Gear: Melee Weapons


	Gear: Melee Weapons

Age Of Sail Melee Weapons

In the early part of the Age of Sail, the art of creating full suits of plate armor reached its zenith, rendering knights nearly invulnerable to ordinary weapons. Consequently, this era sees the development of a number of melee weapons designed specifically to get through armor. Further advances in firearm technology allowed muskets that could penetrate any cuirass that could be practically worn in the field for any length of time, leading to a decrease in armor and the rise of various civilian dueling swords. In the military, ranks of men stacked row on row armed with pikes would be used to protect musket-men from enemy infantry and cavalry. On-board the ships that gave this era its name, numerous melee weapons saw common use for boarding actions, or to defend against boarding actions.

Blades

Description Use Type Pen
(size +0) Wound AP Sharp Blunt
Wound Def
(size +0) Bulk
Length Mass Price Imbal WSize WLen
Dagger thrust, 1H Pierce +4½ RS +1½ +0 +2 +½ +1 +0 0.3 0.35 5 +0 -1¾ -4
swing, 1H Slash +2½ RS +4½ +0 +0 +½ +1 +1
throw, 1H Pierce +3 RS +1½ +0 +2 +½ n/a +0
Rondel thrust, 1H Pierce +4½ RS +½ -½ +2 +½ +1 +0 0.3 0.35 5 +0 -1¾ -4
Sword thrust, 1H Pierce +4½ RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +3 +3 0.7 1.2 18 +0 -½ -1
swing, 1H Slash +3 RS +5 +0 +0 +1 +3 +1
Saber thrust, 1H Pierce +4 RS +2 +0 +1½ +1 +3 +3 0.7 1.2 18 +0 -½ -1
swing, 1H Slash +3 RS +5½ +0 +0 +1 +3 +1
Cutlass swing, 1H Hack +4 RS +4 +0 +½ +1 +2 +3 0.7 1.2 18 +2 -½ -1
Rapier thrust, 1H Pierce +4 RS +1 +0 +2 +0 +4 +4 1 0.7 12 +0 -1 +0
swing, 1H Slash +2½ RS +3 +0 +0 +0 +4 +1
Smallsword thrust, 1H Pierce +4 RS +½ +0 +2 -½ +4 +3½ 0.8 0.45 7 +0 -1½ -½
Long Sword thrust, 1H Pierce +4½ RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +3 +4 1 1.5 25 +0 -¼ +0
swing, 1H Slash +3 RS +5 +0 +0 +1 +3 +1
thrust, 2H Pierce +5½ RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +3 +0
swing, 2H Slash +4 RS +5 +0 +0 +1 +3 +1
Estoc thrust, 1H Pierce +4½ RS +1 -½ +2 +1 +3 +4 1 1.5 25 +0 -¼ +0
thrust, 2H Pierce +5½ RS +1 -½ +2 +1 +3 +0
Great Sword thrust, 2H Pierce +6 RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +3 +4½ 1.2 2 30 +0 +0 +½
swing, 2H Slash +4½ RS +5 +0 +0 +1 +3 +1

Dagger: Daggers are common backup weapons when something goes very badly wrong with your primary weapon, and are favorites of lowlifes and thugs everywhere. Not to mention that you can use them to cut your lunch, prepare dinner, skin game, trim lines, or whittle shapes from wood.
Rondel: A dagger with a stiff pointed spike rather than a proper blade. It is useful for punching through armor.
Sword: A basic sword is a versitile weapon, capable of penetrating thrusts and wicked slashes, long enough to keep miscreants at a distance, and agile enough for a spirited defense. While never quite as capable as more dedicated battlefield weapons, it is a lot more convenient to carry around - just try going to the king's feast with a glaive at your side! This description can apply to European-style swords such as arming swords and spathas or straight cut-and-thrust Asian swords such as the jian.
Saber: The traditional saber is a slashing sword with a single edged curved blade, favored by cavalry. The same description can be used for any sword that favors cuts over thrusts, including scimitars, liuyedaos, piandaos, and some broadswords. Some cutting-centric swords that fit into the game category of "sabers" can be used two-handed, with +1 to Pen, such as katanas.
Cutlass: A cutlass is a heavy, chopping blade for powerful hewing strokes.
Rapier: A long, nimble thrusting sword. It is a common civillian weapon, used for dueling or self-defense.
Smallsword: A light civilian sidearm, light and fast for good defensive action and convenient to carry. Smallswords are designed entirely for thrusting, and lack sharpened blades except at the tip.
Long Sword: When your basic sword doesn't give you enough hewing power, you make it bigger. A long sword can be wielded one handed like a normal sword, or two handed for that much extra oomph.
Estoc: A stiff, two-handed thrusting sword for attacking heavy armor. It has no actual blade, just a long sharp spike for stabbing.
Great Sword: A large two-handed sword for dealing powerful blows.

Axes

Description Use Type Pen
(size +0) Wound AP Sharp Blunt
Wound Def
(size +0) Bulk
Length Mass Price Imbal WSize WLen
Hatchet swing, 1H Hack +3½ RS +4 +0 +½ +1 +1 +1½ 0.45 0.7 7 +2 -1 -2½
throw, 1H Hack +3½ RS +4 +0 +½ +1 n/a +2
Boarding Axe swing, 1H Hack +4 RS +4 +0 +½ +1 +2 +3½ 0.8 1.2 12 +2 -½ -½
swing, 1H Pierce +5½ RS +1 -½ +2 +1 +2 +2
throw, 1H Hack +4 RS +4 +0 +½ +1 n/a +2
swing, 2H Hack +5 RS +4 +0 +½ +1 +2 +2
swing, 2H Pierce +6½ RS +1 -½ +2 +1 +2 +2
Warhammer swing, 1H Smash +4½ RS +1 -½ +½ +1 +2 +4½ 1.2 2 12 +2 +0 +½
swing, 1H Pierce +6 RS +1 -½ +2 +1 +2 +2
thrust, 1H Pierce +5 RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +2 +0
swing, 2H Smash +5½ RS +1 -½ +½ +1 +2 +2
swing, 2H Pierce +7 RS +1 -½ +2 +1 +2 +2
thrust, 2H Pierce +6 RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +2 +0

Hatchet: A small axe that can be easily wielded one handed.
Boarding Axe: Boarding Axes were used in boarding actions, with a blade for chopping through rope or wooden structures, and a back pick for climbing, hooking, dragging, or prying.
Warhammer: A warhammer has a flat head for delivering impacts through armor, and a back spike for punching holes in armor.

Polearms

Description Use Type Pen
(size +0) Wound AP Sharp Blunt
Wound Def
(size +0) Bulk
Length Mass Price Imbal WSize WLen
Quarter-Pike thrust, 1H Pierce +4½ RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +4 +4 1 1.2 5 +0 -½ +0
thrust, 2H Pierce +5½ RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +4 +0
throw, 1H Pierce +4½ RS +2 +0 +2 +1 n/a +0
Boarding Pike thrust, 2H Pierce +6 RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +4 +6 2 2 6 +0 +0 +2
swing, 2H Smash +4½ RS +1 +0 +0 +1 +4 +1
Pike thrust, 2H Pierce +6½ RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +4 +8 4 4 8 +0 +¾ +4
Lance thrust, 2H Pierce +6 RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +4 +7 3 2 6 +0 +0 +3
Partisan swing, 2H Slash +4½ RS +5 +0 +0 +1 +4 +6 2 2 12 +1 +0 +2
thrust, 2H Pierce +6 RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +4 +0
Glaive swing, 2H Slash +4½ RS +5½ +0 +0 +1 +4 +6 2 2 12 +1 +0 +2
thrust, 2H Pierce +5½ RS +2 +0 +1½ +1 +4 +0
Voulge swing, 2H Hack +5½ RS +4 +0 +½ +1 +3 +6 2 2 12 +2 +0 +2
thrust, 2H Pierce +5½ RS +2 +0 +1½ +1 +3 +0
Halberd swing, 2H Hack +5½ RS +4 +0 +½ +1 +3 +6 2 2 12 +2 +0 +2
swing, 2H Pierce +7 RS +1 -½ +2 +1 +3 +2
thrust, 2H Pierce +6 RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +3 +0
Poleaxe swing, 2H Hack +5½ RS +4 +0 +½ +1 +3 +5 1.5 2 12 +2 +0 +1
swing, 2H Pierce +7 RS +1 -½ +2 +1 +3 +2
thrust, 2H Pierce +6 RS +2 +0 +2 +1 +3 +0

Quarter-Pike: A cut-down spear for close quarters combat.
Boarding Pike: Also called a half-pike, this is basically a heavy spear. They were used on ships to repel boarders or used offensively in boarding actions or shore actions.
Pike: A very long spear, used en masse in tight formations to keep the enemy at a distance.
Lance: Long spears specialized for cavalry use were common weapons of knights on horseback.
Partisan: A polearm with a broader sword-like blade compared to a spear. These same game stats can also be used to represent spontoons, swordstaffs, half-pikes, and ox-tongue spears.
Glaive: The glaive had a curved, slashing blade mounted on the end of a pole. Many other pole weapons, such as sovnyas, fauchards, naginatas, jeddart staves, war scythes, and thin-bladed guandaos are functionally the same and can use the same stats to describe them.
Voulge: A voulge has a heavy chopping blade mounted on a pole, almost like a very long axe. Various other heavy chopping pole weapons are functionally the same, such as the larger bills, thick-bladed guandaos, and true axes on long poles.
Halberd: The craze for adding hooks and spikes and picks to axes also applies to longer weapons, giving us the halberd – the Swiss army knife of polearms. It has an axe blade for delivering devastating cuts, a back spike for punching through armor, and a spear tip for keeping enemies at bay. The same stats can be used for a variety of other pole weapons with lots of choppy blades and pointy points, such as military bills and voulge-guisarmes.
Poleaxe: Shortening down a halberd-like thing gives the poleaxe, which was probably the favorite can-opener of the time for knights on foot to get through the armor of other knights.

Guns

Description Use Type Pen
(size +0) Wound AP Sharp Blunt
Wound Def
(size +0) Bulk
Length Mass Price Imbal WSize WLen
Pistol Whip swing, 1H Smash +3½ RS +1 +0 +0 +1 +0 +0 0.3 1.2 0 +2 -½ -4
Musket, butt swing, 2H Smash +5 RS +1 +0 +0 +1 +1 +4½ 1.2 3.5 0 +2 +½ +½
   barrel thrust, 2H Smash +4½ RS +1 +0 +0 +1 +1 +0
Military Musket, butt swing, 2H Smash +5½ RS +1 +0 +0 +1 +2 +5 1.5 5 0 +2 +1 +1
   barrel thrust, 2H Smash +5 RS +1 +0 +0 +1 +2 +0
   bayonet thrust, 2H Pierce +7½ RS +1½ +0 +2 +½ +2 +0

Pistol Whip: You just drew your pistol on someone and shot at him. But it wasn't enough, reloading takes way too long. You can always hit him with your gun, if you have nothing better.
Musket: If you whack someone with one of the smaller muskets or rifles, you're likely to do damage something like this.
Military Musket: Muskets of this age in military service are designed to beat up the other side when they get too close for the slow-reloading guns to shoot them. The usual way to do this is to mount a bayonet and stab them, but if you really needed to you could use it like a club.

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