Armour and protective clothing for protection in melee fighting and ranged fighting.
Thick
as Thieves and other “Avenues and Alleyways” system RPs/RPGs
in general are primarily focused on stealth, exploration and
diplomacy, so active fighting doesn't come up that often. However,
this does not mean that combat is non-existent within the game.
Furthermore, player characters are encouraged to defend themselves as
best as they can, and as they see fit, whenever it is truly needed.
Though wholly unarmed combat is fully possible within the game, the players will soon realise that they'll need at least some forms of actual weaponry to last longer in the unpredictable world of being a professional thief. This page provides an overview of some common weaponry available to the thieves of Melza and of Aporue as a whole. Weapons and armaments listed here are sorted into ten basic categories, which include items for active combat use, as well as items for defensive combat or more passive protection. In a few particular cases, the line between a thieving tool and a defensive weapon even overlaps to a surprising degree, with the differences becoming blurred…
Due to the nature of the gameplay and the context of the setting, a lot of the weaponry presented here betrays its improvised and non-military roots. Nevertheless, players will also be able encounter some of the finest, most modern and most expensive arms that exist within the world of the setting.
Each overview of a weapon or armour type offers a basic description, notes on its drawbacks, notes on its degree of stealthiness, notes on its availability (to thieves) and last but not least, a recommendation of the best types of attack (or uses) for that particular weapon.
Availability of these items is scored according to the following scale: Widespread, Common, Uncommon, Rare
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SCORING STEALTHINESS
A rough grading system for the overall stealthiness of most weapon and armour types listed in these overviews. The grade depends on how a weapon performs while sneaking around, with its concealability and ease of carrying being the key scrutinised properties.
Stealthiness Grade/Explanation
Excellent | A great choice while sneaking, for several reasons.
Good | Not the best, but an excellent choice while sneaking.
Average | No guarantee of good sneaking, but it is still possible.
Weak | Only good while sneaking if there's nothing better at hand.
Terrible | Worthless weapon while sneaking, don't bother.
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1.) ONE-PIECE ARMOURS
These
are simple, basic, easy to don and often inexpensive armours. They
virtually always consist purely of torso armour, or at most, torso
armour with some small additions for limb protection. One-piece
armours are particularly popular in civilian security applications,
and many law enforcement members and hired guards will be wearing
these types of armour (if they're not among the minority that wear
the more complex, multiple-piece armours).
Buffcoat
Description:
A type of very light defensive coat made of buff leather thick enough
to resist a sword cut. Popular primarily among scout cavalrymen and
mounted infantrymen in recent history, given the decline in the usage
of heavier armour.
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness:
TBA
Gambeson
Description:
A gambeson (also known under names such as aketon, padded jack,
arming doublet, etc.) is a padded defensive jacket, worn as armour
separately, or combined with mail or plate armour. Gambesons are
usually made of of linen or wool, stuffed with scrap wool, scrap
cloth or horse hair, and sewn together with a quilting technique.
While putting them on, gambesons are often laced up or buttoned up in
front.
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Jack of plates
Description:
TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Coat of plates
Description:
TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Brigandine
Description:
A type of armoured sleeveless jacket, used principally by infantry,
consisting of numerous small overlapping plates of metal attached
with rivets to the back of a cloth support. Fine examples are often
faced with colorful velvet.
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Pauncer
Description:
The pauncer is an armour similar to a lighter form of cuirass. It
usually consists of a breastplate worn together with a backplate (the
former for protection of the chest and abdomen, the latter for
protection of the back), the two pieces of armour being attached to
each other by the usual straps or hinges. Breastplates are frequently
fitted with flexible plates (lames) below to protect the
lower abdomen, and backplates frequently come with additional plates
(lames) attached to protect the lower back region. "Present
day" Aporuean pauncers are metallic.
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
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2.) MULTIPLE-PIECE ARMOURS (SUITS OF ARMOUR)
Effectivelly, suits of armour in the true sense. They take longer to don, but they often offer stronger and more comprehensive defensive advantages.
Unlike
one-piece armours, these can be "constructed" from multiple
pieces of armour gradually attached to the body of the wearer. This
means you can partly mix-and-match pieces of these armour types, such
as wearing a piece from a certain armour type on the torso, while
wearing a piece from another armour type on the upper limbs or the
lower limbs, etc. Of course, some logic needs to be applied to these
combinations, as certain combos of armour pieces are not practically
viable (i.e. they don't work well together for either movement or
combat).
Lamellar armour
Description:
Armour historically associated with cultures of western Aporue or to
the west of Aporue, lamellar armour is in many ways a type of its
own, with regional and construction variations. The basics of it are
the same, though: It consists of small platelets, which are punched
and laced together, typically in horizontal rows. This makes it a
fairly flexible and comfortable to wear armour, and generally also
lighter than mail.
Possible parts: lamellar shirt +
lamellar pauldrons + lamellar rerebraces + lamellar couters +
lamellar vambraces + lamellar gauntlets + lamellar faulds + lamellar
cuisses + lamellar greaves
Drawbacks: In the
professional thieving world, lamellar armor has limited use outside
of guarding tasks or as a source of protection during adventuring.
Parts of the armour can be worn for added protection in burglary, but
wearing a full suit is not advised (unless one wants to engage only
in combat).
Stealthiness: Weak
Mail
Description:
Mail (also ring armour, chain armour, in Lengelia kolczuga, etc.) has existed in Aporue and
elsewhere for many millennia and remains the most long-lived and
successful type of metallic armour. Despite its greater weight, it is
actually not all that unwieldy or tough to wear. The simple but
practical ring-based structure gives the armour the qualities of a
surprisingly flexible mesh, and the steel material makes the armour
even hardier than its more lightly built counterparts.
Possible
parts: haubergeon
(for footmen) / hauberk
(for riders) + mail coif + mail mittens + mail chausses +
mail greaves
Drawbacks: In the professional thieving
world, mail has limited use outside of guarding tasks or as a source
of protection during adventuring. It is obviously quite a loud armour
type, making it very ineffective for any sort of
sneaking.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Light plate armour
Description:
Not that long ago, plate armour was at the apex of its development in
Aporue, for both infantry and cavalry combatants alike. However, with
the slow but steady decline of heavy cavalry and the rise of firearms
on the battlefields of the continent, plate armour has become less
prevalent again, and has also started changing to reflect the newer
developments. Emphasis was once placed on covering as much of the
body as possible, now emphasis is more on the thickness of just the
most important parts of the armour. Armouring of the feet is
currently going out of fashion, so even plate-wearers are wearing
boots virtually everywhere. (Based mainly on real world three-quarters plate armour and plate half-armour, "munition armour" more typical of the emerging standing armies of the 16th and 17th centuries. There are some late-medieval style plate harnesses as well, though more commonly among the City Watch and such.)
Possible parts: cuirass + bevor +
plate pauldrons + plate rerebraces + plate couters + plate vambraces
+ plate gauntlets + plate faulds + plate cuisses + mail chausses +
plate poleyns + plate greaves
Drawbacks: In the
professional thieving world, mail has limited use outside of guarding
tasks or as a source of protection during adventuring. It is
obviously the least stealthy armour type one can wear, and though it
protects well, it is useless for any sort of sneaking.
Stealthiness:
Terrible
Note: Unlike other armour types, plate armour
is often worn over mail armour (at least in the torso area, if
nowhere else).
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3.) HELMETS
Skullcap (Cervelliere)
Description:
TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.
Kettle hat
Description:
TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.
Conical enclosed helmet
Description:
TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.
Bascinet
Description:
A light helmet in use since the early heydays of plate armour use in
Aporue. The headpiece is generally ogival or egg-shaped, often
(though not always) fitted with a pointed or barred type of visor and
a mail neckpiece (camail) for defense of the throat and neck
area.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.
Armet
Description:
A helmet completely encasing the head, with hinged, movable
cheekpieces overlapping on the chin, and a visor. The close helmet (see below) is
regarded as a more modern successor to the armet.
Drawbacks:
TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.
Close helmet
Description:
A helmet fitted with a pivoting visor and a neck-protecting bevor, completely encasing the head.
It has no cheekpieces and all elements function from a common set of
pivots at the temples.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness:
TBA.
Sallet
Description:
A light, semi-open helmet. Sometimes fitted with a visor, sometimes
open-faced, and sometimes with a vision slit cut in its front, it
features a rounded skullpiece with a long, drawn-out tail.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.
Zischagge
Description: A lighter, fairly open helmet, with a distinctive "lobster tail" rear
neck protector of segmented lames and cheek guards attached by hinges to
the bottom of the helmet's sides. The name of helmet is a Lokytian rendering of its original Sillamian name, çiçak.
The increasing popularity of the zischagge in Aporue, especially among
cavalry and mounted infantry, originated in previous centuries, during
the long Aporuean-Sillamian wars in the southwest regions of the
continent. Various nations in Aporue have created their own styles of
the helmet. Initial forms of the Aporuean zischagges had
mostly rounded skull-pieces, sometimes fluted. Eventually, the skulls of
zischagges
made on the continent were usually raised from a single-piece
of metal, while the Aethelian and Dumnonian isles also favoured a
raised comb running from front to back. Most zischagges also have fixed
forward-pointing peak with a nasal bar, often even adjustable by
sliding, some versions with three protective bars. Some of the soldier
types that favour the zischagge include Ďamaran armoured hussars,
Lengelian winged hussars, reiters and dragoons, and also in some
countries, mounted infantry arquebusiers.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.
Description:
A light, open helmet characterized by a peak, a fall over the eyes,
and hinged earpieces. One of the newer designs popular in Aporue,
particularly among cavalrymen. Something of a relative of the humbler
zischagge. Sometimes worn with a buffe (a separate, usually
detachable element of plate armor worn with an open helmet to protect
the face and throat).
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness:
TBA.
Description:
A light, open headpiece with a conical or almond-shaped apex and a
small brim. One of the newer designs popular in Aporue. Generally
used by infantry.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness:
TBA.
Description:
A relative of the cabasset, this is an open helmet with a tall comb
and a curved brim peaking before and behind. One of the newer designs
popular in Aporue. Generally used by infantry.
Drawbacks:
TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.
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GLOSSARY
A small glossary of body armour parts/segments:
skull-piece, skull, head-piece - the continuous rear and upper part of a helmet, protecting the crown of the head, top of te head, usually the temples as well
visor - a slit, usually horizontal, for the sight of the helmet's wearer, that is either a static part of the facial area of the helmet, or is a separate, hinged, tilting element of the helmet, in the facial area of the helment (in addition, on some helmets, their tiltable visors are separated into a lower part with small openings for air, and an upper part with the visor slit itself)
cheek-guard, cheek-pieces - cheek-guard of certain types of helmets, most commonly fastened to a helmet by hinges in the temples sections of a helmet
pauldron - shoulder guard, covers the shoulder and surrounding spaces
spaulder - shoulder guard, covers the shoulder, but more lightly, requiring additional pieces (i.e. the besagew)
bevor - plate nech guard, especially of front of the neck and throat, either as a separate part of the armour or integrated into certain types of enclosed helmets
rerebrace - arm guard, covers the upper arm, from the elbow to the shoulder
couter - elbow guard, covers the elbow (sometimes can be built into a vambrace, depending on the properties)
vambrace - arm guard, covers the lower arm, from the forearm to the elbow
mitten - lightly armoured glove, usually made from leather, mail or lamellar material
gauntlet - fully armoured glove, usually made
from lamellar or plate material, can be worn with or without armoured
mittens (depending on the properties)
jack of plates -
haubergeon - mail-only torso armour, a mail shirt for infantrymen
hauberk - mail-only torso armour, a mail shirt for riders/cavalrymen
cuirass - metal plated (more rarely lamellar) torso armour
faulds - cover the hips and waist, they attach to the lower part of a torso armour, worn over chausses
chausses - basic leg guards, cover the thighs and sometimes lower parts of the leg
cuisse - lamellar or plate leg guard, covers the thighs externally, usually worn over chausses
poleyn - knee guard, covers the knee (sometimes can be built into a cuisse or greave, depending on the properties)
greave - leg guard, covers the lower leg, including the shins
schynbald - leg guard of a more archaic type (now very rare), it only covers the shins
sabaton - plate-only foot guards, nowadays becoming a rarity in Aporue, even among heavy armours
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STEALTHINESS WHILE WEARING ARMOUR AND HELMETS
Typické
zakrádanie sa, na základe viditeľnosti a zvuku, nie je u drvivej
väčšiny brnení možná. Platí to obzvlášť pre tie, ktoré majú mnohé kovové
súčasti, ktoré vydávajú zvuk aj pri pomerne malých pohyboch tela
(ramien, rúk, a pod.) a pri chôdzi. Plátové zbroje sú najhlučnejšie zo
všetkých, ale aj ostatné brnenia obsahujúce kovové časti, nie sú pre
nevidené a nepočuté zakrádanie sa ktovieako vhodné.
Vzhľadom na
tieto nevýhody je zďaleka najpoužiteľnejším typom kradmosti pri väčšine
brnení využívanie brnení ako prevlekov. Aj tu však treba dbať na viaceré
možné prekážky. V prvom rade, zatiaľ čo prilby a jednodielne brnenia si
hráčova postava vie poľahky nasadiť a obliecť aj úplne sama, s
viacdielnymi brneniami (zbrojami) to nie je až tak jednoduché. Zbroje
neraz vyžadujú, aby pri obliekaní niektorých ich častí pomáhala aj
ďalšia osoba. Ak hráčova postava nemá práve poruke Snaha obliecť si
viacdielne brnenie bez pomoci ďalšej osoby môže vyústiť v to, že si
hráčova postava neoblečie všetky typické súčasti brnenia (pretože na to
jednoducho nebude stačiť vlastným párom rúk) alebo si ich horko-ťažko
oblečie, ale s meškaním a dosť nedôsledne. Nedôsledne oblečenú zbroj si
potom môžu všimnúť skúsení strážnici, pre ktorých to bude predstavovať
veľmi podozrivý detail o dotyčnej osobe.
Ďalej, ak sa hráčovej
postave podarilo omráčiť nejakého strážnika v brnení, ukryť omráčeného
strážnika a obliecť si jeho rovnošatu a brnenie, hráčova postava ešte
nemusí "byť z lesa von". Väčšina strážnikov slúžiacich v posádkach
hradov, pevností, väzníc, strážených opevnených brán, a pod., svojich
spolupracovníkov dobre pozná. Ak neuvidia povedomú tvár spolupracovníka,
ale niekoho neznámeho, bude im hráčova postava takmer rovnako
podozrivá, ako v situácii, keby priamo a sebaisto napochodovala medzi
nich. Pri spoločenskom zakrádaní sa v brnení, platí ešte výraznejšie než
pri spoločenskom zakrádaní sa v šatách, že je dôležité myslieť na
miestny kontext a na určité detaily, ktoré by hráčovu postavu mohli
nechtiac vyzradiť. Viac či menej ostrieľaných strážnikov neobalamutíte
tak jednoducho, ako miestnu smotánku na honosnom plese, či partiu
priemerných zlodejíčkov kdesi v tmavej uličke.
Jedným zo spôsobov, ako predísť ľahkému odhaleniu pri nosení dočasne ukoristeného/požičaného brnenia, a pôsobiť menej podozrivo pri nosení brnenia (vrátane zbrojí), je napríklad zakryť svoju tvár sklápacím priezorom (ak je ním vybavená prilba). Prípadne, dopredu pripraviť veci tak, aby strážnici počítali s možno prítomnosťou strážnika-nováčika, či naleteli na fiktívneho strážnika "z druhého konca mesta", ktorý "supluje za kolegu, ktorý je nachladený, zlomil si nohu", a tak ďalej. Predstavivosti sa medze nekladú, no tak ako pri vytváraní krycieho príbehu pre prestrojenie v podobe šatstva, obuvy, pokrývky hlavy a manierov, aj tu treba dbať na vhodný rámec, na detaily a na celkovú uveriteľnosť. Medzi strážami sa síce nájdu aj babráci, ale drvivú väčšinu strážnikov len tak neoklamete. Obzvlášť, ak ide o profesionálne strážne služby alebo o členov Mestskej stráže.
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SCORING WEAR AND TEAR STATUS
A rough grading system for the overall current state of a weapon and armour item's wear and tear.
State Grade/Explanation
Mint | This weapon or amour is as good as new. Either it's new or excellently refurbished.
Fine | This weapon or armour is in good condition.
Dented | This weapon or armour has some more noticeable faults. Effectiveness is already lower.
Damaged | This weapon or armour is damaged and could use some repairs. Lower effectiveness.
Shabby | This weapon or armour is rather heavily damaged. It would be best to repair it soon.
Falling apart | Needs to be either thrown away or repaired thoroughly first. Dangerous to use.
Broken | This is a weapon or armour that is simply unusable. It can be repaired at a workshop.
Reusability and destroyed items
Arrows and bolts without broken shafts can be picked up and reused at
any time. Broadhead and bodkin arrows and bolts can stick into softer
surfaces, such as wood, soil or flesh, and are fully reusable if a
player can extract them safely. Blunthead, knockout and ruckus arrows
and bolts do not stick into surfaces, but are also fully reusable
(though knockout arrowheads need refilling and ruckus arrowheads need
rewinding). Trick arrows and trick bolts with single-use types of
arrowheads (e.g. dousing arrows and bolts) are reusable, but need to be
fitted with a new arrowhead in place of the destroyed one, in order to
be fully functional again. (Otherwise, when shot without an arrowhead,
they deal no damage and perform no function.) If explosive trick arrows
and bolts are successfully triggered on impact and explode, they are
completely destroyed. This makes them the only type of trick arrows and
bolts that are not fully or partly reusable. They can only be recovered
by players if they failed to explode.
When an item is completely destroyed rather than merely broken, it is no longer repairable. Some of its raw materials might be collectable for later reuse, but direct repairs restoring it into the item it used to be are impossible. For example, if an explosive mine goes off, its only remaining bits will be the shards of the metal plates it was built from. It is possible to collect these shards, smelt them down, make new metal plates, etc., but it is not possible to create a brand new mine out of these metal shards.
“Dented”, “damaged”, “shabby” and “falling apart” weapons and armour all have a descending degree of effectiveness. If a player is using an archery weapon, firearm, an explosive device (e.g. grenade, mine) or projectile (e.g. explosive arrowhead) that currently have “shabby” and “falling apart”, a bit of bad luck could cause the weapon to malfunction and wound the player. In extreme cases, such a malfunction could even harm any other individuals standing nearby, including the player's companions.
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Copyright
(C) 2017 - 2024 P. Molnár
(C) 2017 - 2024 Knight-Errant Studios
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