Weapon Builder

=The Armoury=  Name of your weapon Proficiency: Initiative: Preparation: Payload: Reload time: Load Strength: Range increment: Half damage/Maximum range: Attack: Parry: Damage type: Damage: Features: Special: Handle: Size: Load: Cost: The Armoury weapon builder guidelines allow you to determine the game mechanics for historic weapons and for your own designs.

To keep things nice and neat, and all in one place, you may use the format found in this book and in the Codex. You don't have to, of course, but it helps with finding the information you need during gameplay. It will certainly make it easier for other players when you share your designs. Any sections you don't need to fill out can be omitted. A full—but blank—stat block is on the right.

To construct a weapon, you need to determine: what type of handle it has, the size of the impact zone, and how many basic features you want to include. The order you do this really doesn't matter, but it might be easier to decide upon the handle and impact zone first. These are more of a framework for the weapon. Basic features are where you really play with stacking the building blocks, so to speak.

Handles
Handles are the basic melee weapon handles from the Codex. These are given a Value. This Value counts up from zero. It also modifies the parry bonus of the weapon. The bonus to parry starts at +2 and drops by one per point of Value. This is noted in the following chart.


 * {| class="wikitable hover" style="text-align: center"

!Handles !! Value !! Parry modifier
 * One-hand exclusive||0||+2
 * One-handed||1||+1
 * Hand-and-a-half||2||0
 * Hafted||3||-1
 * Staff||4||-2
 * Pole||5||-3
 * }
 * Hafted||3||-1
 * Staff||4||-2
 * Pole||5||-3
 * }
 * Pole||5||-3
 * }

The equivalent in approximate size is used for weapons that do not properly have handles. Arrows, for example, use 'hafted' from the chart.

Impact Zone
The impact zone reflects the size of the wound channel or bruise area. It's the primary component of the business end of the weapon. Like handle size, impact zone size is given a Value. It scales up faster than handle Value.


 * {| class="wikitable hover" style="text-align: center"

!Impact zone size !! Value !! Examples
 * Tiny or none||0||club, fist, hunting arrow tip (field point), spikes
 * Small||1||broadhead arrow, claw hammer, knife, spearhead
 * Moderate||2||shortsword, hand axe, mace
 * Large||4||arming sword, sledgehammer, wood axe
 * Huge||6||battleaxe, glaive, lance, zweihander
 * Ridiculous||9||zaza blade, railroad ties, Buick on a chain
 * }
 * Large||4||arming sword, sledgehammer, wood axe
 * Huge||6||battleaxe, glaive, lance, zweihander
 * Ridiculous||9||zaza blade, railroad ties, Buick on a chain
 * }
 * Ridiculous||9||zaza blade, railroad ties, Buick on a chain
 * }

Basic Features
Basic weapon features are similar to weapon features from the Codex, but are, well, more basic. These are inherent to the type of weapon rather than used as a modifier. Like the other categories, basic features have a Value. However, the Value for each basic feature is always 1. Unlike with impact zone or handle sizes, you may choose as many basic features as is appropriate to the weapon. Each basic feature has an associated bonus and penalty. Basic features also have a listing for weight and cost. Once you have chosen the applicable basic features, add up the totals for each sub-category. That is, add together all of your attack and initiative bonuses, the total from the weight column, and the total of the cost column. You will be using these numbers in a moment.


 * {| class="wikitable hover" style="text-align: center"

!Basic Feature !! Bonus !! Penalty !! Value !! Weight !! Cost
 * Blade||+1 Attack||-1 Parry||1||1||3
 * Heavy||+1 Attack||-1 Initiative||1||3||1
 * Metal||+1 Parry||-1 Initiative||1||1||2
 * Pointed||+1 Initiative||-1 Parry||1||0||1
 * Sharp||+1 Initiative||-1 Parry||1||0||4
 * Swung||+1 Parry||-1 Initiative||1||2||1
 * }
 * Pointed||+1 Initiative||-1 Parry||1||0||1
 * Sharp||+1 Initiative||-1 Parry||1||0||4
 * Swung||+1 Parry||-1 Initiative||1||2||1
 * }
 * Swung||+1 Parry||-1 Initiative||1||2||1
 * }

For example, a poleaxe is pretty much one of every basic feature. Adding together all the applicable bonuses and penalties (all of them, in this case) gives us -1 on initiative, +2 to attack, and -1 to parry. We add up the total Value for our poleaxe, making it 6. The weight is 7, and the cost is 12. At least, these are the results from basic features for a poleaxe.

Initiative
Once you have chosen how your weapon will be constructed, it's time to see what its game mechanics are. Let's use the order from the weapon write-ups (which in turn is the order the mechanics are most likely to be used). First up is the initiative modifier. It's probably the trickiest, so let's go ahead and get it out of the way. Subtract total Values of the weapon's handle and impact zone (but not basic features, which have their own initiative modifiers), from 2. If the result is positive, that is your initiative bonus for the handle and impact zone. If negative, it's your penalty. Add or subtract the bonus or penalty from basic features to find the final bonus. Mass weapons have an additional -3 penalty. Flex weapons may also have an additional penalty.

Since we are mixing up addition and subtraction, that might read a little weird. Some examples might help. Shortswords have one-handed handles and moderate impact zones. The total value for those is 3. 2-3= -1, and the basic features (blade, metal, pointed, sharp) add +1. The total initiative bonus for a shortsword is then zero. A fist has no handle, impact zone, or features. Therefore, we just have the +2 starting initiative bonus remaining. On the heavier side, a battleaxe is hafted and huge, for a -7 to initiative. Basic features subtract another point. The total initiative penalty for a battleaxe would then be -8. However, because mass weapons (see Size below) are unwieldy, they have a -3 initiative penalty. This increases the initiative modifier for our battleaxe to -11. The total possible range is +4 (porcupine quill) down to -20 (I-beam).

Parry and attack
The parry modifier is much, much easier to find. Add up the total parry modifiers from the handle and basic features. That's it. That's your bonus or penalty. Attack bonuses come only from basic features, so that's simple enough.

Damage
Now let's figure the most important game mechanic: damage. What? It's a weapon: a killing device. What did you expect to be the most important factor? This is also pretty straight-forward. Add up the total Values you found earlier: handle, impact zone, and basic features. The total value is equal to the maximum size of the die roll for damage. We have again summarised this in a chart for you.


 * {| class="wikitable hover" style="text-align: center"

!Total Value !! Damage
 * 0||No damage
 * 1||1 point
 * 2||1-2 points (flip a coin, or use evens/odds on a die roll)
 * 3||1D4-1
 * 4||1D4
 * 5||1D4+1
 * 6||1D6
 * 7||1D6+1
 * 8||1D8
 * 9||1D8+1
 * 10||1D10
 * 11||1D10+1
 * 12||1D12
 * 13||1D12+1
 * 14||2D6+2
 * 15||2D6+3
 * 16||2D6+4
 * 17||2D6+5
 * 18||2D8+2
 * 19||2D8+3
 * 20||2D8+4
 * }
 * 11||1D10+1
 * 12||1D12
 * 13||1D12+1
 * 14||2D6+2
 * 15||2D6+3
 * 16||2D6+4
 * 17||2D6+5
 * 18||2D8+2
 * 19||2D8+3
 * 20||2D8+4
 * }
 * 16||2D6+4
 * 17||2D6+5
 * 18||2D8+2
 * 19||2D8+3
 * 20||2D8+4
 * }
 * 19||2D8+3
 * 20||2D8+4
 * }
 * }

Size
Next we need to find the weapon's weight. Weight is the primary factor in load or encumbrance, so we need to find the weapon's mass before we can know how unwieldy it will be. Add the total Values of the handle and impact zone to the total weight from basic features. This gives us a weight in pounds. Right now, you might be thinking, "This is totally wrong; my knife shouldn't weigh four pounds." Ah, but we are not done just yet. Decide what proficiency (or proficiencies) will be used with this weapon. This gives you a divisor to knock the weight down to a more reasonable level. Heavier weapons will also have a multiplier to bring the base weight up.


 * {| class="wikitable hover" style="text-align: center"

!Proficiency !! Divisor
 * Hand||÷5
 * Short||÷4
 * Medium||÷3
 * Long||÷2
 * Polearm||÷1
 * }
 * Long||÷2
 * Polearm||÷1
 * }
 * Polearm||÷1
 * }

Weapons using the Melee (Mass) proficiency will also have a second skill based on their length. That determines the divisor, then double the result for mass weapons. (They're supposed to be heavy, remember.) Mass weapons also have a -3 initiative penalty. Flex variants have the same weight divisor as rigid weapons of the same size, but are heavier (see below). Weapons designed as projectiles—such as darts or arrows, but not crossover weapons like throwing axes or spears—can save weight at the cost of usefulness in melee. You may cut the weight of these ammunition-style projectiles in half. You are on your own for special skill weapons, but like polearms they probably won't have their base weight divided at all.

Now that you know the weight, you can determine the load using the following chart.


 * {| class="wikitable hover" style="text-align: center"

!Weight !! Load
 * <1 pound||None
 * 1-3 pounds||Light
 * 3-5 pounds||Medium
 * 6-10 pounds||Heavy
 * 11-15 pounds||Very Heavy
 * 16-25 pounds||Heroic
 * 26-35 pounds||Heroic +1
 * 36-50 pounds||Heroic +2
 * 51-70 pounds||Heroic +3
 * 71-100 pounds||Heroic +4
 * 100-150 pounds||Heroic +5
 * 151-200 pounds||Heroic +6
 * 201-250 pounds||Heroic +7
 * 251-300 pounds||Heroic +8
 * 350-400 pounds||Heroic +9
 * 450-500 pounds||Heroic +10
 * }
 * 51-70 pounds||Heroic +3
 * 71-100 pounds||Heroic +4
 * 100-150 pounds||Heroic +5
 * 151-200 pounds||Heroic +6
 * 201-250 pounds||Heroic +7
 * 251-300 pounds||Heroic +8
 * 350-400 pounds||Heroic +9
 * 450-500 pounds||Heroic +10
 * }
 * 251-300 pounds||Heroic +8
 * 350-400 pounds||Heroic +9
 * 450-500 pounds||Heroic +10
 * }
 * 450-500 pounds||Heroic +10
 * }
 * }

The progression continues to add fifty pounds per level, but as this means that even a character with a 70 Strength is still wielding this giant weapon as a heroic load, I think that this chart will suffice. 'Heroic +' is still a heroic load (assuming the character is strong enough to lift that weight without a Feat-of-Strength) but counts against levels of encumbrance reduction, such as from a high Strength score, or from load-improving features.

Three pound weapons can go either way, light or medium. If they are smallish and well-balanced, they are light. If larger or less balanced, they are medium. As examples, a three-pound bo stick is light, while a three-pound broadsword is medium.

Cost
But how much does all of this cost? Once again, we look at the weapon's weight. Multiply the weight by the total cost modifier from the basic features. If the weapon is primarily a tool (some axes, knives, or hammers) divide that price by two. If the weapon is primarily a man-killing device (swords, maces, most polearms) multiply the resulting cost by five. If it is questionable, mostly a hunting weapon, or could go either way (quarterstaves, throwing irons, spears) just double the base cost. This is the cost in florins or ducats. You may end up with some weird fractional cost. Prices generally use up to three significant digits, and always round up. That is, things don't cost 123.567 florins on store shelves. The sale price would instead be 130 florins, perhaps listed as six guilder and ten florins, or even rounding up to seven guilder.

For rigid melee weapons you are pretty much done. You just need to figure out what you want to call it (if you aren't modelling an historic weapon), decide on a length, and adjust the weight if desired. Though we found a weight above, and used it to determine encumbrance and cost, the Midian Dark Fantasy Roleplaying Game system is not overly concerned with adding up individual pounds and ounces. At this stage, weight and length are largely aesthetic choices. Adjust them if that looks better to you. Should you desire to add weapon features, do so now. If there is anything mechanically noteworthy about the weapon include it on the 'Special' line.

Flex weapons
Flex weapons are built quite like their more solid counterparts. In fact, the building process is identical except for the flexible bit. That is, you find the length of the handle, impact zone, et cetera. For example, you would build a flail exactly the same way you would a mace, then apply the following modifications.

'Chain' here could also mean a strap, rope, braided leather, green wood, intestines, barbed wire, or any other appropriate material. 'Damage' is added to the damage value from the preceding section; it is not straight bonus damage points. In other words, a weapon with a damage value of six with a long chain would have a final damage of 1D8+1, rather than 1D6+3. 'Construction' is the additional cost and weight of the final weapon.

Short chains are only a few inches at most. They may even be a simple swivel. Medium chains are less than a foot in length. Long chains are up to about five feet or so, and anything greater is an extended chain. Note that long and extended chains may make a weapon suitable for the Reach feature, as may some shorter chains with a sufficiently long handle. Longer chains risk hitting the user's hand (and his mates); this is why longer chains weren't really used historically.


 * {| class="wikitable hover" style="text-align: center"

!Length of chain !! Attack/Parry !! Damage !! Initiative !! Construction
 * Short||-1||+1||0||+10%
 * Medium||-2||+2||-1||+20%
 * Long||-3||+3||-3||+30%
 * Extended||-4||+4||-5||+50%
 * }
 * Long||-3||+3||-3||+30%
 * Extended||-4||+4||-5||+50%
 * }
 * }

Flex weapons are more difficult to handle, and to learn how to use. This is reflected in their having their own melee weapon proficiencies, and the above penalties. Flex weapons are also difficult to block or parry, as they may wrap around the weapon or shield and strike one's opponent. This gives your foe a -4 to parry or block attempts. The difficulty in controlling them means that you may not voluntarily reduce the damage dealt by a flex weapon, even by using the Pull Punch skill.

An additional drawback, but not one really addressed mechanically in these guidelines, is that flex weapons require more room to utilise. In tight quarters—such as a narrow hallway or a packed formation of soldiers—you may not have enough space for a swing. You may hit your fellows, or impact the walls or other inanimate objects instead. On the plus side, flex weapons do not transfer force back through the handle. Again, there are no mechanical benefits to this, but it's nice not to have your hand jarred when striking hard armour. It also makes flails favoured by many horsemen.

Multiple striking heads (as with the double-flail or gorpulon flail) have the same mechanical characteristics as their single-striker brethren. Multiple heads tend to swing together, and strike the target at nearly the same time. The force of impact is divided among all the potential impacting surfaces, so no additional damage is done. Having multiple heads does mean that, potentially, one of them could get past an otherwise successful parry, but your foe also has more chain and more head he can hit with a shield or weapon, pushing them all aside. The benefits and drawbacks, in game mechanics terms, cancel one another out. However, they look badass if you know how to use them correctly. A second striker and chain increases the cost and weight by one and a half times. Additional heads add another 50% to the base weight, but only another 20% to the base cost, each.

Whether you have one head or many, don't forget to readjust the load of the weapon.