Difference between revisions of "List of weapons"

Revision as of 22:29, 29 March 2012

Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy. Detailed herein are all of the bigger sticks.

Action Points

This details the number of Action Points necessary to use the weapon.

Parry

The bonus the weapon grants the character on a Parry Roll when the weapon is used to parry an attack.

Harm

The amount of damage the weapon does on its own, which is factored into the Attack Roll.

Type

The type of Harm the weapon inflicts. Either S for slashing, B for bludgeoning, or P for piercing. Certain spells, items, and armor protect better against certain types of Harm. If a weapon lists two types of Harm, they are in order of usual usage. A character must state which type of Harm he intends to perform during an attack (for instance, slash or thrust with his longsword); otherwise, the first is assumed.

Notes

Any relevant notes about the weapon.

Cost

The standard market price in sovereigns for a sturdy, forged iron copy of the weapon.

Mus

The minimum required Muscle to wield the weapon effectively in combat. A character may use a weapon that is too heavy for him, but for each point of Muscle below this threshold, he takes a -1 penalty to Attack and Parry rolls.

Weapons marked with a dagger (†) are small or light and easy to hide, and grant a character a +2 bonus on Thievery/Disguise checks to conceal them.

Weapons marked with a double-dagger (‡) are two-handed weapons. They must be held with both hands. Two handed weapons give a character a −4 penalty to Thievery/Disguise checks to conceal them, but a +2 bonus against being Disarmed.

Weapons marked with an asterisk (*) are designed to be used one-handed, but may be wielded with both hands for increased stability. When these weapons are used two-handed, their Muscle requirement is reduced by one and they receive a +2 bonus against being Disarmed.

Hand-to-hand

• Unarmed – Your bare fists. You want a description? Look at 'em!
• Cestus/knuckles – A metal or leather covering which is worn over the hand and/or knuckles and provides extra weight compared to a bare fist.
• Punch dagger – A small knife with a T-shaped handle held in the fist and thrust at opponents.
• Claw – A pair of metal bands worn around the fingers or hand which have on the back side 3–5 small, curved, metal blades, resembling the claws of a wild animal.

Daggers

• Dagger/knife – A small but utilitarian weapon, with either one or two bladed edges. Useful as a backup in close-quarters combat. Less than eight inches in length.
• Parrying dagger – The parrying dagger, also known as main-gauche or sword-breaker, is a long fencing knife with a heavy guard surmounted by slots or prongs. It is a defensive weapon used to trap and sometimes break larger blades.
• Sai - Functionally nearly identical to the parrying dagger, a sai is a long, blunt, dagger-shaped metal baton with two short prongs stemming from the sides.
• Stiletto/poignard – A long, narrow spike used for stabbing deeply. Has no cutting edge.
• Dirk/combat knife – A heavier knife with good reach (up to one foot in length) designed primarily for fighting.

One-handed Straight Swords

• Short sword/gladius – A very common and dependable thrusting sword, less than three feet in length.
• Longsword – A versatile and well-balanced sword with a good defensive capabilities. Usually around four feet in length.
• Broadsword – Very popular among soldiers and infantry. Wider and heavier than a longsword, these blades emphasize strong slashing attacks. Between three and four feet in length.
• Katana – A masterfully crafted sword and status symbol. It has a slightly curved, surprisingly heavy blade and a single, extremely sharp edge designed for quick killing blows rather than sustained dueling. Normally used in two hands, it may be wielded one-handed with reduced cutting power. The hilt varies in length, but the blade itself is usually 28 inches long. Blades of this design require very advanced metallurgy and skilled smiths to create, and are not available in societies that have not mastered complex steel smelting processes.
• Bastard Sword – Also known as the hand-and-a-half sword, this is a larger (usually four to five feet in length) and heavier version of a longsword. Like the katana, it is designed to be used in two hands, but it may be wielded one-handed to allow punches and grappling with the offhand while in close quarters.

Two-handed Straight Swords

• Katana - See entry in One-handed Straight Swords.
• Bastard Sword - See entry in One-handed Straight Swords.
• Nodachi – An extra-long version of the katana, offering greater cutting power and reach. The entire sword including the handle is at least five feet in length.
• Greatsword/zweihander – This largest of swords is often six to seven feet in length and is effective against arms which normally outreach swords, such as spears and polearms. The best greatsword designs include massive crossguards and unsharpened areas near the hilt, allowing for a modified grip and thus solid Parrying defense for a weapon of such size.

Curved Blades

• Sickle – A crescent-bladed farming tool that makes a decent improvised weapon. Only the inside curve of the blade is sharpened.
• Shotel - A long, slender fighting sickle that excels at reaching around shields. Generally, only the inside curve of the blade is sharpened.
• Machete - A relatively heavy, unsophisticated short blade primarily intended to chop through vegetation.
• Khopesh/sappara – An unusual sword around two feet in length, with a long hilt and an abruptly hooked end, well-suited to snagging weapons or shields and Disarming opponents. Only the outside curve of the blade is sharpened.
• Cutlass – A versatile slashing weapon similar to a saber, very popular amongst sailors and marines. Two to three feet in length, with a basket-like hand guard and broad blade.
• Scimitar/shamshir – A light, curved blade with a relatively short hilt, often employed by light cavalry. Two to four feet in length.
• Falchion – A sword with a long, single-edged, slightly-curved blade that is weighted at the far end, making it useful for chopping strikes. Typically around four feet in length.

Fencing Swords

• Estoc - A simple thrusting sword with good reach (three to four feet long). Designed purely to penetrate armor, it has no cutting edges.
• Saber – A sturdy, single-bladed, slightly curved sword with a hand guard. Often about 3 feet in length.
• Rapier – A quick and graceful sword, mostly used for fencing and piercing, between three and four feet in length. Its lightweight, flexible blade and ornate handguard makes it ideal for defense as well as offense.

One-handed Bludgeons

• Club – A hunk of hard wood held in one hand. Sometimes found with simple metal reinforcements or spikes.
• Warhammer – A long-hilted cavalry weapon with a metal head created to battle armored foes. Often a spike is found on the reverse side of the head.
• Mace – A rather short (two to three-foot) war club with a heavy metal head on a sturdy wooden or metal handle.
• Flanged mace/pernach – A mace with a flanged or edged head, useful for deeper impact during a swing.

Two-handed Bludgeons

• Sledgehammer – A two-handed hammer with a heavy head on one end and a wooden haft up to three feet in length.
• Morningstar/spiked mace – A six- to seven-foot wooden shaft surmounted by a heavy, spiked head.
• Flail – Originally a tool for threshing grain, the flail consists of a three- to four-foot wooden handle and a one- to two- foot long, cylindrical striking head, connected by a foot or two of chain. Opponents have difficulty parrying swings from this weapon.
• War maul – A two-handed hammer with a three- to five-foot reinforced haft and wicked metal head, similar to a sledgehammer, but capable of more powerful impacts.

One-handed Axes

• Throwing axe/tomahawk – A simple axe useful for hand-to-hand, but primarily weighted for being thrown. Usually less than two feet in length.
• Hatchet/hand axe – Slightly bigger than a throwing axe, with a flat end of the head that can be used as a hammer.
• Kama - A razor-edged variant of the harvesting sickle, this weapon consists of an 18- to 24-inch wooden handle surmounted by a long, slightly curved blade that could be used for slicing or stabbing.
• War axe/bearded axe – The axe-head is curved on one side, and blunt on the other, with a long shaft of wood or metal held in two hands.

Two-handed Axes

• Woodcutting axe - A common tool for chopping and felling trees.
• Pickaxe/mattock – A tool used for mining and digging, and capable of delivering enough force to puncture steel plate armor, though clumsy in battle.
• War pick/beaked axe - A military derivation of the pickaxe, with a longer haft and a single, massive spike like a bird's beak surmounting its striking head. Generally three to four feet in length.
• Berserker axe/tabarzin – An intimidating axe defined by its single, long, curved blade. Four feet in length.
• Great axe/executioner – A massive, heavy axe, with a dual-bladed axe head.

Polearms

• Quarterstaff/bo – A long wooden pole, typically taller than the wielder. Crude copies can be found nearly anywhere, but more sophisticated versions are crafted of the sturdiest wood and reinforced with metal caps.
• Scythe – A harvesting tool with a multi-handled shaft around five feet in length. Its curved blade with one sharp edge extends perpendicular to the shaft. This weapon is slow and clumsy at close-quarters combat, but can cause grevious harm to an unarmored foe.
• Partizan/ranseur - A six- to eight-foot polearm that resembles an oversized trident. Its long, narrow central spearhead is guarded by two curving or sharply angled prongs, giving it a defensive edge against other polearms at the expense of some attacking power.
• Halberd/poleaxe – The most common pole weapon, around six or seven feet in length, with an large axe head topped with a long spike. The reverse of the axe head has a thorn or hook useful in combating mounted riders.
• Lucerne hammer - A sort of oversized warhammer designed to combat heavy cavalry, this seven- to nine-foot polearm is topped with a blunt smashing head and a foot-long spike for crushing breastplates and finding gaps in armor, respectively.
• Heavy glaive/naginata – A wicked, broad, 18-inch blade sitting atop a wooden pole six to seven feet in length.

Spears

• Javelin/pilum – A light spear, favored for throwing, but also can be used in melee. Possesses an iron head around 18 inches in length and a long, wooden shaft. Between 6–8 feet in length.
• Hunting spear - Among humanity's oldest tools for killing, hunting spears range between five and eight feet in length, and are topped by small, triangular heads of sharpened bone or stone, or merely by sharpening and fire-hardening the wooden tip.
• Pitchfork – Simple farming tool used for lifting and pitching. Can have two to six tines or prongs. Usually made of wood, but the head can be made of metal.
• Infantry spear – A simple, solid spear used by foot soldiers. Between six and eight feet in length.
• Trident – A three-pronged spear used in fishing and combat. Usually made of metal.
• Broadspear – A spear with an unusually wide, bladelike head, useful for varying thrusts with slashing swings.
• Boar spear/barred spear – Heavy, reinforced spear with a pair of lugs or wings at the base of the blade, to prevent it from driving too deep into a victim and becoming entangled. Useful for parrying.
• Pike/sarissa – A devastating spear when used in formation against charging opponents, but ineffective at close-quarters combat. Between ten and twenty feet in length.

Whips

• Bullwhip – A single-tailed whip made of braided leather, historically used in cattle herding. Around ten feet long and capable of wrapping around objects or the limbs of opponents.
• Studded/spiked whip – Similar to a bullwhip, but with metal spikes or studs woven throughout the braided leather.

Chains

• Kusari-gama – A Kama (see One-handed Axes) attached at its base to a heavy metal weight by a three- to five-foot length of chain. The weighted ball can be used to strike opponents and wrap around limbs or weapons, and entangled foes are easily dispatched by the Kama blade.
• Ball & chain – A solid metal weight attached to a four- to six-foot chain. Sometimes these are available with a weight at each end. The velocity of the weight combined with its small striking surface makes this weapon's attacks very difficult to deflect.

Thrown

• Dart – A small, heavy projectile with fletching on the tail and a narrow pointed end. Too short to be used as ammunition in a bow.
• Shuriken – Small, flattened metal object with three to twelve sharpened tips.
• Throwing knife – A knife weighted and designed exclusively for throwing.
• Boomerang/throwing stick – A well-balanced bent, flat, wooden stick capable of striking targets up to 40 yards away with stunning force. A mundane boomerang will not return if it impacts a target.
• Throwing axe/tomahawk - See entry in One-handed Axes.
• Javelin/pilum - See entry in Spears.
• Chakram – A circular, flat, metal ring with a bladed edge that can be thrown between 100–300 feet.

Bows

• Short Bow – A curved limb typically made of wood with a tense string. Made for launching narrow, fletched arrows. With skill, can be used to great effect while mounted. Effective range is between 3 and 150 yards.
• Longbow – Similar to a short bow, but nearly as tall as the person who wields it. These are capable of launching arrows with startling force over great distances. Effective range is between 4 and 250 yards.

Crossbows

• Pistol crossbow – A one-handed crossbow, capable of being easily concealed. Bolts for this crossbow are much smaller than standard bolts. Its small size also makes it effective at point-blank range, though it is only accurate up to 50 yards.
• Crossbow – A bow mounted horizontally on a wooden stock. A high-tension bow string delivers around the same punch as a longbow in a smaller size. Typically reloaded with a pull or push lever. Effective range is between 3 and 100 yards.

• Heavy crossbow/arbalest – A very large crossbow with a metal bow. Has a crank to be used for reloading. This crossbow hits with a sickeningly massive force. Effective range is between 4 and 300 yards.

Firearms

• Matchlock Pistol - The most basic firearm with a mechanical firing system, in which musket balls are propelled down the smooth bore by touching a burning "match" or length of twisted cord to an ignition pan loaded with gunpowder. Expensive, cumbersome, slow to reload, and loud, it is nonetheless a terribly powerful weapon at short range. Effective from point blank to 30 yards out.
• Matchlock long gun - Larger and heavier than a pistol, but more accurate at range, which is between 3 and 75 yards.
• Flintlock Pistol – A more advanced firing mechanism (the re-usable flint replaces the troublesome match and all the associated problems of relying upon an open flame for ignition) and better overall construction makes this pistol more accurate and quicker to reload than its matchlock ancestor. Effective from point blank to 50 yards out.
• Flintlock long gun – The most advanced hand-held weapon of pre-industrial society. Effective from 3 to 100 yards out.

Miscellaneous & Specialized

• Blackjack/sap/cosh – A small club consisting of leather-wrapped lead. Known for easy concealment.
• Net – Derived from the fishing device, this mass of ropes and weights is meant to encumber and hold an opponent.
• Blowgun – The ammunition from a blowgun doesn't cause much damage, but is an effective way to deliver poisons, nerve agents, and other toxins.
• Sling – A leather or rope corded weapon which can be loaded with blunt objects, such as stones, to greatly increase their thrown velocity.
• Lance – A specialized cavalry spear with a heavy metal tip, only effective when used in mounted combat. Devastating at full gallop, but slow to ready. Usually between eight and twelve feet in length.

Shields

• Buckler - A small dueling shield, at most eighteen inches in diameter.
• Kite shield/heater – An advanced shield intended to complement heavier armor, tapered at the bottom to reduce weight. Constructed of wood with metal rivets and reinforcements, commonly strapped to the arm. Useful in melee combat as a bludgeoning weapon.
• Heavy shield/hoplon – The most basic shield,  large enough to cover nearly from the shoulders to the knees. Often dish-shaped, made of wood and covered with a layer of bronze or similar metal. Its weight makes it particularly effective as a bludgeoning weapon, and is known to knock an opponent backwards or prone.
• Tower shield/scutum - A massive oval or rectangular shield that can conceal most of the wielder's body, but is heavy and limits mobility.