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.
----
1.) BLUDGEONING WEAPONS
At
the dawn of civilisation, the first fights were waged by trying to
beat each other up with fists, rocks, wood and whatever else was at
hand. Much has changed since then, but the least elegant weapons
continue to be some of the simplest and cheapest, which counts doubly
in present day of Aporue. Bludgeoning weapons used by thieves and
criminals include purpose-built pieces, but one should not be
surprised that many of them amount to little more than household or
workplace items (or even garbage) repurposed into improvised
weaponry. This list offers a look into some of the most common or
most effective. As with many other weapons used by thieves, the rule
of thumb points primarily to the use of weapons of smaller size,
greater concealability and simpler wielding.
Brass knuckles (knuckleduster)
Description:
A fairly inexpensive and easily concealable old favourite of the
criminal underworld. They serve to enhance the impact power of
punches and similar bare-handed fighting moves.
Best attacks: údery a buchnáty päsťou
Drawbacks: Unfortunately, even
on the hands of a good unarmed fighter, they are much less powerful
than any other type of melee weapons. They are useless against
armoured opponents, have a very small striking surface and their main
weakness lies in the need to get really close to an opponent in order
to hit him. Unless one can fight an opponent up-close with fists, the
brass knuckles' best use ends up carrying them in your pockets just
for show.
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability:
Common
Description: A simple wooden club.
Sometimes a properly carved or poleturned piece of wood, but often
something as simple as a thicker branch or bough that one finds lying
around.
Best attacks: bludgeoning (including
knockouts)
Drawbacks: Unsurprisingly, it's a rubbish
weapon in any actual fight, even against a single ruffian on the
street, making its offensive use against adversaries really limited.
In self-defence, it can be used to deliver counter-blows or to even
(weakly) parry, but it's true specialty lies in being a potential
knockout tool. Its lack of better outside processing and differing
sizes make it less stealthy than a blackjack.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Widespread
Description:
Not particularly impressive at first glance, the humble blackjack is
one of the commonest club-like weapons in the criminal underworld as
well as law enforcement. Fashioned from a usual wooden club basis
augmented with cheap leather padding, it is not really a combat
weapon in the true sense of the word, but more of a tool for
pacifying adversaries, or even knocking them out from behind while
they're not looking. To compensate for their weaker impact power,
some blackjacks are equipped with leaden balls on the inside of their
leather “upholstery”, in order to increase the hardiness of a
blow.
Best attacks: bludgeoning (including
knockouts)
Drawbacks: Like the simple wooden club or
the brass knuckles, the blackjack has only limited use in actual
fighting. In self-defence, it can be used to deliver counter-blows or
to even (weakly) parry, but it's true specialty lies in being a
sneakie knockout tool. (The outside padding usually helps avoid loud
knockouts or overly deadly blows, something favoured by both thieves
and city guards.)
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability:
Common
Description:
A spike-headed impact weapon, usually on a slightly longer woonden
shaft. Can be described as a longer-handed relative of both the mace
and the morning star. Particularly popular for military purposes,
especially while fighting heavily armoured opponents. Not commonly
seen among most criminals or law enforcement members, though they do
occassionally occur.
Best attacks: bludgeoning,
thrusting, hooking
Drawbacks: The planson is not that
common, is a bit heavier than the average club and is hard to
conceal, especially a specimen with a longer shaft or haft. While a
planson has the merit of being usable even against armoured
opponents, it is far too deadly to be used for knockouts.
Stealthiness:
Weak / Average (depending on concealment)
Availability:
Uncommon / Rare
Description:
A metal impact weapon with a flanged or knobbed head. Particularly
popular for military purposes, especially while fighting heavily
armoured opponents. Not commonly seen among most criminals or law
enforcement members, though they do occassionally occur.
Best attacks: bludgeoning
Drawbacks: Being a
military-grade weapon and one arguably specialised against heavier
armours, the mace is hard to come by in the first place. It is also a
bit heavier than the average club and much more unstealthy, which
tends to put even many of the more boisterous thieves off. Its great
striking power makes it generally far too deadly for knockouts. Also,
unlike the morning star or planson, it comes with much less options
for hooking an opponent or making a thrusting attack against
him.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability:
Uncommon
Description:
A spike-headed metal impact weapon. Particularly popular for military
purposes, especially while fighting heavily armoured opponents. Not
commonly seen among most criminals or law enforcement members.
Best attacks: bludgeoning, thrusting
Drawbacks:
Being a military-grade weapon and one arguably specialised against
heavier armours, the morning star is hard to come by in the first
place. It is also a bit heavier than the average club and much harder
to conceal, which tends to put even many of the more boisterous
thieves off. The morning star is also simply too deadly to be used
for knockouts.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability:
Uncommon
Hammer
Description:
A simple hammer, as used in workshops, factories and in construction.
The humble hammer is a good all-around improvised melee weapon, and
can be seen as a bit of an “poor man's mace”. Due to their
assymentrical head shapes, hammers are one of the smallest
bludgeoning weapons that can be used for a hooking move at an
unsuspecting opponent.
Best attacks: bludgeoning
(including knockouts), hooking
Drawbacks: Though good
in emergency self-defence or the occassional rougher knockouts,
hammers are hardly perfect even for someone undemanding… They are
too small and weak to really have any effective use in a real fight,
against deadlier weaponry or people wearing armour. Though they can
be used for stealthy knockouts, they are less well-suited to these
than simpler clubs (especially if one wants to avoid a deadly head
concussion).
Stealthiness: Good / Average (depending on
the size)
Availability: Widespread
Description:
A large and heavy two-handed hammer, of the sort used for beating
stakes into the ground, and so on.
Best attacks:
bludgeoning
Drawbacks: Though the mallet can deal
truly devastating blows to unarmoured and armoured opponents alike,
its big size and huge weight make it a slow and ineffective weapon in
any fight, even against relatively few opponents. It is also
disadvantaged by its overspecialisation on just one type of
attack.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability:
Common
Metal piping club
Description:
One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced
into a tricky situation. It's just what it sounds like, no-frills - a
piece of metal pipe which you can use as a club. The general use and
performance is similar to wooden clubs, but the hardness and weight
of the material can make the humble metal pipe almost as devastating
as a proper metal mace.
Best attacks:
bludgeoning, thrusting
Drawbacks: It's a fairly
versatile improvised weapon, but it's main weakness lies in it
ultimately being not much more than a short shaft of metal. Due to
its metal nature, it is also nowhere near as nimble than wooden
bludgeoning weapons, especially smaller ones.
Stealthiness:
Average (while sneaking) / Average (while disguised as a
worker)
Availability: Widespread
Description:
One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced
into a tricky situation. Not much to say really, it's just your usual
fancier walking stick.
Best attacks: bludgeoning,
thrusting, swinging
Drawbacks: The cane offers a
fairly good variety of attacks, but the material it's usually
constructed from makes it too frail a tool or weapon to last in any
meaningful fight. Needless to say, while the cane can undoubtably
prove nasty in a good thrusting attack against someone, its weaker
structure makes it useless against anyone in armour, and its shorter
length compromises it for use in defensive parrying or swinging
attacks from a distance.
Stealthiness: Weak (while
sneaking) / Average to Good (while disguised as a civilian,
particularly an upper-class one)
Availability: Common
Description:
One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced
into a tricky situation. The longer shaft of the broom offers some
degree of polearm-like improvised self-defence, but not much. Other
than that, the broom is almost useless in a fight, though one can
attempt to swiftly strike an opponent with the straw part of the
broom to distract him for a few moments.
Best attacks:
Using the shaft similarly to a staff. Also, possibly trying to
distract with the straw end.
Drawbacks: Like the
staff, but usually less nimble, due to the thickness or irregularity
of the shaft (this depends on the exact typr of broom). Another
downside is the imbalance of the broom due to its straw end, setting
this potential weapon's balance off.
Stealthiness:
Terrible (while sneaking) / Average (while disguised as a
worker)
Availability: Widespread
Description:
One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced
into a tricky situation. One can generally think of the staff as a
longer variation on the cane. Their use is very similar, the only
factor making a difference being the different thickness and length.
A staff is usually thicker and sometimes harder than a cane, making
it a fairly good wooden club of larger size.
Best attacks: bludgeoning, thrusting, swinging
Drawbacks:
While a versatile weapon in a lightly-armed fight, it is not
particularly useful in a fight against much sturdier and deadlier
weaponry, or against people in armour. It is much better at swinging
attacks from a distance than a cane, and is usually thicker enough to
last longer, but face-to-face with tough metal weapons, the staff
eventually loses.
Stealthiness: Weak (while sneaking) /
Average to Good (while disguised as almost any civilian)
Availability:
Widespread
Description: One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can
use if forced into a tricky situation. The longer shaft of the shovel
offers some degree of polearm-like improvised self-defence.
Best attacks: Bludgeoning with the flat part of the blade, bludgeoning
with the edges of the blade, using the shaft similarly to a
staff.
Drawbacks: The blade of the shovel makes it a
good impromptu metal club on a long handle, but as most shovel blades
aren't particularly sharp, it has limited use in chopping or
thrusting attacks against an adversary.
Stealthiness:
Terrible (while sneaking) / Average (while disguised as a worker)
Availability:
Widespread
Description:
One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced
into a tricky situation. Spades generally have a shorter shaft than a
shovel, making them less useful for polearm-like improvised
self-defence. However, they are much better for impromptu thrusting
or chopping attacks than a shovel.
Best attacks:
Bludgeoning with the flat part of the blade, chopping with the sharp
part of the blade, thrusting with the tip of the blade.
Drawbacks:
They are generally better than a shovel for improvised melee combat,
but their shorter shafts put them at a disadvantage if one wants to
use them in the vein of a polearm.
Stealthiness: Terrible
(while sneaking) / Average (while disguised as a worker)
Availability:
Widespread
Description:
One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced
into a tricky situation. Purely in terms of use, paddles and oars are
largely the same as the shovel, making them something of a “wet
version” of that improvised weapon.
Best attacks:
Bludgeoning with the blade of the paddle, using the shaft similarly
to a staff.
Drawbacks: As paddles and oars in Aporue
are manufactured only from wood, their blade simply aren't sharp
enough to be used for an effective chopping or thrusting attack,
making them little more than glorified huge wooden clubs with a long
shaft.
Stealthiness: Terrible (while sneaking) / Average
(while disguised as a sailor or bargee)
Availability:
Uncommon
----
2.) BLADED WEAPONS
Along with bludgeoning weapons, bladed weapons are some of the commonest in the personal arsenals of professional thieves. This list offers a look into some of the most common and most effective, some of them improvised, some purpose-built. As with many other weapons used by thieves, the rule of thumb points primarily to the use of weapons of smaller size, greater concealability and simpler wielding.
a.) Knives
Training dagger
Description:
Training weapon. Double-edged unsharpened/blunted dagger.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Stealthiness:
Not used outside of guild grounds.
Availability: Not
used outside of guild grounds.
Description:
A primitive, simple bladed weapon, constructed from improvised
materials and focused on stabbing attacks.
Best attacks:
stabbing
Drawbacks: A well-made shiv can be better
than nothing, but all shivs share the drawback of generally being
made from inferior materials (usually by prisoners or the lowest of
criminals). Some shivs can be rather brittle, and they are all are
useless in a swordfight and in knife fights where stabbing isn't a
preferrable attack style.
Stealthiness: Average / Good
(depending on size)
Availability: Common
Description:
A simple, single-edged kitchen-style knife, used for cutting
ingredients (e.g. meats, vegetables) for cooking.
Best attacks: stabbing, slashing, cutting
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability:
Widespread
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: cutting, stabbing
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability:
Common
Description:
A very small (and cheap) single-edged personal knife,easily
concealable in a pocket, often with a folding blade.
Best attacks: stabbing, slashing
Drawbacks: A sneaky
bladed weapon or bladed tool at best. Useless in a swordfight or even
a real knife fight, given its very small size. Lacks a proper hilt
due to its construction. It also needs to be folded out first before
attempting combat.
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability:
Common
Description:
A medium-sized (and fairly cheap) singl-edged personal knife, easily
concealable in a pocket, often with a folding blade.
Best attacks: stabbing, cutting
Drawbacks: A sneaky
bladed weapon or bladed tool that, unlike the penny knife, is
somewhat sturdier and more powerful, making it more useful in a real
knife fight. However, it's still useless in a swordfight. Some types
might lack a proper hilt due to their construction. They also need to
be folded out first before attempting combat.
Stelathiness:
Excellent
Availability: Common
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability:
Uncommon
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability:
Uncommon
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Widespread
Type:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability:
Common
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Rare
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability:
Common
Description:
A single-edged straight knife, often with one to three shorter crossbars at the front of its hilt.
A close cousin to the messer swords, except for not extending to the siye of a short sword.
It is a larger elongated knife that can be used as a bladed weapon for basic self-defence. It often includes a third branch on its crossguard (a "nagel"), similarly to many messers.
The bauernwehr (originally a Lokytian term, for "Farmer/Peasant weapon", "Farmer/Peasant blade") is not an entirely commonplace knife among the peoples in the countries of central Aporue. It is most common among wealthier rural peasants or wealthier townsmen, especially those who can't afford a short sword or most types of daggers, but want to own a bladed weapon that can be used for self-defence against shorter bladed weapons and against assaults and robberies by highwaymen or other bandits.
Best attacks: thrusting, cutting, slashing
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Common
Description:
A dougle-edged defensive sidearm and sapper/woodsman tool carried by
plenty of men in modern Aporuean ground forces and gendarmeries,
including the Melzan army and the Frontiersmen Corps. Fascine knives
are either oversized daggers that can be used as smallish
shortswords, or smallish shortswords that can be used as oversized
daggers. Take your pick…
Best attacks:
thrusting, cutting, chopping
Drawbacks: Being
military-issue multipurpose utility daggers, fascine knives are
actually quite balanced weapons. Their biggest downside is their
generally very limited availability. This is because they're
unavailable to the public, and are used almost solely in Melza's
armed forces, or in the Frontiersmen Corps (the state's gendarmerie).
In those two defence organisations, they are plentiful among
infantrymen (including some mounted infantry), but on the Melzan
black market, it's not that easy procuring one.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Uncommon
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: Rare
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: Rare
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: Rare
b.) Swords
Singlestick
Description:
Training weapon. A mock single-edged, straight one-handed sword,
made of wood and completely blunt.
Best attacks:
cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks: Useless in an
actual fight against anyone.
Stealthiness: Not used
outside of guild grounds.
Availability: Not used outside of guild
grounds.
Dussack
Description:
Training weapon. Mock single-edged, straight or slightly curved
one-handed sword, made of steel and with a generally unsharpened
blade. (Depending on the training needs, there might be sharpened
specimens as well.) Used for advanced single-edged sword training,
especially for shorter single-edged swords (messers, hangers,
etc.).
Best attacks: cutting, slashing,
thrusting
Drawbacks: Useless in an actual fight against
anyone.
Stealthiness: Not used outside of guild
grounds.
Availability: Not used outside of guild
grounds.
Description:
Training weapon. A mock double-edged, straight one-handed or
two-handed sword, made of wood and completely blunt.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks:
Useless in an actual fight against anyone.
Stealthiness:
Not used outside of guild grounds.
Availability: Not used outside of guild
grounds.
Federschwert (Feder)
Description:
Training weapon. Double-edged, straight two-handed sword with a
unsharpened and modified blade.
Best attacks:
cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks: Useless in an
actual fight against anyone.
Stealthiness: Not used
outside of guild grounds.
Availability: Not used outside of guild
grounds.
Description: Single-edged, slightly curved, one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks:
TBA.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Rare
Description: Single-edged, slightly curved, one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, chopping
Drawbacks: Lack of a crossguard.
Stealthiness: Good (shorter forms) / Average (longer
forms)
Availability: Rare
Description:
Small, single-edged, straight-bladed or slightly curved, one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting,
thrusting
Drawbacks: Though it's a small and
well-concealable cutting sword, this is very much a civilian weapon
that's intended more for hunting and woodcraft, rather than any sort
of combat, military or otherwise. While it is a cheaply acquirable
bladed weapon for a thief, it's not exactly an ideal choice by any
means. Average thrusting attack.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Common
Billhook
Description:
Single-edged, straight and slightly curved chopping knife.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping, slashing
Drawbacks:
Manoeuvrable, but overall not very powerful. The blade offers a
hooking attack and limited thrusting attack, but cannot be used for
stabbing. Can be quite effective against unarmoured opponents, but is
useless against armoured ones. More of an larger knife and tool than
a sword. Excellent for kitchenwork and butchering, but not much for
fighting.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability:
Common
Description:
Single-edged, straight or slightly curved chopping knife.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping
Drawbacks: Though it
can cut very nicely and clearly, it is not that poweful. Mediocre
thrusting attack. Can be quite effective against unarmoured
opponents, but is useless against armoured ones. More of an larger
knife and tool than a sword. Excellent for woodcraft, but not much
for fighting.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability:
Uncommon
Description:
Single-edged, short and robust chopping knife.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping
Drawbacks: Though it
can cut very nicely and clearly, it is generally very unwieldy. That
makes it more of an emergency blade, and the lack of a thrusting
attack also discourages its use. Can be quite effective against
unarmoured opponents, but just barely works against armoured ones.
More of an larger knife and tool than a sword. Excellent for
kitchenwork and butchering, but not much for fighting.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Widespread
Description:
Single-edged, robust, straight or slightly curved one-handed
shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting,
chopping
Drawbacks: Its weight, shorter reach and
limited-to-none thrusting attack. However, it is a genuine sword,
unlike the more unwieldy cleaver, billhook or machete, and is small
enough and cheap enough to serve as a shortsword for a thief.
Stealthiness: Average (heavier forms) / Good (lighter
forms)
Availability: Common
Description:
Single-edged, straight one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks:
It is not particularly poweful, is useless against armoured opponents
and as a military weapon, but otherwise, it's one of the best types
of shortsword a thief could hope for.
Stealthiness:
Excellent
Availability: Widespread / Common (depending
on region)
Description:
Single-edged, straight or slightly curved, one-handed
shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, thrusting,
draw-cutting
Drawbacks: Average capability for
thrusting attacks, the curvature of the blade seen in some specimens
needs getting used to and rethinking one's style of swordfigting.
Great against unarmoured opponents, but not good against armoured
ones. Short reach of the blade. Usually doesn’t
have handguards as developed as those of cutlasses.
Stealthiness:
Good (smaller forms) / Average (larger forms)
Availability:
Common
Description:
Single-edged, curved, one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, draw-cutting
Drawbacks: Minimal
capability for thrusting attacks, curvature of the blade needs
getting used to and rethinking one's style of swordfigting. Great
against unarmoured opponents, but not good against armoured ones.
Short reach of the blade.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability:
Uncommon
Description:
Vychádzková palica so stredne dlhou, ukrytou, dvojsečnou
čepeľou.
Best attacks: slashing,
thrusting
Drawbacks: Like many novelty weapons (melee
arms included), the swordcane is not a particularly poweful or
effective form of armament, but it has its use in personal defence or
surprise attacks.
Stealthiness: Excellent (while
concealed)
Availability: Uncommon
Description:
Double-edged, straight one-handed sword.
Best attacks:
cutting, chopping, thrusting
Drawbacks: Only moderate
length and thus shorter reach. Not as powerful or elegantly usable as
a longsword, but otherwise fairly versatile (even when fighting with
a shield).
Stealthiness: Average
Availability:
Widespread
Description:
Double-edged, straight one-handed sword, with added rings.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping, thrusting
Drawbacks:
Only moderate length and thus shorter reach. Not as powerful or
elegantly usable as a longsword, but otherwise fairly versatile (even
when fighting with a shield).
Stealthiness:
Average
Availability: Common
Katzbalger
Description:
Double-edged, straight one-handed sword.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping, thrusting
Drawbacks:
Short reach, larger and heavier than a messer. Quite expensive and at
the top end of practical shortswords for most thieves.
Stealthiness:
Good
Availability: Common
Hand-and-a-half sword
Description:
Double-edged, straight hand-and-a-half sword, with a somewhat elongated handle compared to a usual one-handed double-edged sword. A versatile sword, used mainly one-handed, but capable of two-handed blows, while still practical on horseback. Sometimes nicknamed a "bastard sword". An intermediate sword between a one-handed arming sword, sidesword, etc., and a mostly two-handed longsword.
Best attacks:
cutting, chopping, thrusting
Drawbacks: Only moderate
length and thus shorter reach. Not as powerful or elegantly usable as
a longsword, but otherwise fairly versatile (even when fighting with
a shield).
Stealthiness: Average
Availability: Common
Description:
Double-edged, straight, largelly two-handed sword. Can be wielded
one-handed (if there's no choice), but is usually wielded by both hands. Due to its two-handed nature, it's not used in tandem with shields and is generally not used on horseback.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping, thrusting
Drawbacks:
Size/length, weight, low conceilability. Impractical for non-guards
and other figures outside of security.
Stealthiness:
Terrible
Availability: Common / Uncommon (depending on
region)
Description:
Single-edged, straight, hand and a half sword. Can be wielded
one-handed, but is usually wielded by both hands.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks:
Size/length, weight, low conceilability. Impractical for non-guards
and other figures outside of security.
Stealthiness:
Terrible
Availability: Common / Uncommon (depending on
region)
Description:
Double-edged, straight, narrower-bladed, one-handed sword. Mainly a self-defence and duelling weapon. Perfectly capable of cutting, but focused more on thrusting attacks than cutting attacks.
Best attacks: thrusting, slashing
Drawbacks: Weaker
cutting attack, no chopping attack, somewhat frailer, useless against
armoured opponents or in fighting a larger group. Not a bad sword for
personal defence and duelling, but not very good for actual
fighting.
Stealthiness: Weak (longer forms) / Average
(shorter forms)
Availability: Uncommon
Description:
Double-edged, straight, wider-bladed, one-handed sword. Its most unique feature is its largelly enclosed basket hilt, proving excellent protection for the hand and wrist of the sword hand. The subtle crossguard and sturdy basket hilt of the sword is even used in some of its parrying techniques. (The basket-hilted swords seen in Melza and elsewhere in central Aporue are mainly based on the real world schiavona basket-hilts from the coastal countries of the Adriatic Sea.)
Best attacks: thrusting, slashing
Drawbacks: Weak
chopping attack, generally useless against armoured opponents. Not a
bad sword for personal defence and duelling, but not very good for
actual fighting.
Stealthiness: Weak (longer forms) /
Average (shorter forms)
Availability: Common
Description:
Single-edged, curved, one-handed sword.
Best attacks:
cutting, slashing
Drawbacks: Barely any capability for
thrusting attacks, curvature of the blade needs getting used to and
rethinking one's style of swordfigting. Great against unarmoured
opponents, but not good against armoured ones. Some larger sabres are
better suited to cavalry combat. Impractical for non-guards and other
figures outside of security.
Stealthiness:
Weak
Availability: Common / Uncommon
Backsword
Description:
Single-edged, straight or only slightly curved one-handed
sword.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing,
chopping
Drawbacks: Somewhat heavier than a sabre,
still lacks a satisfying thrusting attack, better suited for
horseback combat than on-foot fighting, largely useless against
armoured opponents. Impractical for non-guards and other figures
outside of security.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability:
Common / Uncommon
A small glossary of bladed weapon parts:
hilt
- the handle of the sword (or a dagger, etc.) in its entirety. Some
newer types of swords in Aporue have more elaborate “basket hilts”
for added protection of the wielder's hand, while older and more
robust types of swords usually have a simpler crossguard.
grip
- as the name implies, the section of the sword hilt which is the
handle proper, i.e. which one grips the sword with, whether with one
hand or two (depending on the type of sword).
guard
- the guard serves as a barrier between the grip section of the hilt
and the blade of the weapon itself. Though many bladed weapons tend
to have an added ricasso in front of the guard, the guard is useful
not only from preventing one's hands from slipping forwards onto the
blade, but also serves as a key protective measure against an
opponent's blade sliding towards a sword-wielder's hilt. The
crossguard
is the simplest and commonest of guards seen in swords, daggers,
etc., but there are also other and more elaborate versions, and some
had eventually evolved into the ornate basket guards seen on some
newer types of Aporuean swords.
pommel
- a fitting at the end of the hilt, to prevent the sword slipping
from the hand. Comes in many shapes and sizes, but is usually large
enough to provide a comfortable barrier for one's hand(s) while
holding the weapon.
fuller - the
groove on the blade of many bladed weapons, most commonly
double-edged swords, bayonets and certain types of knives and
daggers. Very often incorrectly called a “blood groove”, which is
a term people probably got out of Aporuean penny dreadfuls rather
than any real swordfigting manual.
ricasso
- an unsharpened length of blade just above the guard or handle on a
knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet.
single-edged
- a blade that is sharpened only on one of its edges, giving it
something of an asymmetrical look. This is most typical for various
curved swords and other curved blades (e.g. sabres, yatagans), but it
does occur in straight-shaped blades as well (e.g. messers,
backswords).
double-edged - a blade that
is sharpened on both of its edges, giving the blade a symmetrical
appearance. This type of blade is the one virtually everyone imagines
first when the words “sword” and “dagger” are brought up in
conversation. All arming swords, most of the regularly shaped daggers
and most shortswords and longswords fall under this
definition.
cutting - pretty much the
commonest form of swinging attack that one can achieve with most
types of bladed weapons, swords included (however, certain types of
daggers are geared primarily for thrusting/stabbing). While cutting
into an opponent can be problematic if he's wearing sturdy enough
armour - especially metal armour - the goal of this attack is to cut
into the opponent's body and deal him some more serious harm. Cutting
through anything up to mail armour is possible, but all armour types
above that are virtually invulnerable to classic cutting swings with
a blade.
slashing - a swinging attack
weaker than a cut, that nevertheless leaves a wound on the opponent
or dents his clothing or armour. Slashing is impossible to do on any
adversaries clad in metal armour, but is a valid move against
unarmoured opponents and can still work against opponents in armour
based on cloth or leather.
thrusting -
a stabbing attack with the tip of a weapon, usually referred to by
this name in the case of swords. Stabbing with knives and daggers is
simply stabbing, though it is still technically thrusting. One
wielding tactic that can help increase the effectiveness of thrusting
is half-swording.
chopping - an attack
similar in basic motion to an attack with an axe, but with a bladed
weapon. Instead of a more refined cutting or slashing attack, one
uses his sword as one would use an axe - the blow or swing is
delivered from a certain height, with great power, and with gravity
and the weight of the sword providing the conditions for a chop. Only
larger and heavier blades can really attempt this attack
effectivelly.
half-swording - a
particular type of semi-improvised attack possible with more robust
swords, where the wielder grabs the blade of the sword with at least
one hand and uses it to add precision to his thrusts, swings or
blocks. A ricasso on the blade makes this easier, but even a sharp
blade can be held by a hand without getting cut. A rarer and even
more impromptu form of half-swording is when one grabs the blade with
both hands and tries to hit his opponent with the sword hilt, in the
manner of a club or mace.
shortsword -
some people speak of shortswords as if they were one standardised
type of weapon, but they are actually just an umbrella term for a
whole family of smaller one-handed swords with shorter blades. These
swords run the typological gamut from single-edged to double-edged,
and differ in weight, blade shape, hilt construction, attack
specialisation, etc. A katzbalger, falchion and yatagan are
definitely not the same type of weapon. Due to the size, practicality
and general inexpensiveness of most shortswords, they are the most
favoured sword family among thieves and other criminals in Aporue
(including Melza).
arming sword and sidesword -
always one-handed and always double-edged sword. Something of a size,
length and wielding compromise between shortswords and longswords,
but a very good compromise nonetheless. Arming swords are common
throughout Aporue, and in Melza and elsewhere, you can see them being
used by security forces as well as thieves and other criminals.
hand-and-a-half sword - an intermediate sword (especially in terms of grip and blade length) between a one-handed sword (e.g. an arming sword, sidesword) and a two-handed sword (e.g. a longsword, or larger infantry-only greatsword, two-hander). Generally, a hand-and-a-half sword is mostly wielded one-handed (both on foot and on horseback), but can also be used two-handed, for extra powerful cuts and blows (only on foot). Rarer than arming swords and sideswords, but both the thieving world and law enforcement have uses for a hand-and-a-half.
longsword - slightly less of an umbrella term than
“shortsword”, the longsword nevertheless comes in several notable
varieties. However, the most common form is still the longer
double-edged sword that is capable of being wielded by both
hands (usually), as well as just one hand (more in an emergency), and comes
equipped with a simple crossguard at the root of the hilt. In the
thieving world, longswords generally have little use outside of guild
guards and the like, but in the world of law enforcement and the
military, they are common.
curved swords
- umbrella term for various swords with a curved blade from around
the world. V Aporue medzi tieto patria šabľa, kordelas, paloš,
jatagán, niektoré tesáky, atď., but also some more exotic weapons
from more distant parts of the world, such as the tantō. Curved
swords can often fall into both shortsword and longsword categories,
depending on their sizes and styles of wielding.
----
3.) POLEARMS
Polearms
are among the cheapest and most easy to manufacture weapons in the
proper sense of the word. However, as one might expect, the vast
majority of polearms are too big or long in size to be in any way
stealthy, and therefore are not really practical to the average
thief. Especially not in an urban environment. Only some of the very
smallest polearms form something of an exception to this, but even
these are used only sparingly. Polearms are more useful while
adventuring in the wilderness, but even there, it depends on the
choice of weapon (as some of the bigger polearm types are very
defensively focused and not easy to wield). Generally, the commonest
users of polearms in the thieving community are those who specialise
in security - usually Guards and Brigands. Outside of thieves,
polearms are popular among the guarding duty elements of the City
Watch, and to an extent, among some members of the Frontiersmen
Corps.
Hatchet
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Fokoš (s dlhšou rúčkou)
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Axe
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Battle axe
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Bardiche
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Pollaxe (Bec de faucón, Falcon's beak)
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Halberd
Description:
Násadová zbraň, spájajúca hlavicu sekery s ostňom
a hákovitým chvostom. Nosená a používaná výlučne
pechotou, u vojenstva aj poriadkových služieb. Príbuzná
kosierov a sudlíc. Jej vystužená drevená násada má osemuholníkový prierez, pre ľahšie ovládanie polohy jej čepele alebo háku.
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Glaive (and Glaive-guisarme)
Description: Násadová
zbraň s podlhovastou čepeľou pripomínajúcou nôž alebo
podobné rezné čepele, ojedinele aj čepeľ rovnej kosy s obráteným
ostrím. Gléva je príbuznou vojenských kôs, kosierov a sovní.
Dá sa opísať ako kopija s jednosečným hrotom. Glévy s pridanými prvkami na čepeli (spravidla ostňovitými)
zastupujú variácie známe ako gizarmové glévy.
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Bill (and Bill-guisarme)
Description: Polearm so širšou asymetrickou čepeľou, spravidla zakončenou
v tvare zakriveného, zobákovitého háku, a krátkym
ostňom na chrbte čepele. Čepeľ kosiera bola pôvodne inšpirovaná
a tvarovo odvodená od poľnohospodárskych nástrojov (kosierov
a kosierikov). Kosier je príbuzným glév a vojenských
kôs, a vzdialenejšie aj halapartní a sudlíc. Prítomnosť
dodatočných ostňov a hákov je typická pre gizarmové
variácie, teda gizarmové kosiere.
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Voulge
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Wooden rod
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Metal rod
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Hunting spear
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Harpoon
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Rohatina (Bear-hunting spear)
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Boar spear
Description: A simple
spear with a broad, leaf-shaped blade and a cross-toggle below.
Originally used in boar hunting, it later gained a military role as
well.
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Description:
TBA
Najlepšie útoky: TBA
Nedostatky:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Partisan (also here)
Description: A
polearm with a symmetrical double-edged central blade, often highly
decorated. Though usable as a spear, it is mostly carried as a
ceremonial arm by officers and bodyguards.
Najlepšie útoky:
TBA
Nedostatky: TBA
Kradmosť: TBA
Dostupnosť: TBA
Pitchfork
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Military fork (also here)
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Warscythe (Fauchard)
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Sovnya
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Goedendag
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Pollhammer (Bec de corbin, Crow's beak)
Description:
TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
----
----
4.) SHIELDS
At
this point in Aporuean history, shields are a piece of weaponry that
is on its way out. To add to that, shields aren't a major bit of
armament among thieves at all. The rare exception to this are
occassionally guards of thief guilds, or swordfighters that like to
fight with a smaller shield for parrying in one hand and a bladed
weapon in the other.
Wooden buckler
Description: A small shield, useful for basic self-defence and sparring/duelling. This
is the more traditional variant of the buckler, essentially a small
wooden shield with a cupola-shaped shield boss at its centre.
Best defence: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Steel buckler
Description: A small
shield, useful for basic self-defence and sparring/duelling. This is
the newer but now ever more popular variant of the buckler, made
entirely of steel. It is the only Aporuean shield made entirely of
metal (purely due to its smaller size and resulting smaller weight than
larger shields).
Best defence: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Targe
Description: A larger shield, this one is most popular for recreational sparring and tournaments, rather than serious combat.
Best defence: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Cloth-covered round shield
Description: Okrúhly štít s pláteným poťahom na jeho vonkajšej strane.
Best defence: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Cloth-covered heater shield
Description: Motyčkový štít s pláteným poťahom na jeho vonkajšej strane.
Best defence: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Hide-covered round shield
Description: A round shield with a sheet of hardy rawhide applied to its outer side.
Best defence: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Hide-covered heater shield
Description: A heater shield with a sheet of hardy rawhide applied to its outer side.
Best defence: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Steel-covered round shield
Description: A round shield with a thin sheet of steel applied to its outer side.
Best defence: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
Steel-covered heater shield
Description: A heater shield with a thin sheet of steel applied to its outer side.
Best defence: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks:
TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: TBA
----
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.
----
Copyright
(C) 2017 - 2024 P. Molnár
(C) 2017 - 2024 Knight-Errant Studios
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