Weapons

Equipment   —  Armor  —  Weapons  —  Goods and Services

Melee — Ranged

Melee Weapons
Back to top ↑ Melee weapons are characterized by the following qualities:

Skill: The skill used to wield the weapon. If multiple skills are listed, any of the listed skills may be used. However, some of the weapon’s characteristics may change, dependent on its style of use.

Damage Dice: The damage the weapon deals on a successful attack. An adventurer’s damage bonus is added to all melee damage.

STR/DEX: The minimum STR and DEX scores needed to easily wield this weapon. For every point a Characteristic is below these minimums, a –5% penalty is applied to a character’s skill when attacking and parrying with this weapon.

ENC: The weight and bulk of the weapon. See Derived Attributes for more details on Encumbrance and its effects on adventurers.

AP/HP: The armour points and hit points possessed by the weapon. If you parry with a weapon, the incoming damage is reduced by its AP. A weapon can be damaged if the wielder fumbles a block or an opponent sunders it. When a weapon’s hit points reach 0, the weapon is broken and useless.

Cost: The average cost in drachma to purchase this weapon.

1Brace: This weapon may be set against a charge.

2Cavalry: This weapon adds the wielder’s mount’s damage bonus to mounted charge attacks in place of the normal +1d4dmg from charging.

3Disarm: This weapon receives +20% to precise attacks to disarm.

''4Great Reach: This weapon may strike at foes up to 5m away. Attacks against adjacent foes receive a -40% penalty.''

5Hook: This weapon may be used to ignore parries at a -20% penalty to the attack.

''6Reach: This weapon may strike foes up to 3m away. Attacks against adjacent foes receive a -20% penalty.''

7Secure: A secure weapon cannot be disarmed, but interferes with many non-combat skills.

Aspis

A generic large shield, often similar in style to but smaller than a hoplon. An aspis is typically made of wood and rimmed or covered with a thin layer of bronze. Designs vary greatly across regions, from round to square to spiked and more.

Bagh Nakh

A small iron claw weapon built to fit over the wielder’s knuckles and hide under the palm. It has small curved blades which rake and cut like a panther. There is a 20% bonus when attempting to conceal a bagh nakh. As a Vudrani invention, they are rarely seen in the west.

Battle Axe

A single bladed weapon with a long, sturdy shaft. A battle axe may be used with one or two hands.

Catena

A length of metal chain weighted at the end by a round ball of solid iron about the size of a large fist. Notoriously difficult to parry, this weapon imposes a –10% penalty on an opponent’s parry roll. However, the wielder also suffers a –10% penalty to parry with this weapon.

Cestus

A glove of leather or thick cloth that covers the wielder from mid-finger to mid-forearm. The close combat weapon is reinforced with leather or metal plates over the fingers.

Club, heavy

Perhaps the simplest of all weapons and almost certainly the oldest. The club is simply a long, stout piece of wood used to bludgeon others.

Club, light

A smaller or weaker example of a club.

Dagger

Essentially a large knife, the dagger is often carried as a backup weapon and general tool. It is usually well-balanced enough to throw effectively.

Dipylon

A medium-sized, round or oval shield with a pair of curved cuts taken from its side. A dipylon shield is typically made from wood and covered with a thin layer of bronze. The indents are useful for catching enemy weapons or thrusting a spear on to maximize cover.

Falx

A polearm with a long wooden shaft of 3 feet with a long, curved iron blade of nearly-equal length at its end. The blade sharpened along the downward curving inside edge allowed it to hook and circumvent shields.

Gada

A massive, sphere headed mace of pure iron with a stout handle. The gada is an exceedingly heavy type of mace favored by the strongest of Vudrani warriors, although others are capable of wielding it with two hands.

Gladius

A reliable shortsword with a straight, double-edged blade of just under 2 feet in length. It is well suited to both thrusting and cutting. Dwarven soldiers and gladiators are particularly fond of its design.

Greatclub

A particularly large or heavy length of weaponized wood wielded in two hands.

Handaxe

A simple and very cheap one-handed cleaving weapon, essentially a smaller version of an axe. It is usually well-balanced enough to throw effectively.

Hoplon

A large shield with a round, deeply dished shape. A hoplon is typically made of wood and rimmed or covered with a thin layer of bronze. They are the favored protection of the feared hoplite phalanx. Many hoplon are decorated with the symbols of a city, deity or monster.

Improvised

In times of need, almost anything can be used as a weapon, from a bar stool to an animal’s jawbone. The GM should consider the particular improvised weapon and decide whether it would be better defined by the attributes of one of the ‘real’ weapons. In those cases where the improvised weapon is too dissimilar to and standard weapon to mirror its effects, the GM should employ the attributes of the generic ‘improvised’ weapon.

Katara

A push-dagger with a thick triangular blade 1-3 feet long and strong crosswise handle. The katara or katar is an ancient Vudrani weapon meant to leverage the entire weight of a strike to the blade’s point.

Katara, long

A particularly long-bladed style of katara, this weapon is suited more to long slashing strikes.

Katara, tri-bladed

A rare style of katara featuring two additional blades extending parallel to the crossbeam handle.

Khanda

A broad, double-edged straight sword with a heavy blade that ends abruptly. Purely designed for slashing or hacking, the khanda is a powerful weapon favored by Vudrani kings. It can be effectively wielded in one or two hands.

Khopesh

A sword-like blade with a convex curve near the end, making its overall shape similar to a battleaxe. The curve is often used to pull shields or weapons away from foes. An ancient Khamatian weapon, the khopesh sees little use outside of Khamat in recent history.

Knife

A small blade or other sharp piece of metal, bone or glass. Better suited as a tool than for shanking.

Kopis

A sword featuring a single-edged blade that pitches forward and widens toward the point. The design gives its cutting strikes powerful momentum favored by Achaean cavalry.

Kukri

A short but heavy forward hooking blade with an inward cutting edge. A recent Vudrani design, the kukri is a brutally effective chopping weapon gaining popularity among Vudrani armies. On a critical hit, a kukri deals double maximum damage.

Labrys

A heavy, two-handed, double-bladed axe built for wide sweeping swings.

Lance

An out-sized spear designed for mounted combat, the lance is devastating when used as part of a charge. When used by a charging, mounted character, the wielder may add his mount’s damage modifier as well as his own to the damage. A lance may be wielded in one or two hands.

Longspear

A long, piercing weapon 7-10 feet in length, often tipped with a sharp iron point. The longspear, combined with a sturdy shield, is the staple armament of armies across Gaia. It may be wielded in one or two hands.

Longsword

A straight bladed sword longer than other single handed blades. Styles of longswords vary wildly across the world, although they are most popular in the north western reaches.

Mace, heavy

A heavy weight attached to the end of a haft, the heavy mace is a simple but destructive weapon powerful enough to crumple bronze armors. It may be wielded in one or two hands.

Mace, light

A lighter version of the heavy mace.

Mattock

Primarily a labourer’s tool, the mattock can be improvised as an effective weapon if need be. The mattock has a long wooden shaft that ends in a double-headed iron tool. One side has an adze (a digging tool) and the other may be an axe or a pick, depending on the user’s needs.

Paricha

A small, round metal shield used by the dancing Vudrani swordsmen.

Pata

A sword ending in an integrated metal gauntlet, renowned to be used in both hands by peerless Vudrani soldiers. The pata is effective at both thrusting and slashing and can be used to block attacks as well as some shields. Dual-wielding a pata only incurs a -20% on attacks, rather than -40%.

Pelta

A small, crescent-shaped shield often made from wicker or a similarly light material. Favored for hit-and-run tactics rather than direct melee. It is possible wield a two-handed weapon and strap a pelta over one’s shoulder and arm, but parries receive a -30% penalty for doing so.

Rhomphaia

A two-handed sword similar in design to the falx, but its blade is straight or only slightly curved forward. The long, one-edged blade typically measures over a meter in length with a long handle which makes it effective for thrusting, slashing and even bracing against charges.

Sagaris

A long, thin handled weapon with a dual-headed axe and hammer. The sagaris is a famous weapon of Rheturian horsemen, who use its length to cleave and batter through ranks of footmen.

Sarissa

An exceedingly long, two-handed spear, between 4 and 7 meters long. A sarissa can strike enemies at great distance and a phalanx wielding them is nigh inpenetrable, but receives a -40% on attacks versus adjacent enemies.

Scimitar

A dramatically curved sword suited for cutting and slashing.

Scizore

A strange Dwarven weapon which encases the user’s forearm in a metal tube with a handle and ends in a fan shaped blade. The scizore is rarely used in warfare, but is popular in dwarvish gladiatorial arenas.

Shortspear

A spear under 7 feet in length. The shortspear is a versatile weapon effective in phalanx warfare, singular combat and hurled like a javelin. It may also be wielded in one or two hands.

Shotel

A long, semicircular-bladed sword particularly useful in disarming and striking around shields. The shotel was invented in the southern reaches of Khamat.

Sica

A short, forward-curved blade useful for stabbing around the defenses of an enemy.

Sphairai

A series of leather thongs tied about the hands and studded with small metal balls, blades or nails. Sphairai are favored for violent boxing or pankration.

Staff

A simple wooden staff favored by travelers and shepherds. A staff has a good reach to strike or hold off foes.

Talwar

A curved sword, similar to a scimitar, with a thicker blade and more elaborate guard. The talwar is often matched with the paricha by Vudrani swordsmen.

Tower Shield

A massive, tall shield with an inwards curve and a flat bottom edge. The tower shield is extremely bulky and heavy, but can balance upright on or shoved into the ground and provides ample cover for an average humanoid.

Trident

A three-pronged spear useful for trapping or disarming the weapons of foes. A trident can be hurled as a javelin.

Urumi

A flexible band of razor-sharp metal one inch wide and 4 to 5 feet long that ends in a small covered handle. The coiled band is fine and flexible enough to be worn as a belt. A urumi cannot be sundered and opponents take a -10% penalty to parrying an urumi with a weapon. The urumi requires great concentration to use, a fumble using the weapon will strike the wielder.

Whip

A long length of leather used to inflict pain rather than damage, the whip is most commonly used to herd animals or control slaves.

Xiphos

A short, leaf-shaped sword often carried by spearmen as an alternative weapon when their spear is discarded.

Ranged Weapons
Back to top ↑ Ranged weapons are characterized by the following qualities:

Skill: The skill used to wield the weapon. If multiple skills are listed, any of the listed skills may be used. However, some of the weapon’s characteristics may change, dependent on its style of use.

Damage Dice: The damage the weapon deals on a successful attack. An adventurer’s damage bonus is typically NOT added to ranged damage, unless otherwise noted.

STR/DEX: The minimum STR and DEX scores needed to easily wield this weapon. For every point a Characteristic is below these minimums, a –5% penalty is applied to a character’s skill when attacking and parrying with this weapon.

Range: The effective range of the weapon. The maximum range is twice this score.

ENC: The weight and bulk of the weapon. See Derived Attributes for more details on Encumbrance and its effects on adventurers.

AP/HP: The armour points and hit points possessed by the weapon. If you parry with a weapon, the incoming damage is reduced by its AP. A weapon can be damaged if the wielder fumbles a block or an opponent sunders it. When a weapon’s hit points reach 0, the weapon is broken and useless.

Cost: The average cost in drachma to purchase this weapon.

Aklys

A small mace or club covered in spikes attached to the wielder’s arm by an adjustable strap which allows it to be retrieved (as a move action) after hurling it. If used in melee, the aklys functions as a light club.

Amentum

A leather strap attached to and wound around a javelin to vastly increase its range and stability in flight.

Bow, composite

A bow of laminated wood, bone and sinew, the composite bow has the greatest range and power among bows, but requires the most strength to pull. It cannot be used from horseback.

Bow, nomad

A heavily recurved bow favored by eastern horsemen, the nomad bow is small enough to be comfortably shot from horseback.

Bow, self

A simple, but long bow of a single length of wood. The self bow is too large to be used from horseback.

Chakram

A metal circle with a sharpened outer edge. A lightweight and dangerous Vudrani throwing weapon.

Dart

A short wooden shaft with a sharp weighted point and fletching. The dart can be thrown or launched from a kestros.

Harpoon

A throwing spear often fitted with a serrated spearhead and connected to a length of rope for spearing and hauling in large sea creatures. The rope allows it to be retrieved after hurling it, but the serrated head makes it difficult to dislodge from foes or objects.

Javelin

A balanced, lightweight throwing spear.

Kestros

A special sling built to fling darts.

Pilum

A heavy throwing spear topped with an unhardened, long iron shank and a hard pointed tip. The shank bends after striking a shield, which doubles the shields ENC score until the pilum is removed (a full round action). In melee, it is often better to drop the shield.

Rock/Improvised

Hurling rocks or other random objects can still hurt.

Shortbow

A smaller bow designed to be fired from horseback, the shortbow is equally as useful in the hands of a foot soldier.

Sling

A long strip of cloth or leather used to fling a stone or bullet at a target.