Does Short Sword Proficiency = Gladius Proficiency?


Rules Questions


The title of this thread says it all. I'm considering playing a rogue in an upcoming campaign who would fight with a gladius...since rogues are proficient with short swords, and the rules for the gladius in Ultimate Combat state that feats and abilities that apply to short swords apply to the gladius, does that mean the character would be proficient with it? The rules just seem a tad unclear to me, since the gladius is listed as an entirely separate martial weapon.


Yes, since short sword proficiency is an automatic "feat" for the rogue, the gladius is fair game.


agreed, since if you took the feat for SS proficiency it would work on gladius,
having a class ability do the same thing as the feat would also work...
it would be better if they just said proficiency is shared, but i think it would work fine.


Cool, I appreciate the help! My thoughts were that it would work that way, too.


So for extra 1 lb., 5 extra gold, and no extra proficiency, you get a weapon superior to the short sword? Two damage types is worth something.


Yup. The gladius is meant to be a warrior's primary weapon, where as the short sword acts as a backup weapon to the longsword/broadsword.
I like to keep weapons thematically restricted in my games (so very few katana in the Inner Sea), so I can't help but wonder where the Golarion gladius comes from.


i can see an argument for why it wouldn't apply...
feats that apply to SS apply to Gladius because it can be used like a SS...
but that isn't the ONLY way it can be used...
so if using Gladius features that diverge from a SS, that stuff shouldn't apply...?


Quandary wrote:


but that isn't the ONLY way it can be used...
so if using Gladius features that diverge from a SS, that stuff shouldn't apply...?

It all applies, otherwise the gladius would require more book keeping than it's worth.


Eh, this really only benefits the Rogue, and given how many nerfs they got, it doesn't really matter.


ArgentumLupus wrote:

Yup. The gladius is meant to be a warrior's primary weapon, where as the short sword acts as a backup weapon to the longsword/broadsword.

I like to keep weapons thematically restricted in my games (so very few katana in the Inner Sea), so I can't help but wonder where the Golarion gladius comes from.

The gladius is a gladiatorial weapon. It's probably available anywhere generically.

Apart from having the performance property the gladius is what a longsword should be: a light martial weapon with stats in between the dagger and longsword. Seriously, look at that thing in Valeros' left hand and tell me it can't do slashing damage.

Grand Lodge

Real world regional weapon restrictions don't quite work in Golarion.

This is because those countries exist in Golarion.


So just to be clear, if you have the Shortword proficiency then you can fight with the Gladius as well? I like the idea.

Grand Lodge

Keep in mind the short sword is sorta SORTA also based on the 'Small Sword' or Court Swords of the 18th-19th Century (or it can be). I love the Gladius as a PFS weapon.Ironically? The real Gladius wasnt really designed as a slashing weapon and its primary use was to stab.

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