# What is a siangham?



## candidus_cogitens (Jun 29, 2003)

Yeah, I know there's a picture of it in the PHB, but how exactly is it used?  Is it anything like a dagger?


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## apocalypstick (Jun 29, 2003)

It's, like, a really small spear.

It's also, like, really stupid. 
Possibly the Dumbest. Weapon. Evar.


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## Tsyr (Jun 29, 2003)

candidus_cogitens said:
			
		

> *Yeah, I know there's a picture of it in the PHB, but how exactly is it used?  Is it anything like a dagger? *




Imagine taking an arrow out of your quiver and stabbing someone in the eye with it.

Yeah. Cool, but not really all that combat-sensible.


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## Darrin Drader (Jun 29, 2003)

apocalypstick said:
			
		

> *It's also, like, really stupid.
> Possibly the Dumbest. Weapon. Evar. *




Reminds me of a comment a friend used to make about the main gauche. I'm not going to elaborate, for Eric's Grandmother's sake.


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## LGodamus (Jun 29, 2003)

i believe it is indian in origen...


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## MeepoTheMighty (Jun 29, 2003)

apocalypstick said:
			
		

> *It's, like, a really small spear.
> 
> It's also, like, really stupid.
> Possibly the Dumbest. Weapon. Evar. *




What's so dumb about it?  I would think it would be a great weapon if you wanted something concealable.  Plus, I'm pretty sure it's steel-hafted, so it's a lot stronger than just jabbing someone with an arrow.


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## DM_Matt (Jun 29, 2003)

MeepoTheMighty said:
			
		

> *
> 
> What's so dumb about it?  I would think it would be a great weapon if you wanted something concealable.  Plus, I'm pretty sure it's steel-hafted, so it's a lot stronger than just jabbing someone with an arrow. *




Well, it just seems to be inferior to say, a dagger.  I think there is a reason why this weapon, unlike many sorts of blades, bows, and axes, did not seem to be featured in many cultures....


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## NoOneofConsequence (Jun 29, 2003)

DM_Matt said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Well, it just seems to be inferior to say, a dagger.  I think there is a reason why this weapon, unlike many sorts of blades, bows, and axes, did not seem to be featured in many cultures.... *




It's a bar of solid metal - there's no wood in a siangham. I'd much rather have this to use to parry or block than a plain old dagger. In combat application, it corresponds to the European poniard. It's "arrow-head" tip is square in its cross section, meaning that any puncture wound from the siangham will not naturally close (the poniard also delivered this advantage via a triangular cross-section to the blade). 

By and large  the siangham is just a simplified version of the thrusting dagger known in numerous cultures.


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## Tsyr (Jun 29, 2003)

NoOneofConsequence said:
			
		

> *
> 
> It's a bar of solid metal - there's no wood in a siangham. I'd much rather have this to use to parry or block than a plain old dagger. In combat application, it corresponds to the European poniard. It's "arrow-head" tip is square in its cross section, meaning that any puncture wound from the siangham will not naturally close (the poniard also delivered this advantage via a triangular cross-section to the blade).
> 
> By and large  the siangham is just a simplified version of the thrusting dagger known in numerous cultures. *




Properly constructed, a dagger is a solid bar of metal with a bit of wood and/or leather affixed to one end. Furthermore, to parry or block, I would much rather have a dagger, with it having cross guards... Much nicer than having my finger severed


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## NoOneofConsequence (Jun 29, 2003)

Tsyr said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Properly constructed, a dagger is a solid bar of metal with a bit of wood and/or leather affixed to one end. Furthermore, to parry or block, I would much rather have a dagger, with it having cross guards... Much nicer than having my finger severed  *




Oh sure, mention the cross guard.  

Actually I was more referring to the fact that the main body of siangham is less likely break since it has undergone a less rigourous forging process.

A cross guarded dagger is always going to be superior, but there are plenty of daggers that were never given cross guards and it hardly made them useless (which is what the poster I was replying to implied that the siangham was.)


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## s/LaSH (Jun 29, 2003)

Seems to me that a siangham might be a little easier to make than a dagger - just get a metal bar and put a point on it, no need to spend time hammering it flat. It's one form of superiority...

Of course, they're 50% more expensive than daggers in the PHB, so there goes that theory...


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## Viktyr Gehrig (Jun 30, 2003)

Sianghams exist so that Monk/Duelists can make the baby Jesus cry.


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## Havilor (Jun 30, 2003)

Here you go:

The siangham is based on the historical weapon siangkam.  A Malaysian weapon used in both penjak silat and kuanto (forms of martial arts from this region that focused on quick, deadly strikes and very little defense), siangkams were generally wielded in pairs, and resemble very short thrusting spears.  They are usually used in support of longer knives, and are often surprise weapons, intended to catch an opponent off guard when he believes you to be disarmed.  Keep them hidden up your sleeves and drop them down at the last moment to reveal deadly thrusting weapons.  Wielders often spun them in the hand to distract and confuse opponents.

It's one of those weapons that they keep trying to convince us that halflings used in whatever halfling homeland Greyhawk halflings come from.


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## Sejs (Jun 30, 2003)

it's a monk-stick. 

It's for flurrying with, which is why it's exotic, yet at the same time sucks packmule.


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## tarchon (Jun 30, 2003)

The question, young grasshopper, is not what a siangham IS, but what a siangham is NOT.
[cue gong]


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## apocalypstick (Jun 30, 2003)

it's not ... cool. 

i'm not trying to say the siangham is useless, i'm saying that it's ... well ... goofy. ot does have the whole piercing-type weapon thing going for it, but i don't see how that balances out its inherent visual goofiness.


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## candidus_cogitens (Jun 30, 2003)

NoOneOfConsequence and Havilor seem to know their stuff.  Thanks guys.  You've redeemed this weapon for me.


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