Perfectly normal weapons.

#1

The item section needs more down to earth kind of weapons.
I started out with a few simple weapon descriptons.
After all, this is what the PC's will most often encounter in a game.
Not the legendary super powerfull (fill inn a name) sword.
It is not enough for a GM to say;

GM: "And you found a sword."

PC: "What does it look like, what is its attributes, etc?"

GM: "Ehm, it is a normal short-sword."

One must always be prepared!
So, fellow Strolenites, let us prepare the world of gamers for an avalanche of perfectly normal weapons for them to use in their games.

Post on!

Khawarezmian Papersword

#2

The Khawarezmians live on a rocky jungle peninsula which is covered almost entirely by incredibly thick, primordial jungle, filled with strange things which are not seen anywhere else, throwbacks to a time when jungles such as this covered the entire world, and were filled with the magic of the Outer World.
The Khawarezmian jungle is also very lacking in a resource which is extremely common in lands north of it in Ageratos proper- iron. The Khawarezmians ration what iron they have for very special purposes. For many things such as armor and weapons, the Khawarezmians do not use iron, instead using the pliant yet strong bone of a gigantic beast of the deep jungle known as the Root Behemoth.
To make paperswords, the Khawarezmians take splintery sheets of the bones of the Root Behemoth, and, through special processes, pare them down to paper-thin, translucent sheets (hence, papersword), gluing them together into bone-yellow blades of extremely thin bone. These swords are extremely light and fast to the hand, but they are also fragile, and used as slashing weapons rather than as blocking tools.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#3

Town guards sword

This doubled edged cut and thrust blade mounted with a complex steel guard is an excellent weapon for the close quarters situations encountered in an urban setting. The blade is made of steel and is .25 inches thick.
The balance point three inches in front of the guard allows a nimble action to this stout sword. It was crafted for the use of townguards so they may better handle fighting in crowded areas with lesser chanse of striking an innocent bypasser. It is illegal for anyone but the guard to carry these weapons, thus it is in the city guards advantage to wield these swords.
There is a small black marked trading these weapons, but if caught with one the penalty is death.

You Find...

#4

Hero: I throw open the chest, eager to see what is within!
GM: As the splintery wood is thrown back, there is revealed within a...

Ghollish Wide-axe
Ghollish Wide-axe. The Ghollish Wide-axe was a design of axe popular a few decades ago in the southern provinces of (insert kingdom), especially among peasants involved in the Sickle of Justice rebellion (though these favored sickles to axes). This axe {though identical in game stats to any other axe} resembles and especially wide double-headed axe with a stubby, curved handle wrapped in leather. The blade is sturdy, heavy-duty, and worked with a stylistic bear or other predator of some sort. The weapon is unusual in that it has some gold leaf inlayed on the haft; most makers of this type of axe were peasants of the Sickle of Justice and favored undecorated weapons which would set them apart from the ornately-bedecked nobility who they fought against.

Tyrnithi Arrows
A bundle of Tyrnithi arrows. The Tyrnithi are a shy, retiring folk of the Farther South, who are renowned throughout the Summer Lands (and spoken of by traders to the northerly lands) as the finest archers in the world. Somehow, a bundle of their arrows, very finely-made, has found its way this far north from their homeland. These arrows are long, thin, made of a dark-reddish wood, and feathered with iridescent green feathers. The heads of the arrows are frog-crotch style rather than the typical "arrowhead" shape; that is, they are shaped like a letter "Y". They are made of some sort of closely-chipped, light stone which is grey with thin veins of yellow.

Sword of Glory
One of the "Swords of Glory" used during the Dragon's War. The instigator of that war, the legendary warlord Toron the Dragon, gave one of these to each of his 11 lieutenants, and it is said that each one slew 500 men. However, as the ages passed, these were lost (along with many artifacts of the Dragon's War). This is one of them, or it is an extremely accurate and clever forgery- the sword is a typical Ageran straightsword, large, heavy, triangular-bladed with a thick, extension-less hilt, a long, leather-wrapped haft, and a heavy counterbalancing pommel; it is forged from the finest quality iron from the Sun's Path Mountains and has an etched jade sigil which certifies it as one of the Swords of Glory, that of Toron the Dragon himself. The hilt and pommel are heavy and layered with brass. It shows the signs of medium-to-heavy usage in battle.

Dogpick
A Dogpick. This heavy iron war-pick is a relatively recent creation, possibly from the Pretender Wars in {insert kingdom}- evidence to this use is a string of decade-old {kingdom}ian prayer-beads wrapped around the handle of the pick. The people of {kingdom} call this weapon a Dogpick because it is usually forged with a howling hound's head releasing the blade of the pick, though this one lacks it. The pommel of the war-pick, however, appears to have once been a wolf or dog's head, though it is badly scarred and broken off (this has set the Dogpick's balance slightly off).

Perfectly normal weapons.

#5

The posts in the item section is deleted for the better good of the health of the strolenites. If you wish to contribute in any way to the list of normal weapons feel free.

An interesting discussion from one of the post in the item section.

EchoMirage ════Submitted: 05.12.05 02:45

Just thinking... what posts will come next? 'A bar of soap'? Nah, too exotic. An ale keg. 'Holding half a quart to one quart of ale, the ale keg is THE container to keep your ale from spilling all over the table, weighted at the bottom to prevent spilling over, with a sturdy grip that allows it to be swung in a bar-room brawl.'

What is the point in posting totally mundane items?
That would be like posting an NPC called Bob the Clerk... he stand behind a counter, a boy of nondescript age and features, and sells foodstuffs to the party. Period.

Now to learn about this Bob I visit Strolen's? Nope.
Michael Jotne Slayer ════Submitted: 05.12.05 08:11 [ EDIT ]

Thank you EchoMirage, i am glad these posts affect you.
That is the point. Or one of them.
The other one is to make a good hand of items like this for GM's to use when the PC's find mundane weapons like these.
A list of normal weapons is a needed evil.
But you still have a point, From now on all Perfectly notmal weapons will be posted in the Perfectly Normal Weapon's thread.
EchoMirage ════Submitted: 05.12.05 08:24

Bingo... I wanted to point out exactly that - it is not wise to post each simple item as a single post: a thread with a list reading: Knives/Short Swords/Long Swords/Greatswords or Soap/Shampoo/Aftershave
MoonHunter ════Submitted: 05.12.05 09:50

MJS, you know that these posts are eventually going to be deleted right? Just by putting equipment list items into the system does not counter "munchkinism". Munchkin-esk items/ thing are mostly deleted a couple of weeks after people stop commenting on them. You want to counter munckinism, vote a 1, don't comment on the item... and watch your moderators remove them after a few weeks.

Again, Every item does not need to be POWERFUL... EXOTIC... MYTHIC, but it does need to be interesting or useful. After all, if the item is not useful in some way.... why did anyone take the time and materials to make it? This item almost makes the interesting criteria, but the post is too short to make it worth keeping.
Ancient Gamer ════Submitted: 05.12.05 09:53

In my days of glory, aka my mounty haul era, I showered my party with fancy items and glorious magic. Nowadays these prize items are more restricted, often offered as a reward for truly wonderful feats. This, combined with colourful descriptions of ALL the items I give them, makes the players all the more enthusiastic about my sessions. The days of "Yaaaawn, it's another wand of deadly frost and ultimate danger" are over.

My point? There should be a section for Bob and the zweihander. I like to use ordinary NPCs, but they can be tedious to create. I also like ordinary swords, they need not be boring! Why not have a library of ordinary items here, in which a gm can find appropriate entries when in need of something on the spot or when he is too lazy to think of a new description?

Ordinary weapon:
"As you take a closer look on the corpse of the turncoat guardsman, you realize that the sword he has half clenched in his fist is a wonderful piece of worksmanship.You cannot help, but to take notice of the beautiful pattern on the ricasso, the semi-precious gemstone studded in the pommel and the old, but servicable black leather on the hilt. As you move your gaze up, above the cross-guard and the ricasso, the blade itself seems a bit battered, but well cared for. This is an old weapon, one that has probably existed within the same family for several decades. It is masterfully made and there is a sense of pride to it, one might wonder why a man, obviously proud and diligent, would fall to such depths as treason"

When a player picks up this weapon, it has SOUL. He might sell it, but if he sticks to it, he will feel more attached to it. True, there are uncaring players who barely remember what KIND of weapon they have, let alone what it looks like, yet at least we should do our part to make the game vibrant and alive.

But I agree that the weapon description is kind of misplaced :)
Could have been useful as a general description for a whole class of swords.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#6

So now we have a thread...

CP's entries would actually make acceptable non magical entries on the first page. Though they are non magical, "common weapons", they include description, explanation, and world context for the item. Rather than simply listing something off an equipment list, and giving only physical description, these weapons are developed. So rather than just a loose physical description, his posting included what the weapons are in world terms.

The City Guards sword had the starting of that but did not explain anything about the city guard or why the swords were called "city guard swords".

With such entries, you know something about the person who is appropriately wielding (or prefering) said weapon.

For example, a Katana is more than a 1.3 meter long slightly curved multi folded blade weapon. It is a "badge of office", expressing the person's social position (warrior) in feudal Japan. Katana and Wakisashi combination expresses their social rank (Samurai (or Ronin which makes it complicated)). While the Buke Social Status was expressed, if one was martially inclined, by Bow Spear and Horse.

Of course that was a simple example (1/5), but it shows the kind of idea...

Perfectly normal weapons.

#7

A crude, stone club. Ogre sized, but still usable by strong PCs. Maybe +1 to damage. Maximum bonus to it. No enchantments or anything. Just a really big hunk of stone.

Damascus Steel Sword:
This longsword is different somehow... It's green.
Great for making them think it's a magic item or some rare material. Normal longsword, basically, just prettied up a bit.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#8

Khartand

Khartand is the oldest and most charcteristic of the {insert kingdom} knife weapons. The perculiarity lies in the handle which is made upof two parallel bars connected by two, or more, cross pieces, one of which is at the end of the side bars and is fastened to the blade.The remainder forms the hadle which is at right angle to the blade. The blades are always double-edged and are generally straight and with lenghts from a few inches to about 3 feet. The blades of southern {insert kingdom} are often made broad at the hilt and taper in straight lines to the point, and elaborately ribbed by grooves parallel to the edges.

Khartand's are often thickened at the point to strenghten them for use against mail and are often forged in one piece with the hilt. The blades are sometimes forked at the point, and Khartand's with two, and even three blades occor. The {insert kingdom} armorers occasionally made katars that were hollow and served as a sheaths for smaller ones: or with three blades that folded together, appearing to be one, until the handle bars were pressed together, when they opened out.

The Khartand is a purely religous weapon. It is only used by the Holy warriors of{insert religion/god}. In fact the word Khartand, Khart-And means Fist of God. The weapon was thought of by the founding priests of
the religion which saw it as a neccecity for their warriors to have uniqe weapons. And so they hired the finest smiths in the Kingdom.
After years of trying and failing they came up with the Khartnand.
The holy warriors developed a new style of fighting using this weapons advantages. It became legendary in the Religious wars to come and remains so to this day since no one else seems to master this strange weapon but the warriors of {Insert god}.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#9

Antiago spear

The most widely used weapon of the {insert kingdom} soldier was the Antiago spear. It is an excellent hand to hand weapon, having a great advantage in reach over shorter weapons. It has has the simple grace of a practical fighting weapon. The heavy mid ridge gives this spear superior strength for its weight. The ash shaft is mounted into the socketed head of the spear.
The head carries etchings of the history of the soldier owning them.
After a greater battle the soldier spends his time etching the outcome of the battle in small Haiku like Poems. When a soldier dies the etchings are removed so that he has the room for his heroics in the land of the dead.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#10

The blades of the Tens of Asterleth have tiny diamonds embedded in them,and will, in the hand of a strong person, cut through even the skin of a troll.The swords themselves are a foot long and have the symbol of the Tens on the handle.Non-Tens are attacked if found by a Ten gang to be holding one of their swords.

Powi fighting net

#11

A simple net made of strong jute,this otherwise innocous looking object when combined with the amazing Ahal paste used by the tribsemen of the Powi,can be a serious threat to any warrior who finds himself menaced with this traditional Powi wepaon.

The insides of the net's mesh are smeared with the paste by Powi warriors wearing crude gloves of dried lizard hide. Absorbed by the texture of the jude fibre,it turns the fibre the color of it's murky brown.

When the net is hurled at a foe,the paste present in it's mesh reacts with the sweat of the foe's skin and immediately turns into a sticky,cloying substance as thick as concrete. Within moments,the netted foe is bound by thick coils of solidified Ahal paste.

The Powi usually use the fighting net to trap and ensnare ferocious Black Cats,fearsome large felines that are often hunted for their prized ebony coats. Using the net to ensnare them allows the hunters to remain out of range of it's rending claws. Neverthless,the net has also proven to be a potent weapon against soldiers armed with steel weapons who underestimate the threat posed to them by this humble net,only to find themselves unable to slash their way out,moments after it falls over them.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#12

The blades of the Tens of Asterleth have tiny diamonds embedded in them,and will, in the hand of a strong person, cut through even the skin of a troll.The swords themselves are a foot long and have the symbol of the Tens on the handle.Non-Tens are attacked if found by a Ten gang to be holding one of their swords.

So 12" is really more of a knife.

If they have diamonds in their handles, how do they hold them?
If they have diamonds in their blades, how do they not break? Such embedding would weaken the structure of the blade, even one only 12" long. I mean if this was useful for non ceremonial blades, why has no one ever done it?
Diamond edged blades... please do a google search on sheering planes. Then understand that diamond dust embeded on blades in a mid to late 20th century technical achievement. (Though, a good alchemical processes might be able to do it.....)

So members have diamond encrusted blades? How rich are these people? If they are that rich, why are they criminals... when they could literally buy respectability and control the city? (Or are dimonds cheap as dirt on your world?)

If the Tens are a criminal organization, would not carrying such an identifying weapon be a crime? Or would not The Watch or The Army, simply attack and arrest anyone carrying one? I mean your average fantasy world is pre-miranda AND does not have the same concept of due process as found in America (and Europe).

I had the same question about the 10 patch on their leather jackets?

Perfectly normal weapons.

#13

You're right, it needs serious reworking, but I'll try and answer your questions. The diamonds I think of not as jewels, but as *industrial diamonds* so rough and small that they are valueless as gemstones but useful as rough cutting edges.

I see the Tens partly as a fantasy-world equvilent of today's biker gangs.
But they also have a country of their own, where they are the rulers and in effect the Watch as well. It would be there where they would openly wear and carry their full regailia.Outside it, there would be a handful of ambassadors openly traveling, and many others in secret dressed as normal people. But there would be a few cases when they might wear their insignia openly...swooping down on a small village to terrify the inhabitants/extract tribute, meeting secretly with other gangs to try and hammer out spheres of influence rather then having an all out war, and wearing them in the kinds of seedy places where the Watch are either afraid to go except in large numbers, or where the Watch are bribed to turn a blind eye to their activities.

I did a story involving the Ten's Province where they ruled once, but my 1st ex would be furious if I posted it publicly here or anywhere else. It helps Tens traveling near their own borders that if they get arrested or worse by the Watch, then a few hundred of their mates will cross the border and try and break them out of prison,or,if they have been killed, will burn down a village or two in revenge and slaughter the inhabitants.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#14

Cruaunte Sword

This sword is unique, made only for the Merchant Prince of [insert city] and his loyal band of mercenaries. The Cruaunte is a hand and a half sword, capable of being used with one or two hands, and from horseback or on foot. Thus, the merchant can save both time and money equipping his men with a universally usefull weapon.

The sword is single edged, for greater strength, and less maintainence time. The sword comes to a blunt point, and is only marginally useful for making thrusting attacks. Its strength comes from the fact that the blade is serrated, or notched in the fashion of a steak knife, or chainsaw blade. While it only incurs moderately more damage (+1 dmg) it leaves nasty wounds that are slower to heal as the flesh is more thoroughly savaged, and it is quite intimidating.

the swords are of a uniform average quality, with the officers of the unit recieving blades of higher quality. The Prince himself wields a Cruaunte with gold quillions inset with small garnets and bound with kid leather.

Haio-Mano(Shark tooth weapons)

#15

Literally meaning "A sharkÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s lei," these Ankorillian weapons are particularly effective and devastating. They are fashioned in many shapes and sizes. Some Haio-Mano's are designed for use as daggers, some are more club-like and others are strictly designed for cutting and slashing. Haio-Mano's are made utilizing one to many sharkÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s teeth. The teeth is usually attached to wood, but could be affixed to bone (human or animal), cordage, turtle shell or other materials. The teeth are secured by lacing, pegging or sewing. The Haio-Mano, combined with other weapons such as a bone dagger, provided its owner with additional stabbing and slashing features
The cutting and tearing effects of the very sharp teeth of the shark, makes the Mano a very formidable close combat weapon

Perfectly normal weapons.

#16

I became intruiged by this island kingdom and started thinking on other kinds of weapons an island kingdom would use. I laid out some rules for them. They would get all they need from the ocean. And several fish bones(such as shark teeth) can be used as weapons. A bone age indeed.
I name the island kingdom Ankorill.

Paha(Daggers)

Ankorillian warriors carries, on a regular basis, Na-ha (spears) and many different types of daggers. These weapons are be used to confront any kind of threat, as well as on the fields of battle. The dagger playes a prominent role because it is easily carried and/or slipped into the waistband of the male warrior loincloth. Besides, daggers strikes much faster than big, heavy clubs. Among the many types of daggers are those made from Ankorillian hardwoods. These Paha daggers are sharpened at one or both ends and some had sharkÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s teeth imbedded in the pointed end to enhance their effectiveness. A broken spear, cut to the appropriate length, also serves well as a dagger. The average dagger is about 18 inches long but could extend up to about 3 feet in length.
There are daggers with one of its ends enlarged for use as a club. The Paha-Ku is made from the bill of the broad-billed swordfish and the
Paha-Ka is made from the bill of the marlin. These are daggers provided by nature and serves those who uses them, very well. The naturally rough edges of the marlin bill(imagine a saw) are sometimes left on and provided a particular cutting effect. Also, the bill was either left with its natural point or sometimes barbed.

Pu-Da(Clubs)

Among the Ankorillian weaponry are different types of clubs for use in close combat. Those made entirely of wood are either smooth or rough headed. Also used are newa with stone heads attached to wooden handles. They are short, from 9 to 18 inches long, except for one made of whalebone which is 19.5 inches in length and rather heavy. Ankorillians heavy clubs were favored. This is because ease of wielding and faster speed of use, in hand to hand fighting, were determining factors. The exception to this, however, was the club used by the public executioner, which was much longer and very heavy(also of whalebone).

Powi Duel Beheader

#17

Another traditional weapon of the Powi,it is used to fight the to-the- death duels that often arise among these tribes of hot blooded warriors. As weapons go,it is not very complex. Basically,a Powi Beheader consists of two massive sharp edged stone prongs bound to one another with stout leather cord,which are then mounted on a 6 foot long staff,also with the aid of stout leather. The stone prongs curve inwards until their tips touch each other. Spaced far enough apart for them to be slipped snugly around a man's neck,the wielder uses them to rip his foe's head off. A very messy weapon to use,to say the least.

The fates of entire tribes hve been decided on the outcome of Beheader duels with many a chieftain challenging his rival leader from an enemy tribe to a duel. The most reknown of them is easily Luahl the Quick,who racked up an impressive tally no less than five enemy chiefs dead by his own hands during his life time.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#18

The Ankorillian weaponry continued.

Ioki (Tripping Weapons):

The warrior, adept at the use of the Ioki, uses it to pursue and trip or bind an opposing warrior and then use his dagger, or other weapon, to finish the job. They are made out of wood or stone in various shapes, attached to long cords and fashioned with or without handles. A well-trained and skillful practitioneer uses this weapon weapon to tie up various parts of an oppnentÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s body at-will.

Ma-am (Slings):

The Ma-am is woven out of materials such as Hau (a lowland hibiscus tree), Anha (coconut husk sennit), Aja-hala (aerial roots of the pandanus), Olanda (a Ankorillian shrub whose bark produces, what is said to be, one of the strongest fiber in the world) or human hair. The sling is used very effectively and accurately. Ankorillian warriors, adept at the use of this weapon, uses slingstones which are sharpened to a point at both ends, resembling a football. The average stone is about 2.2 inches long with a middle diameter of 1.6 inches. Warriors, skilled in its use, can sling these pointed stones at very high speeds and low trajectories for very long distances.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#19

Ka-An (Strangling Cords):

The kaÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ane is another weapon in Ankorill that is used in fighting. It is also used as an instrument of the public executioner. The Ka-An is used primarily to strangle, but was also used to tie-up an opponent. It normally has a wooden or ivory handle, to which square, eight-ply cordage is attached. The handle, alone, can also be used to cause damage. This is a very effective weapon in the hands of one skilled in its use.

Ihedea (Spears):

Ankorillian's use many types of spears used for throwing or thrusting. They are made from native hardwoods. Ankorillian Ihedea are either unbarbed or barbed. They are of varying lengths, from approximately six to nine feet long. Ankorillian warriors are trained to catch and/or deflect spears thrown at them, even in great numbers. They would also be able to return the spears, once caught. There are many eyewitness accounts of the great skill employed by warriors who would remain untouched even though great numbers of spears would be thrown at them and would "fall like rain."

Po-Ko-Po(Long Pikes):

The Po-Ko usually ranges from twelve to eighteen feet in length with smoothe blade-like points. They are fashioned with an enlarged butt end, with variously designed knobs or grips, which differentiated them from the Uhedea. They are very heavy, with shafts of 1.5" to 2" thick. These long pikes are used to break up enemy formations. They are also used to vault over streams and lava crevices. In addition, Ankorrillian warriors can use them as pole vaults in pursuit of or to escape from an enemy.

The Ankorillian weaponry is now done, in chat I spoke with someone who mentioned the idea of coral shards being attached to clubs. I think it was Cheka_Man, you better post that weapon before I do it :wink:
By covering the weaponry of this island kingdom I am beginning to get an pretty good idea of their society as well. Maybe I should flesh out some ideas for these islands. What do you guys think? Are the Ankorillian islands worthy?

Perfectly normal weapons.

#20

By covering the weaponry of this island kingdom I am beginning to get an pretty good idea of their society as well. Maybe I should flesh out some ideas for these islands. What do you guys think? Are the Ankorillian islands worthy?

Why not? There seems to be a lot of promise there. Go ahead and flesh it out :)

Druid knife

#21

Druids like to use as much of the animals they kill as possible. The handle is made of the antler of a deer or other such animal. The blade is made of bone, flint or posibble iron

Perfectly normal weapons.

#22

Median forked dagger
A Median forked dagger is a type of dagger made almost exclusively in northeastern Media, on the seaboard of the Sea of Esh-Eir. It is made from average-quality iron, hiltless, and has a wide, flat grip wrapped in some sort of silk or fine cloth. A Median forked dagger is noticeable for it's forked point- the blade is shaped like a letter "Y". Forked daggers are little used, even in Media- they were originally for the purpose of sloughing loosened skin off of hunters' kills, but during the Casterian Wars, when many peasants were drafted to join professional soldiers in turning back the armies of Casteria, they became famous for being brutal battlefield weapons. The peak of the forked dagger's popularity coincided with the heroics of the Spectral Company, the company of covert ranger-soldiers who almost exclusively used these weapons against the Casterians. They have now fallen out of common use, and are almost always curiosities and collector's items rather than being carried for defense.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#23

Springbolt:

Working along the same principles as a crossbow, a Springbolt is a more mechanically advanced weapon. The main shaft of the weapon is enclosed, making it look unwieldy and boxlike. However, a lever runs parallel to the firing shaft, and through clockwork and tiny counterweights the user is able to reload the springbolt extraordinarily quickly. Although some string tension is lost, a springbolt can fire and reload in half of the time of a heavy crossbow. Double barrelled or repeating variations are not unknown.

Moon:

Curiously, this blade is designed as a massive bladed ring with a simple grip to wield. Held outstretched, the ring is roughly a foot in diameter, and the metal is two inches thick. Curiously, this design makes blocking attacks
comparatively easy, as blows are shrugged off of the larger weapon. Thrusting attacks are impossible with a Moon.

Hooded Moon:

Like the Moon, a Hooded Moon is a curious weapon constructed out of a simple grip and an enormous ring of steel. Unlike its lighter cousin, however, a Hooded Moon has large hand and arm guards to protect the wielder. Additionally, several hooks and barbs appear on its outer edge at regular intervals, making it excellent at catching weapons.

Pirain:

Althohgh Pirains are notoriously unreliable, these daggers are very dangerous weapons in the hands of a master. They look very much like slim daggers with oversized pistol-grips- closer inspection reveals an odd hole running along the inside of the blade. When a firing stud is depressed, a Pirain can fire a single shot musket ball at high velocities. Particularily skilled wielders usually only use these in hand-to-hand fighting, where misses are impossible and the damage is far greater.

Snakemark Razor:

A flexible, waving sword made of folded steel, the Snakemark is a signature weapon of some cults and organizations. Other than the S-shape of the sword itself, and the hook located on the pommel, the sword is unremarkable. However, the curious curving blade design is very useful for diarming enemies, and the hook can be a dangerous, extraordinarily quick weapon in the right hands.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#24

Ghorish Maw

The Ghorish Maw is used by the Ogre Tribes which live in the Ghor Mountains, named after a legendary Ogre Chieftain who once resided there. Known for his love of eating, these are the weapons he armed his warriors with.

The Maw is effectively a combination of a pair of scissors and a beartrap (the ones with teeth.) The wielder holds it by the handle, with his arms crossed. Bringing his hands together slams the weapon shut, opening the distance between his hands opens the weapon again. While open. the weapon is large and solid enough to make an unwieldy shield. When slammed shut, the weapon does a small amount of damage. However, as the weapon does almost 100% of its damage via the slam of the weapon, it ignores supple armor, and has a decent chance of breaking armor which isn't supple.

Ryder Spear

#25

A Ryder Spear is the quintessinal Kerrenese weapon.
http://www.rpgcitadel.com/guild/index.php?board=26.0

A Ryder Spear is a length of Hard Leather two to three meters in length. It has a point tip, a block, and a hand tip. There are hundreds of variations on the basic designs for the weapon. Some wings (and Edges) will have "wing weapons", so the entire wing will have the same design (assisting in training and standardized tactics). But in most cases, Ryders will have craftsmen carve out weapons to fit their personal needs (and wing colors).

Since Ryder Spears are made of Hard Leather, than can be molded and shaped (as well as dyed, dye washed, and laquered) before final hardening resins and laquers are applied (granting it iron like hardness, though not the full durrability, for a fraction of the weight.) Some master craftsmen will "dapple" certain areas to increase grip traction. This, plus the weight of the material, will allow complexities that are impossible with a wood and metal spear to duplicate.

Spears can be works of art, with a variety of colors and effects embedded in the laquers. Almost all spears will be a mix of the wing's colors, with either edges being off colors or a candy stripe pattern. But some will have emblems visible in the blade laquer or metallic sparkles.

The point tip resembles a double broad head arrow point, with a back catch - a curved back arc, allowing the point to catch (useful for hooking and tripping). The broad points will have rivulet cuts, allowing for blood letting while the blade is in place. The broad cut (and thickening blade) makes for a gapping wound, which is more effective against thicker hide megafuana.

About .3 to .5 meters up from the tip is The block. The block is a cross bar the prevents the spear from penetrating the creature too deeply. Also it prevents the creature from "climbing up the spear" to get at the Ryder. It is useful for stoping ring captures in tournaments. There is often a tiny ring associated with the block, where a spear flag is sometimes mounted. Most blocks are flattened and curled slightly to be "wings" that will help the spear fly straight and true (with a good spiral).

Many Ryder have tournament spears with a different blocks, if they have any at all.

The hand tip is the end that the Ryder holds. It is a carefully smoothed and grooved area that grants several solid holds.
1) Lance: There is always a scooped and curved lance guard, to grant a solid grip with small hand protection so a Ryder can hold it as a lance. The Lance handle area is actually thinner than most of the shaft, so the guard is only slightly larger. The lance guard provides little protection for the hand, mostly to deflect knuckle scrapping misses or for catches.
2) Gripper: A rippled set of finger holes with ergonomic carvings to hold the spear as if it was a suitcase. The gripper hold is used for carrying, but in combat it is used for low straight underwing strafing attacks.
3) Throwing: one to three places on a spear, there will be a set of slight indentures that will enhance the grip for throwing the s[phere
4) Tossing Hook: a small point where an Atlatl or throwing stick's hook is inserted near the back of the spear.
5) Back Spike. A smooth sharp pole point.

There are other options, but these are the most common. There are sometimes back blades, spring loaded firing points, additional gripper or guards- some of which might be Ring Grips or Strap Grips, sling points (so it can be held by a sling, resting in a ready position with the sling over the shoulder and the hand in the lance points), and a few others.

Woodsman's Blade

#26

A Woodsman Blade is a useful tool for those who ply the woods. It is often the primary weapon for a variety of Woodsman Organization.

It has a strong wooden handle with a leather wrist lanyard. The basic shape is that of machete. Smaller versions have 12" blades, but the size can go up to 28". This makes for a blade the a slight curve that broadens towards the tip. This adds efficiency to the strikes, as it makes the leading edge strikes faster and more efficient. The Woodsman Blade is more than a mere machete.

On the backside of the blade, at the top of the blade, is an small hatchet blade. This can be used as an axe to cut trees and such. It also adds heft to any strike with the bladed side.

This hatchet has an underblade, a sickle hook. While suited for taking on brambles and vines, can be used as climbing tool and ice hook. (It can also be used for weapon's hooking.

The line of balance runs precisely from the grip through the sickle edge creating a natural momentum for efficient, accurate, and comfortable swinging motion.

The weapon can not be used for stabbing, as there is a blunted area for safety because the weapon is used as an axe most often.

In its traditional incarnation, it has the flaw of lacking a hand guard. However, hand guards are mostly there for fighting other swordsmen. However, since that happens more and more often as people encrouch upon the wilds, some Woodsmen Blades are being made with knuckleblade guards.

Note: Real world equivalent: This is smaller than the fantasy version presented here. However, I discovered it when looking for similar weapons. I expanded my weapon (which was a machete with an axe head) to better match this one.
http://www.woodmanspal.com/features.html

Spikespear

#27

A Spikespear is a long barbed spear made from a type of coral and used mostly by the People of the Coral, allthough Shura have also been known to use it. The *handle* is prefectly safe to hold once it has been properly shaped with stone tools, a process that takes about a day, but the *blade* is made of sharp and poisonus coral that can rip an Aquan Man of War apart, and do serious harm to other beings too. The wounds from such a weapon often get infected to the point that amputation is nesscessary. As well as a weapon it is a great hunting tool.

Once allowed to dry on land however, the coral blade dies and blunts and the handle becomes brittle and will crumble iif used in combat, so it is used only by the underwater races.

Wei-Jai Broadsword

#28

The blade is 27.5" long, with 20.5" being the blade. This weapon is a hybrid of Chinese and Japanese styles. The blade is long, thin, and slightly curved. The guard is a simple oval with an intricate dragon pattern embossed upoin it. The handle is metal. The scabard is of Japanese design, but with Chinese decorations.

The Wei-Jai were carried by Chinese soldiers during the anti-piracy campaign in the mid sixteenth century. Chinese sword blades were inferior to the Japanese blades, so there was a period when the Chinese government purchased Japanese made blades fashioned in the Chinese design.

These weapons have a clearly Japanese blade in make and style (thin, tapered and slighlty curved) mounted in Chinese fittings. The blades were made in Japan and mounted and fitted in China. Most of the blades have a set of unknown characters stamped upon the blades.

It is said several famous masters developed a form of Chinese swordplay based upon these weapons.

Monk's Spade

#29

In the north west provinces, the locals used an odd design for their shovels. The blade part is a flat 12" (30 cm) cast iron half circle with a small extension in the back to facilitate mounting on the handles. Like many farming items, they were adapted to be used as weapons by those who had them and had no others.

A monk's spear is a more martial version of this basic farm tool. The monks, always wary of attacks from the local governments, barbarians, or even bandits, might of even used these spades (or ones like them) as actual farm tools. However, most of these spades are really weapons. The head is still cast iron, with a decorated brass fitting added onto extension to facilitate more secure fastening. The curved edge is extremely sharp. What would of been the straight side of the half circle is curved to allow for hooking and cuffing with the weapon. The shaft is a good six and a half feet long. The back end of the weapon has a crescent blade with brass decorative mounting. The entire weapon weighs about 35 lbs (15 Kgs). It requires a good deal of strength, stamina, and speed to wield this weapon properly. However its reach and its mass can make it quite effective.

Pear Wood 100 Longevity Sword

#30

The basic design is that of an imperial sword, a sword a bit thinner and shorter than an European broadsword. The handle is dark stained pear wood. The guard is both functional and decorative (in a dragon motif). The blade has a blackened temper and is sharp on both sides. Along the blade is 100 ancient characters for longevity. These are normally hand carved and inlayed with a tiny amount of brass. The weapon is normally kept with one, to enhance ones chi and life. It is scabarded in a decorative pear wood scabbard.

(Weight 3 lbs (1.5 kgs) and is 35" long (30" blade, 75 cms)

100 Luck Sword

#31

The basic design is that of an imperial sword, a sword a bit thinner and shorter than an European broadsword. The handle is wooden and brass. The guard and pommel guard are always well crafted and in a dragon's head motiff. The blade sharp on both sides and with a sharp biting point. Along the blade is 100 ancient characters for luck. These are normally hand carved and inlayed with a tiny amount of brass. It is said to protect one in combat and to grant them success. It is scabarded in a decorative wood scabbard usually with the same 100 characters carved or burned into it..

(Weight 3 lbs (1.5 kgs) and is 35" long (30" blade, 75 cms)

Spring and Autumn Sword

#32

This is the largest of the conventional swords for the Chinese. It weights 7 lbs (3kgs) is 36" (90 cms) of solid combat steel blade - 2.5" x.5" at forte (6.3 x 1.2cm). The handle adds another 9" (22cms) to the length of the weapon. The guard is of a demonic face cast in brass.

It is called the Spring and Autumn sword because it brings new beginings and new endings.

Family Art Sword

#33

The weapon, guard, and pommel guard, are fairly standard in nature for the region. (In most cases it weighs 3 lbs (1.5 kgs) and is 35" long (30" blade, 75 cms) and has mildly decorate guards with appropriate beasts for the region).

The weapon has the family name engraved on the blade in a beautiful calligraphy. The family name is inscribed four places on the blade (right and left side on both sides of the blade). If there is a family motto, it is inscribed along the center of the blade on both sides. The engravings are often inlayed with brass, but gold, silver, pewter, and other metals can be used.

In martial households, this weapon is used to teach family sword techniques, those special tricks and bits that have been passed down from successful warrior ancestors to the current generation. The Head of the household wears the sword as a "daily sword" for around house and town/ country, when they are not expecting trouble. They use more "serious weapons" when they are expecting to actually use a weapon.

When not in use or with non martial households, it is hung in the family room to protect the family from Evil. Those of the family within the "reflection" of the blade are safe from spiritual evil and supposedly the Evil that men do.

Wind and Fire Wheels

#34

In most places, weapons are designed for ease of creation and practicality of use. In others, various weapon designs are developed to meet certain philosophical criteria. Wind and Fire Wheels are of the later type.

The basis of the weapon is a bladed ring, approximatrely 12" (30cm) in diameter and 1" (3cm) thick. There is a handle area, wrapped in cloth or leather, with a inset guard with a crescent cross piece. Off the bladed ring are short sharp blades (4" - 10cm), like the wiggly rays of the sun of a child's drawing.

The weapon was created to incorporate the elements of wind and fire into a fighting weapon. The blades allows for a variety of "swooshing" swinging motions, as well as punching/ shabbing motions (enhanced by a martial art- fire). They are supposedly throwable, but that requires a very special skill to do. The weapon was designed to enhance certain Chinese martial arts manuvers, allowing for weapons blocks and more enhanced damage. There are a few stories about their origins, but the most substantiated ones come from T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

If you want to see what these weapons look like, check this link:
http://www.martialartsmart.net/4546.html

If you want to see some of the philosophy behind it
http://www.universal-tao.com/article/cultivating.html

Heaven and Earth Blade

#35

This metal staff styled weapon is a total of 54" long (120cms).
This weapon consists of a metal bar (which is a flat oviod, rather than a round pole), with two nine inch curved blades jutting from either end. Two crescent-moon blade hand guards are equidistant from the center. This is the best placement for hands on a staff weapon.

The weapon is used as a two handed quarterstaff, with hands held under the guards. The swivel swing allowing attacks with ends and push attacks , as well as hooking strikes are the primary attack modes.

If you want to see a picture of the blade
http://www.martialartsmart.net/4543.html

Bat Blades

#36

In the North West Provience, Bats are considered Evil (as they are creatures of darkness and bring disease, but still a sign of good luck. The presence of bats around one (as many locals dig out caves or put up bat sheds) shows a Sly Dark One's Luck. (In reality, Bats eat locusts, locust pupi, and many other disruptive pests).

The Bat School of Blademaking comes from this provience. There is no one single master the blade makers are descended from, nor are the blades known to be mastered work. Yet the tradition of bladesmithing here is quite strong and all the blades are of above average quality. A scaloping (akin to a bat wing) is seen sharpening pattern along the blades.

In raw design, the blades are imperial in size and shape (Weight 3 lbs (1.5 kgs) and is 35" long (30" blade, 75 cms) - a bit thinner and shorter than an European broadsword. The handle is dark stained wood with a tiny pomel guard resembling a bottle cap. The Guard aways has a bat motiff. The guard is wider than most nearly six inches (19cms) instead the standard 4" (10cms), expressing a bat wing shape. The wing is often intricately designed into the guard. The center of the guard has a bat head. Sometimes the blade is coming out of its mouth as a tongue, sometimes the bat is staring at you (with two red stone eyes), sometimes it is just there.

The blades are said to be bring A Dark One's Luck to the possessor in combat and the rest of their life. That is to say an extreme, almost unnatural luck. Given the quality of the blades, their lasting sharpness, and the extra protection given by the guard, it could explain the extra edge that Bat Blade Wielders are said to have. Bat Blades are also coveted by Gamblers and Fortune Tellers.

The Retainer's Sword

#37

The Ducal Retainers of Urania who patrol the ever moving Twilight Zone, carry special swords that only they may legally carry.The hilts are of glowstone and there are glowstones set in the hilt, along with a number and name of the Retainer who was issued with it.The glowstones act as a limited light sworce and provide warmth. Not a lot of warmth, just enough to prevent the hand that holds it from getting numb with cold, should the Retainer enter the Darkside for any reason.The iron blades are a foot long. Should an outsider be found with one of these swords, he or she will at the very least be taken in for questioning as to how it came into his or her possession.At worst the outsider could be slain on the spot.

The Poisoned Horn of the Fakir

#38

A rather unique weapon,the Poisoned Horn is carried only by the fakirs or wandering holy men of Valur who leave behind all earthly possessions in their quest for spiritual enlightenment. This journey of awakening more often than not carries the itenerant hermits far away from the presence of civilization and the securities and conveniences associated with it.

Thus it is,that a Fakir often find himself obliged to tresspass into a forest or marsh that swarms with every imaginable kind of danger,from the great striped cats capable of removing a man's head with a mere swipe of their claws,to desperate outcastes that would have no compunction against slaying a holy man for the alms he carries in his wooden begging bowl.

This is where the Poisoned Horn comes into play. A thick black thing that narrows to an extremely keen point,it is taken from the magnificent blue bulls so famed in Valur. The broad base bound with a handle of copper,the tip is often slathered with the lethal venom of toxic herbs known only to a Fakir. All it takes it takes is a little stab from this weapon to send an attacker into a thrashing fit from which he has no hope of coming out alive.

Perfectly normal weapons.

#39

Some of the random weapon ideas that have been running about in my head today--none of them even have names yet:

Flail/morningstar type weapon--the handle is a hollow pole with the chain running through it. This allows the wielder to control the length of the chain, eveything from non-flex morningstar to short-range missile.

Polearm with a big razor blade... that's it... It would be essentially useless against any sort of hardened armour, but wicked-nasty against unarmoured foes. A variant has the blade on a separate pole, with a swivel. This makes it much more difficult to control, but very difficult for the opponent to tell where the blade will strike.

Side-handled sword, slashing type, easily spun tonfa style.

Shield & flail combo, probably not the best idea in actual practice, but the visuals are good. It would either have a single large striker, or a series of smaller strikers all around the edge.

Double-swing polearm, this one with any sort of hacking or pick-axe type head, or even a bludgeoning head. The business end is attached to a swinging curved stick that runs through or alongside the shaft, with a heavy counterweight at the back end. This allows the head to swing forward faster (& thus harder) with a strike than a solidly attached head.

Dual axe with two or three blades, the edge is designed to bite and grab, and the heads collectively spin. This opens up even the heaviest of armours like a can-opener.

Axe on a swivel mount, so that the blade swings into striking with a swing, imparting greater speed/power.

Nested series of stabbing blades with back spikes on a stick; this can be either a long or short hafted weapon, each blade stacks onto the previous one, and is left inside the opponent. However, the next in the series is still ready for another attack.

Sticky coated strong cord, unleashed in select lengths from a handle; there is also a cutter in the handle to release that section of cord. Fling it at an enemy & allow him or her to get tangled in it.

I just noticed that the theme seems to be 'secondary swinging motion.'

Perfectly normal weapons.

#40

Tree-of-Blades

The Tree-of-Blades (along with the infamous dragonsword, with which we are not concerned here) is the signature weapon and symbol of the Dragonfighters of Mount Taris. It is also known as the Dragonfighter axe, or as the txarian (this name, pronounced "char-EE-ahn", comes from Txarian Tapolosthes, the feared Chilliarch of the Dragonfighters, who led the his people in a series of short but vicious wars against the Mysians).

The Tree-of-Blades is best described as a warclub. It is a length of wood, generally 3.5-4.5 feet long (though sometimes as long as 6 feet, in extreme cases; Dragonfighters are known for their enormous stature), with generally a foot or foot and a half of leather-wrapped handle, and heeled at the pommel with metal. Along the length of the club, at regular intervals, there are viciously-curved, leaf-shaped blades, off-setting each other, giving the appearance of the sharpened leaves of a tree (giving the weapon it's most frequent name); the club is topped with a trio of blades in the form of the crown of a tree. Much of a Tree-of-Blades' length is usually bound in bronze, and it is a symbol of pride among Dragonfighters to keep the blades of one's club as sharp and bright as possible.

This fearsome weapon is rarely seen beyond the bounds of Dragonfighter territory in these times; since the final defeat of Txarian's forces by the Mysians at the battle of Mount Phraion, the Tarisians have been seldom seen by any Agera, in fact.