Weapons

• Melee Weapons
• Missile Weapons
• Damage

Weapon styles

Although all weapons are used with a slightly different technique, many weapons are similar so if one can be used effectively another can be used almost as effectively. Each weapon belongs to a category and training for one weapon confers benefits to others in the same category. The categories are:

Stronger characters and monsters may use larger versions of weapons which deal out more damage. For each two strength points the damage level goes up by one point.

Weapon Fighting Styles

There are three types of weapon

• Slashing (e.g. swords, axes)
• Bludgeon (e.g. maces, hammers, clubs)
• Piercing (e.g. spears, daggers, arrows)

Each fighting style is more or less effective against different armour. Slashing swords are easier to use and great for parrying but almost ineffective against chainmail or better armour, maces and hammers smash the force of the blow through armour without puncturing it, the shockwave causing the damage whilst piercing weapons puncture the armour.

Propelled piercing weapons puncture armour and cause loss of wounds (half of damage) whilst melee piercing weapons cause the opponent to expend more stamina dodging the blows as they know that their armour won't deflect the blow.

Slashing

Damage from slashing weapons is absorbed normally by armour.

Bludgeon

Damage from bludgeon weapons ignores half the absorbtion of the armour (round in defender's favour).

Piercing - Melee and Thrown

Melee piercing weapons ignore half the absorbtion of the armour (round in attacker's favour).

Piercing - Propelled

Propelled piercing weapons ignore half the absorbtion of the armour (round in attacker's favour) but half of anything that gets through is treated as wounds.

Melee weapons

The attributes required are based on a character of average height, smaller characters will be unable to wield many weapons or may have a weapon redefined for them as a longer equivalent. Thus a hobbit using a short sword would wield it as a human wields a bastard sword (using the same attribute of strength) but only doing short sword damage. A dwarf would use a human short sword as a broad sword (but only if they'd lost their battle-axe).

† The width needed includes 3' for a normal human, this should be adjusted for smaller or larger creatures. It is the width required to use the weapon without too much hindrance or where you are fighting next to someone so there is some shared space. Less space incurs a -2 penalty for each foot.

‡ Includes the hilt

§ Minimum strength of zero required

¿ If trying to strike flesh, otherwise this is 0 (zero)

Missile weapons

RoF = Rate of Fire

Daggers

Daggers are primarily thrusting rather than slashing weapons

Stiletto

A stiletto is a short knife or dagger, with a long slender blade of various designs. This dagger is a stabbing weapon, its narrow shape ending in a rigid pointed end allows it to penetrate deeply. It is not suited for cutting, even with edged examples.

It is popular as a tool against heavily armoured knights when in close combat. The thin blade can easily pass through most chainmail, or find its way through tiny gaps in a knight's armour. It ignores armour completely and causes wounds if the fighters have entered wrestling range.

Short Sword

Short swords are like the Roman Gladius, often without cross-guards and used solely as a stabbing weapon.

Swords

The decisive characteristic is the length of the grip. Indeed, some blades can be made into either a typical arming sword, or a typical bastard word, depending on the hilt that is attached to it. As a general rule, if, when handling the sword with both hands, the left hand does not fit on the grip but holds the pommel, it is considered an arming sword. If the left hand fits 2 fingers on the grip, it is a bastard sword. If both hands fit then it is a two handed sword. The grip will frequently have a distinctive 'bottle' shape to facilitate this. If the grip is as long as or longer than the wielder's lower arm (ell) it is a usually considered a two-handed sword proper.

Swords are designed to be used as slashing weapons throgh some will incorporate a degree of cut and thrust depending upon the blade.

Arming Sword

Often called an Knights sword or Knightly sword and erroneously a long sword (which are actually bastard swords).

Typically used with a shield or buckler, the arming sword is the standard military sword of the knight. In the absence of a shield the empty (normally left) hand could be used for grabbing or grappling opponents. The arming sword was overall a light, versatile weapon capable of both cut and thrust combat, however it was largely ineffective against plate armour and even mail was excellent at deflecting the typical glancing blows that were dealt.

Sabres which have a slight curve are coverd by arming sword as they are still capable of both cut and thrust.

Scimitar / Cutlass

Scimitars are an oriental sword with a curved blade, cutlasses are more curved and with heavier blades. Both are designed as slashing weapons with little if any capability to thrust. Heavier than an arming sword they gain more impetus but without the thrust action are less versatile though the shorter length means they can typically be used in more confined areas.

Bastard Sword

Also known as the War sword, hand and a half sword or long sword. These swords can be used with either one or two hands, In one hand they act as a more powerful long sword but can only be used with a buckler not a medium or larger shield.

A bastard sword is any sword which it is possible to get two fingers of the second hand on the grip and the rest of the hand around the pommel. Bastard swords are often used one handedly until your shield breaks or you become too exhausted to use it with one hand. Exhausted characeters may not use a bastard sword in 1 hand

Two handed sword

A two handed or great sword such as the Zweihänder or Claymore is one that it is possbile to fit both hands around the pommel. They are too heavy and cumbersome to be used single handedly. They are strong enough to smash the head off polearms enabling attackers to fight through a formation of halberds to reach the weilders.

Simple Hand weapons

Mace

When metal armour and chain mail protects against the blows of edged weapons and blocked arrows and other projectiles solid metal flanged maces and war hammers are able to inflict damage on well armoured knights, as the force of a blow from a mace is large enough to cause damage without penetrating the armour. Flanged maces have protruding edges of metal that allow it to dent or penetrate even the thickest armor.

Morning star

The morning star is a weapon consisting of a spiked club resembling a mace, usually with a long spike extending straight from the top and many smaller spikes around the particle of the head.

War Hammer

War hammers were developed as a consequence of the ever more prevalent metal armors of the battlefields. The war hammer could deal blows of force to the target and by impact alone do damage without penetrating the armour. The spike end could be used for grappling the target's armour, reins, or shield, or could be turned in the direction of the blow to pierce heavier armours.

Axes & Pole arms

Axes and pole arms are related as most pole arms include an axe blade and a hook to help unseat riders or trip oppnents.

Axes

Battle-axe

Traditionally this was a large bladed axe like a viking axe. The axe was superseeded by the sword until plate armour against which swords had little effect. The battleaxe in a changed form then made a reappearance.

Used by knights when fighting against other knights as it is designed as an anti-armour weapon. It consists of an heavy curved axe blade for cutting and crushing armour (as well as anything else!),and a normally a curved back spike useful for puncturing armour, as well as hooking shields, bits or armour, people etc.

In use it may either be treated as a slashing weapon or a piercing weapon by hitting with the spike.

Relatively long they are more effective when used with 2 hands. To be used one-handed the character must have a minimum strength of +2.

Pole Arms

The spike end could be used for grappling the target's armour, reins, or shield, or could be turned in the direction of the blow to pierce even heavy armour. Against mounted opponents, the weapon could also be directed at the legs of the horse, toppling the armored foe to the ground where he could be more easily attacked.

Pole arms are all 2 handed weapons.

There are a lot of pole arm types and they all merge into one another sometimes only with subtle differences, on top of that the same weapons are often called by different names by different people. Therefore read these descriptions with a pinch of salt,.

Given the almost infinite variety I've only included a limited selection that are obviously different such that they will have an effect on gameplay.

Quarterstaff

A simple weapon used as a training weapon for the other polearms.

Pollaxe

Pollaxes (not pole axe, it's from old English poll or head ) are the favoured weapons of knights in combat against well armoured opponents as swords can not penetrate plate armour effectively.

Pollaxes are have a hammer on one side and an axe or spike on the other surmounted by a steel spike. In some cases the hammer is replaced with an axe blade. These are very similar to but longer than a battle-axe.

Pollaxes were developed as a consequence of the ever more prevalent metal armors of the battlefields. The hammer headed pollaxe could deal blows of tremendous force to the target and by impact alone do damage without penetrating the armour.

Glaive-guisarme

The glaive-guisarme is a glaive or cutting blade with with a guisarme or hook on the rear face to help unseat riders. The glaive similar enough to the voulge to not warrant a separate entry.

Halberd

The halberd is an axe blade on the front with a hook on the rear for dismounting riders and a long spike on top.

Oddities

Spear

Spears up to 8' long can be used in one hand and are ideal for keeping an opponent at range. When used with two hands they are significantly more powerful.

Morning star-Flail

The flail is a medieval weapon made of one (or more) normally spiked weights attached to a handle with a hinge or chain.

• Unlike a sword or mace, it doesn't transfer vibrations from the impact to the wielder. This is a great advantage to a horseman, who can use his horse's speed to add momentum to an underarmed swing of the ball, but runs less of a risk of being unbalanced from his saddle.
• It is difficult to block with a shield or parry with a weapon because it can curve over and around shields or armor. It ignores 2 points of shield protection.
• The flail needs space to swing and can easily endanger the wielder's comrades.
• Controlling the flail is much more difficult than rigid weapons.
• If the flail was swung with enough force it can crack open plate armour and stun the wearer.

Trident

A three pronged military fork normally used with a net

Nets

Nets may be thrown to snare either a character or their weapon. If used against a weapon they are not normally released, the net is used to make the weapon useless. A successful hit entangles the creature / weapon. Weapon attacks are made at +3, attacks against smaller creatures gain +1 for every 10% height difference from the thrower.

Touch

Touch attacks where the attacker does not need to strike flesh do not suffer the -2 "To Hit" penalty.

Missile Weapons

Missile weapons are often piercing weapons, however they lose impact the further they travel, therefore they have an effective piercing range which is normally about half the Short Range distance. Over this distance they act like Slashing weapons.

All Bows, hand and cross, are propelled piercing weapons

Bows

Hand Bows

Short bow

Up to 3' long with a pull of under 80lbs.

Long bow

Up to 6' long with a pull of up to 150lbs.

Arrows

Arrow damage is half wound points and half stamina points (stamina takes the odd point). They are piercing up to short range

There are many different arrow types, used for specialist purposes, the most common are.

Bodkins

Low damage but high penetration.

War arrows

Use against less armoured warriors, but cause more damage and may break off in the body.

Swallowtail

Used for large animals, high stopping power but heavy and innacurate, it won't penetrate armour.

Crescent

Used for knocking birds and small animals in trees, without impaling them to a high branch.

Leaf

Normal hunting.

Crossbows

Crossbows are easier to use and thus require less training than hand bows as once cocked they do not take any effort to maintain the pull, additionally they may be aimed by resting on a handy surface.

All crossbow damage is half wound points and half stamina points (stamina takes the odd point).

If a crossbow is supported such as resting on a rock then an additional +1 to hit is gained

As crossbows have a pull of 150 lb. or more they need assistance from a mechanism to cock them. This will vary from a simple foot stirrup for a pellet crossbow through a spanning lever for a light to a full windlass for a heavy crossbow. This affects the time to span the bow and hence reduces the number of shots per round.

A crossbow will have a pull of 250lbs for a light one up to 1000lbs for a heavy, whereas a longbow would have an average pull of 80-100lbs and up to a maximum of 150lbs.

Pellet Crossbow

A one handed crossbow. These can be cocked by hand.

Light Crossbow

Crossbows with a pull of under 250lb. These require a foot stirrup and belt hook or a spanning lever to cock the weapon.

Heavy Crossbow

Crossbows with a pull of over 250lbs. These require a windlass to cock the weapon.

Damage

After all deductions for armour, saving throws etc 1 /10 of all damage in a single blow (rounded down) is taken as wound points instead of stamina points