Items · Melee Weapons · Non-Magical
Middle Swords
"So it is old," I said. "Older than you know," The White Beard murmered. "I have never seen a blade of this type," I said swinging it experimentally. "It is a Middle Blade. They are made not in these times, but in Albinion Era after the fall of the Empire, made, they were," The Wise One said. "It is truly old then, almost as old as you..." The White Beard just sighed.
Interesting Weapons- Non-Magic
Full Item Description
Middle Swords are often called elongated short swords or narrow broadswords. They are one handed weapons, often used with a shield. They use a single cross bar hand guard. Traditionally the cross bars were simple flat affairs, slightly curled at the ends (flattened U). The grips were normally leather wrapped or wooden handles. Only late period replicas OR magic weapons have decorations on their cross bars or hand wraps.
The blade runs approximately 33" (82 cms) and is sharpened on both sides. The blades taper ever so slightly from the 2.2 inch (6cm) width, but come to a pronounced point within the last two" (5 cms) of the blade. The weapons is used to slash, chop, and stab.
Most of them are made of "early steel", thus will either be inhumanly strong (the lost techniques of the Elder) or weak (The brittle first steels).
Mechanically they should count as broadswords that do a point less damage (or one half step or step down of damage 2d6-1 or 1d6+1 from a 1d8). Their mass is one lb (.5 kgs) lighter than a broadsword (4 to 4.5 lbs or 1.8 to 2.2 Kgs).
History
Middle Swords were a common weapon in a previous era (Insert historical era in your world's history). They were based off earlier bronze blades of a great warrior empire, but adapted to the needs of the times and materials. This is much like the Roman Spathica was adapted to later European sword design).
Magic/Cursed Properties
None. This is a "common weapon", a class of swords, from age gone by. This weapon's game purpose is to show "age".
A GM would use a "Middle Sword" to show a weapon of great age, to show a warrior bound to a near obsolete tradition, or to date a treasure.
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- Interesting Weapons- Non-Magic Michael Jotne Slayer
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- Interesting Weapons- Non-Magic Michael Jotne Slayer linked by MoonHunter
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A useful thing here that I haven't seen pop up before is Oakshott's Sword Typology:
http://www.oakeshott.org/typo.html
The Oakeshott classifies all post-viking era European swords by way of length and blade typology. European swords are not, are not, are not, are not sharpened clubs. There an entire science to building them, and they evolve through time as their use evolves. Learn them, love them.
A natural step in the evolution of metallurgy and swords. The next step in the technology tree is seldom a world shattering change, but a revitalization of an old form in a new style or method.
Updated: updated spelling
Updated: updated spelling
I am thinking about linking this Sword to The Imperium, making them their Gladius. That puts a few hundred years between their being made and "now".