One-handed Weapons
These are the weapons most abundantly used in the lands. As the
name implies they are wielded one handed and therefore leave your other hand
open to hold other things like a shield, or perhaps a glass of ouzo. This
also allows for the use of multiple weapons. These weapons are lighter
than their two-handed counterparts and therefore do less damage, but it also
takes less time to swing them, often getting in three swings to a two-hander's
one.
Broadsword - With a blade rarely
wider than two inches, the broadsword seems quite narrow compared to longswords
and warswords. The “broad” in broadsword came from the width of the
blade compared to shortsword and rapier blades. While the broadsword is
significantly more narrow-bladed than a kopis or longsword, it is broad bladed
compared to the rapiers that preceded it.
A broadsword - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith, Armed to the Hilt,
Theo's Weaponry, Audric's Armory
A burnished broadsword - Available at Fine Dorian Weaponry
A patinaed broadsword - Can be acquired from Brigands and Thieves
(patina refers to the green film formed on bronze after long exposure
to elements)
Club - Styles of clubs range from
simple sticks to elaborately carved works of art. They are bashing weapons
made to inflict crushing blows rather than piercing ones and are therefore
effective against any opponents, whether they wear armor or not. The mace
is simply a fancy club with a metal head sometimes decorated or carved.
Generally, clubs are made from certain types of heavy wood, but they can
also be made from bone, metal, and stone.
A club - Available at Theo's Weaponry
A sturdy club - Areus' Weapons
A thorn-spiked club - Found on various critters.
Cutlass - The cutlass was made to
be a purely cutting and slashing weapon. The cutlass consists of a broad
blade, very similar to the scimitar except it lacks the upturned point.
Cutlasses are the preferred weapon among militiamen and among many
of the sailors and pirates that hang out around the docks of Piraeus.
A bone-handled cutlass - Can be acquired from centaur
zombies
.
Dagger - One of the simplest ways
to kill or wound an opponent is to stab or cut them. Daggers are the simplest
weapons in history that ultimately did this. Short bladed, one handed, and
relatively light, most daggers are designed for thrusting but many are also
capable of slicing. Daggers are rarely used as a primary weapon except among
brigands, assassins and thieves, but are universally used as a secondary
weapon in combat.
Note: Daggers can be thrown as well as wielded one-handed
A dagger - Available at Armed to the Hilt, Romando's Gladiatoral Imports,
Fine Dorian Weaponry
An iron dagger - Available at Theo's Weaponry
An ivory-handled dagger - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith
Nicked dagger - Can be acquired from Skeletons and Cutthroats
A simple dagger - Areus' Weapons
A rose-etched onyx hilted dagger - Available at Aziza's Weapon
Imports
A bronze kris dagger - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
A rose-etched dagger - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Gladius - The gladius is a single
edged hacking sword used by the Romans. The straight blade is just
under 2 feet in length, one inch longer than the Greek kopis. The handle
and pommel are usually made of hardwood with a brass rod protruding at the
base of the pommel used both for design and combat as it would allow pommel
strikes to inflict more damage.
An awl-punched gladius - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral Imports
An ornate gladius - Areus' Weapons
Handaxe - The hand axe is a variation of
the axe which was first used as a hatchet for splitting logs to put on the
fire. Normally carried as a secondary weapon, the hand axe is a good
and fast weapon which requires no real skill or strength to wield
effectively. Because of its lighter weight handaxes aren't very effective
against armor, but they are nice to have in any case.
A handaxe - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith, Fine Dorian Weaponry
An acid-etched handaxe - Available at Aether's Weapons
A mariner's handaxe - Available at Theo's Weaponry
An iron handaxe - Kjetil's Weapons and Armor
A skjegg axe - Available at Audric's Armory
Knife - Knives are basically daggers with
a single edge. They are used mostly as a tool by sailors for cutting
rigging, or by hunters for skinning animals, or in the house for making and
eating dinner along with several other implementations. Cutthroats,
thieves, and cutrpurses often use these as weapons of choice because they
are small, easily hidden, light, and fast to strike. While small they
can deal lethal blows in the right hands.
Note: Knives can be thrown as well as wielded one-handed
A knife - Available at Theo's Weaponry
A slender bronze knife - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Kopis - A single edge hacking sword
used by the Greeks. The downward curve blade is just under 2 feet in length.
The brass guard extends on the lower part for better hand protection. The
handle is usually made of a hardwood while the brass pommel hooks downward
to protect the hands and allow for more effective pommel strikes.
A kopis - Available at Theo's Weaponry
.
Longsword - The longsword is the
common name used in reference to long bladed, double edged, and straight
hilted swords. The longsword is the sword most commonly used by militiamen.
They are designed to be wielded by those with strength and could be
thrust, used to slash, and even crush armor. Larger than a common or short
sword, the longsword proves to be a very effective weapon.
A longsword - Available at Armed to the Hilt
A broken longsword - Can be found either in boxes and sacks or on
the actual foe when searched
Mace - Simple maces consist of a handle,
usually wooden, with a hard striking object socketed to the top of the handle.
Flanges, spikes, and similar pointed protrusions were added to combat
plate and mail armor. The force of a blow, concentrated on the tip of a flange
or spike, was very effective at denting and piercing armor. The scepter,
a form of mace, was extremely common through the ages as a ceremonial weapon,
symbolizing power and authority.
A mace - Available at Fine Dorian Weaponry, Theo's Weaponry
A clenched fist mace - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith
A dark mace - Available at Aether's Weapons
Machete - Machetes are large, heavy
knives, the blade usually at leat 18 inches in length. They are used
mostly by people that tend to find themselves lost in forests a lot for they
make quick work of annoying vines and underbrush, not to mention any tigers
or panthers they may run into. Also used in fields to cut sugar cane,
these overgrown steak knives are very deadly when used in combat. These
guys are the closest thing to a sword you can wield without actually having
a one in your hands.
A dull machete - Can be Acquired from Bandits
Morning star - The morning star
is virtually identical to the mace except that a morning star always
has a spiked ball on the end for striking. Like the mace, the morning
star consists of a metal striking weight attached to a wooden or metal handle.
By extending the weapon’s center of gravity far from the hand, the wielder
creates a great deal of momentum in a swing. The increased force of impact
upon the target is devastatingly effective against armored and unarmored
opponents alike.
A morning star - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith, Fine Dorian Weaponry,
Theo's Weaponry
A bronze-tipped morning star - Available at Aether's Weapons
Rapier - Rapiers are a small hilted,
one handed weapon with a very thin blade sometimes called a foil.
They are used primarily as a weapon in duels or contests rather than in actual
battle since the advent of metal armor caused them to become obsolete.
Since the rapiers blades are so thin they are near useless against
an armored foe and are thusly being seen used less and less except in formal
combat.
A rapier - Available at Armed to the Hilt
.
.
Sap - The sap is basically a specialized
club used as an instrument of punishment or as a weapon. Saps are generally
shorter than quarter staffs with a weighted, rounded end usually bound with
metal for weight or even spiked with nails to inflict more viscous wounds.
Thugs and bandits, thieves and bodyguards, and others in similar positions
usually carry a sap with them to make people think twice about trying to
mess with them.
A sap - Available at Theo's Weaponry
A thick leather sap - Available at Rita's Leather Raiment
Scimitar - The scimitar is characterized
by a broad, curved blade ending in a sharply upturned point. While many people
think of scimitars as being rather broad-bladed, many are actually narrow-bladed
weapons, narrower than broadswords but not quite so narrow as rapiers. They
are generally heavy and slow to swing and do little damage for the weight
of the blade.
Dull Scimitar - Can be acquired from skeletons
A bone-handled scimitar - Can be Acquired from zombies
A burnished wire-hilted scimitar - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Scramasax - The all purpose knife
used by the vikings who raided and settled coasts of Britain and Western
Europe in the 8th and 10th Century was the Scramax. In fact this knife did
not originate in Scandinavia but had been used by the ancient French and
Germans, nevertheless it was the vikings who made this knife their own. The
word Scramasax means "Wound making implement". The blade of the knife
can be anywhere from 10 to 50 cm long, but all are single edged and triangular
in cross-section. The back of the blade runs parallell to the edge, usually
tapering only at the end to meet the tip. The handles are broad and riveted
just below the pommel, which is round or onion shaped, while the grips are
made of leather or wood.
A scramasax - Available at Audric's Armory
Short Sword - A short sword is
pretty much any bladed weapon longer than a dagger but shorter than a longsword.
Warriors not quite strong enough to wield a large sword carry shortswords,
the lighter weight of the weapon make it very effective in close quarter
combat. Spearmen and archers often carry short swords also, but as a secondary
weapon in case they have to fight their opponents close range.
A short sword - Available at Armed to the Hilt, Fine Dorian Weaponry,
Audric's Armory, Areus' Weapons
Spear - Spears are basically any weapon
with a wooden shaft and pointed tip used exclusively for thrusting and throwing.
Throwing spears are generally very long while thrusting spears tended
to be shorter. The basic spear, when used for thrusting, was the first polearm
weapon made, someone had the bright idea that fighting their enemy from a
greater distance might prove to be less fatal. The throwing spear's
main disadvantage is it takes a while to recover it after being thrown, soldiers
using them in this way often carried another weapon as backup.
Note: Spears can be thrown as well as wielded one-handed
A spear - Available at Fine Dorian Weaponry, Audric's Armory
A wide-bladed speari - Areus' Weapons
An iron-tipped spear - Available at Kjetil's Weapons and Armor
Trident - Tridents are polearm weapons
based on the pitchfork. Used very much like a spear, even being thrown in
dire situations before turning tail and running, the trident provides a broader
surface area upon which to skewer an opponent than did a spear (three spear
tips are better than one). The trident is most known for its use in
the Roman gladiatorial arenas. When not skewering folks, the trident is great
at moving hay and can double as a nice gift for Poseidon.
Note: Tridents can be thrown as well as wielded
one-handed
A trident - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral Imports, Theo's
Weaponry
An iron trident - Available at Theo's Weaponry
A polished brass trident - Available at Aether's Weapons
A long trident - Areus' Weapons
A bronze tipped trident - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Whip - Most whips used in battle were very
well built and heavy, they could almost be classified as flails. They
usually have metal or stone tips on the end of long chains or metal links
instead of simple cowhide or leather. Whips can also be used to control
herding animals and other various household chores that we'll leave to the
imagination. In the right hands a whip can tear the flesh off bodies,
pull weapons out of opponents' hands, and even break bones.
A swivel-handled whip - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral Imports
A braided leather whip - Available at Rita's Leather Raiment
A rose-etched braided leather whip - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Two-handed Weapons
These are those huge and heavy weapons that require two hands to wield
correctly unlike their one-handed counterparts. These weapons, being
as big as they are, can hit almost as hard as Hercules (on a bad day), but
there's always a drawback, this one being it takes forever to swing them,
not to mention the fact that you have to run around shieldless.
Ball and Chain - Ball and chains
consist of a heavy, usually spiked, metal ball attached to a wooden handle
by a length of chain. They use the force of the swing to deal more
crushing blows when they finally strike the target, often tripling the force
of a normal swing. They are also very good at wrapping themselves around
targets and pulling away objects, or even knocking the target to the ground,
not to mention crushing and piercing their armor.
Note: Ball and chains can be thrown as well as wielded
two-handed
A ball and chain - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral Imports
Battle axe - Battle axe is a generic
term for a fighting axe. They are essentially larger versions of simple
axes and are usually two-handed and double-headed. The increased weight and
blade size of the battle axe make it even more effective for slashing, chopping,
and crushing armor than a simple logging axe; however, greater skill and
strength are required to use a battle axe effectively and thus it is not
a very common weapon.
A battle axe - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith, fine Dorian
Weaponry
A two-fisted battle axe - Available at Aether's Weapons
An iron battle axe - Kjetil's Weapons and Armor
A warped battle axe - Found on various critters.
Flail - The flail was very similar
to the mace, except that the weight on the end of the weapon was seperated
by a chain instead of just stuck on the end of a pole. This flexibility increased
the impact force of the strike and made parrying the attack much more difficult.
While it was similar in concept to a morningstar or ball and chain, the flail
usually has multiple chains and balls attached to the haft, making it much
harder to parry. The earliest flails were merely adaptations of agricultural
tools, grain threshers for example, but served well also as weapons of war.
A corroded flail - Found on various critters.
Greatsword - Great in size and
weight (some weighed as much as 15-20 pounds), greatswords require two hands
to use and great strength to wield. Most two-handed swords have long straight
blades and a long hilt for grasping with two hands. Despite their straight
blades, two-handed swords are designed for swinging rather than just thrusting.
It is one of the few swords designed to crush through heavy armor.
A greatsword - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith, Armed to the Hilt,
Fine Dorian Weaponry
An old greatsword - Can be aquired from brigands in Tiamat Vineyard
A wavy-edged greatsword - Areus' Weapons
Halberd - The halberd incorporates
an axe blade, a spear point, and a pick/hammer beak all into one fearsome
weapon. It can be used to hook an enemy to the ground, even off horseback
or could be thrust or used for chopping as well. The use of halberds is fairly
extensive as they can be used lethally or non-lethally to trip, knock down,
or otherwise subdue an opponent.
A halberd - Available at fine Dorian Weaponry
A double-spiked halberd - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith
An oak-hafted iron halberd - Available at Aether's Weapons
Mattock - The mattock is a domestic
agricultural tool used for digging and mining. When people saw how effective
they were against hard clay and stone, they figured mattocks would be just
as good against skin and bones, which they were. Mattocks can crush
and pierce most anything they hit, including but not limited to armor, people,
and stubborn locked doors. Mattocks are generally used by poorer class
citizens who happened to have one laying in the barn when they went out to
battle.
A brass studded war mattock - Available at Aether's Weapons
Quarter Staff - The quarter staff
is the simplest form of the polearm weapon. It is simply a long wooden pole.
Staffs are not very effective in a fight against an opponent in armor or
wielding anything other than a wooden weapon. The quarter staff is
an excellent weapon for travelers as it doubled both as a walking staff and
as a deterrent against brigands. The quarter staff is used more in fencing
and brawling than melee combat.
A polished quarter staff - Available at Aether's Weapons
An oaken quarter staff - Available at Fine Dorian Weaponry, Areus'
Weapons
War Hammer - The war hammer is
one of the few weapons with an edge that can both tear open armor plate as
well as inflict devastating concussion blows. The war hammer usually has
a beak-like blade opposite of the hammer head, making it a combination mace
and pick. The weight of the metal hammer head put behind the sharp point
of the beak after a full swing easily pierces both chain and plate mail.
A war hammer - Available at Theo's Weaponry
.
Ranged and Thrown Weapons
Thrown weapons offer many advantages over other weapons as they can, well,
be thrown as well as swung. Before you even advance on the critter,
or they on you, you can have one of these things in the air flying at them
to get in the first hit. The main disadvantages with these is the time
it takes to recover the item once thrown and the risk of losing it. Ranged
weapons are also nice for the reason that you can use them from a distance
without actually being engaged, plus it is a lot easier to hit your target
with an arrow or bolt than with any other weapon in Greece (so far). The
main disadvantages are that you can't use a shield with them and it costs
dinars to keep your ammunition stocked.
Bola - Consisting of stone balls,
usually in a group of three the bola is attached to long, slender ropes.
It is thrown by grasping the nexus where the cords come together and
whirling it like a sling. The whole assembly is often swung over the head
in a horizontal plane and released, thrown parallel with the ground. As they
fly through the air, the weights will separate giving the bola a configuration
something like a flattened and open net. On striking a target, usually the
legs of an animal, the weights will cause the cords to wrap themselves about
it tripping the target to the ground. The bola is not a friendly weapon
as it often damages the target by breaking bones and causing other severe
trauma.
A three-stringed bola - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral Imports
A braided chain bola - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Crossbow - The main advantage
crossbows have over bows is that they can be loaded before battle and
the archer does not have to worry about creating the tension on the string
while aiming. With the advantages come disadvantages, namely slow
reloading, inaccuracy, and weight. A soldier with a bow can let 6six
arrows fly in the same amount of time it takes a soldier with a crossbow
to fire one bolt. As if this weren't enough, crossbows fire only at
very short ranges and are rendered all but useless in damp weather.
A light crossbow - Available at Flights of Fancy, Eathar's Bow Shop,
Robinarche's Fine Bows and Arrows
A heavy crossbow - Available at Eathar's Bow Shop, Robinarche's Fine
Bows and Arrows
Dart - A dart is a small, never much longer
than 6 inches and usually metal, missile with a pointed shaft on one end
and feathers at the other for more aerodynamic flight. They are sometimes
poisoned and can be launched with some mechanical device or even blown out
of a small tube to achieve faster speeds and greater accuracy. The
term dart can also refer to any small light-weight spear that is thrown rather
than used to stab or slash.
A brass dart - Available at Theo's Weaponry
Javelin - The javelin is a short,
light weight spear designed to be thrown only. Some are constructed entirely
of metal but most are metal spear tips mounted on a lighter wooden
shaft. Often some mechanical device will be used to increase the range and
force of the javelin. Any short spear used for throwing can be called
a javelin so they aren't really a weapon that stand by themselves. They were
used throughout history, most effectively by the Greeks.
Note: Javelins can be wielded one-handed as well as
thrown
A javelin - Available at Fine Dorian Weaponry, Areus' Weapons
Longbow - As the name implies,
the longbow is generally longer in length than a regular bow. The bow length
is usually the height of the archer with an arrow at least half that length.
Because of the greater length of the bow and string, the long bow made more
powerful arrows capable of farther flight. Like the shortbows these
are generally made of a single piece of high quality wood, yew or elm are
most sought after.
A longbow - Available at Hyla's Fletcher Shop, Flights of
Fancy
A longbow - Available at Eathar's Bow Shop, Robinarche's Fine
Bows and Arrows
Marlinspike - Descriptively, a
marlinspike is a round tool with a claw-like curve that tapers towards a
pointed end. It is commonly contained within a folding knife's body among
traditional blades and other tools such as a fish scaler, and often, a shackle
key. By inserting the marlinspike point into the key area of a too
tight knot and pushing it through to its widest base even the worst knot
can be easily undone. This tool works as effectively on blood vessels
and bone joints as it does on knots, often opening them up on even the most
annoying enemy.
Note: Marlinspikes can be wielded one-handed as well as
thrown
A marlinspike - Available at Theo's Weaponry
Shortbow - Simple bows are generally
made of a single piece of wood. The materials used for the bow string
vary, but the most common ones are flax, hemp, silk, and cotton.. The string
bends the bow back on itself creating tension, the archer then creates
more tension by nocking an arrow, and drawing the string back. When
the archer releases the arrow the tension is released and the arrow propelled
with much more force than could be gained by simply throwing it.
A shortbow - Available at Hyla's Fletcher Shop, Flights of Fancy,
Eathar's Bow Shop, Robinarche's Fine Bows and Arrows
Sling - Slings consist of a small
strap or socket of leather to which two cords are attached. The soldier holds
the ends of the cords in one hand, places the missile snugly in the strap,
and whirls the socket and missile rapidly around their head. When released
the sling acts as a compound action of the arm and when the missile hits
its mark the sling can prove to be a very deadly weapon in skilled hands.
Slings were the basis for the design of the Roman's catapults.
A wide leather sling - Available at Rita's Leather Raiment
A tanned leather sling - Available at Audric's Armory
Spoon - Yes, spoons are classified as ranged
weapons, believe it or not. They can be thrown and end up in the ranged
weapons bin at Tyche's Shrine, therefore one can only conclude that they
are in fact ranged weapons. Now for those of you who've been living
in a cave all your life, or just using forks, spoons are eating utensils
similair to forks except they have a shallow scooping end instead of the
tines. In Egypt, Greece, and Rome knives and spoons of the aristocracy
were made of precious materials, including silver and gold, and were sometimes
decorated. The Romans also possessed one- and two-tined skewers that were
forerunners of the fork. Since everyone has seen a spoon, this picture
features some famous Egyptian spoon, it's a young gil holding a duck or some
such.
A dull-edged spoon - Found on various critters.
Throwing net - A device that is made of
an open meshed fabric often knotted, twisted, or woven together at regular
intervals. Some throwing nets are made of metal cable or chain rather
than fabric and most have weights on the ends that cause the net to fall
faster and encapture the target better by weighing the net down. Usually
as the target struggles to get free they will become entangled even worse
and end up falling to the ground, leaving them open for the death blow.
A light throwing net - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral
Imports
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