Weapons

The differences between various weapons of various classes, are represented in the game by Weapon Qualities. Some Weapon Qualities are used by many weapons, and are simple, such as "Two Handed" which requires a wielder of that weapon to use two hands. Others are more specific, but they are all listed below, with their various effects:

Adaptable:
A Weapon with the Adaptable quality is designed for use with one or two hands. When an Adaptable weapon is held in both hands, increase its Damage by +1.

Bulk:
Similar to Armor Bulk, a character cannot swim while holding a bulky weapon, but it is a simple matter to let go of it, if you do not want to drown.

Close Range:
A Weapon with the Close Range quality has an effective range of 10 yards, meaning you can attack opponents within 10 yards at no penalty. You can attack opponents beyond this range, however all fighting tests receive a penalty of -1d for every 10 yards beyond the effective range. Thus, attacking an opponent that’s 11 yards away imposes –1d on your attack test, and an opponent 21 yards away imposes -2d, etc.

Defensive:
A Weapon with the Defensive quality can serve a dual function. They can be used as weapons, but they are often more effective in knocking aside or parrying your enemies’ attacks. When armed with a Defensive weapon, you add the weapon’s Defensive rating to your Combat Defense. Many Defensive weapons also have the Off-Hand quality, allowing you to wield them and a primary weapon at the same time. If you choose to add your Off-Hand bonus to your damage, you lose the Defensive bonus until the start of your next turn.

Fast:
A Weapon with the Fast quality is designed to slip past your opponent’s defenses and to strike rapidly. When you make a divided attack using a Fast weapon, you gain +1d on each test. Bonus dice, as always, cannot exceed the number of test dice rolled per attack.

Grab:
A Weapon with the Grab quality lets you grab and hold onto an opponent, preventing them from moving away from you. Whenever you successfully hit an opponent with a Grab weapon and your attack test result also equals or beats the opponent’s passive Athletics result (Strength bonus dice apply), you may, if you choose, grab that opponent. A grabbed opponent cannot move until you release him or until that opponent beats you on an opposed Fighting test (Brawling bonus dice apply). A grabbed opponent can only make attacks using Brawling weapons or Short Blades. Finally, grabbed opponents take a –5 penalty to their Combat Defense (to a minimum of 1). Using a Grab weapon does have its limitations. While you grab an opponent, you cannot move and may only make attacks against that opponent using a Grab or Off-Hand weapon, or an unarmed Brawling attack.

Impale:
A Weapon with the Impale quality can punch through its target victim. Whenever you get three or more degrees of success on a test using a weapon with the Impale quality, you drive the weapon through your opponent. You must immediately succeed on a Challenging (9) Athletics test. A failed test indicates you are disarmed, as the weapon remains stuck in your opponent. If you succeed, your opponent cannot move, but you cannot attack with the weapon, either. To yank the weapon free, you must succeed on another (3 +opponent’s AR) Athletics test. A success frees the weapon, and every additional degree deals the weapon damage again.

Pinning an Opponent: You can also use a weapon with the Impale quality to pin an impaled foe to the ground, wall, or some other surface. Roll an Athletics test against your opponent’s passive Endurance result (Resilience bonus dice apply). A successful test prevents your opponent from moving until he pulls himself free.

Getting Free: An impaled character may remove the weapon by successfully rolling a Challenging (9) Athletics test. Removal inflicts 1 wound. An ally may remove the weapon safely by succeeding on a Formidable (12) Healing test. Failure removes the weapon but deals 1 point of damage for every 5 points by which the test failed (minimum 1 point).

Long Range:
A Weapon with the Long Range quality has an effective range of 100 yards, meaning you can attack opponents at or within 100 yards at no penalty. You may still attack opponents beyond this range, however all fighting tests receive a penalty of -1d for every 100 yards beyond the effective range. Thus, attacking an opponent that’s 101 yards away imposes –1d on your attack test, and an opponent 201 yards away imposes -2d, etc.

Medium Range:
A Weapon with the Medium Range quality has an effective range of 50 yards, meaning you can attack opponents at or within 50 yards at no penalty. You may still attack opponents beyond this range, however all fighting tests receive a penalty of -1d for every 50 yards beyond the effective range. Thus, attacking an opponent that’s 51 yards away imposes –1d on your attack test, and an opponent 101 yards away imposes -2d, etc.

Mounted:
A Weapon with the Mounted quality is too large and bulky to be used on foot, and is intended for use while mounted on a horse or some other steed. Using these weapons on foot imposes a penalty of -2d on all Fighting tests.

Off-Hand:
A Weapon with the Off-hand quality can be wielded in your off-hand, allowing you to add your Off-hand modifier to your primary weapon damage on a successful Fighting test. To gain this benefit, you must make a Two-Weapon attack.

Piercing:
Piercing weapons bypass armor. When you hit an opponent with a Piercing weapon, your damage ignores an amount of Armor Rating equal to the listed value.

Powerful:
A Weapon with the Powerful quality can be used by a strong characters can put more muscle behind their hits and thus deal more damage in combat. On a successful hit, increase the weapon's base Damage +1 for every bonus dice in Strength.

Reach:
When armed with a Reach weapon, you can attack opponents that are not adjacent to you. Also, gain +2 on Agility tests for Combat Initiative.

Reload:
A Weapon with the Reload quality requires an action to reload after it has been fired. If your opponent is with attacking range of you, this means they receive a free attack.

Set-For-Charge:
A Weapon with the Set-For-Charge quality gives its wielder a bonus if he is stationary and facing a charging opponent. Set-For-Charge is a Greater Action that must when a specific target is charging at you from beyond melee range. Set-For-Charge places your character in a stationary position with the butt of their spear braced against the ground and the tip angled forward at the charging opponent. If the charging opponent fails a Formidable (12) Agility test (Dodge bonus dice apply), then the weapon which was Set-For-Charge gains base damage equal to its wielder's Fighting rank in the first round of combat.

Shattering:
A Weapon with the Shattering quality is designed to smash through shields, parrying weapons, and armor. Whenever you get more than one degree of success on a Fighting test using this weapon, you reduce the opponent’s Defensive bonus** or Armor Rating by the amount indicated.
**A Weapon with the Shattering quality affects ANY item with a Defensive bonus, including Shields, and it also affects ALL metal armor. Reducing a weapon’s Defensive bonus or an armor’s Armor Rating to 0 or less destroys that item.

Slow:
A Weapon with the Slow quality is cumbersome and difficult to wield with speed and grace. You may not make Divided Attacks using these weapons, which is not advantageous when fighting multiple opponents.

Two-Handed:
Large weapons sometimes need both hands to use properly, and this is represented weapons with the Two-Handed quality. If you attempt to use a Two-Handed weapon with only one hand, you will suffer a -3d penalty on all fighting tests; players with the Massive benefit are exempt from this penalty.

Unwieldy:
A Weapon with the Unwieldy quality isn't designed to be used while mounted, so when astride a steed, you take -2D to Fighting and Marksmanship tests.

Vicious:
Some weapons are better at killing than others. The consequence of defeat to an opponent using a weapon with the Vicious quality is always death.