![[SWORD]](pics/sword05.gif)
Copyright © 1998-2004 Ken St-Cyr. All rights reserved. This is a work in progress.
What follows is a list of typical weapon and armour types for use in the world of Madoria. The weapons in this game are restricted to those appearing no later than the 14th century; i.e., prior to the use of gunpowder in war. The terms here are not necessarily period, but are intended only to be unambiguous. Indeed, during the Middle Ages many words were used interchangeably to describe the same or different weapons and armour pieces.
| Type | Description | Pen | Dmg | Coverage | Penalty | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL10 | Leather Jack | 15 | -2 | C,B,A | — | 4% |
| SL14 | Leather Coat | 15 | -2 | C,B,A,L | — | 6% |
| CB4 | Cuirbouilli Greaves | 18 | -4 | L | — | 2% ea |
| CB2 | Cuirbouilli Vambraces | 18 | -4 | A | — | 1% ea |
| CB8 | Cuirbouilli Cuirass | 18 | -4 | C,B | -1 AGL | 5% |
| RL10 | Ring Jack | 20 | -3 | C,B,A | — | 10% |
| RL14 | Ring Coat | 20 | -3 | C,B,A,L | — | 13% |
| BZ10 | Bezanted Jack | 20 | -3 | C,B,A | — | 10% |
| BZ14 | Bezanted Coat | 20 | -3 | C,B,A,L | — | 13% |
| ML8 | Mail Habergeon | 25 | -4 | C,B | — | 14% |
| ML14 | Mail Hauberk | 25 | -4 | C,B,A,L | — | 17% |
| MS8 | Scale Habergeon | 23 | -5 | C,B | — | 17% |
| MS14 | Scale Hauberk | 23 | -5 | C,B,A,L | -2 AGL | 23% |
| LM4 | Lamellar Greaves | 30 | -6 | L | — | 4% ea |
| LM2 | Lamellar Vambraces | 30 | -6 | A | — | 2% ea |
| LM8 | Lamellar Coat | 30 | -6 | C,B | -2 AGL | 11% |
| PL4 | Plate Greaves | 35 | -8 | L | — | 6% ea |
| PL2 | Plate Vambraces | 35 | -8 | A | — | 4% ea |
| PL8 | Brigandine (Coat) | 30 | -7 | C,B | -3 AGL | 15% |
| SL0 | Leather Helmet/Hood | 15 | -2 | (H) | — | 1% |
| SL1 | Leather Mask | 15 | -2 | H | -1 PER | 1% |
| CB0 | Cuirbouilli Helmet | 18 | -4 | (H) | — | 1% |
| ML0 | Mail Coif | 25 | -4 | (H) | — | 2% |
| PL0 | Metal Helmet | 35 | -8 | (H) | — | 3% |
| PL1 | Visored Helm | 30 | -8 | H | -3 PER | 4% |
|
— Coverage indicates locations protected by the armour. A=arm,
B=belly, C=chest, H=head, (H)=head (open face), L=leg — Pen(etration) impact to exceed for blow to be considered penetrating — Dmg is modifier to damage roll — Penalty always applies to the attribute task modifier, not directly to attribute. — Wgt is weight of armour expressed as a percentage of body weight. | ||||||
Some well-made armours may increase the wearer's Defense by a small amount, due to its ability to enhance the deflection of incoming blows. Likewise, poorly fit armour may decrease the wearer's mobility and perception. This game makes the simplifying assumption that characters are familiar with the armour they wear. Unfamiliar armours do not increase Defense but may decrease mobility and perception even if not poorly fit.
Bezanted: Cloth or leather sewn or rivetted with small, non-overlapping metal plates.
Brigandine: Also called “coat of plates,” this armour is made of shaped pieces of metal rivetted onto leather.
Cuirbouilli: Leather hardened by boiling it in wax.
Lamellar: A more advanced form of scale armour, in which the scales are longer, interlaced, and not sewn to a fabric.
Leather: Tanned and prepared animal skin.
Mail: A fabric of interwoven metal rings. One wears mail over a padded garment. The term maille is Middle French, brought into English in the 14th century (Hundred Years' War). The term chain mail is probably anachronistic, and at least redundant.
Plate: Armour made of shaped metal pieces, not attached to any backing. It is still assumed to be worn over a padded garment.
Ring: An earlier, or simply cheaper, form of mail, in which the links are larger and sewn onto a leather backing.
Scale: Armour made from overlapping scales sewn onto cloth or leather.
Shields provide a bonus to the wielder's skill for defensive purposes only. The Defensive DM given may be split (if greater than +1) among multiple opponents, otherwise they apply to a single opponent only.
| Description | Range | Defense | Pen | Dmg Type | Dmg Mod | Wgt (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckler | 0 | +1 | +2 | B | +1 | 2 |
| Target | 0 | +1 | +2 | B | +2 | 3 |
| Heater | 0 | +2 | +3 | B | +2 | 3 |
| Kite Shield | 0 | +3 | +3 | B | +3 | 4 |
| Tower Shield | 0 | +3 | +3 | B | +3 | 5 |
— Range in two-meter hexes. — Penetration, Dmg Type, and Dmg Mod apply when the shield is used as a weapon. — Wgt is weight of shield in kilograms. Shields are wooden, reinforced with iron. | ||||||
| Weapon | Range | Atk Mod |
Dmg Type | Dmg Mod | Wgt | Skill | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axe, Battle | 1 | +1 | C | +13 | 1.5 | Axe | |
| Axe, Great | 1 | +1 | C | +15 | 2.5 | Greataxe | |
| Axe, Rider's | 0 | 0 | C | +10 | 1 | Axe | |
| Bill | 2 | 0 | C P | +13 +10 | 3.5 | Polearm | |
| Bludgeon | 1 | 0 | B | +13 | 2 | Greatclub | |
| Club | 0 | 0 | B | +8 | 1 | Club | |
| Club, Ironshod | 0 | 0 | B | +10 | 1 | Club | |
| Dagger | 0 | +1 | P | +3 | 0.5 | Knife | |
| Flail, Military | 2 | -1 | B | +13 | 2 | Flail | |
| Flail, Rider's | 1 | -1 | B | +5 | 1.5 | Flail | |
| Glaive | 2 | 0 | C P | +15 +10 | 3 | Polearm | |
| Hammer, War | 2 | 0 | B | +8 | 4.5 | Polearm | |
| Hammer, Rider's | 1 | 0 | B | +5 | 2.5 | Axe | |
| Knife | 0 | +1 | P | +0 | 0.3 | Knife | |
| Mace, Flanged | 1 | 0 | B | +8 | 1.5 | Club | |
| Mace, Spiked | 1 | 0 | P | +9 | 1.5 | Club | |
| Pike | 4 | -1 | P | +15 | 5 | Spear | |
| Scimitar | 1 | +1 | C | +8 | 1.5 | Scimitar | |
| Spear | 2 | 0 | P | +10 | 2 | Spear | |
| Spear, Long | 3 | 0 | P | +13 | 3 | Spear | |
| Staff, Ironshod | 2 | 0 | B | +13 | 2 | Staff | |
| Staff, Quarter | 1 | 0 | B | +10 | 2 | Staff | |
| Sword, Cutting | 1 | 0 | C | +8 | 1.5 | Sword | |
| Sword, Great | 2 | 0 | C | +13 | 3 | Greatsword | |
| Sword, Long | 1 | 0 | C | +10 | 1.5 | Sword | |
| Sword, Short | 0 | 0 | C P | +5 +3 | 1 | Shortsword | |
| Sword, Thrusting | 1 | +1 | P | +5 | 1 | Sword | |
— Range in two-meter hexes. — Atk Mod affects only rolls to hit. — Damage Types: B = blunt, C = cutting, P = puncturing. — Wgt is weight of weapon in kilograms. “Great” weapons, polearms, long spear, and staves require two hands to use. | |||||||
Axe, Battle: A one-handed footman's axe.
Axe, Great: A two-handed footman's axe.
Axe, Rider's: A light, one-handed rider's axe.
Bill: A polearm with an axe-like head and a thrusting spike; like the gisarme or vouge; basically an early form of halberd. Use spear damage when thrusting.
Bludgeon: A two-handed, spiked mace.
Club: A one-handed stick used as a weapon.
Club, Ironshod: A club reinforced by an iron ferrule. A light mace, perhaps.
Dagger: A long, double-edged knife.
Flail, Military: A military version of the threshing tool, with a spiked head; the multi-headed versions with spiked balls appear to be too late in period for this game (i.e., post-medieval). Some varieties of these are sometimes called morningstars, but this term is not used to avoid confusion with the non-flexible weapon of the same name.
Flail, Rider's: A short-handled version of the military flail.
Glaive: A polearm with a knife-like head designed for cutting and thrusting; also, the fauchard. Use spear damage when thrusting.
Hammer, War: A polearm with a metal hammerhead (the “martel”) attached to one end; not the armor-piercing variety with the clawed head and the beak — those are too late in period.
Hammer, Rider's: A short-handled and one-handed version of the war hammer, for use by riders.
Knife: A short thrusting blade, typically single-edged; a paring tool or eating utensil.
Mace, Flanged: A club with a flanged metal head.
Mace, Spiked: A club with a spiked metal head, including the morningstar.
Pike: A very long spear, like the sarissa. The term “pike” is 17th century, but the weapon it describes is very old. Sarissa seems too specific, and “very long spear&rdquo is lame, so pike it is.
Scimitar: A curved sword designed for hacking or cutting.
Spear: A one-and-a-half handed thrusting polearm.
Spear, Long: A two-handed thrusting polearm.
Staff, Ironshod: An iron-shod staff.
Staff, Quarter: A two-handed stick.
Sword, Cutting: A straight sword, with a length tailored to the wielder, designed for chopping attacks. Note that the term “broadsword,” sometimes used in RPGs for generic cutting swords, is a 17th century term describing a particular weapon, specifically, a double-edged, basket-hilted sword. Though the broadsword of the 17th c. is descended from earlier double-edged straight swords, the cutting sword of the game represents are larger range of weapons that nevertheless have similar characteristics in use.
Sword, Cut-and-Thrust: A straight sword designed for both cutting and thrusting attacks. The wielder may choose either attack type, or may allow a random choice. Use the stats for the cutting sword or thrusting sword depending on how this weapon is used. Cut-and-thrust swords, because of their generalized nature, tend to be of lower quality than specialized weapons.
Sword, Great: A two-handed footman's sword. Note that the hand-and-a-half sword (a.k.a. bastard sword) is not included in this game because it is a 15th+ century weapon.
Sword, Long: A one-handed rider's sword; a war sword. The term “flamberge” also may refer to this kind of sword. (The wavy sword is called the “flambard”).
Sword, Short: A short footman's sword or a long dagger, designed for thrusting. The gladius is the best example.
Sword, Thrusting: A straight footman's sword, with a length tailored to the wielder, designed for thrusting attacks. The earliest European swords, developing from the dagger, were of this type.
| Ammo Type | Dmg Type | Imp Mod |
Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrow, Bodkin | P | +2 | 0.05 |
| Arrow, Broad | P | +0 | 0.05 |
| Arrow, Incendiary | Z | +0 | 0.07 |
| Bolt, Heavy | P | +2 | 0.09 |
| Bolt, Light | P | +0 | 0.07 |
| Sling Bullet, Lead | B | +2 | 0.5 |
| Sling Bullet, Stone | B | +0 | 0.1 |
Arrow, Bodkin: The standard war arrow, designed for piercing armour. Bodkins vary according to the type of armour they are design to pierce (i.e., either plate armour or mail), but no such distinctions are made in this game.
Arrow, Broad: A hunting arrow with a broadpoint head. Broad arrows may be barbed (called barbels). Barbels that penetrate the target will cause additional damage if removed. Another modification is rankling, that is, designing the head that it will break off and remain embedded in the target.
Pile: A type of hunting arrow with a blunt head. Piles are ineffective against large game and useless for inflicting damage in combat. They are intended to discourage poaching.
An archer may fire a bow once per round. Archers with skill level of 10+ may fire twice per round.
| Draw Weight | Min STR | Base Range | Extreme Range |
Base Impact | Wgt (kg) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-kg | 9 | 18 | 100 | 12 | 1 | |
| 30-kg | 10 | 21 | 120 | 14 | 1 | |
| 35-kg | 11 | 24 | 140 | 16 | 1 | |
| 40-kg | 12 | 27 | 160 | 18 | 1 | |
| 45-kg | 13 | 30 | 180 | 20 | 1 | |
— Draw Weight is the amount of force required to draw the bowstring back a typical distance. Self bows tend to be constructed with pulls at the lower ranges; composite bows tend to be constructed at the higher ranges, even going off the chart. By comparison, the English longbow is supposedly a 45-kg bow. — Base and Extreme Range in two-meter hexes. — Penetration and Dmg Mod are added to the Pen and Dmg Mod, respectively, of the arrow type at base range. Reduce penetration by 1 per increment of base range. | ||||||
Crossbows may be fired at any time during a round, but then must be reloaded.
| Weapon | Reload Time | Base Range | Extreme Range | Base Impact | Wgt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crossbow, Light | 2 rounds | 21 | 120 | 15 | 4 | |
| Crossbow, Heavy | 3 rounds | 24 | 140 | 18 | 6 | |
| Crossbow, Composite | 3 rounds | 27 | 160 | 20 | 5 | |
— Base and Extreme Range in two-meter hexes. — Wgt is weight of crossbow in kilograms. Light and heavy crossbows are military weapons of primitive (solid wood) construction. Composite crossbows have bows made from horn and wood. The steel crossbow is not used in this game, since its use would tend to force many weapons and armour into obsolescence. | ||||||
| Weapon | Range | Dmg Type |
Base Impact | Wgt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolas | 10 | B | 13 | 10 | |
| Sling | 10 | by ammo type | 18 | 0.25 | |
| Staff Sling | 20 | by ammo type | 20 | 2 | |
— Base Range in two-meter hexes. — Wgt is weight of weapon in kilograms. | |||||
| Weapon | Base Range | Dmg Type |
Imp Mod | Wgt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blowgun | 6 | P | !1 | 1 | |
| Hatchet | TD/5 | C | +5 | 1 | |
| Javelin | TD/7.5 | P | +8 | 1.5 | |
| Knife | TD/3 | P | +5 | 0.3 | |
| Spear | TD/10 | P | +10 | 2 | |
— Base Range is in two-meter hexes. — TD is character's base throwing distance. — Wgt is weight of weapon in kilograms. | |||||
This is by no means the complete list of references used, just the important ones.
Blair, C. and L. Tarrasuk, eds. Complete Encyclopedia of Arms and Weapons (New York, 1979)
Contamine, P. War in the Middle Ages (New York, 1989)
Stone, G. C. A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms in All Countries and in All Times (Portland, Me., 1934)