3.5.0 Weapons
The tools of a bloody trade are familiar to most adventurers. While some Vowed or trained pugilists might scorn the use of material weapons, most sentient combatants must rely on something better than their natural gifts.
3.5.1 Weapon Statistics
Each of the weapons on the following page has a listed damage it inflicts on a successful hit, an amount of Shock inflicted on a miss to targets with an AC equal or less than that given, and a particular attribute relevant to the weapon’s use. That attribute’s modifier is applied to all hit rolls, damage rolls, and Shock inflicted by the weapon. If more than one attribute is listed, the wielder can use whichever one is better. Using a melee weapon without at least Stab-0 skill inflicts a -2 penalty on hit rolls, as does using ranged weapons without at least Shoot-0 skill. Thrown weapons can be used with either.
Ranged weapons have both short and long ranges listed in feet. Attacking a target within short range may be done at no penalty, while hitting a target at long range is done with a-2 penalty to the hit roll. Two-handed ranged weapons cannot be used while an enemy is locked in melee with the wielder, and even one-handed or thrown weapons suffer a -4 penalty to hit in such circumstances.
Some weapons have additional unique traits, perhaps being particularly slow to reload, or requiring two hands to wield correctly, or being easily hidden in common clothing. The GM might choose to apply these traits to improvised weapons snatched up by the PCs if any of them seem appropriate.
3.5.2 Types of Weapons
Axes given here are those fashioned for war; lighter and more agile than their working cousins, though still capable of hacking through a door or hewing a cable if needed. War axes are big enough to demand two hands for their use.
Blackjacks include not only obvious weapons loaded with sand or iron shot, but any small, stunning fist load. A blackjack or other small fist load is easily concealed as some ornamental component of ordinary clothing.
Bows cover everything from the small self bows of horse archers to the man-tall longbows wielded by foot archers. Larger bows are more cumbersome and impossible to shoot from horseback, but usually have superior strength. An archer with a Readied quiver can load a fresh arrow as a Move action each turn, or as an On Turn action if they have at least Shoot-1 skill.
Claw blades are the sharper kin of fist loads, being small blades or finger talons that are easily concealed or disguised as metal ornaments. While they are vicious weapons, they can’t be usefully thrown.
Clubs, staves, and maces are of much the same genus, though the latter is usually made of metal. While fully capable of killing a man, a careful user can usually avoid inflicting lethal injury.
Crossbows come in heavier varieties than the one listed, but such slow, bulky arbalests are rarely in the hands of adventurers. Reloading a crossbow of this size takes a full Main Action, but due to the simplicity of their operation, someone without Shoot-0 can still use them at no unskilled hit penalty.
Daggers come in ten thousand varieties, but the listed kind is a common fighting dirk, big enough to push through light armor while remaining small enough to be discreetly hidden. Stilettos and similar armor-piercing daggers aren’t usually effective as thrown weapons.
Halberds and other polearms can be somewhat awkward in narrow spaces, but remain popular military weapons in some armies. The statistics given here can also be used for fauchards, bills, voulges, spetums, bardiches, glaives, guisarmes, guisarme-glaives, glaive-guisarme-glaives, and similar weapons.
Hammers listed here are the fighting variety, narrow-headed and made for penetrating or shocking heavy plates of armor.
Hurlants statistics are provided as analogs to magically-powered firearms, if the GM’s campaign includes such things.
Hand hurlants are usually pistol-sized, most often carried by the wealthy as a single-shot opener at the start of hostilities. Long hurlants are rifle-sized weapons favored by elite snipers and assassins who don’t expect a need for a second shot. Great hurlants are usually eight feet long and hundreds of pounds in weight, and launch tremendous bolts that can transfix even monstrous targets. Those able to afford their use generally mount them on ships, gun carriages, or on important fortifications.
Spears, and their longer cousin the pike, are common military weapons. Lighter spears are effective thrown weapons, while heavier two-handed versions penetrate armor well.
Shields can be an effective weapon when used to bash or pummel an enemy. If used as a weapon or as part of a dual-wielding attack, a shield grants no AC or Shock protection benefits until the wielder’s next turn.
Swords are common sidearms for the gentry. The expense of forging a large blade makes it a symbol of wealth and status in many cultures, and its convenience makes it a favored arm for street wear.
Throwing blades are small leaves or spikes of steel that are not terribly useful as melee weapons but are easy to carry discreetly in considerable numbers.
The unarmed attack given here is a common punch or kick, unimproved by a Vowed’s arts or a Foci.
Unarmed attacks add the assailant’s Punch skill to the damage roll as well as the attack roll.
| Weapon | Dmg | Shock | Attribute | Range/Feet | Traits | Cost | Enc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axe, Hand | 1d6 | 1/AC 15 | Str/Dex | 10/30 | T | 10 sp | 1 |
| Axe, War | 1d10 | 3/AC 15 | Str | - | 2H | 50 sp | 2 |
| Blackjack | 1d4 | None | Str/Dex | - | S, LL | 1 sp | 1 |
| Bow, Large | 1d8 | None | Dex | 100/600 | 2H, R, PM | 20 sp | 2 |
| Bow, Small | 1d6 | None | Dex | 50/300 | 2H, R, PM | 20 sp | 1 |
| Claw Blades | 1d6 | 2/AC 13 | Str/Dex | - | S | 10 sp | 1 |
| Club | 1d4 | None | Str/Dex | 10/30 | T, LL | - | 1 |
| Club, Great | 1d10 | 2/AC 15 | Str | - | 2H | 1 sp | 2 |
| Crossbow | 1d10 | None | Dex | 100/300 | 2H, SR, PM | 10 sp | 1 |
| Dagger | 1d4 | 1/AC 15 | Str/Dex | 30/60 | S, T, PM | 3 sp | 1 |
| Halberd | 1d10 | 2/AC 15 | Str | - | 2H, L | 50 sp | 2 |
| Hammer, Great | 1d10 | 2/AC 18 | Str | - | 2H | 50 sp | 2 |
| Hammer, War | 1d8 | 1/AC 18 | Str | - | 30 sp | 1 | |
| Hurlant, Great | 3d10 | None | Dex | 600/2,400 | FX, SS, AP | 10,000 sp | 1 |
| Hurlant, Hand | 1d12 | None | Dex | 30/60 | SS, AP | 1,000 sp | 1 |
| Hurlant, Long | 2d8 | None | Dex | 200/600 | 2H, SS, AP, PM | 4,000 sp | 2 |
| Mace | 1d6 | 1/AC 18 | Str | - | LL | 15 sp | 1 |
| Pike | 1d8 | 1/AC 18 | Str | - | 2H, L | 10 sp | 2 |
| Shield Bash, Large | 1d6 | 1/AC 13 | Str | - | LL | - | - |
| Shield Bash, Small | 1d4 | None | Str/Dex | - | LL | - | - |
| Spear, Heavy | 1d10 | 2/AC 15 | Str | - | 2H | 10 sp | 2 |
| Spear, Light | 1d6 | 2/AC 13 | Str/Dex | 30/60 | T | 5 sp | 1 |
| Throwing Blade | 1d4 | None | Dex | 30/60 | S, T, N | 3 sp | 1 |
| Staff | 1d6 | 1/AC 13 | Str/Dex | - | 2H, LL | 1 sp | 1 |
| Stiletto | 1d4 | 1/AC 18 | Dex | - | S, PM | 10 sp | 1 |
| Sword, Great | 1d12 | 2/AC 15 | Str | - | 2H | 250 sp | 2 |
| Sword, Long | 1d8 | 2/AC 13 | Str/Dex | - | 100 sp | 1 | |
| Sword, Short | 1d6 | 2/AC 15 | Str/Dex | - | 10 sp | 1 | |
| Unarmed Attack | 1d2+Skill | None | Str/Dex | - | LL | - | - |
3.5.3 Weapon Traits
2H: Two Handed. The weapon requires two hands to use in combat. Ranged two-handed weapons cannot be fired effectively while an enemy is within melee range.
AP: Armor Piercing. This weapon ignores non-magical hides, armor and shields for purposes of its hit rolls.
FX: Fixed. The weapon is too heavy and clumsy to use without a fixed position and at least five minutes to entrench it.
L: Long. The weapon is unusually long, allowing melee attacks to be made at targets up to 10 feet distant, even if an ally is in the way. Even so, the wielder still needs to be within five feet of a foe to count as being in melee with them for purposes of forcing Fighting Withdrawals, disrupting large ranged weapons, or similar maneuvers.
LL: Less Lethal. Foes brought to zero hit points by this weapon can always be left alive at the wielder’s discretion.
N: Numerous. Five of these count as only one Readied item.
PM: Precisely Murderous. When used for an Execution Attack, the weapon applies an additional -1 penalty to the Physical save and does double damage even if it succeeds.
R: Reload. The weapon takes a Move action to reload. If the user has at least Shoot-1 skill, they can reload as an On Turn action instead.
S: Subtle. Can be easily hidden in clothing or jewelry.
SR: Slow Reload. It takes a Main Action to reload this weapon.
SS: Single Shot. This weapon takes ten rounds to reload, and the reloading effort is spoiled if an enemy melees the wielder.
T: Throwable. While the weapon can be used in melee, it may be thrown out to the listed range as well, albeit it does no Shock in that case. Throwing a weapon while in melee applies a -4 penalty to the hit roll.