, neither in chinese nor japanese prononciation.

But I think that is about as close as you'll get.
Trying to find something that looks exactly like the illustrations in the PHB and that has been used in reality is, in some cases, not possible.

(I'd like to see someone use that spiked chain!)

The indian version I've seen was slightly longer and had a hand guard near the middle, making it like a cross between a siangham and a sang kauw (or an adarga, a moorish weapon).

But the malaysian (I think it was) weapon I've seen was closer, not much more than a handle with a spear tip.
It was, if my memory does not fail totally, at the anthropological museum in Paris. But it was some ten years ago, so I could misremember.

But what I am truly looking for is the origin of that name, Urgrosh. Have you seen similar name in other fantasy material?

Not really. I think they made it up on the spot. And I think they think that they made up the weapon.