New weapons forged in the DARK SUN� setting

by Timothy B. Brown

Artwork by Brom

The arenas, courts, streets, and desertsof Athas are home to a variety of strangeand exotic weapons, many made forunique purposes. The most successfulweapons have become fairly widespread.Gladiators know of them all�if your char-acter is brave, seek one out and he�ll gladlygive you a demonstration. Details on theweapons given here are broken down asfollows:

Proficient and Specialized use: Each

weapon is given a proficient use benefitand a specialized use benefit. A warriorwho specializes with a given weapon gainsboth benefits, since he had to becomeproficient before he could specialize. Anybonuses listed here are in addition to anyspecialization benefits; for example, if aweapon�s damage is supposed to be dou-bled, it is doubled after all normal speciali-zation bonuses are applied.

Weapon material: The prices, weights,

Bard�s friendCost: 10 gpWeight: 3Size: SType: P/SSpeed Factor: 3Damage S-M/L: 1d4 + 1/1d3

Popularized by the bards of Balic, thebards friend is a particularly gruesome-looking weapon, sporting several bladesand prongs. If properly used, it is an excel-lent parrying weapon and brawl-stopper.The blades themselves are most oftenformed of metal or obsidian, strapped andmounted to a central wooden grip. Theprongs are usually metal or wood, thoughthey can be the fangs of desert predators.The grip may have holes for the fingers;when there are no holes, the weapon isusually worn with leather straps holding itto the hand. Known to be a bard�s weapon,it is not uncommon to see the blades drip-ping with poison.

Proficient use: A proficient user isfamiliar enough with his weapon to knowthe dangers of storage. He can conceal hisbards friend beneath clothing on his legs,arms, torso, or back with a simple leatherstrap. So concealed, the weapon can bedrawn instantly at the beginning of anycombat round. Nonproficient users canonly hope to conceal their bards friendwithout inflicting injury (1d2 - 1 hp dam-age per round of attempted concealment).

Specialized use: In addition to beingable to conceal his bards friend on hisperson, a specialized warrior can use hisbards friend as a parrying weapon or as a

and damage values given here assume thatthe weapon has metal components. All ofthese weapons can be made with othermaterials according to the Weapon Materi-als Table (DARK SUN Rules Book, page 51).Note that the cahulak, crusher, datchiclub, and master�s whip can be easilymade without metal; they can easily bepurchased for 1% of the price listed andused without damage or attack penalties,regardless of materials used.

second weapon, at his option, everyround. When used to parry, the bardsfriend affords the warrior a + 3 AC bonuswhile allowing him to fight with a weaponin his other hand without penalty (unlikenormal parrying that requires the charac-ter to cease all attacks; see the DUNGEONMASTER� Guide, page 61). When used asa second weapon, the warrior sufferspenalties to each weapon�s attack rolls asnormal. The warrior must announce hisintention to use his weapon to parry orattack each round before initiative isrolled.

CahulaksCost: 12 gpWeight: 12Size: MType: P/BSpeed Factor: 5Damage S-M/L: 1d6/1d6

Cahulaks are a pair of four-bladed weap-ons held together with a length of rope.They can be used in each hand as meleeweapons; one or both can also be thrown totangle and cause damage to an opponent.

The blades are commonly carved fromthe hip or shoulder bones of a mekillot,but more expensive versions can be forgedof steel. The hafts are made of solidlengths of wood or, rarely, sturdy bone.The connecting rope is up to 12� long; anexperienced cahulak wielder keeps mostof that length looped loosely in one handwhen preparing for combat.

Proficient use: The wielder can attackwith both cahulaks, one in each hand,

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according to the �Attacking with TwoWeapons� rules in the Player�s Handbook(page 96), even though both cahulaks aretechnically the same size. A proficientcharacter can throw the pair of cahulaks.The target suffers two attacks, but eachsuccessful attack only inflicts half normaldamage (1d3/1d3). Also, man-sized andsmaller creatures can be tangled unlessthey save vs. petrification, Tangling pre-vents normal attacks and movement forone round.

Specialized use: A specialized wielderalso can attempt to grapple a foe bythrowing one cahulak the full length ofthe connecting rope (12� maximum). On asuccessful attack roll, the target suffershalf-normal damage (1d3/1d3) and thecahulak has grappled the target. Oncegrappled, the wielder can trip or pull thetarget off balance, thus preventing it fromattacking, depending on the target�s rela-tive size. If the grappled target is smaller,the wielder can automatically keep him offbalance. If the target is his size or larger,the target must save vs. petrification or bepulled off balance. Targets more than twosize categories larger than the wieldercannot be pulled off balance.

CrusherCost: 24 gpWeight: 9Size: LType: BSpeed Factor: 10Damage S-M/L: 1d4/1d3

A crusher is a spiked stone or metal ballat the end of a 20�-25� flexible pole. Thewielder plants one end of the pole in theground, then whips the weighted end backand forth until it nearly strikes the groundboth in front of and behind him.

Weaponsmiths have found that thespringy, straight root of the cachava plant,native to the salt flats of the Ivory Plain, isthe ideal raw material for crusher con-struction. While other materials can beused, the cachava root retains its flexibilityfor many weeks after harvest. While diffi-cult to use in individual combat, crusherscan be employed behind a line of friendlytroops to disrupt the enemy.

Proficient use: The wielder mustspend one uninterrupted round plantingthe end of his crusher in the ground andbeginning the whipping motion. After thatround, the wielder picks a �danger space,�a circle 2� in diameter centered 10� di-rectly ahead of the weapon. There is acorresponding danger space of equal size10� directly behind the wielder. Any crea-ture that enters either danger space suf-fers up to six total attacks in the round. To

retain his crusher, the wielder must haveanother uninterrupted round to stop itsmotion and pull the weapon from theground.

Specialized use: A specialized wieldercan use his crusher more effectively bychanging its direction of swing morequickly. The danger space becomes acircle with a radius of 10� centered on himand one foot both inside and outside thatcircle. The wielder can pick any six targetswithin that danger space to attack eachround.

Datchi clubCost: 12 gpWeight: 10Size: LType: BSpeed Factor: 4Damage S-M/L: 1d6/1d4

The datchi club is a specialized arenaweapon, favored among more ruthlesscrowds because of the horrible wounds itcan inflict. The head of the club is 4�-5�long, attached to a wooden or bone handle3� long. The head is made of porous mate-rial, either insect hive or dried roots, andis incredibly light. It is then embeddedwith dozens of razor points. The razorscan be metallic but are more often fash-ioned from teeth and claws. The handle isvery solid, allowing the wielder to grip thebase for greater range or to spread his

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grip to enhance his leverage.Proficient use: A datchi-club wielder

who is proficient with his weapon canwield it effectively in combat, but receivesno special benefits. As light as it is, thedatchi club has a good speed factor, mak-ing it one of the quickest weapons of itssize anywhere on Athas.

Specialized use: The specializeddatchi-club wielder can inflict greaterdamage by spinning the weapon along itslong axis during combat. Spinning thedatchi club requires great forearmstrength-a character can only do so for anumber of rounds equal to his strengthscore per day. Beyond normal damagedone, an additional 1d3 hp damage isinflicted while the datchi club is spinning.

Dragon�s pawCost: 15 gpWeight: 9Size: LType: PSpeed Factor: 8Damage S-M/L: 1d6/1d6 +1

The dragon�s paw is a multibladed weap-on popular among the arena masters ofUrik and Tyr. The weapon has two blades,made from any material, one at each endof a 5�-6� wooden shaft. Around the centeris a bar or basket that both protects thehand and holds another blade juttingperpendicular to the central shaft. This

blade is called the forward blade, whilethe others are called the outer blades.

Proficient use: A character familiarwith the dragon�s paw can cause moredamage with the central blade by usingthe central shaft for leverage. If the wield-er makes a successful dexterity check on1d20 after the successful attack roll, hecan inflict an additional 1d4 hp damageusing the forward blade.

Specialized use: A warrior specializedin the use of the dragon�s paw can some-times use the outer blades to ward offopponents while using the forward bladeto its full effectiveness. If attacking oneopponent with the forward blade,-and ifthere is a target within reach of eitherouter blade, the warrior can make onemore attack per round per blade. Theseouter blade attacks have no attack rollpenalty but inflicts only 1d2 hp damage.

GougeCost: 6 gpWeight: 12Size: LType: P/SSpeed Factor: 8Damage S-M/L: 1d8/1d10

The shoulder-strapped gouge is a special-ized infantry weapon perfected for theslave armies of the Shadow King of Nibe-nay. It is a weapon that can inflict signifi-cant damage against an opponent and is

unlikely to be dropped in the event of arout. The gouge itself has a wide bone,obsidian, or chitin blade mounted onto a3�-long wooden shaft. A smaller handleprotrudes from a forward position on themain shaft, while the rear of the shaft hasa wide grip used to drive the weaponhome. The shoulder strap is made of leath-er or cloth, and it sometimes is expandedto a complete harness around the neckand shoulders. The weapon can be easilyturned over to accommodate a left-handedwielder.

Proficient use: A gouge wielder whois familiar with his weapon can use thehandles to inflict greater damage on subse-quent rounds of contact. After a firstround of combat in which the wieldermakes a successful attack against an oppo-nent, he can announce his intention togouge on the subsequent round. If, in thatsubsequent round, the wielder has a bet-ter initiative roll than his opponent, heautomatically hits again, gouging theweapon into the opponent and inflicting+2 on his damage roll. If, however, theopponent wins initiative, he manages toavoid the gouge attack; the wielder canmake a normal attack but at a -4 penaltyto his attack roll for having instead pre-pared to gouge. The wielder of the gougemust declare his intent before initiativedice are rolled.

Specialized use: In addition to thegouge attack, a specialized wielder canspin his entire body with his gouge toinflict greater damage with a normal at-tack. The wielder suffers a -2 penalty tohis attack roll but inflicts double damagedue to his increased momentum on asuccessful attack. A specialized wieldercan elect to gouge or spin again in theround following a successful spin attack.

Master�s whipCost: 6 gpWeight: 3Size: MType: PSpeed Factor: 8Damage S-M/L: 1d3/1d2

The master�s whip is a favorite weaponamong task masters and arena guardsacross Athas. The handle is usually carvedfrom bone or ivory, then inlaid with deco-rative elements appropriate to the rank ofthe wielder. The whip itself is fashionedfrom leather or, for those that can affordthe 15 gp additional cost, giant�s hair. Whatsets the master�s whip apart from thenormal varieties is its barbed head. Thehead sports five separate hollow-tippedbarbs, one at the end and four othersspread out to the sides. The barbed headis most easily carved from bone, but woodalso can be used.

Proficient use: Once a wielder isfamiliar with his master�s whip, he canapply poisons to the hollow-tipped barbsand use them effectively against an oppo-nent. Separate poisons may be applied toeach of the five barbs, though only inject-

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ed or contact poisons can have an effecton the target creature. On each successfulhit with the master�s whip, the wieldermust roll 1d6 to determine which barbstruck the victim; 1-4 indicates that one ofthe side barbs struck home, while a roll of5 or 6 indicates that the end barb hit themark. Once �applied� by the master�swhip, the poison takes effect as describedin the DMG.

Specialized use: A master�s-whipspecialist can choose which barb strikesthe target, but he must announce thatchoice before the attack roll is made.

Tortoise bladesCost: 9 gpWeight: 5Size: MType: P/SSpeed Factor: 5Damage S-M/L: 1d6/1d6 + 1

Tortoise blades are most often madefrom their namesake creatures, but theycan be carved from bone, chitin, or evenstiffened leather. The blade is mounted tothe underside of the protective shellpermanently�it is the material of theblade that affects its performance in com-bat. Once strapped to the forearm, a tor-toise blade counts as one point toward apiecemeal armor rating (DARK SUN RulesBook, page 72). A warrior with one oneach arm and with no other armor wouldhave AC 8.

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Proficient use: A proficient tortoise-blade wielder can parry more effectively

than with normal weapons. When parrying,the character gains an additional point of ACbenefit per tortoise blade worn. To continuethe previous example, if the warrior were6th level, he would gain a +4 bonus plus anadditional +2 bonus for the tortoise blades,giving him a parrying AC 2.

Specialized use: In addition to theproficient use benefits, a specialized wield-er can use two tortoise blades without thenormal two-weapon penalties. The special-ized fighter suffers no penalty to his at-tack roll with the first tortoise blade, andonly suffers a -2 penalty with the second.

Weighted pikeCost: 6 gpWeight: 15Size: LType: P/BSpeed Factor: 12Damage S-M/L: 1d6 or 1d6/1d12 or 1d4

The weighted pike is an example of acombination weapon, merging the effec-tiveness of the pike with that of the mace.The 7�-8�shaft of the weighted pike isalmost always made of strong wood (aga-fari, if possible, though these are usuallydouble the price). The pike blade can bemetal, but is more often of bone or fang.The weighted, spiked ball is often ceramic,baked right onto the end of the shaft withthe glass or metal spikes in place. The

damage listed is for when the weapon isused as a pike or as a mace. A nonprofi-cient user can only opt for one of theseper round of combat.

Proficient use: A proficient wieldercan freely change from mace to pike orback again with every attack, even if theyoccur in a single round. For example, a10th-level warrior proficient with theweighted pike could attack once with themace and once with the pike within theround. This assumes, of course, that thecharacter can reposition himself slightly tobring the length of the weapon into play�enclosed spaces are as inconvenient forthe weighted pike as they are for otherpolearm weapons.

Specialized use: In addition to theproficiency benefits, a warrior specializedin the weighted pike can swing the maceend using the length of the weapon forgreater effectiveness. The warrior canonly make one such attack per round, buta hit inflicts 3d6 hp damage regardless oftarget size.

Widow�s knifeCost: 5 gpWeight: 4Size: MType: P/SSpeed Factor: 3Damage S-M/L: 1d4/1d4ROF: 2/1Range S/M/L: 1/2/3

The widow�s knife takes its name fromthe similar harvesting tool often used inthe verdant belts by women who have losttheir husbands and must work them-selves. Finely balanced, the widow�s knifeis a favorite court weapon and arenaspecialty. The wide end is preferably fash-ioned of metal, but can be made of obsidi-an; bone and chitin are too light to balancethe weapon. The handle is carved of woodor ivory, often inlaid with markings peculi-ar to the owner. Particularly ornate wid-ow�s knives can cost many hundreds ofceramics. Hidden within the handle aretwo spring-loaded prongs, activated by athumb catch on the handle. Once sprung,the prongs require a full round to reposi-tion. The damage value applies to eitherthe blade or prong attack-for game pur-poses, they are identical. The widow�sknife can be thrown as a missile weapon.

Proficient use: A character proficientwith the widow�s knife can use the springaction of the prongs to greater effective-ness. On a successful attack roll, the wield-er can release the spring-loaded prongs toinflict an additional 1d3 hp damage. Thewielder must announce his intention tofire the prongs prior to his attack roll,which are then released regardless of hissuccess.

Specialized use: A specialized wieldercan throw his widow�s knife more effec-tively. First, he can hurl the blade to better

catch the air and increase its range; short,medium, and long ranges become 2,4, and6, respectively, for the specialized thrower.Second, the warrior can more easily makea called shot with a thrown widow�s knife,gaining a +4 bonus on such attacks re-gardless of range.

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16 SEPTEMBER 1992