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Codex Martialis Weapons of the Ancient World
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Codex Martialis: Weapons of the Ancient World Part 1, Melee Weapons
Version 1.77FF Dec 4 2013
Credits
Codex Martialis Weapons of the Ancient World: Jean Henri Chandler
Artists: Jean Henri Chandler
Broken Back Sax, Mainz Gladius: Ramon Esteves
Pollaxe by Fabrice Cognot
Keris, Kampilan and Balisong by Thom Jason
Contributors: Fabrice Cognot of De Taille et d'Estoc for Pollaxe and Burgundian Sax images, help with some other
images and sporadic fact-checking
Thom Jason various weapons of the Philippines
Alina Boyden Help with weapons of the Islamic world and general technical assistance
Andrew Winston Dha images and help with weapons of Southeast Asia
James Marwood Information on bata and jogo do pau, corrections, advice.
Kirk Lee Spencer Sax Typologies
Special Thanks to: Ian Plumb for hosting the Codex Martialis website and continuing to provide advice and support without
which I never would have published anything independently.
Lenny Zimmermann for proofreading and being a fashion model
Jake Norwood for continued inspiration and friendship.
Bill Grandy for permission to use the image of his beautiful Schiavona
HUhttp://www.myarmoury.comU
Andrew Sutton for proofreading and providing valuable feedback
Shane Alee from Iron Age Armory for permission to use La Tène double-fullered Spatha image
HUhttp://www.ironagearmoury.com/ U
Nick Johnson for permission to use his Sax replicas
HUhttp://www.knivesbynick.co.uk/ U
Karl Aksel Eide for help with Japanese weapons
Matt Easton of Schola Gladiatoria for letting me use his clubs forum as a sounding board and various
members of Schola Gladiatoria forum for divers forms of assistance and advice
James Clark for Montante image and other helpful information.
And to all the Codex Martialis fans and supporters who have contacted me from Boston, New Orleans,
Miami, San Francisco, Austin, Madrid, Barcelona, Dijon, Sardinia, Galway, Gdansk, Prague, Pilsen, Tabor,
Budapest, Bristol, London, Trondheim, Copenhagen, Gotheburg, Augsburg, Neu Ulm, Berne, Perth, South
Korea, Japan and everywhere else around the world where they like a good gaming night with a few good
friends and a few good beers.
This book is dedicated to my friends Willy Rosencrans, Niels Miller, and Eric Gochnour with whom I spent
many an hilarious enthralling evening in my misspent youth playing role playing games.
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Seal of the Federfechter of Prague
Table of Contents
CREDITS . .............................................................................................................................. 2
INTRODUCTION . .................................................................................................................... 9
WHAT THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR . ........................................................................................ 10
The Weapons of the Ancient World . ................................................................................................................ 10
A note on weapon classification . .................................................................................................................... 11
Weapon costs and the economy . .................................................................................................................... 11
A note on the Eras of Time and weapons technology . .................................................................................. 12
Weapons and the Law . .................................................................................................................................... 13
A Note on the Artwork . ..................................................................................................................................... 14
The Weapon Stats . ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Size . .............................................................................................................................................................. 14 Reach To Hit Bonus. .................................................................................................................................... 14 Speed To Hit Bonus . .................................................................................................................................... 14 Weapon Defense Bonus . ............................................................................................................................ 14 Damage Rating . ........................................................................................................................................... 15 Armor Piercing Bonus . ................................................................................................................................ 15 Attack Types . ............................................................................................................................................... 15 Primary Attack . ............................................................................................................................................ 15 Grapple Bonus . ............................................................................................................................................ 15 Hardness / Hit Points. ................................................................................................................................. 15 Subjective . ................................................................................................................................................... 15
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GLOSSARY OF SOME TERMS . ........................................................................................... 16
NEW WEAPON RULES ......................................................................................................... 18
Weapon breakage . ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Repairing Weapons . ......................................................................................................................................... 18
Grappling from a distance ............................................................................................................................... 18 Shield hook . ................................................................................................................................................. 18
Reach and Measure . ........................................................................................................................................ 18
Seizing weapons ............................................................................................................................................... 18
Disarm weapons ............................................................................................................................................... 19
Slash the Hand ................................................................................................................................................. 19
Twist the blade . ................................................................................................................................................. 19
Fighting indoors ................................................................................................................................................ 19
Weapon Materials . ........................................................................................................................................... 20 A Brief history of the metallurgy of weapons. ............................................................................................ 21 Bronze . ......................................................................................................................................................... 21 Iron . .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 Steel . ............................................................................................................................................................ 22 Pattern Welded Steel . ................................................................................................................................. 23 Tempered Steel . .......................................................................................................................................... 24 Crucible Steel . ............................................................................................................................................. 25
SIMPLE WEAPONS .............................................................................................................. 28 Razor . ........................................................................................................................................................... 29 Knuckleduster . ............................................................................................................................................ 29 Sap Gloves . .................................................................................................................................................. 29 Small Knife . ................................................................................................................................................. 29 Misericorde / Poniard . ................................................................................................................................ 29 Large Knife . ................................................................................................................................................. 29 Small Dagger . .............................................................................................................................................. 30 Stiletto . ......................................................................................................................................................... 30 Sax knife . ..................................................................................................................................................... 30 Sword, Cutlass . ............................................................................................................................................ 31 Sword, Pian Dao . ......................................................................................................................................... 31 Sword, Dussack . .......................................................................................................................................... 31 Mace, Light . ................................................................................................................................................. 33 Sickle . ........................................................................................................................................................... 33 Heavy Stick . ................................................................................................................................................. 33 Waihaka Club . .............................................................................................................................................. 33 Hatchet . ....................................................................................................................................................... 33 Hand Axe . ..................................................................................................................................................... 34 Tomahawk, Stone . ....................................................................................................................................... 34 Tomahawk . .................................................................................................................................................. 34 Sword, Long Sax . ......................................................................................................................................... 34
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Bauernwehr . ................................................................................................................................................ 36 Woodman’s Axe (HH). .................................................................................................................................. 38 Mace, Heavy . ............................................................................................................................................... 38 Mace, Flanged . ............................................................................................................................................ 38 Bata . ............................................................................................................................................................. 38 Small Club . ................................................................................................................................................... 39 War Club . ..................................................................................................................................................... 39 Protosword . .................................................................................................................................................. 39 Bill, Farmers . ................................................................................................................................................ 39 Mattock (TH) . ............................................................................................................................................... 40 Wooden Mallet (TH) . .................................................................................................................................... 40 Iron Maul . ..................................................................................................................................................... 40 Sword, Messer . ............................................................................................................................................ 40 Sword, Falchion . .......................................................................................................................................... 41 Small Staff . .................................................................................................................................................. 41 Kern Axe . ...................................................................................................................................................... 41 Pitch Fork . .................................................................................................................................................... 41 Godendag . ................................................................................................................................................... 41 Great Club . ................................................................................................................................................... 42 Scythe . ......................................................................................................................................................... 42 Shovel / Spade . ........................................................................................................................................... 42 Iron Bound Staff . ......................................................................................................................................... 45 Quarterstaff . ................................................................................................................................................ 45 Spear (TH) . ................................................................................................................................................... 45
MARTIAL WEAPONS ............................................................................................................ 48 Jambiya Dagger . .......................................................................................................................................... 49 Rondel Dagger . ............................................................................................................................................ 49 Broad Dagger . .............................................................................................................................................. 49 Large Dagger . .............................................................................................................................................. 49 War Hammer . .............................................................................................................................................. 50 War Pick . ...................................................................................................................................................... 50 Sword, Akinakes . ......................................................................................................................................... 50 Sword, Short . ............................................................................................................................................... 50 Sword, Gladius . ............................................................................................................................................ 51 Sword, Cinquedea . ...................................................................................................................................... 51 Sword, Katzbalger . ...................................................................................................................................... 53 Sword, Leaf Blade . ...................................................................................................................................... 53 Sword, Spatha . ............................................................................................................................................ 53 Sword, Broad . .............................................................................................................................................. 56 Sword, Arming . ............................................................................................................................................. 56 Sword, Cut-Thrust . ....................................................................................................................................... 59 Sword, Sidesword . ....................................................................................................................................... 59 Sword, Backsword . ...................................................................................................................................... 60 Sword, Schiavona / Palasz . ........................................................................................................................ 62 Morning Star . ............................................................................................................................................... 64 Axe, Battle . ................................................................................................................................................... 64 Sword, Hand and a Half . ............................................................................................................................. 64 Sword, Liuye Dao . ........................................................................................................................................ 66 Sword, Yanmao Dao . ................................................................................................................................... 66 Sword, Saber . .............................................................................................................................................. 66 Sword, Heavy Saber . ................................................................................................................................... 67 Sword, Shamshir . ........................................................................................................................................ 67 Sword, Tulwar . ............................................................................................................................................. 67 Sword, Killij . ................................................................................................................................................. 68 Axe, Bearded . ............................................................................................................................................... 70
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Axe, Great. .................................................................................................................................................... 70 Sword, Bastard . ........................................................................................................................................... 70 Sword, Greatsword . ..................................................................................................................................... 71 Sword, Longsword . ...................................................................................................................................... 71 KriegsMesser . .............................................................................................................................................. 72 Poll Hammer . ............................................................................................................................................... 77 Pollaxe . ......................................................................................................................................................... 77 Ahlspeiss (Awl Spear) . ................................................................................................................................. 77 Balanced Spear . .......................................................................................................................................... 77 Hewing Spear. .............................................................................................................................................. 78 Bill-Guisarme . .............................................................................................................................................. 78 Light Lance . ................................................................................................................................................. 78 Halberd . ....................................................................................................................................................... 82 Volgue . ......................................................................................................................................................... 82
EXOTIC WEAPONS .............................................................................................................. 85 Sap . .............................................................................................................................................................. 86 Katar (punch) Dagger . ................................................................................................................................. 86 Kukri Knife . .................................................................................................................................................. 86 Main Gauche . .............................................................................................................................................. 87 Keris / Kris . .................................................................................................................................................. 87 Sword, Wakizashi . ....................................................................................................................................... 88 Sword, Falcata . ............................................................................................................................................ 88 Sword, Smallsword . ..................................................................................................................................... 89 Sword, Colichemarde / Konigsmark .......................................................................................................... 89 Sword, Jian . .................................................................................................................................................. 89 Sword, Kopis / Yatgaghan . ......................................................................................................................... 90 Flail, Heavy . .................................................................................................................................................. 90 Flail, Heavy, Spiked . .................................................................................................................................... 90 The Saracens outside of Paris, 732 AD, .................................................................................................... 91 Sword, Katana . ............................................................................................................................................ 92 Sword, Niuweidao . ....................................................................................................................................... 92 Trident (HH) . ................................................................................................................................................ 93 Flail, Light (TH) . ............................................................................................................................................ 93 Sword, Tachi . ............................................................................................................................................... 93 Kampilan . ..................................................................................................................................................... 93 Sword, Rapier . ............................................................................................................................................. 94 Sword, Estoc . ............................................................................................................................................... 94 Sword, Claymore . ......................................................................................................................................... 98 Sword, Claymore . ......................................................................................................................................... 98 Sparth Axe / Bardiche . ................................................................................................................................ 98 Falx / Rhomphia (TH) . ................................................................................................................................. 98 Flegel . ........................................................................................................................................................... 99 True Two Handed Sword / Zweihander ................................................................................................... 104 Sword, Flammard . .................................................................................................................................... 104 Sword, No – Dachi . ................................................................................................................................... 105 Glaive - Guisarme . .................................................................................................................................... 105 Spetum / Ranseur /Partisan . .................................................................................................................. 105 Pike . .......................................................................................................................................................... 106 Heavy Lance . ............................................................................................................................................ 107
CODEX WEAPONS APPENDIX– CHARTS . ........................................................................ 111
Simple Weapons . .......................................................................................................................................... 111
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Martial Weapons . .......................................................................................................................................... 113
Exotic Weapons .............................................................................................................................................. 115
OPEN GAME LICENSE . ..................................................................................................... 118
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Ritter unt landsknecht, Albrecht Durer, circa 1500 AD
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Introduction
It’s a dangerous world out there. Today’s adventurers
have a dangerous job. Ransacking ancient tombs,
defeating evil sorcerers, voyaging through the remote
bandit-haunted wilderness, unveiling the sinister plots
of semi-human cultists… this is not a good line of work
for the timid or the ill-prepared. Of course, the
responsible adventurer always hopes to achieve their
goals as peacefully as possible, while remaining fully
aware of the sad reality that not all monsters, villains,
or ravenous beasts of the gloomy forest glade are
susceptible to reason and diplomacy.
Some beasts of the gloomy forest glade can be surprisingly unreasonable
In fact given how unreasonable they often are, there
comes a point which can arrive with dramatic speed,
when polite conversation has reached an impasse.
Sometimes, you just have to let your spear do your
talking for you. Also your halberd, your battle axe, your
mace, your sword, your dagger, your war hammer, your
flail and / or your brass knuckles. It is for this
unfortunate but often inevitable stage of discourse
that the equipment found in this book is most valuable
and most well suited. In fact, the kit found in
these pages is incredibly effective for such
applications, and will allow you the adventurer to
puncture, pierce, smash, crush, slice, slash and
hack to bits even the most formidable and
intransigent malefactor with relative ease, making
the rest of your duties such as collecting and
sorting treasure, identifying ancient artifacts,
reading and deciphering clues, and solving various
dark mysteries that much easier and more
pleasurable.
This is made possible because the adventurer of
fantasy role playing games has distant cousins in
the real world who lived in many respects a similar
life. The professional mercenaries of the
Renaissance, the knights of the Middle Ages, the
formidable barbarian warriors of the Iron Age, the
Legionnaires and Hoplites of the Classical period,
all had to contend with similar annoyances (not to
mention each other). As did the pirates, vikings,
bandits, rogues, brigands, steppe raiders,
berserkers, cossacks, highwaymen, rebels, reivers
and corsairs with whom they shared the real world.
As a result of the murderous brawling among these
folks over the last two or three thousand years,
and with those feral beasts of the real world such
as ravenous wolf packs, crazed grizzly bears,
tigers, enraged war elephants, hungry lions and
the occasional angry cow* a marvelous array of
highly effective equipment was created. Now,
thanks to our efforts, the well fitted out adventurer
can select several of the best from this very book,
and ladies and gentlemen, these are the real deal.
So if you have lost faith in your bat winged, fang
encrusted dragon sword or your meter wide Hanna
Barbarian axe blade, and are craving some thing a
bit more… real, fear not brave adventurer, for a
very old arsenal awaits…
* see Auruchs
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What this document is for
Many other people have written weapon compendiums.
Larger companies with better writers, better artists and a
much bigger budget have taken their proverbial stab at
this. But we believe this document represents a fresh
approach that really hasn’t been done before in an OGL
game, or arguably for any RPG.
Our goal with UWeapons of the Ancient World U is to place
pre-industrial weapons into an historically based
functional context. Though many weapon compendiums
have been written for various RPGs, the real functional
differences of ancient weapons have never been
accurately differentiated – leading to a variety of clichés
such as the ludicrous idea that a twelve inch dagger is a
nuisance weapon that can barely hurt you.
Weapons are different not just in how they look, but how
they work. Some are good at short range, some at long
range, some are good at armor piercing, some are very
good for defense, some specialize at carving up
unarmored flesh. Some weapons are designed for skilled
martial artists to face other skilled opponents, some are
meant for the rough calloused hands of untrained militia
or bandits. Some specialize in starting fights, some are
meant for finishing them.
The Codex Martialis system allows your character to
chose their weapons as part of an overall fighting
strategy, not just as cosmetic adornment. Whether a
weapon is long or short, fast or slow, good for blocking or
not, has two edges or one, cuts or pierces or crushes …
these factors matter to someone who has to fight for their
life as your character does. The real world martial arts
techniques in the Codex were designed to leverage the
advantages of these different features, to give the skilled
fighter that crucial edge that allows them to kill rather
than being killed. This book will allow you to look at
weapons as our ancestors did, as functional, albeit in
some cases beautiful tools rather than merely part of a
costume. You will learn that no part of the sword was
made in vain.
The second purpose of Weapons of the Ancient World is
to provide a baseline of these functional characteristics
that is relevant for any game at any level of abstraction,
as a resource for any and all gamers. It doesn’t really
matter if you are into a grim and gritty historical
simulation or classic High Fantasy, or even the most far
out manga anime campaign imaginable; whether your
system has three weapon types with one stat each or
a hundred weapons with ten stats each; whether you
play first level mooks or 30th level gods. If you are a
gamer, we believe the information in this book will be
useful for you.
Why? Because the historical weapons all fantasy
RPGs are built around fit together and with the martial
arts and armor of their times… like a puzzle. If you
have some idea how they actually functioned
historically, how they were made, who used them and
why, we believe many other pieces of the puzzle will fit
together too. Then any game-play or game design
experience can become more immersive, cinematic
and more intuitively satisfying.
The Weapons of the Ancient World
…is a comprehensive overview of historical weapons,
focusing on the weaponry of the Fantasy Role Playing
Game genre. It was written specifically for the Codex
Martialis but was designed to be useful for anyone
playing, running, or designing a fantasy or historical
RPG or computer game. Focusing on the fantasy
genre means we put an emphasis on Medieval
European arms, but you will find a reasonable
sampling of weapons from other places and periods,
ranging from the Paleolithic through Early Modern
times, and from Central America, Polynesia, Persia,
India, the Philippines, China and Japan as well as both
Western and Eastern Europe.
Rather than a collection of the curiosities of exotic
militaria or all the oddities of the Martial Arts around
the world, these are the weapons we think were
historically important on ancient battlefields and
dueling squares and back alleys of the real world, and
might be fun and interesting in a Fantasy or historical
RPG game. Weapon stats are not written in stone, so
feel free to adjust as you see fit. We have taken care
with our research, but new information is always
emerging and our interpretation of some data has
changed over the years, and will probably change
again.
Certain weapons in particular have a lot of variation
within the class, arming swords or spears for example.
You should feel free to include variants of these in
your game; longer spears with better reach and
inferior speed, heavier swords with lower speed but
better damage etc.
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If you find errors or have feedback on the weapon
information in this list, please chime in on our forums
about it at: HUhttp://www.codexmartialis.comU
Female Knights wielding lances and arming swords, France 15th Century
A note on weapon classification
RPG’s have always by necessity turned terminology into
taxonomy, applying modern ideas of 'models' to hand-
made, pre-industrial items. To some extent, we are trying
to correct problems created by this approach in the past,
but we aren’t immune to the disease ourselves. We still
do need to create some kind of taxonomy which causes
some inevitable distortions, the very act of categorizing
can be problematic.
The original weapons research done by Gygax, Arneson et
al was good, but incomplete, lacking in suitable context,
an understanding of martial arts or a rule system which
could take advantage of the functional differences
between one weapon and another. It still could have been
a great start, but unfortunately represented the high-
water mark for successive RPGs and computer games
which repeated most of the original errors and distorted
them still further with each subsequent iteration.
Designers and gamers tuned off by the cumbersome
elements of realism tacked on to early RPGs consciously
moved away from reality and invented a pseudo-history
and a sort of cartoon physics which has bubbled up
through the pop culture and has now created some of the
oddest notions we generally hold today about ancient
combat and the ancient world.
Today we can take advantage of the far greater
resources available for understanding Historical
Martial Arts and weaponry, but often we are still just
making an educated guess. We tried here to point out
a few specific examples where weapons overlap,
where we are unsure, where there is conflicting
information, or where the terms we used were
arbitrary or of modern origin. The weapons in this
book are categorized according to a representative
type of a certain function and composition, and are
not necessarily pegged to a specific place or time. A
given weapon may appear in functionally similar form
in several different regions around the globe over a
period of centuries or eons.
A 16th Century Landsknecht in the Alps
Weapon costs and the economyThe costs associated with the weapons in this
document are a very rough estimate based on the
standard 3.5 OGL money system. Historically, local
currencies and economic conditions fluctuated too
wildly from one place to another to make an accurate
universal baseline really possible. Since we are
comparing weapons here from not only different areas
but also eras several centuries apart this makes
estimating their relative value even more complex. So
how do you compare the value of a 5th Century sword
with a 15th? You really can’t - what you see here is
just a guess, so feel free to modify the prices here to
fit your own game, they are there to give you a very
rough idea of the relative cost of each item, nothing
more. For something closer to the ballpark of real life,
you could change the costs in gold pieces to silver
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pieces and change silver to bronze (or copper or iron or
shells or cows or whatever type currency you are using).
15th Century drawing by Daniel Hopfer of the Imperial Jester Kunz Von der Rosen,note his gambeson and kriegsmeserr. This drawing was believed for a long time torepresent the infamous Frisian pirate Stortebekker
Eras: Neolithic (before 3000 BC) Pre-historic (3000- 1500 BC), Classical Bronze Age (1500 BC – 1000 BC), Classical Iron Age (1000 BC – 400 AD), Dark Ages / Migration Era (400 AD – 800 AD), Medieval (800 AD – 1350 AD), Renaissance (1350 AD – 1550 AD), Enlightenment / Baroque (1550 AD – 1700 AD), Early Modern (1700 AD – 1800 AD)
A note on the Eras of Time and weapons
technology
These weapons range from the Stone Age to the Industrial
Age. As mentioned previously, the value of raw materials
like metals and finished products like weapons varied
dramatically from one cultural / technological epoch to
another. A simple iron sword in the 5th Century economy
was worth far more than much better steel swords were
worth in the 15th. During the early Iron Age, most
weapons were still being made with bronze, iron weapons
were a superior exotic material. During the late Iron Age
when steel weapons first began to appear, iron was
relatively commonplace and steel was a superior
exotic material, etc.
To make things even more confusing, while people in
one area were living in a particular technological
period, a few hundred miles away people may be
living in another age.
For example, in 1700 BC people of the Unetice culture
of Bohemia had already made triangular bronze
daggers for nearly 600 years, while not too far away in
Denmark they still made knives from knapped stone
(albeit quite nice ones). Similarly the Scythians who
roamed from Eastern Europe to Siberia had used iron
weapons for 300 years before their neighbors in
China entered the Iron Age circa 600 BC.
The Renaissance was already in full swing in northern
Italy for 120 years by the time it started in France in
1500. And of course when Cortez landed in Mexico in
1500, he was carrying Renaissance era steel swords,
crossbows and firearms while the Aztecs, just starting
to use copper, armed themselves with the wood and
stone of the Neolithic (when the Conquistadors
arrived in the Philippines however, they found the
natives already using Iron swords…)
But history wasn’t always a simple matter of
“barbarians” being backward and the “civilized” areas
being advanced either, many key technological
advances (like mail armor for example or Iron itself)
came out of so called barbarian zones. So my advice
is, in a fantasy campaign feel free to mix technology
levels as you like, just think a little bit about how the
different tech levels would interact, history gives us
plenty of guidelines.
Quarterstaves in use, from UOld English Sports, Pastimes and CustomsU, 1891
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Weapons and the Law
If you want to include an historical context for weapons in
your RPGs you may want to consider legal restrictions on
their carry and open display. Most Medieval and
Renaissance towns in Europe had some kind of rules on
carrying large weapons within the town walls unless you
were an aristocrat or in the militia. Some towns allowed
swords to be carried in public but very few allowed people
to carry around larger weapons like polearms or missile
weapons like crossbows or firearms.
When traveling in the countryside though most countries
allowed travelers to go armed within reason. There were
also always many lawless zones in Europe: the islands
and coastal regions of the North and Baltic Seas such as
Gotland and Frisia; many of the Mediterranean islands
such as Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Cyprus, and Crete,
certain regions of the Pyrenees and Carpathian
mountains, and whole vast regions of the Ukrainian
steeppe were the home of pirates and bandits going back
centuries. There were also always local districts and
neighborhoods; forests, deserts, bogs, hill country, which
were de-facto “no mans land” where you could do as you
wished, at your own risk. The proverbial Sherwood forest
was not entirely a myth.
Sumptuary laws (laws restricting the ownership of
weapons and luxury items for common people) could be
very complicated. In some regions of the world, many
parts of China or Japan for example people of the lower
classes were prohibited from owning weapons at all. In
most regions of Europe even peasants typically carried at
least a knife with them at all times, and blades such as a
sax, a hauswehr or a messer were also ubiquitous.
Travelers normally carried at least a staff for protection on
the road, and traveling groups routinely included armed
escorts. Hunting weapons such as crossbows and
firearms were as common in rural areas then, as hunting
rifles and shotguns are in the United States today, though
explicitly military weapons could draw attention (think of
an Ak-47). Similarly depending on the region anyone
wearing armor could be considered suspicious, like
someone today openly wearing body armor walking down
your block (or strolling past the bank).
Generally speaking, while weapons were fairly common in
these periods, it was the wearing of armor that was really
seen as an invitation to trouble. Something you may want
to factor that in next time your party is strolling into the
town pub in full plate harness…
In places with strict sumptuary laws, parts of Romania
for example, or certain regions of Austria, France,
Britain or English occupied Ireland, locals might not
be able to carry anything other than a knife. On the
other extreme, in pagan Iron Age tribes, in medieval
Switzerland or Scandinavia or Mongolia common
citizens or tribesmen (and in some cases women)
were expected to carry arms.
In most cantons of Medieval Switzerland for example
you actually couldn’t vote at the assembly unless you
brought your sword with you (this very ancient custom
is still practiced in the canton of Appenzell
Innerrhoden today, most recently in a vote to ban
nude hiking), and many of the Renaissance trading
towns of Germany, Poland, Bohemia, Italy and
Flanders were home to fencing fraternities, fencing
salons and Fechtschulen (Martial Arts schools) whose
members openly carried swords throughout the
Renaissance period.
Armed Peasants, Franconia Germany - Albrecht Durer
The important thing to remember is that most
societies had some kind of rules on carrying and
owning weapons, there were usually free zones and
more regulated zones. Meetings, feasts and
assemblies usually mandated rules such as using
‘peace knots’, or carrying the sword facing up or on
the wrong side to prevent a sudden flash of anger
from leading to mayhem. The rules could range from
total restriction to mandatory carrying of arms, it did
vary greatly from place to place, sometimes from one
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village to the next. This can be an interesting nuance to
add to your fantasy or historical campaign world.
A Note on the Artwork
Throughout the document you will see some public
domain images from various sources, mostly published
long enough ago that their copyright is expired, as well as
dozens of very realistic illustrations of historical weapons.
The illustrations of the weapons in this document are the
most accurate representations we could create, wherever
possible based on photographs of actual antiques. Our
intention is to convey an idea of what these weapons
really looked like rather than some derivative or made up
fantasy interpretation. In cases where we could not find
antiques we based our illustrations on the best available
modern replicas of the weapons in question, or where
antiques were available but in poor (excavated) condition
we created composite illustrations with a mix elements
from modern and ancient sources.
The quality and resolution of these images (both our own
illustrations and the period artwork) might not be
fantastic, but they do represent a pretty close
approximation of the real thing in every case show
weapons as we believe they really were, and we felt that
that was our priority. Keep in mind the images you see
here show you one or a few variations of a particular type
of weapon, we can’t show you every variation, and since
these are pre-industrial weapons, variations are actually
the rule, there is little uniformity within each type. After
each illustration is an estimate of a date and time where
this weapon would have been found. In some case this
represents the actual find site of the weapon depicted, in
others it is essentially an educated guess.
Very roughly, the weapon illustrations in this document
are to scale, at the scale of 1 foot = 1.1
The Weapon Stats
The weapons in this document are assigned statistics for
use with the Codex Martialis system. The Codex is a
modified version of OGL, and is based on that system, so
that each weapon causes a certain amount of damage,
has certain attack types etc. The Codex however models
many more features than standard OGL and even if you
don’t’ use this system, these can help you assess the
characteristics of each weapon to better fit them into your
own game.
The characteristics of the weapon you wield play a
significant role in the strategy you use in a fight. Large
weapons have better reach, small weapons are faster.
Piercing weapons are more effective against armor,
while slashing weapons are better against unarmored
opponents.
Size
This is based on the standard OGL size category, T for
tiny, S for small, M for medium, L for long and VL for
very long. In the Codex Rules any weapon with a size
M or larger cannot be used to attack at Grapple range,
except with certain Martial Feats or as otherwise
specified in the weapon description (see the Tulwar /
Shamshir for example).
Reach To Hit Bonus
Each melee weapon has a Reach To Hit Bonus (RTHB)
which comes into play in all opening attacks. Longer
weapons such as spears, staves, lances, and pikes all
have excellent reach. Initial attacks use the RTHB.
See Codex Martialis, Basic Combat, Attack. Very
roughly the baseline for RTHB is based on the length
of the weapon, 1 point per foot (maxed out at 9), but
slower or more awkward weapons may have a lower
bonus, while quicker or more effective weapons may
have a better ‘effective’ reach.
Speed To Hit Bonus
Each melee weapon has a Speed To Hit Bonus (STHB)
which comes into play in all follow-up attacks.
Daggers, hatchets, knives and short-swords have
good speed. Weapons balanced by an iron pommel,
such as broadswords or arming swords, have better
speed than those which don’t, such as a hatchet or a
mace. With certain Martial Feats, double-edged
weapons can have a speed advantage as well. Any
time you attack for the second time in a given round,
and any time you make a Counterattack or an Attack
of Opportunity, you use the STHB of your weapon. See
Codex Martialis, Basic Combat, Attack. The baseline
for STHB is the speed for unarmed attacks by
humans, which is 6. STHB goes down from there
based on a variety of subjective factors.
Weapon Defense Bonus
Each melee weapon is rated for defense. Shields and
weapons which are of a substantial size but well
balanced have a good Weapon Defense Bonus (WDB).
Most swords, maces, and certain daggers have good
defensive characteristics, as do staves, spears, and
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pole arms when used with two hands. Weapons with extra
hand protection also have a higher WDB. See Codex
Martialis, Basic Combat, Defense.
Damage Rating
The Damage Rating value represents the normal damage
done for any attack.
Armor Piercing Bonus
Certain weapons are designed specifically to pierce
armor. These weapons receive an Armor Piercing Bonus.
This bonus lowers the Damage Reduction value from your
opponent’s Armor (see Codex Martialis, Armor).
Attack Types
Each weapon has one or more Attack Types. The different
Attack Types are Chop, Slash, Bludgeon, and Pierce.
Piercing and bludgeoning attacks are more effective
against armor, chopping and slashing attacks cause more
damage in critical hits.
Primary Attack
The Primary Attack is the Attack Type which is used for
Critical Hits. For example a dagger may be able to Slash
and Pierce but the Pierce Attack Type is considered
the Primary Attack type as it is the one that may cause
a Dynamic Critical (see Codex Martialis, Cricital Hit).
Grapple Bonus
This is a new stat added in this book, it reflects the
ability to use the weapon for grappling from a
distance. See New Rules, Grappling from a Distance,
below.
Hardness / Hit Points
This reflects the relative strength or fragility of the
weapon which comes into play during binds (see
Codex Martialis, the Tie that Binds), when the weapon
is attacked, and also when Dynamic Criticals are used
(see New Rules, Weapon Breakage, below).
Subjective
At the end of some weapon descriptions there is an
added subjective commentary. This is an authors
commentary, more reflective of the opinion than hard
facts.
You Talkin to Me?
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Glossary of Some Terms
Basket hilt A type of hand protection on a sword
developed during the Baroque period,
consisting of a series of iron or steel bars
connected in a web or ‘basket’ to cover the
hand. Very effective protection for the hand,
which in turn makes the weapon more effective
for defence.
Bind A fencing term referring to when two
weapons are in contact for a noticeable period
of time. This could be anywhere from a half a
second to thirty seconds or more. A bind can
trigger special events within the Codex system.
See Codex Martialis, Basic Combat , The Tie
that Binds.
C.O.G. The COG or center of gravity, also called
the POB or point of balance, is the point in
which a blade balances. C.O.G. closer to the
hilt can mean a nimbler blade, C.O.G. further
out can mean more authority in the cut.
C.O.P. The COP or center of percussion is the
‘sweet spot’ part of the blade where it cuts
best, usually the area with the least vibration,
typically somewhere from the middle to the tip
of the blade.
Complex hilt A combination of any number of
different features designed to protect the hand
on a sword, including but not limited to finger
rings, siderings, knucklebow, basket hilt, etc.
These features began to appear in the late
Medieval Period and were developed in the
Renaissance. See also Basket hilt.
Cup hilt Similar to a Basket hilt but
consisting of one solid piece of iron or steel,
can also be a kind of hemispheric guard on
a rapier (particularly Spanish rapiers).
Appeared in the Baroque Era.
Distal Taper Many swords particularly in
Europe were made so that the thickness of
the blade diminished very gradually toward
the tip, this enhanced the strength of the
blade in the Forte, decreased the weight,
improved the balance and kept the center
of gravity closer to the grip.
False-Edge Has multiple meanings but
usually the partially sharpened ‘clipped’ part
of the back of a sword or a knife. With two-
edged weapons the false-edge is the side
not initially lined up with your knuckles
when you cut. Cutting with the false-edge
(i.e. without turning the blade) can be very
quick, and improves the speed of some
weapons in combat, particularly two-handed
weapons which can be used to cut true-
edge to false-edge, see False edge cutting
and Zucken (Twitch Cut) MF.
Finger Ring Small ring at the base of the
blade which protects the finger when in a
‘fingered grip’
Forte The ‘strong’ of the blade of a sword,
the section closest to the grip, roughly the
first 1/3 of the blade length depending on
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the specific weapon class. In most fencing
systems this is where you parry.
Fuller The so called ‘blood groove’ down the
center of a sword or dagger blade. This has
nothing to do with blood it is a design feature
similar to the principle of an I-beam, which
strengthens and lightens a blade, and usually
makes it more flexible. Swords can have single
or multiple fullers, down the whole blade (as in
Oakeshott type X for example) or part way.
Guard See Quillions
Haft The staff or pole component of a spear,
axe, mace, hammer or pole arm. Hafts are
usually made of wood.
Knucklebow A guard on the hilt of the sword
which extends from the quillions to the pommel,
designed to protect the hand. Sometimes also
found on other weapons such as maces. Found
on European swords and on late –era (17th
Century and later) Indian swords.
Langet Iron sheathing used to partially cover
wooden hafts on spears, axes etc. to protect
them from being cut or breaking, also adds
weight and hardness to the haft.
Long Edge See True Edge
Nagel Literally ‘nail’. An iron spur mounted to
the grip of a sword at the base of the blade,
sometimes shaped like a clamshell, designed to
protect the hand. Similar in function to a
Sidering. Found on messers, cutlasses, and
other short swords.
Pommel An iron weight at the base of a sword
or dagger used to counterbalance the blade,
and secondarily as a bludgeoning or stabbing
weapon. A feature of most swords made in
Europe after the 7th Century AD. Not as
common on swords from other parts of the
world. A wooden, bone, horn or otherwise
organic knob at the end of a sword is not
effectively a pommel since it usually does not
act as a counterweight, but only to help the
hand grip.
Profile Taper This refers to a blade getting
narrower in width toward the tip, i.e. in a
triangular or ‘pointy’ shape in profile.
Quillions The cross-guard of a sword.
Quillions can take many, many forms but
the most common for European Medieval
swords was usually a cruciform steel or iron
bar extending horizontally from the base of
the blade out somewhere from 1”-6”. These
first began appearing in European swords
crica 1000 AD. Swords from the
Renaissance and later often featured
quillions which bent up or bent downward
into a knucklebow, and were augmented by
Complex Hilts.
Ricasso The unsharpened section on the
forte of some swords used for fingering or
grabbing the blade and often thickened for
parrying. Usually the first inch or two past
the qullions, on some two-handed swords
the ricasso can extend a foot or more.
Roundel An iron disk used to protect the
hand, similar to the Tsuba found on
Japanese swords. Roundels (or rondels) are
found on roundel daggers and on many
hafted weapons like maces, hammers, awl-
pikes, and many other pole-arms, as well as
swords in India and Europe.
Sidering Ring mounted on the hilt on a
sword used to protect the knuckles and the
hand, similar in function to a Nagel. Found
on some longswords, bastard swords,
messers, etc. as well as many rapiers and
sideswords.
Short Edge See False Edge
True Edge Aka Long Edge. The primary
cutting edge of a single-edged sword, or the
‘initial’ cutting edge on a double-edged
sword. See False Edge.
Tsuba A small disk-like guard designed to
protect the hand, found on many East Asian
swords, similar to a roundel.
Weak A fencing term meaning this is the
part of the blade which has the least
strength at the bind. Roughly the last third
of the blade of a sword toward the tip was
sometimes called the ‘weak’.
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New Weapon Rules
Weapon breakage
Any weapon with a hardness of less than 8 takes damage
when it makes a multi-dice critical hit, and any time a
weapon with any hardness makes a multi-dice critical hit
against armor with a higher DR than the weapons hardness
(including natural armor) unless making a bypass attack.
Damage is equal to the critical hit damage caused by the
weapon.
You may also want to degrade the effectiveness of a
damaged weapon with a damage step-down (D6 becomes
D4 etc.), up to the GM’s discretion.
Repairing Weapons
A broken sword must be re-forged, requiring a swordsmith
and costing about as much as making a new one. A broken
spear, halberd or axe can be simply re-hafted which is a
fairly simple process any blacksmith and most ordinary
soldiers could do in theory – provided suitable material and
tools are available. It would still be advisable to get a
professional woodworker to rehaft the weapon, Swiss
arsenals had specialized ‘woodsmiths’ to haft weapons.
Intermediate levels of damage can be repaired at the GM’s
discretion, some damage to a sword blade can be ground
away with a whetstone, more serious problems require a
visit to the forge. Another alternative is that a broken sword
can be somewhat more easily (less expensively) made into
a smaller sword.
This is actually what apparently happened with many
Scottish weapons, which started out as two-handed
Claymores (claidheamh mòr) were later reforged (or re-
ground) into single handed swords, with or without a
baskethilt and also called claymores, then remade again
into dirks (long daggers) and then finally into skein dubhs
(knives) sometimes three or four hundred years later. No
point in letting good steel go to waste even if you aren’t
Scottish.
Grappling from a distance
Each Weapon now has a Grapple Bonus which takes effect
during any attempt to grapple using the weapon (either at
short range or from a distance.) Any weapon with a Grapple
Bonus may be used to Grapple from a distance, can make
Grapple rolls including to make Trip or Sunder (disarm)
attacks, or pulling someone off of a horse for example.
Shield hook
Another way you can use Grappling from a distance is the
shield hook. This is a common tactic with polearms that you
even see being used by modern re-enactors like the SCA. If
you have a weapon with a grapple bonus like a halberd or a
bill, you can make a grapple attack at your opponents shield
(which they can resist with a normal Active Defense roll). If
you “hit”, the shield doesn’t count for their defense in your
next attack.
Reach and Measure
Any time you are facing a known opponent with a shorter
weapon and need to make an initiative roll, you gain a Free
Dice for your initiative if your weapon is at least one size-
category longer (M vs. S etc.)
Seizing weapons
Any time you are at grapple range, or get into a bind (tie die
roll on Active Defense) you may attempt to seize your
opponents weapon.
If your opponent still has MP remaining they may interrupt
you with an AoO when you try this, after the AoO , you simply
roll a contested Grapple Check to grab the weapon, (or your
Grapple vs. their Base Defense if they have no MP
remaining). Of course the Ringen MF gives you a free dice on
any roll to initiate or avoid Grapple so that could apply here
for either party. This also works for Natural weapons
(grabbing a monsters paw or throat to keep them from biting
etc.)
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If you have grabbed a weapon it cannot be used against
you either this round or the next round or thereafter until it
has been freed (which will require another contested
grapple check.) If your weapon is being held you can let it
go yourself as a "free action" of course and do something
else (like seize their weapon, or draw a dagger, or go to
grapple or whatever). If you have grabbed your opponents
weapon and are wielding a Hand and a Half (HH) Weapon
you may still attack them in this round (only) with no
penalty / adjustments for one-handed use, their own
weapon will not apply to their defense.
Disarm weapons
Once you have seized a weapon, if you have any MP
remaining, you may make a second contested Grapple
check to take it away (Disarm). If your opponent has no MP
remaining this is against their Base Defense per above.
If neither of you have any MP remaining you can still hold
on to their weapon and they will not be able to attack you
with that weapon next round until they manage to free it ...
unless the weapon is a sword or a dagger (see below).
Slash the Hand
But if at the start of your round your weapon being held is a
sword, knife or dagger of some kind with an S (Slashing)
attack type, you may automatically cut them with a Slashing
attack (you must expend at least one MP but no to-hit die
roll is necessary - you automatically cut them for full
Slashing damage). The only defense for this are mail-lined
gloves (which is why mail lined gloves became very popular
during the Renaissance.)
This makes it dangerous to grab a sword and try to take it, but
still quite tempting so long as you don't hold on too long!
These rules make it considerably more tempting to grab any
kind of hafted weapon if you are close enough or have the
opportunity due to a bind. And this is the real advantage of a
sword over an axe or a mace. Just like in real life.
Twist the blade
Any time you score a Piercing critical hit with a weapon
capable of P primary attack type, you may throw one or more
extra MP to cause one extra die of Crit damage for each MP
you expend. This makes thrusting weapons a bit more
dangerous!
Fighting indoors
Keep in mind cutting with an axe or a greatsword is not
something easily done indoors, in a castle or a church, in a
cave or a catacomb, in the forest, on a ship etc. where shorter
weapons generally have a big advantage. To simulate this
you can set a “reach ceiling” of a certain weapon size, and
take one or more MP away from anyone wielding a weapon
that size or larger. On the other hand, thrusting can work just
fine in some circumstances, depending on the layout of a
given space, a thrusting weapon with a reach advantage can
dominate a tight spot like a corridor, you have to give some
thought to when to apply the penalty and when not to (in a
circumstance like that you might want to add an MP).
Heavily armed Irish Gallowglass Mercenaries, Albrecht Durer 1525 AD. How many weapons can you spot?
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Weapon Materials Special materials can change the stats of your weapons
Material Hardness HP Speed Special AP Cost Note
Wood 1 1 - X1
Hardwood X2 1 -1 A X5
Bronze - +2 -1 - - X1 Harder than Iron
Iron -2 - - - -1 X1/2 This means wrought iron
Steel +1 +1 - - +1 X1 Much Harder than iron
Tempered
Steel
+2 +3 - B +2 X10 More flexible and harder than
untempered steel
Pattern
Welded
Steel
+1 +4 - B,C +2 X25 Potentially more flexible than
Tempered steel
Damascus /
Wootz Steel
+3 +3 - B,C,D +2 X50 Harder and more flexible than
Pattern Welded Steel
If you have a weapon made of a superior material than the default listed in the weapon description, for
example a Pattern Welded Sax or a Wootz steel Tulwar, consult the table above to apply modifications to
Hardness, Hit Points, and Armor Piercing bonus (AP bonus applies even if the weapon normally doesn’t have
one), and see below for possible special enhanced features. This works in reverse for inferior materials (i.e. an
Iron arming sword)
A Hardwood wooden weapons cause one category better damage, i.e. 1-4 damage becomes 1-6 etc.
B Weapons which have a Piercing attack but no Piercing Primary gain Piercing as a Primary attack .
C Weapons which have a Slash attack but no Slash primary gain Slashing as a Primary attack
D Weapons which have a Chopping attack but no Chop primary gain Chopping as a Primary attack
A weapon which qualifies for B-D but already has the Primary attack listed gains the next Primary attack. A
weapon which already has Chop, Slash, and Pierce primaries gains an increase in basic damage by one category
instead, 1-4 becomes 1-6 etc. Feel free to extrapolate this table out to magical materials.
Polish knights, arbalestiers and infantry, late 15th Century
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A Brief history of the metallurgy of weapons.
Bronze
Before the age of iron and steel, there was an age of bronze
and brass. Bronze in particular was the metal which literally
gave the edge to the mightiest civilizations the world had ever
seen. The armies of Egypt, Persia, India, Babylon, China,…
Homers ancient Mycenae and Troy and the mysterious
civilization of Crete all wielded bronze. The rams of the ancient
Mediterranean war-galleys, the scythes of Mesopotamian battle
chariots, the tips of a hundred thousand javelins and spears
across Asia, and the armor of countless generations of warriors
of the ancient world all shone with a brazen hue.
Gold-hilted bronze “akinakes’ type dagger or short-sword, Scythian orSaromatian, Ukraine, circa 12th Century BC
Bronze appeared in the Middle East by 3,300 BC, in India by
3,000 BC, in Europe by 2,300 BC, and in China by 2,000 BC.
The term bronze actually refers to a wide variety of copper
alloys, most of which contain various amounts of tin though
many early forms of bronze were actually alloys of copper and
arsenic. Bronze is also closely related to brass in antiquity,
which was a copper – zinc alloy (made by introducing calamide
into the copper smelting process since zinc was not available in
a natural state.) Bronze alloys ranged from soft to very strong,
from fairly brittle to quite flexible, and those alloys specialized
for making weapons actually made quite good ones, analogous
to early “steely iron” swords except a bit heavier.
Bronze ”leaf blade” sword, found in Ireland circa 18th Century BC
Unlike weapons made of iron or steel, which have to be heated
and then beaten into shape in a highly laborious, unpredictable
and often poorly understood process, bronze weapons were
cast from a mold in which liquid bronze was poured, and
virtually identical bronze weapons could be made in large
batches like so many hot-cakes. As a result bronze weapons
may not have had as much individual “personality” as later
steel weapons did but could be of much more uniform quality.
The best bronze alloys were actually stronger and generally
better for making weapons than the earliest available types of
iron. The principle benefit of iron, at least initially, was that it did
not require exotic raw materials to create. Bronze was less
brittle than iron and does not suffer from oxidation, especially in
salt water environments, and therefore bronze had an
important niche it never entirely lost.
Casseterite – this “tin stone” is how tin was found in a natural state, it wasone of the most valuable commodities of the ancient world. The namecomes from a Greek term referring to the British Isles, the semi-mythicalsource of this precious ore. The trade routes for this mineral extendedthousands of miles.
Even centuries after iron came into its own and the secret of
steel was understood, bronze remained in use for such
weapons as mace heads, tridents, cannon and gun barrels,
and some spears, axes and other hand weapons particularly
those intended for use on ships.
During the late Bronze Age very good quality bronze weapons
were being made in the Middle East and around the
Mediterranean basin, by the European Urnfield and Hallstadt
(Celtic) cultures, in Central Asia by the Scythians and
Persians, and by the Chinese using sophisticated techniques
incorporating alloys with different properties in layers in
different parts of the sword, strikingly similar to what was
done centuries later with case-hardened and pattern welded
iron.
‘Antenna hilt’ Bronze sword, early Hallstadt Culture, Halstadt Austria circa 11th Century BC
While bronze required not just somewhat rare copper but also
very rare tin which had to be imported from remote areas in
the British Isles and the Atlantic Coast of the Iberian
peninsula, iron on the other hand could be made from bog
plants and river sand, and various other ores which were
available basically everywhere.
Iron
Early iron used in weapons and armor was essentially
wrought iron, much softer than the sophisticated bronze
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alloys of the late Bronze Age. A large, thin piece of iron could
not hold an edge well or even retain its shape under duress.
This was reflected in the material culture of the early Iron Age
where the beautiful leaf-blade swords of the late Bronze-Age
Civilizations all but disappeared to be replaced by smaller iron
daggers and spearheads.
The Iron Age began in the Mesopotamia, Northern India and in
certain parts of Sub-Saharan Africa (the Eastern Niger) around
1500 BC. The secret of Iron spread to the Eastern
Mediterranean by 1300 BC (apparently contributing to what is
known as the Bronze Age Collapse), to Central Europe (the
Hallstadt “Celtic” culture) by 800 BC and to Iberian Spain
around the same time, to China around 700 BC, to Scandinavia
and Japan about 500 BC.
The ubiquity of iron apparently contributed to major social
disruptions. Bronze was the technology of highly organized,
“civilized” power centers which had control of far-flung trade
networks. It wasn’t enough to have the knowhow to make
bronze, one needed exotic raw materials namely tin. Iron on
the other hand was available nearly everywhere. Anybody who
knew the secret of smelting it and had the werewithal to make a
primitive bloomery forge could make iron, and it wasn’t long
before that secret was out.
Not that this was easy to master however. Smelting iron is a
very tricky and difficult process. Iron does not begin to melt
until the astonishing temperature of 2,500 degrees F is
reached, but will actually burn at 2,750 degrees F. Contrary to
what you may see on TV, this is not a temperature you can
reach in a campfire while roasting marshmallows. To create the
right conditions, you a way to force air into your fire (such as
with a bellows), and your forge must be made of special
materials (such as ceramics infused with asbestos) which can
endure very high temperatures.
A very rare iron dagger from the (Celtic) Hallstadt culture, Germany circa700 BC
Heating the iron was hard enough with ancient technology, but
that was only the beginning of the process. Iron intended for
weapons could not be simply poured into molds like bronze. It
had to be beaten into shape with a hammer while in a semi-
malleable (red-hot) state. Furthermore, to make weapon-grade
‘steely iron’ or steel, carbon had to be introduced into the iron,
in just the right amount, and the value of this could not be
realized without some form of heat treatment.
Nevertheless, it seems 10,000 barbarian soldiers with crude
iron daggers and iron-tipped spears were more effective than
1,000 professional soldiers armed with bronze swords on
chariots, and the dawn of the Iron Age heralded an apocalypse
for nearly all of the great civilizations of the Mediterranean, the
Middle East and Central Asia. Almost every city and fortified
site excavated from Mycenae, Anatolia, Egypt, Syria, and
Babylon shows evidence that it was burnt to the ground with
the arrival of iron.
The earliest iron artifacts and weapons actually pre-dated the
bloomery forge, and were crafted from very pure iron ore
found in meteorites. Meteorite iron remained a very popular
source of the metal, valued for its consistency and rarity. But
the reality is meteors were extremely rare and iron had to be
smelted from more common materials in a laborious and
difficult process.
Steel
From the earliest days of iron, smiths noticed that some
pieces which came out of the bloomery were harder than
others. It soon became clear that certain materials burned
with the ore contributed to different properties in the iron.
The Iron Age Scandinavians would insert bird dung as well as
wolf and bear bones into their smelters, because they knew
this helped to create harder ‘iron’, without knowing exactly
why (this was adding carbon and phosphorous in just the right
amounts to create steel or ‘steely iron’). As often as not such
practices were considered magic, the line between magic and
science was blurred in pre-industrial times.
Early bloomery forges created very small pieces of iron form
the forging process. Some smiths learned to recognize the
hard iron billets from the softer, and then sort the different
types. Pieces of harder iron could be forge-welded together
to create a blade or a blade edge that could stay sharp and
‘bite’ better. This also led to early techniques of Pattern
Welding (see below) when hard steel edges were forge-
welded to softer iron cores, for swords and also for axe and
spear blades. It also led to entire blades made with an
overall ‘steely iron’ or low carbon steel composition. Some
smiths in certain areas got very good at this very early (as far
back as 800 BC in Europe), but most were slow to master
these subtle secrets.
As iron became more commonplace in general, gradually
larger bloomery forges were made, and more and more
examples of case-hardened iron, 'steely iron' (very low carbon
steel) and some early forms of heat treatment can be found
in the archeological record, (though in many cases early steel
weapons were not heat-treated). Only then did the first “iron”
short swords begin to appear. Eventually as the techniques
improved enough the longer (up to three feet) steel swords
which were apparently pioneered by Celts or Illyrians who
appear to be among the first to be using steel weapons, the
other early centers being in Iberia (Spain), Tanzania Africa,
India, Central Asia and Sri Lanka where the earliest forms of
crucible steel were developed (see Wootz Steel, below).
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Iron Age axe blade, Gotland, Sweden, circa 800 BC
Iron was gradually replaced by steel for weapons but remained
in use as the principle material for armor for more than a
thousand years. In spite of its relative ubiquity compared to
bronze, iron weapons, particularly iron (steel) swords remained
relatively rare until the Medieval period when new technology,
notably the overshot water wheel and the windmill led to
increasingly widespread mass production of good quality iron in
Europe around the 11th - 12th Century.
The first well established center of ‘steely iron’ in Europe was
the Celtic / Illyrian “kingdom” (actually tribal federation) of
Noricum, which was captured by the Romans in the 1st Century
BC and thereafter became the source of their famous ‘Noric
Steel’ (the “Noricus ensis” of Horace). Another early center
was in the Iberian peninsula in what is now Spain where steel
weapons dated as early as the 3rd Century BC have been found,
and in Tanzania Africa a multi-stage smelting process was
invented by the Haya people which was recently carbon dated
to as early as the 1st Century BC. In China the blast furnace was
mastered around this time leading to widespread production of
cast iron, but steel did not become ubiquitous until centuries
later.
Steel is a compound of iron and carbon. For game purposes
‘steel’ refers to both low-carbon steel and work-hardened or
case-hardened iron (usually containing traces of phosphorous
introduced by bird dung and at least some carbon), as well as
primitive forge-welded weapons with combinations of wrought
iron and small amounts of cast iron (the predecessor to Pattern
Welding) and etc.. Both methods allowed weapons strong
enough to make swords up to one meter long but not as strong
as the weapons which would appear later after the production
of good quality iron led to high-carbon steel becoming much
more widespread (see Tempered Steel).
The appearance of steel revolutionized warfare as much as
bronze or iron did. Steel was not only harder than bronze but
also potentially more flexible and resilient, and like iron could
also be made from ore in river sand or bog plants that was
found nearly everywhere. Steel was like iron on steroids, as a
strategic technology it had but one weakness: Steel was the
hardest of all metals to master.
Smelting Iron in the Medieval Europe
Steel is a metal which exists in a very narrow chemical range,
somewhere between functionally marginal wrought iron
(anything with a carbon content of under 0.2%) and
functionally useless cast iron (anything with a carbon content
of over 2.25%). Wrought iron is too malleable to hold an edge,
while cast-iron is hard but far too brittle to be used for most
weapons. Furthermore, tiny trace amounts of other elements
such as silica and phosphorous are often necessary to
produce certain desired effects in iron alloys, but anything
over a few percentage points is useless slag. Of course once
steel with a suitable carbon content is produced and beaten
into the desired shape, it still has to be tempered and
quenched- all difficult and subtle processes in their own right.
Somehow this vital mystery metal had to be tamed and
controlled by people who lacked such basic equipment as a
thermometer, were rarely literate, and never aware of the
actual chemistry or physics which lay behind the properties
they sought. The poorly understood processes surrounding
the creation of a steel or “steely iron” sword, the relative
longevity and value of such weapons, and the wide potential
variety in ultimate quality, lent the production of iron and
steel weapons certain superstitious, even mystical overtones
especially among the Barbarian tribes.
Pattern Welded Steel
Pattern welding is a technique in which iron of different
qualities, essentially soft wrought iron on the one hand and
hard but brittle cast iron on the other, were combined to
make steel weapons with properties superior to the best
materials normally available. Pattern welding was practiced
in many parts of the world from Spain to Malaysia for more
than a thousand years, but it remained a very difficult and
time-consuming method of constructing a blade, and pattern
welded weapons were always extremely rare.
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Runic inscription on a 9th Century Sax, found in the River Thames
In Europe, this technique seems to have been pioneered by the
Celts during the La Tene period, possibly as early as their first
use of iron circa 800 BC, and may also have been known to the
Scythians who apparently introduced Iron to China around the
6th Century BC. This technique evolved from simpler case-
hardening and forge-welding methods (see ‘Steel’, above) which
also existed side by side for nearly a thousand years. Many
centuries later, Germanic and Norse blacksmiths took up where
the best La Tene smiths left off, and ultimately mastered the
process, raising it to a high art.
The earliest forms of pattern welding consisted of essentially of
forge-welding very hard but brittle cast iron edges to more
flexible wrought iron cores. But gradually swords with a much
more sophisticated composite structure began to emerge, in
which the center of the blade was made into a kind of lattice
blending high and low carbon steels, welded to carefully
wrought edges wrought using sophisticated differential
hardening techniques understood by very few people today.
These weapons were remarkably hard and keen edged, while
remaining unusually flexible.
“The central part of their blades, cunningly
hollowed out, appears to be grained with tiny
snakes, and here such varied shadows play
that you would believe the shining metal to be
interwoven with many colors.”
-Roman Senator Cassiodorus describing the
weapons of the Germanic Warni tribe, , 5th
Century AD
These weapons had a beautiful
pattern on them similar to so called
“Damascus” steel (see wootz steel,
below). In most cases the pattern was
visible only if the blade was etched
with acid (as is often the case with
modern “Damascus steel”
reproductions) or when changing
temperature rapidly, such as when thrust into the snow and
then immediately warmed up by human breath. This was
known to the Norse as the “serpent in the steel” or “the wyrm”.
Pattern welding on a Moro Barong blade (see Barong)
This pattern welding technique had largely disappeared in
Europe by the 12th - 13th century but remained in practice in
the Philippines, Malaysia and certain parts of Southeast Asia
into present times. In Europe inventions such as the windmill
and the overshot water-wheel, spread far and wide by the
Cistercian monks, led to the creation of the blast furnace;
automated bellows and automated trip hammers (the
Barcelona hammer etc.). These technologies came together
to vastly increase the production of iron in Europe making
large billets of high quality homogeneous iron much cheaper
and more widely available (and therefore by extension making
the production of good quality steel much easier).
The arduous process of pattern welding was no longer
necessary for the creation of high quality sword blades, and it
gradually faded away. But something special had been lost,
and the Norse continued to seek out the older types of blades
in ancient barrows and tombs, which they came to believe to
be the home of Elves or Wights rather than their own
ancestors.
An automated bellows is used to smelt iron in a large bloomery forge, from
the Mittelalterliches Hausbuch von_Schloss Wolfegg, 1480 AD. Such
devices could produce massive amounts of iron.
Tempered Steel
The next step in the development of the metallurgy of
weapons was heat treatment. Without some form of heat
treatment, the potential hardness of steel is not realized,
(which is why untempered steel is in a different category
here). The physical properties of a sword are affected as
much by the heat treatment as by the chemical composition
of the metal. Heat treatment can mean many different things
but always involves heating up a steel weapon and then
cooling it again.
The simplest form of heat treatment is hardening. A weapon
can be hardened by quenching: simply plunging the red-hot
blade into a cooler medium such as water, oil, hot sand, or
other substances. This ‘freezes’ the molecular structure into
a substance called martensite, almost like ice, making it
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much harder and capable of holding a very fine edge, but also
more brittle. The trickiest aspect of the quench is that the
entire blade must enter the quenching medium all at once, if
part is left out or enters too slowly the blade will only partly
harden. Hardening is very good for arrowheads and spear-
points and small knives, but is problematic with a sword which
must also be flexible.
One solution to this dilemma was a sophisticated technique
called ‘differential hardening’. This means to harden the edge
of a sword while allowing the spine to remain comparatively
soft, in many cases the spine may be of a lower carbon content
steel or even wrought-iron which has been forge-welded to the
high carbon edge. Needless to say differential hardening is very
tricky. This is the fundamental technique used in forging
katanas, the zone between the hardened edge and the softer
spine of a katana is called the hamon.
An equally sophisticated and ultimately more versatile process
is called tempering. When a blade is tempered, it is first
hardened, then slowly reheated to a lower temperature, either
in the range of 350 F or 550 F, and kept at that heat for a fixed
period of time, (usually under an hour). When a hardened
sword is reheated, the carbon molecules diffuse through the
iron creating the tough and flexible material that we think of as
steel today, which is mostly a substance called ferrite. This is
essentially what tempering means: controlled reheating,
followed by a second quench (this ‘sets’ the diffusion at just the
right point).
Tempering changes the crystalline structure of steel by
transforming the brittle martensite into a more flexible
combination of ferrite and cementite (or iron carbide). Higher
carbon steels and some cast irons are made up of pearlite
which is sort of a laminate of the two.
Tempering doesn’t merely make steel harder, it’s really more
accurate to say it makes steel tougher. Tempered steel is
flexible and springy, returning to its original shape when bent.
Some well-tempered sword blades can be bent almost 90
degrees and return to true. Tempered steel holds an edge
much longer than untempered steel and is much stronger by
volume, meaning it’s much stronger at a lower weight, making it
very useful for armor as well as weapons.
The Ancients thought that the quenching part of the heat
treatment was the secret to making a good sword, and
experimented with many different quenching mediums,
including water and oil as used today, as well as wine, rose
water, beer, and various other substances. The Japanese used
hot sand, the Romans thought the living body of a human slave
was ideal. The obsession with tempering is understandable
because a tempered weapon can be many times stronger than
an untempered one, but only if the chemical composition of the
metal is suitable (i.e. if there is the right amount of carbon and
some other trace minerals).
Hilts of three 11th Century Viking Swords
By the Medieval period, tempered steel had become a fairly
common material for swords, but was still very rare for most
other weapons and extremely rare for armor. For Game
purposes tempered steel refers to steel of good carbon
content which has also been given a sophisticated heat
treatment. Steel of this quality did not became widespread
until the Renaissance, though tempering was understood
back into the Migration period. Tempering was a difficult
process requiring considerable expertise, therefore tempered
weapons and (especially) armor were rare and more
expensive than ordinary iron or steel. One of the important
effects of tempered steel was that it made the creation and
use of very large swords more practical. This may have
contributed directly to the rise of greatswords and longswords
between 4’ – 5’ long, and eventually to even larger
zweihanders up to 7’ feet long.
Another significant result of the increasing ubiquity of
tempered steel in Western Europe beginning in the early
Renaissance (14th Century) is that tempered steel armor was
made. This could be significantly thinner (as little as 1.5
mm) than ordinary iron armor, and especially when properly
shaped, could be significantly stronger, making for far more
effective protection. Centers where tempered steel armor
were first being produced, notably Milan in Italy, quickly came
to dominate the European armor market.
Crucible Steel
“Wootz” steel, also called ukku or “Damascus” steel, was a
special type of crucible steel developed in India and Sri Lanka
around 300 BC. Whereas European alchemy was devoted to
turning lead into gold, Chinese alchemy was about the secret
of eternal life, and Persian alchemy focused on creating
artificial beings (“Takwin”), Indian alchemy explored the
hidden secrets of ferrous metallurgy, and the Hindu
civilizations created many remarkable artifacts such as the
famous iron pillar of Delhi that are not fully understood today.
They may possibly have been the greatest iron workers in the
world.
Wootz steel is something like a special steel composite alloy
with a built-in pattern-welded structure. It consists of a matrix
of iron and carbon in various carbon steel compounds called
cementite, martensite and pearlite, as well as tiny traces of
very rare metals such as vanadium and tungsten* which may
play a role in the unique properties of this metal. What
makes Wootz special was that it actually has a higher carbon
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content than cast iron (as high as 2.5%) making it potentially
extremely hard, but is simultaneously more ductile (and
therefore potentially more flexible) than the softest wrought
iron.
The properties of wootz steel are often exaggerated (there are
tales of cutting through stone etc.) but its superiority is no myth.
The results of a study published in 2005 involving the
destructive electron microscope analysis of a 17th century
sword forged from Wootz steel revealed carbon nanotubes and
nanowires, apparently created by the complex process of
forging and annealing used to make this composite metal.
These nano-scale structures may help give a wootz steel blade
its unusual hardness and flexibility, as well as possibly
enhancing its cutting ability especially for draw-cuts. Wootz
steel quickly became a very popular export product which was
made into small ‘cakes’ or billets which were traded across
Central Asia, East Asia, Scandinavia and the Middle East, and
began to trickle into Western Europe in small amounts at the
time of the Crusades.
Wootz billets were used to make swords in China, Japan, the
Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, by the Vikings in Sweden
and Norway, in Burma, Thailand, Persia, in Syria (where it
became known as “Damascus” steel) and throughout the Arab
nations, and in Spain where it was imported to Toledo, and
finally to the rest of Western Europe during the Baroque period.
Eventually the very attractive appearance of this metal led it to
be used to make gun barrels and numerous other personal
luxury artifacts unrelated to weaponry (like tea kettles). The
appearance of wootz steel was imitated in so called “Damask”
fabrics and “watered” metals etc. Wootz steel billets would be
very expensive and highly sought after, something players in
your game might seek for the creation of a special weapon they
had in mind…
*The vanadium and tungsten apparently came from theclay used to make the crucibles for Wootz steel.
Sidebar: the Iron Pillar of Delhi
The famous Iron Pillar of Delhi, still rust free after 2300 years.
The inscription reads
:
“He, on whose arm fame was inscribed by the sword, when, in
battle in the Vanga countries, he kneaded back the enemies
who, uniting together, came against ;-he, by whom, having
crossed in warfare the seven mouths of the Sindhu the
Vahlikas were conquered;-he, by the breezes of whose
prowess the southern ocean is even still perfumed;-
He, the remnant of the great zeal of whose energy, which
utterly destroyed enemies, like of a burned-out fire in a great
forest, even now leaves not the earth; though he, the king, as
if wearied, has quit this earth, and has gone to the other
world, moving in from to the land won by actions, remaining
on earth by fame;
By him, the king,-who attained sole supreme sovereignty in
the world, acquired by his own arm and for a very long time;
who, having the name of Chandra, carried a beauty of
countenance like the full-moon,-having in faith fixed his mind
upon Vishnu this lofty standard of the divine Vishnu was set
up on the hill Vishnupada.”
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The Master in Repose Johannes Liechtenauer, from Von Danzig's Fechtbuch (1452)
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Simple Weapons
Hans Lützelburger, German Peasant uprising, 1520
Simple Weapons
According to the Codex interpretation of the OGL, “simple weapons” mean the
weapons which peasants, burghers, and common people were likely to have
familiarity from everyday life and / or weapons which are inherently simple to use. By
OGL rules any character can use all Simple Weapons normally without any
restrictions, though some types (such as staves or spears) are much more effective
with certain Martial Feats.
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Razor
ERA: All eras
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 0/6/0 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-2/S/S AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 3/1 Cost 25 sp
Primary Materials: Iron
A small knife designed for personal use (for shaving!) Usually
3-6” long, with a very hard, thin, and brittle blade, and a
correspondingly extremely sharp edge (when sharpened). Not
the most effective weapon in a face to face fight, a razor can
be devastating for surprise slashing attacks, and razors are
sometimes used in this manner by thieves and assassins.
Knuckleduster
ERA: All eras
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 0/6/0Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-3/B/BAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/3
Cost 5 gp
Primary Materials: Bronze
Your basic brass knuckles. Magnifies the striking power of
your fists to the extent that they become fairly dangerous
weapons. People using brass knuckles who already cause 1-
3 or more damage with their fists gain a +1 to damage bonus
instead of the normal damage on this weapon. A spiked
variety cause more serious damage and allow a slashing
attack (damage 1-4/ SB). This weapon is also analogous to
the fairly common type of spiked half-gauntlets frequently
used by soldiers in the Late Medieval and Renaissance
periods.
Sap Gloves
Era: Classical and Enlightenment
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 0/6/0Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 5/1 Cost 1 gp
Primary Materials: Leather and sand (or shot) Gloves lined with lead shot or sand for use in knocking people
unconscious without killing them. Appreciated by thieves,
kidnappers, and thugs all around the world, this weapon
functions like the sap (except a bit easier to use), it does little
real damage, but poses the threat of a bludgeon critical and a
K/O. Due to their enhanced ability to cause KO roll a second
die of KO damage for any critical hit. As with a sap (see Sap),
sap gloves are best used from surprise or ambush so that you
can use all of your MP for attack. Saps filled with shot
instead of sand cause 1-2 damage.
Small Knife
ERA: All eras
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 0/6/0 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-2/SP/- AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 6/2 Cost 1 gp
Primary Materials: Iron
A single edged knife with a blade from 2”-6”. Normally a
knife would be made of iron, though that would depend on
the era, some are bronze some nice ones from the late
medieval period or later might be steel. A knife is somewhat
fragile and not normally designed for combat, and can easily
break when used in violence, but can be lethal, especially
with a slashing attack.
Misericorde / Poniard
ERA: Iron Age to Enlightenment
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 0/6/0 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-4/P/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 7/3 Cost 1 gp
Primary Materials: Iron
This is a weapon derived from a common eating tool carried by
most people around the world since the Iron Age, a sort of a
spike something like a small ice-pick. Poniards were also made
and used specifically as weapons, but similar spikes intended
for use as tools can be put to the same use; namely to puncture
through flesh and clothing – or find the gaps in armour. The
name Misericorde was derived from their traditional use to
finish off armoured foes with a coup-de-grace.
Large Knife
ERA: All eras
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/6/0 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-4/SP/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 5/3 Cost 2 gp
Primary Materials: Iron A large knife is much more dangerous than a small one, mainly
because it can pierce deeper with a thrust, and also has a
longer cutting surface for slashing. Normally single-edged and
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like the small knife, not designed for combat, but as anyone
who has ever seen Halloween or Friday the 13th will attest, a
large “butcher knife” can most certainly kill you. Any knife with
a 6” or longer blade can penetrate through the bone, fascia,
and muscle to reach arteries and organs, meaning the
difference between merely painful / dangerous vs maiming /
life threatening wounds. A large knife is effective at both
piercing and slashing attacks.
Small Dagger
ERA: All eras
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 0/6/0 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SP/PAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/3
Cost 25 gp
Primary Materials: Steel
A dagger is a special heavy knife specifically designed for
fighting or hunting. The dagger is one of the most ancient
weapons in the world and one of the first metal weapons of any
significance to be widely used. most European fighting daggers
were double-edged, though hunting daggers could be single-
edged. A dagger is strengthened for penetrating flesh, bone and
even armour. Extremely lethal at close range, daggers in one
form or another were the single most ubiquitous weapon on the
Medieval battlefield.
Due to its speed and penetrating ability a dagger is a very
dangerous weapon at close range, and small daggers are
sturdier than larger ones. For game purposes a small dagger
has a blade between 5”-9”. Some small daggers had large
quillions for blocking, treat these as 0/6/1 or even 0/6/2
weapons.
Stiletto
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/5/1 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-4/P/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +4/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/3
Cost 15 gp
Primary Materials: Steel
The stiletto may be a logical progression of the poniard. This
is a long, thin stabbing blade designed for quickly dispatching
people who need to die. A favoured weapon of thieves and
assassins, this is a weapon designed to kill, not to wound or
maim, and it can do so while leaving behind only a small
wound that can be hard to detect.
Subjective
A sudden movement in the crowd, a grunt, a sigh, and one person walks
away briskly while another staggers, the realization of imminent death
dawning in their eyes.
The ultimate gentleman’s precision killing tool, the stiletto was popular in
Renaissance Italy among nobles and professional assassins alike
(meaning in some cases, the same individual). A natural for the new
‘twist the blade’ rule, this is a weapon ideal for surprise attacks, it won’t
be stopped by clothing or light armor, and is strong enough not to easily
break in vigorous application. A must-have for any would be killer.
Sax knife
"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"-old Nordic proverb
ERA: Iron Age to Medieval
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/5/1 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SCP/SPAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/4 Cost 12 gp
Primary Materials: Iron
Also known as a seax, kurzseax, hadseax, sax, seaxe,
scramaseax and scramsax. In a nutshell, the sax was the
bowie knife of Iron Age Europe. This weapon was carried by
the warriors who roamed the misty forests and mountains of
the Northern European Iron Age. It was the sax for whom the
Saxons were named, and this weapon was one of the reasons
the men of Northern Europe were feared by their civilized and
barbarian neighbors alike.
An ancient type of multi-purpose utility knife with a fairly
broad single-edged blade, made strong enough for use as a
tool, a weapon, or for hunting, the sax could also be thought
of as the Iron Age equivalent of the Medieval messer or
hauswehr. This heavy knife can range from as small as a
pocket knife to as long as 24” or more, but the weapon
portrayed here is about 12”-16”. For game purposes smaller
saxes should be considered a large or small knife as
appropriate, for larger saxes see Long Sax. The sax was
usually carried horizontally on the belt in a large sheath which
partially covers the grip.
Not all saxes were simple iron, many which have been found
were case-hardened iron / steel composites, and some were
made with more sophisticated pattern welded steel. Keep in
mind a pattern-welded Sax would cost 25 times as much, see
the Weapon Materials section)
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Subjective
The sax was more than a sidearm. The eponymous weapon of the
Saxon people, the sax is evocative of the European Iron age in the same
way that the famous knife of Jim Bowie evokes the early American West.
For the Saxons, the Burgundians, the Norse, the other Germanic and
Baltic tribes, this weapon defined the status of a warrior upon coming of
age. It was a sacred possession most would have felt naked without.
There are parallels in many other
cultures throughout the world, whose
echoes have stubbornly persisted for
thousands of years long after the old
tribal traditions were pushed aside. The
baselard of the Swiss, the hauswehr
and messer of the Germans, the
Scottish dirk, the kirpan of the Sikhs, the
jambaiya of Yemen, are all reflections of
the same kind of tradition.
The ubiquity of the sax among the
northern barbarians lingered in the
minds of friend and foe alike. The
Saxons were named for their weapon
not because it was the only one in their
arsenal, but because of what it said
about them: these were people who
finished their fights. The sax, like most
daggers, is a fight-finisher. It’s also a
useful tool for everything from skinning
an animal to cutting branches to make
shelter, or to strike a flint to light the evening campfire to keep the wolves
at bay. More than a weapon, the sax was a companion, and many
surviving saxes were clearly made to reflect this status, with beautiful
workmanship, expensive materials, and magical runes inscribed upon the
blade itself. Many were kept as sacred heirlooms, some were recovered
from ancient barrows to live a second life like the legendary sax
Kársnautr, which, according to the 12th Century USaga of Grettir The
StrongU, the notorious Icelandic hero Grettir recovered from a grave
mound after winning a battle with a the fearsome ghost of Kár the Old.
Sword, Cutlass
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/3/4 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/6
Cost 32 gp
Primary Materials: Iron A short, heavy, single-edged sword, with a broad, slightly
curved blade, tapering away from the cutting edge. Probably
derived from the saber and / or a variety of medieval
European single edged swords such as the messer, the
dussack, the Italian coletasso etc, unlike these earlier
weapons the cutlass features a cup hilt or a knucklebow to
protect the hand, considerably enhancing its defensive value.
The cutlass was used by infantry as well as sailors, pirates,
and marines, they could be wielded in tight spaces and were
also useful on board ships for cutting ropes, canvas, wood
etc. This is a simple chopping weapon primarily, with a
secondary thrusting capability. Cutlasses from the Early
Modern era (depicted here) featured cup-hilts and had
excellent hand protection, earlier forms usually had some
form of complex hilts (2/3/3) and even the Medieval dussack
had a kind of built-in knucklebow (2/3/2).
Sword, Pian Dao
ERA: All eras
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/4/2Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SCP/SAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/3 Cost 20 gp
Primary Materials: Iron The short, simple version of the Chinese dao saber (see Liuye
Dao) it was a kind of short, broad saber used as both a
military and civilian weapon, particularly in the northern
frontier of China. A slicing / slashing weapon primarily, it was
very roughly analogous to a machete, cutlass or light falchion,
suitable for conscripts and untrained militias. This is a simple
weapon to use, rather like a machete, but can cause grievous
wounds.
Sword, Dussack
ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/5/3 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/CSP/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 25 gp
Primary Materials: Steel
The Dussack was a type of combination utility blade / weapon
similar to a messer or a modern machete, with the exception
that it had a pronounced saber-like curve and a special
unique type of hand protection in the form of a knucklebow
created by extending the tang and curving it up around the
hand. A short, broad bladed weapon suitable for cutting and
slicing, with good hand-protection making it pretty effective
for defence in spite of its short size, the Dussack also has a
partial false-edge and could be used with sophisticated
martial-arts techniques.
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Small Knife A pair of very ancient Iron –Age knives from the 7th Century BC, Hallstadt Austria
Large Knife
Small Dagger: Basque Dagger, Spain circa 1350 AD
Small Dagger: Blocking dagger, France, late 16th or early 17th Century
Venetian Stiletto, Italy 1470 AD
Norwegian Sax, late 9th Century AD Sax, Wessex, Britain 9th Century AD
Sax, Estonia, 10th Century AD Burgundian Sax, Dijon France, 6th -7th Century AD,
Sidebar: Knife fighting 101: use your laundry
One of the tricky things about a knifefight is that while such a quick weapongives you 101 ways to stab or cut theother guy, it’s very hard not to get
stabbed or cut yourself, and that is reallythe important bit. One knife-fightingtechnique which was extremely commonamong experienced fighters in nearly allcultures around the world from Medieval
times to this very day, is to use a blanket, cloak, shirt, or some other piece of cloth in the off-handfor defence. In the Codex rules, you can simulate this one of two ways: 1) as a piece of clotharmour with a low bypass (2 or 3) and stats equivalent to a light or heavy Gambeson (dependingon the particular garment or piece of cloth being used) or 2) perhaps more accurately, use it as ashield with the same values and a defence rating of 1 or2. The cloak or blanket or pancho isusually used with part wrapped around the arm as armor and part hanging down as a furtherbarrier both to sight and the weapon itself. This technique was taken seriously by theRenaissance Masters and appears in almost all rapier manuals from the 16th Century onward.Some manuals recommended using a hat or even a glove rather than nothing at all
59B58B
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(Dussack, Continued from page 29) The dussack was a weapon
indigenous to Bohemia and the North / Eastern reaches of the
Holy Roman Empire in the Medieval period, and became better
known in time for a sparring version made of leather and wood
which became a very popular training simulator for the
fechtchules (fencing schools) of the German fencing tradition.
Dussack trainers were used to simulate basically every type of
single-edged weapon from messers to hangers to sabers. The
original dussack dates back to the Medieval period and was
less ubiquitous by the Renaissance, but the non-lethal dussack
trainer was used well into the Early Modern period as a
favourite for training, fencing tournaments and contests of all
types.
Mace, Light
ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/3/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/B/BAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 5/5 Cost 8 gp
Primary Materials: Wood and Iron or Bronze A wooden haft with a small striking head of iron or bronze (or in
some cases, even stone) frequently knobbed or shaped to
enhance striking effectiveness. Light maces were a popular
cavalry weapon going way back into antiquity, particularly on
the Asian steppes. These were often wielded with a wrist thong
to aid in weapon retention when striking someone during a ride-
by attack, and could be thrown at their targets as well.
Sickle
ERA: All eras
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/3/0Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-4/SP/- AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+2Hardness / Hit points: 5/3 Cost 25 sp
Primary Materials: Wood and Iron or Bronze A sickle is a simple peasants tool meant for cutting grain. It is
not a particularly efficient weapon but it can deliver a nasty
slashing attack and pierce with the end as well. Due to its
shape a sickle can be used to hook weapons, shield rims, legs
etc. hence the grappling bonus. Sickles were often
straightened out into ‘swords’, beaten into shape by a
blacksmith during times of strife. Such weapons can be treated
as a large knife. A Japanese rice sickle is called a Kama. The
hooked blade of a sickle gives it some ability to hook weapons,
shields etc.
Heavy Stick
ERA: All eras
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/2/1Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-3/B/- AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 2/4 Cost 1 cp
Primary Materials: Wood This is just a random piece of firewood or tree branch, or
something like a table leg or a torch, a hunk of wood with
enough heft to cause at least some damage. An impromptu
weapon not particularly effective except in the hands of a strong
person, it has some defensive value and can cause serious
injuries with repeated blows.
Waihaka Club
ERA: Neolithic
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/3/1Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/B/BAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 8/4Cost 2 gp
Primary Materials: Tropical Hardwood and / or stone A waihaka is one type of a special type of small, hardwood club
used by Polynesian people in the Pacific Islands, Tahiti, Tonga,
New Zealand etc., though similar weapons were also used in
many other parts of the world.
This is an effective short range weapon which can break skulls
and bones causing devastating wounds and will not easily
break in combat. What defines a Waihakia is that it is a short
broad, disk-like club made of an exceptionally hard, heavy
wood. Some were made of jade or other stone (treat such
weapons as: 1/2/1, 1-8 damage Hardness 9 hit points 1).
Waihaka were sometimes used to carry out Human sacrifice.
Hatchet
ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/3/1Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/C/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+1 Hardness / Hit points: 5/3 Cost 15 sp
Primary Materials: Wood, Iron A small axe designed for cutting wood, rope etc. with an iron or
bronze blade. A hatchet is a tool which can also be used as a
weapon.
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Hand Axe
ERA: Bronze age to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/4/1Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/CB/CAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 6/4 Cost 5 gp
Primary Materials: Hardwood, Iron A hand axe is a small, simple axe or hatchet specifically
designed for fighting. A Hand-axe usually has a smaller, thinner
striking head than a hatchet, is more strongly made and
sometimes features a steel edge forge-welded onto the iron
blade. The blade itself is narrower and often longer, with a
smaller striking edge than a hatchet. Most hand axes are also
balanced for throwing as well as for cutting, the classic example
being the famous francisca axe.
Tomahawk, Stone
ERA: Paleolithic to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/2/1Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/B/BAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +1/+1 Hardness / Hit points: 5/3 Cost 15 sp
Primary Materials: Hardwood, Stone A war hammer with a striking head made of stone. This is
essentially a stone war-hammer or a stone mace, a weapon
which remained in use in much of the world both in the Stone
Age and long after, even into the Iron Age or to Early Modern
times in many places where Iron or Bronze were not available.
Tomahawk
ERA: Iron Age to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/4/2Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/CB/CBAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 7/4 Cost 25 gp
Primary Materials: Hardwood, Iron A tomahawk is a type of hand axe, made with a hammer head
on one side and a small, narrow cutting blade on the other.
Weapons of this type were used in Europe from the Middle Ages
through colonial times, where they found new life in the
Americas, and great popularity with Native American tribes who
already had a similar weapon (see Tomahawk, Stone).
Tomahawk hafts tend to be long and slender, made of strong
hickory, ash or oak, often at least partly protected by iron
langets.
Due to the narrow axe blade and hammer head, tomahawks are
effective against light armour. ‘Hawks are balanced for
throwing as well as striking, and are useful in defence as well as
offence, their hooked blades can be used for catching, tripping
and disarming. They were commonly wielded as an off-hand
weapon with a dagger or sword. Though designed as a weapon
it is also a useful tool. Some were hollowed out and made into
‘peace’ pipes for smoking tobacco. There is a very similar
African weapon called a Nzappa zap.
Sword, Long Sax
ERA: Iron Age to Renaissance
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/4/1 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 8/4 Cost 30 gp
Primary Material: Iron If the sax was the bowie knife of the Iron Age, this was its
bigger, meaner brother; a sax of sword length (see Sax). Like
the sax, these weapons could come in many shapes and sizes,
but generally speaking they were single-edged short swords,
widely used in Scandinavia during the Viking era, particularly in
Norway. These are not tools but dedicated weapons. Most
were simple, but some long-seaxes featured a full pommel, and
were in most ways similar to the Viking broad-sword with a
single cutting edge giving them a heavier blade geometry for
very brutal cuts. Weapons of a very similar type continued to be
used in Central Europe into medieval times and the
Renaissance, during which they were called a Baurenwehr or a
Hauswehr (see Bauerenwehr)
Colltel
ERA: Iron Age to Early Modern Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/4/0 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/CS/CS AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/3 Cost 25 gp
Primary Materials: Steel Aka colatesa, coustella, coustille. This represents a class oflarge, very broad-bladed ‘hewing’ knives which areapparently primarily hunting knives used for butcheringanimals in the field, but were also adopted for military usenotably by the famous Almogavars of Spain. This blade isso broad its utility for thrusting is minimal, even for thosevariants which do have a point (some don’t) but they areliterally butchering knives and can take apart meat and bonevery efficiently. The slogan of the Almogavars was Aur! Aur!Desperta Ferra! (Listen! Listen! The iron awakes!)
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The Seax came in many forms throughout Northern Europe. These typology charts give some indication as to the complex variety of pre-industrial weapons.
Long-seax typology by century and region, and seax blade typology by Kirk Lee Spencer, used with permission.
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Bauernwehr
ERA: Medieval to Baroque
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/5/2 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SCP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +1/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 75 gp
Primary Materials: Steel The Bauernwehr, also called a Hauswehr or a Rugger, was a
type of knife used as the primary home protection for common
rural people in the Holy Roman Empire and much of Central
Europe from the Middle Ages into the Baroque period. The
Bauernwehr probably evolved from the long sax (see Long Sax)
with which it overlaps, but there is one key difference, these
weapons almost always feature a nagel as added hand
protection (and to keep the hand from running over the blade
when stabbing), very similar to a messer.
In fact this weapon is probably the ancestor of the Renaissance
messer (see Messer). A very similar blade called a khyber knife
was also used in Central Asia from roughly the same period until
this very day, although it lacks the nagel. The khyber knife is a
traditional weapon of Central Asia, found from Afghanistan to
Tibet. Similar in function to a long sax or a messer, it is shaped
something like a modern kitchen knife. Steel in this area is often
particularly good, so these knives are often of good quality
(tempered steel) but they do not feature the nagel (treat as 2/4/1
weapons).
65B
Protosword: Aztec Macihuitil, circa 1550 AD
Small Club: Fijian club, 20th Century
Small Club: Masai ebony club, 19th Century
Irish Bata, 19th Century
War Club: Fijian war-club, 19th Century
War Club: Native American “Gunstock” War Club, 19th Century Iowa Territory
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Hand Axe, Tours, France circa 450 AD
Half Spear: Zulu Iklwa
Light mace, Russian 11th Century AD
Heavy Mace: Persian Mace (Bronze), 9th Century BC
Heavy Mace: Ottoman Mace, 17th Century AD
Flanged Mace: Mace, Solingen Germany, circa 1420 AD
German Mace, 16th Century
Italian Mace, 15th Century
Czech Mace, 1550 AD
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Woodman’s Axe (HH)
ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size M
Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/-2/1
Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/CB/BC
AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+1
Hardness / Hit points: 7/5
Cost 2 gp
Primary Materials: Wood, Iron
This is an axe designed for felling trees, with a heavy wedge-
like iron blade. Not very well suited for combat, but it can do
a great deal of damage if you can hit anything. An axe can
also strike like a hammer with its blunt side, and it should be
remembered, axes can also be used to thrust. A woodsman’s
axe will only cause bludgeoning damage this way but it can
cause serious wounds.
Mace, Heavy (HH) ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/1/2Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/20Cost 30 gp
Primary Materials: Iron or Bronze A heavy mace is essentially an iron (or bronze) club.
Historically maces were a sign of high authority in numerous
cultures, perhaps due to their effectiveness against armour.
A kings scepter is essentially a fancy mace. Even a ‘heavy’
mace is not extremely heavy (usually 3-4 lbs), and is balanced
for fighting, relying on hardness and density to cause injuries
rather than sheer weight. Though not a nimble weapon, a
mace can knock out or stun armoured opponents fairly easily.
The compact mass of a mace makes it useful in defence as
well as offence.
Mace, Flanged (HH) ERA: Medieval to Enlightenment
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/2/2Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 14/20Cost 50 gp
Primary Materials: Iron This is a more sophisticated type of mace designed so that
shape and hardness cause injuries far beyond what the mass
of the weapon could alone. These are very dangerous
weapons, highly effective against both armoured and
unarmoured opponents, typically a little lighter than a heavy
mace and well balanced for combat. Better quality flanged maces
were actually made of steel (modify hardness and price
accordingly, damage 1-12). The flanges serve two purposes: they
have the same striking area with less mass and their shape helps
concentrate the force of the strike to crack open armour, shields,
skulls etc. very efficiently.
Mace, Stone
ERA: Paleolithic to Bronze Age
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/1/2Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 5/3
Cost 5 sp
Primary Materials: Wood and Stone Similar to a heavy mace only with a stone striking head instead of
iron or bronze.
Bata / Sail-Éille (aka “shillelagh”) ERA: All eras
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/5/3 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-4/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+1 Hardness / Hit points: 6/3 Cost 3 gp
Primary Materials: Blackthorn wood A bata or alpeen is a special type of blackthorn cudgel carried by
many in Ireland and certain other parts of Northwest Europe as a
walking stick going back to at least the 7th Century AD. It also
functions well as a weapon. Batas are relatively light, but dense,
and well balanced for fighting.
Blackthorn is a relative of the rose bush, blackthorn clubs have
the nubs of thorns down their shaft (the thorns themselves are
removed) and are soaked in oil to prepare them for use as
fighting sticks. One method used in the 19th Century was to cover
them in butter, wrap them in brown paper and put it up the
chimney or bury it in a compost heap, the idea being to drive out
some of the moisture and replace it with fat from the butter. Due
to the shape, hardness, and (enhanced) density of the blackthorn
wood a bata packs the same punch of an equivalent length
hardwood club for half the weight.
Bata are nimble weapons of considerable utility, and have the
added advantage of appearing to be ordinary walking sticks to the
uninitiated, thus legal to carry in most areas. Special martial arts
techniques were developed for using bata, called bataireacht or
trois-de-bata. Another variation using two-sticks still taught by the
Doyle Family in Canada was called rince an bhata uisce bheatha
(“whiskey stick dancing”), allegedly created by a man who
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guarded illegal whiskey distillers. The ‘faction-fighting’
associated with the bata garnered the weapon considerable
notoriety in the 19th Century. These ancient martial traditions
are still taught by certain families in Ireland, Nova Scotia,
Newfoundland, and some of the smaller British Isles today.
Small Club
ERA: All eras
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/4/2Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-4/B/BAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 6/2 Cost 5 sp
Primary Materials: Hardwood A wooden weapon between 2’-4’ long designed for striking. A
club is not just a piece of firewood or a random branch (see
Heavy Stick), but a weapon intentionally made for warfare or
hunting, hard and heavy enough to cause damage while also
light and balanced enough to wield in combat.
Clubs are usually made of relatively hard wood, and shaped
to cause injuries, with mace-like striking heads, knobs or
other protrusions, blade or flange-like striking surfaces, and
etc. Think of something more like a modern axe-handle or
maul handle at the very least. Clubs were widely used as
primary weapons in all parts of the world, from Germany in
the 2nd Century AD to the Pacific islands in the 19th. Smaller
clubs tend to be heavier and stouter than longer clubs. A
small club is a fairly light weapon usually designed for hunting
or personal protection rather than explicitly for warfare,
though they are also used in war. Clubs can also be thrown
like axes or daggers can.
War Club
ERA: All eras
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/3/2Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 5/4 Cost 15 sp
Primary Materials: Hardwood A War Club is a much more formidable type of club usually
either made of hardwood or incorporating stone or other
materials. War Clubs were used as principle weapons all over
the world including in Europe through much of the Iron Age,
particularly by Germanic tribes.
A club is not necessarily as simple as a baseball bat let alone
a random piece of firewood (see Heavy Stick), most are
carefully shaped and balanced for use as a weapon. Shapes
can range from paddle or even sword-like, to mace like, hammer-
like or axe-like, to various odd shapes difficult to correlate to other
more modern weapons (think of something like an axe handle,
only more specifically designed to cause injuries). A longer club
tends to be more lightly made than a shorter one. Clubs are often
thrown as missile weapons in addition to being used for melee.
Protosword
ERA: Neolithic to Bronze Age
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/3/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/S/- AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 4/2 Cost 5 gp
Primary Materials: Wood, Obsidian or Sharks Teeth This is a war club, generally a single handed weapon not as heavy
as a "gunstock" club or a Maori taiaha (see Taiaha), but fitted with
sharks teeth or pieces of sharp obsidian to cause extra slashing
damage with each attack. This type of weapon would be used in
more sophisticated Neolithic cultures lacking knowledge of or
access-to bronze or iron.
In RPG's it is an ideal type of weapon for use by any human tribes
which may be at a Paleolithic technology level as well as by many
humanoid monsters. These weapons were called pacho, tbutje
pacho, or macahuitil by the Aztecs. The Conquistadors
considered these to be "swords" and described them as being
very effective (though they seemed to lack the ability to penetrate
iron armor). Roman sources describe similar weapons being used
by the German tribes during the early Imperial period.
Bill, Farmers (HH) ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/0/1Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/C/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 5/3 Cost 25 sp
Primary Materials: Wood, Iron A tool used by farmers since the early Bronze Age. A bill has a
hooked blade designed for pruning branches, which can when
used as a weapon can be used to pull riders from horses, pull
aside shields or weapons etc. Bills are not sophisticated but can
be fairly effective especially in the hands of someone familiar with
the tool.
It was common during times of strife for peasants to remount bill
– blades on longer hafts, such weapons would have the following
stats: Size L, reach 7, Speed -1, Defense 3, Damage 1-10 C/C
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Mattock (TH)
ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/-4/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/CPB/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 6/3 Cost 1 gp
Primary Materials: Wood, Iron This is a digging tool most people today call a pick. This is
often confused in RPG’s for a military pick which is a totally
different thing (see War Pick). A mattock is a very heavy,
clumsy weapon but can cause serious damage and is fairly
effective at piercing armor. It has a blade on one end and a
pick on the other.
Wooden Mallet (TH)
ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/1/3Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-4/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+1Hardness / Hit points: 4/3 Cost 8 sp
Primary Materials: Wood A large wooden hammer often found in the equipment of an
army as they are used for hammering tent-stakes and the
like. A mallet can be used to stun an armoured opponent
without killing them or crushing the armour.
English archers at Agincourt famously used these to subdue
French knights so that they could be taken captive and
ransomed after the battle. Unlike a sledge hammer (see Iron
Maul, below) a mallet is in the ballpark of being light enough
to actually use in a fight in a pinch, but it is an unwieldy
weapon.
Iron Maul (TH) ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/-6/1Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-12/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 6/3 Cost 5 gp
Primary Materials: Wood, Iron A six to nine pound hammer mounted on a stout wooden haft.
This specialized tool is used for breaking rocks, hammering
iron spikes, or beating out iron in a forge. Though often
confused for a war hammer in many RPG’s (see War
Hammer), this is not a weapon, it’s far too heavy and poorly
balanced to be effective in a fight, but will obviously cause
devastating injuries if you can hit anything.
A heavy iron maul is also very useful for knocking down doors,
breaking holes in walls, breaking open chests etc.
Sword, Messer
ERA: Medieval to Baroque
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/4/3 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 50 gp
Primary Materials: Steel “Hey, you! Peasant! What are you doing with that sword?” “Vas, Herr Jaegermeister? I carry no sword! This is only my knife! Forcutting mien cabbage unt mien bratwurst! I must have a knife to spreadthe butter on my brotchen… you aren’t going to try to take my knifeare you?…”
The Messer (aka Großmesser, Grossmesser, Hiebmesser, also
related to the Dussack, Hauswehr and Baurenwehr) is a single-
edged sword which was carried by farmers in Medieval Central
Europe much like machetes are carried today by farmers in Latin
America. Messer literally means ‘knife’ in German, and the hilt of
a Grossemesser resembles that of a knife handle, made of two
wedges of wood riveted to a wide, flat tang. The lack of a pommel
may have originally been due to legal restrictions (i.e. sumptuary
laws) but the same balancing effect was achieved by a
lengthened handle and a cunningly widened tang.
The messer could be used as a tool or a weapon, though designed
primarily as the latter. The messer probably evolved from the Sax,
or traditional Baurenwehr. Compared to a machete a messer is
stronger and a bit heavier, and usually featured a partial false-
edge.
Some messers were particularly well-made with differential
hardening and a sophisticated heat treatment. The heavy tang
and acute distal taper of these swords give them good balance,
and the relatively long grip could also be used in fencing to hook
wrists in disarms. Another unique feature of all messers is a
special guard called a ‘nagel’ which prevents the hand pushing
over the blade when stabbing.
Some messers also had full or partial cross-guards, and most had
at least a partial false-edge, false edge cutting is a fundamental
technique in messer fencing. Messers appear frequently in the
Renaissance fencing manuals and some believe they were the
basis for the Longsword system described by Johannes
Liechtenauer.
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Sword, Falchion (HH) ERA: Iron Age to Renaissance
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/1/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-12/SC/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/5 Cost 50 gp
Primary Material: Steel "Sr Jo Conyers of Storkburn Knt who slew ye monstrous venomsand poysons wiverms Ask or worme which overthrew and Devourdmany people in fight, for the scent of poyson was soo strong, thatno person was able to abide it, yet he by the providence of godoverthrew it and lyes buried at Storkburn before the Conquest.” (From British Museum MS Harleian No. 2118, fo. 39, circa 1625-49)
A falchion is another single edged cutting sword, with a very
broad blade and an iron pommel for a counterweight and
maybe a point on the end. The falchion is similar to a messer
(the two weapon types do overlap somewhat) but there are a
few key differences.
Falchions tend to have a broader, thinner, heavier blade with
a center of percussion nearer to the point (like a cleaver),
making them devastating choppers but not quite as nimble
for fencing. Most falchions have an iron pommel, and
typically at least a partial cross-guard, though unlike messers,
they do not feature a nagel. In medieval art one sees
falchions typically used with shields or as a sidearm. They do
not appear in the fencing manuals and may have been more
of a military than a civilian weapon. This is not a hard and
fast rule though, some falchions are surprisingly light. Over
time falchions got smaller and acquired additional hand
protection until they became nearly indistinguishable from a
cutlass (see Cutlass).
Subjective:
Have you ever seen or handled a really large meat-cleaver? One of the
big ones the butcher uses to cut apart a rack of ribs? A falchion is a
slightly more streamlined version of that. A brutal chopping weapon with
a powerful cut like a cleaver or an axe, they were associated with the
slaying of beasts, wyverns or wyrms in many famous medieval legends.
Small Staff (HH) ERA: All eras
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 6/5/5 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-4/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 5/3 Cost 1 sp
Primary Materials: Hardwood
This is just a wooden stick like a bō or jō staff, between 4’-6’ long,
made of relatively hard, sturdy wood such as oak or ash, designed
at least nominally as a weapon. Staffs of this type were found all
over the world from Paleolithic times into the present, and are
especially useful for defense as well as attack. When used with
skill a staff is effective thrusting, striking, and defending at all
ranges from onset to grapple (see Half Staff MF).
Kern Axe (HH) ERA: Iron Age to Enlightenment
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/1/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 6/3 Cost 25 gp
Primary Materials: Wood, Iron Not really an axe, this small glaive-like pole arm is essentially a
meat cleaver mounted on a stout three to four foot haft. Carried
by the kern, the young rank-and-file warriors of the Irish tribes, a
kern axe can cause horrific injuries. Due to the shape of the
blade it can be used to hook shields, pull down weapons, snatch
riders off of horses etc. The kern axe is equally dangerous for
cutting or piercing. Very similar weapon existed in Renaissance
Germany called a ‘war scythe’, so the Kern Axe can be considered
representative of a fairly common type of small glaive.
Pitch Fork (TH) ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/0/2Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/P/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 4/3 Cost 1 gp
Primary Materials: Wood, Iron The simple, ubiquitous farmers tool used for pitching hay and
mucking stalls. It makes for a fairly clumsy weapon but those with
iron tines (represented here) have pretty good penetration and
can cause serious injuries.
Godendag (TH)
ERA: Medieval to Renaissance
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/0/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-12/BP/BP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 6/7
Cost 30 gp
Primary Material: Hardwood, Iron The gudentag or godendag (which means “good morning”, in a
similar ironic sense as the Morgenstern or “morning star”) was a
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kind of two-handed spiked mace invented by the Flemish and
famously used by Flemish burgher militias to literally crush
the flower of French chivalry at the battle of golden spurs in
1302 AD. A godendag is a stout pole about 5’-6’ long, flaring
gradually toward the end and featuring a heavy iron ring on
the striking head, with a spike jutting out of the end of the
haft. A very deadly, field-expedient type weapon, these are
usually crude but strongly made, essentially a two-handed
spiked mace, with a spike or spear-head on the end used for
thrusting.
The Godendag was useful against creepy looking demons, apparently
Great Club (TH) ERA: Neolithic to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/0/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 6/5
Cost 5 gp
Primary Material: Hardwood This is a large two-handed war club, similar to a Godendag
but of all-wood construction without any metal ring or spike
on the business end, which will be some kind of natural or
artificial knout or swelling of the wood.
Morgenstern (TH)
ERA: Medieval to Enlightenment
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/0/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-12/(BP)/- AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 6/5
Cost 25 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Iron Similar to a Godendag but with lateral spikes and longer,
Morgensterns were used by the Swiss, the Flemish, the
Frisians, the Germans, the Czechs and various other people
around Europe, particularly by militias and infantry armies.
Morgensterns were used well into the Early Modern period
and as a result many of these weapons dating to the 17th and
18th Century can still be found in auction houses having been
retained by various armouries for centuries.
Scythe (TH) ERA: All eras
Size VLReach / Speed / Defense: 3/-2/1Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/- AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 4/3 Cost 5 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Iron The scythe is the standard farmers harvesting tool going back for
ages. It is very awkward to wield in combat but a formidable
blade mounted on a long haft can do some serious damage
regardless of its configuration. Not infrequently these would be
bent or remounted in a more militarily useful configuration, made
into something like a glaive (see Glaive).
Shovel / Spade (TH) ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/-2/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/CBP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+1 Hardness / Hit points: 5/3 Cost 1 gp
Primary Materials: Wood, Iron A digging spade with an iron blade (depicted here) can cause
serious injuries, though the weapon is very clumsy to use. Many
spades were made with wood or wood with an iron tip, these stats
represent a spade with an iron blade.
Taiaha (TH) ERA: Neolithic / Paleolithic
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 6/2/4 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 7/5 Cost 10 gp
Primary Material: Tropical Hardwood These are deceptively sophisticated weapons developed in
Neolithic societies which lacked access to bronze or iron for
making weapons. A kind of a stone-age halberd, this is long,
narrow club from 3 1/2 to 5' long, is made of dense hardwood,
with a spear or oar shape overall, usually with a blade shaped
end, sometimes incorporating a piece of hard stone. The tropical
hardwoods which they are made of are much stronger and denser
than ordinary wood. In combat, taiaha are generally used with
two hands, to be employed defensively as well as offensively, and
to attack from both sides. Some had obsidian or other stones
incorporated. Many similar weapons were found around the
world, such as the so called "gun stock" war clubs used by
Iroquois and other North American indigenous tribes. These
weapons very effective historically. Use: Like a staff.
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Portuguese Cutlass, 17th Century AD
Dussack, Pilsen Czech Republic, 14th Century AD
Long Sax: ‘Broken back’ sax, River Thames, London, 9th Century AD
Replica of Long Sax by Nick Johnson
Replica of Long Sax by Nick Johnson
Bauernwehr: Khyber knife, Pansheer valley Afghanistan 17th Century AD
Baurenwehr, Germany, 15th Century AD
Almogavar ‘Colltell’ Knife, 13thCentury
German Hunting knife / rugger, 15th Century AD
Messer, Czech, 1420 AD
Messer, Germany, Circa 1480 AD
Messer, Germany, 15th Century AD
The infamous Conyers falchion, the original Vorpal blade. Dated to at least
the 12th Century, this was allegedly the weapon used to slay the Sockburn
wyrm of Durham, England. It was the weapon Lewis Caroll saw at the
ordination of a local Bishop in his childhood.
Falchion, Flanders (Beligum), 14th Century
Falchion, France, 16th Century.
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Kieven Rus Chieftain Vladimir Monomakh, feasting with His Druzhina, 12th Century AD. By Viktor Vasnetsov
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Iron Bound Staff (TH) ERA: Medieval to Baroque
Size VLReach / Speed / Defense: 6/0/5 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 7/6
Cost 10 gp
Primary Material: Hardwood, Iron This is simply a quarterstaff strengthened with iron bands and / or
iron langets. Due to the extra weight it is a slower weapon than a
regular quarterstaff but strikes with a more lethal impact.
Quarterstaff (TH) ERA: All eras
Size VLReach / Speed / Defense: 7/2/5 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 5/5 Cost 1 gp
Primary Material: Hardwood A quarterstaff is a stout fighting pole of ash, oak, or hickory or
yew, between 6-8’ long and fairly thick in cross-section: a
formidable fighting staff made to be a weapon, not just a walking
stick. Normally a quarterstaff would be held at the rear quarter
and used like a spear at least initially to thrust and strike from
onset range, then at closer ranges the wielder could shift to a
half-staff guard (see Half Staff MF) to strike with both ends, or
hook their opponents legs, shields etc. The quarterstaff is
formidable weapon both in offence and defence.
Subjective:
Another underrated weapon, the staff is lethal in the right hands, and one of
the best weapons available for defence. The staff also has the advantage that
it is often underestimated as a weapon. A staff isn’t just any old stick, to have
any value as a weapon it must be made from a suitable hard and / or supple
wood such as ash, waxwood, oak, hazel, hawthorne or hickory.
In France this weapon was known as le bâton, in Portugal and the Canary
Islands the ancient staff fighting Martial Art system of Jogo Do Pau (meaning
‘Game of Sticks’ or stickplay, is still practiced in Portugal and in the Canary
Islands. In Italy the staff is known as the bastone.
The appropriate length for this weapon could vary by personal preference but
in Europe the staff was typically a long weapon, six to eight feet in length, to
better take advantage of reach, both for thrusting and striking. Methods for
striking in a ‘slinging’ manner would increase the effective reach further,
making the quarterstaff especially useful for fending off numbers of enemies.
Spear (TH)
ERA: All eras
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 7/1/3 (8/0/2 one handed)Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 6/3 Cost 60 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel Possibly the oldest weapon ever used by man, other than rocks
and clubs. Spears come in staggering variety and in many
sizes, for game purposes this represents a fairly common type
of battle-spear with an overall length of 7’-9’. A spear is a dual
purpose weapon, used for both throwing and thrusting or
cutting. Spears specialized for thrusting from horseback are
called lances, spears specialized for throwing are called
javelins. Spears were widely used all over the world both for
warfare and for hunting. Military spears may have iron langets
to protect part of the haft near the tip (these would have better
hardness and / or hit points) and some have a small cross-
guard just under the blade (these are often called ‘boars
spears’ though it’s incorrect to assume they were only used for
hunting – this would boost defence by one point).
Most spears also had a sharpened or capped butt, which could
also be used to attack. Most spear blades could cut as well as
pierce, some more than others (see Hewing Spear) and some
were serrated or wavy for slashing (give a S Primary attack type
to such weapons). Variations of the basic spear were common
and modifications to the stats can be done accordingly (shorter
spears have less reach, spears with bigger blades cut better,
spears with smaller reinforced points better at armor-piercing
etc.). When used two-handed a spear is wielded much like a
staff.
Subjective:
The spear is one of the more underrated weapons in RPG’s, but its value
was well understood by ancient people. Swords are sidearms, spears are
primary battlefield weapons. The Spear is a fight-starter and that is how
most people used them, the reach of the weapon made it safer to use to
initiate a fight, and it was used more often than not in a very simple manner
– stab the other guy first. But a spear is also a valuable weapon to a skilled
martial artist, used two-handed more like a staff, it is extremely dangerous in
one on one combat, effective in defence and extremely lethal in attack
capable of cutting as well as piercing. It can also be used to fight at all
ranges, not just at long distance. To fight this way with a spear with the
Codex rules, one must have the appropriate Martial Feats. Spears also,
can always be thrown, always a useful option for an opponent who is not
cooperating by coming into fighting range…
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Farmers Bill
Wooden Mallet
Kern Axe, Ireland, circa 1520 AD
Flemish Gudendag, Courtrai Belgium, 1302 AD
Two German Morgensterns, 16th Century, the upper example is very similar to a Godengag with some added spikes, the lower
has a full spear-head.
Swiss Morgenstern, 17th Century
Small Staff: Bo Staff
Quarterstaff
Iron Bound Staff
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Spear: Qiang spear, China Ming Dynasty (circa 16th Century AD)
Spear: Masai Moran Spear, Tanzania Africa 16th Century AD
Spear: Pyrenees, Spain, probably Catalan, circa 9th Century AD
Spear: Belgium, circa 13rd Century AD
Spear: Bronze Hallstadt (Celtic) circa 6th Century BC, Britain
Spear: La Tene (Celtic) circa 1st Century BC, Lucerne, Switzerland
Spear: Provence, France, 14th Century AD
Two Maori men wielding Taiaha
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Martial Weapons
“Bad War”, Hans Holbein the Younger, Switzerland Circa 1520
Martial Weapons
According to the Codex interpretation of the OGL, Martial Weapons mean those weapons
with which soldiers and warriors were likely to have familiarity and / or weapons which are
common in warfare. By OGL rules any character with the Martial Weapon Proficiency
(which comes automatically with a level of Fighter or Warrior Class) can use all Martial
Weapons normally without any restrictions, though some types (such as longswords) are
much more effective with the addition of certain Martial Feats.
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Jambiya Dagger
ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 0/6/0 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SP/S AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 8/3 Cost 30 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel A caravan arrives at dawn in a small trading town on theSilk Road near the ancient kingdom of Bactria on theKhyber Pass. A merchant alights from his camel to stretchand brush the dust of the trail from his khaftan, greetingthe morning sun. He looks over the Souq and strolls pastpistachio vendors and cages of exotic songbirds toward astand selling fruit sherbet. While crossing the street he isjostled by a raucous group of pilgrims, and suspicious,reaches down to catch the hand of a thief in the act ofcutting his purse… with a cry of outrage he leaps back,reaching for the curved dagger on his belt…
The curved dagger of the Middle East, still carried today as
part of traditional attire in places like Yemen, is called a
jambiya. It looks similar to a curved Roman pugio, in its
crudest form, it is a simply made double-edged, broad-
bladed curved dagger with a central ridge and a sharp
point.
Jambiyas are primarily for slashing but can thrust
effectively as well. They were carried as a civilian weapon
for personal protection (and an indication of status) and as
a secondary battlefield sidearm in exactly the manner as a
Roman pugio or a Medieval dagger. Similar weapons were
used in various parts of the Middle East, Persia, India, north
and east Africa and Central Asia. One of the most
important variations of the jambiya is the Sikh kirpan,
which is worn as a religious obligation by all baptized Sikhs
(Khalsa) as part of their commitment, as “saint soldiers”, to
protect the innocent.
Some jambiyas were beautifully made of precious inlays,
lapis, silver etc. and had exquisitely crafted wootz steel
blades with hardened points for thrusting. Such weapons
would also be of masterwork in quality.
The slashing ability of a Jambiya makes it particularly
effective against unarmored opponents, though some were
made with reinforced points for thrusting (treat as SP
weapons).
Rondel Dagger
ERA: Medieval to Renaissance
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/5/1 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/P/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +4/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/4 Cost 40 gp
Primary Material: Steel A specialized thrusting dagger, very popular with the knightly
class throughout the middle ages. It was characterized by a
narrow, often triangular or diamond shaped blade,
sometimes strengthened with a reinforcing rib, and parallel
disk shaped guard and pommel called a rondel or roundel.
Rondel daggers were very popular auxiliary sidearms for
knights, soldiers, and men at arms in the Medieval to
Renaissance period. Used to pierce through mail or the
weaker joints between armor, this strongly made dagger is a
very effective armor piercing weapon, being stiff and narrow
for good penetration. The roundel dagger could also be used
in the left hand for defensive purposes (see Main Gauche
MF). Typical dimensions: Length 16", blade 12", Weight 1 lb
Broad Dagger
ERA: Bronze Age to Baroque
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/5/0 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/5
Cost 30 gp
Primary Material: Steel A large dagger with an especially broad blade designed for
inflicting maximum possible injury from a thrust or a cut.
These weapons do not penetrate quite as easily as other
daggers but do far more damage upon a successful thrust.
Examples include the cinquedea (also made in short-sword
sized variants see Sword, Cinquedea) and the ubiquitous
Roman pugio.
Large Dagger
ERA: All eras
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/5/1 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SCP/SP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 50 gp
Primary Material: Steel
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This is a large dagger with a double-edged blade with a
blade length of 10"-16", and an overall length of 14"-20".
Examples include the Swiss baselard (which was also made
as a short-sword, treat as a spatha (see Spatha) the
coustille dagger, the dagesse, and the Scottish dirk. Though
capable of slashing and cutting a dagger of this size was
still primarily designed for thrusting. These weapons could
usually be worn in areas where swords were restricted,
being still small enough to still be technically legal, but
large and heavy enough to have some authority and
defensive value in a fight. Some large daggers featured
large quillions. Sometimes called “blocking daggers” these
were more effective for defense (treat as 1/5/2 or even
1/5/3 weapons for those with complex hilt features). Often
used in the off-hand with a sword, these were the precursor
of the Main Gauche (see Main Gauche).
War Hammer
ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/3/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/BP/BP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +4/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 7/4 Cost 50 gp
Primary Material: Wood and Iron Contrary to depictions in RPGs, computer games and
fantasy films, real war hammers didn’t look anything like
sledge hammers, they actually had smaller (and harder)
striking heads than hammers used as tools. Like most
hand weapons intended for war, they weighed in the
neighbourhood of 2-4 lbs. They almost always included
both a striking (hammer) head and a reinforced back-spike
at least a few inches long. These could be used against
different types of targets but were designed to be armor-
piercing weapons, especially useful for cavalry, with a
hammer one could ride by and crush a helmeted head with
a single blow.
War Pick
ERA: Medieval to Renaissance
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/2/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/BP/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +6/+4 Hardness / Hit points: 14/12
Cost 100 gp
Primary Material: Steel A war-pick is very similar to a war hammer and the two-
types overlap, both usually have hammer heads as well as
back-spikes, a war-pick just has a longer spike which has
better penetration, at the expense of being a somewhat
less wieldy weapon. The pick is also effective as a hook
against shield rims, knees, necks etc.
Sword, Akinakes
ERA: Classical Bronze Age
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/4/1 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SCP/SP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 6/2
Cost 20 gp
Primary Material: Bronze An ancient type of short sword, used by the Persians during
classical period, originally adopted from the Scythians,
Sarmatians, and other steppe peoples of central Asia who
used them well back into the bronze age. An akinakes has a
fairly wide, double-edged, parallel blade with a rounded or
spatulate tip, usually 14"-18" in length (the entire weapon
would be from 20"-24" long), it was also characterized by a
unique two-lobed pommel. The akinakes is primarily a
thrusting weapon, but also useful for slashing (draw cutting)
and to a lesser degree, hacking and cutting.
Subjective: This specific weapon was found in kurgans, tombs and otherarcheological sites dating from thousands of years BC through theclassical period, it’s presence in a grave is used by archeologists toidentify settlements or grave sites of these people.
Sword, Short
ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/4/2 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SCP/SP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/3 Cost 50 gp
Primary Material: Steel Short swords were common in the early Classical period
because early iron weapons were not strong enough to be
made longer than two feet or so, being too likely to bend upon
contact with shield rims, helmets, or enemy weapons. As iron
gave way to steel in the late Iron Age (circa 4th-3rd Century BC)
short swords were gradually eclipsed by longer weapons three
feet or more in length (see Spatha). But short swords
remained popular, and in the later middle-ages, even as
longer and longer weapons were adopted by knights and
professional infantrymen, short swords made a comeback as
a popular sidearm, particularly for archers and marksmen.
For game purposes a short sword means any non specific (i.e.
not covered under another sword sub-type) double edged
sword between 21"-29" in overall length, with little if any hand
protection, a small grip and a sharp point suitable for
thrusting.
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Subjective: By the Renaissance period simpler short swords were replaced inWestern Europe by slightly longer and more sophisticated weaponssuch as the cutlass or the katzbalger, although the basic short swordwas retained as Russia and central Asia (as the kindjal), the MiddleEast (as the quoit) and in Africa and various other parts of the world(see Gladius). The short sword was even revived as a sidearm forartillery troops by Napoleon. In the Codex, a short sword may nothave the reach of a larger weapon, but it handier in a close fight as itcan be used at grapple range. Inside mines, caverns, catacombs orsewers, or even just inside a building, a short sword can give you anadvantage.
Sword, Gladius
ERA: Classical Iron Age to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/4/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SCP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 8/4 Cost 60 gp
Primary Material: Iron A type of heavy short sword used in various forms as the
primary sidearm of the Roman Legions for something like 4
centuries, during the military peak of both the Republic and
the Empire. The gladius took a lot of different forms but
was typically from 24"-32" in total length, and characterized
by a bar-bell handle, featuring a spherical wooden pommel
and a hemispherical wooden guard, with a grip normally
made of bone or ivory.
All varieties of the gladius performed similarly in combat.
They were all heavy, stiff, broad -bladed double edged cut-
and-thrust swords featuring a diamond or lenticular blade
cross-section, ending in a sharp point. With its vicious point
and overall short size the gladius is perhaps most
dangerous in the thrust, though it also cut well. In fact,
according to classical eyewitnesses of the first reported use
of the weapon in a battle against the Macedonians, the
victorious Romans left the field littered with the severed
limbs and heads of their enemies.
Subjective: Generally speaking the gladius was one of the most versatile weaponsof the classical period, tough, maneuverable, and lethal. Along with thescutum shield, the pilum (javelin), helmet, and body armor of thelegionnaire, the gladius formed an integral part of the Roman militarymachine which crushed opposition from England to Egypt, from thepillars of Hercules to the deserts of Parthia. Though it was replaced inthe 2nd century AD by the spatha (see Spatha) echoes of the gladiuswere still used for millennia in various forms all around the world. TheGeorgian kindjal, seen throughout Russia, the Ukraine and CentralAsia, and the Arabic qama are just two examples of weapons whichbear an uncanny resemblance to the Gladius.
As with so much Roman military equipment, the gladius was originallycopied from the Celts. It was based on a broad bladed short cut-and-thrust design which the Romans first encountered in Spain which datesback well into the Bronze Age. The Romans called this type thegladius Hispaniensis, or ‘Spanish sword’. Gradually the weapon was Romanized, later forms found in Mainz Germany, Fulham England,
and Pompeii progressively lost the elegant curves and wasp-waist of theoriginal Celtiberian design leading to the strait parallel edged blade with ashorter triangular point. Along the way the gladius was ultimatelyperfected as a brutally efficient, close combat killing tool.
Sword, Cinquedea
ERA: Classical Iron age to Renaissance
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/5/2 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 80 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel A cinquedea is a type of short sword originally based on an
archaic Spanish (Celtiberian) design from the early Iron Age,
and achieved high popularity in the European Mediterranean
during the Renaissance primarily in Italy. The name
cinquedea literally means ‘five fingers’ which refers to the
considerable width of the blade at the guard. The blade,
triangular in shape rapidly tapers down to a point, sometimes
very sharp, sometimes rounded off. Another unique feature
of the cinquedea is a complex arrangement of multiple fullers
going all the way down the blade, further lightening it.
Between the sharp profile taper and the fullers, and a heavy
pommel this is a very nimble close-combat weapon, capable
of delivering horrific stab wounds.
A Roman Legionnaire armed with a gladius (now broken) vanquishes a
Germanic barbarian, from the “Grande Ludovisi” sarcophagus, circa 251
A.D., photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen
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Very ornate Persian Jambiya with wootz (‘Damascus’) steel blade, 16th
Century AD
Ottoman Jambiya with silver inlay and Lapis grip, 17th Century AD
Roundel Dagger, Italy, circa 1350 AD
French Roundel Dagger, circa 1500 AD
Ottoman Dagger, 17th Century AD
Large Dagger: Swiss Baselard circa 1650 AD
Broad Dagger: Roman Pugio, 1st Century AD
Broad Dagger: Cinquedea Dagger, Italy 15th Century AD
Large Dagger: Swiss Baselard circa 1480 AD
Large Dagger: Italian Baselard, circa 15th Century AD
Large Dagger: Spanish blocking dagger 16th Century AD
Large Dagger: blocking dagger with sidering, Bolonga Italy 16th Century AD
Large Dagger: blocking dagger with sidering, Germany circa 1600 AD
Short Sword: La Tene (Celtic) anthropomorphic-ilt sword, Bohemia late
Hallstatt period 5th Century BC
Short Sword: ‘Antnna hilt’ Sword of the Celetic Cogotas II culture, Salamanca
Spain, circa 600 BC
Gladius, Mainz Germany, circa 50 AD
Gladius, Pompeii, Italy 2nd Century AD
Cinquedea sword, Barcelona Spain circa 1540 AD
Gladius: Russian Kindjal, 19th Century
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Sword, Katzbalger
ERA: Renaissance
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/3/3 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/4 Cost 100 gp
Primary Material: Steel The Katzbalger is a special type of arming sword or
broadsword developed during the Renaissance in Germany,
it was the infamous signature weapon of the Landsknecht
mercenaries.
Katzbalger with gold plated hilt, 16th Century AD Thurungia, Germany
Katzbalger, 16th Century AD Schwabia, Germany
A sturdy, medium-length sword with a distinctive 'S' shaped
guard, the blade itself is strait and parallel edged with a
spatulate or rounded point, usually lightened by several
short fullers in the forte.
Katzbalgers were actually made in many different sizes,
ranging from the short sword depicted here, to an arming
sword size, and even hand and a half and very large two-
handed versions. Most had a pretty distinctive shape and
size as described above, with a heavy sometimes bronze or
brass pommel and a heavy cutting blade.
Subjective: This is a weapon designed for the confusing aftermath of pike skirmishes, verydeadly in close combat, specialized for chopping. I’ve test-cut a little withsome katzbalger replicas and they cleave through meat and bone like nothing. This weapon is also well suited for defense with a close-to-the-hilt balance andan effective hand guard. A handy and reliable sidearm.
Sword, Leaf Blade
ERA: Classical Bronze Age
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/1/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 8/4 Cost 70 gp
Primary Material: Iron or Bronze An archaic sword design of very ancient lineage which existed in
bronze form well before the Classical period. Both bronze and iron
versions of this weapon were used by the Celts, the ancient
Greeks, the early Romans, and by various other peoples around
Central and Southern Europe. The Spartan xiphos was a leaf-
bladed sword. Like many ancient sword types, these weapons did
not have any hand protection to speak of. The shape of the
blade, broader and heavier toward the end, moves the balance
toward the point and makes it highly effective for chopping
attacks, though it is also effective for thrusting. If the broad
double-edged blade does successfully penetrate in a thrust it will
do catastrophic damage. The sword does have a stiff, usually
diamond cross sectioned blade making the sword strong enough
for thrusting through tough targets.
Sword, Spatha
ERA: Classical Iron age to Dark Ages
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/2/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/4 Cost 90 gp
Primary Material: Steel For game purposes a spatha is any broad, single-handed strait
sword about 3’ long which lacks a true iron pommel. The Roman
spatha is the archetype of a variety of similar swords used all
around Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East from the
last days of the Roman Republic through the first few centuries of
the Dark Ages. A spatha is similar to the ‘Viking’ broadsword in
that is primarily a cutter with a long, broad blade, but the spatha
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is fairly stiff, making it better for thrusting, and also more
blade heavy. The spatha derives from the La Tene (Celtic)
culture, and was adopted by the Romans initially as a
sidearm for cavalry.
During certain military reforms of the early Imperial period it
was adopted by infantry in order to help Roman
Legionnaires cope with the increasing numbers of
Scandinavian and Germanic tribes they encountered such
as Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Lombards, Vandals, Burgundians
and Franks who used these spatha type sword extensively.
In the 1st Century BC Rome experienced the first in a series
of shocks as newly energized Barbarian confederations
began to cross the Rhine, starting with the Cimbri and
Teutons. More and more the Germanic and Celtic tribes
carried spatha which had been wrought with sophisticated
pattern welding techniques and were increasingly perceived as
effective and dangerous weapons, causing the Romans to rethink
their doctrine favoring the gladius as the sidearm for heavy
infantry.
By the 2nd Century AD the Spatha had largely replaced the gladius
as the standard sidearm for the Roman Legionnaire. The original
Roman version has the same kind of guard as the gladius short
sword. Spatha with a crossguard (like the Arab type) may rate as
3/2/2 weapons.
Subjective: Many of the Spatha type swords recovered from archeological sites created bythe Germanic and Scandinavian Barbarian cultures during the Migration Erafeatured pattern welded blades, and often elaborate goldwork as well. In 2009 more than 70 elaborately carved gold hilts were discovered in one horde alonein a Saxon or Norse site found at Staffordshire in Britain.
Katzbalger, 16th Century
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Spatha: La Tène II (Celtic) Sword, Belgium, circa 250 BC (pattern welded blade)
Spatha: La Tène III (Celtic) double-fullered Spatha, Circa 100 BC.
The grip of this sword is similar to the Roman Type
Spatha: Arab sword, Circa 1100 AD
Spatha: Sudanese Kaskara, circa 1600 AD, Abyssinia, Africa
Broad sword: Viking Sword, semi-excavated condition, Norway circa 900 AD
Broad sword: Viking sword, Hebrides Islands, circa 800 AD (Pattern Welded blade)
Broad sword: Viking Sword with silver hilt, Sweden, Circa 10th Century AD
Broad Sword: Sword with bronze hilt found in a woman’s grave, Suontaka, Finland, circa 11th Century AD
Broad Sword: Viking Sword, Ireland, 11th Century AD (excavated condition)
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Sword, Broad ERA: Dark Ages to Medieval
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/4/2 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 120 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel The term "broadsword" isn't really historical (it was coined in
the 18th century), but is defined here as the strait, double-
edged cutting and slashing swords which replaced the spatha
in northern Europe between the 7th and 11th Century AD. For
game purposes a broadsword is a single handed cutting
sword with a small hand grip, heavy iron (as opposed to wood
or bone) pommel, and broad deeply fullered blade with a
rounded or spatulate point. First appearing in the late
Migration period among the Franks and the Norse tribes, this
evolutionary development of the spatha is better balanced
and more specialized for cutting. It saw continuous use by
Germanic and Norse peoples through the end of the Viking
age (from the end of the 7th through the 11th -12th century),
and also spread to Ireland, the British Isles, Russia, the Baltic
States, Poland, Bohemia, Spain, France, Italy, and parts of
the Middle East and Central Asia.
Detail of the pommel of a Viking sword circa 9th Century AD,Haitabu Museum, Germany, photo by keeshu
A broadsword is a cutting weapon with a total length of
between 34"-39", and a short grip counterweighted by a
heavy iron pommel. Most weighed between 2 to 3 pounds
with a balance point 4-6” inches from the cross. The
broadsword was of somewhat limited value in thrusting,
usually having a rounded or spatulate (sometimes even
squared off) point and a relatively flexible blade which would
make it difficult to penetrate armor, though it could easily
pierce soft tissue, the neck, the belly, the meat of a leg etc.
with no problem. The hand is also somewhat exposed
compared to later Medieval European swords, but the
weapon was intended for use with a shield.
Subjective: Far from being the clumsy crowbar of popular imagination, this is anelegant, well balanced, surprisingly nimble sword, with deep fullers downthe entire length of the blade making it strong and supple. They were
generally of good craftsmanship, like modern Scandinavian furniture orglassware: simple, elegant, ergonomic and efficient.
In the early part of the Viking Age, due to the relative scarcity of good qualityIron, these weapons were often forged using special "pattern welding"techniques, this type was gradually replaced as good quality homogeneoussteel blades became available from the Franks. Vikings of later generationsstill highly valued the older type however and sought them out in ancientbarrows and gravesites. The pattern which they called 'the wyrm in the blade'or 'the serpent in the steel' marked such rare weapons as the work of Trolls orGiants. There are many references to such blades in the sagas, chronicles,and epic poems of the Viking era, perhaps most notably in Beowulf.
Sword, Arming
ERA: Medieval to Renaissance
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/3/3 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 150 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel Aka ‘single sword’ also sometimes called a ‘riding sword’ or even
a ‘short sword’ (to distinguish it from a longsword). This is
possibly the weapon called a “long sword” in most Role Playing
Games and Computer Games. Historical Longswords were
basically two-handed weapons (see Longsword). But it’s worth
remembering that in period swords of all types were most often
referred to simply as ‘swords’ without any further categorization.
The arming sword was traditionally worn on the left side, which is
why modern horseback riders always mount their horse from the
left, though few remember the ancient reason. Oakshott types
Xa, XI, XIa, XII, XIII, XIIIb, XIV, XIX, and XXa can all be examples of
arming swords.
The European arming sword is typically a single-handed, double-
edged sword about 3 to 3 1/2 feet long in overall length, with a
blade somewhere between 29 and 35 inches. The blade is strait
and normally parallel edged rather than sharply tapering. Most
arming swords were well balanced, relatively light, and weighed
between 2-4 pounds with a point of balance a few inches from the
cross. Some meant for cavalry were longer and more blade-
heavy (treat as 4/2/3 weapons damage 1-10).
Subjective: A versatile and deadly weapon which was in use from as early as the 10thCentury through the 16th, it was ideally suited for use with a shield, to which itwas arguably the ultimate counterpart. Effective both in attacking anddefending, with excellent reach and agility, the arming sword is a tacticallyflexible weapon equally capable of chopping, slashing, and thrusting, andhighly effective against both armored and unarmored opponents. Thisweapon was a high point of refinement of the basic Spatha design which hadappeared more than 1,000 years before, the balance of a heavy pommel, thecarefully wrought blade with a broad edge and a sharp point, and thesubstantial cross to protect the hand all made this weapon own a close in fight.
The arming sword is the weapon which, along with the lance, won thereputation of the medieval European knight of the High Middle Ages. Thearming sword or riding sword was worn on the knights person, on the hip,while the longsword was usually carried on the saddle (not across the backlike in Conan).
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Arming Sword; Danish, Circa 1100 AD, Oakeshott Type X
Arming Sword, German 13th Century AD, Oakeshott Type XI
Arming Sword, French, 1325 AD, Oakeshott type XVI
Arming Sword; English, Sword of Henry V, Circa 1420 AD Oakeshott type XVIII
Arming Sword: Sword with single finger ring, probably Maltese, from the Armory at
Alexandria taken as tribute in the 16th Century, Oakeshott type XIX
Spanish ‘Bilbo’ Sword, Mexico circa 1615 AD. This is essentially an arming sword with a cup-hilt (this would be a
3/3/5 weapon).
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Sidebar: The Siege of Antioch One of the greatest victories of the First Crusade occurred in 1097 AD when the formidable Norman Knight
Bohemond led the capture of the City of Antioch after a long and difficult siege. Allegedly, Bohemond paid off a
disgruntled Christian tower-captain to sneak himself and a small group of knights past the walls, leading to the
breaching of the gate and the capture of the city. Joy over their sudden victory was short-lived however when an
enormous army of Turks arrived and the Crusaders found themselves besieged. Already badly depleted of both
energy and resources, hope seemed lost when a large Byzantine army which had been sent to relieve them turned
around, believing they were already doomed. Starvation and disease beset the troops, and their future looked grim.
But a priest came to Bohemond and Raymond of Toulouse claiming to have seen a vision of St. Andrew, who revealed
that that the Holy Lance was inside the city. The leaders were sceptical, since this relic was believed to be in
Constantinople, but it did not dissuade the priest, who discovered a spear- point in a pit being dug near one of the
walls.
Gustave Doré (1832-1883), “Bohemond alone mounts the rampart of Antioch”
The spear was promptly mounted on a haft, word of the ‘miracle’ spread, and preparations for a final desperate battle
were made. Five days later the entire army sortied from the gate to attack the Turks. The Turks attempted a feigned
retreat and ambush, made a flanking attack, and set the grass on fire, but Bohemond intercepted the army on their
flanks with a hastily organized riposte, and the Crusaders reported later that they saw visions of St. George, St.
Demitrious and St. Maurice in the sky. The starving knights smashed the Turkish army and scattered the survivors in
a complete rout. Thus was created a new fiefdom for the ambitious Bohemond, who declared his personal vows to
be fulfilled, and settled down to rule the prosperous town as the rest of the army proceeded to Jerusalem without him,
much to the annoyance of the Byzantine Emperor and his rival Raymond. Bohemond, one of the most colourful
Characters of the first Crusade, is also one of the very few knights of this period of whom we have a detailed physical
description:
“Now [Bohemond] was such as, to put it briefly, had never before been seen in the land of the Romans [that is, Greeks], be he
either of the barbarians or of the Greeks (for he was a marvel for the eyes to behold, and his reputation was terrifying). Let me
describe the barbarian's appearance more particularly -- he was so tall in stature that he overtopped the tallest by nearly one cubit,
narrow in the waist and loins, with broad shoulders and a deep chest and powerful arms. And in the whole build of the body he
was neither too slender nor overweighted with flesh, but perfectly proportioned and, one might say, built in conformity with the
canon of Polycleitus... His skin all over his body was very white, and in his face the white was tempered with red. His hair was
yellowish, but did not hang down to his waist like that of the other barbarians; for the man was not inordinately vain of his hair, but
had it cut short to the ears. Whether his beard was reddish, or any other colour I cannot say, for the razor had passed over it very
closely and left a surface smoother than chalk... His blue eyes indicated both a high spirit and dignity; and his nose and nostrils
breathed in the air freely; his chest corresponded to his nostrils and by his nostrils...the breadth of his chest. For by his nostrils
nature had given free passage for the high spirit which bubbled up from his heart. A certain charm hung about this man but was
partly marred by a general air of the horrible... He was so made in mind and body that both courage and passion reared their
crests within him and both inclined to war. His wit was manifold and crafty and able to find a way of escape in every emergency. In
conversation he was well informed, and the answers he gave were quite irrefutable. This man who was of such a size and such a
character was inferior to the Emperor alone in fortune and eloquence and in other gifts of nature.”
-Ana Comnena, the Alexiad 1148 AD
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Detail of the hilt of a Cut-Thrust sword, early 16th Century
Sword, Cut-Thrust
ERA: Renaissance to Enlightenment
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/3/4 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 11/3 Cost 180 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel Also sometimes called 'transitional' swords, “cut-thrust”
sword is a modern term used to describe a type of military
weapon which had become somewhat more specialized than
the original arming sword or single sword. In period all of
these were typically just called ‘swords’. Typical cut-thrust
sword are often Oakeshott types XV and XVIII. The blade is
tapered rather than parallel edged, coming to an acute point,
and of flattened diamond or hexagonal cross section,
sometimes with a central ridge running down the center of
each face to further stiffen the blade.
Several historical weapons fall into this category, including
the Spanish 'espada ropera', the French 'espadon', and the
'spada filo' of the Italian Renaissance masters. The 'spada da
lato' (sidesword) was also considered a development of the
cut-and-thrust sword (see Sidesword). Unlike the rapier,
which was basically a civilian weapon, the cut-thrust sword
was first and foremost a military sword. Cut-thrust swords
often incorporated compound hilts with side rings, thumb
rings and finger rings used to employ a "fingered" or over-the-
guard grip, which assisted in point control when thrusting.
Swords of this type are featured in fencing manuals, such as
Achille Marozzos Opera Nova.
Detail of the hilt of a sidesword, late 15th Century
Sword, Sidesword
ERA: Renaissance to Enlightenment
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/4/4 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SCP/SP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/3 Cost 200 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel The term ‘sidesword’ is a modern term used to refer to a certain
class of civilian swords midway between an arming sword or
cut-thrust sword and a rapier. There has been much debate
over the definition or even use of this term, but for game
purposes it means a double-edged civilian cut-and-thrust
weapon derived from the cut-thrust sword (see Sword, Cut-
Thrust) which is similar and overlaps considerably with this type.
Some ‘sideswords’ fall into the Oakeshott XIX category, others
are outside the basic Oakeshott typology. The sidesword is
characterized by a slim, strait or slightly tapering blade, and a
guard featuring a 'complex hilt' of some kind, with such features
as finger rings, a knucklebow, side rings, and / or thumb rings.
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Whether you prefer to think of it as a ‘transitional’ weapon
midway between a cut-and-thrust sword and a rapier, or
simply as a sword of this era, the blade of a sidesword was
still wide enough to cut, while also being fairly stiff and
tapering gently to an acute point, with very sharp blades
making them suitable for both slicing and thrusting. The
modern term 'sidesword' is derived from the Italian "spada da
lato". This weapon was widely used in the late Renaissance
until it was gradually supplanted by the longer and narrower
true rapier, though both types existed concurrently for at least
two centuries. Swords of this type are featured in several
fencing manuals, including two of the most prominent of the
16th Century Achille Marozzos UOpera Nova dell'Arte delle ArmiU
of 1536 and Joachim Meyers UKunst des Fechten Uof 1570.
Hilt of a Mortuary-Hilt Backsword of the English Civil War era, 17th Century
Sword, Backsword
ERA: Enlightenment to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/2/5 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/5 Cost 200 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel A heavy, strait bladed, usually single edged military cut-and-
thrust weapon, often with enhanced hand protection such as
a basket or cage hilt. Used by cavalry, it was known as a
'backsword' because it was hung over the back by cavalry
soldiers so that it wouldn't slap the thigh while galloping.
Normally single-edged though sometimes featuring a partial
false-edge. Used in the late Renaissance through the 19th
century, primarily as a cavalry weapon. Backsword variants
included the basket-hilt claymore, and the hanger. A basket hilt
on any sword can be used to strike with, and may be treated as
an extra-heavy knuckleduster (Damage 1-6 B/B) which is
available for use at grapple range. The backswords hand
protection, and the relatively heavy weight of the weapon made
it efficient for defense, including against heavy weapons like
lances and bayonets, as illustrated in this account of the use of
a 1796 heavy infantry saber (a strait bladed backsword) by an
English solider at the battle of Waterloo:
“It was in the charge I took the eagle off the enemy; he and I had a hard contest
for it; he made a thrust at my groin I parried it off and cut him down through the
head. After this a lancer came at me; I threw the lance off my right side, and cut
him through the chin upwards through the teeth. Next, a foot soldier fired at
me, then charged me with his bayonet, which I also had the good luck to parry,
and I cut him down through the head; thus ended the contest.” -Sgt. CharlesEwart, 2nd Dragoons (Scots Greys) describing his capture of an Imperial Eagle at Waterloo:
Hilt of a 17th Century Italian Schiavona
The backsword was particularly popular in England and
Scotland, where it took many forms, increasingly refined and
sophisticated, typically with complex hilts. There were hunting
hangers, mortuary hilt swords made popular during the English
Civil War, the sinclair-Hilt named after a Scottish mercenary, the
Scottish claymores, and the classic English basket-hilt sword.
The extra hand protection provided by the basket hilt allowed
the weapon to be used more defensively and with more –hands
forward guards, and could also be used to smash peoples faces
when at close (grapple) range.
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Cut-Thrust sword, this is one of three attributed to Jeanne d'Arc, Dijon France, early 15th Century AD, Oakeshott type XV
(this weapon may have been rehilted at a later time)
Sidesword: Spada Da Lato, Bologna, Italy, 1550 AD
Sidesword: Espada Ropera, Barcelona, Spain 16th Century AD
Sidesword: Spada Da Lato, Milan, Italy, 1570 AD (Oakeshott type XIX)
Cut-Thrust Sword, Dordogne Valley, France, circa 1430 AD, Oakeshott Type XVIII
Cut-Thrust sword, Portugal 15th Century AD
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Sword, Schiavona / Palasz
ERA: Enlightenment to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/2/5 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 11/5 Cost 250 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel This is a class of very sturdy, long bladed basket-hilt
swords both very popular with heavy cavalry in the
Enlightenment period, typified by the Polish palasz and
the Venetian schiavona. The schiavona is long single-
handed cutting sword characterized by a distinctive type
of complex cage-hilt usually also featuring full or partial
quillions, and a distinctive 'cats-head' pommel. The
blade is fairly broad tapering to a stiff thrusting point,
with single or multiple fullers in the forte, though it is
primarily a cutting weapon. Some are fully double
edged, while some have only half of the false edge
sharpened.
In the Middle Ages the Doge (mayor) of Venice hired the
Schiavoni, a tribe of Slavonic mercenaries from the
Dalmatian (Croatian) coast as bodyguards. The Schiavoni
wielded a unique type of sword which was called the
schiavonesca; a kind of a hybrid between a cut-and-thrust
sword and an arming sword.
The relatively crude schiavonesca gradually evolved into
the more sophisticated Venetian schiavona which was
eventually became a very popular weapon in the Baroque
period, particularly for heavy cavalry. Schiavonas were one
of the first swords to feature a full basket hilt, with a
characteristic shape. Later cage hilt swords such as the
Scottish basket-hilted "broadsword" are thought by some
scholars to have evolved from the schiavona. The palasz
(or pallash or palasc) was a similar weapon used in Poland
by the famed ‘Winged Hussars’ heavy cavalry, a very long,
slim double-fullered blade (up to 46”) designed primarily for
cutting. These were also popular across Europe.
“There were more MarxBruder present than Federfechters and they were eager to Fight! With trumpeters in the Town
Square, all the people had their seats with windows thrown open to see this spectacle. Through the streets went men
with armfulls of swords, rappiers and staffs, there were two royal spears full of hanging dussacks, and what's a
fechtschule without them!!!)
All the Parties put their Capes and Swords in a pile. The Fechtmeister was holding onto a wooden Halberd. The
trumpets blared, Just then the Old Prince Georgen zum Brigg, who is considered a father of the Fatherland*,
marshaled in the event and together with the Bishops of Preslaw, a pair of reichs tallers (aka ‘thaelers’, a gold coin roughlyequivalent to a Florin) were offered as the Prize to every winner, so long as Blood was drawn, the loser should live with his
shoddyness in defeat. The youthful Dussack fencers got out of control at one point and had to be Halted by the
Fechtmeister. So great was their thirst for 2 Gold Tallers (Thaelers, worth about 2 gulden or gold ducats each), but yet
they brought little blood and so little Gold was awarded to the Dussack fencers. The Rappiers, Staffs and Longswords
however, proved very bloody, and much Gold was awarded.
The best was a Marxbruder , a Schlosser with his strong Handworks and his Stork from above, he landed strikes on
their heads. He was awarded two gold tallers and was ready to go to the Pub, just then a short, little Hatmaker, from
Nerlingen (Swabia) came at him with Longsword, and gave the Schlosser, the Spitze or point. the Fechmeister halted
the fight instantly and said " Landsman, whats with this Reckless and wild Start? have you not seen, that he who is
without Art only stabs at the Head. The reply was: Ich Lieg noch nitt or "Sorry, I don't lie still*". As no blood was drawn,
the match continued with the little Hatmaker, splitting the Marxbruder's Nose in two! For all to see. So, off to the Pub
He went!! Then there came an accidental retalliation, a Marxbruder, while Staff fighting, put out an eye of a
Federfechter! And the sight of how high the clear, eye fluid went was horrible to behold.”
-Description of a Fechtschule tournament at Liegnitz, from Hans Ulrich Krafft Reisen und Gefangenschaf, 1583 AD
*This response could be compared to the earliest known Handwritten German fencing history and is attributed to Liechtenauers statement in 1389:
Wer do Liegt, der ist tot, wer sich Ruret, der lebt noch: “Who stays still is dead, who moves still lives”.
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Backsword: English hanger, 17th Century. This is a primitive type of weapon with a simple
Knucklebow and no counterbalancing pommel, which would have a lower speed in
followup attacks (3/2/3).
Backsword: early 17th Century Scottish “Ribbon Hilt” Claymore with a very broad blade.
You could say this monster is the very definition of a “broadsword”…
Backsword: 17th Century Scottish Claymore with a brass hilt
Backsword: 18th Century Scottish Claymore
Schiavona, probably Venetian early 17th Century AD. From the private collection of Bill Grandy.
Schiavona / Pallash: Very early, very long 15th Century Lithuanian Pallash sword
Schiavona / Pallash: 17th – 18th Century Polish Pallash sword with clamshell hilt
Schiavona / Pallash: early 19th Century Dutch Pallash sword
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Morning Star (HH)
ERA: All eras
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/1/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/(BP)/(BP) AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 16/15 Cost 70 gp
Primary Material: Iron This is the knightly version of the original morning star, the
morgenstern (see Morgenstern). This version is a single-
handed spiked mace suitable for cavalry, usually of all iron (or
more rarely, all steel) construction. A very dangerous weapon
capable of causing serious injuries even against armoured
opponents, all hits count as both bludgeon and piercing
damage.
Axe, Battle (HH) ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/1/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-12/C/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 7/5 (steel hafted 15/5)Cost 30 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel An axe designed for cutting people as opposed to trees.
Contrary to mythology, battle axes were relatively small and
light like every other military weapon, and didn’t have giant
three foot wide, 10 kilo blades like in a Frank Frazetta*
painting. Axes used for war or hunting were generally lighter
and slimmer than axes used to fell trees, rather than the
other way around. The typical battle axe was also a relatively
small single-handed weapon (though there were two-handed
axes, see Great Axe and Sparth Axe). Nevertheless, the battle
axe was brutal, it could slice off limbs, split heads or hack
shields to pieces with relative ease, and cut through shields
or light armor without problems.
Long after the battle axe began to be replaced by other more
sophisticated weapons on the battlefields of the
Renaissance, they remained in use with sappers through the
Early Modern period, as well as with marines, sailors, and
pirates on ships well into the 19th Century as the ‘boarding
axe’. Some battle-axes featured iron langets to protect the
haft, or were made of all-steel construction, and / or had
features like back-spikes, roundels or even knucklebows to
protect the hand. All-steel axes would have hardness and hit
points similar to a war-pick, a back spike would confer a P
attack type. Roundels confer +1 to defence, knucklebows
+2.
* not that there is anything wrong with Frank Frazetta
Sword, Hand and a Half (HH) ERA: Renaissance to Baroque
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/4/3 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +1/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/3 Cost 180 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel This is basically a small bastard sword or longsword (see
Bastard Sword, Longsword) designed for civilian or semi-
civilian use as a personal defense weapon or a riding sword.
Thee swords usually feature a stiff, flattened diamond or
diamond shaped blade and a sharp profile taper ending in a
very sharp point. Oakeshott type XVa is a typical example of
the type.
This type of sword is much smaller than a longsword, in the
neighbourhood of 42-44” in total length. These are versatile,
very quick weapons effective close in or at range, featuring
both a very sharp edge and a lethal needle point. AP bonus
applies to thrusts only.
Antique 16th Century ‘hand-and-a-half’ bastard sword, Ulm, Germany
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War hammer, Germany, Circa 15th Century AD (this is a special type of war hammer called a ‘dagger –mace’ used for judicial
combat)
War Pick, Austrian, 1570 AD
Norwegian Battle Axe, 9th Century AD Danish Battle Axe, 10th Century AD
Ottoman Battle Axe, 17th Century AD Indian “Antelope” style Battle Axe, 17th Century AD
French Battle Axe, 16th Century AD
Bearded Axe, Ireland, Circa 10th Century AD
Great Axe: Danish ‘Huskarl’ Axe, 12th Century AD
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Sword, Liuye Dao
ERA: Bronze Age to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/4/2 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/S AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/3 Cost 40 gp
Primary Material: Steel The “willow leaf saber” is the classic Chinese saber, an elegant,
gently curved single-edged sword suitable for infantry or cavalry.
One of the most ubiquitous weapons in the history of the world,
the dao was arguably the basis for dozens of other weapons
found from the Middle East and Europe to Japan, south Asia,
and the pacific rim including the Hungarian saber, the Turkish
kilij, the Indian tulwar, the Persian shamshir and the Arab saif,
among others. The dao in various forms was the standard
sidearm for cavalry and infantry in China going back to the
Bronze Age. Relatively slender with a slight flaring near the tip,
this is a well balanced weapon suitable for slashing, chopping
or thrusting.
Dao usually featured only minor hand protection in the form of a
small disk or roundel, and frequently a canted grip to aid in
weapon retention (particularly important for cavalry). The liuye
dao is a versatile sword which can be effective in the hands of
both the relatively untrained or the experienced martial artist.
Some dao feature a partial false-edge allowing for false-edge
cuts.
18th Century Chinese soldier carrying a Dao
While the dao was the weapon of the army rank and file, and
the double-edged jian was the preferred weapon for high
officials and aristocrats, many very special dao were also forged
for the elite. These were made with incredible sophistication,
wrought from excellent steel (tempered steel or wootz steel
from India, which would increase the cost accordingly), using
sophisticated differential hardening techniques and masterful
heat treatments. Such weapons were often decorated with
artistic inlays of gold, silver and other metals. One popular
feature introduced during the Ming dynasty was to embed a
silver bead (or ‘rolling pearl’) inside a slot in the back edge of
the sword, which would roll back and forth during a cut. A few
of these remarkable weapons survive today. A weapon of this
quality would be a +2 or +3 masterwork blade at minimum.
Sword, Yanmao Dao
ERA: All eras
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/3/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/SP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/3 Cost 150 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel This is the goose-quill sabre, another variant of the dao (see
Liuye Dao). The yanmao dao is a straighter sword with a curve
appearing toward the center of percussion near the tip of the
blade. This weapon can thrust effectively and has better reach
than the other types of dao.
Sword, Saber
ERA: Medieval to Early ModernAka: Scimitar
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/4/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SCP/S AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/3 Cost 90 gp
Primary Material: Steel A saber is technically any curved sword. For game purposes
saber means any non-specific curved single edged sword of
medium length. All sabers are specialized for draw-cutting,
which is very useful in cavalry ride-by attacks (making it
possible to deliver a lethal cut while riding at full speed getting
the sword knocked out of your hand) and is a very quick
weapon particularly at close range.
The saber entered Europe through Hungary, where was known
possibly as early as the 7th century AD. In Slavic countries
sabers were called szabla. Sabers made in the Early Modern
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period incorporated knucklebows or complex hilts, treat as
3/4/3 or 3/4/4 weapons.
Another common subtype of the European saber was the
Ukranian shashka, a longer, very fast weapon with no
crossguard. Treat this as a 4/5/1 weapon.
Sabers were one of the most long lasting swords in the military
arsenal, remaining in use for at least 1300 years. They were in
wide use in WW I and continued to be used as cavalry weapons
up to World War II. Ceremonial sabers are still carried by
officers and non commissioned officers in modern armies,
though they are no longer used for battle.
Sword, Heavy Saber
ERA: Medieval to Early ModernAka: Scimitar
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/3/4 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 90 gp
Primary Material: Steel
Stating in the late 16th Century, a different type of Saber began
to emerge in Central Europe, rapidly spreading to the North and
later to the West. A heavier weapon meant for sustained
fighting as opposed to the ride-by slash. These were longer,
broader-bladed, probably influenced by Hungarian sabers and
possibly the Tulwar and / or the Killij, with a blade flaring out
toward the tip for greater cutting power. Heavy sabers typically
had greater hand protection. This design remained popular
though the 19th Century. A classic example is the British 1796
pattern light cavalry saber (not to be confused with the 1796
pattern heavy cavalry saber, which was actually a straight
bladed Backsword).
Sword, Shamshir
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/5/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/S AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/2 Cost 150 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel
Aka ‘Scimetar’. The word "shamshir" means 'curved like a tigers
tail', this was the name made for an acutely curved saber used
in Persia, curving up to 15 degrees from cross to tip. Sabers
were adopted fairly late in Central Asia and the Middle East, but
were becoming widespread by the 16th Century when this
unique design began to appear. A typical Shamshir had a
simple crossguard up to 2” wide on each side, and was carried
horizontally with the hilt and tip pointing up.
The shamshir has many cousins in the region, all of which
appeared around the same time and all of which were probably
copies of the Persian shamshir (or possibly the Chinese dao).
The Arab saif, the Etheopian guardes, and the Turkish killij all
closely resemble the shamshir. All of these weapons were
similar: slim cavalry sabers with deeply curved slicing blades
designed for draw-cutting, featuring a small, canted grip
intended to aid in weapon retention. .
These weapons overlapped a great deal and therefore are all
currently included in the shamshir class, but there were some
different design emphasis within the subtypes. The saif was
often not as acutely curved as the shamshir and was more
suitable for thrusting (treat as SP weapon). The guardes had a
distinctive type of wooden hilt
Though intended for cavalry, due to the pronounced curve and
light weight the shamshir can be used in closer quarters than
most medium length slashing weapons (treat as a size S
weapon when fighting at grapple range).
Tulwar with ‘ferrengi’ (foreign) style hilt, Punjab India circa 1815, authorspersonal collection.
Sword, Tulwar
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/5/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/3 Cost 150 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel
In India one finds a very similar weapon to the shamshir called
a 'tulwar' or ‘talwar’, a saber with a similarly pronounced curve,
but a broader blade than a shamshir and usually featuring less
acute of a point. Tulwars have a small, tight handle, the grip
itself is strait rather than canted like some other sabers, and
typically consisting of minimal quillions with a roundel pommel
which makes for a very snug grip. The tulwar also often has a
sharpened false-edge.
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Like all sabers, these are specialized slashing weapons
originally designed for use from horseback. Historically these
elegant swords were used by Persian, Hindu, Sikh, and Mughal
cavalry. The tulwar in particular was popular with the Sikhs,
though eclipsed by the Khanda and the Kirpan (see Jambayia)
in Religious importance, the tulwar is the weapon of Rajput
cavalry and is the basis of the martial sport Gatka which is still
practiced today by Sikhs all around the world. Though intended
for cavalry, the tulwar can be used on foot in closer quarters
than most medium length slashing weapons (treat as a size S
weapon when fighting at grapple range).
Tulwars made after the 17th Century often featured ‘ferengi’
style hilts which included a knucklebow or even something like
a cup-hilt. These weapons are superior for defense (treat as
3/5/3 weapons).
Sword, Killij
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/3/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +1/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/3 Cost 150 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel
The Turks created their own fearsome version of the saber, the
killij or killic. This is a specialized cutting weapon, brutally
effective, somewhat similar in design philosophy to the
yataghan: let the shield do the blocking, this thing is for lopping
off arms and heads as efficiently as possible. Has a partial
false edge and a reinforced point for thrusting. The AP bonus is
for thrusting only.
Liuye Dao, Ming Dynasty China circa 15th-16th Century AD
Yanmao Dao, 16th Century AD
Saber: An exquisite Turkish or Ukrainian shashka saber, probably early 17th Century,
Wootz steel, inlayed with lapis and silver and featuring a gold inscription on the blade.
Tulwar, India 17th Century AD
Tulwar: Ethiopian ‘guardes’ saber, 16th Century AD
Shamshir: Persian Shamshir 18th Century AD
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Killij: Ottoman Killic, Bulgaria 16th Century AD
Tulwar ‘ferengi’ style with knucklebow, Punjab India early 19th Century, from the authors personal collection
Heavy Saber: Swedish heavy cavalry saber, circa 1650 AD
Saber: Ukranian Szabla, circa 1650 AD
Heavy Saber, Hungarian Szalba circa 1650 AD
Cossacks of the Zaporozhian Sich write a mocking reply to the Sultan of Turkey, Circa 17th Century, Ukraine.
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Axe, Bearded
ERA: Iron Age to Medieval
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/1/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/C/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 7/5 Cost 30 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Iron
Also called the ‘Danish axe’, a bearded axe is a longer
subtype of battle axe (see Battle Axe) with a special L-shaped
or ‘bearded’ blade. Many types of axes were made with this
design, which gives you a wide cutting surface with less
weight in the blade, but for game purposes this also means a
battle axe longer than the typical version, of 3-4 feet in
length, with a slightly lighter ‘bearded’ shaped blade. This
type of axe was widely used by the Vikings in the 9th-10th
Century, particularly by the Danes. It could be used as a hand
and a half weapon but was more typically used one-handed in
conjunction with a shield.
Axe, Great (TH) ERA: Iron Age to Medieval
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/0/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-12/C/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 7/5 Cost 50 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel This very large type of axe first began to appear in
Scandinavia, Russia and the British Isles around the end of
the 10th Century. This weapon is associated with the Danish
– Saxon huskarl, usually Norse warriors in the service of
Saxon kings as hirthmen. These were effective weapons
which evolved from the battle axe and the bearded axe, but
were eventually replaced by more specialized types such as
the sparth axe (probably an evolutionary development of this
weapon – see Sparth Axe) the halberd, and the pollaxe (see
Pollaxe).
Sword, Bastard (HH) ERA: Renaissance to Baroque
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/3/4 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +1/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 220 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel
A sub - type of the longsword (see Longsword), bastard swords
were basically two-handed (or hand and a half) cut-and-thrust
swords. They were similar to long swords but slightly shorter
(average 45”-47”) with stiff, sharply tapering blades usually of
either hexagonal or diamond cross-section. The blade cross-
section was designed to cut through light armor like a chisel,
with the stiffness and sharp taper making it specialized for
thrusting. Modern tests have revealed that swords of this type
also cut surprisingly well against both soft and hard targets.
Oakeshott types XVa and XVII may normally be considered
bastard swords. There was also another ‘civilian’ type of
bastard sword characterized by a complex hilt including side
rings and / or finger rings. These also usually had a flatter,
wider blade and were used more for cutting (change to 4/3/5
primary attack type C, no AP bonus). These were less expensive
(160 gp) and often appeared in town armories. Bastard swords
were also used as sidearms by some Swiss Reislauffer which
apparently gave them an advantage over other infantry such as
Italian Condottieri and German Landsknechts with their shorter
katzbalger type swords.
The acute point of the bastard sword made it more effective in a thrust.
Bastard swords of both types also frequently featured a two
stage, stepped grip, sometimes called a 'coke bottle' grip.
Bastard swords sometimes feature a large ricasso for half-
swording. Many martial techniques have been designed around
the use of the longsword, bastard sword, and greatsword. As
with the longsword, false-edge cutting is critical to making the
most of this weapons speed (see False Edge Cutting MF and
Zucken MF). The mastercuts (see Miesterhau MF) are
fundamental techniques, and half-swording can be effectively
employed to enhance it’s effectiveness at short (i.e. grapple)
range (see Half-Swording MF) as well as making the most of its
armor-piercing benefits in the thrust.
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Sword, Federschwert ERA: Renaissance to Baroque
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/4/4 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-2/B/- AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/3 Cost 100 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel A federschwert or “feather sword” is a special type of training
sword used in the Holy Roman Empire (greater Germany)
during the Renaissance. These are blunt swords were
designed to be relatively safe to fight with, the deeply fullered
blades are relatively light and bend in a thrust like a modern
foil. But they can still cause serious injuries with strikes
without care.
Renaissance Fencing fraternities like the marxbrüder (“marx
brothers” aka the brotherhood of St. Mark) of Frankfurt and
the Friefechter (free fencers) of Prague used these weapons
in tournaments and prize fights. To win, you had to cut your
opponents scalp just enough that he bled, but not so badly
that you broke his skull which could get you in legal trouble.
To simulate this kind of fight in the game, make all attacks
full bypass attempts (-10 TH), and the first person to receive
4 HP of damage loses the bout.
Sword, Greatsword (HH) ERA: Medieval to Baroque
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/1/4 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-12/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/6 Cost 180 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel A greatsword, also called a "war sword" or a "sword of war", is
a subtype of the longsword (see Longsword) and an
evolutionary two-handed descendant of the arming sword
(see Arming Sword) specialized for cutting. These larger
swords initially appeared in the late 12th century but were
not frequently used in the 13th, after which they were largely
replaced by longswords and bastard swords, but the type was
revived in the 16th century as more unarmored infantry
returned to the battlefields.
Greatswords were capable of facing heavier weapons such as
pole-arms and larger axes, had extraordinary reach, and were
particularly devastating against opponents wearing light or no
armor. Greatswords generally have a parallel edged, flat or
lenticular cross-section blade suitable for cutting and
chopping, less useful for thrusting than other long swords.
The blade was wider and usually a few inches longer than
other longswords, with longer grips as well. For game purposes,
swords of Oakeshott types XIIa, XIIIa, and XX may generally be
considered greatswords. Typical greatswords measured up to 4'
- 4 1/2 in length and weighed 3-4 lbs, but are not to be
confused with a "true" two-handed sword such as the
zweihander which could measure over 6' (see Zweihander and
Flammard). Greatswords were often made with a ricasso from
2” to as much as 10” long.
Many martial techniques have been designed around the use of
the longsword, bastard sword, and greatsword. As with the
longsword, false-edge cutting is critical to making the most of
this versatile cutting weapon (see False Edge Cutting MF and
Zucken MF). The mastercuts (see Miesterhau MF) are also
fundamental techniques for using the greatsword, and half-
swording techniques can be effectively employed to enhance
it’s effectiveness at short (i.e. grapple) range (see Half-Swording
MF).
Sword, Longsword (HH) ERA: Medieval to Baroque
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/2/4 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 200 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel For the RPG “long sword” see Arming Sword
Developed as early as the late 12th Century, longswords
became the knightly weapon of choice by the 14th. The
longsword is actually a two-handed or hand-and-a-half weapon
which was developed as advances in armor increasingly
obviated the need for a shield, allowing the second hand to be
used. The weapon incorrectly described as a 'long sword' in
most Role Playing Games and computer games is actually a
'single sword' or an 'arming sword' (see Arming Sword).
Early longswords were little more than arming swords with
extended grips, which allowed them to be used two handed.
The blade was typically straight or slightly tapering, double-
edged, and the weapon normally had a simple cruciform hilt. As
the weapon developed, examples with blades up to a foot
longer than those of most arming swords were not rare, for an
overall length of four to four and a half feet. They also began
to feature more profile taper especially toward the end of the
blade, and a stiffer more wedge-like cross-section (often
flattened-diamond or hexagonal shaped) more suitable for
cutting through light armor, sometimes featuring multiple fullers
running partially down the length of the blade. Oakeshott types
XVIa, XVIIIb, and XX may be considered longswords (type XX can
be either a longsword or a great-sword)
The longsword class overlaps with other two handed swords,
including the bastard sword, a pointier, skinnier cut-and-thrust
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variety (see Bastard Sword), and the great sword or war
sword; broader and a bit longer and flatter, specialized for
chopping (see Greatsword), as well as the larger claymore
(see Claymore). Similar fighting techniques were used with all
these swords.
Hilt of a Czech Longsword with sidering, circa 1470 AD
The longsword is a very sophisticated weapon, equally
effective at both cutting and thrusting, swift and versatile in
attack and reliable in defense. It is not an easy weapon to
master but with proper training it is lethal and very fast, the
False –Edge cutting MF and Zucken MF will increase the
speed of this weapon by 2 or 3 points respectively, making it
very dangerous indeed.
Subjective:
The longsword was not the ‘king of the beasts’ on the open European
battlefield, that honour goes to the polearms such as halberds and
glaives, the lance, and the spear, later to pikes and giant six foot infantry
swords. But for most European warriors, the longsword remained
perhaps the ultimate prestige sidearm for more than two centuries,
because it was a contender in every situation, on the battlefield, in the
ambush or duel, in the confused aftermath of a pitched battle, on
horseback or on foot… this weapon gave you (literally) an edge and a
fighting chance in almost any situation. The longsword is not a beginners
weapon, which is why common infantry soldiers more commonly carried
short swords, messers or daggers as sidearms.
Knights, men-at-arms, and elite professional infantry carried this much
larger, bulkier weapon instead, because if you knew how to make the
most of this weapon (which requires numerous MF in the Codex rules), it
could keep you alive. Most of the more effective techniques for using a
longsword are at least somewhat counter-intuitive, which makes this a
weapon which really requires at least some real Martial Arts training and
not just experience. Though difficult to master, the longsword is one of
those rare weapons like the katana or the rapier which has almost unlimited
potential for Martial Arts applications. The more training you have with the
longsword the more versatile and effective it really becomes. In the hands
of a skilled swordsman this weapon is both a fight starter and a fight-
finisher, effective against polearms or daggers, axes or maces, shields or
bucklers. Well balanced and surprisingly light (typically 2-4 lbs), the
longsword is equally lethal on the battlefield or in a private duel or judicial
combat. Which is perhaps for this reason that most of the Fechtbücher, the
ancient fencing manuals of the Renaissance, start with the longsword as the
foundational weapon from which all other weapons are taught.
KriegsMesser (HH) ERA: Renaissance to Baroque
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/2/4 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-12/SCP/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/5 Cost 140 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel Also known as a langen messer. This is a messer (see Messer)
made into a two-handed infantry saber, essentially a formidable
single-edge sword designed as a primary battlefield weapon, up
to four feet long, with a hand and a half grip, sometimes strait
sometimes curved. These are devastating weapons which
cause horrific injuries, but are usually made well balanced and
relatively light to handle well in combat. This weapon overlaps
with the schwiesersabel (see Schwiesersabel). The Grossabel
saber and the similar Hungarian infantry saber are more curved
versions (4/4/4 1-12/SCP/S)
Subjective:
This is the grossemessers mean, crazy alcoholic uncle. A brutal and highly
effective weapon, it could be thought of as Europes answer to the katana, to
which it bears some superficial similarity. This is both a scary chopper and a
good fencing weapon balanced to be effective in a one on one fight. Both a
fight starter and a fight finisher.
The combatant on the left is wielding a kriegsmesser, circa 1500 AD
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Great sword: France, Circa 14th Century, Oakeshott type XIIIa
Great Sword: War sword with sidering, Prussian Confederacy or Teutonic Order, 16th Century, Oakeshott Type XX
Large Greatsword, Germany 15th Century
Longsword, German, 14th Century, Oakeshott type XX
Longsword, Germany, 15th Century, Oakeshott type XVIIIc
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Longsword with sidering, United Provinces (Dutch), 15th Century, Oakeshott Type XIX
Longsword Bohemian (Czech) with finger-ring and sidering, Prague 15th Century, Oakeshott Type XVIa
Executioners sword, Belgium 17th Century
Federsword, Strassbourg France, circa 1550 AD
Hand and a Half sword, Flanders, 15th Century Oakeshott Type XVa
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Bastard Sword, Germany 1468, (Blued Steel Blade)
Bastard Sword, circa 1500 Germany, Oakeshott type XVII
Bastard Sword (“Spadona”), Italian, 15th Century Brescia, Italy Oakeshott Type XVIa or XVIIIa
Bastard Sword with complex hilt, Swiss, 1530 AD
Kriegsmesser, Bavaria or Austria circa 1550 AD (this one is similar to the Hungarian infantry saber)
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Kriegsmesser: Langen Messer, Dresden, Poland (Prussian Confederacy) late 15th Century
Kriegsmesser: Langen messer, Austria, 16th Century, probably made for a professional soldier or a knight
A real beast of a messer with a knucklebow and a finger ring, probably late 16th Century.
Schwiesersabel: Swiss Saber, Berne 1450
Schwiesersabel: Swiss Saber, Lucerne 1530
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Schwiesersabel (HH)
ERA: Renaissance to Baroque
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/3/5 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 11/3 Cost 250 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel The schwiesersabel (literally ‘swiss saber’) is a hand-and-a-
half or two-handed saber, probably a variation of the
kriegsmesser or the very similar Hungarian infantry saber.
Essentially this is a ‘deluxe’ military or civilian version of the
kriegsmeeser. It is slimmer, faster, of more sophisticated
construction and perhaps most importantly features
significantly more hand protection in the form of a complex
hilt.
Poll Hammer (TH) ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 6/1/5 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/BP/BP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +4/+3 Hardness / Hit points: 8/6 Cost 80 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel The poll hammer was a variant of the pollaxe (see Pollaxe)
which was configured with a spike on one side and a
hammerhead or beak with one or more prongs on the other.
Two famous types of poll-hammers included bec de corbin
(‘crows beak’), and the lucerne Hammer, featuring a double-
beak, still effectively hammer heads just designed to
concentrate the force like a nut-cracker, to break open armor.
Pollaxe (TH) ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 6/1/5 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-12/BCP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 8/6 Cost 80 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel The pollaxe (aka pole axe, poleaxe, poll axe, hache) is
obviously quite similar to the halberd (see Halberd) with
which it does overlap, (it is arguably a direct descendant) but
there are some key differences. Pollaxes are typically much
shorter than halberds, averaging around 6’-7’ long, tend to be
a bit lighter as well. Their blades are riveted on to the haft in
pieces in a specific type of modular design allowing different
parts to be removed and swapped out, whereas halberds
were usually forged of one piece. Some pollaxes were
actually interchangeable with poll hammers (see Poll
Hammer). Pollaxes also tended to also feature convex axe-
like blades whereas a halberd blade was more like a cleaver
and evolved to be increasingly concave over time, ending in a
point. Pollaxes were popular with knights and the urban
middle class fencing fraternities, and are featured in several
fencing manuals. One manual from France, called UJeu de La
HacheU is exclusively devoted to fighting with these weapons.
Ahlspeiss (Awl Spear) (TH)
ERA: Renaissance to Enlightenment
Size VLReach / Speed / Defense: 7/0/3 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/P/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +4/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/9 Cost 80 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel This is a specialized thrusting spear which appeared in
Germany during the early Renaissance (circa 1400). Possibly
a development of the Iron Age “angon”, which itself appears
to be a dual purpose (melee / missile) offshoot of the Roman
pilum, a specialized javelin. The long, narrow steel thrusting
tip had the dual advantages of excellent penetration and
being difficult to cut through. The Ahlspeiss is a two handed
weapon which also features a roundel to protect the users
hand. A very effective weapon particularly against armoured
opponents.
Balanced Spear (HH)
ERA: Classical Bronze Age
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 6/2/4 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCBP/BP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/+1 Hardness / Hit points: 6/4 Cost 100 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel Herodotus wrote about the elite corps of Persian warriors he
called the Athanatoi, the 'Immortals' who fought in the
Persian Wars of 480 BC:
…a body of picked Persians under the leadership of Hydarnes the son ofHydarnes. This corps was known as the Immortals, because it wasinvariably kept up to strength; if a man was killed or fell sick, the vacancyhe left was at once filled, so that the total strength of the corps was neverless -and never more- than ten thousand -Herodotus, The Histories
The historians of Alexander the Great described warriors
called “apple bearers” carrying spears with counterweights at
the end fashioned of silver or gold, shaped like an apple or a
pomegranate. The Persians own surviving records do not
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mention a corps called the Immortals, but we do have images
of spears with metal counterweights clearly visible in ancient
Persian artwork from this period.
Lancers, detail from the archers' frieze in Darius' palace in Susa, Iran.circa 510 BC.
The weapon represented here is a relatively short (six – seven
foot) spear with an iron counterweight that can be used for
striking. Silver spear-butts can be had as well but cost extra!
Hewing Spear (HH) ERA: Dark Ages to Renaissance
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 7/1/3 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 7/6 Cost 100 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel This is a large bladed spear designed for either for hunting or
for military purposes, specialized for one on one combat as a
two-handed weapon, though it can also be used one-handed.
It has long, broad spear blade rather than a mere point,
suitable for cutting like a sword as well as piercing. European
hewing spears, also often called ‘boars spears’, often also
featured a ‘T’ shaped cross guard which serves as a hook for
grappling, as lugs for parrying, and to prevent an impaled
victim (or a boar) from pushing themselves down the shaft to
get at the wielder. Hewing Spears without these lugs such as
those found outside of Europe should be considered 7/1/2
with no Grapple Bonus. Popular throughout Iron Age and
Medieval Europe, this was a weapon closely associated with
the Vikings. This type of spear usually also features langets
to protect the haft.
Photograph of an excavated Burgundian spearhead, circa 9th Century
AD. Courtesy of Fabrice Cognot.
Bill-Guisarme (TH) ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 7/0/3 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/CP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/+5 Hardness / Hit points: 8/5 Cost 100 gp
Primary Material: Wood and Steel Another polearm, similar to the halberd but with a very
pronounced back-hook based on the agricultural bill (see
Farmers Bill) which is very efficient at pulling people off their
feet. This weapon was particularly popular both in Italy and in
England, where it was the standard armament of much
infantry and most town guards well into the Colonial period.
Some were used in battles against Native Americans in the
New World.
Light Lance
ERA: All eras
Size VLReach / Speed / Defense: 8/-1/1Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/P/PAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2 Hardness / Hit points: 5/3 Cost 30 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel A lance is just a specialized thrusting spear, one which can’t
be thrown very effectively and intended for cavalry. It has
excellent reach being often as long as 9-12 feet, and good
penetration. The lance could be wielded with one hand.
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Lucerne Hammer, the favourite weapon of tough guys in Lucerne, Switzerland circa 16th-17th Century AD
Pollaxe, Strassbourg France, circa 1500 AD
Pollaxe, French, 15th Century AD
Ahlspeiss, Germany circa 1350
Bill – Guisarme , Jamestown Colony, Virginia, 17th Century
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Hewing Spear: Illyrian Spear, Dubrovnic Croatia circa 3rd Century BC
Hewing Spear: Viking Spear, Norway, circa 850 AD
Hewing Spear: Norman Spear, Palermo Sicily 1087 AD
Hewing Spear: Almagovar Spear, Catalonia, circa 1350 AD
Hewing Spear: Spear Philippines, circa 16th Century AD
Hewing Spear: Zulu Spear, Tanzania, Africa circa 18th Century
Hewing Spear: Masai Lion-Killing spear, Kenya, Africa circa 16th Century
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Halberd TH (TH) ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 7/0/3 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-12/CP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 8/6 Cost 80 gp
Primary Material: Wood and Steel The halberd was the first medieval polearm to achieve
notoriety and was one of the most effective hand-to-hand
weapons ever created. Pioneered by the Swiss, it
became one of the most popular weapons in Europe and
a key infantry weapon of nearly every European army
from the 14th-17th Centuries. This heretofore unique
weapon was essentially a big meat-cleaver mounted on a
pole, with a pointy tip and a back-spike.
The early form was really what came to be called a volgue
(see Volgue). Gradually the shape of the blade changed
to become smaller, pointier and somewhat more axe-like.
The back-spike evolved into a kind of armor-piercing can
opener and the tip of the blade itself evolved into a reinforced
armor-piercing point like a spike. While most halberds made
around Europe were iron, Swiss halberds had tempered steel
blades, one of very few polearms to ever be made that way
(tempered steel halberds have +1 AP).
Volgue (TH) ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 7/-1/3 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-16/CP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +1/+1 Hardness / Hit points: 8/6 Cost 30 gp
Primary Material: Wood and Iron The volgue (also vogue) is an early primitive form of the halberd
(see Halberd). The volgue doesn’t have a sophisticated blade
design as the later halberd, and may not the most elegant
weapon ever made, but this heavy pole-cleaver can behead a
horse with one stroke.
Halberd, Swiss, Circa 15th Century AD
Halberd, Czech circa 1520 AD
Halberd, German, 1475 AD
Halberd, Swiss, 1480 AD
Halberd, Italian, 1560 AD
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Sidebar: The Battle of Morgarten In the Winter of 1314, in what is now eastern Switzerland the men and women of the tiny forest cantons of Uri,
Schwyz, and Unterwalden were in a serious bind. They had provoked the enmity of the Hapsburgs, the most
powerful family in Europe, an international clan who literally owned most of Spain, Austria, and Flanders and
currently held the Imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire (greater Germany). Prince Frederick the Handsome,
the Hapsburg Emperor, sought to annex this Swiss backwater in order to focus on Northern Italy, upon which he
had designs. Frederick was not entirely surprised to be rebuffed, the Swiss had a well established tradition of
local autonomy that had been certified by several previous Emperors. And having never had a Feudal Lord for
the last few centuries they didn’t feel like they needed one now, no matter how handsome.
But tradition or not, rejecting the demands of a Hapsburg Prince was not something done lightly. The tribes of
these three tiny Cantons hastily renewed their formal military alliance of 1291 and began to desperately prepare
for Armageddon. Nobody challenged the aristocracy and lived to tell about it, let alone taking on the might of the
Hapsburgs. Swords and spears were not sufficient to harm the iron clad knights who would be come in the
spring, so the resourceful Swiss farmers invented a new weapon called a halberd, which would play a key role in
their survival plan. The halberd was a powerful pole-cleaver which could be used like a spear with its sharp point,
but it also had a back-spike that could pierce armour like a can-opener or pull knights off of their mounts, and a
huge blade heavy enough to hack them to pieces once dismounted.
One morning in 1315 the Hapsburgs came, and the Swiss sprang an ambush like a bear trap in a narrow pass at
Morgarten. First rolling logs down the hillsides to block the Austrian retreat, the desperate Swiss charged into the
trapped Imperial army with their new formidable weapon in hand. Fighting with a frenzy that took the knights
aback, the Swiss peasants cut down horse and rider alike, and within a short time the battle became a rout. The
rules of chivalry dictated knights should be ransomed, but the Swiss peasant militia were not part of that system,
they killed all their prisoners, establishing a ruthless precedent they would follow in all future battles. As a result,
a few thousand Austrian knights were hacked to pieces like sashimi, and a new political entity we now call The
Old Swiss Confederacy was born, and with it the reputation of the mighty Swiss Reislauffer who remained
essentially undefeated for the next 200 years.
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St Hubert as a Swiss Reislauffer Cavalryman, from right wing of Paumgartner Altar Albrecht Durer 1503
Armed with a bastard sword, a lance, and a ballock dagger
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Exotic Weapons
German Landsknecht, circa 1520 AD
Exotic Weapons
According to the Codex interpretation of the OGL, Exotic weapons can mean either those weapons
which were actually rare or exotic; or weapons which required advanced training to use. In some
cases a weapon may be fairly common in a certain era (rapiers in Baroque Europe) but still
require advanced training for even basic competence. By OGL rules any character can use an
Exotic Weapon by acquiring the Exotic Weapon Proficiency for that weapon. Some weapons
obviously overlap so that an Exotic Proficiency for example in Smallsword will also carry over to
Colichemarde and Rapier and possibly to an estoc; an Exotic Proficiency in Katana will also apply
to Wakizashe and Tachi. Use common sense for this and / or refer to the entry for Weapon Focus
in Appendix VI of the Core Rules, page 63. In some cases where a weapon is common in a certain
region or culture, (Kurkri in Nepal or Barong among the Moro for example) you may wish to
reclassify a weapon as Simple or Martial for anyone within that culture.
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Sap
ERA: Classical to Early Modern
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 0/5/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 2/2 Cost 10 gp
Primary Material: Leather, Lead Shot (or Sand) A sap is simply a leather sack filled with lead shot or sand.
Designed to knock people out without killing them, due to their
enhanced ability to cause KO roll a second die of KO damage
for any critical hit.
Balisong (Butterfly Knife)
ERA: Renaissance to Modern
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 0/6/0 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-4/SP/- AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/3 Cost 5 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel The Balisong or Butterfly knife is both the strongest folding
knife and likely the flashiest of knives ever created. It consists
of a single blade with two independent handles attached to the
blade's tang.
These handles swing back and forth both serving as a scabbard
for the blade and a solid handle that has nearly the same
strength as a full-tang knife. Made famous in Hollywood films in
the 1980's such as Streets of Fire and the Outsiders, the
Balisong can actually be traced back several hundred years. In
Europe, historical texts place its origin in France during the
1500s. Another favored weapon of the Filipino martial arts,
Filipino lore traces it back to about 800 AD, though no solid
evidence supporting this can be found.
Aficionados of the balisong routinely flip and juggle the knife in
flashy patterns to show their prowess prior to entering or to
avoid a fight (Weapon Focus with this weapon confers +1
Speed) making it potentially the fastest weapon in this book.
While this is flashy (+1 on intimidation Skill Checks), true
experts can also use these skills to strike with the same motion
they use to withdraw the knife from a pocket or other concealed
point on their bodies in much the same manner of a Japanese
iaido master (see Nukitsuke MF).
Tanto Dagger
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 0/5/0 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SCP/SP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +1/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/2 Cost 100 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel This is the razor sharp, singled edged dagger of the Japanese
samurai, like the katana these were made of good steel with
sophisticated heat treatments and differential hardening
techniques, making them very effective, extremely sharp
knives.
Katar (punch) Dagger
ERA: Enlightenment to Early Modern
Size T Reach / Speed / Defense: 0/7/0 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SP/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 80 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel A dagger integrated into a knuckle guard, held in the fist.
These were used in India. They were used as armor piercing
weapons specialized for penetrating mail armor. The broad
blade confers a lethal wound.
Kukri Knife
ERA: Classical Iron Age to Early modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/5/1 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SC/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/3 Cost 100 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel A 'bent' bladed knife similar to the falcata (see Falcata) used
throughout Nepal and some parts of India. The weapon may
be an indigenous design or it may have been brought by the
Greeks under Alexander, or possibly by later commercial links
with the Roman Empire.
This is every effective cutting weapon which won fame for the
tough Gurkha people who still use it as a weapon today.
Numerous eyewitness accounts describe Kurkri knives used
to behead people and sever limbs in battle as late as WW II.
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Main Gauche
ERA: Enlightenment to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/5/4 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SP/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/3 Cost 180 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel A long bladed dagger with an enhanced guard, which is
specialized for parrying, usually wielded in the left hand (hence
the name) in conjunction with a second weapon held in the
right, frequently a rapier, a cut-and-thrust sword, or an arming
sword. Often lacking an edge (sometimes single edged), the
narrow blade on the typical main gauche ensures that despite
its principally defensive purpose, it is capable of lethal thrusting
attacks. Held in left hand, used as blocking weapon in
conjunction with a longer weapon such as a rapier or an arming
sword (see Main Gauche MF). This weapon should not be
confused for the Main Gauche MF, which is actually named
after this weapon.
Keris / Kris
ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 1/5/1 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-4/SP/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/2 or 7/2 Cost 120 gp – 1200 gp
Primary Material: Pattern Welded Steel The two main types of Kris blades found in Southeast Asia are
the keris and the kalis or Moro kris (Please note that the term
“Moro Kris” is being used due to it being more familiar term to
modern practitioners of the Filipino martial arts and is not
meant as an ethnic slur or insult.) The keris is a traditional
thrusting weapon used throughout SE Asia and while native to
Indonesia and Malaysia is also found in Brunei, and the
Philippines. The keris has been in use in various forms since
about 1361. Light and fast, keris are primarily used for
thrusting attacks, though slicing cuts are also quite vicious due
to the serpentine edge. The blades for Keris are between 10-
20 inches in length and are usually asymmetrical with an odd
number of curves or “luk” (an even number is considered to be
unlucky).
They are almost always made of pattern welded steel and the
pattern in the blade is called a “Pamor”. Various pamor are
attributed to have different properties, such as the ability to
make one a leader, ensure that a person's crops will always be
healthy, bring riches, etc. Most keris have a curved, often figural
hilt that rotates freely around the blade's narrow tang. This lets
the wielder rotate the blade the blade to slide between the ribs
of their opponent. Keris are vicious weapons, but can be quite
fragile. Often in order to enhance the patterns that appear in
the pattern welded steel, the empu or smith will utilize softer
metals than steel to enhance the pattern (often falsely stating
that it is meteorite). Added to that, the view that inclusions,
splits or other forging flaws can be auspicious or bring good
luck to the owner means that often a keris is forged more as
a good luck charm than designed primarily as a weapon.
Keris forged primarily as a charm should be considered to
have a hardness of 7. Keris forged as a weapon are usually
made from steel and iron and often do not have an easily
discernible pattern. While they are considerably more suited
as a weapon these keris do share a durability issue in that
they have the same weak tang construction and are
maintained and cleaned with acid which rapidly degrades the
health of the blade.
The keris has a rich history and considerable lore associated
with it. Wielders of the keris are said to posses supernatural
powers such as the ability to stab someone's shadow and
root them to the ground. Tales of a keris flying around and
guarding its sleeping owner are also prevalent. The lore
around the keris is as much a part of the blade as its physical
structure. Any storyline featuring a keris as a main weapon
should focus considerably on this lore whether it is actually
true or not should be left up to game master.
Moro Kris/Kalis
ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/3/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SPC/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/3 Cost 140-1400 gp
Primary Material: Pattern Welded Steel The Moro Kris or Kalis is another trademark blade of the
Muslim Moro Tribesman. Made in homage to their fellow
Muslim tribesmen in Indonesian and Malaysia, the Moro keris
is a heavy slashing weapon that can best be described as a
keris on steroids. Made in almost the exact same manner as
the keris although 200-300% larger in scale.
The Moro kris has the same pressure-fit stick-tang formation
that the smaller keris has, however the ingenious Moro added
a clamping system called the bacabaca that strengthens the
hilt and secures the blade turning it into a viable slashing
weapon that is quite durable and overcomes these
weaknesses. The Moro kris is rarely used for stabbing or
thrusting, but is quite capable of removing a head with a
single blow.
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Barong
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/3/1 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SPC/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/3 Cost 80 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel or Pattern Welded Steel The barong (aka barung) is an attractive, leaf-bladed short
sword used by the Muslim Moro tribesmen of Sabah in Borneo
and in the Bangsamoro region of the Philippines.
Subjective:
This was a highly effective design famous for it’s devastating cuts, there are
even several legends of Moro warriors cutting through gun barrels, during
battles against the Spanish in the 17th Century such as at Fort Pilar and more
recently allegedly against M-14s of the Philippine army. This somewhat unlikely
story may be an analogy for the ability of the Moro tribesmen to hold out against
far more technically advanced enemies, there are many far out legends about
the Moro including a kind of berzerkergang similar to Norse berzerks dating
back to the Spanish-American war. Whatever the truth about the incredible
feats of the Moro, there is no doubt they are tough resourceful people who
made a beautiful and deadly sword in the barong. Quite real, very effective
techniques for the use of this weapon can be found in the escrima / arnis and
silat martial arts systems, see Martial Feats from the Filipino Martial Arts, Codex
Martialis.
Sword, Wakizashi
ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/5/1 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/SP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 11/2 Cost 150 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel The single edged short saber or short sword of the Japanese
samurai. Like the katana wakizashis were typically made of
good well tempered steel and constructed with sophisticated
pattern welding and differential hardening techniques. When
carried in conjunction with a katana (see Katana) the panoply is
called a daishō. Only members of the samurai class were
permitted to wear the daishō. Wakizashi could be worn indoors
and in other circumstances when the katana was more
restricted. In wartime samurai would sometimes use a tanto as
a sidearm instead of the wakizashi.
Sword, Falcata
ERA: Classical Iron Age to Dark Ages
Size S Reach / Speed / Defense: 2/2/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 80 gp
Primary Material: Steel A short sword rather acutely curved inward (toward the
cutting edge) like the infamous kukri knife of the gurkhas of
Nepal (see Kukri). In fact historians believe that the kukri
knife and many similar weapons may have been
developments of the falcata and the larger kopis which were
introduced to India by the Greek and Macedonian troops of
Alexander the Great. The falcata was a later design developed
by the Celtiberians of Spain, and known to the Romans as the
makharia or macheria (possibly the Latin root for the word
machete).
The Romans first encountered this specific type of weapon
around the time of the Second Punic War. They were carried
by Celtiberian troops under Hannibal. The Romans later
adopted them along with another more versatile CeltIberian
weapon, the gladius hispaniensis. The Falcata eventually
became popular all over the Mediterranean.
Falcatas in the Iberian peninsula were typically being made of steel asearly as the 3rd Century BC, at a time when almost all swords in otherparts of the world were still being made of Iron
In use, these blade-heavy, inward-curving weapons are
choppers extraordinaire, reportedly capable of severing heads
and limbs with ease. Due to the weapons length, and to a
lesser extent it's shape, it is probably most effective if used
close-in, especially in conjunction with a shield. Essentially
the falcata brings the cutting power of a large axe or
longsword into the hand-to-hand arena. It's a good close-
quarters weapon, short, but it packs a lethal punch, in fact it
is probably the most effective chopping / cutting weapon
under 30" in length.
Bokken ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern (Japanese contextonly)
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/3/2 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-4/B/- AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 7/6 Cost 30 gp
Primary Material: Hardwood A bokken is a wooden training weapon used to simulate a
sword in Japanese fencing. Though made for training, a
bokken is dangerous and can kill a man with either a strike or
a thrust.
The great Samurai Musashi famously fought (and won) his
last several duels using bokken against opponents wielding
steel swords.
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Sword, Smallsword
ERA: Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/6/2 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/P/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 6/3 Cost 160 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel Often gets confused for a rapier in RPG’s
Sometimes known as a "court-sword" (épée de cour), a
"walking-sword", or "town-sword", this is a gentleman's weapon
historically developed in the late 16th century, and popular
through the 18th. A medium length (26"-32") thrusting sword
with a very narrow blade and generally, no edge, this is the
weapon which eventually evolved into the foil and epee of
modern sport fencing.
The smallsword has certain advantages over other weapons in
the civilian arsenal: it is discrete enough to wear upon ones
person without attracting undue attention, not nearly as bulky
or cumbersome as a rapier, and yet it is far more lethal than
say, a walking stick. It also does not require brutish physical
strength to wield, relying instead upon finesse and precision
which can be acquired by even the most delicate of aristocrats
with sufficient training from quality instructors.
The smallsword is indeed not a military weapon at all but rather
a civilian's side arm, suitable for carrying around the city and in
the more civilized rural areas. The design philosophy is
grounded in the school of the primacy of the thrust, based on
the idea that a sword need only pierce a few inches into a vital
area to kill, while a cutting sword must be used with much
greater force. The smallsword is quite a nimble weapon, though
it lacks significant reach and is not strong enough to be used in
active defense against any sort of heavy instrument, nor is the
blade sufficiently sturdy to penetrate heavy armor. That said the
smallsword can quickly dispatch a human opponent, and has
saved many a dandy's purse from the calloused hands of the
uncouth and poorly armed ruffian. Fairly easily concealed, with
a well penetrating blade rather like an oversized stiletto, the
smallsword is also sometimes favored by better dressed thieves
and assassins.
Sword, Colichemarde / Konigsmark
ERA: Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/5/2 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/P/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/4 Cost 150 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel
The colichemarde was a 17th century cousin of the
smallsword, designed to have more defensive capability,
especially against heavier weapons. It had a unique two-stage
blade featuring a "carps tongue" shape, characterized by a
wide and strong 'forte' for parrying, which then abruptly
tapered to a much narrower point. These weapons were
strong and extremely quick. The colichemarde has a very
stiff blade with a triangular cross section, making it a
thrusting weapon par excellence, while the strong forte allows
the weapon to be used against adversaries with more robust
equipment which could too easily break a smallsword. A
similar German weapon existed which was called a
konigsmarke.
The Colichemarde was very popular in New Orleans during
the 19th Century and widely used in the many dueling schools
there, including by the famous duelist and fencing Master
Pepe Llulla, who was also a recognized master of the saber,
backsword, pistol, and bowie knife. There is a legend that
Lulla killed so many people in duels that he had to buy his
own Cemetary to house all of their bodies (it’s mostly just a
legend though). The Colichemarde was above all other
weapons the most likely to be found in the hands of young
gentlemen who kept a dawn appointment at the Dueling
Oaks.
Sword, Jian (HH)
ERA: Classical Iron Age to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/4/3 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/S AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/4 Cost 240 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel The jian is the most ancient type of sword in China, dating
back more than 2,500 years to the beginning of the Chinese
Iron Age, circa 500 BC. Bronze versions of the jian also
existed much further back though these were functionally
different weapons. The jian is a double-edged hand and a half
sword featuring a supple, flexible blade normally made with
sophisticated forge welding and differential hardening
techniques. Functionally the jian is somewhat similar to a
hand-and a half version of the Viking sword (see Broadsword)
though the blade geometry is quite different, the blade of a
Jian is typically lenticular or of flattened diamond cross
section rather than being fullered, but they achieve a similar
degree of flexibility.
Most jian have a hand and a half grip normally, though some
were true two handed swords nearly two meters long and
some were single swords. The jian was outlawed for normal
civilians and relegated to the ownership of aristocrats,
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government officials (Mandarins) and high ranking officers
during the Ming Dynasty, where the dao became the standard
weapon for the army (see Liuye Dao). The fencing system
associated with the wen jian or scholars sword (in taji et al)
became a gentleman’s duelling art analogous in social
significance if not technique to art of rapier fencing in
Renaissance Europe.
Sword, Kopis / Yatgaghan
ERA: Classical to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/1/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-12/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/4 Cost 140 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel This is a fairly long, single-handed, single-edged chopping sword
similar to the falcata (see Falcata) and the kurkri (see Kurkri),
only larger. The kopis has an inward bent blade (with the cutting
edge on the inside) making it a truly fearsome chopper,
reportedly capable of easily severing limbs in a single stroke.
This weapon was used by the Greeks in the classical period,
and was a favorite of Alexander's troops. It was believed to be a
development of the ancient Egyptian khopesh, a militarized
sickle shaped like a question mark. It is also a close relative of
the smaller Spanish falcata, which appears to be a later
derivation though both the falcata and kopis were in use
concurrently.
Both share a unique type of canted grip, reminiscent of later
cavalry swords. The grip shape is supposed to aid in weapon
retention when delivering hard, jarring blows. This weapon is a
very effective close-quarters chopper. It was not normally used
for thrusting. The yataghan was a Turkish development of the
Greek kopis. Like the kopis it is a fairly long single handed
weapon with a downward (toward the edge) curve which made
it a chopping specialist. All blades with this downward curving
feature are notorious choppers, including the kurkri, the
falcatta, and the kopis. Compared to the kopis, the yataghan is
slimmer, normally slightly less acutely curved, and is usually
characterized by a unique 'eared' pommel. Another similar
weapon is the Renaissance era sosun – pata of India, very
similar to the yataghan except featuring the roundels of the
tulwar in lieux of the ‘eared’ guard. 104B
Flail, Heavy
ERA: Renaissance to Baroque
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/4/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-12/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+1 Hardness / Hit points: 10/2 Cost 120 gp
Primary Material: Iron The heavy single handed horsemans version of the Czech flail
(see Flegel), quite a rare weapon but used throughout Europe
by heavy cavalry and infantry. Dangerous to use especially
for the untrained. Any time you roll a fumble (natural 1) using
a heavy flail you have hit yourself with the weapon and take
full damage (so it’s wise to use multi-dice attacks with this
weapon).
1Flail, Heavy, Spiked
ERA: Renaissance to Baroque
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/2/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-12/(BP)/- AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+1 Hardness / Hit points: 10/2 Cost 130 gp
Primary Material: Iron Similar to the heavy flail (see Heavy Flail) except with spikes.
All attacks to combined Bludgeon and Piercing damage.
Dangerous to use especially for the untrained. Any time you
roll a fumble (natural 1) using a heavy flail you have hit
yourself with the weapon.
Images of yataghans from Sir Richard Burtons Book of the Sword
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The Saracens outside of Paris, 732 AD, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
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Sword, Katana (HH)
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size M Reach / Speed / Defense: 3/4/2 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-12/SCP/S AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/2 Cost 200 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel The katana is without a doubt the most famous sword in
the world, and not without justification. A hand-and a half
saber descended from the tachi, the katana evolved during
the Muromachi period (1392-1573) from a cavalry weapon
into a lethal military sidearm and ultimately the civilian
weapon of choice for armed military class (samurai) and
the aristocracy.
Through the centuries in various political periods quality
varied somewhat, for the most part the katana was of an
exceptionally high standard of metallurgy and
swordsmithing technology, being made of carefully
constructed forge welded steel (essentially a unique type of
pattern welding invented to overcome the poor quality of
local iron, similar to the Vikings) heat treated with very
sophisticated differential hardening techniques, with the
very hard steel blade mounted into a softer and more
springy iron spine.
Katanas were as a result some of the sharpest swords ever
made, their curvature makes them very fast in followup
attacks and particularly lethal in draw-cuts (slashing
attacks).
Sword, Executioners (HH)
ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/-1/3 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-16/SC/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/7 Cost 300 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel There are certain crimes for which a fine, a lecture, or slap
on the wrist are simply not sufficient punishment. Some
people need to have their heads cut off, and this was the
tool for that particular job. It was the last thing many
criminals and miscreants saw: the executioners sword.
These swords were not made for fighting, but for efficiently
lopping off the heads of condemned criminals. They are
clumsy to wield but of course cause very serious damage.
Bhuj / Kutthi ERA: Baroque
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 6/-1/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-12/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/3 Cost 50 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel This is a type of short glaive like weapon used in India and
South Asia. In China there was a similar weapon called
guandao.
A truly vicious chopper similar to the European glaive, and the
Irish kern axe (see Glaive, Kern Axe) but featuring an inward-
curving blade like the Kurkri / Falcata/ Kopis family of swords.
This lethal pole cleaver delivers horrific cuts powerful enough to
kill a horse or even an elephant with a single blow. The Indian
type has a metal haft.
Sword, Niuweidao (HH)
ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/0/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/5 Cost 60 gp
Primary Material: Steel This is a heavy version of a Dao specialized for chopping,
similar though not identical to a falchion (see Falchion).
Typically 3-4 feet in total length, they often had hand-and-a-half
hilts. Their use was associated with peasants, civilian militias,
and revolutionaries rather than serious martial artists or
professional soldiers, though some were made for military use.
They were used by elements of the Chinese Army as late as WW
II against the Japanese.
Dutch Fishermen using tridents, Jan Collaert 16th Century Holland
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Trident (HH)
ERA: All eras
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 6/0/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-8/P/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 7/4 Cost 40 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Bronze A trident is a three pronged spear used both as a weapon
and a tool for fishing. These were popular for both uses in
Ancient times, often being made of bronze well into the Iron
Age and even in Medieval times, because bronze doesn’t
rust. Military versions of this weapon (military fork) which
remained popular for thousands of years, were more
commonly made of iron or even steel, and were found all
over the world from Greece to Burma.
Flail, Light (TH)
ERA: All eras
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/6/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/B/B AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 5/2 Cost 10 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Leather This is the light agricultural tool for threshing grain, it can
be an effective weapon in a pinch, packing quite a wallop.
Sword, Tachi (HH)
ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size L
Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/3/2 F
Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-12/SCP/SC
AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/-
Hardness / Hit points: 11/4
Cost 200 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel The tachi is the military version of the katana (see Katana).
Somewhat more curved, longer, heavier and more durable.
Tachi were worn hung from the belt with the cutting-edge
down, unlike the traditional manner of carrying the katana
with the cutting edge up. Tachi were considered more
suitable for fighting on horseback, while the katana was
preferred for combat on the ground.
Rajput princess with a tulwar faces a footsoldier with a khanda, From a wallpainting at the Bundi Fort-Palace
Sword Khanda (HH)
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/2/3 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/5 Cost 180 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel Heavy Indian broadsword, sacred sword of Sikhs. The khanda
was to the military classes of the Sikhs and the other warriors of
the Kshatriya warrior class of India what the katana was to the
Samurai of Japan. The khanda was a strait doubled edged
sword with a broad blade flaring somewhat toward the tip,
making it a lethal chopper. The 17th Century version
incorporated a knucklebow and a kind of spike below the
pommel for a second hand grip. The gatka martial arts system
of the Sikhs includes various techniques for use of the khanda.
Kampilan (HH) ERA: Renaissance to Modern Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/1/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/4 Cost 100 gp
Primary Material: Pattern Welded Steel The Kampilan is longest of the blades traditionally affiliated with
the Filipino Martial Arts. The Kampilan is a weapon of the
southern Moro tribesmen and is noted as the weapon allegedly
used to kill the famed explorer Ferdinand Magellan by the Moro
Chieftain Lapu Lapu in 1521. The blade is associated with tribal
warfare and is used for headhunting.
Kampilan have a unique seax shaped single-edged straight
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blade of approximately 3 feet that is narrow but thick at the
base that gets broad but thin at the point. Additionally, the
kampilan has a spike that extends out of the back of its
truncated point. The crossguard and hilt of the kampilan is
usually made from ironwood or other hardwoods and is
typically 2-handed in length.
The hilt has an organic pattern with a wide, chunky
crossguard, and a pommel carved in the shape of a
crocodile or monitor lizard with its mouth open. The hilt is
often decorated with horse or human hair giving the
crocodile the appearance of having a beard. A nagel is
often added to the side of the cross to further protect the
hand.
The kampilan is a devastating slashing and chopping
weapon, but even more insidious is that a small spike on
the false edge of the blade is usually coated with a poison
or bacterial agent designed to weaken or finish off an
opponent. If the wielder has poisoned their blade and
wishes to attack with the poison burr they must announce
their attention to do so and take a damage step-down in
their attack.
Sword, Rapier
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/3/2 F Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/SP/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 8/3 Cost 250 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel In role playing games, the rapier is often confused for the
smallsword, which was a very different weapon from a later
era, see Smallsword.
As the formal judicial combat of the high middle-ages
began to give way to the unregulated private duels in the
mid-16th century, the rapier evolved from older cut-and-
thrust types as the weapon of choice for dueling. The rapier
was a very long, double-edged, slender, single-hand
thrusting sword, usually featuring a complex hilt. It is
unknown whether it developed first in Italy or Spain, but it
soon became popular all over the Mediterranean and then
across Europe (England was one of the last countries to
adopt the deadly new weapon). It seems to have evolved
from earlier military cut-and-thrust types such as the
espada ropera (see Sidesword) which continued to exist
along side the rapier for decades if not centuries.
Not designed for combat against heavily armored
opponents, the rapier was basically a civilian weapon
specialized for dueling. This is not the flimsy car-arial you
see on TV however, rapiers were long and fairly heavy and
most rapiers could cut pretty well. This sword remained very
popular until well into the 17th century when it began to be
supplanted by the more specialized smallsword.
The rapier was a serious weapon meant for the unregulated
duel or street encounter as much as the formal meeting of
gentlemen. Almost always designed with complex guards to
protect the hand, the rapier was usually held with a finger-over-
the guard grip to assist in point control.
With its incredible reach and speed, the rapier was a truly lethal
killing instrument, and could deliver a fatal wound virtually with
the flick of a wrist. The rapier had three weaknesses: it was
quite difficult to learn how to use, it was relatively ineffective at
close (i.e. grapple) range, and of somewhat limited value for
defense. For the latter two reasons rapiers were typically used
with another weapon in the off-hand - if possible. The most
popular off-hand weapon was a blocking dagger of some kind
conferring both extra defense, (see the Main Gauche MF, see
also Main Gauche), as well as a lethal close-range attack
option. Bucklers were also popular, as was a second rapier
(see the Case of Rapiers MF) for those who knew how to wield
two at a time. Most rapier fencing manuals of the Bolognese
school also had instructions for using a cloak in the off hand, or
even a hat, a candlestick, a chair, or some other weapon of
opportunity (see the Improvised Weapon MF). Many other
fighting techniques were designed for or emphasized in rapier
combat, including the Martial Feats Sidestep, Lunge, Riposte,
Point Control, Advanced Point Control, Bind and Batter, Contra
Tempo, Mezzo Tempo, Distance Fighting, Improved Distance
Fighting, and Reach and Measure.
Sword, Estoc (HH)
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size L
Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/2/3 F
Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/BP/P
AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +4/-
Hardness / Hit points: 14/6
Cost 150 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel
A long sword with a sharp point but no edge, having instead a
diamond cross section 'blade' suitable for thrusting with no
cutting edge, its secondary attack caused blunt trauma. It was
used by European knights for penetrating plate armor. Similar
weapons were also used in Russia where it was called a kanzer.
The Italians called this weapon 'stocco' and the English called it
a 'tuck'. In some manuals these also have a lethal spike on the
pommel, or a pommel like a mace. Intended for use against
heavy armor, this weapon was used almost exclusively for
thrusting. A finger-over-the guard grip can be used to assist in
point control (many examples of this weapon type have finger
rings to protect the hand when using this method), and half-
swording techniques were particularly appropriate and popular
for this weapon.
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Detail of the hilt of an early 16th Century Rapier
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Balisong
Kukri knife
French Main Gauche, 17th Century AD
Keris
Barong, Philippines, circa 1700 AD
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Kopis / Yataghan: Sosun Pata, India 17th Century
Kopis / Yataghan: Ottoman Yataghan, 16th Century
Khanda, Sikh Khalsa, Punjab India 16th Century. This is a single-handed type. Note gold-work on the hilt.
Khanda, Northern India 18th Century. Gold inlayed, hand-and-a-half type with pommel spike for second hand grip.
Khanda, ‘Ferengi’ (foreign) style with a knucklebow and an extender for a hand-and-a-half grip. India early 19th
Century. This type became very common in India from the 18th Century onward.
Kampilan, Philippines 17th Century. This was the type of weapon Lapu Lapu famously used to slay Magellan.
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Sword, Claymore (TH) ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 6/0/4 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-14/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/5 Cost 250 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel *To determine damage roll a D6 plus a D8.
This is a large two-handed great-sword (4 1/2 -5'), various
examples of this type of weapon were seen primarily
throughout the Gaelic regions of the British Isles but also in
Continental Europe. The highland Scottish claymore was also
called claidheamh de laimh (sword of two hands) in Gaelic
(claidheamh-mor refers both to the earlier two handed
swords and to later era basket-hilt swords, see Backsword)
used in the highlands of Scotland during the early
Renaissance. It is a specialized chopping weapon, longer than
a typical greatsword but still a foot or so shorter than a 'true'
two-hander (see Zweihander, Flammard).
The quillions of the highland type are usually canted upward
at a 45 degree angle ending with open quatrefoil terminals
resembling four leaf clovers. Lowland Scottish great-swords
were similar in size and blade shape to the late claymores
(the early claymores were a bit smaller), but had generally
strait guards. The Gaelic / Norse 'Gallowglass' mercenaries
also wielded weapons similar to the lowland Scottish great-
sword, notable for an open ring-hilt, revealing an exposed-
tang. All of three similar types of swords were sometimes
made with a ricasso for half sword fighting. The Scottish
weapons remained in use until the 17th century. It is believed
introduced to the British Isles by gallowglass mercenaries
who fought on the continent, and became proficient with
greatswords and zweihanders (see Greatsword).
Sparth Axe / Bardiche (TH)
ERA: Dark Ages to Enlightenment
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 6/-1/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 3-18/CP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/5 Cost 80 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel The sparth axe was probably a development of the Danish
axe and the huskarl axe (see Great Axe) used throughout the
British Isles, particularly Ireland, Scotland and the Hebrides.
Both the blade and the haft were made longer and pointier so
that the weapon could be used for thrusting. Blades were
sometimes as much as two feet long, and were fixed to the
haft at two points.
These weapons were also very popular in Eastern Europe and
Central Asia, and were widely used by the Poles, Russians,
Lithuanians, Turks, and Mongols. In the east this weapon was
known as the berdyche or bardiche. Both the Eastern European
and Scottish version probably have the same Scandinavian
origin. Though not particularly subtle or graceful, this weapon
could kill very efficiently.
Falx / Rhomphia (TH)
ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/0/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-12/SC/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/5 Cost 100 gp
Primary Material: Iron The falx, also known as 'falces' to the Romans was a type of
pole arm which was used by the ancient Dacians of Central
Europe. Similar weapons were used in other time periods by
many other cultures, the falx resembles the Japanese yari and
was thought to be a derivative of the earlier Thracian romphia
(which is mentioned in the Bible). It also appears to be related
to the dha of Southeast Asia, though that could be a parallel
‘evolution’ of weapon design. The falx in it’s various
incarnations is essentially a curved sword on a very long
handle, frequently featuring a double-eged blade so the weapon
can cut either like a saber (slashing) or on the concave side like
a falcata or a kopis (see Falcata, Kopis). The size of the falx
varied but a common falx had a 3' blade on a 4' handle, for an
overall length of 7'. This devastating weapon was so feared by
the Romans that they had to manufacture new types of armor
to prevent legionaries from having their arms severed. It is
large but with suitable training (see Poll Axe fighting MF) it can
be relatively nimble.
Dha (TH) ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 4/3/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SC/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/5 Cost 250 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel The dha of Thailand and Burma were sword-like or saber-like
weapons which came in a bewildering number of variations.
Some were essentially two handed sabers very similar to a miao
dao or a no dachi (see No Dachi). Others were larger still, very
similar to a Dacian falx (see Falx). They ranged from dagger
sized to spear sized, but most were a unique kind of long-
handled saber of medium length. Most dha were single-edged,
some had a partial false-edge, some strait, some curved, some
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had pointed blades suitable for thrusting, while others were
rounded or squared off at the end. Most dha lacked a cross-
guard or any other hand protection, though some had small
roundels similar to a tsuba.
The dha depicted here is a common type: an elegantly curved
single-handed saber, with a long hilt and a broad, flat blade
gently flaring out to rounded point. This type has a partial
false-edge, so that it can be used on the concave side as a
chopper like a falcata or a kopis, and on the convex side like
a saber for better slicing, making it an extremely versatile
weapon. The blades of dha are often inscribed and / or
inlayed in silver, bronze, or gold with a makers mark or
religious slogan, and their grips can be made of ivory, silver,
or other precious substances, sheaths can be made of silver
and / or wood inlayed with beautiful scrollwork. Dha were
one of the few full sized weapons to be used in pairs, along
with the rapier (see Rapier). They were used in Southeast
Asia continuously until recent times.
Flegel (TH) ERA: Renaissance to Baroque
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 7/4/1 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-12/(B)P/(BP) AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/+1 Hardness / Hit points: 8/3 Cost 75 gp
Primary Material: Hardwood, Iron This was a two-handed flail, actually the most famous and
widely used type of flail found in Europe, and the only type of
flail that seems to have played a significant role in European
history. Invented by the Czechs, this design became widely
popular due to the spectacular military success of the
Bohemian Hussite rebellion of 1420-1434.
Before this period relatively few flails show up in the
European archaeological record or in Medieval art. The
classic “ball and chain” type flail of innumerable fantasy films
and RPG’s seems to be at least partly a Victorian (19th
Century) invention, but to the extent that it did exist was
apparently a refinement of this Czech infantry flail for cavalry
(single handed) use. Some single-handed examples remain
in public and private collections, in both primitive and
expensively / well made variants (see Flail, Heavy).
The Hussite type flail widely used by infantry militias in the
15th -16th Centuries, (particularly in Germany and the Slavic
countries) and during the German peasant uprising of the
16th Century, though only the Bohemians seemed to be able
to truly master the weapon. It consisted of a stout hardwood
pole 4 or 5 feet long connected to a smaller 1 to 2 foot long
club by a short chain of two or three heavy iron links. Both
the smaller striking club and the sturdy haft were typically
reinforced with iron bands, rings, and / or langets, and the
business end was usually mounted with heavy-duty iron spikes.
Flails of this type are extremely effective weapons capable of
killing even heavily armoured knights, capable of delivering a
blow of stupendous force while also piercing and tearing flesh
with the spikes. This weapon was clearly inspired by (but
typically not a direct modification of) the very similar but lighter
agricultural flail used widely in Europe and Asia for centuries as
a tool to thresh grain (see Flail, Light).
Bullwhip (TH) ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 7/3/0 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-2/SB/SB AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 7/3 Cost 5 gp
Primary Material: Leather A bullwhip is primarily designed as a tool for motivating horses
or moving cows around. It does have a secondary value
however as a weapon and was studied as such in many parts of
the world historically, in Southern Europe and Latin America,
and perhaps most notably in the Filipino martial arts systems
such as Kali, Arnis, and Escrima. A bullwhip takes some getting
used to, but when mastered it can be a dangerous weapon.
Lashing a bullwhip makes a very intimidating sound which
frightens animals and people. Gain +2 on intimidation skill
checks when using this weapon.
Grappling with a whip means striking and causing the weapon
to wrap around an enemies limb, weapon, leg, neck, etc. The
bullwhip can also be used to ‘grapple’ inanimate objects such
as balustrades, awnings, rafters, tree limbs etc., to perform
swashbuckling moves, to aid in climbing, to seize items etc. To
game this simply assign an appropriate Passive Defense to the
object in question. At close range, the handle of the bullwhip
can be treated as a sap (see Sap). The weapon depicted here
features a metal spur on the tip to cause serious wounds, for an
ordinary whip damage is 0-1. Strikes from a bullwhip are very
painful and can cause limbs to go numb. Whips can also be
used to cut or to stun. A critical hit can be a slashing hit
(though for only 1d6 damage) or a Bludgeon crit for KO /
nonlethal damage.
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.
Bullwhip
Smallsword, France, late 17th Century
Colichmarde, New Orleans, 1815 AD
Rapier, Bologna Italy, 16th Century
Rapier, Germany, 17th century
Estoc, Catalonia, Spain, 16th Century
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Claymore: Gallowglass Sword, Ireland 1520 AD, Oakeshott Type XIIa
Montante: spada a due mani, Italy early 166h Century
Montante: Spanish, probably late 16th Century
Zweihander: Two handed sword, Germany 16th Century
Flammard: Two handed sword, Switzerland 16th Century
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The Dha: One of the coolest weapons you’ve never seen in any RPG:
Dha-lwe. Myanmar (Burma). Early-mid 19th Century. From the private collection of Andrew Winston.
Dha-Iwe, Myanmar (Burma) early 20th Century. From the private collection of Andrew Winston.
Daab. Northern Thailand/Laos (Lanna region). Early 19th Century. From the private collection of Andrew Winston
Jian, China Ming Dynasty, 16th Century
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Tachi, 16th Century
Zhanmadao, Ming Dynasty, China, 17th Century
Real 19th Century Samurai with katanas
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Sword, Montante (TH) ERA: Renaissance to Early Modern
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 6/0/5 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-16/SCP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 12/5 Cost 250 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel Another in the family of extraordinarily large greatswords
was typified by the Iberian montante. These were
greatswords or swords of war about five and a half feet
long, and they appear in several Italian, German, Spanish
and Portuguese fencing manuals mainly from the 16th
Century but they remained in use well into the 17th. In Italy
these were called “spada a due mani”. These weapons are
typified by extra hand protection including parrying lugs
(such are also seen on the Zweihander) but also complex
hilt features like siderings. Use: A slashing and cutting
weapon, requires a considerable amount of space to wield
under normal circumstances, though special Montante
martial Feats can allow them to be used in tighter spots.
Manuals specify the role of this weapon, as being in
situations ‘when few must fight against many’ – this
weapon was specialized for crowd control and intimidation,
and specific techniques were created to contend with
multiple opponents (as well as to fight on gang-planks, in
alleys, and against a variety of other specific weapons). On
the battlefield the montante fulfilled a similar role to the
slightly larger zweihander – protection of VIP’s, company
banners, cannons etc., for catastrophes such as when the
friendly pike square has collapsed. They were also used by
shock forces who exploited such setbacks among the
enemy ranks. In civilian life they were used by bodyguards
as a way to even the odds when one might be attacked by
large numbers of enemies.
1548 depiction of a Zweihänder used against pikes in the Battle of Kappel
True Two Handed Sword / Zweihander (TH)
ERA: Baroque
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 7/0/4 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 3-18/CP/C AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+1 Hardness / Hit points: 14/6 Cost 350 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel
The famous Swiss and German mercenary infantry companies
which began to dominate European battlefields in the late
Renaissance primarily consisted of pikemen, halberdiers, and
arbalestiers (crossbowmen) or arquebusiers (gunners). There
was a special class of elite troops, called "dopplesoldner" (for
their double pay), some of whom specialized in the use of
increasingly formidable greatswords. These eventually evolved
into the so-called 'true' two-hand swords.
The true two handed sword had an overall length of 6 feet or
more, and a typical weight between 4 - 5 pounds (some were a
little less, a few as much as 6 or 7 pounds). There was typically
an enormous and often complex guard, a long ricasso
frequently sheathed in leather of 12 inches or more, often
protected with a pair of spikes or parrying lugs, and a grip as
long as 16 inches even more. The zweihander was introduced
in the 16th Century and used through the 17th. It is a
specialized chopping weapon needless to say, which should be
considered a reach weapon.
The zweihander could be used with modified longsword
techniques, half-swording (see Halfswording MF) especially
allowed these monster blades to be wielded with considerable
agility even at close range, and rather amazingly, these
immense weapons eventually gained some popularity for duels
and judicial combat. In battle these weapons were often used to
snap the heads off of pikes, as well as to defend the standard,
and were often carried by elite skirmishers, bodyguards of
captains and other officers.
Sword, Flammard (TH) ERA: Baroque
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 6/0/4 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-16/SCP/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+1 Hardness / Hit points: 14/6 Cost 450 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel
Note, the term "flamberge" Actually refers to a type of wave
bladed rapier (see Rapier).
A flammard is a zweihander (see Zweihander) with a serpentine
blade specialized for chopping and slashing. This type of
weapon was used by German landsknechts and Swiss
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reislauffer mercenaries allegedly for snapping pikes. Also
known as a "flammbard", this type of weapon was typically
a little shorter than a full-fledged zweihander. The
scalloped or wave bladed flammard variant of the
zweihander seemed to become very popular and many if
not most surviving zweihanders are actually of this type.
It is not known for sure what the purpose of the scalloping
was but we have taken the position proposed by some
researchers that the wave shaped blade enhanced slicing
or draw-cutting, especially useful at close range where a
chop is not possible. This is a Reach Weapon. Typical
Dimensions: Length six feet, weight 4.5 lbs
Sword, No – Dachi (TH)
ERA: Baroque
Size L Reach / Speed / Defense: 5/1/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 2-16/SCP/SC AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/3 Cost 550 gp
Primary Material: Tempered Steel
This is a class of anti-cavalry or “horse-killing” swords used
throughout Eastern China, Japan, and Korea in various
periods. This class of weapons, theoretically designed to
kill a horse and his rider with one blow, included the
Japanese zanbatō, nodachi and ōdachi, as well as the
Chinese miao dao, changdao, and zhanmadao.
Their last reported use was during the beginning of World
War II by troops of the Chinese Republic. Sadaki Kojiro
(16th Century) was one of the few Samurai known to have
wielded this fairly rare weapon. It was also said to be
popular with Japanese and Chinese pirates, but it was very
much a specialist sword, expensive to make and difficult to
wield, not necessarily highly superior to a much simpler yari
in combat (see Yari) unless you were very skilled with this
type of weapon. This is a Reach Weapon.
Glaive - Guisarme (TH)
ERA: Baroque
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 8/0/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 3-18/CP/CAP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+2 Hardness / Hit points: 9/6 Cost 50 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Iron
A glaive is a large single-edged meat-cleaver type knife
mounted on the end of a stout pole. Some are shaped in a
rounded off form somewhat like a question mark, wheras some
are very much a huge pointy knife (up to two feet long) mounted
on the end of a pole. It’s similar in function to a volgue but has
a larger, pointier blade. (Having seen a few of these in real life,
the blades on them are huge, extremely intimidating). A glaive-
guisarme is a glaive with a back-spike and / or back-hook. A
glaive is normally a reach weapon. (although shorter close
combat versions also existed)
Spetum / Ranseur /Partisan (TH)
ERA: Baroque
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 7/1/4 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/CP/CP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/+3 Hardness / Hit points: 9/6 Cost 80 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Iron Many game designers have foundered on the shoals of this
particular complex class of polearms, few military historians
even truly understand them. The most heroic effort at polearm
classification was a well researched article Gary Gygax
published in 1985 describing the different types and providing
good illustrations of each…. but Gygax failed to differentiate one
from another in any significant way, with the single exception of
conferring a rather astonishing ability to disarm on this
particular class (few remember a little known rule - a spetum
could disarm with a To Hit AC 8!). Ultimately gamers were left
somewhat bemused by all of the non-functional variety.
Rather than get bogged down in detail, the three subclasses of
spetum, partisan and ranseur are all roughly similar in their
fundamental design feature (being spears with wings or spikes
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protruding from the base of the blade), so we are lumping
them all together into this one class in terms of function. If
you know more about these weapons than we do and wish
to further differentiate them, by all means do so (and feel
free to chime in on our forum to tell us about it).
Though difficult or even annoying to the modern gamer,
even sub-genius Codex Martialis game designers, this
specialized class of polearms were very popular in period
and were apparently highly effective. The battlefields of the
late Medieval and Renaissance periods were swarming with
ranseurs, partisans, spetums etc., and they remained
popular for ceremonial use for centuries. The precise
configuration of central spear blade and horizontal side-
blades varied quite a bit, but they probably all evolved from
the same basic “boar spear” configuration with its parrying
lugs (see Hewing Spear). These lugs could then be
sharpened, bent upward, bent downward, curved or
hooked, made into axe blades or spikes etc. Functionally,
all these weapons are similar if not identical, they are
fundamentally spears with the extra sharp-bits enhancing
their defensive and grappling ability. Weapons in this
category can be considered Reach weapons depending on
the specific length.
The spetum featured a sharp central blade and two sharp
side blades pointing forward at close to a 45 degree angle.
These were useful for grappling at a distance, as well as
parrying and disarming. Weapon of this type were also
called corseques or korsekes, some approach the shape of
a military fork (see trident).
The ranseur (also called chauve, souris, rhonca, ronchia,
ronica and runka) was a slightly more complex version of
the spetum, featuring downward pointing side-blades (or
sometimes both down and up) making it easier to hook
opponents weapons or grapple from a distance and also
forming scary axe-like cutting implements (treat as CP/CP
weapon).
The partisan (also sometimes called a roncha or a ronchia)
is a simpler design arguably closer to the original boar-
spear, with the exception that the main spear-blade itself is
widened to an ox-tongue shape, making it more useful for
cutting especially against unarmoured opponents, and
more dangerous in the thrust (though with somewhat
inferior penetration). The side blades go strait out
horizontally, shaped either like a pair of small axe-heads or
spikes (the infamously silly sounding bohemian ear-spoon
is an example of the latter type). Later partisans began to
feature upward (spetum like) or downward (ranseur like)
projections off of the main blade.
Pike (TH)
ERA: Baroque
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 9/-4/0 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-6/P/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 9/5 Cost 50 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Iron A pike is a very long spear. Somewhere between 12-18’ to be
exact. Needless to say, you need a lot of space for a weapon
like this, and preferably a lot of friends (though there are some
techniques in the Fechtbuchs for individual combat using pikes
or very long staves…)
This is the reach weapon par-excellence, and their typical use
includes formations where fighters three or four rows back can
attack simultaneously. The first pikes were arguably the
Macedonian sarissa, which largely disappeared from
battlefields after the Romans broke the Macedonian phalanxes.
The idea was still around though because this weapon was
revived in the 14th Century in such diverse locations as Scotland
and Switzerland, where it was used to achieve decisive victories
against heavy cavalry. This is quite literally the weapon which
stopped the knight in his tracks, and shifted the emphasis of
European warfare from heavy cavalry to infantry for good (or
bad, depending on your perspective). A pike is a reach
weapon.
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Two knights on foot at a tournament, carrying heavy lances.
Hans_Burgkmair circa 1520 AD
Heavy Lance
ERA: Medieval to Baroque
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 9/-2/0 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/P/P AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +4/- Hardness / Hit points: 5/3 Cost 30 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel A lance is a spear specialized for thrusting only (i.e. not for
throwing) a heavy lance is even more specialized for use
from horseback, although they were also used on foot
sometimes like pikes. Lances, being very long and made of
wood, and needing to be handy enough to be wielded one-
handed, were relatively lightly made and counterbalanced.
They were broken so frequently in combat that it was common
to bring at least three lances into battle, these would be carried
by a squire or a page. Therefore any time you roll a natural 20
with a lance it automatically breaks. Note the Lance causes
double damage in a Charge according to OGL rules, with the
Spirited Charge Feat this goes up to triple damage, making it
one of the most dangerous weapons in this book. There is a
reason this was the weapon of choice for the toughest
armoured cavalry in the world… The reason you see feathers
and / or a pennant often attached near the tip of a lance was to
absorb the blood. A heavy lance is a reach weapon.
St. George is about to finish off this Dragon with his longsword in this 15th Century Painting by Carlos Crivelli, but it was clearly his (now broken) lance
that already did the hard work... which is typical. Swords get the glory, but the lance did most of the killing.
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Spetum, France, 17th Century AD
Simple partisan, Italy, 15th Century AD
Partisan, Spain, 17th Century AD
Glaive-Guisarme or “Fauchard – Fork”, Italy, 16th Century AD
Glaive Flanders, 16th Century AD
(Full size)
(Closeup)
17th Century Pike, part of a lot finally decommissioned by the armoury of Berne, Switzerland and sold on Ebay in 2004
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Yari
ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 7/1/2 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-10/SCP/SP AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: +2/- Hardness / Hit points: 10/3 Cost 90 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Tempered Steel Yari means Spear, it is essentially the Japanese pole-
arm, being similar in it’s basic form to a hewing spear,
fashioned with a high quality double-edged blade using
the same differential hardening techniques found in
katanas and made with a full tang which was
embedded in the haft, which was of hardwood covered
in lacquered bamboo strips, making them exceptionally
strong polearms.
Yari came in two general forms, su yari were basic
spear type weapons (depicted here) which could be
from half-spear length (treat as half-spear) to pike
length (treat as a pike) and the kama yari which were
more complex polearms nearly identical in form to the
Spetum / Partisan / Ranseur family of European
weapons (see Spetum / Partisan / Ranseur). The yari
became popular in Japan both with Samurai and
ashigaru (footsoldiers) after the 13th Century Mongol
Invasions provided a sobering reality check which
strongly influenced Japanese warfare for the next
several hundred years. A yari can be a reach weapon,
depending on the size of the individual weapon.
*Naginata ERA: Medieval to Early Modern
Size VL Reach / Speed / Defense: 7/2/4 Damage / Attack Types / Primary 1-8/SCP/S AP Bonus / Grapple Bonus: -/+4 Hardness / Hit points: 7/3 Cost 30 gp
Primary Material: Wood, Steel
This is another Japanese polearm of ancient vintage,
essentially a militarized pruning hook or bill, see
Farmers Bill) with the outside of the blade sharpened
for deadly slicing attacks, specialized for warfare like
the European bill guisarme (see Bill Guisarme) except
lacking the forward facing spear-point. It may have
been based on the Chinese guan-dao which is a type of
glaive (see Glaive, Bhuj / Khutti). In Japan today the
naginata is closely associated with women, and women
practice the naginatajutsu martial sport associated
with the weapon, but this ancient polearm saw wide
battlefield use in Japan dating back to the 8th Century
AD. Like the bill, the naginata proved effective at
dismounting cavalry and dispatching riders. Women
from the samurai class were considered capable of
mounting a defense of their homes if there were no
men present, and were expected to do so if necessary.
The naginata was believed to be an ideal weapon for a
woman, good at keeping an opponent at a distance
and capable of using leverage to enhance grappling
abilities even against a stronger opponent. Some
najinatas are reach weapons.
Samurai using yari against mongols Hakata bay, 13th Century AD. Moko Shurai Ekotoba,
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Sparth Axe / Bardiche Scotland circa 14th Century
Sparth Axe / Bardiche, Berdyche Poland, 17th Century
Sparth Axe / Bardiche: Russian Berdyche, 19th Century
Two Bhuj “Elephant Knives”, India circa 18th Century
Flegel: Czech Flail, Prague, Bohemia 1420 AD
Flail, Germany Circa 17th Century
Flail Italy, 16th Century
Light Flail: Agricultural flail, this type could be found anywhere from Okinawa to Italy
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Codex Weapons Appendix– Charts
Simple Weapons Weapon Size Reach /
Speed /Defence
BaseDamage
AttackTypes /Primary
AP Bonus
GrappleBonus
Hardness/ HitPoints
Cost
Razor T 0/6/0 F 1-2 S/S - - 3/1 25 SP
Knuckleduster T 0/6/0 F 1-2 B/B* - - 10/3 5 GP
Sap Gloves T 0/6/0 F 1 B/B** - - 5/1 1 GP
Small Knife T 0/6/0 F 1-2 SP/- - - 6/2 1 GP
Misericorde / Poniard T 0/6/0 F 1-4 P/P +2 - 7/3 1 GP
Large Knife T 1/6/0 F 1-4 SP/P - - 5/3 2 GP
Small Dagger T 0/6/0 F 1-6 SP/P +2 - 10/3 25 GP
Stiletto S 1/5/1 F 1-4 P/P +4 - 9/3 15 GP
Mace, Light S 2/3/2 1-6 B/B - - 5/5 8 GP
Sickle S 1/3/1 F 1-4 SP/- - +2 5/3 25 SP
Sax Knife S 1/5/1 F 1-6 SCP/SC - - 9/4 12 GP
Cutlass S 2/3/4 1-6 SCP/C - - 10/6 32 GP
Sword, Pian Dao S 2/4/2 1-6 SCP/S - - 9/3 20 GP
Stick, Heavy S 2/2/1 1-2 B/- - - 2/4 1 CP
Small Club S 2/4/2 1-4 B/B - - 4/2 5 SP
Waihaka Club S 1/3/1 1-6 B/B - - 8/4 2 GP
Hatchet S 1/3/1 1-6 C/C - +1 5/3 15 SP
Hand Axe S 1/4/1 1-6 C/C - +2 6/4 5 GP
Tomahawk S 2/4/2 1-6 CB/CB +2 +2 7/4 25 GP
Tomahawk, Stone S 2/2/1 1-8 B/B +1 +1 5/3 15 SP
Woodsman’s Axe (HH) S 2/-2/1 1-8 CB/C - +1 7/5 2 GP
Half Spear S 4/2/1 F 1-6 SCP/CP +2 - 6/3 15 GP
Sword, Long Sax S 2/4/1 F 1-8 SCP/C - - 9/4 30 GP
Colltel S 1/4/0 1-8 CP/C - - 9/3 25 GP
Bauernwehr S 2/5/2 F 1-6 SCP/SP - - 10/4 75 GP
Mace, Heavy M 3/1/2 1-10 B/B - - 12/20 30 GP
Mace, Flanged M 3/2/2 1-10 B/B +2 - 14/20 50 GP
Mace, Stone M 3/1/2 1-10 B/B - - 5/3 5 SP
Bata / Sail-Éille M 4/5/3 F 1-4 B/B - +1 6/3 3 GP
War Club M 3/3/2 1-6 B/B - - 5/4 15 SP
Protosword M 4/3/2 1-6 S/- - - 5/3 5 GP
Bill M 2/0/2 1-8 C/C - +2 5/3 25 SP
Mattock M 2/-4/1 1-6 CPB/P +2 +2 6/3 1 GP
Wooden Mallet M 2/1/3 1-4 B/B - +1 4/3 8 SP
Iron Maul M 2/-6/1 2-12 B/B +2 - 6/3 5 GP
(HH) indicates Hand and a Half weapon (TH) indicates Two Handed weapon
F indicates a Finesse weapon * Or +1 Damage for anyone capable of causing unarmed damage D3 or greater ** Roll an extra D6 for Bludgeon Crit Damage
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Codex Weapons Appendix– ChartsSimple weapons, continued
Weapon Size
Reach /Speed /Defence
BaseDamage
AttackTypes /Primary
AP Bonus
GrappleBonus
Hardness / HitPoints
Cost
Sword, Dussack S 2/5/3 1-6 CSP/SC - - 10/4 25 GP
Sword, Messer M 3/4/3 F 1-8 SCP/C - - 10/4 50 GP
Falchion M 3/1/2 1-12 SCP/C - - 12/5 50 GP
Pitch Fork L 4/0/2 1-6 P/P - - 4/3 1 GP
Shovel / Spade L 3/-2/2 1-6 CBP/C - +1 4/3 1 GP
Small Staff L 6/5/5 F 1-4 B/B - - 5/3 1 SP
Kern Axe L 4/1/2 1-10 SCP/CP - +2 6/3 25 GP
Godendag (TH) L 5/0/2 1-12 BP/BP +2 - 6/7 30 GP
Morgenstern (TH) L 5/0/2 2-12 (BP)/- +2 - 6/5 25 GP
Scythe (TH) L 3/-2/1 1-8 SCP/- - +3 4/3 5 GP
Great Club (TH) L 5/0/1 1-8 B/B - - 6/5 5 GP
Taiaha L 6/2/4 1-6 B/B - - 7/5 10 GP
Quarterstaff (TH) VL 7/2/5 1-6 B/B - - 5/5 1 GP
Iron Bound Staff (TH) VL 6/0/5 1-8 B/B - - 7/6 10 GP
Spear (TH) VL 7/1/3 1-8 SCP/P +2 - 6/3 60 GP
Spear VL 8/0/2 1-8 SCP/P +2 - 6/3 60 GP
(HH) indicates Hand and a Half weapon(TH) indicates Two Handed weapon F indicates a Finesse weapon * Or +1 Damage for anyone capable of causing unarmed damage D3 or greater ** Roll an extra D6 for Bludgeon Crit Damage
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Codex Weapons Appendix– Charts
Martial Weapons Weapon Size Reach /
Speed /Defence
BaseDamage
AttackTypes /Primary
AP Bonus
GrappleBonus
Hardness/ HitPoints
Cost
Jambiya T 0/5/0 F 1-6 SP/S - - 8/3 30 GP
Rondel Dagger S 1/5/1 F 1-6 P/P +4 - 12/4 40 GP
Broad Dagger S 1/5/0 F 1-8 SCP/P - - 10/5 30 GP
Long Dagger S 1/5/2 F 1-6 SCP/SP +2 - 10/4 50 GP
War Hammer S 2/3/2 1-8 BP/P +4 +2 7/4 50 GP
War Pick S 2/3/2 1-8 BP/P +6 +4 14/12 100 GP
Sword, Akinakes S 2/4/1 F 1-6 SCP/SP - - 6/2 20 GP
Sword, Short S 2/4/2 F 1-6 SCP/P +2 - 9/3 50 GP
Sword, Gladius S 2/3/1 1-8 SCP/CP - - 8/5 60 GP
Sword, Cinquedea S 2/5/2 F 1-8 SCP/P - - 9/3 60 GP
Sword, Katzbalger S 2/3/3 1-8 SCP/C - - 12/4 100 GP
Sword, Leaf Blade M 3/1/1 1-10 SCP/C - - 8/4 70 GP
Sword, Spatha M 3/2/1 1-8 SCP/CP - - 9/4 90 GP
Sword, Broad M 3/4/2 F 1-8 SCP/C - - 10/4 120 GP
Sword, Arming M 3/3/3 F 1-8 SCP/CP - - 10/4 150 GP
Sword, Cut-Thrust M 3/3/4 F 1-8 SCP/P - - 11/3 150 GP
Sword, Sidesword M 4/4/4 F 1-6 SCP/SP - - 10/3 200 GP
Sword, Backsword M 3/3/5 1-10 SCP/C - - 10/5 200 GP
Sword, Schiavona / Palasz L 4/2/5 1-8 SCP/C - - 11/5 250 GP
Sword, Liuye dao M 3/4/2 F 1-8 SCP/S - - 9/3 40 GP
Sword, Yanmao Dao M 3/3/2 1-8 SCP/SP - - 9/3 150 GP
Sword, Saber M 3/4/2 1-6 SCP/SC - - 10/3 110 GP
Sword, Shamshir / Tulwar M 2/5/2 1-8 SCP/S - - 10/3 150 GP
Sword, Tulwar M 2/5/2 1-8 SCP/SC - - 10/3 180 GP
Sword, Killij M 2/3/2 1-10 SCP/SC +1* - 10/3 150 GP
Sword, Heavy Saber M 4/3/4 1-8 SCP/SC - - 10/4 150 GP
Morning Star (HH) M 3/1/2 1-10 (BP)/(BP) +2 - 16/15 70 GP
Axe, Battle (HH) M 3/1/2 1-12 C/C - +2 7/5 30 GP
Sword, Hand & Half (HH) M 4/4/3 F 1-8 SCP/CP +1 - 10/3 180 GP
Axe, Bearded L 4/1/2 1-10 C/C - +2 7/5 30 GP
Axe, Great (TH) L 4/0/2 2-12 C/C - +2 7/5 50 GP
Poll Hammer (TH) L 6/1/5 1-10 BP/BP +4 +3 8/6 80 GP
Pollaxe (TH) L 6/1/5 1-12 BCP/CP +2 +2 8/6 80 GP
Sword, Longsword (HH) L 5/2/4 F 1-10 SCP/CP - - 10/4 200 GP
Sword, Federschwert (HH) L 5/4/4 F 1-2 B/- - - 9/3 100 GP
Sword, Bastard (HH) L 4/3/4 F 1-10 SCP/CP +1 - 10/4 220 GP
Kriegsmesser (HH) L 5/2/4 F 1-12 SCP/SC - - 10/5 140 GP
Schwiesersabel (HH) L 4/3/5 F 1-10 SCP/SC - - 11/3 250 GP
Sword, Greatsword, (HH) L 5/1/4 F 2-12 SCP/C - - 10/6 180 GP
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Codex Weapons Appendix– Charts Martial Weapons continued
Weapon Size Reach /Speed /Defence
BaseDamage
AttackTypes /Primary
AP Bonus
GrappleBonus
Hardness/ HitPoints
Cost
Light Lance VL 8/-1/1 1-6 P/P +2 - 5/3 30 GP
Ahlespiess (TH) VL 7/0/3 1-8 P/P +4 - 10/9 80 GP
Balanced Spear (TH) VL 6/2/4 1-8 BP/BP +2 +1 6/4 100 GP
Hewing Spear (TH) VL 7/1/3 1-10 CP/CP - +2 7/6 100 GP
Halberd (TH) VL 7/0/3 2-12 CP/CP +3 +3 8/6 80 GP
Volgue (TH) VL 7/-1/3 2-16 CP/C +1 +2 7/6 30 GP
Bill-Guisarme (TH) VL 7/0/3 1-10 CP/C +2 +5 8/5 100 GP
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Codex Weapons Appendix– Charts
Exotic Weapons Weapon Size Reach /
Speed /Defence
BaseDamage
AttackTypes /Primary
AP Bonus
GrappleBonus
Hardness /Hit Points
Cost
Sap T 0/5/1 1-2 B/B - - 5/2 10 GP
Balisong T 0/6/0 F 1-4 SP/- - - 9/3 5 GP
Tanto Dagger T 0/5/0 F 1-6 SCP/SP +1 - 10/2 100 GP
Katar Dagger T 0/7/0 F 1-6 SP/P +2 - 10/3 50 GP
Kurkri Knife S 1/5/1 F 1-8 SC/C - - 10/3 50 GP
Main Gauche S 1/5/4 F 1-6 SP/P +2 - 12/3 180 GP
Keris S 1/5/1 F 1-4 SP/P - - 9/2 or 7/2 120 GP
Moro Kris / Kalis S 3/3/1 1-6 SPC/SC - - 10/3 140 GP
Barong S 2/3/1 F 1-8 SPC/C - - 12/3 80 GP
Sword, Wakizashe S 2/5/1 F 1-8 SCP/SP - - 10/2 150 GP
Sword, Falcata S 2/2/1 1-10 SCP/C - - 10/4 80 GP
Bokken M 3/3/2 F 1-4 B/- - - 7/6 30 GP
Sword, Smallsword M 3/6/2 F 1-6 P/P +2 - 6/3 160 GP
Sword, Colichemarde M 3/5/3 F 1-6 P/P +2 - 9/4 150 GP
Sword, Jian (HH) M 4/4/3 F 1-8 SCP/S - - 9/4 240 GP
Sword, Kopis M 3/1/1 1-12 SCP/C - - 10/4 140 GP
Flail, Heavy M 4/4/1 1-12 B/B - +1 10/2 120 GP
Flail, Heavy, Spiked M 4/4/1 2-12 (BP)/- - +1 10/2 130 GP
Sword, Katana (HH) M 3/4/2 F 1-12 SCP/S - - 10/2 200 GP
Sword, Executioners (TH) L 4/-1/3 F 2-16 SC/C - - 12/7 300 GP
Sword, Niuweidao (HH) L 4/0/2 1-10 SPC/C - - 9/5 60 GP
Trident (HH) L 6/0/1 2-8 P/P +2 +2 7/4 40 GP
Flail, Light (TH) L 5/6/1 1-6 B/B - - 5/2 10 GP
Sword, Tachi L 4/3/2 F 2-12 SCP/SC - - 11/4 200 GP
Sword, Khanda L 4/2/3 1-10 SCP/C - - 12/5 180 GP
Kampilan L 4/1/2 1-10 SCP/C - - 9/4 100 GP
Sword, Rapier L 5/3/2 F 1-6 SP +2 - 8/3 250 GP
Sword, Estoc L 5/2/3 1-8 BP/P +4 - 14/6 150 GP
Sword, Claymore (TH) L 6/0/4 2-14 SCP/C - - 12/5 250 GP
Sparth Axe (TH) L 6/-1/1 3-18 CP/C - - 10/5 80 GP
Falx (TH) L 5/0/2 2-12 SC/SC - - 9/5 100 GP
Dha (HH) L 4/3/2 1-10 SC/SC - - 12/5 250 GP
Bhuj L 5/-1/2 2-12 SCP/C - - 12/3 50 GP
Flegel (TH) L 7/4/1 2-12 (BP)/(BP) +2 +1 8/3 75 GP
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Exotic weapons, continued Weapon Size Reach /
Speed /Defence
BaseDamage
AttackTypes /Primary
AP Bonus
GrappleBonus
Hardness/ HitPoints
Cost
Bullwhip VL 7/4/0 1-2 BS/BS - +2 6/3 5 GP
Sword, Montante (TH) L 6/0/5 2-16 SCP/C - - 12/5 250 GP
Sword, Zweihander (TH) VL 7/0/4 3-18 CP/C - +1 14/6 350 GP
Sword, Flammard (TH) VL 6/0/4 2-16 SCP/SC - +1 14/6 450 GP
Glaive VL 8/0/2 3-18 CP/C - +2 9/6 50 GP
Spetum / Ranseur VL 7/1/4 1-10 CP/CP +2 +3 9/6 80 GP
Pike VL 9/-4/0 1-6 P/P +2 - 9/5 50 GP
Heavy Lance VL 9/-2/0 1-8 P/P +4 - 5/3 30 GP
Yari VL 7/1/2 1-10 SCP/SC +2 - 10/3 90 GP
Najinata VL 7/2/4 1-8 SCP/S - +4 7/3 30 GP
Using weapons two handed vs one handed (table)
Used Type 1H wepaon HH weapon TH weapon Used One-handed - +1 reach -1 Speed -1
Defense
-2 Speed, -2 Defense, -
1 Damage
Used Two-handed -1 reach +1 damage - -
Base speed for animals by size
Very Small 10
Small 8
Medium 6
Large 4
Very Large 2
Pikes did not always trump lances: A Polish Hussar takes on a pikeman, circa 17th Century
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Knight, the Devil, and Death, Albrecht Durer 1513
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9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You mayuse any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originallydistributed under any version of this License. 10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game ContentYou distribute. 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of anyContributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. 12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect tosome or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may notUse any Open Game Material so affected. 13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to curesuch breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of thisLicense. 14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformedonly to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document. Copyright 2000. Wizards of the Coast, Inc; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Codex Martialis. Copyright 2008, 2009 Jean Chandler;Author: Jean Chandler. NOTICE OF OGC and PRODUCT IDENTITY This entire document is considered OGC
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Bibliography:
Modern Academic Publications: Records of the Medieval Sword, Ewart Oakshott, Boydell Press (May 24, 2007) ISBN: 0851155669 The World of the Gallowglass: Kings, Warlords and Warriors in Ireland and Scotland, 1200-1600 Sean Duffy(Editor) Four Courts press, (October 10, 2007) ISBN: 1851829466 Swords of the Viking Age Ian Pierce ISBN: 1843830892 A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, GeorgeCameron Stone Arms and Armour of the Medieval Knight by David Edge and John Miles Paddock The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms & Weapons, edited by Leonid Tarassuk and Claude Blair
Academic Journals and Articles Ballistic Resistance of Personal Body Armor, National Institute of Justice, Law enforcement and CorrectionsStandards and Testing Program, #0101.04, (June 2001) Stab Resistance of Personal Body Armor, National Institute of Justice. Law Enforcement and CorrectionsStandards and Testing program, #0115.00, (September 2000) Metalurgy Fundamentals: Ferrus and Non-Ferrous Daniel A. Brandt., Goodheart-Willcox Co; 5th edition (January 15,
2009), ISBN: 978-1605250793
Women in the military: Scholastic Arguments and Medieval Images of Female Warriors, James M. Blythe, University of
Memphis 2004
The Birka Warrior: The Material Culture of a Martial Society, Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, Stockholm University 2006
Violence and Local Society in Late Medieval Bavaria: A look at the Evidence Clif Hubby, 2004
Bullet Penetration: For Show or Safety? Arms and Armor Volume 3, No. 2, 2006, Sylvia Leever, Delft University of
Technology 2006
Primary Sources, HEMA and Martial Arts: The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe, Sydney Anglo, Yale University Press (2000) ISBN 0300083521 The Art of Combat: A German Martial Arts Treatise of 1570, Joachim Meyer (Jeffery Forgeng, Translator),Palgrave Macmillan (2006), ISBN: 1403970920 The Medieval Art of Swordsmanship: A Facsimile & Translation of Europe’s Oldest Personal Combat Treatise, Royal Armouries MS I.33 (Royal Armouries Monograph), Jeffery Forgeng, Translator, Chivalry bookshelf 2002,ISBN: 1891448382 Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi, Shambhala (1994) ISBN: 0877739986
Primary Sources, Medieval / Renaissance The Saga of Grettir the Strong, Anonymous, Bernard Scudder (Translator), Penguin Classics (November 2009)ISBN: 0140447733 Njals Saga, Anonymous, Penguin Classics, ISBN: 0140447695 An Arab-Syrian Gentleman and Warrior in the Period of the Crusades: Memoirs of Usamah Ibn-Munqidh, UsamahIbn-Munqidh, ISBN: 0691022690 The Alexiad, Ana Comnena, Penguin Classics, ISBN: 0140455272 The Saga of Cormac the Skald, Forgotten Books 2008, IBSN: 978-1605067223 The Anglo Saxon Chronicle, Various authors, Red and Black Publishers, ISBN: 978-1-934941-50-8 The Story of the Mongols Whom We Call the Tartars, Friar Giovanni DiPlano Carpini, Brandon PublishingCompany 1996, ISBN: 0-8283-2017-9 Chronicles of the Crusades, Jean de Joinville, Digireads.com publishing 2010, ISBN: 978-1-4209-3487-8 Medieval Russias Epics, Chronicles, and Tales (includes substantial excerpts from the Russian PrimaryChronicle), Meridian Books, 1974 ISBN: 0-452-01086-1 Chinese Military Texts: The Art of War, Thirty-Six Stratagems, Huolongjing, Wujing Zongyao, Seven MilitaryClassics, Ji Xiao Xin Shu (Paperback), Books LLC 2010, ISBN: 978-1155663012 The Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus, 2008 Forgotten Books ISBN 9 781605 067889
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Primary Sources-Classical The Histories HerodotusAnabasis / The 10,000 XenophonPeloponnesian Wars ThucydidesGallic Wars Julius Caesar History of the Wars (aka The Wars of Justinian) Procopius, Cosimo Classics, ISBN: 978-1602064454The Secret History, Procopius, Penguin Classics, ISBN: 0140455280 The Jewish War Josephus, Penguin Classics, ISBN: 978-0140444209 The Germania Tacitus The Agricola Tacitus The 12 Caesars Suetonius De Re Militari Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus
Primary Sources-Victorian The Book of the Sword, Sir Richard Burton, Dover Publications (July 1, 1987) ISBN: 0486254348 The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, Joseph Burkhardt Waffen: Ein Beitrag zur hustorischen Waffenkunde vom Beginn des Mittelalters bis gegen Ende des siebzehntenJarhunderts, Verlag Von Heinrich keller, 1903, Reprinted 2004 Dover Pictorial Archive as Medieval Arms andArmor ISBN: 0-486-43740-X
Military History Sources Medieval Warfare: History of the Art of War, Volume III (History of the Art of War, Vol 3) , Hans Delbruck,University of Nebraska Press (1990) ISBN: 0803265859 Medieval Warfare Source Book: Warfare in Western Christendom David Nicolle Hindu Arms and Ritual: Arms and Armour from India 1400-1865, Robert Elgood, (Jan 15, 2005) EburonPublishers, ISBN: 9059720202 Arms and Armor: Traditional Weapons of India, E Jaiwant Paul (Nov 1, 2005) Roli Books or India Crest, ISBN:8174363408 Arms and Armor from Iran: The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Peroid Manouchehr Moshtagh KhorasaniLegat Verlag (November 3, 2006) ISBN: 3932942221 Warfare in the Classical World, John Gibson Wary, University of Oklahoma Press, (October 1995) ISBN:0806127945 The Hammer and the Cross: A new history of the Vikings, Robert Ferguson, Penguin Books 2009, ISBN: 978-0-713-99788-0 The Northern Crusades (New Edition), Eric Christiansen, Penguin Books 1997, ISBN: 978-0-14-026653-5
Osprey Military Books The Swiss at War 1300-1500 (Men-At-Arms Series, 94) Douglas Miller, Ospery Press, (November 1979) ISBN: 0850453348 Landsknechts (Men-At-Arms Series, 58), Douglas Miller, Osprey Press, (March 31, 1994) ISBN: 0850452589Viking Hersir 793-1066 AD, Mike Harrison, Osprey Press, (July 29, 1993), ISBN: 1855323184 The Hussite Wars 1419-36, Stephen Turnbull, Osprey Press, 2004, ISBN: 1 84176 665 8 Tetutonic Knight, 1190-1561, David Nicolle, Osprey Press (2007) ISBN: 978-1-84603-075-8
Recommended Films The Deluge (Potop), (2004) based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz With Fire and Sword, (1999) Jerzy Hoffman, based on the novel by Henryk SienkiewiczColonel Wolodyjowski, (1969) Jerzy Hoffman, based on the novel by Henryk SienkiewiczThe Old Fairy Tale: When the Sun Was a god (aka Stara Basn) (2003) Pathfinder (Ofelas) (1987) (the original Finnish version, not the Hollywood remake) Krzyzacy NTSC "Knights of the Teutonic Order" (1960) Alexander Ford Yojimbo, (1961) Akira Kirosawa The Seven Samurai, (1954) Akira Kirosawa The Name of the Rose (1986) The Duelists (1977)
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The Vikings, (1958) Flesh and Blood (1985) The Last Valley (1970)Beowulf and Grendel (2005)
Recommended Fiction: Fantasy Novels The Dying Earth, Jack Vance Lyonesse, Jack Vance The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian: The Original Adventures of the Greatest Sword and Sorcery Hero of AllTime!, Robert E Howard Bard Kieth Taylor The Swords of Lankhmar, 1968 Fritz Leiber
Recommended Fiction: Historical Novels The Name of the Rose Umberto Eco The Walking Drum Louis L’Amour The Deluge, Henryk Sienkiewicz With Fire and Sword, Henryk SienkiewiczColonel Wolodyjowski, Henryk SienkiewiczHammer and Cross, Harry HarrisonNiccolo Rising, Dorothy Dunnett
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Codex Martialis Weapons of the Ancient World
Part 1, Melee Weapons
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