D&D 5E The D&D rapier: What is it?

[flametitan]

For one of the characters I had written up (anyone remember the dual wielding Swashbuckler/Pact blade Undying warlock I never got to play?) I had imagined one of her rapiers being the more "traditional" Cappo Ferro blade, with pommel to tip being about the length of the ground to her armpit, while her other blade is more of what we'd consider a sidesword (which apparently in contemporary times wasn't really considered a distinct weapon type from the War rapier.)

As for the achronistic nature of it, well... what we generally consider plate has more in common with the rapier than the High Medieval era. I just ignore it by saying that my setting is more renaissance esque in its setting, but guns are a heavily guarded secret of the Rock Gnomes, hence why they're so expensive in the DMG.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I've actually handled a Viking practice sword (a Hanwei model) and it was very handy, with the blade being 28 inches long. I wouldn't be able to manage it, but someone trained could plausibly weild two? At the upper limit though... past a certain point (In length of the the blade), the blades are really in each other's way.

Incidentally, a sword like this would be a great weapon for someone having to cross difficult terrain, would get in the way far less than a honking rapier or longsword...

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Yeah, it takes practice, but only enough, IMO, to be modeled by proficiency. Fears are big in 5e, and like I said earlier, I'm not a simulationist.

If fairly new SCA fighters can do it well enough to fight against sword and board, I assume lvl 1 dnd characters can.
So, in a game set in a Scandinavian/Germanic inspired region, the short sword is just a Viking sword with a length on the short end.
Then a rapier is just a longer, thinner blade, used either by itself or with a shield.

A longsword is a historical stretch, but I just genuinely don't care.

In most games, anyone who can take a rapier and has no need for a Light or Twohanded weapon takes a rapier and treats it whatever one handed sword they want. Cool with me.