monkeygod enterprises - from stone to steel

From Stone to SteelCCrreeddiittss

Written by: Aaron StimsonEditor: David K. Hurd & Kle Hall

Cover Art: Allan Pollack Interior Art: Weapons & Armor Jim Branch, Vignettes Fred Rawles

Graphic Design: Lawrence Whalen Jr.Production: David K. Hurd & Lawrence Whalen Jr.

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© 2003 MonkeyGod Enterprises LP. For information concerning what constitutes Product Identity and Open Gaming Content refer to the License page.

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Introduction 3

Sticks and Stones 5

Chariots of Bronze 35

Iron and Empire 61

Rome 82

The Far East 117

A Dark Age, A Golden Age 186

Pagentry, Platemail, and Pistols 225

Myth and Magic 272

Materials 291

Appendix 304

Master Tables 313

Index 338

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Introduction

Welcome. You hold in your hands the product of hundredsof years of research, based on thousands of years of test-

ing, application, refinement, and innovation. From the dawn ofmankind to the modern age, human existence has been a testa-ment to the struggle for survival and the will to overcome obsta-cles. Though this book is far too small to dedicate to the wholeof the human experience, it will focus on one aspect of that expe-rience. It will attempt to chronicle the development of arms andarmor over the span of human existence, from the time of Prehis-toric Man to the Renaissance Period. We will try to encompassthe diversity of weapons and armor across the globe and throughcivilizations, and make their development, significance, and useclear and available. And we will attempt to allow you insightinto the art of warfare, from its most primal to its most elegant.

This book should be considered a supplemental source book forany D20 product. It provides new material for use in any cam-paign world or setting that is written within the limits of the D20product line, and is completely compatible with the Dungeons andDragons Players Handbook. It should provide you with valuablesource material, ideas, and applications, to make your gameworlds more real, or merely to spice them with interesting culturalor historical accents. Moreover, this book should be a jumping

point for Players and DMs alike, allowing them new inspirationsand insights into the craft of war, and, in turn, the craft of peace.

Why From Stone to Steel?

No role-playing game on the market can afford to beexhaustive in one area to the exclusion of another. Pub-

lishers and writers need to choose carefully which elements ofa work are unnecessary, or extraneous. In most fantasy role-playing games the authors seek to make each element uniqueand indispensable. If two spells do the same thing, with onlyminor differences, why maintain them as two different spells.If a snee and a stiletto do relatively similar damage, why dupli-cate the listing? Thus daggers are often grouped into onegroup, given a uniform set of statistics, and a basic cost. Thisis a useful and important to the RPG writer, and prevents thegame from becoming awkward and unwieldy.

There is no such limitation on supplemental material. By itsvery nature, supplemental material can be as extensive as itchooses to be. DMs, in the end, can decide how much of thesupplemental material they wish to use, and how much they wish

FFrroomm SSttoonnee ttoo SStteeeell

to leave alone.

This, in turn, allows us to add realism and depth to our gameworlds.

One of the best ways to make a game world really come alive isto give it history. We often attempt to envision new and fantasticworlds, far different from our own, where people can do whatwe only dream of, and where the enemies they face are equallyimpressive and detailed. But we always tend to base our fan-tasies on something we’ve read, something we’ve heard, some-thing we’ve experienced. This is because those familiarelements in our fantasy experience give our players commonpoints of understanding, common frames of reference, land-marks to guide ourselves in an unfamiliar realm. Those whoexperiment with historical gaming or pseudo-historical gamingoften find the experience entrancing. The depth of materialavailable from actual history is immense, and the variations ofour own world are often stranger than any fantasy we can indi-vidually imagine. It is our hope that while looking through thisbook you will discover some facet of history, some period oftime, some exotic weapon that you had no idea existed, or per-haps just never viewed in the light we present.

Because history, especially shared history, has a depth that canmake your two-dimensional fantasy world into a fully fleshed,multi-dimensional experience.

One of the reasons we drape this tapestry of arms and armor onthe frame of history is to show the rationale of why a specificweapon or armor is used, why a material is used, or why it tooka certain form. The purpose of this book isn’t to restrict theusage of these items only to the historical settings we describe.The point of source material is to provide the DM with sourcesof inspiration, not confine them. As you pause on an illustrationor a specific description in this text, think about other ways tomake use of the same item in your campaign world. Perhaps theGnolls in your campaign world are rudimentary savages, huntingby simple pack tactics and wielding prehistoric stone weapons.Or maybe the neighboring kingdom survives on slave labor, andits able-bodied men are in service to the crown for most of theirproductive lives, like in Sparta. Or perhaps you desire to mixhistorical themes and cultures in unexpected ways, maybe hav-ing Vikings encounter a well-established Incan empire, or WarElephants in your Medieval Europe-like world.

This book will provide you with enough material to do that: Andmore.

From Stone to Steel should, in fact, provide a benchmark, a viableway to allow cross period or genre gaming. What you find withinshould allow you to simulate war and combat in any fantasyrealm you can imagine, and give you the tools to merge radicallydifferent periods. Using all the materials within will allow Baby-lonian Soldiers to fight Japanese Samurai, with realistic and fairguidelines to determine such outcomes. Envision a world whereelegant drow wield rapiers and wheel lock pistols against hordesof wode-covered dwarven barbarians? We’ll give you rules andideas aplenty. From the simple rock to the primitive hand mortars

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of the Renaissance period, from the lion skin to the full plate mailsuit, all weapons and armor will be written and measured by thesame scales, and balanced equally.In short, even if it never happened historically, if you want todo it, you can.

What Is This Book?

From Stone to Steel is a historical record of the evolution ofarms and armor over time. It draws from many exhaustive

works, examining tactics, materials, developments, social stim-uli, even dead end concepts, and works to express their impacton the art of warfare and the cultures that used them. This bookmay not necessarily take you through every battle of Rome, butit will talk about the changes that Rome brought to war, the for-mation of the Legionnaires, the tactics and innovations theyused, and the impact that Rome had on later society. It will alsoexplore the unique armaments of minor cultures, like the sharktooth weaponry and armors of certain Pacific Islander cultures,or the hunting weapons of Australian Aboriginal people.

From Stone to Steel contains rules that can make weapons andarmor more realistic. It also contains new rules additions todiversify combat, and introduces subtle new concepts to spice itup. You will find new skill concentrations for existing skills andnew knowledge skills. And there will also be new feats to learn,and new prestige and NPC classes available. In the FantasyAppendix, you will also find new guidelines for enchantment,construction materials, spells, and new artifacts and magicalitems.

And then, of course, there are the weapons and armors them-selves.

How To Use This Book

Use this book to deepen your current campaign world. Eachrule, item, and concept we introduce here becomes a tool

for you to develop your campaign the way you want to. It ourintent that any new rules we introduce will not overwhelm thealready elegant mechanism of the D20 system, but insteadenhance it. Thus, everything in this book builds on what is dis-cussed before. Materials, weapons development, tactics, each ofthese things are refined over time, and so it is in the book.

This does not mean, however, that you have to include every-thing that we give you in your game. Each concept, rule, skill, orclass will be listed independently, so that you can include orexclude items as you see fit. If the durability system is difficultfor you, you may still use the fantasy stats of your favoriteweapons with our blessing. If the barbed weapon rules seem toopowerful, you can bypass them and still use the rest of the book.This book should be a resource, not a hindrance, and it is writtenwith that express intent in mind.

Sticks and Stones

Prehistory 6Sticks and Stones 7Animal Resources 7Further Refinements 8Technological Advances 9Shields 11

The Pack Mentality 11War, Infection, and the Dead 12

First Aid & Healing 13Table 1-1: Amputation 13Natural Ingenuity 14

Native American Developments 14Native American Weapons 14Native American Armor 17

Meso American Developments 19The Aztecs 19Table 1-2: Eagle Knight 21Other Aztec Orders 23

Table 1-3: Jaguar Knight 23Meso American Weapons 24Meso American Armor 26

Islander Developments 26Polynesian Weapons 27Polynesian Armor 27

African Developments 28European Developments 29Other (Australia, Asia, etc.) 30

Aborigines 30Asia 30

Forces of Change 31Leather 31The Science of Warfare 31Table 1-4: Stone Age Weapons 32Table 1-5: Stone Age Armor 34

5


They were there. Just at the edge of its vision. Strange,indistinct shapes, crouched behind brush or standing in tallgrass. Too long and thin, supported by two spindly legs,smelly. Some stood upwind from it, and it tasted strangescents of animal fat and char. There were also smallerforms, moving restlessly among the taller ones; smell likealmost-wolves.

Why were they here? Why did they watch it?

It resumed its scratching, rubbing its hide against the treebark, trying to reach the spot on its flank that itched. Itpaused to strip bark away from the tree with its tusks andtrunk, then scratched again.

There was a loud noise behind it. It turned around, to seemore of the frail creatures, yelling and cavorting. Lowersounds drifted among them, and they began to approach alittle, coming into view.

Hairy faces and hairy bodies. Skins like antelope, wilde-beest, even plains lion, hung loose about them. They hadlong sticks in their hands, and waved them. Almost-wolvesran around their feet.

What did they think they were doing? They couldn’t possi-bly think they could threaten it.

Something bit it in the flank. It shivered on the impact.Then another, higher up, more to the right. Stings. Pain. Itturned, growing angry. What bit it?

Strange long thin sticks flew at it, some tickling as theyskidded across its rough skin. One tore at the skin of its ear.Pain! It moved forward a little, listening to the sounds ofthe yelling creatures behind it, looking for why the stickswere flying, and where from.

More of the strange creatures were the culprits, doing some-thing that made the small sticks jump far distances at it. Anumber now bit in its shoulders, but the damage was superfi-cial, mostly just a little pain. It would show these creatureswhy they should not attack it. It lowered its tusks, and beganto walk more purposefully towards them.

The creatures behind it suddenly began to move quicklytowards its flank. Something was wrong. These creatures werehunting like jackals. And if small sticks were all they had,they could not hope to hurt it. The almost-wolves snapped atits hind legs. It was being hunted! It trumpeted in warning.

The small sticks still flew, and then a few of the creaturesstood and hurled larger sticks at it. These bounced off of itsskin, but now it was quite angry and flustered, and itcharged the creatures in front. The creatures began to runaway, but one was not quite fast enough, and its tusks slidacross its hide, knocking it to the side and away, but notpiercing the stolen skin. Still there were more noises from thecreatures, and now it knew they feared it.

This was the way it expected things to go. Let the strangecreatures know their place. The frail things disappeared

6

below a rise. It followed, determined to gore a few, so the restwould be warned away.

But over the rise it found a steep drop, and the ground itcharged onto was loose. Its own weight began to push theearth from beneath; it lurched forward, off balance, anddown a cliff-face into a ravine.

It landed on its side, and felt bone splinter. The pain wasincredible. It labored to breathe. The strange creatures gath-ered on the cliff above, and began to drop large rocks down.Some struck it, stunning it, breaking more bones. Ropes werelowered down, and a few of the creatures descended them.They climbed like baboons, but with less cleverness. Whenthey reached the ground, they approached, their sticks raisedlike tusks, their pace careful. It watched them, and tried tomove, only to find that movement made the pain and thebreathing worse.

The creatures began to make more sounds amongst each other.The rocks slowed, but the pain did not. More creatures wereclimbing down, now. Some did not carry the big sticks, butinstead had strange, pointy rocks.

It shuddered, and fought the darkness that threatened it.But as the first of the creatures approached it, it knew itcould do no longer do anything against them.

Wood bit through flesh...

Prehistory

Prehistoric Man had a number of substantial disadvantages.He was not the top of the food chain. Though a pack animal,

he had no natural weapon to hunt with, such as claws or fangs,nor did he have any major physical defense, like a thick hide orprotective coloration. Without some form of physical adaptation,man needed to focus on what few advantages he did have.

Man was a pack species. Gregarious and prone to group iden-tity, man’s primary strength as a species came from its num-bers. By banding together, humans could accomplish more thanindividuals could, both in dealing with natural obstacles andwith hunting. Like all pack animals, man developed communi-cations, and this allowed him to coordinate movements over adistance, which made hunting more efficient, and allowedmore elaborate planning possible.

Man, as well, is an innovator. He is curious and imaginative, andthrough trial and error, persistence and drive, man is able to findnewer and better solutions to problems. If a water source is con-trolled by superior predators, man is likely to find better ways toaccess that water source, whether its finding the source, or find-ing a way to distract the predators to allow access. Eventuallymankind found ways to deal with those superior predators aswell, and improve their place on the food chain, eventually sepa-rating itself entirely from the natural order.

SSttiicckkss aanndd SSttoonneess

Sticks and StonesThe first weapons that mankind used were simple. They weretypically those things closest at hand, things that could befound wherever a person was. Typically this was sticks orstones. The best stones were those useable with a single hand,and preferably round ones, which flew best. Sticks were bestslightly flexible, so that they wouldn’t shatter or snap on use,and the straighter they were, the more useful, either to throw orto strike with. Sticks with too many bends were more likely tobreak, or to catch on things.

Rock, ThrowingThrowing rocks are generally considered diminutive in size. Ifa given stone is larger, the weight is obviously more, and it willdo more. A 30 lb. or better stone is suggested when droppingfrom 100 foot high cliffs.

Stick, Long (Quarterstaff)The proto spear/staff, a long stick is simply that, long andwooden. Although it could be thrown, it is not inherently aero-dynamic. Due to its length, it is a double weapon. You can fightwith it as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do you incurall the normal attack penalties associated with fighting withtwo weapons as if you are using a one-handed weapon and alight weapon. A creature using a double weapon in one hand,such as a Large creature using a long stick, cannot use it as adouble weapon.

Stick, Short (Club)The short stick is the first club. Usually stouter than a longstick, it doesn’t encumber the off hand.

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Animal ResourcesMankind, ever the innovator, was not content to stay withwhatever it found. People experimented. Since a portion ofman’s diet was meat, the portions of an animal that were inedi-ble were experimented with. Bones of larger prey were particu-larly effective as blunt weapons, or for making impalingweapons from. Tusks and teeth could be used to create stabbingor edged weapons. And hides from animals were often tougherthan human skin, and offered the chance to avoid an indirectblow. Furs and hides, thus, kept a person warm in the cold, andsafe from danger.

Club, BoneWhen wood is at a premium, bone may be a desirable substi-tute. Bone, although also brittle, is slightly more flexible thanwood, thus bone may last a tad longer than wood.

Spike, BoneBone can be shaped to form a point. The thrusting damage maynot cause as extensive wounding as a club might, but it has amuch better chance of striking something vital thus theimproved critical range.

TuskSometimes tusks need not be carved to form a point. Tusks area natural goring weapon, both for animals and for people.Shorter tusks may be carried like the bone spike, but do notrequire manufacturing. They may also be mounted on armor orshields, as per the rules on adding spikes to armor and shieldsin the Player’s Handbook. Damage by mounted tusks is 1d4.

1

7

6

54

3

2

Key: 1. Throwing Rock; 2. Long Stick (Quarterstaff); 3. Short Stick (Club); 4. Bone Club; 5.Spike Bone; 6. Long Tusk; 7. ShortTusk


Note that anyone attacking the spikes with a weapon leaveshimself open to an attack of opportunity.

Skin ArmorSkin armor is made from cured (but not tanned) animal skins,and usually only covers the torso and upper leg region of thebody. Flimsy, prone to molding and getting stiff, it is still betterthan just plain skin.

Furs and HidesThis kind of armor is similar to the skin armor above, but itconsists of layers of skins, some of which still possess the ani-mal hair. Very popular with the barbarian set, furs and skins arevery useful in cold climates. Unfortunately, their protectioncomes at the expense of a little maneuverability.

Further RefinementsCave paintings and archaeological evidence from many areasshow that prehistoric man developed a variety of weapons andtactics to improve hunting. Rocks began to be shaped for theiruse. Some were made sharp, so as to cut or stab. These became

8

the first knives, and these were primarily used for cutting upmeat.

Sticks were given points. These improved the damage whenthrown, or the defensive use of sticks, as a point could be usedto impale a charging opponent. At some point the trick of firehardening was learned. Wood, when held over a fire (but not init) eventually begins to blacken. People discovered that thisslightly scorched wood was harder than normal, and held apoint longer. This signified a definite step forward.

Knife, RockThis knife is really just a rock that has been chipped off a largerpiece to produce a sharp cutting edge.

Javelin, Primitive WoodenThis javelin is a wooden weapon with a carved point on eitherend. Usually thrown before a charge, javelins may be carried in along quiver. It can be used in melee, but since it was notdesigned for such, all characters are treated as non-proficient,conveying a -4 to all melee rolls.

Key: 8. Skin Armor; 9. Furs and Skins; 10. Rock Knife; 11. Wooden Javelin; 12. Wooden Spear; 13. Hardened Wood Javelin; 14.Hardened Wood Spear

89

10

11, 13

12, 14


Spear, Primitive WoodenThis spear is a weapon, between 4–5 feet in length, with a sharp-ened head. It tends to be slightly thicker than the javelin, anddoes not fly as far. The spear can be readied against a charge, andit may also be used as a double damage weapon if set against acharge. This weapon is the premiere weapon of its age.

Javelin, Primitive Wooden HardenedSimilar in description to the primitive wooden javelin (above),this version has been hardened by fire, and is more durable. Itwill take more abuse before needing to be replaced. As withother javelins, it can be used in melee, but since it was notdesigned for such, all characters are treated as non-proficient,conveying a -4 to all melee rolls.

Spear, Primitive Wooden HardenedThis spear is similar in description to the primitive woodenspear (above), however this version has been fire-hardened andis more durable as a result.

Technological Advances Later, primitive man began to put different materials and con-cepts together. Archaeological evidence exists to suggest thatcertain prehistoric cultures wove nets. Made from plant fiber(grasses, primarily), and woven with patience, these nets wereintended to entrap prey. Nets were usually thrown as a precur-sor to closing in on a beast with either spear or club ready totake advantage of the entrapped creature.

Primitive man began to combine clubs with stone heads and tipsto produce axes and maces. Although essentially just anotherclub, the stone axe and mace have a harder head, and does notwear down as quickly as a club would. Spears got their improve-ment, also a stone head, which made them more penetrating anddurable, although more difficult to construct. Indeed, the stoneheaded spear was a real improvement.

But the most potent development of prehistoric man wouldhave to be the bow: A supple stick, capable of bending, butstrong enough to desire to return to a specific form with astring, the bow was either made from the tendons of a stronganimal, or braided plant material (often strips of bark). The ten-sion between string and stick could be used to fling arrowsover long distances.

Net, GrassThe grass net is made of woven grasses, usually with stones tiedalong the edges to weight it down and make it more likely to holdits victim. In order to throw it optimally, it must be gatheredtogether carefully, and launched as a ranged touch attack againstthe target. The net’s maximum range is 10 feet, and there is nopenalty for trying to strike a target even up to the net’s maximumrange. If you hit, the target is entangled. And entangled creature isa -2 on attack rolls, and a -4 penalty on effective Dexterity. Theentangled creature can only move at half speed and cannot chargeor run. Unlike the fighting net listed in the player’s handbook,

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Key: 15. Grass Net; 16a. Stone Axe (flaked stone); 16b. StoneAxe (ground stone); 17 Stone Adze; 18a. Stone mace (based onIroquois war club); 18b Stone mace

15

16a

16b

17

18a18b


grass nets usually had no trailing rope. If an entangled creatureattempts to cast a spell, it must succeed at a Concentration check(DC 15) or be unable to cast the spell.

The entangled creature can escape with an Escape Artist check(DC 15) that is a full-round action. The grass net has 4 hitpoints, and a damage threshold of 1. Once torn, it must berepaired to be used effectively. A grass net can be burst with aStrength check (DC 20, also a full-round action).

A net is only useful against creatures between Tiny and Largesize, inclusive.

The first time a net is thrown in a fight, it must make a normalranged touch attack. After it has been unfolded, any furtherattempts suffer a -4 penalty on attack roll. It takes 2 rounds fora proficient user to fold a net and twice that long for a non-pro-ficient one to do so.

Primitive axes were made by lashing wedge shaped verticalblades or round, pointed stones to forked sticks, usually withstrips of wood bark or animal hide. Sticks had superior reach,while stones could maximize impact and damage. Thus thestone axe became superior to either the wooden or bone clubfor the kind of physical trauma it could inflict.

Axe, StoneThe stone axe is a one handed weapon. At construction or pur-chase it must be decided as to whether the axe is a slashingweapon with a wide, vertical head, or a piercing weapon with aconical, round impaling point (like a pick). This is not an aero-dynamic weapon, and is not made for throwing.

Adze, StoneThe adze was a variation on the axe, with the wedge blade hor-izontal, rather than vertical. It was useful for breaking earth,but was equally powerful at cutting flesh. Its use in later times,was more as a farming implement than as a weapon, but thiswas not necessarily its first purpose. Often those adapted towar had a ‘knee bend’ a curve in the handle that allowed moreimpact in a strike.

Mace, StoneAnother variation on the axe was the stone mace. Equipped witha stone head, and affixed to a stout length of wood, the stonemace was more damaging than the plain club. One of the advan-tages of the stone mace over a bladed weapon was its tendencyto leave the hide intact. Intact hides required less mending, andwere excellent for clothing or dwelling coverings.

Spear, Stone HeadThis spear is a weapon, about 4–5 feet in length, with a sharp-ened head. It tends to be slightly thicker than the javelin, anddoes not fly as far. The spear can be readied against a charge,and it may also be used as a double damage weapon when setagainst a charge. This is a stone headed version of the spear,and is more durable as a result.

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Bow, Primitive (Hunting & Medium)Both standard primitive bows have similar statistics, with thedifference being their range. The Medium bow was about afoot longer than the hunting bow, and was used for warfaremore than for capturing food. Although riding horses camemuch later, both bows are viable for use on horseback, (notethe Medium bow would have to be drawn at an angle).

Arrows themselves varied from small, sharpened sticks towooden shafts with various heads attached. Some stone was morebrittle than others, and when struck, the flakes could be used tocreate arrowheads. Bone was also a viable alternative, from longslivers to rounded spikes. Fletching an arrow with ribbon orfeathers at the end improved stability in flight, and helped anarrow fly true.

FlightsThe feathers on an arrow, referred to as the flights, give anarrow its stability. Some cultures skew these guides, so as togive the arrow a spin, which tends to keep the arrow on course.Other cultures did not, but instead practiced arching the shot,so as to gain range. Regardless of the cultural method, theresults were the same, accurate shots came from arrows withcarefully placed flights. Arrows that are made without flightslose 10 feet from their range increment, and are at an automatic-1 to hit.

Key: 19. Stone spear head (close-up); 20. Primitive bow; 21.Wooden arrowhead; 22. Stone arrowhead; 23. Bone arrowhead;24. Blunt arrowhead

19

20

21 22 23 24


The arrows listed in the weapons tables are indicative of mostarrows of this period. Note that their damage threshold is low,and they have relatively little structural rating. Arrows are verylikely to break, unless they are carefully removed, and normalmaintenance is practiced. Even then, powerful blows or luckystrikes may break them. Although different heads are used ineach, it is the wood of the arrow that is most vulnerable.

Arrows Versus ArmorThe wooden arrow does not have the damaging power of thestone or bone headed arrow, and has a -1 to damage when it isapplied to armor. Thus, though an arrow might normally inflict,say, 6 points of damage against armor, the wooden arrow onlyinflicts 5. This may mean the difference between taking armordamage or not.

Finally, the blunt arrow is purposely made with a bar or flatstone or bone head. It is used for stunning creatures or doingdamage without damaging the hide as much. It is a subdualdamage weapon, and is useful when you want to take a targetalive or stun a small prey animal like a bird.

ShieldsSome people, especially those lived close to more aggressivepredators or to more warlike tribes of humanity, also learned toextend their defense through shield making. Primitive shieldswere usually made of bark or hide stretched taut over a wooden

11

frame. Strikes could be deflected with these, and charges couldbe diverted. Some peoples decorated their shields with fear-some images, to frighten predators or other tribes.

During this age shields were either held by hand or strappedonto the forearm with hide thongs. Often no items could becarried in the shield hand because of this. Bash attacks are pos-sible with shields, and do 1d3 points of damage for smallshields and 1d4 points of damage for large and great shields ona successful strike, respectively, with a x2 critical modifier.Adjust the damage downward (1d2 and 1d3) for smaller wield-ers. Used in this way the shield is a martial bludgeoningweapon. For purposes of attack penalties, treat the shield as alight weapon. If you use a shield as a weapon, you lose its ACbonus until your next action.

The Pack MentalityPrimitive man hunted with a large variety of weapons, and thedifferent weapons developments allowed man to hunt largergame. His use of hides and furs also gave him better defensethan he had been born with, and allowed him to be bolder incombat.

Man tended to live in clans and tribes, usually bound by familyaffiliation. These close bonds promoted cultural identity, andenforced group identity in clan or tribal defense. Tactics sprang

Key: 25a. Hide Shield; 25b. Bark Shield

25b

25a


from mutual trust and dependency. Men of varying abilitycould hunt together and bring down more animals than a singleman alone. This allowed the clan or tribe to eat better, andmade life easier. Co-ordination in combat became essential asgrowing clans and tribes needed more food. Larger prey wasdesired, and larger prey was more dangerous.

Man learned to hunt with pack tactics. He learned the lay of theland he hunted in. He knew where obstacles were, and usuallyknew where the natural geography made it impossible for preyto flee: Perhaps a ravine with sheer sides, or a cliff face, or abody of water. On the opposite side, Man learned how to takeadvantage of the terrain to do the damage he could not. Forlarge prey, driving them off of cliffs or into deep water allowedan otherwise imposing foe to be conquered. An animal injuredin a fall was slower to flee, if it still could, and was more easilyapprehended. If the hunting group knew it was going to drivean animal over a dangerous obstacle, it would often preparestakes at the bottom, or have large rocks at the top to throwdown on the injured animal. An animal in deep water isslowed, and it cannot react as quickly to attack. This could givehumans the advantage against aggressive or powerful crea-tures.

Man, hunting in packs, also made up the inherent weakness ofindividuals. If a hunting party member was injured, the otherscould distract an animal in order to draw it off of the injuredparty. As well, large groups could flank prey, and take advan-tage of openings that an individual could not. The primaryadvantage to hunting as a pack is in being able to force an indi-vidual or smaller group to divide their attentions. When anenemy’s attention is divided, it cannot attack as effectively aswhen its attention can focus on an individual.

Packs tend to target individuals or small groups. They takeadvantage of terrain to control the field of battle. They flankopponents, to take advantage of openings. They react to protecttheir injured while still maintaining a pattern. They understandthe value of the individual, so they do not throw themselvesaway wantonly.

Domestication, the taming and inclusion of normally wild ani-mals in human culture, started in this age, and it started withdogs. Wild dogs shared a similar pack structure to man, andwere found to be very flexible in how they defined their pack.Dogs could accept a non-dog as pack leader, and were comfort-able with sharing a kill. Dogs, as well, had developed rudimen-tary communications skills, and adapted to directions given byhuman pack mates. As dogs grew to trust and interact withhumans, humans made places for them in camp, and begangenerations of breeding that have resulted in dogs being themost diverse single species on Earth. The role of the dog inhuman society, though started with its usefulness in huntingand keeping watch.

Most of primitive mankind lived this way. Certain cultures devel-oped unique refinements or different methods. Some cultureseven maintained the nomadic, tribal or clan-based lifestyle typical

12

of prehistoric man. Even today, some peoples still live this primalexistence, and some, when given the option of living in a moremodern world, still choose the way of their traditions.

This is not to say that war between tribes or clans did not occur.Mankind has always engaged in war, and more than onearchaeological site has uncovered evidence of prehistoric con-flict. Low population density and small numbers of peoplemight have prevented some conflicts from escalating, but therehas been clear evidence that when war came between peoples,there was rarely any discrimination as to whom was killed.Men, women, children were all killed, and often left wherethey lay. Taboos against touching the dead were common inancient cultures, and part of the reason for this was the poten-tial for disease to be spread.

War, Infection, and

the DeadDuring the Hundred Years war, field physicians and herbalistsdetermined that the best way of dispensing healing salves wasto smear them on the swords of the combatants. Thus, thewound was clean, and already possessed the needed medicinesto begin healing. Unfortunately, this kind of generosity towardsone’s enemies in war is nearly unknown.

Wounds are a horrible breeding ground for infection. Manygerms that live on the skin can be dangerous inside the body,and wounds can force this kind of rough and involuntary relo-cation. Assume that any wound has a 5% chance of becominginfected (plus 20% per hour untreated). Make a Fortitude roll(DC 20) for any such wound, and if it succeeds the infection isfought off by the character’s immune system. Otherwise, thewound is indeed infected.

If a wound is infected, instead of healing normally, it will fes-ter. In game terms, each festering wound prevents 1 point ofhealing. Thus a character with 15 hit points can only heal backto 14 while possessing a festering wound. Worse, if leftuntreated, it can develop into a variety of diseases of the flesh.

If you desire to include more realistic infections, make anotherFortitude roll, and on a failure roll percentile and refer belowfor the possible additional effects:

1–25 SepticemiaSepticemia is the gradual rotting of flesh, due to infection by thebacteria that usually only set in after death. It requires a 1d3 dayincubation period, after which it begins to progressively reducethe constitution score of the victim, one point a day. This damageis considered temporary, and lost constitution can be recovered ifthe victim is cured. Each week that slow rot is left to spread, 1point of constitution loss becomes permanent. When the perma-nent constitution reaches zero, the character dies.


26–50 GangreneGangrene has a 1d6 hour incubation period, and is a rapid dis-ease. Wounds so infected tend to turn green after infection.Every minute after infection has set in, roll 1d100. On a 5 orlower infected blood has reached the heart, and the person willdie in 1d20 hours. The best mundane way to prevent gan-grenous blood from reaching the heart is by amputating theaffected area. This stops the rolls. Tying off the infected area ofthe body tightly can delay the rolling for d100 minutes. Notethat sometimes the damage of the amputation has sent a bodyinto shock, and killed the patient anyway. A fortitude save (DC20 for minor appendages and 25 for major) must be made, orthe amputation is still deadly. Amputation usually only workson limbs, as cutting out chunks of torso or head flesh is imprac-tical. If the damage was not specified, roll 1d6 + 1d8 on thefollowing chart to determine location and hit points that willpermanently be lost by amputating:

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51–75 Neural NecrosisNeural Necrosis has a 1d3 day incubation period, and manifestsas a general numbing of the area of the wound, which graduallyspreads each day. In essence, the nerves in the region are dying,and thus sensation in the body part is lost. Roll on the gangrenechart if the location of the wound is unknown. That portion ofthe body is at a -1 to all tasks in general, due to the inability tosensually assess the effect on the body, except for skills thatrequire touch, such as lock picking or pocket picking, which areat -4. Worse, wounds to this portion of the body are unsensed,and can be allowed to bleed freely, or promote new infections.Assume that it takes a week for this infection to spread to allneighboring regions of the body. There is no cure for nerve dam-age, which, in a mundane world, is unhealable.

76–100 TetanusTetanus occurs when a wound is infected with impurities, andthe impurities hit the bloodstream. The incubation period fortetanus is 1d6 days, and its results are muscular rigidity, usu-ally in the jaw first. The reason tetanus effects the jaw first isdue to deposits of minerals in the muscles of the face. Thesereact to the impurities of the tetanus infection, and cause thejaw muscles to contract uncontrollably, keeping the jaw lockedshut. In some cases this can lead to starvation or suffocation,depending on the person’s general health. Tetanus is progres-sive, and could not be cured until the modern period. Older‘remedies’ invariably involved the breaking of the jaw, in orderto allow nourishment into the body. Living with tetanus isnearly unbearable, as eventually all muscles in the body willseize up, including the heart.

First Aid & HealingFortunately, barring the presence of a cleric, a simple success-ful first aid attempt after a battle prevents all wounds from dis-ease. If a person with the Heal skill is not available, those withProfession (herbalist) skill can fashion poultices to preventinfection. The DC of the profession check is 15. Poultices mayalso be purchased or made prior to an arduous event. Wet poul-tices tend to last about a week before needing to be replaced,while dry poultices can last up to three weeks. Application ofpoultices after combat boosts the fortitude check against infec-tion by +3 for dry poultices and +6 for wet ones. Salves canalso be prepared by herbalists. These oily concoctions, whensmeared on wounds, give a +2 to Fortitude saves vs. infection.A canister of salve is usually good for 50 applications, andshould be applied to all wounds, but multiple applications arenot cumulative.

Dead bodies left exposed for too long can be hazardous to yourhealth, as well. Bodies in a water system that people drink outof can transmit gastro-enteritis or cholera, and mishandlingcorpses and not washing one’s hands afterwards can also com-municate these diseases when the person eats. Fortitude savesvs DC 25 must be made to avoid contracting such a disease,and 90% of those who do not contract the disease become car-riers for 1d3 days. Those who come in contact with a carrier

Table 1-1: Amputation

# Location Result

2. Right Hand -5% hit points, possible weaponhand

3. Left Hand -5% hit points, possible weaponhand

4. Lower Right Arm -7% hit points, possible loss ofweapon arm

5. Lower Left Arm -7% hit points, possible loss ofweapon arm

6. Upper Right Arm -10% hit points, possible loss ofweapon arm

7. Upper Left Arm -10% hit points, possible loss ofweapon arm

8. Right Foot -5% hit points, loss of 5 ft of basespeed and cannot run

9. Left Foot -5% hit points, loss of 5ft of basespeed and cannot run

10. Lower Right Leg -8% hit points, cannot stand withoutspecial aid, let alone walk

11. Lower Left Leg -8% hit points, cannot stand withoutspecial aid, let alone walk

12. Upper Right Leg -15% hit points, cannot stand without special aid, let alone walk

13. Upper Left Leg -15% hit points, cannot stand without special aid, let alone walk

14. VitalsCannot be amputated. Death isassured in a non-magic using world.Pray.


must also make a Fortitude vs DC 25 roll, or contract the dis-ease. Typical incubation is 1d6 days, and symptoms areextreme diarrhea, cramping, and dehydration. This conveys atemporary loss of 1d6 con, and the infected must make a Forti-tude save vs. 20. Failure indicates a more serious case, with anadditional loss of 1d20 con, 1d3 of which are permanent. If allCon is lost, the victim dies. Things like this became the originfor legends of a ‘mummies curse’ or a ‘curse of the dead’.

In fantasy worlds, magical healing of any stripe also clears outany infections, while cure disease will cure any disease, at anypoint. But it might be wise to carry poultices or salve, just in case.

Natural IngenuityDifferent cultures adapted to their own environments, and devel-oped different weapons, armors, and tactics based on their expe-riences. Some, due to an abundance or shortage of resources,never moved on to metal use or larger cultural organizations.While the weapons above can be found in virtually every cul-ture, those that follow were unique to their peoples.

Native American

Developments In the Americas, few civilizations moved out of the Stone Agebefore the coming of Europeans. This was due to a variety ofreasons. In particularly harsh environments, like the far north,the Western Andes, or the depths of Amazonian jungles, lifeitself was a struggle, and mineral resources required too mucheffort to obtain. In these areas, tribes made due with theresources at hand, to varying degrees of success.

On the rest of the continent, though, indigenous peoples foundthemselves with an abundance of resources, and this plentymade it unnecessary to develop metallurgical skills. Althoughit is arguable that certain Meso-American tribes had reached

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the Copper Age, having learned the techniques of smeltinggold and copper, there was no need for using such metals inweaponry or armor, as they were too pliable, and so these met-als were used for ornamentation only.

In fact, the only culture to have reached substantially beyondthe Stone Age in the New World was the Incas, and they will bediscussed more in the next chapter.

In the Far North and North West of America, hunting was away of life, and weapons and armor reflected that. Many tribesin these areas developed specialized harpoons, using stone forpoints. These points were barbed, allowing the harpoon head tograb and hold, despite the struggles of the animal speared.Darts were also in common use. These darts usually had pointsmade of antler, bone, or ivory, and were sometimes barbed.Both Harpoons and Darts would often have animal bladdersattached with a small length of rope to them, so that a harpoonor dart could be tracked, even in the animal attempted to diveout of view.

Most items, spears, bows, even shields were often colorfullydecorated, sometimes with feathers, tassels, and/or fur trimadded. This flair and beauty of workmanship spoke of theimportance of the items and of the attention that went intothem. The shields, in general, were small, often decorated withlocal animals, important symbols, talismans, or some personalemblem.

Native American Weapons

Harpoon, StoneThe harpoon is a weapon, 5 feet in length, with a barbed,sharpened stone head. It is used like a javelin, but is thickerand heavier, and requires both hands free to throw. It can beused in melee, but since it was not designed for such, all char-acters are treated as non-proficient, conveying a -4 to all meleerolls. Often these have ropes or bladders attached, to aid inrecovery. These are intended to strike creatures in the water.

Key: 26. Stone Harpoon; 27. Bone Dart

26

27


Dart, BoneDarts, made with bone or ivory heads, and intended for throw-ing. Bone darts are simple to make, and usually contain littleprecious wood.

AtlatlHarpoons and Darts were often thrown with main force of armstrength, but many native tribes also used a device called theatlatl to extend their throwing range and force. The word atlatl isactually Meso-American in origin, and the item itself is a lengthof wood, usually braced in the hand or along the arm, about twofeet in length, with a curve one end. When the thrower wished tocast the harpoon or dart, they would fit it into the curved end ofthe atlatl, and use it to throw the object. The extra two feet of theatlatl’s length added to the throwing distance and power of thethrow, and could make the weapon soar up to three times its nor-mal range, and have stunning striking power. It was as if thethrowers arm was two feet longer!

Atlatl are usually held on the arm, and a weapon (dart or spear)is braced on it, in a small groove in the wooden surface. Thisgroove helps to anchor the weapon. Then, when the attackerthrows, the atlatl acts as an extension of the arm, greatlyincreasing the distance of the throw, while also adding slightlyto the damage.

BlowgunBlowguns, long tubes sometimes up to 6 feet in length, werecommon throughout the Americas. Using poisoned needles up to6 inches in length, these were used to take down larger game,usually from a covered position. The poisons were usually spe-cific to the region, and were rarely very strong, since the meat ofthe animal still needed to be eaten. During warfare, however, thiswasn’t always a concern, since not all tribes were cannibals.

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The damage of the blowgun is negligible, but its use is almostsilent, and needles are regularly coated with venom. Blowgunsdo not take damage from attacking, unlike other weapons.Instead, they only take damage from being attacked. Blowgunsusually range from 2–4 feet in length.

UluA curving half-moon blade, flaked from antler bone, the Ulu wasan Eskimo woman's knife, used to cut skins and to prepare meat.With a handle horizontal to the blade, it had good strength, butlittle range, and it was a poor hand weapon. Eskimo womenwere more likely to use a dart or harpoon for protection, in apinch, since the Ulu had too little range to be effective in com-bat. Attacks with an Ulu, like those of an unarmed combatant,automatically draw an attack of opportunity.

Longbow, North American IndianLike most native peoples, the Northern native used bows rang-ing from 26 to 72 inches in length. The longest bows were notcommon, however, due to the strength required to wield themand the difficulty of their use. The North American Indian’slongbow doesn’t have the range of the later European’s long-

Key: 28. Atatl; 29. Blowgun & Needle; 30. North American Indian Longbow; 31. Cordage Backed bow; 32. Ulu

28

29

30

31

32

Barbs on WeaponsBarbed weapons have a tendency to lodge. Whenever abarbed weapon strikes and greater than half its normal dam-age is done, the weapon should be considered lodged. Such aweapon can’t be removed without a strength check (DC 15)and inflicting the weapon’s damage on the person again.Players using Heal (DC 15) can try to expose the barbedweapon head through the flesh, which could allow thebarbed portion to be cut off, limiting the secondary damageof a barbed weapon to a single point of damage. If the Healroll fails, it should be assumed that the head cannot beexposed, at which point the strength option remains.


bow, but is otherwise very effective. Up to 6' in length, thisbow is not usable while mounted.

Bow, Cordage BackedJust because they had little wood, doesn’t mean they didn’t useit. Eskimo bows were crafted out of just about any wood theycould find. They shaped driftwood, and then, to give it strengthand prevent breakage, they laminated it with whalebone andbound the bow with a prodigious amount of sinew. Thisstrengthened the wood immeasurably, and lengthened the lifeof the bow, preventing wood breakage. The knot pattern of thecord bindings was unique to each tribe, and the strength theyconferred on the bow made them some of the most powerfulbows in the new world.

Each cordage backed bow was different, primarily because thewood was generally driftwood, and so wasn’t very uniform.Thicker and less elegant than most bows, its unique flair is theknotwork and binding of the sinew that reinforces the bow sosolidly. The raw durability of the Cordage Backed bow isunmatched.

BolaNorthern Native Americans, like some Southern Native Ameri-can peoples, used bolas to hunt. Bolas are rocks bound by acord. In the North these were two rocks, while some SouthAmerican Tribes would bind three or more rocks in a bola. In

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the North, these weapons were used primarily to take downbirds and were flung with the intent that the cord would strikethe bird and the rocks would force the cord to bind around thebird, bringing it to the ground. Not only were bolas useful forentangling, but the stones themselves could do damage whenthey struck flesh.

The bola is made of rocks bound by cord, 2 rocks for the NorthAmerican version, and 3 or 4 for the South American version. Itshould be considered an exotic weapon. Throw as a normalranged weapon: If it hits the target (even on the armor), there is a25% chance the target is entangled. A -2 penalty can be taken tothe attack roll to increase the entangle chance to 50%. An entan-gled creature is a -2 on attack rolls, and a -4 penalty on effectiveDexterity. The entangled creature can only move at half speedand cannot charge or run. If an entangled creature attempts tocast a spell, it must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 15) orbe unable to cast the spell.

The entangled creature can escape with an Escape Artist check(DC 15) that is a full-round action. Alternately, they can attackthe bola, attempting to cut it apart. Slashing weapons are mosteffective for this purpose (divide the damage threshold of thebola in half). A bola can be burst with a Strength check (DC 20,also a full-round action).

A bola is only useful against creatures between Tiny and Largesize, inclusive. It can be used in melee, as a flail-like weapon,

33a. War club; 33b. War club; 34. Bola; 35. Tomahawk; 36. Rabbit Stick; 37. Club, Stone Throwing; 38. Sling & Bullet; 39. Lance, North American Stone

33a

33b 34

35

36

37

38

39


but since it was not designed for such, all characters are treatedas non-proficient, conveying a -4 to all melee rolls.

TomahawkMany natives in this region used Tomahawks. Stone axes, usu-ally made with a sharp, wedge-like head, and a longer bar thannormal, Tomahawks could be used in close combat, but wereintended for throwing. Their weight, length, and blade shapeall contributed to its extended use, and it became popular evenwith European colonists and later settlers. Some Tomahawkshad a hollow haft, and also doubled as smoking pipes, althoughthese were rarely as durable as normal Tomahawks. As withmany things made by Native Americans, these weapons wereoften highly decorated.

Rabbit StickAs well, many native tribes used throwing sticks as huntingweapons. Usually thin, often with a single knobby end, thesewere used for taking down small game, or unarmored oppo-nents. The Hopi tribe called these kinds of weapons RabbitSticks. The throwing stick, though, did not gain the popularityin the Americas that it did in Australia.

Not a fearsome weapon, this slightly curved thrown stick stillhas good range and is very light. Since a number of rabbitsticks can be carried at one time, these make a good alternativeto more damaging weapons that encumber quickly. It can beused in melee, but since it was not designed for such, all char-acters are treated as non-proficient, conveying a -4 to all meleerolls.

Club, Stone ThrowingWar clubs, as well, were made for throwing. War clubs in theAmericas often had centered, oval stone heads, and long haftsthan regular clubs. These did not have the range or penetrationof Tomahawks, and were often used in hunting, in place ofthrowing sticks. Clubs used by Northern tribes tended to bedecorated with local imagery, symbols important to the regionand people. Usually they would depict animals, often war-likein position, and were carved of either wood, bone, or ivory.

SlingSlings, often made from elk or dear hide, rounded out the manycommon weapons of the Native North American. A strip ofhide up to 2 feet in length, a rock (or bullet) was usually placedin the center, and then the hide was folded over it, to hold it.The sling could be swung around, over the head or to the side,and then one held edge would be released to allow the stone tofly. This caused the stone to do significantly more damage atgreater range.

Bullets: The sling is a simple weapon used by almost everypeople at different periods of time. Unlike other weapons, thesling’s damage is based on its ammunition, the bullet. Throw-ing this ammunition without the sling inflicts no damage. The

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sling takes no damage from attacking, but takes double damagefrom slashing attacks.

Lance, North American StoneLike the northern tribes, most Native North Americans useddarts, atlatls, blowguns, and longbows. However, not all NativeAmerican weapons were ranged weapons. Even though theAmerican equivalent of the horse was hunted to extinction wellbefore any oral history was maintained, the Native Americansdid have lances. Heavier than spears, often 6' in length, thesewere headed with stone, and used much like later pikes wereused, albeit without the range advantage. Stone Lances weresometimes used with charges, but would not see their peakuntil the coming of Europeans, a time outside the range of thiswork.

Essentially a powerful, long spear, the North American StoneLance has reach advantage. It can be used at double damage ina charge, as well. Although Native Americans never used thisweapon while mounted, it is particularly suited for this task. Asa spear, this weapon can also be readied against a charge.

Native American ArmorA number of the Northwestern Native American tribes werequite warlike. The Tlingit people, in particular, were known fortheir fierce fighting acumen, for taking slaves, and for canni-balism. They wore a unique kind of armor made with hardwoods and heavy hide. Rods and slats of hard wood (about 1"by 3/8") were bound vertically together with braided sinew andthen covered over with thick hide, sometimes a few inches inthickness. These heavy armors were often painted with anowner’s crest, or with symbolic designs.

Capping the Tlingit armor were their renown war helmets. Hel-mets of hard wood, there were two kinds. The first were helmetsin the stylized images of fearsome animals. These were enclosed,and had holes to allow the wearer to see out. The second werehelmets carved with grimacing and angry faces. This second typehad a visor below the fearsome face, which covered the lowerpart of the warriors face, and the space between the head and

The Nomadic Plains Indians Fact/MythThere is a general romantic myth about the nomadic nature ofthe Native American Plains Indian. Although some tribes didtravel with the animals they hunted, the vast majority of PlainsIndians had permanent residences, and cultivated food cropsand fished or hunted for meat. Even the nomadic tribes hadvarious camps that they occupied for months at a time beforemoving. It was not until the introduction of the horse in Amer-ica that truly nomadic Plains Indian cultures flourished. It isfor this reason, more than any other, that Nomadic PlainsIndian culture was so well developed. In most very nomadiccultures, oral tradition and social traditions develop normally,but the lack of a permanent home or regular resources retardsthe development of cultural decoration, art, and philosophy.There are always, of course, exceptions.


visor was the viewing area. These helmets were considerednearly as good as any European equivalent.

In the area of what is now Southern Canada and the UnitedStates, natives lived in much more abundant circumstances.Great amounts of resources made life easier, and meant lessinter-tribal warfare. Armor was not as much of a requirement,and so wasn’t as developed as it was in the North West.

For protection, simple hides were sufficient for most of thetime before the arrival of Europeans, but Plains Indians eventu-ally developed better leatherworking abilities, and developed akind of leather called buckskin. It required a combination ofashes, hemlock and oak bark, long with boiling water, and tookabout three months from start to finish. Thin, supple, butdurable, buckskin could be worked easily, embroidered, andworn as better protection than mere hides. Some tribes alsoused wood or bone vests, combined with hides, as armor.

Slat ArmorSlat armor is very bulky, and not very maneuverable armor,made from rods and slats of wood, braided with sinew and cov-ered by thick hide. Most useful against slashing and bludgeon-ing weapons, although piercing weapons can be completelyblocked if they strike a slat directly.

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A number of tribes wore this kind of slat armor, each with aunique decoration. The helmets, though, were only common in afew tribes who lived in the Northwest.

Bone Plate

The Eskimo peoples of the far North wore armor into battle aswell. Their environment, though, had little wood, and so theyhad to make do with non-wood materials for much of theirweaponry and armor. The armor they wore was fashioned fromwhale rib bones (usually in lengths from 6 inces to 3 feet), andstrung together with sealskin. These long bones proved gooddeflection from enemy weapons, although not as comprehen-sive as the hardwood armors of their Southern neighbors.

Shield, Small WoodenUsually 2 feet in diameter, these shields were usually coveredwith hide or buckskin and painted with animal or symbolicmotifs. Feathers or fir might be added, as decoration, butNative Americans never used spikes.

BuckskinBuckskin is a marvel of protective ingenuity. Light but surpris-ingly durable, it surpasses the simple leather armors of Europe.Buckskin is also easier to repair, repairing like cloth rather than

Key: 40a. Tlingit style helmet; 40b. Haida style helmet

40a

40b


leather. Obviously, this kind of armor would be popular amongfantasy world spell casters.

Breast Plate, Bone Hair PipeThe Bone Hair Pipe Breast Plate was a ceremonial device,worn over other armor or alone. It has no practical defensiveability, although it may (optionally) deflect a slashing attack5% of the time. Warriors decorated these items with trophies inorder to proclaim their prowess and status to other warriors. Ahighly decorated Bone Hair Pipe Breast Plate may reduce themorale of opponents. In a fantasy setting this item of armorwould likely be enchanted to improve the armor bonus anddurability, and any armor bonus of such an enchanted BoneHair Pipe Breast Plate would be added to any other armorworn.

Wood and Hide ArmorA wood or bone breastplate attached to animal hides. Althoughsurpassed by other kinds of armor, wood and hide armor wasthe only armor in its region that boasted reasonable durability.Awkward and uncomfortable, armor like this was only wornwhen going into war.

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Meso American

DevelopmentsUnlike the North American Natives, Meso American peoplesdeveloped more warlike cultures, and eventually began to formlarge communities. When Europeans came, they found a youngempire forming in Central America, with a burgeoning armyand an alien, often frightening culture. It has been argued thatif the Meso American cultures had been left to themselves for afew hundred more years, they might have developed bronzeand iron technologies, and been more of a match for theirEuropean conquerors.

The AztecsThe Aztecs, who dominated the region when the Europeansarrived, were a bloody culture, divided among rival faiths, andsplit by inter-tribal war. They succeeded numerous otherempires, notably the Teotihuacan and Toltecs. As an inheritorEmpire, its cuture was bolstered by a variety of religious,social, and military heritages. Though it started off as a rela-tively democratic affiliation of tribes, it became more and morefeudal and totalitarian as its culture became more and more

Key: 41. Slat Armor; 42. Bone Plate

41

42


military centered with promotion often being linked to braveryin battle.

There existed a number of prestigious military orders in Aztecsociety that one could be promoted to. These orders werenamed for animals, such as the jaguar, eagle, arrow, etc., andusually wore real hides or feathers to indicate their affiliation.Helmets, carved in the shape of the order animal were alsoworn. Since the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice and slavery,promotion to these special warrior orders usually involved cap-turing warriors in battle, rather than killing them. Eligibilitystarted with the capture of at least 4 worthy oppo-nents, and rose sharply depending on the order awarrior wished to enter.

The Eagle and Jaguar Knights were the pinnacle ofachievement for an Aztec Warrior. The Eagle and Jaguarwere both warrior-aspected creatures who, in myth, provedtheir bravery by jumping into the fire after a great hero. TheEagle was granted the aspect of the sun, while the Jaguar wasgranted the aspect of the moon. So it was in battle. Whenapproaching a city, Eagle Warriors would array at daybreak, andthey would chant and dance to show their power and fearsomemien. As night fell, the stealthy Jaguar Warriors would invade thecity, and open its defenses. Upon the cry of the JaguarWarriors, the Eagle Warriors would lead theattack at the defenseless city.

In real life, both orders were made up ofwarriors of great strength and merit, whofought valiantly for their ruler and people. Butin a fantasy world, the orders of the Eagle andJaguar Knights might be something far greater

Eagle Knights (Prestige Class)Powerful warriors who have already proven their loyalty to theEmpire, Eagle Knights are the vanguard warrior of the Aztecs.First to battle, leaders of many, the Eagle Knights were grantedmore respect than even the Jaguar Knights. Indeed, the EagleWarriors made up the King’s Royal Bodyguard, and even noblewarriors competed for invitation to the Order.

Fighters, Clerics, and Rangers are all likely candidates for theEagle Knights. Paladins are not to be found much in Aztecsociety, but one willing to leave their religious service mightwell pursue entrance into the Eagle Knights. Monks, Rogues,Druids, and Sorcerers might be offered entrance if they couldmeet the steep requirements. But Bards and Barbarians wouldnot have the discipline, and Wizards would likely find it impos-sible to join unless they were already multi-classed.

Hit Die: d10

RequirementsTo qualify to become an Eagle Knight, a character must fulfillall the following criteria.

Alignment: Any Lawful.

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Basic Attack Bonus: +6Feats: Cleave, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Macahuitl), PowerAttack

Special: Besides the requirement of capturing 4 worthy oppo-nents alive, a potential Eagle Warrior must commit an unselfishact of heroism or valor without regard to personal safety. It isbest if there are many witnesses to this act. This act becomesthe basis for nomination to the Order of the Eagle Knights.

Class SkillsThe Eagle Knight’s class skills (and the key ability for eachskill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha),Jump (Str), Swim (Str)

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Eagle Knight pres-tige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Eagle Knights are profi-cient with all simple weapons, martial weapons, and the Mac-ahuitl, an exotic weapon. They are also proficient with lightarmors and shields. Note that armor check penalties for armorheavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, EscapeArtist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

Improved Critical (Macahuitl): Whether or not they meetthe minimum requirements for this Feat, they gain this featupon becoming a first level Eagle Knight.

Armor Expertise: Starting at first level, and following at 4th,7th, and 10th, the Eagle Knight is able to improve the way hewears and maneuvers in his armor, boosting his armor bonuson each level. The bonus conferred by Armor Expertiseincreases the armored AC of the Eagle Warrior, and representshis ability to make the most of his armor and/or shield.

Bonus Feat: Eagle Knights get to choose a bonus feat everyother level, starting at level 2, from the list in the FighterDescription of the Player’s Handbook.

Heroic Resolve: This is a magical ability granted at 2nd levelallows the Eagle Knight to fight past their normal limits. If thehit points of an Eagle Knight drop to zero, he may elect to usehis Heroic Resolve to fight on to the point of death. This can bedone only once per day, regardless of any subsequent healing.

Eagle Visage: At 3rd and 6th level the Eagle Knight gains the visi-ble aspect of his Order’s patron. At third level, Eagle Knightstend to look more eagle-like in profile, and carry themselves withnoble stature. The Eagle Knight gets a +1 to any social roll,involving skills or interaction, due to the predisposition of othersto like the noble warrior. At 6th level the Eagle Warrior can use hispresence in battle to confer a +1 morale bonus to all friendlyunits. This may be stacked with any other effects that influencemorale. This may be invoked once per day by a warrior, andrequires the Eagle Knight to utter a war cry (in order to drawattention).

Sun’s Flame: At 5th level the Eagle Knight gains the ability toinfuse the fire of the sun in a melee weapon strike. Theweapon, for that strike, should be considered flaming, and thelight it radiates should be considered sunlight for any creaturesaffected by sunlight. This may be done a number of times equalto the Eagle Knight’s levels of Eagle Knight.

Eagle Shield: At 8th level the Eagle Knight may animate theeagle on his shield, giving it form and life. This Mystic Eagle isan avatar of the Order Patron, and may be directed at any onefoe in view. [Stat Ref: The Mystic Eagle is the equivalent of aGiant Eagle, as listed in the Monster Manual and attacks inde-pendently from the Eagle Knight.] The Eagle Knight may sum-mon the Mystic Eagle once a day.

Sun’s Aura: At 9th level the Eagle Knight’s Sun’s Flame abil-ity develops into a more long lasting ability. The Eagle Knightmay invoke the fires of the sun upon his weapon. For the dura-tion of this ability, weapon should be considered flaming, andthe light it radiates should be considered sunlight for any crea-tures effected by sunlight. This effect lasts until the next sunset,and may be cancelled any time. Note that this ability may beinvoked after sun fall, and thus last up to 24 hours.

Class Base Fort Ref WillLevel Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Improved Critical (Macahuitl), Armor Expertise +12nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Heroic Resolve,3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Eagle Visage (+1 to social)4th +4 +4 +1 +1 Armor Expertise +25th +5 +4 +1 +1 Sun’s Flame6th +6 +5 +2 +2 Bonus Feat, Eagle Visage (Rally) 7th +7 +5 +2 +2 Armor Expertise +38th +8 +6 +2 +2 Eagle Shield9th +9 +6 +3 +3 Sun’s Aura10th +10 +7 +3 +3 Armor Expertise +4

Table 1-2: Eagle Knight


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Jaguar KnightsFearsome, stealthy warriors, the Jaguar Knights are the

night to the Eagle Knight’s day. Although not asoutright dangerous as the Eagle Knight, the

Jaguar Warrior is much feared for the fact thatthey are the unseen danger, the unperceived threat.

Even those who man a city’s walls before anattack know that the Jaguar Warriors can passunder their noses unseen, and bring with themdeath. First inside a city, feared abductors, the

Jaguar Knights may not have the respect theEagle Warriors do, but they have all the fear they

could ever want: And with good reason.

The ambitious are those to whom the Jaguar Knights mayappeal, as well as those of a

crafty bent. Any class isopen for admission, but therequirements of the Jaguar

Knights may be more difficultfor those with low intelligence..

Hit Die: d8

RequirementsTo qualify to become an Jaguar Knight, a character

fulfill all the following criteria.

Alignment: Any Basic Attack Bonus: +6Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, ExpertiseSkills: Hide +5

Special: Besides the requirement of capturing 4 worthyopponents alive, a potential Jaguar Warrior must capture twomore enemies of their own level, or above.

Class SkillsThe Jaguar Knight’s class skills (and the key ability foreach skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int),Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump(Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock(Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str)


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Jaguar Knightprestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Jaguar Knights are pro-ficient with all simple weapons, martial weapons, and the

Macahuitl, an exotic weapon. They are also profi-cient with light armors and shields. Note that armorcheck penalties for armor heavier than leather apply

to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump,Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.


Uncanny Dodge: At 1st level, and then again at 4th, the JaguarKnights gain uncanny abilities to avoid damage. At 1st level theJaguar knight is able to react to danger before his senses wouldnormally allow him to even be aware of it. At 1st level , theJaguar Knight retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any)regardless of being caught flat footed or struck by an invisibleattacker. (He stills loses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobi-lized.

At 4th level the Jaguar Warrior can no longer be flanked, since hecan react to opponents on opposite sides of himself as easily as hecan react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the abil-ity to use flank attacks to sneak attack the Jaguar Knight. Theexception to this defense is that a rogue or assassin at least 4 lev-els higher than the Jaguar Knight can flank him (and thus sneakattack him).

Bonus Feat: Jaguar Knights get to choose a bonus feat everyother level, starting at level 2, from the list in the FighterDescription of the Player’s Handbook.

Invisibility: This is a spell-like ability granted at 3rd, 6th, and 9th

level allows the Jaguar Knight to become invisible in certaincircumstances. All versions of Invisibility can only be used aslong as the Jaguar Knight is not moving. As soon as the JaguarKnight moves, the effect is negated. A Jaguar Knight may useany version of Invisibility a number of times a night as theyhave levels in the Jaguar Knight prestige class. These Invisibil-ity abilities are not possible during the daytime.

At 3rd level, the Jaguar Knight may become invisible in shadowsufficient to cover his entire body. At 6th level, the Jaguar Knightmay become invisible when illuminated only by moonlight. At9th level the Jaguar Knight may opt to become invisible whenilluminated only by firelight. Sunlight will automatically dispelthis spell-like ability, as will movement on the part of the JaguarKnight.

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Jaguar Visage: At 2nd and 7th level the Jaguar Knight gains thevisible aspect of his Order’s patron. At third level, Jaguar Knightstend to look more predatory in profile, and their eyes will glitterin light at night, like those of the Jaguar. The Jaguar Knight mayfix a person with their stare and force a willpower roll. Upon fail-ure, such a person is subjected to the effects of a Cause Fear spell,as if cast by a caster of the Jaguar Knight’s level. This effect maybe used once a day per level of the Jaguar Knight prestige class.At 7th level the Jaguar Warrior can use his presence in battle todrive fear into the hearts of his foes. This functions like the spellFear, as if cast by a caster of the Jaguar Knight’s level, and onlyeffects his foes. This may be invoked once per day by a warrior,and requires the Jaguar Knight to utter a war cry (in order to drawattention).

Wind’s Key: At 5th level the Jaguar Knight gains the spell-likeability to open locked doors. This functions as per the spellKnock, as if cast by a caster of the Jaguar Knight’s level. Thisability may be used a number of times equal to the JaguarKnight’s levels in their prestige class.

Wall of Air: At 8th level the Jaguar Knight gains the spell-likeability to create passages through walls as per the Passwallspell. This functions as if cast by a caster of the JaguarKnight’s level. This ability may be used a number of timesequal to half the Jaguar Knight’s levels in their prestige class.

Jaguar’s Touch: At 10th level the Jaguar Knight’s connectionwith the Jaguar, a most feared hunter, conveys to himself thelimited ability to paralyze a victim with fear. A Jaguar Knightmay invoke this ability once per day, and it lasts for 1d8x15 min-utes. During that time, a Jaguar may touch someone, and forcethem to make a Willpower save vs. a DC equal to the JaguarKnight’s total levels. Failure paralyses the victim for up to 1d6hours. Often these victims find that when they can move again,they have been bound and are scheduled for sacrifice to thegods…

Other Aztec OrdersOther Aztec military orders included the Arrow Warriors, OwlKnights, and Coyote Warriors. The Arrow Warriors were famed

Table 1-3: Jaguar Knight

Class Base Fort Ref Will SpecialLevel Attack Bonus Save Save Save1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Uncanny Dodge (AC to Dex), Skill Expertise (Move Silently)2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 Jaguar Visage (Fear vs. Individual)3rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Invisible in Shadow4th +3 +1 +4 +1 Uncanny Dodge (no flanking)5th +3 +1 +4 +1 Wind’s Key6th +4 +2 +5 +2 Invisible in Moonlight7th +5 +2 +5 +2 Jaguar Visage (Fearsome Presence)8th +6 +2 +6 +2 Wall of Air9th +6 +3 +6 +3 Invisible in Firelight10th +7 +3 +7 +3 Jaguar’s Touch


for their superiority with the bow, and captained troops ofarcher. The Owl was a symbol of evil and death to the Aztecs,and its order was a hold over from a lost empire. Owl’s knightswere not concerned with capturing opponents alive, and theywere usually retained for last-ditch city defense only. The Coy-ote in Aztec lands was traditionally a protector, a persistenthunter who was willing to delay his own necessities to providefor the pack. Coyote Warriors were generally only foundamong the Chechimecs, a tribe that serves as mercenaries forthe Aztec Empire, and admission to their order was secret andexclusive.

Meso American WeaponsAztecs used spears, knives, clubs, bows, javelins, darts, atlatl,and slings, as listed above, but they had one very uniqueweapon, the macahuitl. A club, made of wood, usually plain forcommon warriors, or carved for officers and chieftains, it hadten projecting slots, five on either side. In those slots wereplaced flaked blades of obsidian. Obsidian is a metamorphicstone, lava rock turned to glass by the passage of glaciers. Dueto its being glass, it is both brittle and sharp. In fact, obsidiancan be much sharper even, than steel. Due to its brittle nature,the blades often broke, and so often needed to be replaced.

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However, the Aztec Empire was rich in sources of obsidian,and its usage of obsidian spread to any bladed weapon.

Aztecs dominated their region through displays of superiormilitary power, and extraction of tribute from their neighbors.This promoted a sort of indirect empire rule, which allowedspecific tribes to maintain their own beliefs and structures,which promoted, in turn, diversity and internecine war. Sharedsimilarities in religion, sacrifice, and sport all tended to bindthe region culturally, but leave each tribe somewhat unique.This was far different from the Incan form of Empire, men-tioned in the next chapter.

In South America the Incas, an ancient empire ruled that overthe northern Andes Mountains also maintained imperial hege-mony along the western edges of the Amazon. Outside of Incarule, the tribes of Native Americans lived simply, often poorly.Those that dwelt in the jungle tended to be more isolated, andso only rarely had peaceful contact with each other. Conflictwould be carried out with spear and blowgun, although somecultures also developed a kind of lance-like weapon, a spearwith a very extended head. Some had one head, and were muchlike the North American Stone Lance, except made of wood.But some had forked heads. All were hand-carved, often withsymbolic forms in the base.

43

44a

45

46

44b

Key: 43. Macahuitl; 44a. Mayan Stone Club; 44b. Mayan Stone Mace; 45. South American Wooden Lance; 46. Forked SouthAmerican Wooden Lance; 47. Tepoztopilli

47


In the plains, east of the Andes and south of the Amazon, manytribes of natives lived like those of North America, using spear,knife, bola, bow, dart, and javelin to hunt. These South Ameri-can natives also tamed and domesticated the llama, and used itas a herding, pack, and food animal, and would often use itswooly hide to make coats for the cold months. Through domes-tication of the llama, a creature that is adept to mountain travel,these natives were able to establish trade with tribes in farregions, and even with the dominant Incan Empire.

MacahuitlThe Macahuitl is a fearsome and deadly war club that fightslike a slashing sword. Its durability, however, is special. At thebeginning the weapon degrades as per the rules for stoneweapons. Assume that every time weapon experiences degra-dation, it destroys one of the 10 obsidian blades. After all 10obsidian blades are destroyed, the Macahuitl functions as awooden club, and then damage is applied against the wooddurability and degradation. Obsidian blades can be replacedeasily (that’s the hallmark of the Macahuitl) but if the woodenportion of the Macahuitl is damaged, the whole weapon mustbe replaced.

TepoztopilliThe Tepoztopilli was effectively a large, heavy spear, lined with10 obsidian blades in the same manner as the Macahuitl. At thebeginning the weapon degrades as per the rules for stoneweapons. Assume that every time weapon takes 2 points ofdamage it destroys one of the 10 obsidian blades along the spearedge. After all 10 obsidian blades are destroyed, the Tepoztopilliis a top-heavy staff, and then damage is applied against the woodhardness of 3 and wood degradation applies. Obsidian bladescan be replaced easily (that's the hallmark of Aztec weaponry)

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but if the wooden portion of the Tepoztopilli is damaged, thewhole weapon must be replaced.

Lance, South American Wooden (Standard andForked)Essentially a powerful, long spear, the South AmericanWooden Lances have the reach advantage. They can be used atdouble damage in a charge, as well. The Forked South Ameri-can Wooden Lance gives a +2 bonus on your opposed attackrolls when attempting to disarm an opponent (including the rollto avoid being disarmed if you fail to disarm your opponent).Although Native Americans never used this weapon whilemounted, the non-forked variant is particularly suited for this

Key: 48. Aztec Cotton Armor; 49. Shield, Small Reed

48

49

ObsidianObsidian is a volcanic stone turned to glass by glacial action.Like all glass, Obsidian is fragile, but it forms dangerouslysharp edges with a little coaxing. Blades made with obsidiando +2 damage above whatever normal damage they woulddo. Thus a dagger of obsidian would do 1d4+2, while anobsidian shortsword or sickle would be 1d6+2. This bonus isto damage only, and the durability of the weapon, no matterwhat it was, drops to 3S, and the Damage threshold isdecreased by 2 as well. The Macahuitl, for example, is arough equivalent of an obsidian falchion. Glass is lighterthan metal, and weight in most items is reduced by .5 to 1lb.Note that the +2 to damage is applied before any damagemultiplier, such as are given with charges, readied weaponsfor a charge, or sneak attacks. Obsidian is particularly vul-nerable to hard armors (stone or metal) and its durabilitydrops to 2S vs. stone or armor targets. Assassins, though,may find obsidian a particularly prized material for murderweapons, since armor is rarely a factor for them…


task as well. Like spears, these weapons can also be readiedagainst a charge.

Meso American ArmorMost warriors in any army went into battle naked, save a loincloth. They often painted their weapons and bodies to identifywhich officer they followed, so as to not be confused in battle.Officers, on the other hand, usually work complex, dress-likecotton armor, usually covered in woven feathers. These werecapped by feathered crests and capes, often decorated withhonorariums. This armor was remarkably resistant to punctur-ing by javelins, spears and the local equivalent of swords, dueto the tight weave. Even some Spanish adopted this armorwhile in the New World, as it was strong and light. The Aztecofficers also carried wooden or reed shields, called Chimali,decorated with their symbol.

Aztec Cotton ArmorMore comfortable than equivalent armors, and not as stifling inthe heat, the Cotton Armor of the Aztecs was a marvel thateven the Spanish appreciated as it was reasonably comfortable,and could be worn on the campaign. This kind of armor wasonly used in Aztec lands. More elaborate versions, along ani-mal motifs, were worn by officers who were members of themilitary orders, but these outfits conveyed no further benefit.

Shield, Small Reed (Chimali)Usually 2 feet in diameter , these shields were called Chimaliby the Aztecs, and were usually covered with hide. Those ofthe officers were painted with animals (if the officers belongedto a military order) or symbolic motifs. There is also a more

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durable wooden version of the Chimali, that is identical to theSmall Wooden Shield.

Islander DevelopmentsMany islands of the Pacific have people of various Polynesiandecent. These people have had to make do on islands with lim-ited resources, and so have developed unique, if limited,weapons strategies.

Most pacific islanders use bone to varying effect. Bone from seal,walrus, or even whale are used to make weapons and knives with,and even teeth, especially shark’s teeth, are used in weapon andarmor construction. Certain islander tribes mounted shark teethon clubs, sword-like sticks, or arrows, using the superior serratededges of shark teeth as weapons in combat. Shirts of grasses andreeds, lined with shark teeth have also been used. Excellent proofagainst weapons, these hard to make but valuable shirts are alsodangerous to come in contact with.

While most wood cannot hold an edge for long, bamboo is anexception. In places were bamboo flourishes, spears and knivesof bamboo could be made that were much more efficient thanthose of other natural materials. Swords, however, were

Key: 50. Shark Tooth Club; 51. Shark Tooth Sword; 52. Shark Tooth Arrow; 53. Maori Whip; 54a. Bamboo Knife; 54b. BambooSpear

50

51

52

53

54a

54b

BambooBamboo is a cylindrical stalked plant that grows best inwarmer wet climates. Its wood is particularly lightweightand strong, and unlike most wood, holds and retains an edge.Bamboo can ignore the slashing weapon damage thresholdlimitation of wood.


impractical, as the required a long edge, and were primarily forslashing, while bamboo made an excellent impaling material.

Polynesian Weapons

Club, Shark ToothA standard club with shark teeth embedded for extra damage.

Sword, Shark ToothA stick lined with shark teeth and wielded much like a sabre.Powerful for their lightweight, they are, never the less, rela-tively weak. Those who wield shark tooth weaponry, though,do so for the offensive value of the weapon. Any shark toothweapon should be considered barbed.

Arrow, Shark ToothIn all other respects like bone headed arrows, the shark tootharrow is naturally considered barbed.

Whip, MaoriThis whip, made by the Maori tribe, deals subdual damageonly, but also inflicts a great deal of pain. Basically a switch,this weapon was used in endurance rituals. In order to simulatethese is to use the following mechanic: Each strike with a whiprequires a Fortitude roll (starting at DC 10). Add one to the DCfor every point of damage done so far. If this fails, the victimcannot help by cry out with pain. Similar mechanics may beused with any endurance combat. Made from saplings, thesewhips are merely long, supple sticks, usually with a braidedhandle.

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Knife, BambooOtherwise similar to their stone and wooden cousins, the bambooversions of these weapons are tougher and more long lasting.

Spear, BambooOtherwise similar to their stone and wooden cousins, the bambooversions of these weapons are tougher and more long lasting.

Spear, Stingray SpineIn the Caribbean there were fewer inhabited islands than inPolynesia, and the people who lived on them lived relativelysimple lives. Most of these tribes used crude wooden weaponsor stone knives, but bones of fish were useful, especially thestingray. Its serrated spine was ideal for hunting and warfare,and spears capped by this kind of head were common.

Like the stingray, these kinds of spears can be deadly. They arenaturally considered barbed, and the blade is particularly brit-tle, so if it has been damaged, it tends to break off deep in thewound, increasing the chance of infection (25%).

Polynesian Armor

Mail Shirt, Shark ToothExotic and disturbing in appearance, the Shark Tooth Mail Shirtis an excellent shirt of non-metal armor, light, relatively durable,and not too encumbering. Two things make this shirt notable.Grappling with someone in a Shark Tooth Mail Shirt will inflictan automatic 2d3 damage to an unarmored foe, and will also doautomatic damage against soft armors (cord, cloth, leather). Anystrength bonuses (from either combatant) increase the automatic

55. Shark Tooth Mail Shirt; 56. Tortoise Breast Plate

55

56


damage accordingly. The other detail of note involves damage. Ifthe Shark Tooth Mail Shirt is damaged beyond its structural rat-ing, it rends, as per the rules under metal armor. In this case,shark teeth become lodged in the resulting wound, and must beremoved to allow normal healing.

Breast Plate, TortoiseThe Maori tribe are noted for use of large tortoise shells inmaking breast plates. These breast plates are excellent proofagainst slashing and bludgeoning weapons, and useful indeflecting some arrows. They are only used in serious warfare,however. When conflict within the tribe occurs, the Maorioften arbitrate through ritual use of their whips, making armoruse unnecessary. Heavier than the shark tooth mail shirt, butmore durable, this breastplate was individually crafted, usuallyby the wearer, and held on by hide straps.

Shields, Grass and WoodenMany islander cultures used larger shields, mostly oval inshape. These were fashioned from materials readily available.Some would be constructed from wood, bark, or bamboo,while other people wove them from wicker or grasses. Culturesthat caught fish of the ray family sometimes used ray hide ontheir shields. Often these shields were decorated with fearsomedesigns or intricate and meaningful geometric images.

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African Developments Africa was the place where real tool use began, and it was thefirst to develop most of the general weapons. Some tribes alsodeveloped a spear thrower similar to the atlatl. Though notquite as effective in magnifying the distance of the thrower, itnone-the-less proved more effective than a strong arm. As well,throwing sticks, identical to the rabbit stick, were also devel-oped and used throughout the continent.

Spear ThrowerSpear Throwers are usually held on the arm, and a spear isbraced on it, in a small groove in the wooden surface. Thisgroove helps to anchor the spear. Then, when the attackerthrows, the spear thrower acts as an extension of the arm,greatly increasing the distance of the throw, while also addingslightly to the damage.

Shield, TowerShields of hide and/or wood have always been a part of warfarein Africa, and some of them were quite large, even rivaling thelength of tower shields. Sometimes these shields were deco-rated, but most of the time they were left unadorned. The use ofthe spear and shield would resonate throughout history.

57. Stingray Spine Spear; 58a. Large Wooden Shield; 58b. Large Grass Shield; 59. Spear Thrower; 60. Tower Hide Shield; 61. Aboriginal Fire Shield

57 58a 58b

59

60 61


Tower Shields do not provide an armor bonus, but instead pro-vide cover. The percentage of cover is determined by place-ment on the field.

European Developments In certain northern areas of Europe flint was in good supply. Inareas where this flint was readily accessible, longer lengths weremanufactured into full-fledged swords, stone bladed and woodenhandled. These flint swords were fearsome for their potentialdamage, but like all stone implements, prone to severe breakage.When a flint sword broke, its wielder often found himself at themercy of those who still possessed workable weapons, and bat-tlefields were littered with the remains of such broken blades.Such blades were never longer than 16 inches in length, as thestone became too brittle beyond that measurement.

Shortsword, FlintReaching up to 16 inches in length, the flint shortsword was anextension on the idea of cutting weapons, lengthened for use ininter-tribal warfare.

Celt (Stone Axe)In Central and Eastern Europe, the adze was the most populartool and weapon. In most of Western Europe, a local version ofthe stone axe, called the Celt, was popular. Celts possessed a

29

wooden handle, and the stone head was affixed to it via anantler bone sleeve. Different from the ax used in Spain, Britain,and the Northern areas of Europe, the Celt was more durableand easier to repair.

Made for intertribal warfare, the Celt is designed to facilitaterepairs. If either the wood or stone portion of the weapon isdamaged, it can be removed and replaced without requiringextra fixture time. Cut all repair times in half for this weapon.

Axe, Improved Stone Adze or Stone BattleaxeCertain Germanic people developed the ability to perforatestone through use of a boring tool. Holes could be put throughthe stone, to allow a wooden handle to be placed in the stonehead. This made the ax or adze manufactured in this way morepowerful, as it could convey more force without the loss ofstrength. This technique allowed the development of improvedversions of the stone axe and adze, and for manufacture ofstone battleaxes. This battleaxe was either double sided, orconstructed with a splayed blade.

Each of these improved stone weapons is a marked advanceover the previous method of weapon making, and they came todominate in their region of Europe, although geography pre-vented further expansion.

62. Improved Stone Axe; 63a. Returning Boomerang; 63b. Kylie; 64. Horn Bow; 65. Composite Bow; 66. Toothed Stone Mace

62 63a 63b

64

65

66


Other (Australia, Asia, etc.)

AboriginesIn Australia, the Aboriginal peoples had no metallurgical skillsand little natural resources. Thus, they made do with that theyhad. And they did very well. Australian Aboriginal people alsocarried the usual variety of stone and wooden weapons,although coastal tribes favored the barbed spines of stingrays.Instead of binding spear heads with sinew, strips of hide, orplant fiber, they used resins and wax, which held better, butwas prone to melting under heat. As well, their spears wereoften barbed, usually far up the length of the spear pole, andtheir shields were tall, thin affairs, useful for guarding a sidestrike, but not a frontal blow. These shields doubled as firestarters, and hunters who carried spear and shield could start afire as quickly as any who use a modern flint and steel.

Boomerang, Returning and KylieA common theme in Australian Aboriginal weaponry is thethrowing stick. The popular and vaunted returning boomerangswere not, actually, common weapons. They were a side-evolu-tion from the kylie, the common non-returning boomerang,which was used for hunting. Each kind of throwing stick isunique. The returning boomerang has the coveted ability toreturn after being thrown, but only if the weapon misses. Thekylie, in turn, has the longest range of this kind of throwingstick, and hits harder than the rabbit stick.

The non-returning Kylies were generally about 3 feet long, andhad a cord width of 3 to 4 inches, and perhaps a half inch inthickness while the returning boomerangs are somewhatsmaller. These sticks were aerodynamic, and flew straight andfar, having more force and distance than the rabbit stick.

Boomerang, FightingAnother offshoot was the fighting boomerang, which had apick like hook on one end. The hook was intended to strike ashield or weapon held defensively, and allow the fightingboomerang to swing on the hook pivot, to strike the defenderanyway. Although this was not always successful, when it was,it could be quite stunning.

The fighting boomerang has a 25% chance to ignore any ACbonus of a shield or defensive weapon on any given throw. Itdoes this due to a hook that creates a rotation point on a defen-sive item, allowing an attack to bypass it. Roll for this beforeyou roll to hit, and if you are successful, ignore the armorbonus of the shield.

Shield, Aboriginal FireThe Aboriginal Fire Shield is not the most defensive of shields,but it does allow an object (or light weapon) to be carried in theshield hand. As well, it is culturally used for starting fires whileon a hunt or march.

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AsiaMany archaeologists believed Asia to have been very backwardduring the stone age, but recent evidence suggests that artisansin Asia may have used advanced African techniques of

weapons making. Thus, Asian weapons were easily on par withmost of north Africa. In Asia, the major development was thecomposite or horn bow.

In Java the horn bow was common. Made from the antlers ofdeer, and then strung with sinew, it was surprisingly springy,although it required special treatments to maintain that springi-ness over a long period of time. Bone could be softened whensoaked in water or, preferably, vinegar, and then straightened,but it had to dry for a while to become stiff again. If a hornbow cracked, though, it could not be salvaged.

Much of the rest of Asia, though used either the traditionalwooden hunting bow, or the composite bow, which had certainadvantages, but was more difficult to construct. The compositebow was made primarily of horn and wood, with sinew formingboth the draw string and backing. The wood was a compressiblematerial, and allowed the string to give more easily, while thebone acted as a stiffener, and gave it strength. The sinew helped toreinforce the bow, although it was not used nearly as liberally as itwas in the cordage backed bow. The composite bow lasted a sur-prisingly long time, historically, up until the 18th century, in certainparts of the world, and has seen relatively few modifications.

Bow, HornThis kind of bow does not necessarily possess any advantageover the wooden bow, but was used more commonly in theJava region.

Bow, Composite (Short and Medium)Composite bows mate the mutual strengths of wood, bone, andsinew to make a durable long range weapon. There is somedebate as to the exact origin of the composite bow, but it wasonly used in Asia during the Stone Age, usually in Siberia andNorthern China.

Resin/Wax/GlueResin, Wax, or Glue can be used as a binder to hold two sep-arate materials together. The strength of the bond is easilyequal to that conveyed by sinew or bindings, but the liquidadhesives can’t be cut. The weaknesses of these materials aresolvents or heat. If heat damage inflicts 2 or more points ofdamage to the weapon, it should be assumed that the resin,wax, or glue has failed, and the two separate materials fallapart. This may be quite critical in a battle. A long pole is notquite as useful as a spear. As well, when an item takes 2 ormore points of damage from acid, assume the resin, wax, orglue has failed, and the separate elements have fallen apart.


Forces of ChangeAs populations were more successful, they grew, anddemanded more permanent lodgings and structure. Develop-ments in agriculture and domestication would eventually leadto the first cities and nations. The presence of larger popula-tions in one area forced man to form social contracts, often tothe advantage of the aggressive and strong. This was most evi-dent among societies like the Tlingit or Aztecs, although Ger-manic, Siberian, African, and Nomadic Middle Eastern tribesalso took advantage of these early population centers.

LeatherAnother innovation that prompted serious changes in warfarewas the development of true leather. Since skins could oftenbecome coarse, odorous, and stiff with age, people experi-mented with various oily substances, rubbing them into thehides to soften them. Eventually it was discovered that certainkinds of tree bark contained “tannin” a substance we nowknow as tannic acid. This substance, when spread on hides,made the leather both pliable and durable. Leather was farmore effective at preventing damage than plain hides and furs,and could be fashioned into more comfortable and effectivegarments. The process of manufacturing leather in this wascalled tanning.

With the advent of leather armor, stone weapons like the stonemace were far less effective, and innovations were required tokeep weapons at pace with armor. Egyptians developed a

31

toothed stone mace, which appeared to be made explicitly topierce armor, but this mace required great strength to use, andwas not a complete solution.

Leather Armor, TannedTanned Leather Armor is the kind mentioned in the Player’sHandbook. Appearance is dependant on the animal the hidecame from, although generally the color is a deep brown.

Shield, Leather (Small or Large)Heavier than the hide shields, leather shields were also moredurable. Often these were painted with devices, or culturallyimportant symbols.

Mace, Toothed StoneMade first by Egyptians, these heavy maces were designed topierce leather armor and helms. The toothed mace designbecame one of the most common variants of mace in history.

The Science of WarfareObserving that certain stones, when left in fire for long periods,yielded small amounts of metal, people began to experiment.The first few metals found were pretty, but too pliable to usereliably for tools. Copper and Gold became decorations, andthough copper was used, for a time, in combat, it would see arelatively short hey day, when the first alloys were made, andthis process of subjecting stone to heat to distill metals, smelt-ing, came into its own.

67. Flint Shortsword; 68. Celt in Antler Sleeve; 69. Tanned Leather Armor; 70. Leather Shield

67

68

69

70


As well, in the growing science of warfare, it became obvious thatthe more maneuverable an army was, the more effective it was,regardless of numbers. Scouts and lightly armored foot troopsbecame the rule of the day in late Stone Age engagements, but invarious cultures a new theory prompted adventurous men to usenewly domesticated horses. At first tamed for their strength, horses

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had been used for a short time in the late Neolithic age as plowanimals, along with oxen, and as beasts of burden, like the llamaof the New World. But a mounted rider could maneuver morequickly than any footman, and longer weapons could be potentwhen charging on a horse. As the age of sticks and stones came toan end, it made way for an age of Horses, Bronze, and Armies.

Table 1-4: Stone Age WeaponsSimple Weapons-Melee Weapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HPTiny

Knife, Bamboo 8sp 1d3 19–20/x2 1 lbs S W 4/3Knife, Rock -- 1d3 19–20/x2 1.5 lbs S S 3/3Short Tusk -- 1d3 x2 1.5 lbs P B 3/5Spike, Bone -- 1d3 19–20/x2 1.5 lbs P B 3/5Ulu 5sp 1d3 x2 1 lbs S B 3/3

SmallAdze, Improved Stone 2gp 1d6 x3 5 lbs P WS 4/17Adze, Stone 1gp 1d6 x3 5 lbs P WS 3/15Mace, Stone 2gp 1d6 x2 6 lbs B WS 3/18

Medium-SizeClub, Bone -- 1d6 x2 2.5 lbs B B 3/5Club, Shark Tooth* 6gp 1d6 x3 4 lbs B BW 3/8Macahuitl* 45gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6 lbs S/B SW 3/28Mace, Toothed Stone 6gp 1d8 x2 12 lbs B & P WS 3/24Stick, Short (Club) -- 1d6 x2 3 lb B W 3/8

LargeLong Tusk -- 1d6 x2 2 lbs P B 3/4Spear, Bambooa 2gp 1d6 x3 20ft 5 lbs P W 4/12Spear, Primitive Woodena -- 1d6 x3 20ft 7 lbs P W 3/14Spear, Primitive Wooden Hardeneda -- 1d6 x3 20ft 7 lbs P W 4/14Spear, Stone Heada 1gp 1d8 x3 20ft 8 lbs P WS 3/16Stick, Long (Quarterstaff)‡ -- 1d6/1d6 x2 2.5 lbs B W 2/7

Simple Weapons-RangedTiny

Rock, Throwing -- 1d2 x2 15ft .5 lbs B S 3/4Small

Dart, Bone 2sp 1d3 x2 20ft .5 lbs P B 2/2Sling -- Per Ammunition x2 50ft .01 lbs B L 2/1

Medium-SizeJavelin, Primitive Wooden 6sp 1d4 x2 30ft 2 lbs P W 3/4Javelin, Primitive Wooden Hardened 1gp 1d4 x2 30ft 2 lbs P W 4/4

Martial Weapons-Melee Small

Axe, Improved Stone 3gp 1d6 x3 5 lbs S SW 4/12Axe, Stone 2gp 1d6 x3 5 lbs S or P WS 3/10Celt 2gp 1d6 x3 3.5 lbs S SBW 3/7Shortsword, Flint 5gp 1d6 19–20/x2 3.5 lbs S S 3/7

Medium-SizeAxe, Stone Battle 5gp 1d8 x3 7 lbs S SW 3/14Sword, Shark Tooth* 50gp 1d6 x3 5 lbs S BW 3/10

LargeLance, Forked South American Wooden†a 4gp 1d6 x3 10 lbs P W 3/18Lance, North American Stone†a 3gp 1d8 x3 10 lbs P WS 4/20


Table 1-4: Stone Age WeaponsMartial Weapons-Melee Weapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HPLarge

Lance, South American Wooden†a 3gp 1d6 x3 9 lbs P W 3/18Tepoztopilli†* 50gp 1d8 19–20/x2 13lbs S W 2/26

Martial Weapons-RangedSmall

Tomahawk* 4gp 1d6 x2 15ft 3 lbs S WS 3/9Tomahawk, Peace Pipe* 4gp 1d6 x2 15ft 2.5 lbs S WS 2/8

Medium-SizeBow, Composite Medium 85gp 1d6 x3 90ft 3 lbs Per arrow WB 3/9Bow, Horn 20gp 1d6 x3 60ft 2 lbs Per arrow B 3/6Bow, Primitive Hunting 30gp 1d6 x2 60ft 2 lbs Per arrow W 3/6 Bow, Primitive Medium 45gp 1d6 x2 70ft 2 lbs Per arrow W 3/6 Bow, Short Composite 75gp 1d6 x3 70ft 2 lbs Per arrow WB 3/8Club, Throwing Stone 5sp 1d4 x2 10ft 3 lbs B WS 3/9

LargeBow, Cordage Backed 100gp 1d8 x3 80ft 3.5 lbs Per arrow WC 3/11Harpoon, Stone* 5gp 1d6 x3 20ft 12 lbs P WS 3/22Longbow, North American Indian 90gp 1d8 x3 90ft 3 lbs Per arrow W 3/9

Exotic Weapons-MeleeSmall

Rabbit Stick 5sp 1d4 x2 20ft 0.5 lbs B W 3/4Medium-Size

Whip, Maori* 1sp 1d3§ x2 1 lbs S W 2/2Exotic Weapons-RangedTiny

Blowgun 1gp 1 x2 20ft 2 lbs P W 4/4Small

Bola, Northern American* 8sp 1d3 x2 20ft 2 lbs B CS 3/6Bola, South American* 1gp 1d4 19–20/x2 15ft 3 lbs B CS 3/9Boomerang, Fighting*# 2gp 1d6 x2 15ft 3.5 lbs B W 3/11Boomerang, Returning* 2gp 1d4 x2 10ft 2 lbs B W 2/6Kylie* 2gp 1d6 x2 20ft 3 lbs B W 3/9

MediumAtlatl* 8sp +1 x3 1 lbs W 2/2Net, Grass* 8gp 10ft 8 lbs FC 2/16 Spear Thrower* 1gp +1 x2 2 lbs W 2/4Spear, Stingray Spine* aa 15gp 1d6 x3 20ft 4.5 lbs P B 2/9

Weapons Ranged-AmmunitionArrow, Blunt (20) 1gp 3.5 lbs B WB/S 1/4Arrow, Bone Head (20) 6sp 2.5 lbs P WB 1/3 Arrow, Shark Tooth (20) 2gp 3 lbs P WB 1/3Arrow, Stone Head (20) 6sp 3 lbs P WS 1/3 Arrow, Wooden (20) -- -1 2 lbs P W 1/2Bullet, Stone (10) 6cp 1d3 2 lbs B S 2/2Needles (20) 1gp .5 lbs P W 1/1

* See the description in the text for special rules.‡ Double Weapon† Reach Weapona If you ready an action to set this weapon against a charge you deal double damage.# Shield bypass weapon§ Subdual damage 33


34

B = Bludgeoning

P = Piercing

S = Slashing

Table 1-5: Stone Age Armor

Armor CostArmorBonus

Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure

Spd30'/20' Weight‡ M H/HP

Light ArmorAztec Cotton Armor 115gp +2 +5 -2 15% 30ft/20ft 20lbs F 4/42Breast Plate, Tortoise 30gp +3 +5 -2 20% 30ft/20ft 20lbs B 4/40Breast Plate, Bone Hair Pipe 2gp +0 N/A 0 0% 30ft/20ft .5lbs BC 1/1Buckskin 13gp +2 +6 0 5% 30ft/20ft 8lbs L 3/10Furs and Hides 8gp +2 +5 -1 15% 30ft/20ft 12lbs L 2/24Leather Armor, Tanned 10gp +2 +6 0 10% 30ft/20ft 15lbs L 3/32Mail Shirt, Shark Tooth# 25gp +3 +4 -1 25% 30ft/20ft 18lbs B 3/34Skin Armor -- +1 +6 -1 10% 30ft/20ft 8lbs L 1/14Wood and Hide Armor 10gp +2 +4 -2 20% 30ft/20ft 18lbs WL 3/36

Medium ArmorBone Plate 15gp +3 +4 -3 25% 20ft/15ft 22lbs BL 3/44Slat Armor 30gp +3 +4 -3 25% 20ft/15ft 25lbs WL 4/50

ShieldsShield, Aboriginal Fire 1gp +1 -1 10% 3lbs W 3/6Shield, Great Bark 12gp +3 -3 20% 15lbs W 1/28Shield, Large Bark 5gp +2 -2 15% 10lbs W 1/18Shield, Large Grass 6gp +2 -2 15% 7lbs C 2/14Shield, Large Hide 5gp +2 -2 15% 8lbs L 1/16Shield, Large Leather 7gp +2 -2 15% 9lbs L 3/18Shield, Large Wooden 7gp +2 -2 15% 10lbs W 3/20Shield, Small Bark 1gp +1 -1 5% 4lbs W 1/8Shield, Small Hide 1gp +1 -1 5% 3lbs L 1/6 Shield, Small Leather 3gp +1 -1 5% 4lbs L 3/8Shield, Small Reed 8sp +1 -1 5% 2lbs W 1/4Shield, Small Wooden Shield 3gp +1 -1 5% 4lbs W 3/8Shield, Tower Hide** 22gp * -8 50% 21lbs L 2/42Shield, Tower Wooden** 30gp * -10 50% 45lbs W 3/90

# See the text for special rules.* When running in heavy armor you move only triple your speed, not quadruple.** The tower shields grants you cover. See the description.† Hand not free to cast spells.‡ Armor fitted for small characters weighs half as much.

Chariots of Bronze

Domestication 36The Riding Skill 38Table 2-1: Riding Modifiers 38

Copper and Bronze 38Copper 38Skittishness 38Copper—Arsenic Alloy 38Bronze 39

The Fertile Crescent: Sumeria 39Sumerian Tactics 40Shield Trapping 42Phalanx tactics 43Battle Wagons/Onager 44Babylon 44

North Africa: Egypt 44Forced Innovation: The Hittites 45

Chariots and Chariot Combat. 47Iron and the Late Bronze Age 47Hazards 48

Mishaps 48Table 2-2: Terrain 48Table 2-3 Terrain Changes 48Table 2-4: Driver Mishap 48Table 2-5: Breakage 49Charioteer Prestige Class 49Table 2-6: Charioteer 50New Feats 51

The Far East 52China 53The Divine Mandate 54

The Inca 54Europe & The Mediterranean 56

The Celts 56The Minoans 56The Mycenaens 57The End of an Age 58Table 2-7: Bronze Age Weapons 59Table 2-8: Bronze Age Armor 60

35


As floorboard rocked, the soldier adjusted his stance, lean-ing into the turn and eyeing the nail-studded wheel rimflashing on his right. The chariot maintained its grip, how-ever, and now they shot toward the plain of war. The soldieradjusted his grip on his javelin, and inventoried the quiver.He’d have five throws before the chariot would swing to oneside, and he and the three other soldiers would disembarkand enter the melee. Those five throws had to count.

A brief dip pulled at the pit of his stomach, and he foughtthe discomfort and the jarring thud of stones under thewheels, then the ride became smoother. The plain was anadvantageous field for battle, and he could already see thewagons of the enemy pulling wide in reaction to the chariotrush. The enemy’s onagers couldn’t achieve the speed thathorses could, and their four wheeled wagons weighed themdown, sacrificing mobility for stability. He’d fought theseElamites before, during a summer raid, and he knew howfortunate it was that this force had been drawn down out ofthe mountains and onto a fair footing. Soon those wagonswould disgorge their own soldiers, and the battle wouldbegin in earnest.

Sweat ran along the leather lining of his armor. Already itwas growing warm, and before the battle was over he wouldwish he wasn’t wearing it. But its protection was necessary,the Elamite curved swords were deadly against unarmoredfoes, and their arrows could pierce mere leather. Ridinganother turn, he raised his javelin, and sighted the enemy’swagon drivers.

With a heave he cast the bronze capped javelin into the air,and the momentum of the chariot and his own throwing armgave it a strange, arcing grace, sending it farther than amortal arm could normally throw. But perhaps Mardukwas watching over the Elamite driver, for a brief skid puthim out of harm’s way, and the javelin struck soil behindhim, embedding itself.

Frustrated, the soldier pulled another javelin from thequiver, and then sighted a second wagon. This flight wenttrue, and soon the second Elamite driver sprouted a javelinfrom his chest. The life quickly fled his form, and, un-guided, the war wagon left its formation. As the soldierdrew his third javelin, he noted the warriors in the pilot-lesswagon rushing to master the onagers and regain control.Another javelin cast forced them to duck low, but shortlythey were out of range.

His fourth cast was sent wide by a sudden lurch, as a largerock shook the chariot. He cursed his luck but then spottedthe Elamite commander’s wagon. Alerting to the driver, hesteadied himself, focusing on his target. They altered course.

They were now venturing into the Elamite’s portion of the field.Archer formations, directed by officers, hastily put arrow tobow, and tested range on their chariot. A fellow warrior besidehim put up his shield, holding it to guard the thrower fromenemy fire. The soldier eyed the commander, and drew back

his arm. The commander, noting the danger approaching, liftedup his shield to ward off a javelin strike, but as the soldier casthis last javelin, it did not fly towards the commander. Thechariot driver hauled on the reigns, heaving the horses sharplyto the left by their nose-rings. The chariot bumped andcareened, going off one wheel briefly, threatening to spill themall out. The soldier turned against the corner, though, watchinghis javelin cast, hoping his aim was true.

The javelin struck the right onager in the neck, causing it tostumble and collapse. The wagon, still traveling forward,suddenly had a burden at yoke, rather than a charging ani-mal. It lurched, and rolled partially up onto the form of theonager, and then the guide-bar snapped. The wagon tippedvertically for a moment and then collapsed backwards, ontop of its occupants. It was better than he could have hoped.He shouted in triumph, and the other soldiers cheered hisgood arm. Without their commander, the Elamites would befighting a losing battle, dispirited and without new com-mands. Already figures were running towards the wreckedwagon, to see what had happened.

The soldier drew his battleaxe, and looked about for hisshield, but it was nowhere to be found. Likely it was backthere, in the dirt, where they had made the great turn andfled their dangerous position. He shrugged. It was no mat-ter. The others would cover him in the beginning, and he’dclaim a shield as soon as an enemy dropped one. This wasjust one battle in a month of battles, and blessings of Mar-duk aside, he would have many days of campaign to go.

Domestication

As the Neolithic Stone Age came to a close, large commu-nities sprang up in static locations, supported by advanced

hunting practices, cultivation, and domestication. The first ani-mals to be domesticated were dogs, followed afterwards by cat-tle, donkeys, and horses. These later domestications were broughtabout to improve the stable food supply, and to haul loads tooheavy for men to carry. Early horses were not as large as today’shorses, and they did not have the strength bred into later varieties.Thus, the riding of horses was extremely uncommon.

Only in areas like Siberia, or the barbarian regions of Chinaand Mongolia did people ride horses. There religions about thecreatures and their place in society sprang up, and it was com-mon for these people to ride horses as part of their nomadicmigration. These peoples would someday become the horse-bound cultures of the Scythians, Magyars, Huns, Hittites,Medes, and Mongols, and to some degree the practice of horsecavalry is owed to their cultural lineage.

Camels, both Bactrian (two humps) and Dromedary (onehump), were not commonly bred in Mesopotamian cultureuntil later, well into the Bronze Age period. An animal with aless pleasant temperament than the horse, the camel was bestsuited to desert conditions and privation, and as such was bet-

36

CChhaarriioottss ooff BBrroonnzzee

ter as a nomadic animal in the Middle East. No substantial cav-alry was organized around the camel at this time.

In India, the only other animal domesticated for work was theelephant, and only certain tribes held this practice. The ele-phant is an intelligent creature that does not take to captivitywillingly. Those peoples who practiced domestication of Ele-phants developed specific social groups who lived with andcared for such domesticated Elephants, and they were prima-rily used to aid load hauling and construction. It would be quitesome time before the first elephants would be used in war.

Oxen, horses, and donkeys were trained to pull. This taskallowed farmers to plan their crops, allowing greater yield thana field tilled by hand. With the development of the wheel, thesedray animals could also be used to haul large loads. Oxen werestrongest, and so used for heavy loads, but horses proved to bethe fastest haulers, and so, with training, could be made to haullighter loads faster and farther than any other dray animal. Intime certain cultures would find use for the horse’s speed inwarfare, pulling chariots, but that later development would alsorequire extensive training and conditioning of horses for war. Itwould be the donkey, domesticated first in Egypt that wouldtake the battlefield first, under the archaic name onager.

The WhipMade from braided animal hair or woven grasses, the firstwhips were used as tools in training and controlling wild ani-mals. Made to inflict pain more than actual damage, these firstwhips were eventually also turned on those treated little better

than animals. The whip deals subdual damage, and deals nodamage to any creature wearing armor of at least +1 armorbonus, and does no damage to a creature with a +3 naturalarmor bonus. Although kept in the hand, it is treated as aranged weapon with a maximum range of 10 feet, and no rangepenalties. Because it can wrap around a leg or other limb, itmay also be used to make trip attacks. If you are tripped duringyour own trip attempt, you can drop the whip in order to avoidbeing tripped. Those using a whip gain a +2 bonus on theiropposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent,including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they fail theirdisarm attempt. The whip is considered an exotic weapon. Thisweapon is a shield bypass weapon.

37

a. Horse; b. Camels (Dromedary, Bactrian); c. Elephant; d. Ox; e. Donkey

a

b

c d e

1. Whip

1


The Riding SkillOne of the first inventions designed to help control a horse wasthe blinder. Without blinkers horses can easily become distractedby events near them. Blinkers were very important for charioteersin the heat of battle, to prevent horses at the yoke from fightingeach other in the heat of the moment. Horses are also sensitive toloud sounds, and will shy away from them instinctively unlessdesensitized by war training. The specific equipment and trainingof the horse also has a direct impact on their behavior.

The Player’s Handbook covers Mounted Combat in the Com-bat Chapter, but it assumes that all horses are properlyequipped and have had extensive training, even those nottrained for combat. The following modifiers should be consid-ered when making rolls to control non-war trained mounts.

Were any of these circumstances to occur, the rider would berequired to make a Ride skill check (all penalties cumulative).Riders failing this roll may note behavior such as aggressiontowards other horses or animals, bolting in fear, followingother animals, or rearing.

Obviously it is of value to have a well trained horse beforegoing into battle with it. All of these factors contributed to theformation of the Bronze Age armies, and to their general lackof cavalry.

Copper and Bronze

Smelting, the art of isolating metallic ore from stone, mostlikely developed with the advent of the oven or kiln. Vari-

ous cultures experimented with ways of generating a great dealof heat in an enclosed space for cooking. Although wood firesburned hottest, early civilizations discovered that placing stonesamong the wood in a fire helped the heat remain longer, asstones cooled slower than charcoal. In enclosed spaces, this heatcould be maintained for long periods of time, allowing food tobe cooked or pottery to be dried in a controlled environment.

Some ingenious soul, when cleaning out one of these ovens,noted that lumps of metal were sometimes found among theashes and stones. Experimentation revealed that metal could befound within specific stones, and that metal could be refash-ioned into a great variety of shapes and forms. Soon smeltingsprang up throughout civilized regions, and even in the wilderenvirons where the benefit of metal tools was quickly realized.The first few metals discovered through smelting were gold,silver, and copper. Of the three, only copper was found in suffi-cient amounts to make good tools from, although it was barelymore adequate than gold or silver for the task.

CopperCopper is a soft metal, of rich brown-gold hue. For nearly 4000years, copper was the only metal used for regular tools. Knives,cooking wear, and armor were all formed of copper, and therewas rarely any artistry to its manufacture, since copper imple-ments quickly dulled, dented, and bent. Copper, though, couldbe repaired, making it highly desirable in items like armor.Although a copper shield could be quickly holed or a coppersword quickly blunted, it could also be beaten out and reforged,so as to be useful again.

Still, since copper is so easily warped, the spear, rather than thesword, was the mainstay of the field of war, having reach,strength, and versatility. The sword was purely a backupweapon, only used when army formations broke down andfighting was in close quarters. Combatants fully expected toblunt their swords into clubs by end of battle.

38

Table 2-1: Riding ModifiersDC Circumstance-5 The horse is equipped with Blinkers.

+2 The horse is guided by a nose-ring, rather than a bit(nose-rings can be more painful to the horse) .

+2 The saddle has no stirrups.

+3 The horse hears a loud shout from the rider or a footmanwithin 1 foot .

+4 The horse is wearing barding it is not trained to use.+5 The horse is within a foot of another horse. +5 The horse is within 6 feet of an unfamiliar animal.

+5 There is a shiny object moving within 3 feet of horse’shead (sword, axe, jewelry).

+5 The horse can hear the impact of weapons on armor orshields within 1 foot (usually between riders).

+7 The horse has been trained for only one rider (is notfamiliar with any other rider).

+8 The horse is not trained for a rider and is being ridden.

+10 An extremely loud sound, like a horn, gong, or explo-sion occurs within 2 feet.

Copper—Arsenic AlloyArmies in the field, even the smaller, less organized ones ofthe copper age, required a good deal of food and drink tokeep it on its feet. Soldiers often had to boil their water andfood to make it potable, during a long campaign. During thecopper age it appears to have become a common practice fora soldier to use their helmets as a boiling or cooking pot. Thepractice became very dangerous when the first bronze alloy,copper arsenic, was adopted to make armor. Small particlesof the bronze alloy would inevitably become suspended inthe boiling water, and would be consumed. As a molecule,copper arsenic isn’t as lethal as pure arsenic, so often theworst results of a single experience might be a belly ache.But arsenic, like lead, is only slowly processed out of the

SkittishnessHorses, by their nature, are skittish. Generally energetic andhigh-strung, horses do not trust animals they are unfamiliarwith, including humans. When wild, horses had to watch forlarge cats or wolves. Though fast and powerful, horses havedeceptively fragile legs. Once broken, they rarely mendedright. Thus, horses are quite cautious and require a great dealof training and preparation for use other than dray work.


BronzeBronze was the first major alloy to be invented, and it revolu-tionized metalworking. What once was a lesser art amongmany useful crafts came to the forefront of technology. Bronzeis made by alloying copper and various other compounds, mostnotably arsenic and tin. The resulting metal is stronger, moredurable, and lighter in color, ranging from a rich gold to a sil-very white. It is worth noting that although minor kingdomswere formed during the age of copper, the Bronze Age was thefirst time period to foster true Empires.

Bronze, unlike copper, holds its form longer and more easily,and can be worked more decoratively. This lead to a change inway bronze implements, but most especially arms and armor,were made. Generally things made for the common soldierwere simplistic, minimalistic, made quickly and without muchattention to fine detail. Soldiers might invest in metal workingtools to inscribe their own weapons or decorate them as theypleased, but generally only officers had custom made or deco-rated items. This generally made it easier to determine order ofcommand, for good or for ill.

Bronze work dominated metalworking for a great deal of time,until tin mines in Assyria and other areas began to give out.The local shortage of tin forced people to move away from theexclusive use of bronze or to seek other sources. As ironbecame more commonly used, bronze became more of anaccent to arms and armor, a decoration or minor component.

The Fertile Crescent: Sumeria

Sumeria is the oldest known civilization. Whether it is trulythe oldest civilization or not is up to debate, but it was likely

the first transition culture, moving from the stone age to the cop-per and bronze ages. Sumeria is a good model of how early civi-lizations were born: Developments in domestication, theinvention of the wheel, and breakthroughs in farming (seed use,growing cycles, and the development of the plow) lead to largersocial groups, and extensive trade for metals and materials notfound in the region. These groups formed internal hierarchies,usually around people who possessed wealth, and eventually theyformed communities. These communities grew into city-states inSumeria, and each city-state was a sovereign region, ruled by thehierarchy. In Sumeria this hierarchy was centered on the church.

Each city revered the gods, and the temples were the center ofcity life. The priesthood controlled and regulated city growth andresources. In return, the priesthood had the burden of interpretingthe whims of the gods. All events were attributed to the actions ofthe gods, and the priesthood constantly had to reconcile thoseevents with the common people.

The religious leaders of a Sumerian city-state were called theEnsi, and they controlled the armed forces of the city-state.These forces were primarily a militia, an army made up of malecivilians that had other occupations, but took up weapons in timeof trouble. The militia was usually issued weapons and armor,and these were property of the state. Commonly this consisted ofleather or wooden shields (although richer cities might affordcopper or bronze equivalents), slings, light bows, spears (ini-tially stone bladed), clubs, maces, javelins, and, after the adventof copper or bronze smelting, knives, battleaxes, a sort of prun-ing hook (bill) polearm, and eventually a curved sword. Theywould also be given a leather cloak, riveteted with circularpatches of copper or bronze, as defensive wear, although eventu-ally they developed the bronze plate shirt. These plates weregenerally rectangular, circling the shirt and overlapping, andwere quite bulky. Armor was only worn in battle, since onebecame very hot in it quickly, especially during the summermonths, when the military was the most active. Other than these,Sumerian militiamen of poor cities might also wield farmingimplements turned to weapons of war, like the sickle, thresher,scythe, or hayfork. These tools made weapons fared well enoughin battle, although they would see rapid development much laterin the medieval period.

In time, the religious leaders of the Sumerian cities became toogreedy and controlling, and the people of Sumeria allied them-selves behind wealthy landowners, called lugals. These lugalsslowly usurped power from the hands of the Ensi, and began thefirst rule of kings in Sumeria. For a time each city in Sumeria wasruled by its own king, who raised armies to raid each other andprotect themselves from other Sumerian Kings. But armies ofcivilians were costly, and kept people from producing the neces-sities that drive civilization. A lot of lesser tribes migrated throughthe region, either nomadic in nature or displaced by environmen-tal disaster or warfare. Often times men among these nomadicgroups would hire themselves out as mercenary soldiers to thelocal city, offering their service as a full-time sword in exchangefor food, shelter, and status. This allowed armies to become inde-pendent from the local community, and the practice of maintain-ing mercenary troops became common among the aggressivecities. This was the origin of the standing army.

A young man named Sargon, born of a single mother who gavehim into adoption to a fruit merchant, rose to prominence in thenon-Sumerian city of Akkad. Playing to the interests and needsof the middle and lower classes, Sargon took control of the cityof Akkad, and forged their military aged men into a formidablefighting force. Leading them against the Sumerian cities, he con-quered each, one by one, and eventually united all of Sumeriaunder his own crown. Then he drove his armies westward, and

39

body, and it accumulates in the vaious organs. Thus soldierson campaign would eventually develop debilitating symp-toms or even die as the result of gradual poisoning. When thepractice of boiling water in helmets was banned, this strangemalady of the warfare vanished. The later alloy of copperand tin did not have these properties.

There is no simple d20 system mechanic for this. Most charac-ters would not be likely to boil water in their helmets, and grad-ual poisoning takes time. It may, however, make an interestingand unexpected plot element or method of assassination.


claimed all the land up to the Mediterranean Sea for the Sumer-ian Empire. Thus, Sargon became the first Emperor of Sumeria.Since the people of Sumeria looked to their leaders for spiritualguidance, Sargon was forced to become the spiritual leader ofSumeria as well. Thus the ruler of Sumeria claimed to rule byDivine mandate, starting a tradition that would return again andagain throughout history. Though Akkad would not remain theSumerian capital for long, and kingdoms would rise up in thenon-Sumerian territories, Sargon and Akkad made a deep andpermanent mark on the whole region.

ShieldsMetal shields of this period were often round or rectangular indesign, round for warriors expecting to fight singly, and rectan-gular for warriors fighting together or in formation. The rectan-gular shield was sometimes bowed, to curve slightly around thedefender, and the round shield was often notched to allowroom for a wide swing with a weapon, or to give better mobil-ity for the feet. A few shields were made in a teardrop shape,which is best for diverting high body blows. Shields were oftenleft blank, or decorated with the city emblem. Shields wererarely personalized, mainly because they were often the prop-erty of the king or army.

Bow, Light WarWell made, the light war bow is a stout weapon, a strong drawbut a short body. The advantage of this bow is that it does notmake the archer as prominent a target as a larger bow would,since the draw is accomplished much sooner and the stancerequired is less dramatic. As with all bows, both hands must befree to use this bow. Optionally, those already proficient withbows may fire this bow as if they had the feat Rapid Shot(although they do not gain the bonus of the pre-requisite PointBlank Shot as well). This bonus does not stack with Rapid Shotif the user already has this feat.

Arrow, Copper & Bronze HeadedArrows, as always, do damage as per the bow. The shaping ofthe blade of an arrow was unique to its culture, but usually was

40

2. Copper Shield; 3. Bronze Shield; 4. Light War Bow; 5. Copper Headed Arrow; 6a. Bronze Headed Arrow; 6b. Bronze HeadedArrow; 7. Copper Bladed Spear; 8. Bronze Tipped Javelin

56a

6b2 3

4

7

8

Sumerian TacticsSumeria should be noted as the first civilization to use the pha-lanx formation. Soldiers would often pack into tight forma-tions, clustering their spears together to form lethal, nearlyimpenetrable walls. This formation was highly effectiveagainst the generally chaotic rushes of their less organizedfoes. The King and or General might also ride a Battle Wagoninto combat. Drawn by 4 onagers (domesticated donkeys),these proto-chariots allowed Sumerian commanders toadvance on the field quickly, in order to get a good perspectiveon the battle and issue new commands quickly. Often a war-rior would accompany them on the wagon, carrying a brace ofjavelins to throw, using the momentum of the chariot to theiradvantage. Use of the Battle Wagon was very limited, how-ever, due to poor turning radius and low numbers. True chariotwarfare would not be born in Sumeria.


similar to the shape of the spear-head. Although slightly moredurable than stone age arrows, often the only thing retrievedfor use after battle were the arrow heads.

Spears & JavelinsWhether possessing metal heads or capped with metal (eithercopper or bronze), these weapons became the mainstay of mostinfantry in the Bronze Age. Possessing decent throwing rangeand excellent stopping power, both the spear and javelin wereculturally and socially associated with warfare. Great figures inlegend and history were given spears to denote importance andcommand, and javelins were often to be found near everycampfire when on campaign. Spears used by the Sumerians,and those who traded with them often had forked butts. Thesewere used in conjunction with a leather sling to allow the spearto be thrown farther. Using such a spear with a sling in thismanner increases the range increment of the spear by 10 feet.The javelin can be used as a melee weapon, but it was notmeant to, and so all characters are treated as non-proficient,conveying a -4 to all melee rolls.

Clubs & MacesClubs and maces used during this time period were inherentlysimilar. Both used a solid core of hardened wood, supple-mented with durable metal. Clubs were primarily wood,

although some were studded with lumps of metal, meant togive the club more weight and impact. Mace heads of the timewere generally round, although some variance was common.Only the Egyptians used toothed maces (as mentioned in theprior chapter), which were not made of metal.

Edged WeaponsThe knives, Sumerian battleaxes, and sickle sword are all goodexamples of the philosophy of the time period. Copper andbronze do not hold points well, but they do hold edges decently.Capitalizing on this strength, single hand weapons of the timefocused on chopping and hacking motions, rather than thrusts.The similarities between the sickle sword, the kopesh, and theCanaanite sword all show the strength of the design, whichwould later influence the many curved blades of the near east.

Pruning HookThe pruning hook was primarily used in groves to trim hard toreach branches, but it saw extensive use in Sumeria on the bat-tlefield. Resembling a spear with a barb on one side, the prun-ing hook is a reach weapon, used much like a spear. It caneasily be used to attack foes 10 feet away, but is a liabilityagainst closer enemies. The protruding hook may be used tomake trip attacks and the user, if tripped during the attempt,

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9. Copper Studded Club; 10. Copper Headed Mace; 11. Bronze Headed Mace; 12. Copper Knife; 13. Bronze Dagger; 14. Sumer-ian Bronze Axe; 15. Bronze Sickle Sword; 16. Bronze Pruning Hook

9 1011

13 12

14

15

16


may drop the pruning hook to avoid falling. A pruning hookmay also be used to trap a shield (see sidebar).

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17. Bronze Armored Cloak; 18. Bronze Plated Shirt; 19. Sumerian Helmet; 20. Bone (mandible) Sickle; 21. Bronze Sickle; 22.Thresher

1817 19

20 21

22

Shield TrappingSome weapons possess a hook or feature that is especially use-ful in trapping a shield. Shield trapping is the process of grap-pling a shield and making it impossible for an opponent togain any defensive benefit from it, usually by pinning it to thefloor or pulling it out of its proper position. Since most of theweapons that may be used to perform a shield trap are twohanded, someone else is usually left to take advantage of thisopening.

In order to trap a shield, the bearer of the weapon must make amelee touch attack. If the attack succeeds, make a Strengthcheck opposed by the defender's Strength or Dexterity(whichever modifier is higher). If that succeeds, the oppo-nent's shield has become trapped, and it cannot be used as longas it is trapped. All armor bonuses are lost, and the shield can-not be used for any special shield maneuvers or attacks whilethe shield is trapped. Worse, the victim of a trapped shield can-not move without disengaging or dropping the shield.

Each turn the opponent can attempt to disengage his shieldby making a Dexterity or Strength check (whichever is

higher) opposed by the trapper’s Strength check. If they suc-ceed, the shield and weapon are no longer locked, and theshield user can again use the armor bonus of the shield. Dis-engaging is a move-equivalent action.

Attempting a shield trap does provoke an attack of opportu-nity. In order to maintain a shield trap, the trapper may notmake any attacks with their trapping weapon, nor may theymove beyond the appropriate combat range from an oppo-nent (5–10 feet in a circle around the trapped opponent,depending on the reach of the weapon).

Shield SpikesMetal spikes may be added to any shield but the Buckler orTower Shield. These spikes turn the shield into a martialweapon that deals 1d6 points of piercing damage (x2 crit)regardless of the size of the shield. Possessing multiplespikes on a shield does not confer an advantage in battle.Any person with shield proficiency who has a spiked shieldmay attempt a disarm maneuver with their shield, at a +2 todisarm (including the roll to resist being disarmed if you faila disarm). This does not provoke an attack of opportunity,unlike a normal disarm. Remember than any off hand penal-ties apply, if you have attacked with your regular handweapon during the same turn.


Cloak & Shirt, BronzeThe bronze armored cloak is an unusual form of armor, aleather cloak with bronze disks sewn to it. Meant to deflectchance blows, it contributes little armor value, but can be worn(stacks) with other forms of armor.

The bronze plated shirt is a leather vest and skirt with plates ofbronze sewn to its surface. These plates are usually rectangular,and about 8 inches in length, rarely overlapping. Not as com-prehensive as the more protective banded armors, it still sawcommon use throughout the region by many of the Semitictribes who lived or traded with the Sumerians. This is notstackable.

Farm Implements (Sickle, Thresher, Scythe, Hay-fork)Sickles are short, crescent-shaped knives with a sharp edgealong the inner curve. Used primarily to harvest grasses, theyare simple, one-handed weapons not well suited for combat.The thresher was usually a pole with a length of chain attachedto the end, used to beat harvested grain, separating the grainfrom the chaff. Again, it is ill suited to combat, as the chain isnot long enough to use in trip attacks, and there is no headweighted at the head is too light. The scythe is a long harvest-ing tool, with a curved wooden shaft, a handle for both hands,and a long, curved blade, sharpened only on the inside. Carriedat the side, and used in large sweeping arcs, it’s remarkablyunsuited to combat, but can cause terrible wounds to an unar-mored or unsuspecting foe. Lastly, the hayfork is a two-pronged forked pole weapon, no longer than 6 feet in length.Usually made of wood capped with metal, the hayfork is usedto manipulate large piles of grain or grass for baling or sorting.It is in no way intended for throwing, and can only be used as

an improvised thrown weapon if so employed. Obviously itemslike these are not optimal in a combat situation.

Phalanx tacticsPhalanx is a Greek word meaning battle line. It was Phillip IIof Macedonia who first perfected the phalanx tactic, but theRomans mastered it. The Sumerians used a basic phalanx tacticof having soldiers stand in formation, shoulder to shoulder, sothat the shield of the soldier on the left overlapped the shoulderof the soldier on the right. Each soldier held their spears lowand forward, overlapping those held by the men behind them.This process created a nearly seamless shield wall, and a dan-gerous array of spearheads preceding it.

The Sumerian tactic had a few flaws, however. The spears of theSumerians were rarely longer than 7–8 feet in length, so theactual array of spear points was relatively shallow. Secondly, thistactic fares best against charging foes, especially cavalry, whomight impale themselves against the spears. Since the cavalry ofthe time was Battle Wagons, there was rarely a time when thistactic was used, and the force of a pair of charging onagers andthe Battle Wagon behind them became a liability in the fewencounters when someone did charge the battle line with one.Third, the soldiers did not have the kind of training and disci-pline required to hold their position for long periods of time.Thus an enterprising commander could use the impatience oftheir enemy to break the phalanx maneuver and open the Sumer-ian army up to attack.

Still, the use of the phalanx maneuver at this time shows howeffective it was, even in a time period where it could not see itsbest application.

New Feat: Formation Tactics: [General]You are trained to fight with other soldiers in formation.

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23. Bronze Scythe; 24. Hayfork

23

24


Prerequisites: Shield Proficiency

Benefit: Any person with the Formation Tactics feat standingshoulder to shoulder to another person who also possesses thisfeat may confer their armor bonus for the shield upon their fel-low combatant as well. This armor bonus stacks with any otherarmor bonuses that person may have.

If a line with multiple ranks is bracing against a charge, firstroll to hit for the combatants in front. If the person in frontstrikes, roll to hit for the person supporting them with Forma-tion Tactics. The support combatant gain’s a +3 circumstancebonus to successfully strike the charger as well. This is becauseboth weapons are in line with the charge in question. If the per-son in front misses, the person in the support position may stillroll to strike, but without any bonus to hit.

New Feat: Improved Formation Tactics: [Gen-eral]You are trained to fight with other soldiers in formation.

Prerequisites: Formation Tactics

Benefit: Any person with Improved Formation Tactics also con-fers a +1 to hit bonus to an ally if both people are threatening thesame target and are standing in formation (this is especiallyeffective with reach weapons). This is a free action that does notstack with the aid another combat maneuver. This bonus is lostwhen formation is broken, even if both combatants remain intheir relative positions.

Obviously, armies full of soldiers with Improved FormationTactics can be deadly. Fortunately, most armies of this perioddidn’t have time to spend on this level of training. Later on, theRomans would change that.

Battle Wagons/OnagerAs mentioned before, the onager is a donkey domesticated foruse as a draft animal. These Battle Wagons were the precursorof the chariot, but they had a few notable differences:

Battle Wagons are larger, with four wheels, substituting stabil-ity for mobility. Battle Wagons could never reach the speeds orperform the maneuvers chariots could.

Battle Wagons often carried 6–10 soldiers on board, usuallywell trained and ready to jump off an into battle. This allowedthe army to move people into strategic positions in the heat ofbattle.

Battle Wagons used a strong guide-bar and yoke, rather than aguide-bar and lashings. This meant that when an onager diedwhile drawing the wagon, there was no way to quickly releasethe animal’s body before it could cause trouble.

Despite its limitations, the Battle Wagon was a substantialmove towards mobility on the battlefield, and its use by theSumerians helped them to dominate Mesopotamia over other,lesser tribes.

BabylonBabylon was one of the cities in the Sumerian region, and, for atime, its scientists, engineers, and lugals made great strides thatgained them renown in the region. Already the stage was set fora great leader. And just as other major civilizations were waning(Egypt was in a period of Chaos, Sumeria was experiencingserious internecine warfare, Assyria was being conquered by theKassites, and the Harappans were disappearing), a man namedHammurabi ascended the throne of Babylon. The presence ofthe man alone appears to have been immense, and his mind wasobviously quite keen. Besides establishing a legal code thatwould be referenced and built upon for centuries, Hammurabialso distinguished himself on the battlefield, leading armies tovictory defending weaker Sumerian cities from ambitious kings.In the end, Hammurabi took it upon himself to conquer themajority of Sumeria and to establish his own nation, with Baby-lon as its center.

Babylon ruled just as much by cultural influence as it did by mil-itary force. Indeed, when the armies of the Hittites and the Kas-sites invaded Babylon and sacked the royal city, the civilians ofthe respective countries protested and staged costly rebellionsagainst their own governments’ heavy handedness. One reasonfor this reaction was the presence of prominent temples in theCity of Babylon that were sacked during the raids, another wasthe reputation of Babylon as a land where even slaves had rights.

Babylon, as the inheritor of Sumeria’s domain, possessed thesame technology, but refined it. Babylonian archers favored themedium composite bow, and Babylonian soldiers wore bandedarmor similar to that of the Egyptians. Combined with theirphalanx tactics and chariots, the Babylonians fielded a formi-dable army.

North Africa: Egypt

Unlike Sumeria, in Egypt the role of the priesthood and theking were very separate. The king controlled the armies,

and wielded power over the lives of the civilians. The priest-hood, on the other hand, studied and worshipped the gods andbusied itself on studying the nature of the afterlife. Early in it’shistory, the King of Upper Egypt called together all the men offitness to fight, lead a campaign against the more technologi-cally advanced people of Lower Egypt, and conquered them.Uniting all of Egypt under his own crown, he forged the begin-ning of the Egyptian Empire, a completely different type ofempire than that of the earlier Sumerians.

Egypt’s only close neighbors were the various tribes to who livedin the Sinai Peninsula or in the wild lands to the west, and theNubian Kingdom of Kush, their major enemy to the south. ThusEgypt was surprisingly isolated from most other major culturalcenters. As such, it did not require much of a standing army, andso its military was relatively weak during the Bronze Age. ThePharaoh himself did maintain a personal guard and policingforce, lightly armed with copper (later bronze) spears, cudgels

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(clubs), maces, knives, hunting bows, and long wooden or bronzeshields, but they wore little armor, since the hot weather madedoing so exhausting. It would not be until much later, after therise of many dynasties that Egyptians would come into contactwith more aggressive forces, and would be forced to innovate.Early Egyptian weapons included a kind of battleaxe (resemblinga slightly offset, large bladed spear), the military version of theKopesh (a sword based on the sickle, and wielded more like anaxe), light composite bows, and a kind of throwing club made ofwood or bone. Light leather garments became common amongthe enlisted, and soldiers and officers wore leather shirts bandedwith bronze and bronze helmets into battle. But the greatest deter-rent that Egypt possessed was its large population. Left relativelyalone by other major powers, and existing in a very fertile valley,Egypt had more inhabitants than most other major regions.

Shields, EgyptianEgyptian shields were typically large and long, being oval orinverted teardrop shaped. Often painted blue and gold, theymight also bear the device of the powerful king the soldierserved under. Personal ornamentation was rarely allowed, sincethe stature and prominence of the commanding officer wasmore important than personal expression. Bronze shields wereexpensive and prized, and were almost never carried exceptduring ceremonies or matters of state.

Battleaxe, Egyptian BronzeThe Egyptian battleaxe is unusual for the period, resembling avery heavily bladed spear set off center, with a dipping blade onone side. Used just as much for thrusting as for chopping, it’sweight made it unwieldy, but its damage made it fearsome. Thisbattleaxe, despite its similarities to the spear, is not made forthrowing.

Sword, Kopesh BronzeThe famous Egyptian Kopesh occupies a very small niche inthe world of weapons, like the Kris blade of South East Asia,the kopesh descends from a religious origin, rather than a com-mon day origin. The kopesh sword was originally used in fer-tility rites, its symbolic form mimicking the common sickle.The first kopesh swords were made of expensive metals,mainly silver and gold, and it was not until many dynastiesafter the unification of Egypt that the kopesh was recast inbronze and used on the field. It seems likely that the kopeshwas only given to choice elite units at first, due to its religioussignificance, although later it saw more widespread use whenthe design became standardized and mass produced. Thekopesh’s heavy chopping blade (making it more akin to the axethan the sword) could inflict brutal wounds, especially in com-bat against lightly armored foes. The version listed in theweapons tables reflects the fine manufacture of these specialweapons.

Forced Innovation: The HittitesWhile Sumeria and Egypt were by far the most advanced civiliza-tions in their region during the Bronze Age, they were not theonly ones. The Kingdom of Nubia, mentioned before, existed far-ther up the Nile than Egypt, and developed a unique culture andarchitecture. In what would later become Lebanon, the Phoeni-cians began to ply the sea developing advanced boats and shipsand eventually developing the concepts of commerce and cur-rency. They would found colonies all along the Mediterranean,seeding their culture and religion in various places, spawninglater civilizations. A variety of Semitic peoples occupied the HolyLands, forming small kingdoms, fighting wars, and sometimesfacing the might of either giant neighbor.

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25. Great Egyptian Shield; 26a. Egyptian Bronze Battleaxe; 26b. Bronze Battleaxe; 26c. Bronze Battleaxe; 27a. Bronze KopeshSword; 27b. Canannite Sickle Sword

25

27a

27b

26a 26b 26c


The Hittites were a people from outside of the Middle Easternregion, who entered into Anatolia (modern day Turkey) andlived among the similarly named Hatti people. Both peoplesintermixed, and the Hittites became dominant, and spreadthroughout the Hatti lands. The Hittites had two major assetswhen they finally made war on the major powers in the region:knowledge of horse taming and knowledge of iron smelting.The Hittites developed iron smelting as an alternative to bronzeworking, probably due to a lack of tin resources in their origi-nal region. Early iron was not, despite the simplifications ofcertain historical references, a substantial advantage overbronze. Iron has a tendency towards being brittle, and is muchmore likely to break and chip. Thus early iron implements werenot widely adopted, although the novelty prompted some trade.It was the knowledge of horse taming that gave the Hittitessuch a substantial advantage that they could attack and subduethe larger nations of Sumeria and Egypt, although they werenever able to hold these regions, preferring to loot them andreturn home. Generals in both major nations, though, lickedtheir wounds from the various Hittite campaigns, and learnedtheir lessons. War wagons were discarded in favor of faster,lighter chariots, pulled by horses rather than onagers. Egyp-tians refined the design by developing better yokes thatallowed for more maneuverability or the addition of up to 4horses, while Sumerian states stayed with two horses, but piledup to four specialized chariot warriors in a chariot, as well asthe driver. When the Hittites tried to attack again, they foundthemselves rebuffed, turned back by people who had learned touse their technology and improve upon it.

Armor, Banded BronzeAfter the invasions of the Hittites, Egypt developed moreeffective armor and arms, in order to prevent more such mili-

tary defeats. Egyptians developed a kind of armor formed ofoverlapping bands of bronze that circled the entire torso andwas supported by a belted and plated skirt. Unlike the BandedArmor listed in the Player’s Handbook, this armor did not havechainmail as part of its foundation. This armor was usuallybacked by a simple leather shirt, and the heat alone could bestifling for a regular or long-term wearer. Restrictive and bulky,it nonetheless protected very effectively and was seen in use byelite troops in the region.

Early Iron Weapons (Sword, Axe, Spear)These early iron weapons had little to recommend them asbeing better than their bronze counterparts. They were actuallyquite brittle, and broke more easily than bronze. However, ironswords could have longer blades than bronze swords, and theHittite swords were straight, allowing thrusting attacks as wellas slashing ones. The spear came in two types, throwing andnon-throwing.

For ranged attacks, the Hittites used a leaf-bladed throwingspear, lighter and easier to throw than those of their southernopponents. Although still more prone to breakage than bronzespears, it was effective, as were the iron headed arrows theyused. Trade for these items was light, as iron was a little usedmetal commodity. It wouldn’t be until after bronze shortagesstarted that iron craft would become popular.

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28. Early Iron Sword; 29. Early Iron Battleaxe; 30. Early IronSpear; 31. Early Iron Spear; 32a. Early Iron Arrowhead; 32b.Early Iron Arrowhead

31

3028

29

32a 32b

33. Bronze Banded Armor; 34. Shield Spikes

33

34


Chariots and

Chariot Combat.

Chariots are primarily about maneuverability on the battle-field, and there are a few mechanics that can be used to sim-

ulate chariot warfare.

Chariots in the bronze age were lead by war-trained light horses.These horses may have a movement rate of 60 ft, but dragging achariot or battle wagon significantly reduces their speed. TheSumerian battle wagon was usually lead by two horses, but ithad two axles and was usually quite heavy. The Babylonianchariots, two wheeled, with two horses, traveled faster, since theweight was significantly less, although a handful of men didoccupy the chariot. The Egyptian chariot usually had a team of 4horses, and only 3 men in the chariot, an archer, a warrior, and adriver. There can be little surprise that the Egyptian chariot wasswift and imposing, since the four horses could share the burdenof the chariot quite effectively.

In order to determine the exact speed of the chariot or battlewagon, use the following guidelines:

47

Each horse can only travel as fast as the slowest horse. Multiplythe speed of the slowest horse by the total number of horses.Then divide that figure by the number of axles on the vehicle +1. For every two men on a chariot, subtract 5 from the dividedmovement rate. If the final number is greater than the speed ofthe slowest horse, then the chariot travels as fast as the slowesthorse can move.

Example 1: A Sumerian battle wagon, lead by two lightwarhorses who have a movement rate of 60 ft, is carrying a driverand 3 soldiers. The movement rate of the battle wagon is 30 ft (60feet (slowest horse) x 2 horses = 120 feet, 120/3 (2 axles + 1) =40 feet, 40 - 10 (-5 per 2 riders, with 4 riders) = 30 feet.)

Example 2: A Babylonian chariot has 1 driver and 5 soldiers,with two light warhorses who have a movement rate of 60 ft.The movement rate of the chariot is 45 feet (60 X 2 = 120, 120/2= 60, 60 - 15 = 45). If 4 riders jump off, the movement rate ofthe chariot will rise to 55 feet!

Example 3: An Egyptian chariot with 3 riders (archer, warrior,and driver) is lead by a dray workhorse (50 movement) and threelight warhorses (60 movement). The total speed of the chariot willbe 50 feet (50 (for slowest horse) X 4 horses = 200, 200 / 2 = 100,100 - 5 = 95, since 95 is faster than the slowest horse the chariottravels at 50.). Even if the archer and warrior leave the chariot, itwill travel no faster. However, if they are able to replace the drayworkhorse with another light warhorse (60 movement) the speedof the chariot will increase to 60, no matter what.

After the first incursions of the Hittites, chariots began to beequipped with nail-studded wheels, which adds +1 to the die rollof a driver.

34a. Egyptian chariot; 34b. Greek chariot

34a

34b

Iron and the Late Bronze AgeSome iron implements began to be used in the late BronzeAge, but iron was harder to smelt, and was expensive as aresult. It was also quite brittle, and this lead to more reluc-tance in the region for its use. Even well after the Iron Agestarted, bronze would see a resurgence in popularity as moreore repositories were found and processes to work bronzewere refined. Ultimately, the shortage of tin, combined withthe innate superiority of iron equipment, would spell the endof the age.

HazardsCertain situations cause trouble for a chariot driver. We’lldivide this trouble into three grades: Minor trouble requires aHandle Animal roll against DC 15; Moderate trouble requires aHandle Animal roll against DC 20; Severe trouble requires aHandle Animal roll against DC 25. In addition, for every 20feet of movement per turn a chariot travels, add one to the DCof any maneuver.

TerrainTerrain has an impact on driving. Some terrain is easy to travelon, and causes no inherent difficulty. These are roads, grass-lands, and plains, whose flat and featureless ground makescharioteering easy. Sand or rolling terrain (such as moorlands)cause minor difficulty, and a chariot driver should roll once tocompensate during non-combat situations, or every other turnduring combat situations. Rough ground like sparse forest,rocky wasteland, or beaches cause moderate trouble, whichrequires a skill check every turn. Some other specific featuresrequire a roll each time encountered:

Simply changing terrain also prompts a skill check, as per table2–3 below:

TurningChariots have a rigid axle and little suspension at best, so it isno exaggeration that chariots have only one direction, forward.Turning at all is difficult, except for the widest and slowest ofturns. Movinghalf of the movement forward and half of it at adiagonal (if using a square or hex grid), is a minor maneuver. Amove where all of the movement is at a diagonal on a square orhex grid was a moderate maneuver. A Move (turn) where halfof the movement is at a diagonal and half at a perpendicular isa severe maneuver.

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Slips, on the other hand, are easier to control. A slip is when avehicle shifts a column to the left or right but still continuesforward. A one-column shift slip requires no roll. two columnshifts are a moderate maneuver. Three column shifts are asevere maneuver, since you’re allowing the chariot to skid a bitto come to a new position.

MishapsWith all of this rolling, a driver is bound to fail his Handle Ani-mal skill check at some point. What does that failure indicate?Roll 1d6 and look at the chart below:

Accelerate/Decelerate: On a roll of 1 the animals ignore theprompting of the driver, and continue in the same direction forthe rest of their current movement. Roll 1d6. On an odd num-ber the animals decelerate the vehicle by 10 feet a turn, whileon an even number they accelerate. If you are at the maximumspeed and you roll an even, ignore the result and just move thefull allotment. If you make a terrain change roll appropriately.If you move into an impassible terrain, the chariot crashes.

Skid: On a roll of 2 the chariot skids. Treat a skid as an uncon-trolled slip. Roll 1d4. On a 1 slip two columns to the left. On a2 slip 1 column to the left. On a 3 slip one column to the right.On a 4 slip two columns to the right. This slip does not requirea roll, and any movement left continues in the same direction.

Jolt: On a roll of 3 the chariot experiences a jolt. All occupantsof the chariot must make a Balance check, DC 20, to stay in thechariot. If they fail, they fall out, and may attempt to make asoft fall roll (as per Ride rules, except using Tumbling), or theywill take 1d6 falling damage.

Major Jolt: On a roll of 4 the chariot experiences a major jolt,possibly going up on one wheel. All occupants must make aBalance check, DC 25, to stay in the chariot. If they fail, theyfall out, and may attempt to make a soft fall roll (as per Ride

Table 2-4: Driver Mishap1 Accelerate/Decelerate2 Skid3 Jolt4 Major Jolt5 Possible Break6 Crash


Table 2-2: TerrainLight slope MinorSteep slope ModerateRocks ModerateTree ImpassableShallow water ( up to 6") Moderate6"–24" Water SevereOver 24" Water Impassable

Table 2-3 Terrain ChangesFrom To

Road Plains/Grassland Sand Rolling Terrain Rough Terrain Beach

Road X Minor Minor Minor Minor Minor

Plains / Grassland Minor X Minor Minor Minor Minor

Sand Minor Minor X Minor Moderate MinorRolling Terrain Minor Minor Minor X Minor MinorRough Terrain Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate X ModerateBeach Minor Minor Minor Minor Moderate X


rules, except using Tumbling), or they will take 1d6 fallingdamage.

Possible Break: On a roll of 5 the chariot is in precarious dan-ger. The driver must make an unmodified dexterity check vs.DC 20, or the chariot experiences a major accident. If thedriver succeeds, let them breath a sigh of relief. Otherwise, roll1d6 and consult the chart below to see what kind:

A cracked guide-bar makes any maneuver one level harder, asdoes a fractured hub. A broken axle will force the chariot togrind to a halt (decelerating at 20 feet per turn), although ridersneed only make a jolt roll to remain in the vehicle. A LostWheel brings the chariot to a halt (decelerating at 30 feetper turn), and riders must survive a Major Joltroll to stay on board. The broken guide-bar ordeath of a horse brings about a crash.

Crash: On a roll of a 6 (a bad break), or ifyou are forced into impassable terrain, youcrash. Each occupant must roll a Reflex savevs. DC 25 upon a crash. The ones who suc-ceed will be thrown from the crash, and willonly take 1d6 points of falling damage. Theones who fail are the truly unlucky ones. Theytake 1d6 points of damage for every 10 feetper turn the chariot was traveling when itcrashed. Worse still, there is a 25% chancethat they are trapped under either debris or afallen horse, which may or may not continueto cause the person to take damage (DM’soption) and either way must be removed tofree the victim. It’s difficult to survive acrash like this unmaimed.

Table 2-5: Breakage1 Cracked Guide-bar2 Fractured Hub3 Broken Axle4 Lost Wheel5 Broken Guide-bar6 Horse breaks leg

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Charioteer Prestige ClassCharioteers were an elite set of warriors, trained to ride one ofthe most dangerous vehicles of any time. Dedicated to fightingand possibly dying from a precarious perch that could throwthem at any time, the charioteer had to have a strange combina-tion of traits. All charioteers had to be knowledgeable in gen-eral animal handling, but also quick to react and of soundtactical reflexes. Chariots were highly mobile, which meantthat the charioteers had to be ready to fight in the thick of bat-tle, or to reinforce weak areas in order to bolster defenses or tipthe favor to the side of the offense. Charioteers, most of all,had to think and work well together, as often the survival of thewhole relied on the contributions of all individuals.

Teamsters, ambitious soldiers, and agile archers all made goodcharioteers. It took a certain amount of guts to ride the bone-jar-ring, oft doomed chariot right into the face of the enemy. A bet-ter than average sense of balance helped, as did quick reflexesand a sharp mind. But sometimes even that wasn’t enough, andthen it took almost suicidal confidence to drive horses intomelee, to risk your own neck so that the driver or archer next toyou could survive to get you through, or to jump free when therewas no other way to survive.

The Charioteer Prestige class is somewhat unique in that it doesnot describe a single path, but rather a more general path to createa variety of charioteers, from drivers to archers to throwers to sol-diers. The basic structure allows a great deal of customization, andif a person has the skill requirements necessary to becoming aCharioteer, they can pursue any route of advancement they desire.

Hit Die: d8

RequirementsTo qualify to become a Charioteer, a character must fulfill thefollowing requirements.

Attributes: Dexterity of at least 12, Intelligence of at least 12

Skills: Handle Animal 5 ranks, Balance 6 ranks

Feats: Iron Will, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Whip)

Class SkillsThe Charioteer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill)are Animal Empathy (Cha), Balance (Dex), Handle Animal(Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Ride(Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex)


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Charioteer pres-tige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Charioteers are proficientwith all simple weapons and martial weapons. They are also

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proficient with light and medium armors and shields. Note thatarmor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply tothe skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, MoveSilently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

Charioteer’s Balance: All charioteers are trained to be able tostand on the floorboard of the chariot while it is in full motion.Akin to sea legs, the balance of a charioteer in his chariot isnecessary for him to function on the battlefield. Without thislevel of balance a person standing in a chariot in motion mustmake a Balance skill check as if moving at full their full move-ment rate on a precarious surface every turn they wish toremain standing. With only a primitive suspension, the chariotwas a perilous vehicle, inside and out.

Bonus Ability/Feat: Starting at second level, and following eachlevel afterwards, the charioteer may opt to gain a charioteer abil-ity or feat from the following list. If that ability or feat has a pre-requisite, its requirements must be met before it can be taken.

Advanced Chariot Driving: A charioteer with this abilitygains a +2 to any special maneuvers requiring a Animal Han-dling check, and can ignore minor terrain change rolls, such asroad to grassland/plains or slopes.

Advanced Guard: This is a new feat; see below.

Advanced Terrain Control: Requires Advanced Chariot Dri-ving. The charioteer gains an addition +2 to any special maneu-vers requiring a skill check, and can ignore any moderateterrain change rolls, such as road to sand, or rocky terrain.

Advanced Turn Control: Requires Advanced Chariot Dri-ving. The charioteer gains a +3 to any turn maneuver roll theymake, due to extensive training and practice.

Brace Javelin: A charioteer has trained to use a javelin as amelee weapon in a pinch, and does not incur the standard -4unfamiliarity penalty normally incurred from such use.

Cut Lashings: Requires Defensive Driving. The charioteerwith this skill can attempt the risky maneuver of cutting thelashings from an injured or killed horse, in order to prevent amajor crash. This distracts the charioteer, so all other maneu-

Table 2-6: CharioteerClass Base Fort Ref WillLevel Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Charioteer’s Balance2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 Bonus Feature/Feat3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Bonus Feature/Feat4th +4 +1 +4 +1 Bonus Feature/Feat5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Bonus Feature/Feat6th +6 +2 +5 +2 Bonus Feature/Feat7th +7 +2 +5 +2 Bonus Feature/Feat8th +8 +2 +6 +2 Bonus Feature/Feat9th +9 +3 +6 +3 Bonus Feature/Feat10th +10 +3 +7 +3 Bonus Feature/Feat


vers during that turn are at -2. The driver must have a slashingweapon in hand, and must make a dexterity check vs. DC 25 +1 for every 10 feet of current movement. Success indicates thewounded or dead animal has been cut free in the nick of time,and the chariot does not crash. However the chariot looses thespeed of the horse (either ¼ or ½ of the chariot speed, depend-ing on model), and is hard to control. Thus all maneuversshould be considered one level higher in risk. This makes allsimple maneuvers minor risks, all minor risks become moder-ate risks, etc.

Defensive Driving: Requires Advanced Chariot Driving. Thecharioteer can opt to drive defensively. This reduces the maxi-mum speed of the chariot by 10 while using this maneuver, butadds a +2 armor bonus to either the horses or the passengers,but not both. This is a full round action.

Deflect Missiles: This is a new feat; see below.

Extended Shot: Requires a charioteer first take MountedArchery. A charioteer with this ability may throw or fire an arrowin the forward arc farther, by taking advantage of the momentumof the chariot. For each 40 ft. of movement add +10 to the range.

Fire from Under Cover: This is a new feat; see below.

Impaling Shot: Requires a charioteer have Streaking Shot. Acharioteer with this ability throws or fires powerful missileswhen using the streaking shot. The impaling throw or shot con-tinues in the same direction, and may hit any other target in anadjacent square provided they are in a direct line from point oforigin. A separate to hit roll must be made at -4 to hit. How-ever, if that roll is successful, that person is hit by the throw orshot as well. The damage for this is rolled normally, the streak-ing shot damage applying to only the first person in line. Thisability cannot be used with barbed weapons that lodge orthrough targets of Large size or greater.

Mounted Archery: The Charioteer may take Mounted Archerywith no regard to prerequisites.

Moving Mount/Dismount: This is a new feat; see below.

Offensive Whip Use: The chariot driver with this skill mayuse their whip to make an attack once a combat round, withoutsacrificing any driving rolls. Normally using the whip in thismanner makes any maneuver a -2 for the combat round.

Penetrating Shot: Requires a charioteer have both ExtendedShot and Streaking Shot. A charioteer with this ability may add1 point of bonus damage for every 10 feet of speed a chariot istraveling to all throws or shots in the forward arc (up to a max-imum bonus equal to the charioteer’s class level). This cannotbe combined with the streaking shot damage bonus, but can beused on an extended shot. (Example: If the chariot is travelingat 40 feet, the charioteer may add a +4 damage bonus to allshots in the forward arc.)

Ride By Attack: The Ride By Attack feat may be taken by acharioteer with no regard to prerequisites.

Rope Arrows: This is a new feat; see below.

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Shield Guard: This is a new feat; see below.

Skill Focus (Handle Animal): The charioteer has a +2 bonuson all skill checks using the Handle Animal skill.

Spirited Charge: The Spirited Charge may be taken by a char-ioteer if they have Ride By Attack.

Streaking Shot: Requires a charioteer first take MountedArchery. A charioteer with this ability may fire at a targetwithin their throwing or bow range increment in the forwardarc and strike with increased threat range, due to the momen-tum of the chariot. For every 40 ft. of movement, increase thethreat range by one. For example, if moving at 80 ft. per rounda weapon that normally has a threat on a roll of 19–20 wouldnow have a potential critical on a roll of 17–20. This ability canonly be used 1 time per day for every 4 levels of the charioteer.

Crushing Impact: A charioteer with this ability, using a bludg-eoning weapon and mounted on a moving chariot, may add +1to damage rolls for every 10 ft. of movement (up to a maxi-mum equal to the charioteer’s class level).

Sway: Every passenger with Sway may add a +1 bonus to theChariot driver’s skill roll to perform a risky maneuver or keepthe chariot under control. Alternately, the charioteer may add+1 to the difficulty of a driver skill roll. Likely this secondwould only be used when in an enemy chariot.

Tight Turning: Requires Advanced Turn Control. A charioteerwith this skill is able to halve all DC for turn rolls. This repre-sents their superior turning skill, and their attunement withtheir animals.

New Feats

Deflect Missiles [General]You have trained to deflect missiles with a large or great shield.

Benefit: : If a person with this feat forgoes any attacks, they mayconcentrate on deflecting any incoming missiles they are awareof. This confers a deflection bonus, based on the type of shieldwielded, in addition to normal armor bonuses. People with thisfeat gain a +1 deflection bonus for a buckler, +2 for a smallshield, +3 for a large shield, and +4 for a great shield. A personusing this feat can take no other action in a combat round.

Fire from Under Cover [General]You have trained to fire from under the cover of other’s shield

Prerequisites: Point Blank Shot

Benefit: A person with this feat may halve the penalty from fir-ing from under the cover of someone else’s shield (roundedup). The minimum penalty from firing from under cover is -1.

Improved Shield Guard [General]You have trained to guard more than one person with yourshield

Prerequisites: Shield Guard, Shield Proficiency

Benefit: A person with this skill can cover a number of peopleequal to their Dexterity bonus at one time, as per Shield Guard.All these people must be within the same line of fire. The per-son with this skill can count themselves as one of the personsImproved Shield Guard covers.

Moving Mount/Dismount [General]You are trained to mount or dismount a vehicle or riding ani-mal while it is in motion

Prerequisites: Ride 6+ or Handle Animal 6+

Benefit: Any person with the Moving Mount/Dismount featmay attempt to mount or dismount a vehicle or riding animalthey are qualified to ride (see Prerequisites) while it is inmotion. This requires a standard Ride or Handle AnimalManeuver, as though making a fast mount or dismount. Suc-cess indicates the character has safely mounted or dismountedthe animal or vehicle in motion. If the character fails they maytake an automatic soft fall. Note that this action is effected bythe armor check penalty.

Normal: Normally this is a highly risky maneuver, requiring aDC 25 roll, not counting the armor check penalty. Failurerequires a soft fall maneuver (using the ride skill or handle ani-mal, as appropriate) at +5 DC (DC 20 as found under the Rideskill) to avoid falling damage.

Note: This may be used to board unfriendly vehicles or ani-mals, as well, although doing so will provoke an attack ofopportunity.

Rope Arrows [General]You have practiced firing arrows that trail a rope line.

Prerequisites: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot

Benefit: A person with this skill has learned to compensate forthe drag a rope attached to an arrow can cause. The maximumrange for a rope arrow is the range increment.

Normal: A rope creates a lot of drag on an arrow, and effectivelyreduces the range increment for such an arrow to 10 feet. Thus,every 10 feet afterwards incurs a -1 to hit.

Shield Guard [General]You are trained to protect others with your shield

Prerequisites: Shield proficiency

Benefit: Charioteers often had to defend their comrades whileunder fire. Anyone with shield guard may confer a bonus of par-tial coverage on anyone within 5 feet of themselves. A smallshield confers 10% coverage, a large shield confers 25% cover-age, and a great shield confers 50% coverage. Note that coveragecan interfere with the attacks of those being shielded, as per therules of coverage. Someone shield guarding another does not gainthe defensive armor bonus of that shield while performing ashield guard. Shield Guarding is a move-equivalent action.

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The Far East

Across the Hindu Kush, in the Indus valley, the Harappan civ-ilization briefly flourished. Existing in a fertile valley, they

developed a strong agrarian culture, and trading precious stones,copper work, and gold with Sumeria via sea and overland travelto get finely made Sumerian items, including weapons and armor.The Harappans were the first culture to actively practice cityplanning, designing their walled cities before they were built,practicing paving of roads with brickwork, separating industrialand urban districts, and even developing a prototype sanitationsystem, which allowed people to have indoor bathrooms.

Not long after the rise of Sargon, however, the Harappansbegan to experience drought. The areas of the Indus Valleythey inhabited were drying, and the increased aridity drovethem from the cities. By the time of the rise of Babylon theyhad been driven North and, lacking strong cultural bonds, theyeventually merged with the other tribal populations of theregion, becoming part of both the mountain tribes of modernday Afghanistan and the plains people of Northern India.Behind them they left cities had at one time sheltered upwardsof forty thousand people.

The Aryans, an Indo-European civilization, began to enter theIndic region around the time of the decline of the Harappans.Although some suspect that they may have had a hand in the

downfall of the Harappan people, there is no evidence to supportthat. It is know however, that Aryans did split during their migra-tion, with a portion entering the Hindu Kush and settling there,

Lost CivilizationsThroughout history, the victors are the one’s who write the his-tory books. This tends to make it hard to discover real infor-mation on cultures that did not fare so well. Some culturesbecome part of myths or legends, like Atlantis. It seems likelythat some Mediterranean culture was the basis for this mythi-cal land, but history gives us little to go on. The Harappans,like the Anasazi of the four corners region of the UnitedStates, left cultural records, rather than a great deal of histori-cal records, for us to learn about them. We learn a little at atime about their culture by tokens, building methods, andcommon items we find in those sites.

Lost civilizations give the DM an excellent opportunity tointroduce uncommon or out of place items into a campaign.Historical lost civilizations can make interesting and unfamil-iar settings for semi-historical campaigns. You can revisit theHarappans metropolis, or climb the ladders to the cliffdwellings of the lost Anasazi. Such cultures give you a gooddegree of flexibility in semi-historical campaigns, and canspice up an adventure. Perhaps characters may becomeattached to the unique culture they discover, and will seek outways to prevent their eventual decline. Or perhaps, inadver-tently, they will become the reason for the sinking of your ownhome-grown Atlantis.


while another portion entered India and conquered the nativetribes. The Aryan culture would dominate for quite a while, andtheir influence would eventually shape the formation of religion,as well as subsequent cultures in the region.

ChinaNorth, across the Himalayas, small tribes lived in the wilds ofChina. Recent archaeological evidence suggests that these tribeshad some bronze working ability, and may have had trade withthe Harappans or Sumeria. These tribes, though, left very littlerecord, other than bronze bladed knives and pottery, and it islikely that they were either remnants of the Yang-shao era stone-age tribes of ancient China, or perhaps even independent groups,possibly of Indo-European stock. In the end there eventuallyabsorbed into the larger Chinese culture.

In the north of China, the Hsia were said to have ruled sincebefore the rise of Sargon. There are a great number of storieswritten about the Hsia, however, these stories are generallymythical in nature, involving characters like the Three CulturalHeroes (who taught the Chinese about writing, hunting, trapping,and fishing, agriculture and mercantilism, government andTaoist philosophy, respectively) and the Three Sage Kings whoruled with perfect wisdom, clarity, and virtue. These characters,much like the long list of ‘begats’ found in the biblical book ofGenesis, may not have actually corresponded with individuals asthey might have to cultural segments, tribes, or philosophicalmovements. Archaeological evidence for any culture prior to the

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Shang Dynasty does not confirm the existence of the Hsia, butwe are still discovering cultures thought mythical, like the fol-lowing Shang Dynasty, or the City of Troy, so it seems possiblethat we may eventually find evidence of the Hsia.

T’ang, a man of reputed virtue, rose up against the decadentemperor Chieh, and ended his reign, establishing the ShangEmpire. During this empire the concept of Divine Mandatebecame established in Chinese culture. It was the mandate ofShang Te, the supreme god, that the King ruled. As in Sumeria,this precedent, once in place, would become justification for agreat deal of otherwise irrational behavior. Still, the ShangEmpire flourished, and its armies benefited from new develop-ments in bronze working.

The soldiers in the Shang army were divided into three seg-ments, the infantry, the archers, and the charioteers. Like theSumerians, the Shang developed Battle Wagons. In ShangChina these were lead by horses, and each wagon contained adriver, an archer, and a soldier armed with a battle-axe. Sol-diers wore various kinds of armor, ranging from tanned leatherto a kind of leather lamellar to a bronze studded leather patch-work suit. The station of the soldier dictated the amount ofmoney spent on his equipment, and most soldiers were armedwith perhaps a spear and a knife. Clubs rounded out the limitedarmory of a Shang era soldier.

35. Bronze-Bound Leather Lamellar; 36. Bronze Studded Leather Block Armor; 37. Bronze Ge

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Lamellar, Bronze-Bound LeatherLamellae is a Latin word, describing the overlapping platestructure of lamellar armor. Lamellar is the precursor to scalearmor, and is made up of squares, rectangles, or irregularsquare or rectangular shaped plates, usually 1–2 inches wideand 2–3 inches long, layered over each other to fashion a shirt,usually with sleeves, shoulder pauldrons, and a plated skirt.The bronze in the bronze-bound leather lamellar suit is there tokeep the entire suit together, and gives the suit a good deal ofits weight.

Armor, Studded Leather Block BronzeThe Leather Block armor is a somewhat simpler design, wherethe squares are sewn edge to edge, rather than laced and over-lapping. The bronze studs usually cover the lacing holes, andgive the whole suite its character. Again, heavier than regularstudded leather, it makes up for it with excellent protection forits cost.

Ge, BronzeLonger than its counterparts in Sumeria, Babylon, or Egypt, thisweapon is an axe on a 4-foot pole, giving it longer reach, butwith a simpler, lighter blade. This weapon may be wielded as iffighting with two weapons, a battleaxe and a light staff. If usedin this manner, the user incurs all the normal penalties associatedwith fighting with two weapons, as if you were using a onehanded weapon and a light weapon. A creature using a doubleweapon in one hand cannot use this weapon as a double weapon.Obviously, a soldier trained with the Two Weapon Fighting featcould be quite formidable with this weapon.

The Divine MandateThe Shang worshipped their ancestors, and practiced many formsof divination, including astrology and throwing bones. Sacrificeswere often made after the death of great personages, and for kingsthose sacrifices might be human. Princes and other powerfulnobles could convene religious ceremonies, since there was noofficial priesthood. In their place, those who learned to read andwrite formed almost a scribe class, not unlike that in Egypt, andtheir study of the stars and letters made them seem altogethermystic in nature. In a fantasy world, Wizards would come fromthis elite scholar class, while Sorcerers might come from the gen-eral populace. And the general populace lived very poorly indeed.Though the nobles lived in luxury, the commoner still lived incaves and farmed with bone tools. When most of the rest of theworld was experiencing the Iron revolution, the peasants ofShang China still lived in a barely Neolithic culture, almost sepa-rate from their rulers. This disparity probably brought about thenext revolution, when the Chou usurped power from the weak-ened Shang dynasty, and fractured China into various smallerkingdoms, each warring with each other for resources and power.

As the Chou dynasty consolidated their power, they redefinedthe nature of the Divine Mandate, and established the King asintermediary between heaven and earth. Again, the mating of

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religion and secular power was intended to cement the legiti-macy of the regime, and to gather support from the faithful. Andthis support would be necessary. Just as the Chou came into itsown, it would face attacks from the most feared ‘barbarians’ inhistory, the Mongols. But this is a story for another time.

Sword, Grain BronzeThe Grain Sword's form descended from a grain-beating stickthat was in common use in Asia. Most versions had indentationson the unsharpened edge, slots with small bends in them, whichwere intended for sword breaking. For information on swordbreaking, please refer to the Far East chapter. The grain swordwas uncommon in the Shang Dynasty, although it would seegreater use in later periods.

Sword, Horse Head BronzeA heavy, curving, chopping blade, somewhat a cross between acleaver and a sword, the Horse Head sword was so calledbecause the blade slightly resembled the curve and posture of ahorse's head. Most Shang relics of the Horse Head sword have awide loop hilt, which may have had tassels. The eventual prede-cessor of the Horse Head sword would be the Dao.

Fu, BronzeA light axe, likely only held by the elite, the Fu was not aweapon of warfare, but one of status. During the Shang Dynasty,many Fu blades were embellished, and were likely held byprominent men and warriors of state. Their bronze blades weresometimes prematurely aged, the green verdegris giving thegolden brown metal a kind of stately splendour.

The Inca

The Inca, like the Aztecs, were empire-builders. But the cir-cumstances and methods were completely different. The

Inca had a God-Emperor who was believed to be the avatar ofManco Capac, the first King of the Inca people and God of theSun. Around the God-Emperor lived an intricate aristocracy ofintermarried tribal leaders from the various tribes the Inca sub-dued. As part of the conquering process, the Inca took familymembers from the leading families of a people and forced themto marry into the aristocracy, creating blood ties between allmembers of the Empire, ostensibly to prevent betrayal. Ironically,this actually fostered a great deal of plotting and scheming amongthe aristocracy, to an almost Byzantine scale.

The Inca had regimented armies. Men marched in formation,and when an army was raised it could number from 200 to 300thousand men. When on the march the men were severelypoliced, and not allowed to live off the land, a tactic that will beexamined in the next chapter. The men were issued helmets ofhard wood and jackets of thick cotton, simpler than Aztec CottonArmor, and large, rectangular wooden shields. Slings and firehardened spears were the most common weaponry, followed bycopper war bolas, heavy copper maces (similar to the Sumerian


mace), macanas (a long war club), copper axes, and a kind ofcopper halberd. Indeed, the only things they lacked were cavalry,and llamas were no good for that use.

Besides regimental training, the Inca also used two tactics morecommon with later civilizations: calculated cruelty and espi-onage. The Inca frequently murdered important enemies in hor-rific ways, in order to impress upon witnesses the fierce nature ofthe Incan Empire. They would often take trophies from their ene-mies, such as skulls, heads, or skins, and use them to decorate,make drums, or fashion into cups. When targeting a tribe forinclusion in the empire, the Incan Emperor would send trustedclose family members to that tribe, to get information on the ter-rain, number of soldiers, their receptivity and preparedness, andto give bribes to key players, in order to isolate potential victims.These tactics were highly effective, and made them supreme intheir region until the coming of the Spanish.

Why were the Incas conquered? The Inca were conquered for avariety of reasons. The Spanish had firearms and steel, bothsuperior technologies. In addition, the Spanish had cavalry,where the Inca did not. But perhaps the most importantweapons the Spanish had were their diseases. European dis-eases were unrelated to anything in the New World, and letloose in a land without immunity, those diseases ravaged thepeople of the Incan Empire more than anything else. It is

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impossible to raise an army for defense when all of your menare sick. In the end the Incas literally died out.

Armor, Incan CottonThe Incan Cotton armor was not on the same level of protectionas the Aztec armor was. Still, it is sturdy, and the helmet offeredsuperior protection. As an interesting note, all soldiers wereissued a sling, and most used the sling as an impromptu headcovering to cushion the helmet.

Bola, War CopperThis bola is made of 3 lumps of copper bound by cord. Itshould be considered an exotic weapon. Make a ranged touchattack. If successful, there is a 25% chance the target is entan-gled. A -2 penalty can be taken to the attack roll to increase theentangle chance to 50%. An entangled creature is a -2 on attackrolls, and a -4 penalty on effective Dexterity. The entangledcreature can only move at half speed and cannot charge or run.If an entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must succeedat a Concentration check (DC 15) or be unable to cast the spellwith a somatic component.

38. Incan Cotton Armor; 39. Copper War Bola; 40. Copper Incan Handaxe; 41. Copper Incan Halberd; 42. Bronze Fu; 43. BronzeHorse Head Sword; 44. Bronze Grain Sword

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44

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Handaxe, Incan CopperThe Incan handaxe was made with a small half-moon blade,and a flanged mace head on the back. The wielder could decidewhether to use the axe blade to chop at an enemy, or the maceflanges to bash an enemy. This versatility was unique to theregion

Halberd, Incan CopperThe Incan halberd consisted of an 8-foot spear with an attachedaxe blade and a rearward facing copper hook. The wieldercould use it to thrust, hack, or impale with any of the threedamaging surfaces. This weapon was often wielded by elite orroyal forces, usually to protect someone of importance.

Europe & The Mediterranean

The CeltsIn mainland Europe, smelting brought with it a rapid transforma-tion from stone to bronze. Though there were no widespread cul-tures in the region, the development of weapons, armor, and

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trade did not stop. Wealth brought tribes into groups, and hered-ity and burial became important as evidenced by paintings andcarvings. The Europeans crafted adzes, axes, swords, spears,sickles, shields, and armor of bronze, and deployed these ininter-tribal warfare. The armor, was of various kinds, rangingfrom banded armor like that of later Egyptians, to bronze lamel-lar, and studded leather. European shields sometimes had araised or spiked boss (central metal plate), which was used todeflect sword blows and protect the hand. Spiking the boss of ashield allowed an experienced soldier to perform a disarmingtactic with the shield, as well as making shield bashes more dan-gerous.

Celtic WeaponsLike the Adze and Axe of the stone-age period, these weaponsstill competed for more common use in Europe at this time.Their bronze counterparts were common and readily available.The bronze version of the celt also saw extensive use, and itsmodular nature allowed it extensive life. The bronze sword ofEurope was a straight bladed weapon, with a wide base andtapering point. It was used throughout the northern climes.

Lamellar, BronzeThe Europeans, perhaps due to their milder climate, seemedcomfortable using large amounts of metal in their armors.Metal Lamellars started in Eastern Europe, with a bronze suitewith rectangular plates.

Leather, Studded BronzeSofter leather armors were reinforced with bronze studs, inorder to maximize protection while still keeping a supple suitof armor.

The MinoansThe Minoans were a polyglot civilization, on the island of Crete,made of many tribes from most civilized regions in the world.Thus their appearance was a general mixture of the regional stan-dards, and they had good ties with most areas. As an islandnation, naval technology was important, and the triremes ofMinoa were the most powerful ships of their time. The Phoeni-

New Feat: Shield Disarm [General]You are capable of disarming an opponent using a shieldspike.Prerequisites: Shield ProficiencyBenefit: Any person with the Shield Disarm who has aspiked shield may attempt a disarm maneuver with theirshield, at a +2 to disarm (including the roll to resist beingdisarmed if you fail a disarm). Unlike a normal disarmmaneuver, this does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Ifyour attacker succeeds in disarming you when you’veattempted a Shield Disarm, you do not drop your weapon,but, instead, drop your shield. Remember than any off handpenalties apply, if you have attacked with your regular handweapon during the same turn.

45. Bronze Adze; 46. Bronze Hand Axe; 47. Bronze Celt; 48. Bronze Sword

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cians may have traveled far and wide, and traded much, but theirships were not as swift or maneuverable. Like their ships, Minoanweaponry was described as elegant and prized for its workman-ship as well as its use. If their architecture is any indication,Minoan weaponry was likely decorated with wavy images or fan-ciful images, likely of the snake or bull, both holy animals.

We can guess from murals and pictures on amphorae (urns forholding oil, wine, or other liquids) that the Minoans developed akind of bronze breastplate, complete with leather studded cap,kilt, and leg greaves. This armor would be repeated in the Myce-naen culture of the mainland Greeks, who were known to havehighly admired Minoan civilization, and who took many aspectsof it in their own architecture and art. They definitely developedspears, shields, slings, javelins, daggers, clubs, maces, shortswords, and even a kind of bronze longsword that was somewhatimpractical but unique for its time.

Breastplate, Minoan BronzeMinoan Bronze breastplate armor was not as heavy or protec-tive as Mycenaen Bronze armor, but it was more effective thanthe lamellar armors of Europe. Well made, with peaked cap todivert sword or axe strikes, it was a durable testament to thecapable armies of Minoa.

Longsword, BronzeAble to craft long blades in fine bronze, the Minoans wieldedweapons that were otherwise impossible for the material and

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time. Well made, these blades were often treasured by thosewho received them as gifts, and only saw battle when Minoannational interests were at stake.

The MycenaensThe Mycenaens, unlike the Minoans, made war a way of life,and a right of kings. The Mycenaens could be unfavorably typ-ified by their tendency to prey on their weaker neighbors, andmake peace with their stronger neighbors. They were a veryclan and tribe oriented people, and each clan and tribe was leadby those with the ambition to lead. All such kings were consid-ered equal in Mycenaen society, although some “equals” wereheld in higher regard than others. Generally clans or tribeswere left to their own governance, but kings might gather tomake war on particularly wealthy states or to come to the com-mon defense. In a way, the Mycenaen Greek State was similarto the Scottish Clan structure of the Middle Ages.

Ironically, this culture tended to promote the interests of theindividual, unlike many of the larger civilizations of the period.Since kingship often had more to do with actions than withbloodline (in a clan and tribal system bloodlines were oftenmixed), any person could hope to become prominent. Indeed,the heroic ideal comes from stories of this Mycenaen period, asrecorded by the bard Homer. The ‘Illiad’ and ‘Oddessy’,although laced with a great deal of myth, also contain a greatdeal of history and cultural information. The ‘Iliad’, whichinvolves the greatest Greek military campaign of the period, isstill easily available today, and is read widely. Many families

49. Bronze Lamellar; 50. Bronze Studded Leather; 51. Minoan Bronze Breastplate; 52. Bronze Longsword

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throughout Europe often tried to trace their bloodlines back toheroes of the ‘Iliad’, from either side of the war betweenGreece and Troy.

By the sack of Troy, Mycenaen Greeks had developed a fullbronze breastplate armor, complete with conical helm, breast-plate, belts, skirt, and greaves. This was the heaviest armor ofits time. For lighter infantry they also used linen cuirasses,which were light but protective, and sometimes bore bronzeplating. In addition, the Greeks armored their chariot horseswith bronze headpieces. Leather armor was also in commonuse. The Mycenaen chariot was roughly on par with the Baby-lonian, although there were rarely more than two soldiers inany given chariot. This early armoring would eventuallyinspire full barding for horses, and acted as blinkers. TheGreeks were also known for their innovation with the sling:The sling bullet. Essentially a slug of bronze, this weightyobject obviously had more impact than a standard sling stone.Mycenaens used swords, shields, knives, daggers, bows, axes,spears, and javelins, and were also known to use fire as a tacti-cal weapon, lighting arrows or using torches to set criticalitems ablaze. And, of course, they employed chariots.

Breastplate, Mycenaen BronzeMycanean Breastplate armor, as described above, was perhapsthe pinnacle for armor in its time. Strong, yet allowing goodflexibility and mobility for its period, this kind of armor wascrafted only for men of station and great wealth.

Cuirass, Linen & Plated LinenMade from many layers of cloth glued together, these suits ofarmor were light and minimally encumbering. They allowed

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infantry to move quickly, but still provided protection, whileleaving the arms and legs free for movement. These were sub-stantially less expensive to manufacture.

Arrow, Bronze FireThe fire arrow is used like any normal arrow except that it must belit in order to gain the fire damage. Although the arrow does havea bronze head and can be fired unlit, it is always at a -2 due to theweight and unwieldy nature of the combustible material. Note thatthe fire arrow is not capable of flying as far, and is almost certainlydestroyed on impact. If lit, it will sufficiently burn out its fuel in 3rounds, and will no longer be useable after this.

Bronze Horse HeadcoveringNot a true armor, the Bronze Headcovering used by the Greeksconveys a +1 armor bonus vs. any strike intended to hit the headof a horse. The main point of interest for this method of armoringis the fact that the headcovering also acts as blinkers for the horse,which may have an impact on any ride skill rolls attempted.

Bullet, Bronze SlingMade from ingots of bronze, these bullets inflicted painfulwounds. Superior to stones, these were only used by armies, asbronze was too expensive to make available for common use.

The End of an AgeMycenae didn’t end with the sack of Troy. Although the battleof Troy depleted the home-front (indeed, many heroes of thesack returned to find their own homes and lands pillaged anddestroyed) Mycenaen society flourished for a great period oftime, and the Mycenaens eventually landed on Crete after the

53. Mycenaen Bronze Breastplate; 54. Bronze Plated Linen Cuirass

53 54


fall of the first Minoan society, and attempted to re-establishMinoan society in the Mycenaen image. Eventually, though,the Mycenaens were attacked and conquered by the Dorians,another Greek people from the north, who plunged Greece intoits first Dark Age. But that period, and its recovery, will becovered in the next chapter.

As mentioned before, one main reason for the transition fromthe Bronze Age to the Iron Age was a relative material short-

age, especially of tin. Mines in Anatolia began to give out first,followed by mines in Assyria. Without a dependable source oftin for forging bronze, metal-hungry and army-laden nationsneeded an alternative metal to maintain tools of the war trade.And iron, brittle, expensive, and hard to work, was the answer.This transition from Bronze to Iron was neither universal, norsmooth, as the next chapter explains.

59

Table 2-7: Bronze Age WeaponsSimple Weapons-Melee Weapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HPTiny

Dagger, Bronze 1.4gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1.5 lbs P M 4/6Dagger, Copper 1.2gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1.5 lbs P M 3/6Knife, Bronze 1gp 1d4 x2 1.5 lbs S M 4/4Knife, Copper 9sp 1d4 x2 1.5 lbs S M 3/4

SmallAdze, Bronze 4gp 1d6 x3 5.5 lbs S MW 4/17Sickle, Bone 1gp 1d4 x2 2 lbs S B 2/6Sickle, Bronze 3gp 1d6 x2 3.5 lbs S M 4/11Sickle, Copper 2gp 1d6 x2 3.5 lbs S M 3/11Sickle, Stone 1gp 1d4 x2 2.5 lbs S S 2/8Sickle Sword, Bronze 6gp 1d6 x2 3 lbs S M 5/9Thresher (Proto-Flail) 3gp 1d6 x2 3 lbs B W 3/9

Medium-SizeClub, Bronze Studded 3gp 1d6 x2 6 lbs B MW 4/12Club, Copper Studded 2gp 1d6 x2 5 lbs B MW 3/10Hayforka 2gp 1d8 x2 7 lbs P MW 3/14Mace, Bronze Headed 8gp 1d8 x2 14 lbs B MW 4/28Mace, Copper Headed 6gp 1d8 x2 13 lbs B MW 3/26Throwing Spear, Early Irona 8sp 1d6 x3 20ft 4 lbs P WM 4/12

LargePruning Hook, Bronze†*a 3gp 1d8 x3 15 lbs P MW 4/30Pruning Hook, Copper†*a 2gp 1d8 x3 14 lbs P MW 3/28Scythe, Bronze 13gp 2d4 x4 13 lbs S MW 4/26Scythe, Copper 10gp 2d4 x4 12 lbs S MW 3/24

Simple Weapons-RangedMedium-Size

Javelin, Bronze Tipped 8sp 1d6 x2 30ft 4 lbs P MW 4/12Javelin, Copper Tipped 7sp 1d6 x2 30ft 3 lbs P MW 4/9


Celt, Bronze 4.2gp 1d6 x3 6 lbs S MBW 4/18Handaxe, Bronze 4gp 1d6 x3 5.5 lbs S MW 4/17Handaxe, Copper Incan 3gp 1d6 x3 5.5 lbs S/B MW 3/17

Medium-SizeBattleaxe, Early Iron 8gp 1d8 x3 8 lbs S MW 4/16Battleaxe, Egyptian Bronze 7gp 1d8 x3 9.5 lbs S/P MW 4/19Battleaxe, Sumerian Bronze 7gp 1d8 x3 9 lbs S MW 4/18Battleaxe, Sumerian Copper 6gp 1d8 x3 8 lbs S MW 3/16Ge, Bronze‡ 8gp 1d8 x3 11 lbs S/B M 4/22Fu, Bronze 4gp 1d6 x3 7 lbs S MW 4/14Longsword, Bronze 12gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6 lbs S M 5/12 Sword, Bronze 7gp 1d6 19–20/x2 6 lbs P M 4/12


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Table 2-7: Bronze Age WeaponsMartial Weapons-Melee Weapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HPMedium-Size

Sword, Early Iron 13gp 1d8 x3 5 lbs P/S M 4/10Sword, Grain Bronze 9gp 1d8 18–20/x2 7 lbs Slashing M 4/14Sword, Horse Head 7gp 1d6 18–20/x2 6 lbs Slashing M 4/14Sword, Kopesh Bronze 8gp 1d6 18–20/x2 6 lbs S M 5/12

LargeHalberd, Incan Copper†a 8gp 1d10 x3 16 lbs P/S MW 3/32Spear, Bladed Bronze†a 2gp 1d8 x3 15ft 11 lbs P WM 4/22Spear, Bladed Copper†a 1.5gp 1d8 x3 15ft 10 lbs P WM 4/20Spear, Early Iron†a 3.5gp 1d8 x3 10 lbs P WM 4/20

Martial Weapons-RangedMedium-Size

Bow, Light War 45gp 1d6 x3 60ft 2 lbs Per arrow WC 4/6Exotic Weapons-RangedTiny

Bola, War Copper* 2gp 1d4 19–20/x2 15ft 3.5 lbs B CM 2/11Small

Whip, Braided or Hair#* 6sp 1d2§ x2 10ft 1.5 lbs S C 2/5 Weapons Ranged-Ammunition

Arrow, Bronze Fire* (20) 20gp +1/rnd -10ft 3.5 lbs P+Fire WM 1/4Arrow, Bronze Headed (20) 9sp 3 lbs P WM 1/3Arrow, Copper Headed (20) 8sp 3 lbs P WM 1/3Arrow, Early Iron Headed (20) 1gp 3 lbs P WM 1/3Bullet, Bronze Sling (10) 1sp 1d4 5.5 lbs B M 4/6

Table 2-8: Bronze Age Armor


Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure


Light ArmorArmor, Incan Cotton 9gp +2 +5 -1 5% 30ft/20ft 20lbs F 4/38 Armor, Bronze Studded Leather Block 22gp +3 +5 -1 15% 30ft/20ft 18lbs LM 3/36Lamellar, Bronze-Bound Leather 60gp +3 +4 -2 25% 30ft/20ft 23lbs LM 4/46Leather, Bronze Studded 23gp +3 +5 -1 15% 30ft/20ft 15lbs LM 4/30Cuirass, Linen 14gp +2 +5 0 10% 30ft/20ft 12lbs F 3/24Cuirass, Bronze Plated Linen 20gp +3 +5 -2 15% 30ft/20ft 25lbs MF 4/50

Medium ArmorBreastplate, Minoan Bronze 35gp +4 +2 -3 25% 20ft/15ft 30lbs M 4/60Breastplate, Mycenaen Bronze 180gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 32lbs M 5/64Lamellar, Bronze 30gp +4 +3 -5 25% 20ft/15ft 32lbs M 4/64Shirt, Bronze Plated 18gp +3 +4 -3 20% 20ft/15ft 22lbs M 4/44

Heavy ArmorArmor, Bronze Banded 165gp +5 +1 -5 25% 20ft*/15ft* 36lbs M 5/70

ShieldsShield, Great Bronze 32gp +3 -3 25% 22lbs M 3/44 Shield, Great Wooden 18gp +3 -3 25% 13lbs W 3/26Shield, Large Bronze 15gp +2 -2 15% 17lbs M 4/34Shield, Large Copper 14gp +2 -2 15% 16lbs M 3/32Shield, Small Bronze 5gp +1 -1 5% 5.5lbs M 4/14Shield, Small Copper 4gp +1 -1 5% 5.5lbs M 3/14

ExtrasCloak, Bronze Armored 5gp +1 +6 -1 5% 5lbs LM 3/10

Iron and Empire

Iron 63Rust 63Faeries 63

Iron 63The Paradox of Steel 63

Assyria 63The Assyrian War Machine 64Slashing Weapons 64Improvised Weapons 64Chariot Upgrades 64Psychological Warfare 65

The Scythians 67Living off the land 67

The Greeks 68Greek Fire 69Comparison: Sparta and Athens 70

Sparta 70Athens 71

Persia 71The Greek-Persian Wars 72Marathon 73The Second Invasion 73

Rise of Macedonia 73The March of Alexander 76Customizing your Fighter 76Morale 77Elephants; 77

Sub-Saharan Africa 78Diffusion of Technology 78Table 3-1: Iron Age Weapons 80Table 3-2: Iron Age Armor 81

61


He ran, heart pounding in his head, wounds bandaged, hislinen cuirass clinging to his skin and slapping against hispumping thighs. His head felt strangely hollow, as if some-how great elation or delirium had taken root. He couldhardly believe what his own eyes had seen.

The marauders had come, and stood abreast on the field,colorful robes and bright painted shields, their horses, hun-dreds upon hundreds, pawing the earth and snorting as ifimpatient. Before their force the army of Athens seemed sosmall, even supported by the allies from the neighboringcities, even with Spartan elites among their number. Howcould they hope to overcome so great a number of Persians?Within in his heart grew fear, and this time the anger overNaxos and Eretria would not clench its cold fingers. If theyfailed this day, nothing would stand in the way of the Per-sians marching on Athens. In his heart of fear he saw all ofGreece fall, even the warlike Sparta, and the temples of thegods burning and blackening.

The blood rushed through his ears, and he could feel everybreath as if it were scouring his lungs with sand. There wasburning in his muscles, but he pushed himself to keep run-ning. The news had to be spread.

They had stood and stared at each other from their ranks.The challenging clamor of spear on shield from the hoplitewarriors was quickly answered by trumpets from the ranksof the Persian invaders, and the horses charged forwardfrom the enemy lines, their riders raising longspears, as theythundered across the plain of Marathon towards the Greekalliance’s ranks. The entire Greek line broke into a trot, ameasured pace meant to advance the line of skirmish with-out tiring the soldiers; they would be death-weary before theday was out. The horses careened towards the right flank,where a large contingent of Spartans, Thebans, and Corinthi-ans prepared. Spears were raised and the line slowed. No onequestioned the bravery of the Spartans, but whether it wasthe spirit of Ares among them or the bravery of the Spartanswho fueled them, the Thebans and Corinthians did not breakand run either. At the last moments, the soldiers of the rightflank halted, bracing themselves behind their shields andreadying spears against the charge.

With a crack as loud as any bolt of Zeus, the charging Per-sian cavalry impacted against the implacable wall of Greeksoldiers. Spears shattered. Horses and men cried out in pain,agony, run through, pierced from belly to spine, impaledupon iron blade and hardened wood. Then came the Persianarrows, and all able soldiers raised their shields and lookedto their own defense. There was no time to dwell on the fateof those who faced the first charge.

Blood. There had been much blood. Every man’s spear sawuse, and many swords as well. Shields and breastplatesbreached. Helmets cut from their wearers. Pheidippideshimself had seen the light of a man’s eyes dimmed by hisown blade. The Persians seemed to come without end.

Androcles, his friend from youth and fellow phratry mem-ber, fell to an arrow from one of those horse archers the Per-sians prided in. Pheidippides cast his spear at him, but itwas lost from his view, and he was forced to fight on, takingeach moment as it came, unsure of when his own end wouldcome.

Every step now was pain. After a day of battle he had felthis limbs grow heavy from the exertion. But he had taskedhimself with this mission, and he could not fail. Indeed, itwas as if he could hear the thundering of the cavalry chargeechoing in his ears again.

He saw the city ahead, and the heads of the skeleton cityguard standing on the walls. As he neared he heard shouts,and a trumpet sounded. Men raised spears, uncertain ofwhat omen brought a blood-streaked soldier running from abattlefield more than a day’s march away. But it was every-thing for Pheidippedes to keep moving. His bandages weresoaked red, and his eyelids felt leaden. He almost fearedthat he would fall asleep if he were to stop.

There had been trumpets on the field. He had been tooweary even to understand what they meant. They cried outagain and again, and it was only after Pheidippedes couldsee no more Persians to face them that he understood whatthe noise was. It was a call to retreat. The Persians werecalling for retreat. Somehow, on a field soaked in the bloodof battle, strewn with more bodies that Pheidippedes couldcount, the Persians were fleeing. The gods had been with theGreeks on this day. And a ragged cheer rose up out of theremnants of the Greek army: A cry weary and proud. Theyhad avenged Naxos and Eretria. There was hope. As Phei-dippedes bound his wounds he realized how important thisnews would be to his family, to Athens. He had to go home.He had to tell them. Tell them everything.

He was near, now, but his armor dragged at him with everystep. He loosened the ties with fatigued fingers and let it slipfrom his body, running on nearly naked. Men on the wallsmust have recognized him. A door in the gate opened, andthe captain of the wall stepped out, concern etched intoevery wrinkle of his face. He reached out a hand to Phei-dippedes as the young soldier staggered the last few paces tothe gate. Clasping the captain’s hand, Pheidippedes took adeep breath, and choked out “Niki!” Victory. He tried todraw another deep breath, so he could say more: More aboutthe bravery of the Spartans, Thebans, Corinthians, moreabout the terrible charge, about the blood and the spears,about Androcles. But the breath never came. He struggledfor breath against a weakness he had never known. His eyesfell closed. He wondered at how much less work it was tojust not try. His knees buckled, and he tumbled to theground. And released what breath he still had.

Niki. Victory. And now they knew.

62

IIrroonn aanndd EEmmppiirree

Iron

With the decline of Bronze, power shifted away from theold kingdoms and towards those fledgling nations and

barbarian tribes that had begun to experiment with iron. Ironwas not a new metal, nor was it innately superior to bronze.Iron had been discovered and used by the Hittites, for example,while most nations were still using bronze for all metal andarmor. Iron was much harder to find than copper, and requiredmore heat to smelt, thus iron was expensive and rare. It wasonly with the tin shortages, combined with greater demands forweapons and armor, that iron became a preferable substitute.

The first and most obvious advantage of iron was its rigidity.Iron held its shape much better than copper or bronze. Swordblades could be longer, and straight bladed swords becamemore practical, since points did not blunt as easily. Also, onceshaped to the desired form, iron was less likely to bend andwarp, which made repairing iron armor or implements easier.

All of this came with a number of negatives. Iron did not havethe flexibility of bronze, and was much more prone to break-age. Iron was brittle, and harder to decorate, due to its inflexi-bility. Moreover, iron was expensive, even with bronze on thedecline, so those nations without iron resources, most notableof which was Egypt, never effectively made the transition.Lastly, bronze may have been prone to verdigris after years ofexposure, but iron had a unique problem with rust.

The Paradox of SteelSteel occurs when charcoal is folded into iron during the smithingprocess. Due to the heat required to make iron pliable, extremelyhot fires were required, and the main way to create a hot fire wasto use copious amounts of charcoal. Thus, even from the begin-ning, small amounts of charcoal became part of the iron during itsinitial shaping.

In later times, when smiths began to understand the role of char-coal (carbon) in the steel-making process, smiths began to exper-iment with the ratio of charcoal to iron. They soon discoveredthat the mixes that favored iron were heavier and more brittle,

but they held edges longer, and could make sharper blades. Steelmixes that favored greater amounts of carbon, in turn, werelighter, more flexible, but tended to deteriorate faster. Thus, thevariance of the quality of steel throughout the ages and cultureswas not so much based on one culture making better steel thananother as much as having different processes and different pref-erences. Toledo steel, for example, was highly flexible and light,while Japanese blades were fearsomely durable and sharp. Itwould not be until the modern age that more advanced alloyswould be able to take advantage of iron’s rigidity and carbon’sflexibility equally.

Assyria

Assyria was a relatively small kingdom that had alreadyseen two peaks in power. Though it was centered around

the northern cites of Nineveh, Assur, Nimrud, and Khorssbad,it had controlled Akkad when Sargon conquered and unitedSumeria. Akkad then rose to the forefront, cutting off connec-tions with Assyria. Again, when the Arameans began to popu-late Mesopotamia and the Mediterranian coast, Assyria rose tostrike against the Arameans. It was Assyria’s attacks, alongwith the Elamites and Babylonians, that prevented the domina-tion of the region by the Arameans, although the Aramean lan-guage remained, becoming the common tongue of the wholeregion.

Assyria, though, saw it’s true rise to power in its last age, whenbronze was on the decline. Assyria was one of the regions thatmined tin, and they began to stockpile it as the mines began tofail. Thus, Assyria was able to continue to produce bronze itemswithout feeling the pinch of the shortage that other countries felt.In addition, through judicious trade and contact with barbariantribes more familiar with iron smelting, Assyria was able to shiftover to iron weapons more quickly than other nations.

Assyria’s bronze weapons and armor weren’t expressly unique,but they were well made. The quality of their craftsmanshipwas most notable in their increased durability. Late bronze-age

63

FaeriesFey creatures are particularly vulnerable to wounds from ironweapons. Called cold iron by such creatures, all wounds fromiron weapons do double damage and ignore any natural dam-age resistance. Also, a wounded fey loses any magical abilitiesit may possess for 1 round per point of damage they sustain.Iron armor not only protects the wearer from the blades andarrows of the fey, but can also provide considerable defenseagainst fey magic. As a rule of thumb, for every +1 the armorgrants to the wearers armor class naturally (not including mag-ical bonuses from enchantment) he receives 5 Spell Resistanceto the spell-like abilities of the fey (so a suit of iron chainmailwith a +4 natural bonus would grant a SR of 20 against faeanspells and spell-like abilities).

Steel, being adulterated, has no special effect against a feyopponent.

RustIron may begin to rust if it is not appropriately dried after sub-mersion or soaking. If an iron item is submersed, soaked, orotherwise immersed in water for at least 15 minutes, roll per-centile. There is a 15% chance the iron will begin to rust. Ifrusting iron is not dried properly, it will take 1 point of struc-tural damage the day after contracting rust, although this dam-age, unlike rotting, is not progressive. Rusting causes the itemto permanently grow weaker. Note that the original structuralrating is still referred to when calculating deterioration. Cor-rectly coating an iron item with oil or wax will reduce this riskto 1%, and will require reapplication after submersion or 1month, whichever comes first.


weapons were virtually identical to their earlier counterparts,but with a 5 durability, rather than a 4.

As Assyria’s strength grew and other nations weakened, aseries of great kings came to power, and their new vision ofwarfare would lead to the conquest of all the lands from theCaspian to Chaldea, Anatolia to Egypt.

The Assyrian War MachineAssyria set quite a few precedents as it became the first militar-ily dominant empire in the region. They improved the chariot,making the baseboard of pliable leather, rather than wood, soas to absorb some of the shock of travel. They employed twokinds of chariot: a light chariot with two horses and three menwhose sole purpose was to charge into enemy formations andthen dismount the warriors into the resulting chaos, and a heav-ier four horse chariot which held up to six men, and wasemployed to deliver crack troops where needed. Additionally,familiarity with horse-riding barbarian tribes lead the Assyriansto employ true cavalry. Two thirds of Assyrian cavalry werehorse-mounted archers, trained to fire from horseback and fleeretribution from enemy archers. The other third carried long-spears, a weapon designed in Egypt, but not used on horsebackthere. These longspears were often referred to as lances,although they could not be properly couched. At first, Assyri-ans used bronze lamellar and bronze scale armor, adding hel-mets, greaves, and boots, but later forged suits of iron scale,which became standard issue. Soldiers wielded shields, spears,daggers, iron swords, maces, studded clubs (including a ver-sion of the great club), and battleaxes, and were expertlytrained. Moreover, the Assyrians paved their roads, had a mili-tary corps dedicated to procuring weapons (caches have beenfound by archaeological digs that have contained 200 tons ofiron swords) and horses (up to 3000 a year) all year round, and

they even employed siege engines like catapults, batteringrams, and siege towers. When one considers that the Assyrianarmy could muster up to fifty thousand men at short notice(total army strength was closer to two hundred thousand), andmove them swiftly, there is little question as to why they wereeffective.

Spear, Iron (short and long)The longspear was developed in the late bronze age in Egypt,and adopted by the Assyrians after they first attacked Egypt.The longspear is a reach weapon, and can be readied against acharge. The Assyrians usually equipped front ranks with longs-pears, and gave shorter, throwing spears to those closer to therear. As with the majority of reach weapons, the spear cannotbe used against a foe within 10 feet.

Scale Mail, Bronze & IronScale mail was an improvement upon lamellar armors. Scaleswere better articulated, allowing more flexible joints. Suits ofmetal armor were expensive, and generally only used by shocktroops.

Shield, IronIron shields, regardless of size, were usually only for officersand elite soldiers. The common soldier had to make do withwood or leather equipment.

Dagger or Knife, IronSince iron held a better edge, piercing weapons were moreeffective than their bronze counterparts. Note that the primarydifference between a knife and a dagger is that a dagger is dou-ble edged, and is better suited to throwing.

Clubs & MacesClubs saw a brief renaissance during the Assyrian period, andwere carried by a majority of the poorer soldiers, as they werereasonably inexpensive and very effective. Assyrians differen-tiated the mace, making a lighter version with a wooden handleand a heavier one of solid iron.

Slashing WeaponsSlashing weapons did not see quite the same explosion ofdevelopment as piercing weapons did in the period, althoughthe shem sharru was the descendant of the sickle sword andprecussor for the kopis, the scimitar, the shamsir, and the saber.Instead straight edges (longsword, shortsword) were morecommon, since a point can focus a great deal of pressure in asingle location, often piercing heavy armors.

Improvised WeaponsThe scythe was developed first in Babylon, but the Assyriansspread its use, since it was far more efficient for reaping grainthan the hand sickle. Still, both weapons were used when, inemergency, there was no other alternative.

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Chariot UpgradesThe Assyrians and Persians made developments that add newwrinkles to chariot warfare.

The Assyrians added a leather running board, rather than thetraditional wooden one. This gave their chariots (which wereotherwise identical to Babylonian chariots) a smoother ride.All chariots equipped with this kind of leather running boardadd a +2 circumstance bonus to any balance rolls made whilein the chariot.

The Persians experimented with putting iron scythe bladeson their chariots (which they took from the Assyrians). Anyperson within 5 feet of the hub side of a chariot wheelequipped with scythe blades is automatically attacked bythese blades each round they remain within 5 feet. Rollagainst their armor with a straight d20. A driver withAdvanced Chariot Driving may add his +2 special maneuverbonus to this roll, or he may subtract it (if he does not wantthe blades to hit the person in question). If the person is hit,resolve damage as if struck by an iron scythe.


Whip (Leather & Bone Scourge)The standard whip was made from leather, usually strips ofscrap or skin that was unusable for larger products. Thescourge was first developed in Syria, and was made from vari-ous lengths of cord woven onto a wooden handle, with teeth orpieces of sharp bone bound in the cord. Leather whips wereprimarily used as tools in training and controlling wild animals,although they were also used by various cultures to keep slavesin line. The scourge was a device intended to torture people,and was either used in punishment or in religious ceremonieswhere pain was intended to expiate a sin. The leather whipdeals subdual damage, and both whips deal no damage to anycreature wearing armor of at least +1 armor bonus or creatureswith a +3 natural armor bonus. Although kept in the hand, theleather whip is treated as a ranged weapon with a maximumrange of 10 feet, and no range penalties. The leather whip canbe used to wrap around a leg or other limb, it may also be usedto make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own tripattempt, you can drop the leather whip in order to avoid beingtripped. Those using a whip gain a +2 bonus on their opposedattack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent, includingthe roll to keep from being disarmed if they fail their disarmattempt. Either whip is considered an exotic weapon. Thisweapon is a shield bypass weapon.

Psychological WarfareOne of the greatest innovations the Assyrians employed wasn’ta physical asset or new form of training. The Assyrian militaryused psychological warfare. In short, they used fear.

The Assyrians had a sizeable army, and it took a great deal offood to keep that army fed. Even more than the food, though,was the pay and privileges that soldiers required. The kings ofthis third Assyrian Empire, instead of stripping food stores bareto maintain their army, began the practice of living off the land.Assyrian armies would march through fertile land and takewhat grain and meat animals were available to supplementtheir baggage trains. The soldiers were promised the right tokeep anything they were willing to march with. Soldiers wereencouraged to loot, rape, and plunder during the campaign, andthere was general amnesty for soldiers.

Officers, who could come from the regular volunteers or fromnoble families were held to higher standards. A certain portion oftheir loot was taxed by the King, but in return the officers had sta-tus and prestige in Assyrian society. Soldiers were regularlyfeared and avoided, but officers were revered for their restraintand prowess.

The effect of this shift in military attitude was profound. Thistotal war mentality created fearsome civilian casualties, and

65

1. Chariot wheels with iron scythe blades; 2. Bronze Longspear; 3. Bronze Scale Mail; 4. Large Iron Shield; 5. Iron Short Spear;6. Iron Dagger; 7. Iron Headed Arrow

1

2

5

6 7

3

4


could cripple a city’s survival chances even if the Assyrianswere diverted, because of the loss of food supplies. Many citiesopted to present the Assyrian army with tribute when theyknew it was coming. They would gather great amounts of foodand valuables, and then offer them to the army in hopes thatthey would be left alone. Sometimes this worked. Sometimesthe tribute was rejected, and the cities were sacked and demol-ished. Either way, conquered cities were absorbed into theempire, and soon it came to span the vast majority of the ‘civi-lized’ world.

There were definite advantages and drawbacks to this philoso-phy. While soldiers were on campaign, the level of crime in thecity decreased, since most criminals found that the army was away to get what they wanted without having to break the law. Itis no surprise the lock and key were invented by the Assyrians.On the other hand, the enforcement of the law could not be leftto the army, so the militia once more grew to prominence. Infact, in conquered cities, it was preferable to leave the localmilitia relatively intact, in order to allow them to enforce thelaw effectively. Another advantage was that actual militaryfatalities were lessened, since many cities eventually opted to

pay tribute rather than oppose domination. But with a largestanding army that expected some kind of personal indulgenceon a regular basis, the Assyrian army was almost always on themove. Without long periods of peace, the populace rarely hadan opportunity to recover from war.

There were other repercussions to this war intensive focus. Forexample, the Assyrians practiced forced migration. When con-quering another people or nation, they often forced a sizeableportion of that nation to relocate to a radically different part ofthe Empire. It was hoped that this displacement would reducethe chance of revolt, as people would be preoccupied with learn-ing to cope in the new region. This practice, more than any other,probably contributed to a general reduction of popular supportall over the empire. Also, with the military being the centralfocus of the Assyrian Empire, the military leaders began todemand more and more power, and larger and larger portions ofthe tribute. The Assyrian Empire walked a precarious path, andone that would lead them to complete dissolution.

66

20

8. Iron Studded Club; 9. Light Iron Mace; 10. Heavy Iron Mace; 11. Iron Knife; 12. Iron Battleaxe; 13. Shem Sharru; 14. IronShortsword; 15. Iron Longsword; 16. Iron Sickle; 17. Iron Scythe; 18. Leather Whip; 19. Bone Scourge Whip; 20. Scythian IronLamellar

8 9 1018

19

2017

16

14

11

13

15

12


The ScythiansDuring this period, a number of horse-riding cultures came toprominence both in Europe and the Middle East. The Scythi-ans, a culture that lived along the Caucasus Mountain Range,were active in both regions, and were an excellent example ofhorse-riding tribes of the time.

The Scythians used a great variety of materials and equipment,depending on what was available and advantageous in an area.The warriors tended to wear bone, bronze, or iron lamellararmor, although they also were known to use leather armor,bronze scale, iron scale, and a bronze ringmail developed bythe Greeks. They used a double recurve bow, which would laterbe adopted by the Persians. They wore armbands of bronze,iron, or bone, used straight or curved knives, (the latter of aChinese design), and used shields of leather, wood, or iron.Arrow heads could be of any material, although bone, bronze,and iron were most common. Before the Persians they pre-ferred the spear or iron shortsword, but after the rise of the Per-sians they adopted the Persian kopis and the bowcase. TheScythians used a great deal of gold and animal motifs in theirdecoration.

Lamellar Armor, Bone & IronLamellar was slightly easier to construct than most otherarmors, and the Scythians were primarily nomadic, so theywere unlikely to maintain a camp long enough to develop morecomplex armor smithing techniques. Bone lamellar was rare,and only worn by Scythians, since many cultures considered itbarbarous armor. The iron version was far more effective, but

usually only worn by those who could afford it, mainly clanleaders.

Ringmail, Greek BronzeThe Greeks developed an armor of interlocking rings, backedby leather. This armor tended to diffuse the impact of bludg-eoning weapons and block slashing weapons, as well, but itwas ungainly and poorly made. The Scythians preferred totrade for Greek suits, but did construct a bronze version of thisarmor for themselves. Piercing weapons are particularly effec-tive against this armor, and it only grants a +4 bonus againstthem.

ArmbandsArmbands were culturally significant for the Scythians, andwere often inscribed with holy symbols or personal images. Ina fantasy world it is very likely that Scythian Priests wouldhave blessed them, or Scythian mages would have enchantedthem. Besides armor enchantments, they might have hadenchantments to improve symbiosis between riders and horses(horses being an important part of Scythian religion), or fear,bravery, or strength effects.

Bow, Double RecurveThe double recurve bow must be wielded with two hands. It isan incredibly powerful bow, and every double recurve bowshould be considered the quivalent of a masterwork mightycomposite longbow (usually at least +2). The craftsmanship ofthis Scythian bow made it prized among more ‘civilized’nations, and it was often traded for. Both the Persians and theGreeks preferred these for their archers, when possible, and theScythians became very rich off of their trade.

Knife, Chinese CurvedCurved weapons are intended to be used in a chopping fashion,bringing into contact as much of the blade as possible with thefoe. The curved knife they carried appears Chinese in origin,and they likely traded for them with another horse tribe or withScythian tribes living closer to Chinese society.

KopisThe kopis was a Persian blade, based on the Shem Sharru. Usu-ally possessing we call a pistol grip, and wider in the front por-tion of the blade, the kopis was an excellent weapon for closein fighting and for use from horseback. Later in Persian historyit would be replaced by the falcate. The Scythians, again,traded for these.

Barding, Leather and Bronze PlateThe Scythians were also the first to make true barding, armor-ing their horses in leather and bronze plate. This kind of extrav-agance would not be embraced by more civilized nations for agreat while, but the protection to the horse was substantial, and,

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Living off the landNations before Assyria usually maintained baggage carts tocarry food they would need on the march. The logistics ofkeeping up the train of food and supplies usually limited thedistance an army could march. This is the source of the say-ing, “An army marches on its stomach.”

Due to the huge size of the Assyrian army, Assyria found italmost impossible to carry more than a 3 pound ration ofwheat per soldier. In the climate they marched in, and travel-ing for 10 hours a day, 3 pounds of wheat fell far short of therequired calorie intake necessary just to sustain a healthy sol-dier. He would need protein, as well, and more than a gallonof water to keep fighting fit. Just to carry 3 pounds per sol-dier meant the average field army of 50,000 had to carry150,000 pounds of wheat per day.

So the Assyrian army sent out scouts into the lands they wereinvading, who determined where the best fields and herdswere, and the Assyrian army would march through thoseareas to replenish supplies and maintain stocks. This invari-ably meant poor harvests and shortages in lands conqueredby Assyria, which prompted cities to bring tribute as soon asthey heard of the Assyrian army marching on them.


due to fact that the horse was religiously important in Scythiansociety, it was a small cost to them for the benefit it provided.

The making of barding is an individual affair. One could notmake a ‘standard size’ suit of barding and hope they would fitthe horse. Horses would first be brought to have the leatherbacking of the barding draped over them. The leather would bemarked or cut to the horse’s proportions and then the armorerwould bind bronze plates to it. Although conceivably such armorcould be bound together with chains, the leather provided asmooth backing to prevent chafing while on a hard ride. Thisarmor, combined with the skill of a good rider, kept the horsesthat Scythians prized so much alive much longer in a battle.

The GreeksWith the invasion of the Dorians, Greece fell into a dark age. Adark age is any period in a region or culture where technologyand learning regress substantially. Although the Dorians weresmelters of iron, they were otherwise much less advanced thanthe Mycenaens were, and for a time the Greek peoples livedunder their domination. During this time there was very little

mobility, and bandits and outlaws became rampant in thewilder places, prompting many to move to the cities for protec-tion. Elaborate walls were erected around many major cities,and some of these walls were quite complex, not only encom-passing the city proper but extending into the immediate farm-ing countryside, in order to allow farmers to escape in case ofsurprise attack. These extensions to the walls were often builtinto hill sides, and required extensive tunneling and bracing.The bracing itself was made so as to be easily destroyed. Thus,if invaders discovered these escape passages, segments couldbe collapsed to prevent the enemy from bypassing the citywalls. Eventually the city-states of Greece threw off the Dorianoccupation, and during the following period the power of thecities increased again.

With walls comes crowding. And crowding leads to increasedproblems with crime and sanitation. These pressures, as well asa budding new exuberance about the Greek way of lifeprompted many cities to establish colonies. Colonists were sentto establish new colonies in Asia Minor, the many islands ofthe Mediterranian, the Italic peninsula, Iberia, and even por-tions of Northern Africa, although Carthage tended to dominatenorth Africa. These colonies increased the spread of Greek

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21. Greek Bronze Ringmail; 22. Scythian Armband; 23. Double Recurve Bow; 24. Chinese Curved Knife; 25. Kopis; 26. Leatherand Bronze Plate Barding

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thought, religion, and culture, and allowed people to developnew cities as they wished. As part of the colonization agree-ment, the colony cities also manufactured goods for trade inGreek markets.

Each city-state was different in organization, although theytended to use the same kinds of weapons. Longspears, bows,slings, javelins, daggers, axes, and straight swords were com-mon, as were round shields, helmets, and greaves. Someshields sported skirts of leather, intended to deflect arrowsaway from the legs, or to snag low enemy strikes. Lamellar andScale armor were more common in the Northern cities, whilethe Southern cities favored much lighter armor, depending,instead, on mobility. There was even a scale version of thelinen cuirass. A kind of ringmail, backed with studded leather,was developed and experimented with in a few cities, but neversaw widespread use. Only a few cities used breastplate armorlike their forebears. It is interesting to note that while iron wasthe common metal during this period, there was a revival ofbronze smithing at one point, and the styles and armors thatwere forged with this ‘revival’ bronze indicate a definite nos-talgia trend. These revival armors were better made than theolder armors they emulated, but were probably only worn andused by nobles and those with a great deal of disposableincome. Revival bronze armors would have their durabilityincreased by one (e.g. a 4 durability would be 5, a 5 durabilitywould be 6, etc.). It should be noted that chariots were neverused in combat after the end of the Dark Age.

Cuirass, Iron Scaled LinenMade from many layers of cloth glued together, these suits ofarmor were light and minimally encumbering. They allowedinfantry to move quickly, but still provided protection, whileleaving the arms and legs free for movement. These were sub-stantially less expensive to manufacture than full scale mail,even with iron scale work. Of course, they were also easier todamage and destroy.

Ringmail, Greek IronThe Greeks developed an armor of interlocking rings, backedby leather. The rings were usually about 1 to 1½ inches indiameter, much larger than the diameter of the later developedchainmail. This armor tended to diffuse the impact of bludg-eoning weapons and block slashing weapons, but it wasungainly and poorly made. Greek suits were made of ironrings, but these suits were not commonplace. Piercing weaponsare particularly effective against this armor, and it only grants a+4 armor bonus against them.

Leather Shield SkirtThe Greeks often hung a leather skirt from the bottom of theirshields. This skirt did not have any backing behind it, but wasintended to snag attacks intended for the legs. A shield with aleather skirt will sometimes retard an attack just enough tomake it inconsequential. Leather shield skirts can only bemounted on Large or Great shields. Any time a roll exactlyequals the number necessary to hit a person wielding a shieldwith a leather shield skirt, roll any die. On an odd number thestrike was blocked by the skirt instead. Apply all damageagainst the skirt instead of against the shield bearer. As long asthe skirt has any hit points it can continue to block attacks inthis manner.

Bullet, Lead SlingWith the development of smelting, metals other than iron werediscovered. One of these new metals was lead. Lead is a verypliable metal, and mostly worthless in weapon use. Except, ofcourse, as sling bullets. Lead bullets were heavy and damaging,having more impact than stones or bronze bullets. They werealso reasonably durable, and therefore more reusable. Lead shotcould easily be recast in simple molds, so it was not uncommonfor the poor to raid a battlefield and collect shot to sell back tolocal smiths for a minimal price.

Javelin, Iron HeadedThe Javelin was commonly used in Greece, although they gen-erally used a simple wood hardened javelin in sport or hunting.The iron-shod javelin was used only in battle, and was oftensaved for important attacks, since it was expensive to make andexpensive to lose.

Arrow, Iron FireThe fire arrow is used like any normal arrow except that itmust be lit in order to gain the fire damage. Although the arrowdoes have an iron head and can be fired unlit, such use wouldbe at a -2 due to the weight and unwieldy nature of the firearrow. Note that the fire arrow is not capable of flying as far asa normal arrow, and is almost certainly destroyed on impact. Iflit, it will sufficiently burn out its fuel in 3 rounds, and will nolonger be useable after this.

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Greek FireGreek fire is a flammable composition believed to have con-sisted of sulfur, naphtha, and quicklime. Its origin is lost tohistorians, although most records state that the Greeks firstdeveloped it in the Classical Age. It was never employed on alarge scale during this time period, perhaps mostly beingsaved for rare sieges or sea warfare, to burn boats or buildings.

In a fantasy world, one might make more aggressive use ofGreek fire, perhaps as fire bombs or siege defense (like boilingoil). Such firebombs would be used like Grenade-likeweapons, similar to alchemist's fire but far more virulent, andwould do 2d6 dice of fire damage a turn for 2 minutes (20rounds), or until doused. It is entirely likely that, should thefire burn for the full duration, the character will keep burning,as per the set on fire rules.


Comparison: Sparta and AthensDuring different period of the Archaic Age, various cities roseto prominence in Greece. Corinth was the first of this period,but it was swiftly enough supplanted by Sparta and then bothby Athens. As each person is different from the next, each city-state was unique, and it is worth noting just how different twocities could be.

SpartaSparta was a warrior state: This cannot be stressed enough. Butrigorous military training was not the norm until the Classicalperiod of Greece. This doesn’t mean that Spartan life was sim-ple. At the age of seven freeborn boys were taken from theirfamilies and placed in a communal education system. The edu-cation they received was harsh, and they lived in these commu-nities until the age of 20, when they were eligible to join asyssita. Syssitas were organizations, somewhat like a club orsociety that the men would belong to for the rest of their lives.Men, at this point, were allowed to live by themselves, but theyate in their Syssitas and spent much of their lives with theirSyssita brethren. Men were forbidden from most forms of

work, so women and free non-citizens did most of the otherwork.

Messina, a neighboring region, was defeated and annexed bySparta at the end of the Dark Age, and the citizens of Messinawere made serfs. Called helots, these people spent their daysfarming and manufacturing for the Spartans. In times of war,the helots were called upon to supply a tithe of infantry for theSpartan ranks, and good service in battle could be grounds forbeing granted freedom (although not citizenship). Still, a freehelot’s child would be absorbed into Spartan culture, and forsome, this was a desirable goal. It is primarily the huge serfclass of the helots that forced Sparta into its constant militaryrole, and every year Sparta formally declared war on the helots,although this was rarely an active war.

Sparta was ruled by two kings and 5 ephors, as well as a citi-zen’s council of elders. Ephors at one time were the servants ofkings, but they eventually took on enough power to becomecivil servants. Ephors could be nominated by a king, but wereelected by the citizen’s council. There was often frictionbetween the two kings, but the system of government balanced

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27. Iron Scaled Linen Cuirass; 28. Greek Iron Ringmail; 29. Leather Shield Skirt; 30. Inscribed Lead Sling Bullet; 31. IronHeaded Javelin; 32. Iron Fire Arrow

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itself, and, in times of war a single king would take control(often by election) to lead the military.

The military of the Spartans was highly organized. There werefive tiers of an army formation, regiments (morae), mora (usu-ally six in a regiment), lochos (4 lochoi made a mora), Pen-tekostys (2 per lochos), and enomotia (2 per pentekostys). Anenomotia consisted of 36 fully armed soldiers standing in 12ranks. So an average regiment consisted of 3,456 armed sol-diers, and any given army had a number of these regiments.Those who showed the most promise were trained to becomehoplites, and they had an entire regiment of their own. Theking, as well, had his own honor guard, and there is evidence tosuggest that his honor guard was mounted.

The Spartans used shield, sword, a long thrusting spear, anddaggers. Archers wore no armor, while slingers might wearlinen cuirass armor at best. Hoplites might wear heavy armors,but the Spartans favored mobility over armor, so they wereoften the only ones to wear any serious armor. Since the com-mon wear of Sparta was a coarse woolen cloak, their nativegarb was impossible to wear into battle, so it is no exaggerationto say that many warriors wore no armor. But armor was by nomeans unused. Spartans favored cuirasses and good shield use.Combat training stressed a series of simple movements andmaneuvers intended to favor the spear, with some defensivetraining with a sword.

AthensAthens, on the other hand, was at first lead by a king, but laterreplaced by a polemarch. Elected from among the ranks of thecouncil of archons (a group of nine respected men elected tothe council by the citizens) by the archons, each polemarchserved for a year in their office. Although Solon of Athens didpropose the creation of a true democratic state, Athens nevertruly moved beyond a representative government, although theindividual citizen had a much greater say on the laws and struc-ture of Athenian life. Citizens of Athens belonged to a phratry,sort of like a clan or tribe. The phratry one was born into had aheavy influence on one’s religion and social standing, but eachcitizen was eligible for any political position. A phratry usuallyconsisted of one or more genes, a genos (the singular of genes)being a large, extended family group.

Not that tribes were negated by the phratry system. Athens waspopulated by 4 Ionian tribes, although later these tribes werelegally split into 10 new tribes. Each of these tribes had a cer-tain stature, and among those tribes there was another layer ofhierarchy, based on one’s wealth, that helped to influencewhere in society one existed. Though it was theoretically possi-ble for anyone to be on the council, in practice the richer, moreprominent families held those positions, and thus, controlledthe election of the polemarch.

All men were nominally under duty to the military from theage of 20 to 37. These men had minimal, if any, training, andwere usually only drafted in time of war. Still, Athens, duringthe Archaic period, was able to field an army of 20,000, so it

was quite capable of mobilizing large portions of the male citi-zenry. Athenian soldiers used sword, spear, and shield, but war-riors also wore whatever armor they could afford, and bows,slings, axes, and clubs were carried by those who preferredthem. The military organization of the Athenians was limited,but this was not true of their tactics.

Persia

About this time Assyria was going through its death throes.It had reached its final greatness, and now it was being

wracked by civil insurrections and aggression from a strength-ening Babylonian kingdom to its south and an alliance of theMedes (a horse tribe) and the Persians to its East. WhileAssyria was grappling with the Elamite threat and civil warssponsored by Egypt, the Medes and Persians attacked the capi-tal cities of Assyria, and conquered them. Suddenly withoutleadership, the Assyrian empire crumbled, and Babylon and theMedes divided up the territories they desired, leaving the restof Mesopotamia to its own devices. But the Medes did notshare their new power equally with the Persians, and the Per-sian king stewed.

When a new Median king came to power that was not popularwith the aristocracy, Cyrus the Second and the dissenting aris-tocracy revolted against Median rule. Their army did not havethe strength of the Median army, but it was able to hold outlong enough for Babylonian allies to make moves of aggres-sion against the capitol of the Medes. Thus the Medes wereforced to surrender to Cyrus, and Persia took control of theMedian empire.

Cyrus, though, was not done. Taking his full armies, hemarched through surrounding territories, consolidating his rulein areas like Armenia, Cappodocia, and Cilicia, adding a fewBabylonian holdings in the process. Wherever native kingsalready existed, Cyrus allowed them to remain in power asSatraps. Thus, Cyrus was able to move on quickly, knowing hisnewly conquered satrapies were well administered.

This level of aggression worried western powers, and analliance of Spartans, Lydians, Egyptians, and Babylonianscame together to oppose Persian dominance. At that time,Cyrus’s general, Hypargus, made the excellent suggestion ofputting together a mounted column of Arabian camel riders.These camel riders spooked the Lydian cavalry that lead thealliance armies, and the Persian army was able to take advan-tage of the cavalry rout to crush the Lydian empire to dust.Lydia, being a Greek kingdom in Asia, was near a number ofother Greek city colonies, and so these cities were taken aswell, which caused much alarm in Greece, but did not yetprompt war.

Cyrus, always the opportunist, turned his eyes on Babylon.One of Babylon’s generals, Gobryas, was dissatisfied with theking, and offered a place of power if he helped Cyrus conquerBabylon, he agreed. Babylon soon buckled without its military

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support, and Cyrus established Gobryas as its new satrap.Since Babylon was an ancient and revered culture, Cyrus tookadvantage of his presence there to return lost idols to their tem-ples, in order to legitimize his claim to the Babylonian throne.He also allowed citizens previously displaced by Assyrian con-quest to return to their homelands, which gained him a greatdeal of support from various conquered peoples. Jewishprophets, for example, hailed him as the Lord’s Anointed.

With all of the old Assyrian Empire but Egypt under his con-trol, and with holdings north and east of the previous empire’sholdings established, Cyrus once more turned his eyes east.Marching over the mountains, Cyrus invaded the Punjab regionof India, the lands once held by the ancient Harrapans, andlater by the Aryans and various Vedic kingdoms. The Aryansplit that had occurred long in the past had sent some peoplewest into the mountains, and some of those Aryan tribes settledin lands that would later become Persia. Thus, the Persiansalready had some connection to the new people they con-quered, and the Satrap of Punjab was established.

It should be noted that various kingdoms did spring up in Indiaprevious to the Persian invasion, but few were very substantial.Usually these kingdoms consisted of one city and perhaps afew surrounding communities, but there were no large king-doms in this period. Tempted by the thought of easy conquest,Cyrus again marched east, but was unable to cross the JaxartesRiver, destroying most of the Persian army in the attempt, anddying himself.

Cyrus’s son Cambyses, after assassinating his younger brother toprevent rivalry over the throne, raised a new army and marchedon Egypt. His army, lead by a mercenary Greek general andaided by Bedouin nomads, was able to conquer Egypt, and takeit and Nubia (the kingdom of Kush) as well. Cambyses also con-sidered attacking Carthage, but his Phoenician allies refused, andhe could not cross the desert safely. When insurrection threat-ened at home, Cambyses tried to return, but died en route.

It was Darius, one of Cambyses sons, who finally broughtpeace to Persia, and consolidated the rule of this new Empire.Although he led armies against the Scythians, and establishedfootholds along the northern shore of the Caspian Sea, his mainwork was in consolidating rule over the Indus Valley andEgypt, and establishing laws. He also standardized a currencysystem, based on the Lydian bimetallic currency system usingsilver and gold. He transplanted fruit trees to the east of hisempire, and sesame and rice to the west.

Then Darius moved on the Scythians again. The Scythians,being nomads burned their fields, destroyed their own lands, andharassed the Persian armies with horse-borne guerilla warfare.Darius, fearful for his own personal safety, left a substantialarmy in Scythian territories to continue the fight, and returned toPersian land. Again, Darius concentrated on administration,leaving his generals to expand his territories. One general con-quered the Lybian desert, while another crossed the Bosporus(the strait between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, and he

conquered the Greek cities there, demanding surrender of manyIonian cities as well as Macedonia, a northern Greek kingdom.They did submit, which set the stage for the Greek-Persian wars.

The Greek-Persian WarsSeveral of the Ionian Greek cities in Lydia revolted against Per-sian rule, but were swiftly crushed. Their handsome men weremade eunuchs while their beautiful daughters were sent to royalharems. Sensing weakness and lack of unity, the Persiansdemanded surrender of all of Greece to Persia. Some cities didsend signs of submission, but both Athens and Sparta refused.Following the same pattern as previous conquests, Persia movedon Greek cities, and conquered them one by one on the way tothe two powerful states. Cities like Naxos and Eretria were con-quered, through both military means and subversion of dissi-dents. But Persia made the fatal error of destroying the templesof both cities and enslaving their people. No Greek would evertolerate this on their own soil.

Athens called up its army, and marched to intercept the Persianarmy on the plain of Marathon. The Persians there were garbedin cuirasses of iron, iron scale, iron lamellar, and iron platedarmor, as well as lighter padded armor. They bore violin-shaped large and great shields, and their first ranks all borewooden tower shields. The Persian army favored a combinedweaponry formation, where one soldier bore a large shield, toprotect a longspear bearing soldier slightly behind them. Butthe majority of the Persian armies were archers, also protectedby shield bearers. Most shield bearers wore heavier armor, andcarried a short spear to defend with, while the archers worelight padded armor and carried composite longbows. Most allsoldiers, even the elites and the Immortals, wore robes overtheir armor, which were usually brightly colored. Besides thelong and short spears, Persian soldiers bore straight swordscalled Akinakes, a curved chopping blade called the Kopis, andaxes. The Persians still used Chariots, but they were unable tobring them to Greece. Persian chariots were usually driven by aheavily armored driver, and their wheels had iron scythe bladesmounted on the hubs. They were, however, able to bring quitea number of mounted troops, and Athens had no equivalentcavalry.

The Greeks, on the other hand, wore revival bronze platedlinen cuirasses, iron scaled linen cuirasses, iron scale, Greekring mail, linen cuirasses, and bronze revival breastplate armor.They carried round large shields, and carried spears, swords,axes, daggers, bows, slings, and clubs. Greek soldiers were notmounted. The Athenians lead the army at Marathon, but a num-ber of Greek cities joined the battle, including Sparta.

AkinakesThe akinakes is Persian broadsword, replete with a bloodgroove and double edged blade. Used almost as much as thekopis, the akinakes was primarily a piercing weapon, and itsheavy blade made it very damaging. Ornamentation was com-mon, and the pommel was split, rather than rounded. This

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made it less versatile than later swords since it was more diffi-cult to change the manner in which the sword was wielded.

Cuirass, IronThe Iron Cuirass was developed in Greece, and then importedto Persia. Simple versions were relatively featureless, whilemore expensive suits were shaped to look like a muscularhuman torso. When backed with leather, the Iron Cuirass wasvery effective against most attacks, at the sacrifice of somemovement.

Armor, Persian CharioteerThe Persian Charioteer armor was highly restrictive, made toprotect the charioteer but did allow them freedom of movementin their arms. An Iron Cuirass, Iron helmet with iron platedleather face and neck mask, plated sleeves, iron skirt, iron legbraces and iron shod boots, this armor favored protection at theexpense of freedom of leg movement. In fact, the charioteerarmor was so encumbering that they needed help into the char-iot, and could not walk or run very effectively. Any charioteerwho survived a crash or being thrown from their chariot waslikely to try and strip off the armor as quickly as possible.

Longbow, CompositeThe Composite Longbow was developed in Persia, based onthe Light war bow of the Assyrians and certain developmentsby the Scythians. Though not as powerful as the Scythian bowcould be, it had impressive range, and was used by militaryforces up into the 19th century.

Spear, Iron HalfThe Iron Half Spear was a short stabbing spear carried by non-front rank troops in the Persian army. Usually those who car-ried the halfspear also carried a great or tower shield, and theywere trained to protect another warrior in battle, usually anarcher or longspearman. Paired defense was the norm in thePersian army, since the majority of Persian soldiers werearchers.

MarathonThe Greek army was able to mobilize fast enough to controlthe access to the plain of Marathon. A tired Persian armyarrived, low on supplies, to find their next target was not whatthey expected. Instead of finding yet another Greek city hidingbehind its walls, the Persians came upon a fresh army, welltrained and incensed at the treatment of Naxos and Eretria.There both sides fought a terrible battle, but the Persians,already depleted, could not hope to hold against the Greeks.Their army routed, and fled back to Persian controlled lands. Itis said that a soldier named Pheidippides ran from the scene ofthe battle to Athens, a distance of about 24.8 miles, to deliverthe news of victory. Legend says that he uttered the word“Niki!” which meant victory, and then dropped dead on the

spot. This, incidentally, is the origin of the modern Marathonfootrace.

The Second InvasionDarius, already encumbered by revolts in Egypt, could notrespond to the rout right away, and he died before a secondattack was launched. In the intervening time the Greeks werenot idle. Sparta stepped up its military training, and Athenspulled together its allies. Eventually the alliance of Athens anda number of northern Greek cities would form the core of theDelian League, but Sparta would never join, suspicious of theintentions of Athens and worried about Athenian domination.When Persia finally regrouped, it found a Greece prepared forwar.

And war they had. Persia at first seemed successful. Launchingan attack with 180,000 men (half of the total Persian Army),Persia set sail in 1200 ships, and landed in the southern portionof Greece. The Spartans made a number of attempts to stop thecolossal Persian army, including holding the pass of Ther-mopylae against the entire army with only 300 soldiers, butthose 300 soldiers were finally killed, and the cities of Sparta,Thebes, and eventually even Athens fell to the Persian forces.While the Spartans fielded the best army in Greece, the Atheni-ans ruled the seas. It was Athenian forces at sea that crippledthe Persian army, sinking a substantial portion of the Persianfleet, leaving the army without enough support to maintaintheir holdings. The Persian army was forced to retreat over-land, and it eventually lost its main commanders in the attempt.The last battle, at Mycale, destroyed the bulk of the Persianfleet, as well as its army. Thus the second invasion, too, failed.

Due to the loss of the sea war, Xerxes, then king of Persia, exe-cuted his Phoenician captains and crushed the remnants of thePhoenician cities in Asia. The last stronghold of Phoenicianculture was the North African city of Carthage, and even thatwas conquered by Persia in retaliation, although it was notdestroyed.

The Greeks rebuilt, and the Delian League was established.Spartans began to parley with North African states of Persia,while the Delian League created an army and declared a cru-sade to free the Greek cities still under Persian rule. Now onthe defensive, Persia found itself trying to hold down a numberof revolts while facing a marauding army in poorly held terri-tories. The weakened Persian kingship fought a number of bat-tles over the next 50 years, eventually being forced to grantindependence to all asian Greek city-states, as well as recog-nize the independence of all European holdings. Still theGreeks harried the Persians at sea and plotted with dissatisfiedPersian satrapies.

Rise of MacedoniaMacedonia was a kingdom north of Greece. Considered onlynominally Greek by the southern cities, it was a tyranny not

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centralized in a single city but over an area of land. When theGreeks forced Persia to return independence to all of EuropeanGreece, Macedonia was among those countries no longerbeholden to the Persians. As the Delian league and the Spartansbusied themselves with the Persians, the Macedonians concen-trated on reforming their armies and improving their cavalry.

By the time Phillip the Second came to power in Macedonia,Macedonian Cavalry, called the Companions, was the finest inGreece, and it rivaled that of the Persians in skill if not size. Aking with a military bent, Phillip focused on reforming theinfantry. Phillip still honored the place of the elite Hoplite, buthe created a number of new elite soldiers. Phalangites werephalanx troops, well armored and bearing the sarissa, a long-spear that was the predecessor of the pike. Hypaspists werelighter armored and armed than the Hoplites and Phalangites,and were primarily reserve troops, meant to shore up weaknessin a battle line and support weary soldiers. Archers andSlingers were also used in larger numbers in the Macedonianarmies, and the archers favored the double recurve bow of the

Scythians. Standard armament for all soldiers were javelins,spears, and swords, either straight edged or the kopis. Thearmies of Macedonia favored the Greek round shield

Cestrosphendone (kestros) The Cestrosphendone, or kestros for short, was a small arrowor bolt adapted to be fired from a specialized sling. Adaptedlong after the collapse of the Empire, it was used primarily inMacedonia, and did not see use in later cultures. It was an odd-ity, a testament to the Greek fascination with the sling.

Double string slingThe Double stringed sling was an improvement made toaccommodate the kestros. Able to sling all common kinds ofsling ammunition, it was only used in Greece, and went out ofuse with the kestros. The sling takes no damage from attacking,but takes double damage from slashing attacks.

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33. Akinakes; 34. Iron Cuirass; 35. Persian Charioteer Armor; 36. Composite Longbow; 37. Iron Half Spear; 38. Persian Shield;39. Sarissa

33

34

3539

38

36

37


FalcataThe Falcata is a descendant of the kopis, with an even heavierblade. The Macedonians adopted its use for those soldiers whopreferred chopping weapons, and the falcate spread from thereall over thier conquered lands. The Yataghan, Kukri, Kora, Fal-chion, and Pata all descend from this weapon.

GastrophetesThe gastrophetes was one of the few Greek bow inventions,and possibly the first crossbow invented in Europe. The gastro-phetes literally translates to belly-bow, and it was a huge cross-bow that had a wide, concave end. When the gastrophetesneeded to be reloaded, one merely placed the concave segmentagainst the belly, and grasped the bowstring with both hands,using the full strength of the upper body to pull the bow intoplace. The gastrophetes had surprising range and draw, and itused a composite longbow as its main bow, but it was anunwieldy weapon. The Romans would later adapt the gastro-phetes to a pillar-like stand, and assign two men to load andfire it, making it a multi-man siege weapon, the predecessor tothe ballista. The gastrophetes used standard arrows, rather thancrossbow quarrels or bolts.

Pole-mounted slingThe Macedonian military devised a pole-mounted sling, whichwas used to launch larger stones. A slinger using the pole-mounted sling could launch up to 10 miniscule stones or bul-lets, up to 3 tiny stones, or 1 small sized stone of no more than20 lbs weight.

When slinging miniscule ammunition, the to hit roll is appliedto a figure in a 5 foot area. If the roll is unsuccessful, roll as permissing with a grenade-like weapon. Otherwise roll 1d10. Thatmany bullets have struck the target. Roll damage for each one

separately. If they strike armor, apply each stone’s damage sep-arately, since the damage does not stack. If any damage multi-plier is in order that multiplier only affects the first die roll.Every roll after that cannot benefit from a multiplier. If thereare any targets in any 5 foot space adjacent to the primary tar-get, and any stones have not struck a target, subtract one fromthe number of stones still unaccounted for (in order to accountfor the distance) and roll to hit again, with a -5. If there is asuccess, roll a d10 again to determine the number of bulletsthat hit that target. Remember the original number of bulletsslung and how many have hit you can’t hit with more bulletsthan you’ve slung. This process can be repeated for all validtargets in a 5 foot radius around the primary target, or until allstones have been accounted for.

When slinging with tiny ammunition the same process asabove is used, except roll with 1d3 to determine the number ofstones that strike. Damage for a tiny stone is 1d4. Damage fora tiny lead bullet is 1d6+1.

Damage for a small stone bullet is 1d6. Damage for a smalllead bullet (the equivalent of a shot put) is 1d8+1. When usedwith a single bullet or stone, roll standard to hit, rather than tohit against a 5 foot area.

Note that stone ammunition can be heated as per the materialsrules, although the weapon will also sustain that heat damageas a consequence.

SarissaThe Sarissa is an extremely longspear (16 feet) with a longerthan average spear head. It is an extended reach weapon, andrequires 15 feet on a map to be effective. It may be used to attackan opponent 15 feet away if set in the ground at one's feet. Ifheld, the 5 foot square behind the wielder may not be occupied

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40. Gastrophetes


by an opposed combatant, otherwise the Sarissa is unwieldable.The Sarissa, when held in both hands, must be able to extend upto five feet behind the wielder, and then may only be usedagainst a foe 10 feet away. Any foe within that range may noteffectively be attacked by a Sarissa. The precursor of the pike,the Sarissa was used by forward ranks in an army to blunt or stopcharges, primarily horse charges. When set against a charge, theSarissa does triple damage, rather than double damage, against acharging creature or target. Being a large weapon, it must bewielded with two hands. As an alternative method of using theweapon, two soldiers may wield the Sarissa together, each usingone hand, and therefore allowing each to wield a shield as well.This may be done only when setting the Sarissa against a chargeor when soldiers march in rank. The distance from the rear sol-dier indicates the reach distance.

The March of AlexanderForging his infantry into a varied and capable fighting force,Phillip turned his gaze southward to test their mettle. His firstcampaigns tested his armies and found them wanting, but withrefinement the Macedonian force became feared throughoutGreece. Before a handful of years were out, Athens petitioned

Phillip for peace, proposing that Phillip keep his holdings if heagreed not to march south. This gave Phillip time to administerthe cities he captured and recruit more soldiers. Then hemarched south anyway, and this time no city or alliance couldstop him. Twenty years into his reign Phillip had defeated all ofGreece, and accepted the surrender of its major cities. In orderto promote solidarity among his conquered lands, he formedthe League of Corinth. It performed much as the Delian Leaguedid, opposing Persia who watched Phillip’s campaign withmuch interest. Heartened by Phillips opposition to Persia,Greece united behind him. Perhaps he would have marchedagainst Persia soon after his conquest. But he never had thechance. At a celebration he was poisoned, and he died soonafter, leaving the throne of Macedonia to his son, Alexander.

History records hundreds of times when young kings arehanded the reigns of power and fail to perform. It is easy andtempting to sit on the accomplishments of the past, and manyrulers do. But not Alexander: Tutored by Aristotle, sired by awarrior king, he had lead the cavalry units in Phillip’s final bat-tles in Greece, at the ripe age of 18. Now 20 and king, Alexan-der was about to do something no other man would equal in thespan of history.

There were a few minor upheavals with the assassination ofPhillip, but Alexander was swift to crush a minor Theban rebel-lion and establish his dominance in Greece. Two years into hiskingship he had settled the unrest, and, with an army of 43,000men and 50 warships he entered Asia. The then king of PersiaDarius the Third brought an army to bear quickly, meeting himin Anatolia, but Alexander proved far more of a tactician thanDarius expected, and the Persian army was soundly defeated.Alexander marched south through Asia Minor and Lebanon,defeating Persian troops and liberating cities. From time totime he would stop to found new cities, giving them Greeknames like Antioch and Thebes, as well as naming some forhimself (Alexandria). Marching into Egypt he again faced Dar-

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41. Falcata; 42. Cestrosphendone; 43. Double String Sling; 44.Pole-mounted Sling; 45. Paddle Club; 46. Great Wood Shield

42

43

44

41

45

46

Customizing your FighterThe Fighter has a great degree of variance only rivaled by theRogue. In this chapter three very different soldiers all fall underthe Fighter class description. The Scythian horseman is amounted bowman/warrior. The Persian Immortal is a heavilyarmed and armored archer. The Greek Hoplite is an elite cam-paign footman. Yet each of these soldiers is a Fighter, each justpursues a different track. The Scythian Fighter focuses onmounted feats, and builds up his ride skills. The PersianImmortal focuses on archery feats, and concentrates on skills toimprove their mobility. The Greek Hoplite is a straight Fighter,focusing on strong attacks and precision. When consideringhow best to spend new skill points or feats, consider what kindof fighter you envision yourself having. Does he fight fromhorseback? Does he use a sword or a bow? Does he fight withfinesse or brutal strength. The Fighter may seem to be a verybasic class with a very limited scope, but it is actually a tem-plate towards creating any warrior you can imagine.


ius, and defeated him, destroying yet another key part of thePersian defense. Egypt was only too happy to see Alexander,and they embraced him, giving him troops and erecting shrinesto him. Then Alexander returned to Syria, stopping in templesand shrines along the way to worship, declaring that the localgods were obviously just different faces of the same gods wor-shipped in his native Greece. Everywhere he went he embracedthose who spoke Greek as his fellows, and soon a cult ofGreece sprung up in the liberated lands, united behind thecredo that any who spoke Greek were equal citizens in Alexan-der’s Greece. When Darius attacked Alexander for a third time,his army was already demoralized, and they routed swiftly.Darius himself fled east, but his own followers captured himand executed him publicly when Alexander’s armiesapproached.

Alexander claimed the throne of Persia just six years aftercoming to power in Macedonia. He even adopted Persian dress,and viewed all later opposition as rebellion against his right-eous rule of Persia. He continued to pursue the remnant forcesof Persia throughout the north and east, even crossing theHindu Kush into the Indus. Then, having disposed of the lastresistance, he returned to Susa, which now was the capital ofhis domain. He spent the next three years putting down rebel-

lions, plots, and then he married the daughter of a Bactriannobleman in order to secure peace. The same year Alexandermarried Roxanne, he decided to march East once again.

Crossing again into the Indus, Alexander pushed into India,fighting against many of the kingdoms of the Punjab region.When he at last came to the edge of the Ganges, his men, longafield and disturbed by the alien land they fought in, refused tocontinue, and so Alexander was forced to change course.Instead he and his men built a fleet of ships, and sailed theHydaspes south, to conquer the lands of southwest India. In thebattle of Multan Alexander was grievously wounded, and itwas at this time that he turned west, and decided to cross backinto Persia by a more southerly route. This proved to be devas-tating to his army, which lost half its number traveling throughBaluchistan.

When Alexander returned to court he discovered things in dis-array. Corruption and disloyalty was rampant in his empire,and he was forced to purge much of the aristocracy he hadtrusted while he was away. With war in Greece brewing,Alexander forced most of his officers to take Persian wives, inorder to solidify their attachment to the conquered land andhelp him raise Persian soldiers. This caused a mutiny in hisarmy, which he put down mercilessly, but the damage wasdone. The army looked on Alexander with fear, for they saw aman much changed by his campaigns. He was ruthless andpowerful, controlling all the civilized lands he could, and he nolonger seemed Greek to his primarily Greek army.

Some records suggest that Alexander may have claimed per-sonal divinity. This was an alien concept to Greece, but quitecommon in the lands Alexander had conquered. There is defi-nite evidence to suggest he had adopted other eastern ruling

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Elephants; Elephants were first domesticated in India. Large, intelligent,and prone to fearsome madness in battle, these unpredictablebeasts were highly dangerous and destructive. In some armiesa contingent of elephants, usually with gold or silver cappedtusks, were kept on one flank, and goaded into a stampede bytheir handlers. Once loose, elephants were just as likely to hurtally as they were to hurt foe, so armies using elephants stayedwell away from the front they intended to attack with ele-phants on.

Other armies, though, used elephants in a more thoughtfulmanner. Mounting platforms called howdahs on the backs ofelephants, they would place half a dozen archers atop the ele-phant. The elephant’s tough skin could keep it from injury,while the archers on its back had an excellent vantage pointto strike at unsuspecting targets. Alexander was so impressedwith this use that he brought a contingent of elephant sol-diers back with him, and elephants became an addition to anumber of his armies. At first the Indian elephant was themost common found in post-Alexander armies, but the ele-phants of Africa were larger, and they were eventuallyadopted as more preferable mounts.

Elephants that are trained to berserk in combat have theadded combat ability of rage.

Rage (EX): When an elephant that has been trained toberserk receives damage in combat, it flies into berserk furyin the following round, goring and trampling any creature itcan see. An enraged elephant gains +4 Strength, +4 Constitu-tion, and -2 AC. The creature cannot end its rage voluntarily.

MoraleMorale is a difficult factor to quantify. A highly successfuland potent army, the Macedonian forces under Alexanderwere willing to march with him into the face of a muchlarger enemy. But eight years later, with a surfeit of victory, alonging for home, and facing a strange and unknown land,his same army almost mutinied. Darius the Third experi-enced an even worse side of failing morale, when after histhird loss and on the run, his own people killed him in orderto make peace with Alexander.

Morale often has nothing to do with simple things like food orcomfort, and everything to do with leadership. Since most d20situations that involve armies usually involve the head of thosearmies, a good indication of morale comes from comparingthe leadership skill of each leader. In times when the battle isat a critical juncture, it is the leader with the higher leadershipscore who tends to prevail. An easy way to simplify this is tomake an opposed leadership roll between both characters, withthe highest score winning the juncture. This still allowsenough variance to let an underdog win from time to time, butfollows with the ‘heroic’ aspect of d20 role-playing.


methods, and records of his pronouncements used formulaiclanguage that suggested he believed in his own divinity. To hismind he had accomplished tasks only heroes of yore did. Butthis period was not to last.

Alexander, after suffering the loss of a close friend, returned toSusa, and grew ill. Whether this was a natural illness or poisonis unknown, but he died at the age of thirty three. His wife,Roxane, was pregnant at his death, and bore him a son, whoinherited his kingdom, but his son barely survived long enoughto claim rule before he was killed. Thus, Alexander’s empirewas left without an heir, and no man even tried to rule his landalone. In the end three of his greatest generals divided Alexan-der’s empire in portions. Seleucus, general of Alexander’s cav-alry, took control of all lands east of the Euphrates. Ptolemy, adistinguished cavalry officer, took control of Egypt. Antigonus,another general, was awarded portions of Asia that are nowAfghanistan and Iran. Lysimachus, a bodyguard to Alexander,was given control of Thracia. And Cassander, a son of one ofAlexander’s generals, was given control of the former Macedo-nia and Greece. Thus was the world divided up.

But peace was not to reign. Within a few years the only surviv-ing kings were Seleucus, Ptolemy, and Lysimachus, and Greecewas once more independent of Macedonia. Ptolemy and Seleu-cus would eventually found dynasties and fight often over con-trol of Palestine and Syria, while Greece would eventually facedefeat from a growing power to its west: Rome.

Sub-Saharan AfricaIn the lands south of the Sahara, metalworking probably startedmuch earlier than in other regions, but iron smelting was onlycommon in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Nigeria. It would not beuntil after the first century A.D. that iron working would becommon throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

The inhospitable climate of much of Africa prevented large-scale urbanization. Certain cities, like Timbuktu, were estab-lished as centers of commerce and trade, but the majority ofSub-Saharan African culture was nomadic. This preventedextensive development of cultures and armies. Weapons andarmor in Africa tended to focus on protection of the individualwarrior.

A few kingdoms of note did spring up before the colonization ofAfrica. Ethiopia would eventually become a powerful Christiankingdom, opposing Islam but not participating in the Crusades.The Bantu, who were probably once nomadic people fromNorthern Africa, established a number of kingdoms in the Congoand East African Highlands, and continued to travel south.Wherever they went they imposed their language, but inexchange they brought advanced agriculture and iron working,which improved life in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. Later ageswould see the rise of the kingdom of Ghana as well, althoughGhana would eventually crumble under the onslaught of Islam.

The spear and club were the most common weapons of Sub-Saharan Africa. Often the clubs had flat, paddle-like strikingsurfaces, and sometimes a knee-bend in the haft. The kneebend gave strikes extra force. Such clubs were always made ofhard wood, and were differently shaped and manufactured byeach tribe. The sickle sword or sickle axe was also common inthese regions. Often more curved than those of Egypt, thesesickle weapons were used to cause grievous wounds to limbs,being ineffective against armor.

Club, PaddleThe Paddle club was a common weapon, south of the Sahara,usually used where metal was hard to come by. Something of ahybrid between axe and club, it’s a close in slashing weapon,often with a knee-bend in the haft.

Sword & Axe, African Sickle StyleAfrica developed a number of fearsome curved blades, notablytheir own unique sickle sword and sickle axe. Both weaponshave a thin haft and crescent blade, with the sickle sword hav-ing some blade extension down the haft. Neither weapon has asubstantial guard so the most common injuries suffered in war-fare were to the limbs.

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Diffusion of TechnologyWhen lands are conquered, any technological advances areusually diffused between the regions. In the Bronze Age theconquests of the Hittites brought chariot technology to themajor powers. In the Iron Age the curved swords of the kopisand falcata were shared between Europe, the Middle East,Northern Africa, and India because of the various wars ofconquest that spread them around. As weapons like the fal-cate dispersed, different cultures adapted them to their ownuses. In a fantasy world, regardless of what cultures mightnormally gravitate towards, this same process occurs. If youwant to place an exotic culture near your base culture, it’sonly natural that technology will be shared between the twogroups, even if only because of warfare.


Knife, African ThrowingThe most striking weapon of Sub-Saharan Africa was thethrowing knife. Fearsome and fanciful in design, these oftenhad two or more abruptly jutting curved blades that were use-less for regular striking. Worn into battle in sheathes drapedover the neck or on this inside of shields, these were ceremo-nial weapons, and each tribe had an individual way of manu-facturing their knives. Many of those with curved, hookedblades were intended to catch onto shields or parrying weaponsand swing over the obstruction to strike at the warrior behind,like the war boomerang of the Aborigines. These weaponswere the primary reason that Sub-Saharan Africa developed leggreaves to go with all its armor.

The African throwing knife has a variety of shapes, dependingon the region of its origin. Some are Y,ew or K shaped, andoften with hooked or crescent blades. This design actuallymakes it more likely that a blade will strike your opponentwhen you throw it. The hooks on the African throwing k makeit a Shield Bypass weapon. The hooked blades create a rotationpoint on a defensive item, allowing an attack to bypass it.

.African ArmorWarriors in Africa usually wore leather or hide armor, althoughcertain kingdoms also used a light iron scale shirt with leathergreaves. Shields were generally large or great, and made ofstretched leather (hide) or wood. Metal shields were neverused.

Shield, Great Wood The great wooden shield is an excellent defensive item, but itcan be quite weighty. Often these are decorated with appropri-ate devices.

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47. African Sickle Sword; 48. Sickle Axe; 49a. African Throwing Knife (Zaire); 49b. African Throwing Knife (Central AfricanEmpire); 49c. African Throwing Knife (Sudan)

47

48

49a

49c

49b


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Table 3-1: Iron Age WeaponsSimple Weapons-Melee Weapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HPTiny

Dagger, Iron 1.6gp 1d4 19–20/x2 15ft 1.5 lbs P M 6/5Knife, Chinese Curved 1.8gp 1d4 x3 1.5 lbs S M 6/5Knife, Iron 1.3gp 1d4 x2 1.5 lbs S M 6/5

SmallMace, Light Iron 9gp 1d6 x2 6.5 lbs B MW 6/18Sickle, Iron 4gp 1d6 x2 3.5 lbs S M 6/12

Medium-SizeClub, Iron Studded 4gp 1d6 x2 5 lbs B MW 6/10Club, Paddle 1gp 1d6 x2 5 lbs B & S M 5/10Mace, Heavy Iron 10gp 1d8 x2 13 lbs B M 6/26Spear, Half Irona 9sp 1d6 x3 20ft 4 lbs P WM 4/8

LargeSpear, Short Irona 1.6gp 1d8 x3 20ft 5 lbs P WM 4/10

Simple Weapons-RangedSmall

Double string sling 2gp As per ammo x2 50ft .1 lbs As per ammo C 2/3Medium-Size

Gastrophetes* 45gp 1d10 19–20/x2 110ft 13lbs P WB 5/39Javelin, Iron Headed 9sp 1d6 x2 30ft 4 lbs P WM 6/12

Martial Weapons - MeleeSmall

Falcata 13gp 2d3 18–20/x2 10.5 lbs S M 6/32Kopis 12gp 1d6 18–20/x2 7.5 lbs S M 6/23Shem Sharru 13gp 1d6 18–20/x2 5 lbs S M 6/15Shortsword, Iron 9gp 1d6 x3 3.5 lbs P M 6/12

Medium-SizeAkinakes 12gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6 lbs P M 6/12Battleaxe, Iron 9gp 1d8 x3 8 lbs S M 6/16Longsword, Iron 13gp 1d8 19–20/x2 5 lbs P M 6/15

LargeClub, Great Iron Studded 4.5gp 1d10 x3 11 lbs B MW 6/22Sarissa†a 10gp 1d10 x3 13 lbs P WM 4/26Scythe, Iron 16gp 2d4 x4 13 lbs P & S MW 6/26Spear, Long Bronze†a 3gp 1d8 x3 9 lbs P WM 4/18Spear, Long Iron†a 4gp 1d8 x3 10 lbs P WM 4/20

Martial Weapons-RangedLarge

Bow, Double Recurve* 120gp 1d8 x3 100ft 3 lbs Per arrow W 4/9Longbow, Composite 100gp 1d8 x3 110ft 3 lbs As per arrow W 4/9

Exotic Weapons-MeleeSmall

Axe, Sickle 8gp 1d8 x3 7 lbs S MW 6/21Cestrosphendone (kestros) 2gp 1d4 x3 10ft 3 lbs P W 4/9


Table 3-2: Iron Age Armor


Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure


Light ArmorArmbands 2gp 1lbs M 6/2Cuirass, Iron Scaled Linen 50gp 4 4 -3 20% 30ft/20ft 24lbs MF 6/48Leather Shield Skirt# 5gp +.5 1lbs L 4/2

Medium ArmorCuirass, Iron 180gp 5 3 -3 25% 20ft/15ft 31lbs M 6/62Lamellar, Bone 33gp 4 3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 26lbs B 4/52Lamellar, Iron 44gp 4 2 -5 25% 20ft/15ft 31lbs M 6/62Scale Mail, Bronze 42gp 4 3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 32lbs M 5/64Scale Mail, Iron 45gp 4 3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 31lbs M 6/62

Heavy ArmorCharioteer Armor, Persian# 235gp 6 1 -9 40% 15ft*/10ft* 42lbs M 6/86Ringmail, Greek Bronze 185gp 5 1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 37lbs M 5/52Ringmail, Greek Iron 190gp 5 1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 36lbs M 6/50

ShieldsShield, Great Iron 34gp 3 3 -3 25% 30ft/20ft 26lbs M 6/52Shield, Large Iron 17gp 2 2 -2 15% 30ft/20ft 16lbs M 6/32Shield, Small Iron 6gp 1 1 -1 5% 20ft/15ft 6lbs M 6/18

Mount's GearSpd

40'/50'/60'Medium

Barding, Leather and Bronze Plate 160gp 4 3 -4 30'/35'/40' 64lbs ML 5/128

# See the description in the text for special rules.* When running in heavy armor you move only triple your speed, not quadruple.** The tower shields grants you cover. See the description.† Hand not free to cast spells.‡ Armor fitted for small characters weighs half as much.

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Table 3-1: Iron Age WeaponsExotic Weapons-RangedWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HPSmall

Knife, African Throwing#* 4gp 1d6 x4 15ft 3 lbs P MW 6/9Sword, African Sickle 5gp 1d6 x2 4 lbs S MW 6/12Whip, Bone Scourge#* 8sp 1d2 x2 1.5 lbs S CB 3/5Whip, Leather#* 1gp 1d2§ x2 10ft 2 lbs S L 4/6

LargePole-mounted sling* 3gp As per ammo x2 60ft 4 lbs B WL 4/13

Weapons Ranged-AmmunitionArrow, Iron Fire* (20) 22gp 1/rnd -10ft 3.5 lbs P & Fire WM 1/4Arrow, Iron Headed (20) 1gp 4 lbs P WM 1/4Bullet, Lead Sling 1sp 1d4 6 lbs B M 8/6

* See the description in the text for special rules.‡ Double Weapon† Reach Weapona If you ready an action to set this weapon against a charge you deal double damage.# Shield bypass weapon§ Subdual damage

Rome

82

The Roman Monarchy 84Nascent Republic 85

The Greek Response 86The First Punic War 87Trouble With the Gauls 87

Hannibal 88Hannibal’s Downfall 89

The Road to Empire. 89Roman Weapons & Armor 90Sparticus 91

Julius Caesar 92Table 4-1: Legionairre 94Playing a Legionnaire 95The Germans 96German Combined Cavalryman (Prestige Class) 96Table 4-2:German Combined Cavalryman 97The Celts of Britain 98Consolidation 99Days of Glory 101

Gladiators 101

Dog, War 102Auroch 102Bull 103Gazelle 103Giraffe 104Hippopotamus 104Ostrich 105Gladiator Armor 106Gladiatoral Weapons 108Ben Hur 108Table 4-3: Open Faced Helm 108Gladiator (Prestige Class) 109Table 4-4:Gladiator 110

Army Ascendant 111Gladiators as PC’s 111Days of Decline 112The Huns 114The Fall of Rome 114Table 4-5: Weapons 115Table 4-6: Armor 116

RRoommee

Tacitus’s head spun with the blow and he fell to the ground,not quite sure of what just happened. Glancing up he saw

the heavy jaw and gap-toothed grin of the trainer. The power-ful Thracian’s head was shaved bald, his scalp marred by burnscars and his face cracked in glee. “Turn around you imbecile,and take what’s coming to you like a man!” he shouted. HisLatin was accented with backwoods Greek, its intonationstrange and awkward. Tacitus staggered to his feet, his headstill ringing from the backhand of the ugly man. “Come on,” theThracian growled, raising the flagellum in his other hand.“You’ll be craving my fists if I give you a taste of this. Raiseyour sica and don’t back away.” As Tacitus turned towards histraining partner he was cuffed again by the trainer, but thistime he managed to keep his feet.

The trainer could be heard to back away. “Alright. Fight, youwretches! Show me why you deserve to be called Thracian war-riors in the Arena two weeks from now!” The flagellumcracked, but Tacitus only flinched a little at the sound. No onecried out, which was a good thing. If they had, it would be twohours more training, and that meant dinner would be late.

Tacitus looked over at the swarthy skinned Egyptian that facedhim. Like everyone in Ligula’s school, he wore strips of leatherwrapped around his arms and clenched at the fists to keepthem tight. A heavy wooden shield, slightly larger than a plate,was bound to his left arm and grasped in its hand, while theright held a wooden practice stick, heavily weighted in front.He raised his shield, and eyed the Egyptian. The Egyptian hadshown surprising speed and agility, and Tacitus already had asizeable bruise on his ribs from the last strike. It didn’t hurt tobreathe, though, so it was possible the bone was still healthy.

The Egyptian moved forward aggressively, his eyes slits,focused on Tacitus. His wooden sica swung wide and high, try-ing to catch Tacitus in the head, a dangerous move for practice,but effective. Tacitus barely ducked below the swing, and toolate he realized that he could probably have taken advantageof the Egyptian’s miss to strike. Did that mean he was learning?Or did that mean that he was just too slow to survive as a glad-iator?

Still musing, Tacitus almost didn’t see the shield movingtowards him in time. As he threw his shield up for the block,the Egyptian grinned at Tacitus’s hasty defense. Why was hesmiling? Then Tacitus felt pain blossom in his ribs again as theEgyptian’s sica took him square in the purpling skin. Redstreaked his ribs as his body protested the abuse.

The Egyptian, though didn’t seem to feel the strike was enough.He battered at Tacitus’s shield with his own, knocking it aside,and then brought his sica up, aiming to take Tacitus in the jaw.The moment before his jaw was to be broken, Tacitus was flungto the ground by a powerful shove. “You!” the trainer said,pointing at the Egyptian. “You’re good. Get some water andpractice on the post. I want you with ‘second weeks’ tomorrow.You’ve had some kind of training.”

The trainer then turned around to eye the other slaves.“Alright, that’s it. Go to the posts and then you’ll have yourdinner.” More than one future gladiator seemed to let out a sighof relief. But no one let the relief hit their face. There was noweakness allowed in Ligula’s school. Ligula staked his reputa-tion on his training regimen and his gladiators. Tacitus pickedhimself up off of the ground, and grabbed for his sica andshield. He’d need to rewrap his leather, which he’d lost grip onwhen he fell.

“No.” the trainer said darkly, as he prevented Tacitus frommoving to the posts. The other trainees battered at the woodenposts, practicing the eight striking forms, each one in succession.The Egyptian moved with fluid grace, making the others lookslow and lame. “You’re coming with me, servant.” Tacitus feltdread in the pit of his stomach. What did the trainer have inmind?

Tacitus never wanted to be a gladiator: the stink, the sweat, thedeath. Tacitus was not cut out for this. He was a house slave, achanger of linens and floor cleaner. He didn’t have the strengthor the courage for it. He counted himself proud to even havegone two rounds with the Egyptian. But his master had not beenpleased with him. Tacitus’s habit of taking sips from the master’swine store made him drunk one night, and he’d been foundsprawled in the garden, drunk. And Tacitus’s master had senthim into Ligula’s school. He had little illusion about what wasin store for him. In his dark moments he could only hope to havean experienced foe. Someone who would sever his neck and freehim from this life with little pain. He did not relish a maiming.

The trainer lead Tacitus into the compound, to a bare closetwith a pile of wood in the corner. “Get in there, worm,” thetrainer commanded, his contempt palpable. “Select two pieces ofwood.” Tacitus eyed the wood and picked up the smallestpieces. This was not lost on the trainer. “Put one in each hand.Now, hold them out at your sides, with your arms out, evenwith the floor.”

Tacitus did this, unsure of the reason. The trainer continued.“We get house slaves here from time to time. Fooling aroundwith the Master’s mistress or selling his tableware for pocketchange at the games. But you are the sorriest specimen I’veever seen. And you fight like a woman.” Tacitus burned, notwith anger, but with shame. “Worse. I’ve seen plenty of womenfight better than you,” the trainer continued. “Ligula will haveme flogged if you aren’t ready for the arena in two weeks.”

A curious sensation entered Tacitus’s arms as the trainer con-tinued to berated him: A burning in the shoulders. Somehowthese flimsy pieces of wood seemed heavier than he expected.Something must have shown in Tacitus’s face, because thetrainer went thoughtfully quiet. “I’m going to leave, to get therest ready for their meal. If I come back, and you’ve let yourarms drop at all…” The trainer fingered his flagellum thought-fully. “Don’t disappoint me.” Then the trainer gave him a cruelsmile, and closed Tacitus in the closet. In the dark Tacitus feltthe burning spreading through his arms and shoulders. His

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bruise throbbed almost in time with the pounding of his heart.Which would disappoint him more, Tacitus wondered? If helet his arms fall? Or if he didn’t?

Tacitus could only hope the trainer returned soon. “Please,please return soon.” His voice cracked in the silence, as tearsformed at his eyes...

The Roman Monarchy

About the time that the Greeks were entering their archaicperiod, a number of tribes of Sabine, Faliscan, Latin, and

Etruscan people lived among seven hills in a rural portion ofthe Italic peninsula. It is generally believed that one man,Romulus, through strength and ambition, united these varioustribes and founded the city which would take his name, Rome.Legend has it that Romulus was one of twin boys (his brother’sname was Remus) born to the Trojan warrior Aeneas, and sup-posedly raised in the wild by wolves. Little of this story can besubstantiated, however, though certain truths can be ascer-tained. There was definitely a small common culture in thisregion dating back to the Bronze Age, which began to flourishin the Iron Age. And usually disparate tribes are only broughttogether in one place by people with vision.

The Roman monarchy was absolute, the king having completepower. More than just life or death, the ultimate tool in theRoman king’s arsenal was banishment, which meant that a per-son could no longer enter the lands they called home, nor makeany kind of contact with any person in those lands. In a worldwhere one’s tribe was extremely important, this kind of exile,called excommunication by the Latins, was worse than death,as an excommunicated Roman would find no comfort in landsabroad, and might often suffer at the hands of those at oddswith Rome.

In the beginning Rome was small. When the king had need tocall up an army, he could count on 3000 men, about 1000 fromeach founding tribe (the tribes of Ramnes, Tities, and Luceres),as well as 300 men who could fight as cavalry. Because of theirproximity to the Greek colonies of Corinth and Thebes, theRomans did use chariots, although only as transportation, notin battle. These 3000 soldiers made up a legion, legio being aLatin word literally meaning the levy. The legion was thendivided into units of 100 men. The fact that the Roman term for100 is a century, eventually lead to the Roman soldiers beingcalled centurions, one of one hundred. The cavalry soldierswere equites, horsemen, from which we get the modern wordequestrian. The equites came from the wealthiest families ofRome, those that could afford to feed and maintain horses ofwar. When considering that Athens could call up an army of20,000 at this same time, the small army of the Romans seemsinsignificant. The Romans were a truly minor force in theirregion at the start, isolated between the Greek colonies, theSamnites to the south, and the strong Etruscan tribes of thenorth.

Rome was a male-dominated society. The power of the kingmirrored the power of the father of every household. In earlyRome the father could do anything to any member of theirhousehold, without question, from selling a member into slav-ery to outright murder. But generally social expectation andinternal family relationships tempered that power. The Latinword for father is Patris, and Roman society was Patriarchal.The Patriarchs of Rome, the leaders of the clans, had greaterpower than many other leading families did in total monar-chies. The Patriarchs could gather in the Senate to advise theking on the views of the people, and often those views helpedRoman kings avoid extremely harsh decisions. Beyond theSenate existed another legislative body, the assembly, whichconsisted of all male citizens who could prove Roman heritagefrom both parents. The assembly had one power only: theyalone chose succession. The Roman monarchy was not heredi-tary, and when a king died the Senate would convene to deter-mine who would be next king. Then the assembly woulddecide whether or not to grant this king imperium, or completepower. This decision meant that people from any tribe andtribal origin could be king, ensuring that no single tribe domi-nated the kingship exclusively, and it gave every male citizen avoice.

Unfortunately, Rome was in a difficult position, situated betweenstronger powers. The early monarchy of Rome spent much of itstime defending itself against aggressors from all quarters. Earlyconflicts between Rome and the nearby Greek colonies eventu-ally lead to a treaty by which Rome and the Greeks agreed to notchallenge each other’s borders. The Samnites in the south maderegular raids, although the Romans soon grew adept at drivingthem off. Initially, the Romans practiced war as the Greeks did,using hoplite soldiers and phalanx ranks, which put them at anadvantage against disorganized attackers. Rome expanded its ter-ritory, and as it did, it expanded its populace as well. ServiusTullius, a Latin king of Rome, eventually called a census, inorder to know the true population of Rome, so as to expand theLegio. By his mandate every man between 17 and 46 whopassed a minimum land ownership requirement was available formilitary service, and every man from 47 to 60 were required bylaw to stand as the home front militia, should the city of Romebe attacked. This land requirement did limit the total number ofsoldiers available, but made certain that every soldier was also acitizen.

But success always attracts the eyes of those larger, and theEtruscans of the north, seeing growing wealth and prosperity inRome, raised a large army to challenge Rome. The resultinginvasion was devastating, killing the king, destroying most ofthe army, and placing a new Etruscan king on the throne ofRome. Tarquin Superbus (Tarquin the Great), was the secondKing Tarquin of Rome, although the first not to be placed inpower by the assembly. Ruling with impunity, he ignored theassembly and made light of the Patricians. In the end, his rapeof a Patrician’s wife was the last straw. Angered and incensedat this innate strike at the family, the core institution of Rome,

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the Romans rose up against their Etruscan oppressors and over-threw them.

Instead of reinstating the monarchy after the overthrow of Tar-quin Superbus, the Roman Senate chose to retain the power ofruling Rome for itself. Without a king there could be no moresuch atrocities, and the interests of the people, already vestedin the Patricians, could be pursued in the Senate. Thus Romechanged from a monarchy to a republic, and the great Republicof Rome was born.

Nascent Republic

In the following years the army of Rome was lead by electedmagistrates, who would call up the Legion when there was

need, and disband it when the purpose was finished. Eventuallythe practice was to raise the Legion in the winter, when the har-vest was done. Since the membership of the Legion was bylevy, different people could be elected from a given sub-sectionof a tribe, so as to make certain that no one person was undulyburdened by military service. The army was doubled to 6000men, thanks to an increased population, and the equites grew innumber to a respectable 1800 men, the horses of which wereprovided at public expense. The military began to be subsi-dized by the state, so that soldiers could still earn a living wagewhile on campaign, and not leave their families destitute. All ofthese changes lead to a strong military, and, with time andtraining, the Romans were able to subdue the stronger elementsof the hostile Etruscans, and establish a firm border with theSamnites.

Much as some modern countries tend to rush to recognizeemerging nations today, Carthage was one of the first to recog-nize the new Republic of Rome. Not a year after the Republicwas founded, Carthage signed a treaty of friendship, supportingRome’s independence from the northern Etruscans, and pro-moting trade between both nations. Carthage, from its Phoeni-cian heritage, was a merchant state, influencing trade in allcivilized regions, if not controlling it.

This new trading relationship gave Rome access to foreignresources, and allowed Romans to become prosperous quickly,particularly the senators. Early Senate domination of Romecaused an uprising among the plebians, or common class, andestablished the office of the Tribune. The office of Tribuneallowed common citizens a voice in the Senate, and theoreticallyallowed a plebian to be elected for offices should they be avail-able, including the office of magistrate of the army. They estab-lished a mutual defense league with other Latin tribes in theregion, which would eventually be integrated into Rome’s popu-lace, ensuring a strong Latin cultural dominance. Lastly, Romeestablished and built up a navy, and with both navy and armywas able to besiege and capture the Etruscan city of Veii. Thecity of Veii was destroyed not long after the capture, but thedamage it did to the Etruscan tribes was evident.

Not long after this an army from Gaul, some 30,000 strong,crossed the Appenines and laid siege to the remnant Etruscans.The Gauls were a Celtic tribe that dominated what is todayFrance. Although not quite as aggressive as the Celtic tribes ofBrittany and the British Isles, they were proud and dedicatedwarriors, who brought with them a fantastic innovation inarmor: chainmail. Armed with bronze and iron axes, swords,spears, arrows, and daggers, large wooden and leather shields,and medium bows, and wearing the new chainmail, the Gaulswere able to crush the Etruscans with ease.

Then they marched on Rome. Roman Legions went to meetthem at the Allia River. Rome’s force, strong as it was, couldnot face the vast numbers of the Gauls, and they were defeated.Rome itself was attacked, and though it held out for 7 longmonths, it, too, eventually fell to the Gauls. The Gauls were notinterested in establishing an empire in foreign lands, and even-tually their armies withdrew, but their lesson would not be loston Rome.

Rome had seen the error of depending on their limited levy,and their first duty, once free from the domination of the Gaulswas to build a city wall. The Servian Wall would surround theseven hills of Rome: Capitoline, Palatine, Aventine, Caelian,Esquiline, Viminal, and Quirinal Hills. They tightened theirhold on the Latin League, and together they forged a strongernation than Rome had ever been. With the Legions expanded,and wealthy legionnaires armored in chainmail of bronze oriron, the Romans drove south, taking all of central Italy, andfinally defeating and subjugating the Samnites. This extendedtheir borders, and gave them control over a fifth of the ItalicPeninsula, and it brought them into direct conflict with theGreek cities of southern Italy. These cities, long establishedand now well fortified, were anxious about the aggression oftheir northern neighbor, but their anxiety would not defendthem. Roman armies marched on the Magna Graecia, and oneby one the old cities fell.

Chainmail & Chainmail ShirtThe Gauls wrought tiny links of bronze chain, and then con-nected those links into tightly laced shirts, or shirts with kiltsand sleeves. Chainmail is fashioned by linking metal rings intoan interlocking pattern. This pattern diffused the force of blowsover a larger area, preventing more direct damage, and oftenturning slashing or piercing attacks away. Chainmail is lightand easy to repair, since only the broken links require replac-ing, rather than entire plates.

The general defensive ability of chainmail in either form, cou-pled with the fact that chainmail didn’t need to be tailored tothe wearer made it popular among both the Celts and theRomans. This version, crafted in bronze was used first by Celtsand then by Romans, and saw use well into the first centuryA.D. Later, the Romans would craft their chainmal from ironlinks until the development of Lorica Hamata.

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The Greek Response

In Greece there was concern about fall of the Magna Graecia,and a Greek general, Phyrrus, raised an army and marched

on Rome. Phyrrus’s army invaded northern Italy, and besiegeda number of northern Italic cities controlled by the LatinLeague. His victories, though, came at a tremendous loss of lifeon both sides, and usually resulted in croplands being burnedand cities being indefensible. These victories served to weakenthe forces of Greece so substantially that, by the time Romeredirected its forces to meet him, Phyrrus’s force was no longerable to face them on the battlefield. The result was a completedefeat of Phyrrus, and the eventual defeat of the remainingGreek Cities. It took only a handful of years for Rome to con-solidate its hold on Southern Italy, and turn its eyes to largerconquests.

Rome grew in strength, on land and on sea. On land it hadreformed its tactics, abandoning ancient phalanx tactics infavor of a new system, where by armies were composed of twokinds of infantry, one heavily armored, the other lightlyarmored but maneuverable. Conflict would be started by thelightly armed leves troops, who would cast their javelins, hop-ing to embed them in enemy shields. The intent was to removethe defense of the enemy, who would be forced to drop theirshields or fight at a disadvantage, with a long and weightyspear lodged in their shield. If the leves were threatened theycould drop behind the lines of the more heavily armored maintroops, who’s ranks would cast heavier javelins and then retireto allow the next rank to throw. Veterans were usually in thethird rank, mainly because it was likely they would be the rankcasting javelins last when the battle was engaged. Since everyunit had a ranged weapon, archers and slingers were not usedas extensively in Roman formations.

Javelin, Heavy Iron-tippedRome’s heavy javelins were crafted to take advantage of one ofthe properties of wood: it’s tendency to warp. Roman soldierscast their javelins with the hope that they would embed them-selves in their opponents, or, failing this, in their opponent’sshields. The wood of the Roman heavy javelin was made tobend on impact, to make it difficult and undesirable to throwback. If it did enough damage to embed itself into an enemyshield, it would become a hindrance, adding to the weight ofthe shield and making it difficult to maneuver. If a heavyjavelin hits an enemy shield (by any means, including beingdeflected by the Feat Deflect Missiles), and does any damageto its HP, the javelin should be considered embedded. Theweight of the embedded heavy javelin should be added to theshield weight. Anyone grabbing the javelin can use it to shieldtrap the shield bearer, without needing to roll the melee touchroll, since the javelin is already embedded in the shield. Since

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1a. Chainmail Shirt; 1b. Chainmail detail

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1b

Phyrric VictoriesPhyrrus is one of those people whom history remembers notfor their successes but for their failures. Phyrrus was a dedi-cated, loyal, and capable general in Macedonia, but whenfighting the Romans he found himself in an unfamiliar landand against people who were used to fighting less conven-tional wars. Phyrrus’s victories in Roman territories wereoften empty. A city would be taken, but so much of the wallwas destroyed and so little grain and supplies might be leftthat it cost him more to take the city than he would gain fromsacking it. Or he might take on a defensive force of 5,000men holding a city, and lose as many men in his own armytaking the city. Such victories, where the success cost asmuch or more than the failure, have come to be known asPhyrric victories.

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the javelin may change their encumbrance, and leaves themopen to having their shield trapped, many foes opted to dropthe shield rather than hold onto it.

The First Punic WarAt sea Rome began to actively vie with Carthage for trade trig-gering a second treaty between the two empires. Throughtreaty, Carthage hoped to control where Rome could trade. Butthe Romans did not honor this treaty, and they eventually laidsiege to Sicily, the main trading hub of the Western Mediterran-ian, and an island controlled by Carthage after the fall of theGreek states. This started the First Punic war, during whichRome would develop a sizeable navy. Naval tactics of the time,inherited from those used during the wars between Greece andPersia, involved ramming, shipboard archers, and forcedboarding. The Greek and Persian wars had led to a number ofdevelopments in the way of grappling devices, both hooks onropes and hooks on poles. The trident was one such develop-ment, although it was the Romans who adapted it most effec-tively to sea warfare. Though the First Punic war would endafter a naval battle in the Aegates Sea, with Rome as the victor,it started a cycle of harassment and conflict that would cost agreat many lives on both sides before Carthage would eventu-ally fall to Rome.

Not that Carthage was by any means a pushover. They hadspent centuries at sea, trading, acting as mercenaries for pow-ers like Greece, Persia, and Egypt, pirating and facing pirates.All of these experiences made them superior at naval conflict.Though the First Punic war, which involved control over Sicilyand portions of southern Italy, was fought largely on land, itwas the prowess of the Carthaginian fleets that preventedRome from outright dominating the war. Indeed, the treaty thatwas signed after the first Punic War secured borders as theywere before the war, only granting Rome extended tradingfreedoms over the previous trade agreement and access toSicily.

Trident, Iron HeadedThe trident, a Greek invention used more actively by Rome,was a multipurpose weapon. The name, trident, meaning threeteeth, was apt, as all three teeth of the trident were traditionallybarbed. This allowed it to be thrown, or to be used to shield

trap. Disarming was also possible, trapping a blade or polebetween two tines and drawing it away, although the weapononly confers +1 bonus to disarm.

Trouble With the GaulsAfter the end of the First Punic war, Rome focussed on restor-ing order in the Latin League, and securing its new borders. Afew border skirmishes with the Gauls who inhabited the lowerAlps eventually secured the northern border of Rome. Merce-naries in Sardinia and Corsica lead a revolt and requested thesupport of Rome. Rome was more than pleased to support themercenaries, and took control of the two islands swiftly. Thenin the year 235 B.C. Rome declared universal peace for thefirst time in its history. Indeed this peace would last for all offive years before the Gauls would again threaten Rome.Although the Gauls were at first successful, the Romans wouldstop them at the Po River. However, once distracted by thisinvasion, they faced an increase in pirate raids by Illyrians,people who lived along the coast if what today is Albania.Rome opted to declare war on the Illyrians after the murder ofsome of their ambassadors. It seems likely that the increase inRoman trade, coupled with the Roman tendency to ignore thenavy in times of peace, lead to the Illyrians harassing merchantships and taking their rich cargo for themselves. There is also astrong likelihood that Carthage may have given the Illyriansfinancial incentives to sweeten the pot, and may have providedthe Illyrians with ships from time to time. Unable to hold outagainst land forces, however, Illyria would surrender, andRome would establish a puppet regime in order to preventmore violence.

As Rome’s sphere of influence grew, they began to beapproached by foreign powers interested in forging an alliancewith the growing state. The people of Segundo, a city in Iberia,approached Rome and asked for a treaty of friendship. Iberia,the peninsula of modern day Spain, had, until this time, beenconsidered in Carthage’s influence. With the signing of theEbro River treaty, Rome found a way to limit that influence,and establish a foothold in Iberia. The Romans agreed to cometo the aid of Segundo should it need it, in exchange for accessto Segundo’s ports and trade. This treaty would eventuallybecome the basis for the Second Punic war.

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2. Iron-tipped Heavy Javelin; 3. Iron Headed Trident

2

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But the Gauls were not finished. Emboldened by their briefsuccess against Rome, a greater army would be formed num-bering 150,000 soldiers supported by 20,000 horses and chariotunits. This great army of the Gauls struck out at Rome from thesouthern Alps, and were met by half of the Roman army atTelemon, where the Romans engaged in a delaying action longenough for a reserve army stationed in Sardinia to make land-fall and flank the Celtic force. The Romans lost 6,000 men inthe battle, but managed to kill 40,000 and take 10,000 more asprisoners. Despite the tremendous victory, the Romans realizedthat as long as the Gauls controlled northern Italy, they couldattack again at any time. The Romans resolved to strike deep into the former stronghold of the Etruscans, in the hopes of crip-pling the remaining forces and driving them out of the region.

Over the next four years, Rome would strike again and again,with highly mobile forces, deep into the Gaul held Alpineregion of Northern Italy, conquering cities and dislodging por-tions of the Celtic armies. The Gauls attempted to resist, butfound mob tactics to be less potent than the tactics of theRomans. Eventually they would surrender the region, andRome would declare the region of Cisalpine Gaul to be a newprovince. This allowed them access to northern ports likeMilan and Genoa, and land access to the region of Illyrium.

Hannibal

Hannibal was a general of great cunning and bravery. Helead his men well, and had a keen mind for tactics. He

favored non-conventional forces, and could actively switch tac-tics in battle to maximize on opportunities. In short he was oneof those rare and ingenious men who seemed born to war. Hisonly flaw was in being born in Carthage, and opposing Rome.

Hannibal was born into a military family. His grandfather,uncles, father, and brothers were all officers in the Carthagin-ian military, and with Hannibal it was the same. Trained in allmanner of warfare, from cavalry to elephants to infantry tonegotiations, Hannibal was entrusted with leadership positionswithin the army in his early twenties. It was Hannibal whowent to Antiochus, the Ptolemic King of Egypt, and drummedup support for a Carthaginian war against Iberia. Antiochuswas a powerful king, and with his support Hannibal was able tosecure many soldiers, armor, and support, which was mostimportant because if Egypt did not support the war, they mightwell have found the lightly defended Carthage an appealingtarget.

When he felt he had enough men, Hannibal took his army intoIberia, entering through the Carthaginian city of NovaCarthage, and bringing war to the tribes and peoples settled inthis region. Hannibal was able to quickly dominate all of Iberiashort of Segundo, then, in an attack that would send a seriousmessage to Rome, he attacked and took Segundo, in direct vio-lation of the Ebro River treaty. With his conquests complete,Hannibal rested and the next year raised three armies in theregion. One he sent with his brother, to defend Carthage. Theother he set to defend Carthage’s new holdings in Iberia. Thethird army Hannibal took; their crossing of the Southern Alpsis remembered even to this day in jokes and sayings aboutHannibal crossing the Alps with Elephants. This feat was nojoking matter, however, to a Greek mercenary by name of Her-cules who held the pass that Hannibal crossed. His army wascompletely decimated with inconsequential losses to Hanni-bal’s army.

Hannibal was a man always considering the possible reactionsof his foes. When passing through the newly held northernprovince of Rome, he faced army after hastily raised army, androuted them routinely. As he marched south, his reputation asbeing undefeatable grew, and he found what little resistance heran into unchallenging. Indeed it took him little time to fighthis way to the hills surrounding Rome, and all of Rome shud-dered in fear of his name.

One night Hannibal had little choice but to camp in a narrowdefile, which allowed limited access in either direction, butwhich kept his entire army penned in. Quintus Fabius Max-imus, the then leader of the Senate in Rome, took an army andinvaded the hills around the defile, setting up an ambush thatprevented Hannibal’s armies from being able to proceed orescape. Or so they thought, Hannibal was intelligent. He hadscouts gather cattle from the nearby hills, as if in need of food.

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Deception in Combat‘All’s fair in love and war’ is a common saying today.Although later concepts of honor in combat would develop,first among the Goths and then throughout Europe, duringthis period there was little concern about the method of gain-ing victory. Hannibal’s deception with the torches on thesteer is a fine example of anticipating your foe’s expectationsand taking advantage of them.

It is not often in an rpg that combat can be anticipated. Usu-ally the combat is quickly upon the players, and it’s every-thing to just keep from being chopped, burned, or torn topieces. But if there is an opportunity to study a situation anddetermine what an enemy group is composed of, properplanning and deception can mean the difference between lifeand death.

For example: Animals set to guard something usually willfight only as long as they think they can win. If faced bysomething it fears, or if given the proper bait, animals canoften be drawn away from whatever they are guarding. Sol-diers, on the other hand, may only retreat if they feel out-numbered or outmatched. An Audible Glamour spellcombined with a Dancing Lights spell could easily create theimpression of many men, bearing torches, heading towardsthe soldiers.

Despite the tendency to look at combat as another way togain XP, it should be noted that good role-playing shouldreward those who find a way to avoid unnecessary pain andsuffering.

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That night he had his men tie torches to the horns of the cattle,and set them alight. The cattle began to wander around, takingthe hills, the plains behind, and seeming as though a vast army,many times the size of Hannibal’s. The Romans were so afraidof the invading force that they never saw Hannibal lead theretreat, escaping the ambush without losing a single life.

Hannibal’s DownfallNow mere miles from Rome, Hannibal received a missive fromthe leadership in Carthage: They wanted him home. His warhad taken him much farther than Iberia, which had been theonly region they had agreed to go to war in. Also, Antiochus,removed his support, feeling it was no longer needed. But evenmore pressing to Carthage was the army of Publius Scipio, aRoman general who had been empowered to take an army toNorthern Africa. This army had faced the army of Hannibal’sbrother and defeated it, and Carthage was in fear of beinginvaded, which would negate any gains made in Iberia or Italy.Despite defeating every general sent against him, Hannibalwould never again have a chance to attack Rome. He bowed tothe orders of his nation, and returned home.

Somehow, the man who had bested every general of Rome inItaly was defeated on his home turf, in a battle at Zama. Thearmy of Publius Scipio defeated the Carthaginians, and Hanni-bal was forced to retreat across harsh desert, nearly 300 milesin two nights and a day. A number of Numidian tribesmen whohad been with his army in Zama attempted to capture him dur-ing the retreat, intending to hand him over to the Romans as apeace offering. Hannibal was not only able to evade their plot,but he had the plotters put to death, and then raised an army inHadrumetum, so as to continue with his war.

Nevertheless, Publius Scipio took advantage of his victory overHannibal, and forced Carthage to sign a treaty, returning bor-ders to where they had originally been before Hannibal’s Iber-ian Campaign, and giving Iberia to Rome. Hannibal wasunderstandably unwilling to accept this, and he continued tocampaign in Africa against the Romans, until Rome forcedCarthage to recall him from military service in exchange forthe return of prisoners of war. Carthage capitulated, demandingHannibal come home, but as soon as the prisoners werereturned, they elected Hannibal to kingship, as a reward for hisservice.

Hannibal was efficient in his role as monarch, but paranoid ofRome. When Rome sent an envoy to Carthage after the war,Hannibal assumed it was to protest his being given the post ofking. Worse, he expected Carthage to concede to supposedRoman demands, and hand him over. Hannibal took as muchproperty and money as he could, and fled in secret to Syria, tolive under the protection of the Ptolemies. In Carthage, his peo-ple were outraged at his abdication and theft of property, andthey confiscated what property he had left behind, razed hishouse to the ground, and declared him an outlaw.

Over the years, Hannibal would attempt again and again toattack Rome. He would secure the support of kings and send

armies, lead by relatives or foreign generals, to attack Rome. Butno commander would ever be successful, and each attack wouldheap more and more suspicion and hatred upon Hannibal him-self. He would end his life fleeing from country to country, seek-ing asylum and avoiding plots to capture him, steal his wealth,and give him over to Rome. When, at last, he felt he could nolonger hide from his persecutors, Hannibal took poison, andkilled himself, rather than be killed by any other hand.

The Road to Empire.

When Hannibal first attacked Rome, he may have been alittle lucky. The Illyrians and their supposed puppet

government did not play to Rome’s tune as had been antici-pated. Indeed, the king they put in power declared war onRome, and set their navy against that of Rome. Thus, Romewas distracted while Hannibal invaded. The Romans soundlydefeated Illyria, but the puppet king fled to Macedonia, result-ing in the Romans declaring war on Macedonia. This warwould occupy half of the Roman army, which might explainsome of Rome’s inability to defend against Hannibal.

Regardless, the Romans were triumphant in their war withMacedonia. In a decade all of Macedonia, and, therefore, all ofGreece was conquered. This conquest would be short lived,however, as Phillip the Fifth would campaign and gain supportagainst the Romans with the Ptolemic Empire, eventually driv-ing the Romans out. Antiochus, however, would not be an hon-orable ally, and shortly after driving the Romans out heinvaded. This lead to a war of three nations, and eventuallyRome would emerge the victor, taking all of Greece, and AsiaMinor as well. Later conflicts by the son of Phillip the Fifth,Perseus, would lead to the Romans taking hostages. Thesehostages were held in Rome, and were used as pawns tothreaten Greece, when Greece attempted to revolt again.

Carthage would again attack Rome, but by now Rome’s reachwas much greater, and this third and last Punic war ended withthe destruction of Carthage, and the annexation of much ofNorthern Africa as a new province of Rome. By now Romewas the dominant force in the Mediterranian. It’s culture, influ-

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HellenizationAfter conquering Macedonia and Greece, Rome wentthrough a period called the Hellenization. It was a time whena great number of Greek philosophers, Greek thought, andGreek culture were imported to Rome. Architecture changed,favoring more Greek columns and flares, and many Greekmyths and gods were added to the Roman pantheon. TheHellenization lead to the toga being the common dress ofRome, and actually made it easier for the Romans to interactwith and conquer many Greek regions of Asia Minor and theMiddle East. Of course, Rome periodically exiled large num-bers of Greek philosophers for encouraging thought andmovements that did not support Rome’s policies, so perhapsall of the Hellenization was not to Rome’s benefit.


enced by the Hellenization after the invasion of Greece,became popular, and its military forces, once insignificant, hadbecome for all intents and purposes, world spanning. No singleforce could oppose the Romans, and nations like Pergamumeventually opted to join Rome, seeing in it their hope for thefuture. Rome had become a superpower, much like Macedonia,Persia, and Assyria before it.

Power grew in Rome, so did the ambition of those who weregiven its reins. Many consuls, elected to govern Rome’sLegions, sought to rule as dictators. Many, in fact, did. Theirwars made them worshipped in Rome. Although the continuedexistence of the Senate convinced the people of Rome that itwas still a Republic, often consuls dictated policies and laws tothe Senate and the Senate would enact them. Military matters,especially, fell to the consuls to govern, and the consulsreformed the military, removing much of the property require-ments, forcing the state to pay for the armament of the soldiers,and allowing for career military terms. Soldiers would nowspend their whole lives in the military, and could expect to bepaid well and to have social influence when they left it.

Roman Weapons & ArmorMilitary tactics developed as well. Spear use became particu-larly key to Roman armies. The pilum was a spear, usuallymade of new wood, which was intended to be broken. Also, thespanish sword, a short two-edged stabbing sword called thegladius hispanicum was made common issue. The cavalry useda heavier version of this sword, the Spatha. Other varieties of

shortswords would be used by non-military people, mostnotably the pugio. Armor would often consist of chainmail, aheavy iron helmet, and a scutum, a large shield, most com-monly of wood, although often lined with iron. The cohort, onetenth of a legion, became the main fighting force, and eachcohort would be specialized. The first cohort was usually eliteforces, while the others would contain regular troops, engi-neers, and various lighter fighting forces, including the velites,who would be armed with a small shield and weapons, but noarmor. These last were often scouts or light reserve troops, butcould also be called upon to harry heavier armored foes, sincethey could often retreat quickly to avoid casualties.

Pilum, Light & HeavyRome’s pilums were the ultimate end of their javelin strategy.The long, thin piercing head of the javelin was well-craftediron, however one of the pins by which the head was bound tothe shaft was made of wood. This pin was quite easy to break,resulting in the head becoming loose and severely impacting itsflight-worthiness. Roman soldiers cast their pilums with thehope that they would embed themselves in their opponents, or,failing this, in their opponent’s shields. Like the heavy javelin,if it did enough damage to embed itself into an enemy shield, itwould become a hindrance, adding to the weight of the shieldand making it difficult to maneuver. If a pilum hits an enemyshield (by any means, including being deflected by the FeatDeflect Missiles), and does any damage to its HP, the pilumshould be considered embedded. The weight of the embeddedheavy pilum should be added to the shield weight. Anyone

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grabbing the pilum can use it to shield trap the shield bearer,without needing to roll the melee touch roll, since the javelin isalready embedded in the shield. Because of this many foesopted to drop the shield rather than hold onto it. Should a pilumtake a point of damage or more when thrown, the wooden pinshould be considered broken, and the pilum is an automatic -2to hit with, due to the head being loose.

Gladius, Spatha & PugioThe blades of Rome were generally simple, sometimes with aneagle adorning the hilt. The Gladius was the mainstay of theRoman Empire, synonymous with the Roman military. TheSpatha was a heavier sword, used primarily for slashing ratherthan piercing, a progenitor of the longsword. The Pugio was alesser blade, only a touch longer than a dirk, sometimes wornin a sheath in the armpit. This weapon was easily enough hid-den there, and was often used by assassins. The pugio actuallydoes 1d6-1 damage, but the minimum damage is one, ratherthan zero. Assassins often coated the pugio with poison, so asto make their attacks more deadly.

ScutumThe Roman Scutum was a curved shield, which protected theleft side of the centurion’s body during battle. Unlike a flatshield, the scutum cannot be used to protect both the wielderand others through the advanced guard feat.

SpartacusDuring this period a great many tribes that had once been con-sidered lesser members of Rome were granted citizenship. Thisshift changed the nature of how soldiers were called to service.

Before, non-citizen groups were expected to provide a levy tothe legion, but with that soldier base reduced by the grant ofcitizenship, the levy of armies grew dependant on rovingrecruiters, called conquistadores, who would travel through theempire drumming up interest in the military. These recruiterswould gain significant political power as Rome grew, andwould become players in the games of politics, often servingspecific generals and consuls during times of civil war.

Civil wars were becoming common. Dictators would claimRome, and consuls would raise armies to drive them out. Thisprocess went back and forth in the last days of the republic, andwould plague the Empire that would follow. As Rome was amilitant society, the state of the military presaged the state ofthe nation. In the midst of wars of conquest and society wars(the common term for civil wars), there were periodic slaverevolts. Slavery was common in Rome, and slaves were usedeverywhere, from private homes to entertainment in the gladia-torial rings. One such revolt was the revolt of a gladiatornamed Spartacus.

Spartacus was a former soldier who had deserted and become abrigand. When he was captured, he was forced into slavery,and he opted to join a gladiatorial troupe, rather than be forcedto hard labor. Conditions in the troupe were so brutal that thegladiators conspired to revolt and escape. When their plot wasdiscovered, they carried it out faster than they could bestopped, and escaped from their slavery.

While fleeing from their captivity, the former gladiators hap-pened upon a caravan of carts carrying gladiatorial weapons.They fell on this convoy and armed themselves. They chosecaptains for themselves, and Spartacus was one of the three.Then they made their way to Mount Vesuvius, a volcano thatwas thought to be extinct, and made camp in the caldera. Theywere eventually attacked by a Roman general with 3,000 men,yet they were able to repulse him, having grown familiar withthe terrain. Spartacus’s success against Roman forces began toattract new followers, and soon his army numbered in the tensof thousands. With this army, Spartacus set about conqueringthe whole of northern Italy, and succeeded, despite being chal-lenged by Roman forces.

At this point Spartacus had the opportunity to escape to neigh-boring Thracia, and freedom. But he opted to stay, havinggrown overconfident from his victories. His army urged him tomarch south, and he did, defeating yet another general and giv-ing his army such a sense of righteous cause that he could nolonger stop the southern march if he wanted to. Though hisforces would continue to be successful, attrition and overconfi-dence would eventually lead them into an indefensible posi-tion. He was forced to march around Rome, which was tooheavily defended, and eventually ended up in southern Italy,near the coast not far from Sicily. He attempted to negotiate fortransport to Sicily, hoping to make a new base there, but wascheated by the ship masters he negotiated with. Then, pinneddown by an army supported by the Roman navy, he was forcedto retreat. While he was able to fend off his pursuers, his army

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ProvincesAs Rome conquered and subdued a region, it would oftenestablish a provincial governor to overlook the running ofthe Province, direct the armies, and collect the appropriatetribute. This Provincial system became the backbone of theEmpire, making it possible for Rome to grow as large as itdid. This province system did not go away after the fall ofRome, though. The concept of provinces as areas of powerbecame embedded in the European mindset, and it was notuntil late in the 19th century and early 20th century that theprovincial system was finally discarded. Even in the HighMedieval period and the Renaissance, powers that had impe-rial tendencies would focus on conquering provinces, usuallyby subduing the ruling city of the province, and therebyclaiming the region. Provinces could be traded back andforth between sovereign nations, either though armed con-flict or peaceful negotiations. This lead to most commonpeople thinking about their province loyalties first, and anynational loyalties secondarily. The modern adjective provin-cial comes from this seemingly limited mindset, and todaymeans short sighted or unsophisticated.


became confident that they could defeat the whole of thebesieging army, and they charged, to their deaths. Grasping atone last hope, Spartacus attempted to defeat the enemy com-mander in the battle, but he was surrounded by Roman soldiersand killed. Spartacus’s revolt was the only gladiator revolt tolast for more than a few days, but other than being mentionedin histories, it had little impact on Rome’s attitude toward glad-iatorial sport. Such sport will be discussed later in this chapter.

Julius CaesarJulius Caesar, contrary to modern day myth, was not born ofpoor station, nor did he move his way up through the ranks ofthe Roman military to become Emperor. Through both birthand marriage, Gaius Julius Caesar was a man of high station,who distinguished himself during one of the Mithradatic warsin the province of Asia Minor. It was there he uttered the nowlegendary phrase “veni, vidi, vici” which translates to “I came,I saw, I conquered. Having close ties to the Consul Pompey,Julius Caesar was able to get himself named Proconsul ofIllyricum and Gaul. Illyricum, long conquered and now sub-servient to Rome, was a province of great income, while Gaulwas largely self-ruling. After forming an unofficial alliancewith Pompey and another prominent Senator, Crassus, theyformed a triumvirate of power, aimed at dominating all ofRome, as was the more common tendency of rulers in the LateRepublic. Through this alliance, Julius Caesar was able tobecome a full Consul, which gave him access to the legions ofRome, and full right to deal with Gaul as he wished. And JuliusCaesar did.

Julius Caesar was not the first Roman general to campaign inGaul. In the past Roman Generals had fought in Gaul, some-what in retribution for the many attacks against Rome thatGaul had initiated in ages past, somewhat in the interest offorming new alliances with certain tribes and driving off Ger-manic invasions that struck from time to time. Not that theGaul could not defend themselves. The Gaul were one of manyCeltic tribes common to Central and Western Europe, and theyoften found themselves at odds with the more barbaric Ger-mans, even facing invasions by the Cimbri and Teuton peoples.But politics of the region made any alliance between Gaullictribes rare, and it was this disunity that made it possible forRome to conquer them.

It started with the Helvetti, a people who lived in more ruggedterritory that would today be the western part of Switzerland.The Helvetti had a rather prominent leader, Orgetorix, whoclaimed that the Helvetti could conquer all of Gaul, given halfa chance, and form a Helvetian Empire there. Orgetorix wasone of those people who couldn’t help but boast in front ofprominent people, and his words began to catch notice inneighboring tribes. When they expressed interest in sharingwith the Helvetti in the conquering of Gaul, he made deals withthem to form a unified army, and sealed them with arrangedmarriages with his daughters. Orgetorix, unfortunately, died

before he could begin his conquest, but the Helvetti felt honorbound to fulfill his boasts, and they set fire to their villages andtook all the food they could carry, and burned the rest. This wasdone to give them no inclination to return. Then, with theirneighbors, who had done the same, they marched on Gaul.

One of the routes to Gaul for the Helvetti involved travelingthrough the Roman controlled province of Provence, whichRome was not about to allow them to do, seeing as the Helvettisupplemented their stores by living off the land. So Julius Cae-sar marched 5 legions into Provence, and set them up to inter-cept the marching Helvetti. They briefly fought, but since theHelvetti didn’t see any use fighting the Romans, they covertlyarranged to march through a neighboring tribe’s land, and com-mence the attack. Since a few tribes were close to Rome andhad treaties with Rome, they petitioned for Rome’s support.This was really all Julius Caesar could have hoped for. His firstyear as Consul of Gaul saw him invade, decimate the Helvetti,and force most of the hostile people of Gaul to give himhostages. When the Helvetti had begun their march, their totalnumbers were about three hundred and sixty thousand. Whenthey were forced to return to their destroyed homes, they num-bered only one hundred and ten thousand, and those numbersincluded all people of the tribe, from children to elders. Thepeople of Gaul were glad to have been aided by Rome, andthey allowed the Roman Legions to winter in their lands.

Over that winter the many tribes of Gaul gathered in secret andvoted to inform Rome of a little embarrassing secret they hadbeen keeping. They sent ambassadors in secret to Julius Caesar,and asked if he could help them to rid their lands of Germans.As it turned out, the Germans had invaded Gaul a number of

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Hostage TakingThe practice of taking hostages is age old, and honored. Tribeswould often offer hostages to each other as a pledge of faithover an agreement, usually involving traveling through onetribe’s land or forming a temporary alliance to fight an enemy.The hostages were required to be family members of impor-tant people in a tribe, people you didn’t want to see dead. Assoon as an agreement was concluded the hostages would bereleased, and things would return to the status quo. However,should one break an agreement, that tribe’s hostages werelikely to be killed, or tortured at the least, to show displeasure.Where such practices were common, Rome was more thanhappy to take hostages in exchange for agreements. If a tribethat had given Rome hostages broke an agreement, Romewould likely sell their loved one’s into slavery. If a tribebecame a friend of Rome, but not part of a province of Rome,their hostages were treated as guests of Rome, often staying ina Roman city and being given many of the rights of citizens. Ifthese guests of Rome were ever returned, they were oftenexcellent propaganda for Rome, talking about the wonders ofRoman life and bringing Roman ways to their tribes. There areeven accounts of hostages returning to live in Roman territo-ries, out of preference.

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years previously, after being invited in to help one tribe wagewar on another. The Germans had been only too happy toagree, as Gaul had by far more fruitful croplands, and when theGermans crossed the Rhine river and entered Gaul theypromptly took many hostages from the tribe who invited themin, attacked all the neighboring tribes and forced them to agreeto steep tribute. The Gauls, seeing the prowess of the Romans,hoped the Romans could rid them of the German invaders.

Again, Julius Caesar could not have hoped for a more advanta-geous opportunity. He split his forces to hold a highly defensi-ble area, and then advanced on the Germans. Although therewere brief negotiations, nothing came of these, and eventuallythe battle was joined near the Rhine river, where Julius Caesarhad learned that the invading German tribe was inviting othertribes from Germany to cross, in order to strengthen their holdon Gaul. The battles were fierce, primarily because the Germanwarriors were strong and brutal on the whole, while the RomanLegionares were a highly disciplined force, trained not only incombat with pilum, gladius, and scutum, but also advancedwarfare tactics, like building trenches, fortifications, bridges,and traps. Their speed at such engineering feats was legendary.They were able, for example, to build a bridge across the Rhinein a single day. Whenever they encamped, they would build awall 12 feet high, and surround it with a trench 18 feet deep.This was after marching many leagues each day. The Romansoldiers worked with precision, and they were masters at dele-gating tasks to cohorts and accomplishing them in record time.

Roman Legionnaire (Prestige Class)Roman Legionnaires were a highly disciplined fighting force,honed by battle and expected to be ready to die for their leaderat any time. Trained in the finest military traditions of Europe,armored in the most protective armor that still allowed themfreedom, and driven by the knowledge that they fought for thegreatest nation on Earth, the Roman Legionnaires were a forceto be reckoned with, on and off the battlefield. But their train-ing was not simply in sword or shield craft alone. Legionnaireswere trained to be brave in the face of danger. While still intraining they would be whipped with the flagellum if theyshowed fear, and given arduous tasks if they shirked theirduties. A drilling period of up to three months could berequired before a potential legionnaire was allowed to carrybear a gladius and scutum into battle. And though they werefoot troops, they were expected to face any force imaginable,on any frontier, and win.

Besides mental and physical training, legionnaires were trainedto work together, to build military fortifications and equipment,and to perform delicate military maneuvers while in formation.This deep discipline alone could be intimidating to witness,when, at the end of a hard day’s forced march they couldassemble a highly defensible fortification, complete withtrenches and palisades in a matter of an hour or two, and havescouts, sentries, and cook fires ready shortly afterward. Tomany less civilized people it was as if the Romans could do

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anything they set their will to, and these feats of discipline didmore to spread their reputation than many feats of arms.

Young men, citizens of the Empire, were drawn to join theLegions by their reputation, an interest in civil service, thehope for a steady income, or the impassioned words of a con-quistadore. Many had no previous experience, and some wouldbe sent away, unfit or incapable of completing the demandingtraining. But those with the strength, wits, and will to finish thegrueling training often found that the life of a Legionnaire wasworth the danger, and many opted to remain a legionnaire forlife. These grizzled veterans may or may not rise through theranks of the military hierarchy, but to them the military life wasparamount.

The Legionnaire Prestige class is unusual in that it is quite pos-sible to join at the first level. However, the Legionnaires are asemi-restricted prestige class. Many opt to raise a few levels inother classes while serving as a legionnaire (such as fighter,ranger, rogue, or Expert (Engineer)), and certain levels haveunique requirements beyond experience value in order to gainthe next level. Legionnaires are considered to be part of thearmy, and their time is not wholly their own while they arelegionnaires. A Legionnaire may choose to leave the military atany time after their first level, but if they do so, they may neverreturn to the legions, and any possibility of gaining anotherlevel in this prestige class is eliminated.

Hit Die: d10

RequirementsTo qualify to become a Legionnaire, a character must fulfill thefollowing requirements.

Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdommust all be 11 or more.

Alignment: Any Lawful Alignment. All Legionnaires becomelawfully aligned upon completion of their initial training as alegionnaire, unless they were already lawfully aligned. Thisconveys no direct advantage or disadvantage, although it maycause problems with any action that requires a non-lawfulalignment. This alignment change is due to training and strictenforcement, but is not a spiritual change, and will not conferany spiritual benefit, such as allowing atonement for a paladinwho would not be eligible for it.

Special: Must be a citizen of Rome (or equivalent, if a fantasyworld). Must ethically be able to wield any weapon the Legion-naire is trained with (cannot be a pacifist or have a religiouslimitation on weapons use). Must be willing to go whereverordered and serve without question while a legionnaire. Thisclass is not exclusive, but one cannot leave the military serviceand continue to gain levels in the Legionnaire Prestige Class.

Class SkillsThe Legionnaire’s class skills (and the key ability for eachskill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha),Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Military Engineer-ing) (Int), Profession (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str)

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Table 4-1: LegionairreClass Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special1st +1 +2 +0 +2 Formation Tactics 2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 Improved Formation Tactics3rd +3 +3 +1 +3 Weapon Focus (Pilum)4th +4 +4 +1 +4 Requirements: Minimum Dexterity of 12, Minimum

Knowledge (Military Engeneering) of 6. Deflect Missiles 5th +5 +4 +1 +4 Point Blank Shot 6th +6 +5 +2 +5 Requirements: Minimum Con of 12, Minimum Strength

of 12. Improved Penetration7th +7 +5 +2 +5 Second Wind, Iron Will8th +8 +6 +2 +6 Advanced Maneuvers9th +9 +6 +3 +6 Requirements: Minimum Dexterity of 13.Improved

Critical (Pilum), Improved Critical (Gladius)10th +10 +7 +3 +7 Heroic Demeanor

Skill: Knowledge (Military Engineering)Military Engineering is a knowledge skill involving construc-tion and manufacture of military defenses or offensive seigedevices. This includes such things as trenches, palisades, tow-ers, wooden stakes, battlefield traps, and false blinds (items tohide things from view). This encompasses the methods of con-struction of seige engines such as catapults, ballistae, andseige towers or ramps, to name a few. From time to time it isnecessary to construct certain civil improvements, such asbridges or city walls. Although regular Engineering skill isbest for long-term construction of these types of items, Mili-tary Engineering can be used to create short-term bridges orpatch city walls that have been broken.

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Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Legionnaire pres-tige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Legionnaires are proficientwith all simple weapons and martial weapons. They are alsoproficient with light and medium armors and shields. Note thatarmor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply tothe skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, MoveSilently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

Formation Tactics: As per the Feat mentioned in the Chariotschapter.

Improved Formation Tactics: As per the Feat mentioned inthe Chariots chapter.

Improved Penetration: The Legionnaire has learned how tomake his attacks more devastating to armor. The Legionairereceives a +2 competance bonus to any attempt to break anopponents armor, weapon or shield. Also assume that the hard-ness rating of an item is reduced by 2 for any attempt to damagean item. If you are not using the option materials rules, replacethis with Precise Shot.

Second Wind: The Legionnaire can push through exhaustionand continue to fight effectively. A legionnaire may ignore thefirst 2 points of any fatigue modifier.

Advanced Maneuvers: The Legionnaire has become moreexperienced at using his armor and maneuverability to hisadvantage. He gains a +1 armor bonus while wearing Roman

armor, and only loses 5 feet of movement if medium sized or 3feet if small sized for medium armor.

Heroic Demeanor: Truly dedicated veteran legionnaires are aninspiration to their compatriots. They may rally troops with abattle cry up to five times a day, giving a +2 vs. fear affects toall allies within 20 feet. Veteran legionnaires can continue tofight past all safe limits. If such a legionnaire is reduced to 0 hitpoints or lower, he may opt to fight on. He must then make aFortitude Save vs. DC 15, or fall unconscious. Otherwise hemay continue to fight until his hit points reach -10 or below. Ifthey reach this limit he will drop dead.

Playing a LegionnaireThe difficulty of playing a member of the military is that theirlife is not their own. Often it’s easier to play something periph-eral, like an auxilliary, who might from time to time come intocontact with the Legions, but normally spends their time apart.Still, the chance to play an elite member of the military may bea perk for some. Here are a few suggestions as to how to struc-ture adventures or campaigns:

• Consider one-shot military adventures, where the playersplay scouts, auxilliaries, and soldiers advancing through anunknown region (like Germany or Britain) and coming intocontact with new cultures. These can be intense, with sud-den flurries of combat or pantomimed negotiations withpeople who speak only a smattering of Latin.

• Perhaps the characters are part of a cohort assigned to huntdown exotic animals for the Arena. Such characters wouldwork as a more intimate group, interact with numerousexotic cultures, and, depending on the fantasy level of your

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world, spend plenty of time trying to defeat and capturecreatures alive. An added perk might be bonus pay for rarecreatures.

• City duty might be appropriate for Legionnaires garrisoninga city against attack or policing a newly captured city. Cityintrigue can be as gritty as you desire, and characters inter-ested in staying at the city might become part of a perma-nent guard force. Like a Roman police drama.

• One final idea is to take a small group and isolate them fromthe rest of a legion. Forced to fend for themselves and dis-cover where they are, they might be transported to a fantasyworld or merely lost in the wilds of Eastern Europe. Howthey survive and what they encounter would be up to you.

Again, depending on the fantasy level of your world, a fantasyRome might face any number of threats, and as long as there isthe Legion, there is potential for adventure.

The GermansThe Germans were fierce, strong, and mobile. They wore littlemetal armor, preferring soft or boiled leather, heavier hide armor,or hides and furs. German warriors generally carried longswords and axes (descended from celts), although they also car-ried clubs, maces, darts, throwing axes, and spears. A small num-ber carried the dacian falx, a long, single edged curved sword.They generally used the phallanx formation, which was commontraining throughout most of Europe by now, but they werenowhere near as orderly as the Romans. Indeed, most Germanwarriors would probably be generated as barbarians, using thePlayer’s Handbook. The one tactic that made the Germans mostfeared was their combined cavalry.

German cavalry were not trained to fight on horseback well.They didn’t carry many weapons that were useful on horse-back, and they did not practice charge maneuvers. Rather, theGerman cavalry was swift, and they trained infantry to runalongside a man on horseback, to turn aside weapons readiedagainst charges, and to make a fighting line wherever the cav-alry stopped. Thus German cavalry would advance rapidly,avoid armed defenses, perhaps throw a spear, javelin, or firearrows, and then the cavalry soldiers would drop to the groundand enemies would be facing a double strong line of infantryready to fight. If the German cavalry was forced to flee, theman on foot could prevent swift pursuit, which meant that Ger-man cavalry attacks were hard to counter. Much later, JuliusCaesar would hire German mercenaries to use this tacticagainst an Iberian attack on Gaul, and the Iberians, whofavored regular cavalry charges were unable to adjust to a cav-alry resistance that could equal that of an infantry line.

Hides, HeavyThe heavy hides worn by many Germanic tribes are moresophisticated than the hides of the stone age. Prepared, treated,tanned, these hides could be up to three inches thick, and oftenwere layered. Sometimes lined with fawn, calf, or kid skininside for comfort, they were usually stiff and bulky, but were

superior protection when compared to other leather items. Iffur was left on these hides, they were far more comfortable incold climates, and can be considered as protective as winterclothing. This armor should be considered the equivalent of theHide Armor in the Player’s Handbook.

Dart, Bronze & IronDarts were used by both the Germanic tribes and the Gauls.They were easy to make, and were best used from the advan-tage of height, to extend their range and potential damage.Since objects that fall farther do more damage, they tookadvantage of cliffs and high walls to increase their impact. Thisis best simulated by adding falling damage to the dart damagetotal when there is a significant height difference.

Throwing Axe, Bronze & IronThrowing axes were used extensively by the Germanic tribes,usually as a precursor to a charge. Although not barbed, throw-ing axes that do more than half its base damage should be con-sidered lodged, as per the rules for barbed weapons.

Falx, DacianThe Dacian Falx was a long curved, one-edged blade with along and guardless wooden handle. Two handed and wieldedlike the later zweihander, it was a fearsome blade, but poor fordefense. Any defensive maneuver or stance taken with a Falxwill add one less point of AC, since the Falx has no guard andleaves the swordsman very exposed.

German Combined Cavalryman (PrestigeClass)More than just horsemen or footmen, every Combined Caval-ryman was a powerful and swift fighter in his own right.Trained to ride and run hard, German Combined Cavalrymenwere able to perform incredible feats of speed, charging up toan enemy line as swiftly as a horse could run, and still be readyto fight.

Men unafraid to rush into the face of danger took the difficulttraining to become Combined Cavalrymen. Those with the skillto fight when others fell back were the only ones to survive.The Combined Cavalryman is not as heavily armored as a nor-mal German soldier, but their speed becomes an asset untoitself. The discipline of their training made them the recog-nized experts at Cavalry Warfare at their time. The class belowis used for all Combined Cavalrymen, as they often switchedoff who would ride and who would run.

Hit Die: d10

RequirementsTo qualify to become a Combined Cavalryman, a charactermust fulfill the following requirements.

Base Attack Bonus: +4

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Attributes: Minimum Strength 13, Minimum Dexterity 13

Skills: Ride 6 ranks

Feats: Endurance, Dodge, Run

Special: Must be at least Medium Sized.

Class SkillsThe Cavalryman’s class skills (and the key ability for eachskill) are Animal Empathy (Cha), Balance (Dex),Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), Tumble(Dex)


Class Features

All of the following are class features of theCombined Cavalryman prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Combined Cav-alryman are proficient with all simple weapons and the follow-ing weapons: the Dacian Falx, the throwing axe, thelongsword, and shortbow. They are also proficient with lightarmor and shields. Note that armor check penalties for armorheavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, EscapeArtist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

Faster Movement I: The German Combined Cavalryman haspracticed charging and can move 10 feet faster than their nor-mal movement rate for a number of rounds equal to theirclass level plus Cha bonus.

Running Evasively: The German Combined Cavalryman isable to run and retain half of their Dexterity bonus to theirAC, rounded up. This involves a practiced running maneuverthat maintains their forward momentum while moving themfrom side to side to avoid running in a straight line.

Faster Movement II: The German Combined Cavalrymanhas practiced charging and is now able to move at 20 feetfaster than their normal movement rate for a number ofrounds equal to their class level plus Cha bonus, or doublethat time at 10 feet faster.

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Table 4-2:German Combined CavalrymanClass Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special1st +1 +1 +1 +0 Quick Mount / Dismount, Faster Movement I2nd +2 +1 +1 +0 Point Blank Shot3rd +3 +2 +2 +1 Running Evasively4th +4 +2 +2 +1 Mounted Combat5th +5 +3 +3 +1 Faster Movement II6th +6 +3 +3 +2 Mounted Archery7th +7 +4 +4 +2 Mobility8th +8 +4 +4 +2 Spring Attack9th +9 +5 +5 +3 Shot on the Run10th +10 +5 +5 +3 Fleet Footed


Fleet Footed: The German Combined Cavalryman can use hisentire Dexterity bonus for their AC while running.

The Celts of BritainEventually Rome would drive the Germans back across theRhine, and even invade Germany briefly, in order to scare theminto signing treaties with Rome. But by now the people of Gaulwere becoming worried about Julius Caesar’s tendency to win-ter his troops in Gaul, rather than in Provence, and that JuliusCaesar intended to make all of Gaul another province forRome. They were right.

When a number of tribes banded together to harass Rome bysea, they were almost successful. The boats of Gaul were bettersuited to the harsher waters of the Atlantic, so Rome could noteffectively attack them at sea. And if a coastal city of Gaulwere attacked, they could load everyone up onto boats, and sailaway, making the taking of a city worthless, since those peoplecould be transplanted to any other city on the coast. Eventuallythe Romans forced a number of tribes to build them severalboats like those of Gaulish construction, and Rome took thebattle to the sea, fighting at a great disadvantage, where onlythe discipline of the Roman soldiers lead them to victory. Still,with much of Gaul unable to face Rome in the field or, now, atsea, Julius Caesar felt confident enough to do something noone else in Rome’s history had ever done. Julius Caesar built afleet of ships, and sailed for Britain.

The Celts of Britain were by no means unknown to Romans.The Gauls often hired British mercenaries, to swell their ranks.The Celtic warriors of Britain were wild men, generally, wield-ing longswords, spears, daggers, darts, or bows. Sometimesthey might wear leather armor, and occasionally chainmail, butoften they went into battle unarmored, save perhaps for ashield, trusting the gods to protect them. Covered in wode, ablue powdery material, and chalk, often with their hair gluedinto spikes with a chalk and urine solution, Celtic warriorswere renowned for their fearsome battle cries, and for theirchariot driving.

The British chariot was a light, low affair, pulled by two horsesand holding two men, a warrior and a driver. The warriorwould throw spears until he was out, and then drop off thechariot. The driver might also drop off his chariot to help inbattle, but he kept near it, so that he could leap back in andcharge away swiftly. Celtic chariots had a low railing, whichallowed Brittish chariot drivers to perform daring and danger-ous feats, climbing the guide pole to the horses, and controllingthe horses directly. This tactic allowed a British chariot driver

to make more dangerous turns easier, and allowed him to moredirectly calm and direct his animals.

The British were actually quite successful at holding theRomans off. After a long pitched battle, Rome was only able tohold a beachhead for two months, and then was forced toreturn to Gaul to winter. The next year Julius Caesar returnedin force, to break the British under his heel. But he found thatBritain was difficult to conquer. The wode-covered nativesknew their forests well, and could spring out of them at anytime, often during the setting up of camp, and then could fleefaster than a heavily armored enemy could chase them. Thesetactics took a terrible toll on the Roman troops, as did theweather, which caused a great many of the ships the Romanshad crossed the channel in to be destroyed or damaged while atanchor.

Still, Julius Caesar was not a man to give up. Some of his menhe appointed to repair the ships, while others he set as scouts tofind where the largest number of Celts lived. When he foundtheir encampment along the river Thames, he took the battle tothem, and, as became habit by now among the Celtic peoples,the British Celts surrendered, rather than facing Rome in thefield. By now Caesar’s reputation alone could put fear in thehearts of his opponents, and enemies would rather present trib-ute and hostages than face Roman soldiers in their element.Satisfied, Julius Caesar returned to Gaul, and sent his troops towinter.

But in his absence a conspiracy of Gallic tribes had hatched aplan to revolt while the Roman Legions were wintering, whenthey were least prepared. Since the legions were sent to winterindependently, a number of tribes gathered and attacked thelegion under Cicero’s command, catching them by surprise andforcing them into a defensive position. As soon as they weresure they had the Roman soldiers in one place, they struck theircamp with heated clay sling bullets and heated javelins. Theseset fire to the thatched roofs of the camp buildings, and burntthe buildings, baggage, and supplies to the ground. Still, theRomans fought valiantly, hoping other legions would mobilizeto come to their aid.

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WodeWode was a chalk-like blue dye applied to the skin of a Celticwarrior before battle. Meant to create an intimidating appear-ance, it often startled the Roman soldiers who were unfamiliarwith their Celtic opponents. Wode, in a fantasy setting, wouldbe a great manner for Druids to convey enchantments ofstrength, protection, and fear auras on warriors.

Hands on Chariot DrivingThe eager British Celtic driver was often likely to leave thechariot and mount the horses themselves to perform morerisky maneuvers. Although difficult, mounting the horsesdirectly allowed a chariot driver to make more dangerousmaneuvers safely, reducing the difficulty level of any maneu-ver by one. Thus he could make better turns, and movebetween terrains with less risk of a crash, since he was con-trolling the horses directly from their backs. In order to dothis, the driver had to leave the chariot as per a quick dis-mount, with +5 to any DC roll. If successful, the drivergained the maneuvering benefits mentioned above.

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Bullet, Clay SlingCrafted of mud and dried until hard, clay bullets might notseem like a good idea, but they had one advantage: they couldbe easily heated and made to keep that heat a long time. Fre-quent use of clay bullets lead to slings becoming brittle andbreaking, but there ease of manufacture and ability to hold heatfor a long time made them effective to use for a people who didnot develop the fire arrow.

ConsolidationFinally an auxiliary was able to sneak through Gaullic linesand get message to Caesar. Another legion was forced to marchthe 25 miles to the besieged position that night, and made itnearly the whole distance. This dislodged those besiegingCicero’s forces, and a later skirmish with Caesar dispersed therebelling forces. But the leader of the rebellion went into hid-ing, and the army, though dispersed, was not destroyed.

The next year Caesar embarked to put an end to resistance inGaul, and he hunted the leader of the previous year’s rebellion,a Gallic chief who was hiding in Germany. Again, Caesarerected a bridge across the Rhine, and crossed, laying waste toGerman troops and eventually capturing and killing the resist-ance leader. This, along with favorable tributes from the Ger-manic people, lead Caesar to retire early, and to assert oncemore his control over all of Gaul.

In the next year Rome issued a new decree that all Italianyouths were required to apply for military service. Seeing thisas a method of securing his power over all of Gaul, Julius Cae-sar insisted that this also apply to Provence and the whole ofGaul. Although many tribes hastened to agree, one of theirkings, Vercingetorix, opposed this, and refused to pay tribute toRome. Instead, he raised his own army, and opted to focus oncavalry tactics, rather than infantry. He used his forces forlightning raids, and for breaking up Rome’s access to crucialfood supplies. It was an effective tactic, and would have suc-ceeded, had he been facing any other power but Rome.

Caesar pursued the raiders and discovered the high-walled citythey were using as their base. Caesar knew he couldn’t face thecities defenses without great loss of life. So he camped in theopen plain near the city, and built himself a fearsome fortifica-tion in a matter of days. First he started with a 20 foot deeptrench. 400 feet from that he built two more trenches 14 feetdeep, the second filled with water diverted from a local river.Behind that was built a 12 foot high wall, made from woodfrom local forests, replete with parapets and battlements. Thewalls he laid with jutting spikes to prevent scaling. He also duga trench around the whole fortification, 5 feet deep, filled withwooden spikes. 3 foot deep pits were filled with a single spikeand trampled clay, and on those spikes were placed hooks ofiron. The pits were also filled with twigs, leaves, and grass, inorder to camouflage them. In a limited time Caesar trans-formed an open, indefensible plain into a highly defensible bat-tlefield, with every device ready to repel attackers.

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13. Clay Sling Bullets

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AuxiliariesIt became the practice for Roman conquistadores to drum upinterest in the Roman military throughout the provinces. Thispractice also spilled over into regions where the Legionsoperated. When a Legion moved into an unconquered area,conquistadores would speak to friendly tribes and convincethem to send war-worthy men to aid the Romans in theiractivities. This increased the number of men the Romanscould field, and allowed them to recruit units unique to theregion, like the combined cavarly of Germany, or units ofarchers, which were always in short supply in Roman ranks.These forces were called auxiliaries, and were trained alongside the Roman forces, which, over time, tended to makethem more disciplined and effective. As history progressed,Rome became more and more dependant on her Auxiliaryforces to fight battles and protect frontiers.

Traps of WarTrenches, walls of stakes, spurs, pallisades… If the Romansdidn’t have a favorable environment to fight from, they cre-ated it. Setting stakes made it possible to prevent charges, ashorses were often unable to stop in time to avoid the danger.Spurs sat close to the ground, hard to see, their metal hooksready to catch a passing hoof and break the leg it wasattached to in a single, sickening snap. Trenches requiredfilling and crossing, which prevented charges, while wallsprevented foes from reaching you. And these weren’t theonly traps used. Pit traps could be covered with leaves andbranches and filled with stakes. Moats could be made bydiverting water, and if the water was stagnant they could becovered over with dirt and debris to make them look likesolid ground. In the Eastern Empire, Greek Fire would even-tually be remembered, and could be used to make fire onwater, or to create flaming trenches. It is not easy, in the heatof the moment, to realize that a shovel is as much a tool of


But it was the final tactic that drove Vercingetorix to attack.Rome entreated certain loyal tribes to approach, as if in supportof Vercingetorix. The appearance of reinforcements drew theGauls out at last, and they rode against the Roman fortifica-tions. Some of the trenches they did manage to fill, but the ironhook traps, called spurs, caught on the legs of charging horsesand broke them, often killing or maiming the rider as well.When the Gaullic forces finally came upon the wall, they foundthe ground before it soft, since the Romans had heavilywatered it the night before, and so their ladders sank in, makingthem nearly useless. As their charge faltered, the loyal tribes

entered the city behind them, and closed its gates. They were atthe mercy of the Romans, and were slaughtered.

The next two years would see minor rebellions, but the Romans’constant forceful presence soon made it impossible for Gaul todefend itself, and when Caesar declared all of the region of Gaulas subdued, they had little choice but to agree to become aprovince of Rome. Julius Caesar’s ambitions paid off.

Unfortunately, trouble at home made this great general unpop-ular. His informal alliance was endangered as Pompey grewless and less trusting of him, and Pompey used a war with theParthians (Persians) to take two of Caesar’s legions, leavingCaesar barely enough to maintain Gaul with. Then a law waspassed by the Senate, binding Caesar to Gaul and demandinghe disband his armies. Caesar, in response, took his twolegions, and raised a large force of auxiliaries. Taking GermanCombined Cavalry and Gallic and British Warriors, he invadedRome. Pompey himself attempted to oppose Caesar’s return,but was defeated in battle at Pharsalus, and fled to Egypt,where he was later killed. With the dissolution of the First Tri-umvirate, Caesar marched on the capitol itself. Caesar entered

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14a. Wall of Stakes; 14b. Trenches; 14c. Palisade; 15a. Spur; 15b. Spurs set in ground; 16. Caltrop; 17. Parthian Iron Scale andChain Mail; 18. Light Iron Lance

14a14b

14c

15a

15b

16

18

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war as a sword. Setting up camp isn’t just about putting up atent. Especially in higher level campaigns, where heroes maybe pursued by large forces or jealous and vengeful enemies,preparation, traps, snares, trip wires attached to cooking sup-plies, trenches, walls all make a campsite safer, and can beerected quickly by organized and skilled people. If one isprepared, one can evade a ward spell, but how many peopleexpect trip wires?

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as a hero, his writings about his campaigns being popularamong the populace and his fame as a general held in higherregard than his obedience to the Senate. Caesar had himselfelected as dictator of Rome, and he ruled Rome for 3 years,dictating policies to the Senate, and campaigning againstRepublican forces. He eventually defeated them in Iberia, butwas later assassinated by the Senate. This treachery would leadto a 14 year war, between those who wanted to establish a dic-tatorship and those who wanted to preserve the republic. Onone side was Mark Antony, Lepidus, and Octavian (the SecondTriumvirate), on the other Brutus and Cassius, senators andrepublicans. The republicans would find themselves less andless potent against the Second Triumvirate, and the Triumviratemembers would find themselves constantly trying to maintainpopular control of their regions. Eventually Lepidus would beforced to leave the alliance, and tensions between Mark Antonyand Octavian would lead to a split. The Senate, seeing dictator-ship as inevitable, sided with Octavian, and Octavian was ableto meet the forces of Mark Antony and his ally Cleopatra atActium, and in a naval battle he defeated them. Octavianreturned to Rome with accolades, and was crowned Emperor ofRome.

Octavian took the title of Augustus, and the name of his greatuncle Caesar, and announced that his victory would returnRome to the republic. This can only be seen as a compromiseto ensure that the Senate would retain prominence. But theSenate, in turn, granted the Emperor the right to propose anylaw, which would immediately be ratified by the Senate. Ineffect, the Emperor would have complete power.

Days of GloryFor a time it would seem the Empire’s reign was supreme. TheRomans measured themselves against the people they had con-quered and prided themselves at their victories. While the armybusied itself with the pacification of Britain, Germany, andParthia, the citizens of Rome began to lose sight of just howmomentous and tenuous the Roman Empire was. The commonRoman rarely left his home city, and expected that everythingwould be the same in all lands conquered by Rome.

And the city of Rome had grown. During Flavian’s rule a newwall was built around the city, easily twice the diameter of theearly Servian Wall. Perhaps as many as a million people livedin the city of Rome during this time, and many of them livedoff of the Roman equivalent of welfare, which required thatevery citizen be given a minimum amount of resources to sur-vive. This welfare subsidy helped to maintain a large city pop-ulation, and the poorest citizen still ate better than manynon-citizens in other parts of the world.

Technology was adapted to Roman use as they discovered it.The cataphract, a heavily armored cavalry unit used by theParthians, became the model for heavy Roman cavalry.Armored with iron lamellar armor or chain and scale armors,he rode a heavy warhorse, barded in scale, and bore a shieldand lance. The lance added a new wrinkle to cavalry charges,

allowing the cavalry units to kill unprotected defenders quicklyand make holes in enemy lines.

Mail, Scale and Chain IronUsed only on horseback, due to its restrictions on regular mobil-ity, this heavy armor made the cataphracti extremely hard toinjure, but very hot. When wearing iron scale and chain mail,running speed is triple the listed movement, not quadruple.

Lance, Light IronFinally the horse and lance came together. Looking more like aspear than a lance, the light iron lance made heavy cavalrycharges devastating, doing a natural triple damage with a spir-ited charge. Naturally critical damage with such a chargewould be deadly. Lancers were usually called to charge onlywhen enemy forces were in disarray, too worried about otherattacks to have time to set a spear against a charge.

Gladiators

Other armors and weapons were taken from surrenderedenemies and sent to various gladiatorial schools, where

prisoners would learn to fight with them in personal combat.The practice of gladiatorial combat was first introduced at thebeginning of the First Punic War, as a way to commemorate thedeath of prominent citizens with blood sacrifices, and eventu-ally developed into a pastime to occupy the masses.

Gladiators were criminals, slaves, or, (rarely) citizens who vol-unteered to give up their rights, who joined a gladiatorial schooland were brutally trained under the close attentions of a Lanista,to fight and die in the arenas. Originally held in an empty portionof the marketplace, Gladiatorial bouts were eventually held innearly every province, often in a circus or amphitheater. Thegreatest of these galleries of blood and battle was the FlavianAmphitheater, which we today call the Coliseum.

As they developed, any given day at the Games (Ludi) came totraditionally have the same schedule. In the morning there wasthe Venatones, combat with animals. Then came executions atlunchtime, as a sort of intermission. Then the afternoon wouldhold the Munera, the gladiatorial combat that would cap theday. Seats were cheap, and the regularly strict Roman scheduleof events had no power over secular spectacles, so the gameswere popularly attended whenever they were held.

Gladiators were trained, as mentioned before, in schools. Theirtraining focused them on one of two styles: fighting animals orfighting people. Bestiarii gladiators trained with conqueredtribesmen, learning their methods of hunting, stalking, andslaughtering of prey. A Bestiarii might train with a Moorish orNumidian hunter to learn how to kill elephants, training to thrusta spear into the hollow just below the eye. A Bestiarii might alsolearn from a Parthian how to fight the cunning tiger. Thracians,Germans, or Dacians might teach the gladiator how to fight thebear. Bestiarii generally carried mixed armaments, either a spear

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or a shield and gladius, and sometimes wore leather cuirasses.Bestiarii were trained to fight both together and alone.

The Venatones first started as menageries, parades of strange andexotic animals to entertain the crowds. But the people of Romesoon became jaded with such sights, and so the slaughter ofthese exotic animals became a far more popular pastime.Hunters would capture and sell exotic animals to Roman buyerswho would ship them back to Rome for the Venatones. A largenumber of wild animals would be released into the arena, and theBestiarii, aided by war dogs, were tasked with the slaughter.Aurochs, bears, bulls, great cats, elephants, rhinoceroses, hip-popotami, and all manner of exotic but less dangerous creatureslike gazelles, giraffes, and ostriches would swarm the ring, and itwas a great chaotic melee. Many of these creatures can be foundin the MM Appendix 1: Animals. Those not listed are detailed onthe following pages.

Dog, War

Medium Size AnimalHit Dice: 2d8+6 (15 hp)Initiative: +1 (Dex)Speed: 40 ftAC: 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural)Attacks: 1 bite +4 meleeDamage: bite 1d6+4Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5ft./5 ft.Special Attacks:Locking JawSpecial Qualities:ScentSaves: Fort +5,Ref +5, Will +0Abilities: Str 17, Dex 13, Con17, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 10Skills: Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +5, Feats: TripClimate/Terrain: Any landOrganization: Solitary, War Pack (3–10 War dogs (1d8+2))Challenge Rating: Treasure: NoneAlignment: Always NeutralAdvancement: 3–4 HD (Medium)

War Dogs were bred by the Romans to fight along-side them inbattle. The modern mastiff descends from this breed of dog.The phrase “Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war” referencesthese animals.

CombatA war dog is a vicious, opportunistic killer, trained to fightaggressively against men. It prefers to charge into battle, butwill back away from a foe that has demonstrated the ability tokill with ease.

Locking Jaw (Ex): If a War Dog does maximum damage witha bite attack, it may opt to lock its jaw. This is the equivalent ofan improved grab, and may only be broken by breaking theanimal’s jaw, which requires at least 4 points of damage. Thewar dog may opt to release at any time. The War Dog may optto hang from the wound after it has locked its jaw, doing anadditional 1d6 damage per round.

Skills: *War dogs receive a +4 racial bonus to Wilderness Lorechecks when tracking by scent.

Auroch

Large AnimalHit Dice: 6d8+18 (45 hp)Initiative: +0Speed: 40 ftAC: 13 (-1 Size, +4 natural)Attacks: Gore +8 meleeDamage: Gore 2d6+6 Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: StampedeSpecial Qualities: ScentSaves: Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +1Abilities: Str 18, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 4Skills: Listen +8, Spot +5Feat: Spirited ChargeClimate/Terrain: Temperate PlainsOrganization: Solitary, Herd (6–30)Challenge Rating: 3Treasure: NoneAlignment: Always NeutralAdvancement: 6–7 HD (Large)

Related to the bison and the modern cow, these impressivecreatures were driven to edge of extinction due to their popu-larity in the Venatones. Large shaggy beasts with great horns

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that could cause fearsome damage, these lords of the plainswere finally hunted to extinction some time in the 17th century.

CombatAn Auroch is a normally passive creature, although the bullsare very territorial and protective of their cows. In the arenaAurochs were often whipped, prodded, or burned in order todrive them into a state of anger. Aurochs prefer to gore enemieson their horns, and will often make charging runs towards anyantagonist.

Stampede (Ex): A frightened herd of Aurochs flees as a group ina random direction (but always away from the perceived sourceof danger). They literally run over anything of size Large orsmaller that gets in their way, dealing 1d12 points of damage foreach five aurochs in the herd. A successful Reflex save (DC 16)halves the damage.

Bull

Large AnimalHit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp)

Initiative: +0Speed: 40 ftAC: 13 (-1 Size, +4 natural)Attacks: Gore +6 meleeDamage: Gore 1d8+6 Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Stampede, RageSpecial Qualities: ScentSaves: Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +1Abilities: Str 18, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 4Skills: Listen +8, Spot +5Feats: Spirited ChargeClimate/Terrain: Temperate PlainsOrganization: Solitary, Herd (1 bull and 5–15 cows)

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Challenge Rating: 3Treasure: NoneAlignment: Always NeutralAdvancement: 6–7 HD (Large)

The smaller cousins of the Auroch, these creatures were popu-lar substitutes for the larger beast in the Venatones. Powerfuland with strong significance in Greek myth, they were oftenused in mythical re-enactments as well. Unlike the more even-tempered Aurochs, Bulls can fly into a rage when provoked.

CombatBulls are very territorial and protective of their cows. In thearena bulls were often whipped, prodded, or burned in order todrive them into a state of anger. Bulls prefer to gore enemies ontheir horns, and will often make charging runs towards anyantagonist. Treat cows as listed above except cows do not havethe Rage Attack.

Rage (Ex): A bull that takes damage in combat flies into aberserk rage the following round, twisting and lunging madlyin an attempt to gore its enemy until either it or its opponent isdead. It gains +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, and -2 AC. Thecreature cannot end its rage voluntarily.

Stampede (Ex): A frightened herd will flee as a group in a ran-dom direction (but always away from the perceived source ofdanger). They literally run over anything of size Large orsmaller that gets in their way, dealing 1d12 points of damagefor each five bison in the herd. A successful Reflex save (DC16) halves the damage.

Gazelle

Small AnimalHit Dice: 1d8 (5 hp)Initiative: +3 (Dex)Speed: 50 ftAC: 16 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +2 nat-ural)Attacks: Gore -1 meleeDamage: Gore 1d6-2 Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: NoneSpecial Qualities: Scent, Low-light visionSaves: Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +1Abilities: Str 7, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 1, Wis12, Cha 6Skills: Listen +9, Spot +8Feat: RunClimate/Terrain: Warm PlainOrganization: Solitary, Mated Pair, Herd(10–100)Challenge Rating: 1/4Treasure: NoneAlignment: Always NeutralAdvancement: 2–3 HD (Medium–size), 4–5 HD (Large)


Lithe and elegant, spare of form and with a graceful curvinghorn, the gazelle is a gorgeous creature, but not an effectivefighter.

CombatGazelles prefer to flee, rather than fight, and only kick withhind legs. Should the gazelle be surrounded, it will attempt togore with its horns, but only if flight is not possible.

Keen Hearing (EX): This racial ability grants gazelles a +4 toall listen checks.

Giraffe

Huge (Tall) AnimalHit Dice: 4d8+16 (34 hp)Initiative: +2 DexSpeed: 40 ftAC: 13 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural)Attacks: Kicks +7 melee (females) or Gore +7 melee (males)Damage: Kicks 1d6+4, gore 1d8+4 Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./10 ft.Special Attacks: NoneSpecial Qualities: Low-light vision, ScentSaves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +3Abilities: Str 22, Dex 14, Con 19, Int 1, Wis 14, Cha 8Skills: Listen +8, Spot +5Climate/Terrain: Warm Plains

Organization: Solitary, Pair, Herd (3–18)Challenge Rating: 2Treasure: NoneAlignment: Always NeutralAdvancement: 5–6 HD (Large)

These majestic creatures of the plains spend the majority oftheir time grazing among the trees. Other than their rearwardkicks, these animals are not very combat worthy. Giraffes pre-fer to run from danger, and kick at enemies in pursuit.

Hippopotamus

Huge AnimalHit Dice: 9d8+54 (95 hp)Initiative: +0 DexSpeed: 15 ft, Swim 20ftAC: 12 (-2 Size, +4 natural)Attacks: Bite +11/+6 meleeDamage: Bite 1d10+10Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 15 ft./10 ft.Special Attacks: NoneSpecial Qualities: Low-light vision, ScentSaves: Fort +12, Ref +2, Will +2Abilities: Str 25, Dex 11, Con 22, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 6Skills: Hide -5, Listen +3, Spot +3, Swim +17Climate/Terrain: Warm Plains

Organization: Solitary, Herd (2–12)

Challenge Rating: 5

Treasure: None

Alignment: Always Neutral

Advancement: 10–12HD (Huge)

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Massive and lumbering, Hippos are both aggressive and territo-rial, but generally gives warning before an attack. At home onland and in water, Hippos prefer to work as little as possible.

Ostrich

Large AnimalHit Dice: 3d8+9 (23 hp)Initiative: +2 (Dex)Speed: 50 ftAC: 14 -1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural)Attacks: Bite +5 melee, kick +0 meleeDamage: Bite 1d8+4, kick 1d6+4 Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft.Special Attacks: Trample.Special Qualities: Low-light visionSaves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 8Skills: Listen +2, Hide +2, Spot +6Feat: RunClimate/Terrain: Warm PlainsOrganization: Solitary, Flock (3–12)Challenge Rating: 2Treasure: NoneAlignment: Always NeutralAdvancement: None

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Large flightless birds, the ostrich can reach a height of 7 feet,and bears brown, black, and white plumage. The ostrich was anabsurdity to Romans, but like so many other animals it oftenmet its death in the Arena.

CombatIf threatened, Ostriches can be quite aggressive, nipping (fornegligible damage) and kicking (for very effective damage).

Trample (Ex): A Ostrich can trample Medium-size or smallercreatures for 1d4+4 points of automatic slam damage. Oppo-nents who do not make attacks of opportunity against the birdcan attempt a Reflex save (DC 15) to halve the damage.

The noontime executions were nowhere near as fair, and sincemost crimes in Rome were capitol crimes, the executions weretasked to go quickly. Most executions were either ad bestium (byanimal) or ad flammas (by flames). On certain rare occasionsthey might have prisoners fight each other, or force them to freewild beasts that would subsequently tear them apart. But therewas no freedom for someone slated to die. If, somehow, theysurvived their method of execution, something more painful andgruesome would be thought up for them. There was no such con-cept of “no cruel or unusual punishment” in Rome. Indeed, crueland unusual was considered an exceptional deterrent.

The afternoon Munera was the main event of the day for many,though. Trained Gladiators, tutored by their Lanista and hismany trainers, armed in a variety of antiquated and ceremonialarmors, would take to the Arena, to fight and possibly die forthe entertainment of the masses. And the training they wentthrough was difficult. Practicing with wooden items manytimes heavier than the weapons they would wield in the ring,Gladiators were trained to increase strength and endurance, andto learn all methods of fighting with the weapons they mightuse. Their lessons also involved liberal use of the leather whip,

Bestiarii as RangersAlthough certainly not the standard image of the Ranger, theBestiarii are best generated as having at least one level in theRanger class, with a favored foe as one of the creatures mostcommonly faced in combat. This best simulates the special-ized training bestiarii went through to become elite animalfighters. Optionally, a Game Master may consider allowingthe favored foe to be a specific subgroup of animals, such asbig cats, or even something as large as arena animals, whichwould include all normal animals faced in the arena

Man-eatersCarnivorous animals trained for the arena were actively trainedto be man-eaters. Most animals in nature prefer not to eat theflesh of man, as they have learned to fear man (although someovercome that fear). Animals that have learned to be man-eaters are rarely driven off by loud noises or fire, and will oftenstop to devour a kill before attacking another human.

scourge, flagellum, or branding irons, as well as quick and easyaccess to the best medicine money could buy.

Except in the rarest of cases, Gladiatorial bouts were notexplicitly to the death. Generally they were held between twocombatants, and would be fought until one opponent signaledthey gave up. There was even musical accompaniment,. Gladi-ators were expected to fight bravely and well, and, if necessary,face death without fear. But if a gladiator lost and was judgedto have fought with valor, a missus would be allowed, and thelosing gladiator would be spared. If, however, the gladiator wasnot aggressive enough or appeared to be afraid, he could expectto be ordered to die. Then it was his duty to kneel at his oppo-nent’s feet while his opponent drove a sword blade throughtheir neck. If done right, this was a quick and relatively pain-less death.

Sometimes events were not so straightforward. Sometimesteams would fight together. Or two gladiators would be tiedtogether and forced to fight. Sometimes they would bring inplants and enact myths. Sometimes they would flood the arenaor construct a lake to hold naumachie, or naval battles. Andrarely the emperor himself might enter the arena. Under a fewemperor’s reigns the Emperor himself fought in the arena, butthere is no question that the opponents did not fight back.Being slated to fight the Emperor meant death, pure and sim-ple. No weapon would be raised against him, and no self-respecting gladiator would flinch from his approach.

Slowly, with the growing influence of Christianity, the gameswould come to an end. But it would take hundreds of years, andthe fruits of the arena are still with us today.

Flagellum & Scourge, MetalThe scourge, as mentioned before, was first developed in Syria,and was made from various lengths of cord woven onto awooden handle. In Rome pieces of sharp metal were bound inthe cord, in order to make it more painful, and to promote longgashes. The scourge was a device intended to torture people,and was either used in punishment or in religious ceremonieswhere pain was intended to expiate wrong doing. The scourgeeventually became the standard for self-mortification amongcertain extreme Christian sects.

The flagellum was simpler than the scourge, a whip of threecords with knots at the end. It was used on gladiators or to flogdisobedient soldiers. The Flagellum deals subdual damage, andboth whips deal no damage to any creature wearing armor of atleast +1 armor bonus or creatures with a +3 natural armorbonus. Either whip is considered an exotic weapon.

Branding IronThe Branding Iron was a long metal rod or wand that washeated glowing red, and then applied, with fearsome results, tohuman skin. The damage listed is for a person swinging toinjure with the branding iron, although it is not necessary toswing at most people to whom a branding iron is to be applied.

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Usually such a victim is restrained in some fashion, and theheated end is merely pressed against their flesh. The heated enddoes 1 point of heat damage per round applied, and the heatlasts 1 minute for every 10 it was left in whatever was heatingit (up to 3 minutes total). Often these are drawn directly from afire pit, brazier, or smith’s forge, and then placed back in topreserve their effectiveness.

Gladiator ArmorGladiators sometimes specialized in a specific kind of fighting,or learned a few different types. The most common types wereSamnites or Hoplomachi, Secutores, Retiarii, Mymillones (orGalli), Thracians, and Dimachaeri. Other kinds of gladiatorsdid exist, some using bow and arrow, some riding on chariot orhorseback, some with helms with no eye holes, and some weretrue uniques, fighting with individual styles. Also, periodically,there would be ‘freak’ matches, where dwarves or womenmight fight. The practice of women entering the gladiatorialarena actually grew over time, until a law was passed prevent-ing this.

Each type of fighting style had its own equipment. A Hoplo-machi, for example, bore an oblong large shield, a gladius, agalea (an elaborate helmet), greaves, a wide leather belt, and amanica, a scaled leather arm covering for the sword arm. TheSecutores carried a great shield, rather than a large one, but hadno greaves. The Retiarii, on the other hand, wore no armor

19. Metal Scourge; 20. Flagellum; 21. Branding Iron

19

20

21

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other than a galerus (a kind of armored shoulder piece), andcarried a net and trident, capitalizing on mobility and range.The Myrmillones went the opposite extreme, complete with afish-shaped helm, carrying a curved blade (likely a falx, seeingas the Myrmillones were also refered to as Gaullic gladiators).The Thracian gladiators favored the sica (a scimitar, descendedfrom the sickle sword and kopis), a small shield (round orsquare), and leather arm wrappings. The Dimachaeri opted fortwo swords, favoring manica on both arms, and a light helm,similar to that of the Roman soldier, and optionally a greave oneither leg. Gladiators never wore breastplates, as this wouldunnecessarily prolong battles. A great variety of weaponsmight be used for unique one-off combats, although armor isusually made from the items mentioned below.

Gladiator armor was not intended to protect them much. Thepoint of gladiator armor was to give them a slight chance to avoiddamage, so that they wouldn’t outright flee each other in combat.

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22. Manica; 23. Galerus; 24. Galea; 25. Girdle; 26. Greave; 27. Leather Arm Wrappings; 28. Open Faced Helm; 29. Retiarii Net; 30. Sica

22

23

24

25

26

27

29

28

30

Partial ArmorIn order to determine the maximum dexterity bonus, total thenumber of items above worn and subtract it from 8. Thus aHoplomachi would have a maximum dexterity bonus of +4,after donning the Manica, Galea, Girdle, and Greave (8 - 4items of armor = 4). Armor check penalty and speed are deter-mined by weight, as per the chart below.

Half armor bonuses are treated in the following manner: deter-mine the AC without the fraction of the full point. Roll to hit.If the number rolled is the minimum required to successfullyinjure the foe, roll one die. On an even roll the damage is doneto the foe, as normal. On an odd roll, the damage is done to theitem of armor that conveys the half armor bonus, instead. Ifarmor damage is not factored, consider the hit a miss.

Note: The gladiator armor listed in this section should never beused in conjunction with regular sets of armor. Gladiator armordoes not confer any extra armor bonus to a complete set ofarmor, and the values given above for partial pieces of armor


ManicaThe Manica was a scaled leather sleeve only worn on thesword arm, made from boiled leather and intended to blockstrikes at the sword arm. It was relatively flexible, but toughenough to catch and block a few direct strikes.

GalerusThe Galerus was a metal shoulder pad, with a few plates intendedto protect the upper arm. It could potentially be used to block ablow, but the Retiarii hoped to never have to counter a blow.

GaleaThe Galea was a heavy helmet, closed faced, with a varyingcrest. They were heavy, and made it difficult for a gladiator tosee, confering a -1 to any perception roll while it was on.

GirdleThe Girdle was a thick leather belt with metal plating, in a cir-cular, coin-like pattern, sometimes referred to as bezainted. Itwas meant to catch and deflect blows away from the waistline.

GreaveUsually gladiators only wore a greave on the leg that wasintended to be ‘forward’ when entering combat. Thus it coulddeflect a low strike, but kept weight restrictions to a minimum.

Leather Arm WrappingsLeather Arm Wrappings, common to the Dimachaeri, wereonly minimally protective, meant to deflect a glancing blowwithout causing a scrape, although not intended to actuallywithstand many attacks.

Open Faced HelmThe Open Faced Helm mentioned here was actually a modifiedversion of the Legionaire’s helmet, which does not convey aseparate armor bonus when used as part of a suit of armor.Here it is given separate statistics only to illustrate its effect asa part of gladiator armor.

Gladiatoral Weapons

Net, RetiariiMade of leather, with lead weights bound in the weave, some-times slightly barbed, this net was intended to be a means forthe Retiarii to manipulate and control his foes. In order tothrow it optimally, it must be gathered together carefully, andlaunched as a ranged touch attack against the target. The net’smaximum range is 10 feet, and there is no penalty for trying tostrike a target even up to the net’s maximum range. If you hit,the target is entangled. An entangled creature is a -2 on attackrolls, and a -4 penalty on effective Dexterity. The entangledcreature can only move at half speed and cannot charge or run.Identical to the net in the Player’s Handbook, it also has aguide rope, which, if an opposed Strength Check is succeeded,can be used to limit the movement of the entangled foe by thelength of the rope (10 feet). If an entangled creature attempts tocast a spell, it must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 15)or be unable to cast the spell.

The entangled creature can escape with an Escape Artist check(DC 20) that is a full-round action. This net has 12 hit points,and a hardness of 3. Once torn, it must be repaired to be usedeffectively. A grass net can be burst with a Strength check (DC25, also a full-round action).

A net is only useful against creatures between Tiny and Largesize, inclusive.

The first time a net is thrown in a fight, it must make a normalranged touch attack. After it has been unfolded, any furtherattempts suffer a -4 penalty on attack roll. It takes 2 rounds fora proficient user to fold a net and twice that long for a non-pro-ficient one to do so.

SicaThe Sica was a weapon finding more and more use in theEaster Empire, a scimitar-like blade excellent for chopping andslashing.

Cestus & Spiked CestusThe Cestus was an adaptation of the Greek boxer’s leatherwrappings, which wound around the center of the fist quite afew times to make blows more solid. The plain Cestus was a

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Table 4-3: Open Faced HelmWeight Armor Check Penalty Movement1–12 lbs 0 30ft/15ft13–18 lbs -1 30ft/15ft19–24 lbs -2 30ft/15ft25+ lbs -3 20ft/15ft

are purely to construct gladiator armor only. If you are usingthe optional durability rules, and armor damage is indicated bythe effect die, determine which piece of armor is damaged ran-domly. Gladiatorial armor would never be purchased by any-one other than the owner of a gladiator, or the head of agladiatorial school (hence the high price). Anyone who worethe above armor outside of the arena likely be considered anescaped slave, and soldiers would be called to capture them.

Ben HurThe popular movie Ben Hur had a segment with a chariotrace in the circus, where one of the opponents had chariotwheels with spikes on the hubcaps. This development wasThracian in origin, although not likely to have been used in aRoman chariot race. For all intents and purposes these spikedhubcaps are treated the same as the Persian scythe bladesmentioned in the previous chapter. DMs are encouraged todetermine the effect, if any, these might have on chariotraces.

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leather wrapping, and improved unarmed strikes by one dam-age level, thus making a medium sized creatures unarmedstrike 1d4 subdual damage, and the small creatures unarmedstrike 1d3 subdual damage. Some, though were not pleased tokeep Cestus combat so non-lethal in the arena, and addedspikes and nails to the glove, making it a weapon that inflicted1d4 normal damage.

Axe, Iron Double Headed BattleThe Double Headed Battleaxe, although not quite a Great Axeas indicated in the Player’s Handbook, has been found in cer-tain Thracian excavations, although its use in war is notrecorded in any documents. A weapon like this would likelyhave been an interesting alternative to standard gladiatorialarmaments. It is, of course, a two handed weapon.

Gladiator (Prestige Class)Gladiators have a certain mystique today that they may or maynot deserve; People who lived a hair’s breadth from death;Elite single combat warriors; Men inured to death, competingto live, perhaps to earn glory and freedom in the arena.

But this image is not entirely accurate. By the time the Colle-seum was built, estimates put the number of free men who vol-untarily joined the ranks of the gladiators as 30–50% of allgladiators. There was glory to be found, surely, but gladiatorswere also reviled as criminals, slaves, and worse. They wereoften those who had been arrested for various crimes, but for onereason or another, weren’t quite deserving of immediate death.Although they were popular, desired, and skilled at their individ-ual specialty, they were not super soldiers or wronged innocents.

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Life as a Gladiator was harsh, and gladiators had to be, as well.They were taught to be fearless. They were practiced in allaspects of their specialty class. And they were trained to fightfor their lives, and not fear death on each other’s weapons.Whether or not this training was completely successful, thewhips and brands enforced some level of learning. And yetthere are records of Senator’s wives who entered gladiatortroops and learned to fight in the arena.

Criminals, Slaves, and thrill seekers found their way into thisclass. Anyone could be trained, although the weak wereexpected to die in combat. Trained in one specific fightingstyle, the gladiators had to be able to perform for the crowd aswell as themselves. In the end the crowd would see a long pro-cession of Hoplomachi, Retiarii, Secutores, Myrmillones,Thracians, Dimachaerie, and unique fighters. If the gladiatorwanted to earn at least a missus, they had better make theirmatch exciting and memorable.

Hit Die: d12

Requirements:Any character can become a gladiator. However, they mustdesignate a kind of fighting style at the beginning of joining theranks of gladiators. After that each level gained as a gladiatorshould be considered a level gained as their specialty, eitherHoplomachae, Retiari, Secutor, Mymillone, Thracian,Dimachaeri, or their own unique class. Creating a unique classrequires the selection of a weapon combination, either twoidentical weapons, one two handed weapon, or a weapon and ashield. The unique class then selects from the gladiator armoras many pieces as they desire. Heavier armored gladiators are

31. Cestus; 32. Spiked Cestus; 33. Iron Double-Headed Axe

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harder to hit, but less mobile. Lightly armored gladiators havethe advantage of moving faster and being less encumbered. Ifyou choose the wrong combination, you’re likely to end up in agladiator’s grave, so think about what advantages you wouldneed.

Should a gladiator wish to take up a new combat style, theyshould start back at first level with the new style.Thus a gladiator could be a 3rd level Retiari and a1st level Dimachaeri. Combat advantages do notstack between different specializations.

Note that all gladiators are considered slaves, andmust live in their gladiator troops. If a gladiatorearns their freedom they may opt to return to thearena to fight, but may live as a free man (or as acitizen, if they were citizens previously).

Class SkillsThe Gladiator’s class skills (and the key ability for eachskill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha),Jump (Str), Perform (Cha), Tumble (Dex)


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Charioteer pres-tige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Gladiators are proficientwith all simple weapons and their specific class weapons only.They are also proficient with their gladiator specialty armorand shields. Note that armor check penalties for certain armorcombinations apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist,Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

: Gladiators train extensively with their specialty weapon, andmay be considered focused with that weapon. Retiarii focus onthe trident, for example. If a unique gladiator carried two dif-ferent weapons, he may choose one to be his primary weapon.

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Table 4-4:GladiatorClass Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Weapon Focus (Primary Weapon)2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 Combat Advantage3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Reputation4th +4 +1 +4 +1 Combat Advantage5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Preferred Opponent6th +6 +2 +5 +2 Combat Advantage7th +7 +2 +5 +2 Reputation8th +8 +2 +6 +2 Combat Advantage9th +9 +3 +6 +3 Preferred Opponent10th +10 +3 +7 +3 Combat Advantage

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Combat Advantage: Starting at second level, and followingevery two levels afterwards, the gladiator gains a +1 bonus toone of the following: AC, To hit, or Damage. This bonus isonly conferred while the gladiator is wearing his specialtyarmor and carrying his specialty weapon. This bonus shows hisintimate knowledge of his equipment and its use. He mustchoose which of the three the bonus applies to when he gainsthe level, and he may not alter his choice later. Thus, a myrmil-lone may opt to gain a +1 to hit for his second level Advantage.Later, at fourth level, he may opt to take a +1 to his AC, but hecannot alter his second level selection. Should a gladiator losea portion of his armor during combat or a weapon, he loses anybonuses gained through this class ability.

Reputation: The Gladiator has had enough success to gain areputation. At third level this doubles the purse he gains fromany wins. At seventh level he may add his specialty levels ofgladiator to any intimidate roll he attempts.

Preferred Opponent: At fifth and ninth level the gladiator mustselect a specific type of gladiatorial style. The gladiator hasbecome skilled at fighting this kind of gladiator, and gains a +1bonus to hit and damage rolls against this kind of gladiator.

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Army Ascendant

With the Emperor holding ultimate power, the militarysaw greater and greater power during this period. New

developments also made them the most efficient army in most

34. Lorica Segmentata; 35. Lorica Squamata; 36. Lorica Hamata

34

35 36

Gladiators as PC’sIt is very likely PC’s may be interested in playing gladiators.Usually this is before they realize how limiting this can be. IfPC’s really want to play a gladiator character, construct themwith the Prestige Class rules, and proceed. Usually games areonly held every couple of months, so there may not seem likea lot of opportunity for gaining experience. Some Lanistaetook their gladiators on tour through different provinces, soone method to give them more exposure would be to putthem in a mobile gladiatorial troop. You may wish to increaseXP gains for gladiatorial bouts, if you feel they are comingtoo slowly to have an impact on play. If a character rises to10th level, it is likely they’ve already won their freedom. Ifthey desire to continue rising in ranks as a gladiator, theymay either select a new style and advance from level 1, orcontinue to allow them to rise, as per the progression indi-cated by the tables, and give them another Combat Advan-tage every even level. In addition, new gains in reputationmight give more money or preferential treatment, and per-haps the gladiator could gain yet another preferred opponent.

of their known world. Three new kinds of infantry armor wereadapted.

Lorica Segmentata, Lorica Squamata & LoricaHamataLorica Segmentata was a plated metal breastplate, the first trueplate armor, which still allowed arms and legs free for move-ment and maneuver. Lorica Squamata was a very dense scalemail, each scale being perhaps ½ inch to 2 inches in length.Held together like scale and lamellar, Lorica Squamata was aflexible dense armor that was in many ways superior to Scale.Lorica Hamata was a denser chainmail, under which a subar-malis would be worn. The Subarmalis (under armor, literally)was a padded undershirt.

The various forms of Lorica armor were used commonly dur-ing the second century A.D., although eventually Lorica Seg-mentata became too complex and expensive to manufacture,and armies relied more and more heavily on Squamata andHamata armor. Since, by this time, the army provided soldierswith their armor at public expense, the better kinds of armorwere worn by soldiers with higher rank. Thus, the bulk of sol-diers wore Hamata, while cohort leaders and standard bearerswere more likely to wear squamata, and officers would wearthe Segmentata.

Mail, Scale and PlateAs the cavalry developed the cataphracti became the only cav-alry units in Rome’s army to wear armor. Later the cataphractiwere reduced to chainmail while another type of unit, the

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Clibanariii, wore scale and plate mail, an incredibly dense andprotective armor that made an individual Clibanari like a livingtank. Most cavalry of this period carried lances, although theunarmored troops also carried iron javelins, pilum, or light warbows, as well as caltrops, primarily for use against cavalry.Prohibitively heavy, and dangerously unwieldy, those clibanariiwho wore these into battle were called oven men, due to theheat that would build up while riding in this armor. Later platearmor developments would prove superior to this design,which never saw use with foot troops.

Days of DeclineThe army became a vehicle to power in the Empire. Although itstill focused on putting down rebellion and expanding the powerof the Empire, it also began to play the game of Imperial politicsas well. Consuls and Proconsuls would engage in civil war to gainpower, and more than one Emperor was deposed by a militaryleader. Indeed, in the second century AD, the Empire of Romeexperienced 50 years of anarchy, where up to 30 generals weredeclared to be Emperors by individual army garrisons. Empire didnot bring stability to Rome. It brought weakness, increased fac-tionalism, and ultimately destruction.

Rome had grown too much. Diocletian, an emperor of the latesecond century, realized that no one man could rule theEmpire. Increased barbarian attacks made it clear that insurrec-tions in the east could not wait to be discovered by the westbefore they could be dealt with. Thus Diocletian establishedthe Tetrarchy. Four men were given the power that the Emperorpreviously wielded. Two co-Emperors ruled over portions ofRome, one in the East, another in the West. In addition, twoConsuls were established to control the army, each one region,who could operate independent from the Emperor, and move todeal with insurrection or attacks as they arose.

The army began to change roles, from a conquering force to apeacekeeping force. The army no longer journeyed beyond theborders of Rome, but repulsed invaders and fought against rev-olutionary forces. And the numbers were never enough. Inva-sions by various Gothic tribes, the Vandals, the Huns, as wellas rebellions in Gaul, Parthia, and Thracia left the Romanforces weak. Thus another law was passed that made all freepeople of Rome, regardless of Province, citizens. This allowedRome to recruit larger numbers of citizens into the legion, andthey could also offer citizenship to neighboring tribes inexchange for recruiting them into the army. Many Germanictribes readily accepted this offer, and since the Germans weregenerally larger, stronger, and more imposing than the Romans,they soon became the backbone of the Roman Army.

Constantine, one Emperor of the East, made changes that wouldlead to a great alteration of Europe. Constantine embraced Chris-tianity. Christians had be previously persecuted by Rome,blamed for many crimes (including the burning of Rome duringNero’s reign) and general weakness. Constantine’s mother,though, converted to Christianity, and it seems likely his notabletolerance was mainly due to her influence. After campaigning

37. Scale and Plate Mail; 38. Steel Plated Leather

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against Western Rome, which was floundering in miss manage-ment, Constantine put an end to certain elite units in Rome, andremodeled both armies to stress cavalry and recruit auxiliariesfor infantry. Later Constantine would declare tolerance of Chris-tianity, and then he would declare Christianity the religion ofRome. Although Constantine did not convert to Christianityhimself until he was on his deathbed, the grant of freedom toworship legitimized Christianity, and they began to proselytizeactively. Since most religions of the period were not so activelyseeking members, Christianity appealed to many as a vibrantreligion, and their membership increased rapidly. Christianity’sfocus on the importance of human life and peace caused a gen-eral decline in interest in the infantry, which made the Romansmore and more dependant on the Germans.

In order to encourage more German immigration, Romeoffered Germany land in Gaul. The Germans, who had alwayshad interest in the fertile lands of Gaul, accepted this offereagerly. Thus Rome itself precipitated the collapse of mainlandgaullic society, which fell under wave after wave of Germanicimmigrants. Eventually the Franks would become the dominanttribe in Gaul, and it would be the Franks, rather than the Gallicpeople, who would determine the future of that region.

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Despite Constantine’s efforts to strengthen the West, WesternRome would not hold. The Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, andVandals generally favored iron plated leather armor, largeshields, longswords, long lances, and throwing axes. LikeRome they favored cavalry, and fought relentlessly. At varioustimes the Goths would fight Rome together or ally with Romeagainst the other. Periodically Rome would be forced to paytribute to Gothic tribes after particularly bad losses, althoughthe Goths were not so interested in taking land.

Leather, Steel PlatedLight, flexible, and with the leather covering the steel plates onboth inside and out, this armor still left the Gothic warriors freeto move around, although not quite with the flexibility of scale.The weight, though, made this option seem more appealing tothe Gothic forces.

Longsword, Early SteelPotent, more prone to bending but also more flexible than theiron version, this longsword represents some of the earlyadvances in steel alloys. The addition of carbon to the iron mixmade these longswords lighter, without sacrificing blade

39. Early Steel Longsword; 40. Early Steel Throwing Axe; 41. Hunnic Horse Bow; 42. Sheaf Arrow; 43. Flight Arrow; 44. HunnicEarly Steel Saber; 45. Lariat

39

40

41

42

43

44

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strength or damage. Favored by all the Germanic tribes, thisbecame the basis for the modern longsword.

Throwing Axe, Early SteelThrowing axes were used exclusively by the Germanic tribes,usually as a precursor to a charge. Although not barbed, throw-ing axes that do more than half base damage should be consid-ered lodged, as per the rules for barbed weapons. The versionabove was an early steel variant, lighter and more flexible thanits precursor.

The HunsThe Huns were a tribe from the east, having crossed Siberia,the Urals, and Eastern Europe. They were likely related to theMongols, and wore light leather and leather lamellar armor,and favored a variety of armaments. They carried a unique kindof horse bow, light lances, spears, lariats, curved sabers, stoneaxes, and leather whips. They also carried three kinds ofarrows, based on range. Short Range Arrows were made withlozenge shaped armor piercing heads. Medium Range Arrowswere the equivalent of normal arrows. Their long range arrowswere thin and extremely long, meant to fly far and to preventlighter forces from closing quickly. The Huns preferred to keeptheir enemies in bow range, and to flee to a safe distance ifclosed with. They also used light chariots, like the Celts. TheHuns, like the Goths, extracted a heavy tribute from Rome, andalmost sacked the city of Rome before accepting a tribute, sup-posedly, of a thousand pounds of gold. The leader of the Huns,Atilla, was both respected and feared by the Romans, and hewould hold much of Rome hostage, entreating with Popes andEmperors, until assassinated by an ill-chosen wife.

Bow, Hunnic HorseThe Hunnic bow is a relative of the Mongol bow, and is useablefrom horseback. Made to fire while the horse is in full motion,its lowered grip is intended to make it easier to fire on either sideof the rider. The Huns used various kinds of ammunition, includ-ing short range sheaf arrows and long range flight arrows.

Arrow, SheafSheaf arrows are heavier and have an iron head intended topierce armor. This gives the sheaf arrow a +1 to hit bonusagainst anyone wearing any kind of armor (the armor is lesseffective at protecting the wearer). In addition, if the arrowdoes do damage to the armor, that damage is at a +1, due to itsadded effectiveness against armor.

Arrow, FlightThe Flight arrow is intended to fly farther, and is lighter andthinner than a standard arrow, but is more fragile and less dam-aging, doing 1 less point of damage, to a minimum of 1.

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Saber, Hunnic Early SteelThe prototype of the later slavic saber, this saber was slightlyshorter and more curved, but effective at slashing strikes.Intended to be used mostly from horseback, it often had embel-lishment, as Hunnic warriors would inscribe victories, familymarks, and decoration of their sword blades in their spare time.A rare number of these sported golden hilts, often made fromthe many gold tributes the Huns extracted from Rome.

LariatEffectively a rope used for combat purposes, the lariat wasgenerally 20 feet, although it could be longer. Used to lasso rid-ers and pull them from their mounts, the lariat is an exoticweapon, whose maximum range is its length. If you hit, the tar-get is entangled. An entangled creature is a -2 on attack rolls,and a -4 penalty on effective Dexterity. The entangled creaturecan only move at half speed and cannot charge or run. If anopposed Strength Check is succeeded, can be used to limit themovement of the entangled foe by the length of the rope. If theopposed Strength Roll is succeeds by 3 or more, you can opt topull the victim from his horse, inflicting falling damage. If anentangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must succeed at aConcentration check (DC 15) or be unable to cast the spell. Thestrength of a mount can be added to any opposed strength rollif the rope is attached to the pommel.

The entangled creature can escape with an Escape Artist check(DC 20) that is a full-round action. This rope has 3 hit points,and a hardness of 1. The rope’s length is shortened by 1d6 feetevery time this occurs, but it can be used effectively until it isonly 6 feet long. A rope can be burst with a Strength check (DC25, also a full-round action).

A rope is only useful against creatures between Tiny and Largesize, inclusive.

The Fall of RomeThe final blow to Imperial Rome would not come from an out-side invader, but from the very Germans who became the back-bone of Rome’s army. More and more Rome relied on allies todefend itself, and in the end the last Emperor of Rome, RomulusAugustus, was deposed by his own soldiers and allies, whoestablished a German Monarchy in Ravenna to administer whatremained of Western Rome. Eastern Rome would try to recoverwhat it could of the West, but the Germans allowed EasternRome little success, and the Eastern Empire, based in Constan-tinople, would eventually survive independently as the Empireof Byzantium. The Roman era ended in the hands of the Ger-mans, left much of Europe unprotected, dominated by variousGermanic tribes, and in its own Dark Age.

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Table 4-5: Roman WeaponsSimple Weapons-Melee Weapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HPTiny

Cestus* 6sp x2 2.5 lbs B L 3/8Cestus, Spiked* 1.2gp 1d4 x2 3 lbs P LM 4/9Pugio* 1gp 1d6-1 x2 3 lbs P M 6/9

SmallBranding Iron* 6sp 1d3+1 x2 1.5 lbs B M 3/5


Dart, Bronze 3sp 1d4 x2 20ft 1.5 lbs P MW 5/5Dart, Iron 4sp 1d4 x2 20ft 1.5 lbs P MW 6/5

Medium-SizeJavelin, Iron-tipped Heavy 1gp 2d3 x2 30ft 4 lbs P MW 6/12Pilum, Heavy* 7gp 1d8 x3 30ft 7 lbs P WM 4/19Pilum, Light* 5gp 1d6 x3 30ft 5 lbs P WM 4/13


Axe, Throwing Bronze 6gp 1d6 x2 10ft 4.5 lbs S MW 5/14Axe, Throwing Early Steel 7.5gp 1d6 x2 10ft 4 lbs S MW 7/12Axe, Throwing Iron 7gp 1d6 x2 10ft 4.5 lbs S MW 6/14Gladius 9gp 1d6 19–20/x2 4 lbs P M 6/10Lance, Light Iron†a 5gp 1d6 x3 5.5 lbs P M 6/12

Medium-SizeLongsword, Early Steel 14gp 1d8 19–20/x2 4 lbs S M 7/8Saber, Hunnic Early Steel 12gp 1d6 18–20/x2 3 lbs S M 7/6Sica 13gp 1d6 18–20/x2 5 lbs S M 6/10Spatha 12gp 1d8 19–20/x2 5 lbs S M 6/10Trident, Iron Headeda 13gp 1d8 x2 10ft 6 lbs P M 6/12

LargeAxe, Iron Double Headed Battle 16gp 1d10 x3 15 lbs S M 6/30Falx, Dacian* 25gp 1d12 19–20/x2 9 lbs S MW 6/18

Martial Weapons-RangedMedium-Size

Bow, Hunnic Horse 85gp 1d6 x3 100ft 3 lbs Per arrow W 5/9Exotic Weapons-MeleeSmall

Flagellum* 8gp 1d2§ x2 1.5 lbs S C 3/5Scourge, Metal* 1gp 1d4 x2 2 lbs S CM 3/6

Exotic Weapons-RangedMedium-Size

Lariat* 4sp 20ft 4 lbs S C 2/8Net, Retiarii* 20gp 10ft 10 lbs L 3/12

Weapons Ranged-AmmunitionArrow, Sheaf 2gp -10ft 3.5 lbs P WM 2/4Arrow, Flight 2gp -1 +10ft 2.5 lbs P WM 2/3Bullet, Clay Sling 3cp 1d3 -- -- 3.5 lbs B S 2/4


115

116


Table 4-6: Roman Armor


Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure


Light ArmorChainmail Shirt, Bronze 80gp +4 +4 -2 20% 30ft/20ft 27lbs M 5/54Chainmail Shirt, Iron 90gp +4 +4 -2 20% 30ft/20ft 26lbs M 6/52

Medium ArmorChainmail, Bronze 130gp +5 +2 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 42lbs M 5/84Chainmail, Iron 140gp +5 +2 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 41lbs M 6/82Hides, Heavy 35gp +3 +4 -3 20% 20ft/15ft 25lbs L 5/50Leather, Steel Plated 85gp +4 +2 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 26lbs L 7/52

Heavy ArmorLorica Hamata 170gp +5 +2 -5 30% 20ft*/15ft* 41lbs M 6/82Lorica Segmentata 185gp +5 +3 -4 30% 20ft*/15ft* 39lbs M 6/78Lorica Squamata 180gp +5 +3 -5 30% 20ft*/15ft* 41lbs M 6/82Mail, Iron Scale and Chain 190gp +6 +0 -7 35% 20ft*/15ft* 39lbs M 6/78Mail, Scale and Plate 465gp +7 +0 -8 40% 20ft*/15ft* 51lbs M 6/102

ShieldsScutum 18gp +2 -2 15% 15lbs MW 6/30

Gladiator ArmorGalea# 60gp +1 0% 10lbs M 6/20Galerus# 45gp +1 15% 7lbs M 6/14Girdle# 30gp +1 0% 9lbs LM 5/18Greave# 20gp +0.5 0% 3lbs M 6/6Leather Arm Wrappings# 10gp +0.5 15% 3lbs L 4/6Manica# 25gp +1 20% 6lbs L 5/18Open Faced Helm# 35gp +1 0% 6lbs M 6/12

# See the description in the text for special rules.* When running in heavy armor you move only triple your speed, not quadruple.** The tower shields grants you cover. See the description.† Hand not free to cast spells.‡ Armor fitted for small characters weighs half as much.

The Far East

Ancient China 119Combat Maneuver: Sword Breaking 121The Warring States Period 122Qin Rule & the Steel Era 124

India 126Alternate Hides 126The Spread of Buddhism 127

The Han Dynasty 128Han Expansion 130Tibet 130The Red Eyebrows 131The Turks 132The Chin Dynasty 132

The Gupta Empire 132The Fall of the Guptas 133A Brief Flourishing 133

The Wudan Movement 135Improvised Weapon Training 143The Tang Period 144

Conquest 145The Persians 148Not Weapons 148The End of an Era 148

The Great Ride 149Guns and Reliability 151

Elite Mongol Horsemen (Prestige Class) 153The Successors 154

The Ming Dynasty 154Guang Hu Adventurer (Prestige Class) 155Creating your Guang Hu School 157Developments in Armor & Weapons 157Indian Contributions 158The Moghuls 161European Colonialism 161

Other Notables 161Nepal 161Okinawa 162Malaysia & Indonesia 162Weapons Used in Kuanto and Pentjak 163Tribal and Civil weapons 164

Japan 166Outside Influences 167The Samurai System 167Ninja 171Ninja (Prestige Class) 173The Edo Shogunate 174New Perform Subskills: 175Samurai (Prestige Class) 176Table 5-5: Far East Weapons 178Table 5-6: Far East Armor 184

117


“The abbot has admitted Ta Mo!”

Wu Zhengde looked up and blinked the water from his eyes.The brush stood stiff as a tree, clamped in his crampedhands. The words still floated in his mind, clouding histhoughts...

...clinging to views, clinging to doctrines, without describingthe full understanding of clinging to rules and observancesand clinging to a doctrine of self...

“What?” Wu Zhengde stammered.

“The abbot was up on the wall, talking with Ta Mo again.They spoke for a long time, and then the abbot said to lethim in.”

Wu Zhengde struggled to remember who Ta Mo was. Aftera few moments it came back to him. Ta Mo: the trouble-maker. Ta Mo had come from lands south, from the home ofthe great Buddha. Wu Zhengde tried to recall Ta Mo’s truename. Bodhidharma? It sounded right. Ta Mo had come tospeak with the Emperor, about the transcription of texts.Word from the capitol was that Ta Mo and the Emperordisagreed on the merit of transcribing the sacred texts, andTa Mo had been asked to leave the Imperial City. Why hehad come to plague this temple was beyond Wu Zhengde toexplain. They were a relatively new temple, built on theedge of reforested land, and their work was mainly in copy-ing sacred texts.

When Ta Mo had first come, the abbot turned him away.The abbot was concerned that Ta Mo would try and stir upcontroversy in the temple, as he did in the Emperor’s Court.But Ta Mo persisted. He returned every day for a week,then he appeared to leave. But Monks sent to gather sup-plies came back telling tales of Ta Mo living in the area,having taken up residence in a cave. That had been monthsand months ago.

“Ta Mo came back?” Wu Zhengde asked.

“Yes, and he’s asked to see all the monks. Come quickly.”

“Easy for you to say,” Wu Zhengde exhorted the novice. Hetried to relax his hand, but it took massaging it to get thefingers to unclamp. Then came the arduous process of leav-ing his chair, and the painful process of stretching. The hallswere empty when he made his way out of copy room andinto the main temple proper.

In the courtyard the monks were assembled, but the abbotwas nowhere to be seen. Someone was speaking loudly in thecenter of the assemblage. Wu Zhengde moved closer.

“...all I see is complacency. The teachings of Buddhismaren’t merely for the eyes. They must be practiced in allfacets of life. What meditations are you currently workingon?” The voice paused, and Wu Zhengde edged his way intothe gathered monks, so he could see the speaker. A shortman, with a wide frame and raven hair stood with his backto Wu Zhengde, looking at the passive, speechless monks.

“I see...” Ta Mo nodded, and turned to survey the wholeassemblage. “So the monks of Shaolin do not even practicethe meditations?” His eyes finally landed on Wu Zhengde.

His eyes were dark and piercing. They burned with inten-sity, and they seemed to make the air crackle with Ta Mo’senergy. Wu Zhengde knew instinctively that this man wasgazing into his very soul, and perceiving every fault anderror. Eyes like his could cut through flesh, and convict thesoul. Wu Zhengde now understood how the abbot was con-vinced to let him in. Eyes that could bore through stone,even.

“What is your name, father,” Ta Mo asked of Wu Zhengde.

“Wu Zhengde, Master.”

“What do you do here, Father Wu?”

“I am a copyist. I copy the sacred texts.” Wu Zhengdesmiled, blinking his watery eyes, and doing his best to showthe real pride he bore for his sacred works.

“Is that all?” Ta Mo asked. When he was Wu Zhengde fal-ter, he continued. “What were you transcribing?”

“On the nature of clinging,” Wu Zhengde answered.

“Fitting,” Ta Mo answered, addressing the gathered. “WhatI see here is a monastery clinging to observances, rules, andhabits, without honoring them. You have become compla-cent in your traditions, and it makes you weak, even to neg-lect the meditations. While I am here, this will change.Through discipline you will find meaning.”

Ta Mo strode forward, and took Wu Zhengde by the hand.Selecting a larger monk, Ta Mo drew them both into thecenter. “Now, Father Wu, strike your fellow monk.”

Wu Zhengde was stunned speechless.

“Strike him. Do not tell me you are afraid you will hurthim.”

Wu Zhengde saw the smirks in the circle, and steeled hishand. He threw a feeble punch, and barely struck the largermonk’s torso.

“No. You put no energy into that. Focus your energy intoyour fist.” Ta Mo showed a fist.

Wu Zhengde’s second punch was no better than the first.The Ta Mo took a hold of Wu Zhengde’s hand. “Hold yourhand like this.” Ta Mo’s hand curled the aged monk’s into afist, and held it together almost impossibly hard. It almosthurt. “Now, when you throw your fist, push from here,” TaMo indicated a muscle on the shoulder, “and here,” a muscleon the back, “and here,” a muscle on the leg. Wu Zhengdedid not understand, but he tried, clenching his hand even asTa Mo let go. He pushed with one fluid motion, and for amoment every muscle seemed to contribute to the punch.Wu Zhengde struck his fellow monk, and the larger monk

118

TThhee FFaarr EEaasstt

stumbled backwards and landed on his seat. There was acollective gasp of surprise.

Ta Mo smiled at Wu Zhengde. “Thank you, Father. Neverdoubt your chi.” Then he turned to the assemblage. “We willbegin a new regimen tomorrow morning. You all have muchto learn of being a true monk, and much discipline to learn.There will be meditations, exercises, a strict diet, and lesscopying. Words are only as important as their practice. Iwill expect much of you. More, probably, than you expectof yourself. But if you persevere, you will understand thetrue nature of the teachings of the Buddha, and the templeof Shaolin will stand as a center of true wisdom for all ofChina.” Ta Mo gazed around the gathering, his piercing gazestriking each and every one of the attending.

Wu Zhengde still felt the warmth in his hand from thepunch he threw. Bowing, he spoke, “Welcome to ShaolinTemple, Ta Mo.”

The others, as if on cue, did likewise. “Welcome to ShaolinTemple.”

Ancient China

While Greece was still mired in its dark age, the ShangDynasty came to a close, ushered out by the rise in power

of the Zhou, a frontier tribe lead by a charismatic chieftain.Records make it clear that the Zhou were not considered Chineseby the people who wrote about them, but the fame of their earlyrule, particularly that of the first two kings, King Wen and KingWu, were considered to be of such great benevolence and wis-dom that hundreds of years later they would be held up asparagons of virtue and righteous rulers. The Zhou practiced char-iot warfare, much like the Shang before them, and the chariotwas the mainstay of the Chinese armies, which were lead andmanned by the aristocracy. Evidence suggests that the Zhouprobably came from an area similar to where the Hittites origi-nated, and they might have had some relation to the Hittites andScythians.

The Zhou instituted what is often referred to as a Chinese Feudalsystem. The European Feudal system was typified by granting offiefdoms to members of aristocracy in order to decentralize gov-ernance of a nation, but this does not entirely fit the Zhou formof Feudalism. The Zhou practiced strong intermarriage as a formof creating bonds of loyalty, and required frequent ratification ofrulership among the leaders they established. Thus a duke mighthave the approval of the King, but his chosen heir might lose thekingdom to another upon inheritance. During the period of theShang the oldest surviving brother of the former ruler inheritedlands, but the Zhou changed the inheritance to the eldest son.This alteration angered more ‘Chinese’ subjects, and lead tosome weakening of Zhou rule.

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1a. Ge (closeup); 1b. Ge; 2a. Bronze Jian; 2b. Jian; 3. Chinese Knife; 4a. Bronze Qiang; 4b. Qiang variation; 4c. Qiang variation

1a

1b

3

2a 2b4a 4b 4c


While the Shang relied on bronze and stone technology to armtheir armies, the Zhou began to experiment with iron. This ironexperimentation was loose and rare, and there was often morewrought ironwork and iron in decorations than there were on thebattlefield. We cannot be certain how extensive ironwork wasduring the early or ‘Western’ period of Zhou rule, mainlybecause iron does not persist through the ages as well as bronzedoes. The Zhou used both bronze and iron versions of the Ge,Jian (straight sword), Qiang (spear), Fu (axe), Dao (saber orcurved blade), mace, knife, and arrow. Staves of various compo-sitions were common weapons, especially for the commoners.Leather armor and Leather Lamellar were the main forms ofarmor used by the military well into the 700’s CE, as iron armorwas expensive and heavy, and armies were so large as to makecommon usage of iron armor impractical.

GeThe Ge made the translation into iron during this period. A thin,dagger-like blade attached near the top of a stick 2 to 4 feet inlength, the Ge is close to being a dagger-bladed axe or pick. TheGe was the primary weapon of the Chinese military, followed by

the Jian, Dao, And Qiang, and was the predecessor of the Fangand the Halberd.

JianStraight swords in China were usually double edged, and werefrequently decorated at the hilt. Oftentimes the hilts and pom-mels would be made of brass or plated with gold, especially ifthe wielder owned the sword and had money to spend on suchappearances. Carried as often as the Dao, the Jian would see usethroughout Chinese history, and most straight double-edgedswords would follow this mold.

Chinese KnifeChinese knives were generally curved, rather than straight,although straight examples can be found. Curved blades are gen-erally easier to unsheathe quickly, since the action of drawingthem also helps to ready them. The Chinese knife was an often-traded item, and most neighboring peoples would possess them,an easy way for modern day archaeologists to track Chineseinfluence among other ancient peoples.

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5a. Fu variation; 5b. Fu variation; 5c. Fu; 6. Dao; 7. Iron Grain Sword; 8. Short Staff; 9. Mace Staff; 10. Double Mace

5a

5b

5c

6

7

8 9 10


QiangThe Qiang is a long fighting spear, not intended for throwing.The Qiang was used much like the spears of most other Bronzeand Iron Age empires, usually en-mass, set against a charge orleading a formation to prevent attacks and injure the unwary.Although tassels from weapons from this age have long ago rot-ted away, current practices of the spearhead being ringed withtassels can be seen in diagrams and paintings of the day, suggest-ing that this practice may have started during this time.

FuThe Fu was not a military weapon. Some Fu were about thelength of a hatchet, while others were longer. The Fu was prima-rily a bodyguard’s weapon, and a personal guard usually bearingFu would often accompany nobles and aristocrats. Often theworkmanship of these Fu was incredible, with family symbols,elegant forms, and artwork covering the blades. Weapons werefar more acceptable in polite society if their design was aestheti-cally pleasing.

DaoThe Dao, or curved saber, is a rather generic sword used in theChinese military. Dao from this ancient period were generallythe same thickness as the Jian, and were one-handed weaponsonly. Later developments of the Dao would look more like ascimitar or falchion, or would be two handed, but the early Daowas merely a curved version of the straight sword.

Grain SwordAn offshoot of the Dao, the Grain sword took a number of forms,usually with a heavier blade. Some versions had indentations onthe unsharpened edge, slots with small bends in them, whichwere intended for sword breaking. Similar in form to certainthreshers, it is this pattern that gives them their name. The statsfor the Grain Sword given at the end of this chapter are for theGrain Sword with the sword-breaking indentations. Use of thisweapon permits the sword-breaking maneuver.

Short Staff and Mace StaffShort staves, usually two or three feet in length, composedentirely of bronze or iron, were uncommon weapons used duringthis period. Essentially a metal club, their weight gives themextra strength for blows, and their size allows them to be carriedby aristocrats, nobles, and just about anyone who might need alittle self protection. A variant of this staff bore a mace head onone end, and the length allowed the mace’s impact to beimproved slightly.

Double MaceA strange hybrid of the Mace Staff, this is a two to three footstaff with a mace head at one end, a bound handle in the centerof the staff, and another mace head below the handle. The Dou-ble Mace was an exotic weapon, rarely used, but effective asboth a mace and a brutal punching weapon. The second macehead, as a light weapon, can be used during a grapple or closecombat.

Archer’s Thumb RingNot really a weapon, the thumb ring is an item common toarchers of this period, usually a loop of bone used to aid in thedraw and firing of a bow. Archers who use the thumb ring mayignore the first point of fatigue they accrue, although this onlyaffects their performance while firing a bow. Otherwise alleffects of fatigue apply.

It was during the late Western Zhou period that the crossbow wasalso invented. At first machined with bronze parts, it would laterbe made with more durable iron. China had a love affair with thecrossbow that the west never had. Crossbows could be given toanyone, including untrained commoners, and could be fired bothaccurately and far. Simple, dangerous, easy to use, and requiringlittle practice, the crossbow fundamentally changed the style ofbattle in China. As we will see in later periods, the crossbow wasthe mainstay of any Chinese army, like the spear was in theBronze Age and the sword in the medieval period.

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Combat Maneuver: Sword BreakingCertain items may be specified as being capable of performingsword breaking maneuvers. Such items are particularly effec-tive at breaking swords and certain bladed non-swordweapons. A good rule of thumb is that if the weapon has 6 ormore inches of blade length, and the blade is less than 6 inchesin width, the weapon can be damaged by a sword breakmaneuver. This can include weapons like the naginata, sicklemace, etc.

A sword break maneuver may normally be attempted in eitheran active manner or a passive one. An active sword break isperformed as per Striking to Break, (see the durability rules inthe appendix), and the sword breaking item gains an automatic+3 to any strikes to break.

A passive sword break is less work for the weapon bearer, butis less likely to occur. A player attempting to passively use thesword break maneuver must elect to fight using a defensivestyle, either Fighting Defensively or through elective Exper-tise reductions. If, during the course of combat, your opponentshould strike your weapon on the strike chart, the defensivestrategy has paid off, and you have caught the attackers blade,may now attempt a sword break as a free maneuver, withoutprompting an attack of opportunity. Since your opponent hasplayed into your gambit, you need not make the standardopposed strike checks, but simply proceed with the rules forStrike to Break as if you succeeded. Roll damage as normalfor both weapons (using the sword breaking weapon's damageroll, rather than your opponent's weapon damage roll), thencheck to see if the break roll succeeds. Note that the strike tobreak bonus for sword breaking weapons does not apply to apassive break attempt.


Light CrossbowThe first crossbow was likely a bow set on a wooden stock, withan indentation for the thumb or a finger at one end, to allow thebow to be held drawn and fired when needed. The first recordedcrossbows of the Zhou period were made with bronze or ironparts, and were designed, so that pressing a trigger released thethring for the shooter. Made to fire metal darts or Quarrels, thecrossbow swiftly became the staple of the Chinese military, andevery soldier carried one.

The Warring States PeriodThe Zhou spread their influence by marriage and diplomacyacross much of Northern China, unifying most of the major war-lords and regions under the Zhou king. But the Zhou had troublefrom the nomadic horse tribes that lived in the Northern Steppes.The Ronds and the Di enjoyed raiding northern territories, andthe beleaguered Zhou found that mountainous terrain was notgood for chariot warfare. Thus a transition to infantry stylearmies began to occur, but not swiftly enough to stop a Rondraid into the heart of Zhou territory. The mounted Ronds wereable to strike at the Zhou capitol, and in that raid they killed theZhou king. His heir was a young boy so a regency was requiredwith the Duke of Zhou, the king’s brother, standing as regentuntil the king was old enough to rule. The capitol of Zhou wasthen moved farther east, into more civilized lands, so as to pre-vent another assassination of this kind.

The Zhou never recovered their power, and the many regions ofChina held allegiance to the Zhou in word only. War was foughtbetween regions, and new warlords came to power, declaringthemselves rulers of whatever lands they could conquer. Duringthis time, chronicled in a history called the Spring and AutumnPeriod, the Zhou rule was nominal at best, only effective when amajority of the states believed the matter was important. At onetime there were 170 states in the Zhou kingdom, but over timewar reduced this number to only seven. These seven states (Qi,Chu, Yan, Hann, Zhao, Wei and Qin) all had unique culturalidentities, and they often vied with each other for the most powerin the region. As the feudal wars between these nations esca-lated, China entered the Warring States period, which would seeimmense change in the practice of warfare in China.

As mentioned before, the Aristocracy had previously manned thearmy. However, this lead to a reduction in the population of theAristocracy. Other families were recruited to help maintain thestates of the Aristocracy, and this second aristocratic class, theShi, became prominent. Governors, stewards, and members ofthe bureaucracy, the Shi were often not replaced when a newstate took power. Instead they were usually kept in place or shuf-fled to new areas, thus making many Shi apolitical. Since mili-tary prowess was highly celebrated among the Aristocrats, theybegan to practice the Wushu, or Martial Methods during thisperiod. The Wushu traditions involved weapons practice, martialdiscipline, hand-to-hand fighting, throws, and physical develop-ment. The Wushu traditions would develop throughout history,and would be the core of the Wudan movement. They would be

modified by religion, by social class (as the methods practicedamong aristocracy were very different than those practicedamong the peasantry), and by social events that would changethe focus of martial training. The Martial Arts we know todaycome from this Wushu tradition, but it is difficult to determineexactly how much of what we have today is what was practicedduring the beginning of the tradition.

The Warring States period started about 100 years beforeAlexander would rise to power in Macedonia, when the state ofQi was destroyed by a the Tian clan. This destruction of a majorState lead to a power vacuum, and the other states finally offi-cially ignored the Zhou rulers and focused on warring amongthemselves, in order to make sure that when the dust settled onestate would have the advantage over the others. This lead to Stateleaders taking on the title of King (which previously had beenused only for the Zhou emperor), and the seven states (reformedQi under the power of Tian, Chu, Yan, Hann, Zhao, Wei, andQin) continued this internecine war. During this period a mastersmith, Ou Yezi is reputed to have begun development of theLungchan weapons, named for their region. A number of theseweapons would see intermittent military use, although theywould eventually become part of the Wudan movement. In theend the state of Qin finally took prominence, just about the timethat Rome was consolidating power in the Italic Peninsula.

Sword, Seven StarMade in the Lungchan region, the Seven Star Sword was namedfrom the seven streams that pass through the valley. A lightstraight edged sword, this was Ou Yezi’s ultimate version of theJian, and it set the standard for straight edged swords for manygenerations. Owners of a seven star sword took pride in theircraftsmanship and design, and kept them in places of honor.Seven star swords often sported tassels.

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Zhou as Campaign SettingThe Zhou period is an excellent early period to consider run-ning a Chinese campaign. Choosing some time in the Springand Autumn period or the Warring States period means thatthere will be an abundance of small kingdoms, each vying forpersonal power, and willing to hire heroes to help them estab-lish dominance. Do the heroes wish to support the ineffectualEmperor, and help him restore his rule, bringing back the for-mer glory and beneficent rulership of that bygone era? Or willthey gather behind another ruler, and press his claim to thethrone? Fighter types will likely be members of the flourishingWushu movement, stressing perfection in the martial arts, andtheir constant drive will be to perfect their martial form.Monks may be from the south, Hindus, perhaps, or if it is lateenough in the Warring States period, Indian Buddhist Monksout to proselytize China. Clerics are likely not dedicated togods, since religion during this period was considered therefuge only of the desperate, however they might be membersof the ancestor worship cults. Magic Users are likely Daoistscholars, controlling the fluctuating forces shaping reality,learning to manipulate the five elements in their static and


Kwandao, IronThis double weapon bears a rounded chopping blade on one endof a pole, and a spearhead on the other. The Kwandao’s bladehas a small hooked protuberance on the back of the blade that isintended to facilitate disarms. This hook grants a +1 bonus onthe user’s opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm anopponent, including the roll to keep from being disarmed if theyfail their disarm attempt. If used as a double weapon, the wielder

incurs all penalties associated with fighting with two weapons asif they were using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. Avariant of the Kwandao, the Bisento, would eventually be devel-oped in Japan, which would not have the secondary spearhead.The Bisento is not a dual weapon.

Sword, Iron PudaoThis two handed chopping sword’s grip is nearly the same lengthas the blade. The wide handle allows easy shifting of stances, andthe chopping blade can be quite brutal. These weapons were notquite practical for the battlefield, since wielders could not usethem in tight formation, due to the required maneuvers. Should anally pass through the same square or hex of a Pudao wielder dur-ing the combat turn, the Pudao wielder incurs a -2 circumstancepenalty to their to hit rolls for that round.

Monk’s Spade, IronThis weapon, along with the Monk’s Cudgel, was developed formonastery defense. The monk’s spade is a shovel adapted to bat-tle. The shovel blade is flat, rather than curved, and the edge issharpened. At the other end of the staff is a curved crescentblade, whose midpoint meets the staff. This is a double weapon,and if used this way, the wielder incurs all penalties associated

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11. Light Crossbow; 12. Light Crossbow Quarrels; 13. Seven Star Sword; 14. Kwandao; 15. Pudao; 16. Monk's Cudgel; 17. Monk'sSpade; 18. Tiger Fork

11

12

13

14 15 16 17 18

dynamic states. This period is unique among ancient settingssince, although most societies of this period believed theywere at the height of their development, most Chinese of thetime believed the golden age had already past,. Good attentionto detail could make this highly compelling.

The falling numbers of the Aristocracy also promoted reformsin major states, taking the defense of the populace from beinga responsibility of the Aristocracy and making it the obligationof the peasant class. This change allowed large armies to beraised, and the focus of warfare shifted from chariots toinfantry, with armies during the Warring State Period reachingnumbers as high as 600,000 men. This change in emphasisoccurred after the failures by Zhou and State forces against theDi and Rond horse tribes, and it lead to consolidation ofstrength in the states.


with fighting with two weapons as if they were using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon.

Cudgel, Monk’sThis weapon is a mace head on the end of a long staff. Usuallymeasuring 4 feet in length, the Monks cudgel is a two handedmace designed to help defend monasteries. Usually held over thehead and swung in wide arcs, this weapon gave the aggressivedefender a chance to mercilessly pound invaders from atopdefensive walls. A version of the Monk’s Cudgel, called the Tet-subo, was later developed in Japan and was otherwise identicalin statistics to the Monk’s Cudgel.

Tiger Fork, IronThe Tiger Fork is a trident developed specifically to hunt tigers.Tigers were a constant threat in the forests of southern and west-ern China, and the peasants found that the trident was an apt hunt-ing weapon, since its multiple tines gave a wielder a better chanceof catching a tiger in mid-pounce. The side tines of the Tiger Forkare curved slightly outward, so as to better catch an unexpectedcharge. The Tiger Fork can be set against a charge. A variant ofthe Tiger Fork incorporates a spearhead onto the other end of theweapon, making it a double weapon. This variant cannot be setagainst a charge, and if used as a double weapon, you incur allpenalties associated with fighting with two weapons as if youwere using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon.

Tamo, IronAn excellent hidden weapon, the Tamo appears to be a woodenstick only slightly longer than a foot, capped with metal at bothends. When needed, however, the Tamo user can reveal that thestick is in fact two daggers sheathed together. This excellent dualweapon makes a nasty surprise for those who do not expect thedeception, and might well be as useful for a wizard or sorcerer asfor a fighter, since the Tamo might well pass for a wand after abrief inspection.

Qin Rule & the Steel EraThe Qin rule was relatively short in comparison to most dynas-ties. They lasted 14 years, only to be toppled by the Han dynasty.But during Qin rule a number of interesting changes in militarypractice took place. First, true steel making, using forced air andadvanced smithing techniques, was started during this period.The stronger metal, flexible yet durable, gave Chinese forces themost effective weaponry of their period, and Europe would takeages to match this feat. There was also experimentation withalternate forms of armor, made from exotic materials such aspaper, cord, and unusual animal hides. Though none of thesearmors saw extensive use in the military, certain cultural groupsand occupations retained their manufacture, which would lead toempowerment of the general populace. This is not to say thatmost peasants owned or wore armor, but rather that it was oftenpossible for someone not in the military to purchase and usearmor, which is not often the case throughout history. Mostnotable is that the Qin dynasty was responsible for the First

Great Wall of China. Built upon the base of a mountain rangeseparating certain portions of Northern China and Asia from thebulk of more civilized China, the first Great Wall was neither aslong nor as tall as the modern version. It was established prima-rily to stave off tribes like the Ronds and Uighur, who were mak-ing frequent raids.

Steel FangUnlike many of the other common weapons of china, the Gewould not last into the steel era. The Fang took the place of theGe during the Qin period, a superior design that was more effec-tive as a weapon. The Fang’s blade is L shaped, with one dagger-like blade pointing outwards from the haft and the other endthrusting up from the end of the haft. Thus the Fang could be likethe Ge was, as a chopping piercing weapon, and also like aspear, as a thrusting weapon. The Fang would see regular useuntil the halberd replaced it.

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19. Tamo; 20. Steel Fang; 21. Chu Ko Nu; 22. Quarrel, Steel;

Li Kwei- Double AxesLi Kwei was a hero who favored using twin axes. A Wushuadherent and martial artist, Li Kwei also dabbled in smithing,designing the characteristic style of axe that would bear hisname for more than two and a half millennia. Many onehanded weapons were paired during the Wushu movement,and heroes practiced to become masters of two-weapon com-bat. If you are considering playing a Chinese Setting or withChinese heroes, dual weapons should likely be more common,in fitting with the cultural climate.


Chu Ko NuThe Chu Ko Nu was a fascinating development of crossbowtechnology unique to China. The Chu Ko Nu sported a woodenbox over the loading mechanism of the crossbow, and an auto-matic loading mechanism controlled by a wooden handle at thebase of the box. Quarrels were loaded into the Chu Ko Nu, andcould be fired as swiftly as the weapon’s controller could lift anddrop the handle. Though the range and accuracy of the Chu KoNu left something to be desired, it became the favored weaponfor guards at city walls, the Great Wall, and fortifications, sinceit could be prepared and left ready for an attack, and, whenbraced, the to hit penalty was negated. Unless the Chu Ko Nu isbraced on a rock, wall, or other stable surface, a -2 to hit modi-fier must be added for each shot. The Chu Ko Nu can fire 2 shotsper turn. If a character may normally only make a single attackduring a combat round, they can still take the second shot at theirRanged Combat Bonus -5. The Chu Ko Nu’s ammunition boxcan hold up to 6 quarrels at a time.

Paper Armor, Chinese PiratePaper armor seems like an impossible concept. How couldsomething made of paper be protective enough to justify its use?To compound this, consider how paper reacts to contact withwater, and it seems doubly strange to consider pirates usingpaper as a defense. But the paper of this period was not the thin,light, fragile paper we use in the modern era. Thicker, with aheavier grain, and glued in many layers, paper armor was much

like the linen cuirass of the Greeks, which gained strength fromlaminating multiple layers together. Paper armor was extremelylight and, better than no armor at all, could be very practical toreplace after repeated use in combat. Eventually this kind ofarmor would be adapted by the Koreans and would become thetemplate for Jigap.

Corded ArmorCorded armor is composed of corded rope fiber, wrapped in alaborious pattern into the form of a suit of armor. This processcan take months to complete, and the cord must be wound andrewound to give the armor strength. Used primarily in SouthernChina, corded armor was never used by the military, and wasmore commonly seen on conscripts, monks, and mercenaries.Due to the expense that metal armor could be, corded armor wasoften the only alternative for those without wealth who desiredmore protection than leather would afford.

Hide Armor, RhinoAnother alternate armor was constructed out of Rhinoceros hide.This process, too, was arduous, and required great attention todetail. If properly cured, tanned, and dried, Rhino Hide Armorwas a very effective armor, if bulky. But Rhino hide is verythick, and the drying process required exact conditions. Fully25% of the time a suit of Rhino Hide Armor was made, the cur-ing process failed, and rot set in before it was complete. Rotcould invade the inner layers of the armor that the leatherwork-

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23. Chinese Paper Armor; 24. Corded Armor; 25. Rhino Hide Armor

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ing process couldn’t treat, and would eventually separate theheavy outer layer from the pliable inner leather layer. The resultwould often be armor that fell off of the combatant, fequently inthe middle of combat, when active movements stressed thearmor and promoted tearing and wear. If using the optionalmaterials rules, roll secretly to determine if a given suit has rot,and if it does, reduce the maximum and current Structural Ratingby 1 each week.

Another important development during the Qin dynasty was theestablishment of the Silk Road by the Turks. The Turks were anagglomeration of Turkish Central Asian tribes, commonly consid-ered barbarian tribes, although they practiced a great deal of com-merce throughout the region. As trade with Rome and Europeopened up a strong interest in silk, which was only made inChina, the Turks saw an opportunity for making great wealth, andthey established exclusive caravan routes through the region.China saw an incredible influx of wealth, and cultural exchange,and this allowed Turkish and Central Asian tribes to begin tomake inroads among the populations in western China, as well asallowing more regular communication with India, and thus allow-ing Buddhism more access to China. Although it did not immedi-ately have an effect on the military arts, the Silk Road wouldbecome the source of a great deal of conflict, invasion of foreignideas, and trade and contact with the West.

India

After the coming of Alexander a prominent king, Chang-dragupta Maurya, saw the potential for Empire in India.

Before this time India was ruled by limited sovereign states,which often left cities to determine their own administration, notunlike the situation in Medieval Germany. Changdragupta madewar against the strongest Kingdom (the Nandas) left in powerafter Alexander’s invasion in hopes of toppling the Alexander-friendly regime, and then he targeted Seleucus Nicator, the thenviceroy of the Indic holdings of Alexander’s Empire. Alexander,already flagging in health and trying to stabilize his unwieldyEmpire, could lend Seleucus little aid, and Changdragupta’svision and leadership made him an implacable foe. Seleucus lostbattle after battle against Changdragupta’s forces, until he wasforced to surrender all of the territory he had been given gover-nance over, including much of modern day Afghanistan and Pak-istan. This peace offering was sealed with the marriage ofSeleucus’s daughter to Changdragupta, and the Maurya Empirewas born.

Changdragupta united most of Northern India during his reign.His armies bore the benefits of their contact with Persia andMacedonia, using swords like the kopis and akinakes, battleaxes, maces, a kind of sickle, daggers, long spears, tridents,throwing sticks, bows, javelins, leather armor, studded leatherand bezainted leather, iron lamellar and small and large shields.Among those armaments would undoubtedly be the katar, astrictly Hindu weapon that is noted to be the oldest weapon inIndia. No examples of these weapons survive to the present, but

at this time it is assumed that the handle would have been craftedfrom a hard wood, and the blade from bronze or iron. The Mau-ryan army also used War Elephants as platforms and as chaoticjuggernauts of random violence. A form of barding was evendeveloped, made of leather, studded leather, bezainted leather, oriron lamellar, just for Elephants. Cavalry was not as widely used,although in time this knowledge would be exchanged along theSilk Road.

Bezainted LeatherBezainted Leather armor is leather with ring-shaped studs. Sincethe stud is larger, bezainted leather is more effective than regularstudded leather at turning blades. Since the stud is ring-shaped, italso has a better chance of halting thrusts and impaling weaponsthan the standard studded leather. A version of this armor wasmade for horses and elephants as barding.

KatarThe Katar is a Hindu weapon based on an entirely differentpremise than most daggers. The handle of the Katar is composedof two bars with a horizontal pair of handles between them. Thisallows the user to grasp the handle in their fist, and thrust withthe Katar blade as if punching. Generally the Katar was thelength of a short sword, although smaller versions, called punch-ing daggers, were known to exist.

VeecharovalA curved slashing weapon, often referred to as a sickle axe,although it most resembles a curved sword set off from itswooden haft, the Veecharoval is an ancient Indian weapon onlyfound among western tribes. The Veecharoval descends from thesickle, like so many other kinds of swords, but the sharpenededge is on the outside of the curve, rather than the inside. Madeof Bronze or Iron, these would have a subtle influence on thetwo main sword developments of India.

HoraThe Hora is a hand weapon used in much the same way asknuckledusters are today. Made from animal horn, the Hora isclutched in the hand, so that a jagged, sharp-edged portion proj-

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Alternate HidesLeather need not be from a cow. Often a culture wouldendorse one kind of animal for the majority of its hides, likeBison for the Native Americans, or Cattle for Europe. Butleather in the Far East could often be taken from tigers, goats,deer, or horses, as well as cattle. In India, where Hindu societyprohibited the killing of cows, leather had to come fromanother source, and besides the animals already mentioned,that leather sometimes came even from elephants. In a fantasyworld, these alternate hides and leather armors might well beparticularly prone to certain enchantments, such as deer armorwith movement enchantments or tiger armor with offensiveenchantments.


ects from the front of the fist. Like the Katar, the Hora is aweapon used in the same manner that a person punches. A per-son making an attack with a Hora automatically does normaldamage, rather than subdual damage, plus one. Punching withthe Hora still promotes an attack of opportunity, like any normalunarmed strike. Should a person armed with the Hora have theAdvanced Unarmed Strike Feat, they can use the Hora withoutattracting an attack of opportunity.

Elephant BardingElephant Barding was common in India, due to the large num-bers of elephants used in most Indian militaries. Leather, Stud-ded Leather, Bezainted Leather, and even Iron Lamellar armorwere made to be draped over the back of an elephant, so as tocover the majority of the animal. The weight of even a leathersuit of Elephant Barding was oppressive, and multiple menmight be needed to prepare an elephant for metal armor. If anelephant had particularly rich armor and was killed in battle,scavengers were know to saw off portions of armor and meltthem down for the gilt or iron in their weave.

The Spread of BuddhismChangdragupta’s son Asoka completed his father’s empire andbrought all of India under one rule. But in his greatest conquest,Asoka was responsible for a blood bath, where more than100,000 people died in battle (which was extreme, consideringthe general size of Indian armies), and more than that were takenprisoner. So stricken was Asoka that he embraced Buddhism, andthe rest of his reign was shaped by this conversion. A great manylaws were enacted to help enforce proper behavior and living, andlearning and religion were encouraged and exported, with Bud-dhist Missionaries traveling throughout Burma and South EastAsia, as well as North into China. Buddhism’s spread would havea marked effect on much of the region, and would lead to a sur-prising number of interesting combat developments.

In the end the Maurya line lost the power to hold onto conqueredlords. The Mauryan Empire fractured and broke up into king-doms again, but the precedent of a pan-Indian Empire had beenset. Later powers would again rule over this land of deep faithand culture, but for the next few hundred years Northern Indiawould be conquered by various powers, from Bactrian Greeks toParthians (Persians) to long gone cultures like the Shakas and

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26a. Bezainted Leather Armor; 26b. Bezainted Leather Horse Barding; 27a. Katar; 27b. Katar; 28. Veecharoval; 29. Hora

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Kushians. Western India would take the greatest impact of theseinvasions, and the multicultural exposure of this region wouldlead to a great trade of ideas with those nations west of India.These various cultural groups would eventually introduce chain-mail to India, but for now Hindu culture retreated to the Deccanregion, and chaos seemed to reign in the North.

The Han Dynasty

As India was experiencing the full flush of the Mauryandynasty, the Quin dynasty came to an end, as military lead-

ers finally withdrew their support from the Emperor. The lastremaining general assassinated the final Qin Emperor, and for aperiod of time there was civil war. A number of warlordsattempted to claim the throne, but eventually the royal house ofHan, not to be confused with the Hann state of the Warring StatesPeriod, came into power. They would remain in power (exceptfor a brief period of usurpation lasting from 9-24 AD) from theend of the second century B.C. to the early part of the second cen-tury A.D. Han rule experimented with adopting philosophical andspiritual movements in China, reforming the bureaucracy andarmy, and creating a strong national identity in China. After theHan period, the majority population of Chinese would considerthemselves Han, a sign of the indelible impact the Han rule hadon society.

By the end of the Qin period, chariot warfare was all but aban-doned. Still, the Han had to face raids and opposition fromhorse-bound tribes that lived in mountainous regions. TheUighor and certain Turks were a constant threat that gave themilitary incredible prominence in China. Slowly the Chinesemilitary began to adopt cavalry, although it would take manycenturies for cavalry troops to become a standard, often becauseof the lack of stirrups, bits, and pommels. In the meantime,China began to develop halberds to counter charges. The use oflances was also adopted from the raiding tribes, and the Chinesebegan to experiment with whips. A metal tipped whip provedmost useful in warfare, but only when using it to trip otherhorses or pull riders from their mounts. The whip also enteredthe civil arena, and experimentation eventually lead to the multi-segment chain, which would persist in various forms and lengthsthrough Chinese history. The crossbow was also redesigned,using better machined parts, and both bolts and arrows for Chi-nese bowmen were commonly poisoned.

Halberd, ChineseThe Chinese Halberd is relatively easy to recognize, due to thenature of the blade. Usually the blade of a Chinese halberd iscrescent shaped, with two metal extensions holding it to the pole.The pole itself often had a spearhead, so that the Chinese Hal-berd could be used for thrusting or chopping, and could be setagainst a charge. Often tassels would be attached to the halberd,to distract opponents. Like all halberds, the Chinese Halberdmay be used to trap a shield and perform trip maneuvers.

Lance, ChineseThe Chinese lance is a long, heavy spear, inherited from the Tur-kic tribes of Central Asia. Usually these lances were carriedacross the saddle, so as to use the horse to brace the charge. Still,without a guard or brace, the spear was not optimally set, unlikelances of the Late Medieval period. Chinese lances often sportedtassels around the spearhead.

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30. various Elephant barding

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Whip, Steel Barbed ChineseThe Steel Barbed Chinese Whip was a leather whip with a singlefearsome barb at the end. This barb made any damage normaldamage, rather than subdual damage, although the armor penal-ties of the whip still made it difficult to damage an armored foe.The whip deals no damage to any creature wearing armor of atleast +1 armor bonus, and does no damage to a creature with a+3 natural armor bonus. Although kept in the hand, it is treatedas a ranged weapon with a maximum range of 10 feet, and norange penalties. Because it can wrap around a leg or other limb,it may also be used to make trip attacks. If an opponent attemptsto trip you during your own trip attempt, you can drop the whipto remain standing. Those using a whip gain a +2 bonus on theiropposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent,including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they fail theirdisarm attempt. This whip is considered an exotic weapon. Youmay use the Weapon Finess feat to apply the character’s Dexter-

ity modifier instead of the Strength modifier to attack rolls witha whip. This weapon is a shield bypass weapon.

Chain, SegmentedGenerally these chains had a wooden handle, and then a variablenumber of segments, usually from 6 to 9, each segment consist-ing of a 3 to 4 inch steel bar linked on either end to a similarlength of bar with chain loops. The last chain segment usuallyended in a blunt flat tip, often sharpened. The segmented chaindoes normal damage, and does not have the armor penaltiescommon to most whips. A segmented chain has reach. You canstrike opponents 10 feet away with it but, unlike other reachweapons, you can also use it against an adjacent foe. Because itcan wrap around a leg or other limb, it may also be used to maketrip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, youcan drop the chain in order to avoid being tripped. Those usingthis weapon gain a +2 bonus on their opposed attack roll when

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31. Chinese Halberd; 32. Chinese Lance; 33. Steel Barbed Chinese Whip; 34. Segmented Chain; 35. Modern Chinese. Crossbow; 36. Whistling Arrow


attempting to disarm an opponent, including the roll to keepfrom being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. The Seg-mented Chain is considered an exotic weapon. You can use theWeapon Finesse feat to use a character’s Dexterity modifierinstead of the Strength modifier on attack rolls with a SegmentedChain. This weapon is a shield bypass weapon.

Crossbows, Modern Chinese Light and HeavyDuring the Han period the mechanisms of the Light and HeavyCrossbows were improved substantially, allowing easier repairof machines parts and better range. The Crossbow was the back-bone of the Han Armies, and became ubiquitous in stories, draw-ings, and accounts of the time period. These crossbows wereoften imitated by neighboring states, although most horse-boundtroops still preferred the regular bow to the crossbow.

Chu Ko Nu, ImprovedThe Chu Ko Nu was improved during this time, improving boththe amount of Quarrels it could hold and the accuracy of theweapon. Although it still was not as accurate as a regular cross-bow, it was still favored for defensive use, since it could put ahigh volume of quarrels in the air at one time. If you are usingthe optional equipment damage system, you should note that thisimproved version is also more difficult to damage. Unless theImproved Chu Ko Nu is braced on a rock, wall, or other stablesurface, a -1 to hit modifier must be added for each shot. TheImproved Chu Ko Nu can fire 2 shots per turn. If a charactermay normally only make a single attack during a combat round,they can still take the second shot at their Ranged Combat Bonus-5. The Improved Chu Ko Nu’s ammunition box can hold up to8 quarrels at a time.

Arrow, WhistlingThe Whistling Arrow may well be of Hunnic origin. An arrow,designed with a cavity that catches air while in flight and lets outa loud whistling sound, the Whistling Arrow was used for multi-ple purposes in the Chinese military. Officers who fired awhistling arrow during maneuvers or during battle expected tobe obeyed by every man who could hear him. Sometimes presetsignals for advance or retreat were linked to a whistling arrowwith a specific tone. Whistling arrows were often used duringrecreational hunting, to give hunters an idea as to where a killlanded by the direction the sound came from. Although theWhistling Arrow may often be broken after firing, there is a 50%chance that the whistling arrowhead is still salvageable, so that anew head does not have to be crafted for a new whistling arrow.

Han ExpansionHan emperors sought to extend the borders of China, as had theQin before them, reasoning that by conquering more territorythere would be less land for their enemies to attack from. Hanholdings eventually extended into Korea and as far south as Viet-nam, and the cultural influence of that Chinese rule would allowcultural exchange. Korean culture adopted the paper armor ofChina and developed a more resistant form, Jigap, which would

be passed down to modern day. The Wushu and later martial artsdevelopments of China would be carried on in Buddhist templesand shrines in Vietnam, further diversifying the eastern martialarts. During this time certain coastal tribes in Korea would beginsettling Japan, which would eventually be recorded in early his-tories as the land of Wa. Small islands in the South China Seawould also see settlement, such as Formosa, the Philippines,Indonesia, and Okinawa. Many of these islands, includingJapan’s main islands, had other native peoples; usually StoneAge societies, and their cultural fusion would later result in alter-ations of religion, weapons, martial styles, and histories.

Armor, JigapAn improvement on the original paper armor, Korean Jigap isstill used during this day and age. Made with thick paper andlayered until it had the tensile strength of corrugated cardboard,Jigap armor also included a treatment process that made thepaper more resistant to water damage. Effective and relativelyeasy to make, (as compared to, say, metal armors) Jigap was areasonable alternative for non-military personnel, like pirates.

TibetChina’s enemies also made advances, and new enemies began tosurface. The Tartars, Turks, and Xiongnu found that attacks onborder settlements could be very profitable, and imperial Chi-nese often paid tribute rather than fight costly and pointless wars.Tibet, as well, finally came into contact with the southern portionof China, and Tibetan horsemen were the scourge of the southernmountains, wielding compound bows, curved sabers, Indianlamellars, and a variety of Persian and Indian weapons. TheTibetans also had an interesting variant of the bow, the pelletbow, which was likely used only for hunting. It is unclear exactlywhen this was developed, or whether this invention was origi-nally a Tibetan one, but the Tibetans used it widely, and most oftheir neighbors tended to use the Tibetan form of this bow. Chinawould later develop a sport crossbow along the same conceptualline. Another bow development that seems to have started orcentered around Tibet was the hinged bow. Again, the time ofdevelopment is indeterminate, and the use of such bows aroundTibet is the only strong evidence that the Tibetans may havedeveloped them. Other unique weapons of Tibet included a spi-raled spear and an exorcist’s knife.

Bow and Crossbow, PelletFound in a general proximity of two hundred miles from ancientTangut, pellet weapons are generally used for sport hunting. Thekey difference between a regular bow or crossbow and a pelletequivalent is that there are two drawstrings, rather than one, and

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Material: LacquerLacquer is a way to coat and seal wood, so as to make itharder and more resistant to the elements. Any wooden objectcoated in Lacquer has its hardness increased by one, and is nolonger subject to wood rot. Lacquered wood can hold an edge,and is better than normal wooden bladed weapons.


between them a small leather pouch is suspended, inside ofwhich rests the clay hunting pellet. The pellet is a bludgeoningweapon that inflicts subdual damage, rather than normal dam-age. This is the Far East’s response to the sling, as the sling wasnot regularly used in the Far East.

Bow, Short and Long HingedHinged bows were often constructed from old, used bows, oritems that made excellent bow material but were not longenough to be a full bow. Hinged at the grip, these bows were farmore compact than a normal bow, and could be carried unobtru-sively before being set up for firing. Usually a catch helped tokeep the hinged bow straight during the draw, however there is a50% chance that any metal damage breaks the hinge and makesthe bow useless until the hinge is replaced.

The DungA spear with an ornate spiraled handle and a long double-edgedblade, the Dung is a strong, heavy thrusting spear. The spiral pat-tern made the weapon stronger, and the dung could also be usedas a lance in a pinch.

PhurbuThe Phurbu is a unique dagger, intended for exorcisms. Usuallyused by Tangut shamans, this weapon was used to let blood from

a patient believed to be afflicted by an evil spirit or demon, so asto allow the demon to flee the body. In a fantasy setting, shouldthis weapon be blessed as per the cleric spell, it also temporarilygains the ability to affect the insubstantial, as though it were amagical item with the ghost touch ability. Should a person use aPhurbu to draw blood from a possessed victim, the victim gainsan automatic extra will save to resist the possession.

Armguards, TangutThe Tangut warriors often sported ornate armguards, leatherarmbands often plated with iron in intricate patterns. These arm-guards might make excellent vessels for enchantments improv-ing aim, horsemanship, attacking skills, or weapon damage.

The Red EyebrowsIn the first part of the Han dynasty there was a tendency toreserve high stations in the Imperial Bureaucracy for members ofprominent houses. This ostensibly protected the power of thearistocracy and the shi, but lead to families campaigning againsteach other for key offices, and eventually became so rampantthat a former Empress was able to engineer a coup and place hernephew in power. Wang Mang briefly broke the Han dynastyand attempted to establish his own dynasty, called the Hsing.Wang Mang’s dynasty was short-lived however, as it was inter-rupted by a civil revolt, as a peasant army rose up to oppose him.

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37. Jigap; 38. Pellet Crossbow; 39. Hinged Bow; 40. The Dung; 41. Phurbu; 42. Tangut Armguards; 43. Silk Padded Armor

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Called the Red Eyebrows, for their tendency to paint the top halfof their head read, this revolt broke the power of the Hsing mili-tary. It took little for a Han family member to raise a token mili-tary force and reinstate the Han Dynasty, which was welcomedback by popular consent, although certain populist leaders wereunhappy with the way their revolution was hijacked by the Han.The lessons of the brief usurpation of Wang Mang lead to areform of the bureaucratic placement procedures, and many ofthe major offices of the Chinese Imperial Government wereawarded to graduates of China’s extensive and impressive exam-ination system, which conceivably allowed people from anywalk in life to enter government service.

Padded Armor, SilkPadded Armor in China came from the common clothing of thepeople, worn in layers and reinforced with silk. Silk is anextremely strong material, light, and durable. This kind ofpadded armor was far superior to the padded armor of Europe,and wearers of this padded armor take fatigue from exertion athalf the normal rate, due to the excellent ventilation of thisarmor. Silken Padded Armor is the only armor light and unre-strictive enough to be worn while sleeping without incurring thestandard sleeping with armor penalties.

The TurksThe Xiongnu, a turko-mongolian people from whom it is sus-pected the Huns descended, gained power during the first HanDynastic period, eventually subsuming the Rond and Di, andsubjugating other Turkish tribes. Horsebound, nomadic, wearingleather, and armed with iron sabers, composite bows, and lariats,the Xiongnu were adept horsemen who evaded the slower Chi-nese armies and made it difficult for Chinese border colonies toprosper. As the second Han Dynasty began to flourish, theXiongnu were in the midst of an internal split, which membersof the tribes comprising the Xiongnu in a furor over succession.The Han, seeing an advantage, pledged financial support of thecloser faction, and eventually a civil war erupted, which forcedthis southern faction to petition for settlement and entry into theChinese Empire. The Chinese, happy to have border barbariansguard their weak territory, accepted. This agreement later wouldprove ill advised, as reconciliation eventually lead the Xiongnuin Chinese territory to invite in their former enemies, and Chinawas forced to go to war with the whole of the Turkestan.

This war was costly and brutal. The Xiongnu fought fiercely, andother foes of China, the Jurchen of Korea, the Tibetans, variousTurkic tribes of Central Asia, and internal insurgency by a grow-ing number of overtaxed peasants severely weakened the Hanstate. While the Han could and did defeat and drive out invadersfrom all quarters, it would eventually be most destabilized byanother popular revolution, lead by a cabal of civil leaders calledthe Yellow Turbans. This revolution, combined with theuntimely death of an Emperor who had yet to name a successorset the stage for a drama that would be commemorated in thehistorical fiction story The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

The Chin DynastyFor sixty years the nations of Wei, Shu, and Wu would fight toreunite the Chinese Empire. Eventually, Cao Cao of the Weination would bring together an alliance Chinese elite infantrywith horsemen and horse archers from neighboring tribes likethe Xiongnu, Xiongpei, Wu-huan, and Ch’iang. This mightyforce would conquer the Shu, and their combined forces con-quered the Wu, and the most powerful military family elevatedtheir leader as scion of a new Dynasty, the Chin. But the Chindynasty would fail for the Emperor’s first act, which was to dis-solve that same formidable army that put him in power. Or actu-ally, he attempted to dissolve it. Other families retained controlof what military units they could afford to maintain, and some ofthe other forces became minor powers in their own right, eitherselling their weapons and armor to the enemies of the state orretaining power in the lands they occupied. The Chin’s dissolu-tion of their army left them defenseless when the Huns, a newlyformed tribe, invaded China. Armed with better weapons thanthe Turkic tribes and virtually unopposed, the Huns conqueredthe Chin dynasty nine years after it assumed control. The Hunstried to claim being descendants of the Han, due to intermar-riages from decades past, but the claim never took hold, and theHuns never established a Dynasty. Instead, they eventuallymoved west, and China was left in a shambles.

The Gupta Empire

While many empires take power in war, the Gupta Empireis a notable example of an empire that gained prominence

from marriage and politics more than the sword. Not to say thesword was unnecessary. The Gupta family appears to have beena mercantile family that purchased their way into power. Chan-dra Gupta I was the first leader of the Gupta nation, and he,indeed, brought armies to bear on other northern Indian King-doms, eventually conquering the whole of the Ganges Valley.His grandson, who would also bear his name, would campaignagainst the Chakras, but it would be his marriage to a prominentchieftain’s daughter, a member of the Satavahana kingdom,which dominated much of Southern India that would bring theGupta’s to their greatest power.

But the Gupta dynasty came to power at an importune time. TheRoman Empire was fading, and with it the trade along the SilkRoad. In addition, turmoil in China cut down on trade, and theGuptas had to strengthen trade with their eastern neighbors. Thistrade increased the spread of Buddhism and Indian philosophy.This melding of Chinese and Indian influences would greatlyshape the weapons development and philosophies of theseregions, and would create a number of fascinating offshoots.

The common weapons of the Gupta armies included influencesfrom the invaders and barbarian tribes as well as traditional Indianweapons. The kopis was being adapted, and statuettes and draw-ings show two directions the curved Persian sword was develop-ing. The first was a thicker bladed chopping sword, similar to the

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scimitar, which shows a great deal of later Persian influence. Thesecond was a thinning of the blade, and a reverse of the curve, thebeginning of the Tulwar. To these two weapons was added the Kri-tant axe, a wide bladed battleaxe that Samudra Gupta, ChandraGupta I’s son, took from a neighboring tribe as the sign of theRight to Kingship. Chainmail began to see use in India, althoughonly with officers, as the hot climate made maintenance an issue,as rust and heat could cripple a soldier as easily as any blade.Finally the horse and lance were becoming common features inIndian Armies, both from Persian and Turkic influence.

Scimitar, Iron Indian (Ahir)Heavy of blade, with a thick chopping head, the scimitar wouldeventually become synonymous with Arabian and Islamic cul-ture. The scimitar, however, was an amalgam of various devel-opments across most of southern Asia, with various experimentsinvolving the curve of the blade, the point (or lack of a point),and the weight of the blade. The scimitar is based on the conceptthat a heavy blade gives a blow more impact, and the averagecombatant merely tried to get good momentum behind a blade,with the intent being to let the blade do most of the work. Thescimitar variants of this period, like the Ahir, were heavy blades,with a slight curve near the tip, sometimes sporting hand guards.

Tulwar, Early Iron (Halab)The Tulwar is a thin curved blade, good for slicing and defensivemaneuvers. The curve of the Tulwar usually came midway downthe length of the blade, and this curve made the blade easier todraw and ready, and supported slicing strikes while in closeproximity with other friendly combatants. The Tulwars of thisperiod, like the Halab, were not yet truly pointed, usually focus-ing on slashing attacks. As chainmail became more common athrusting tip was added.

Axe, Kritant, Bullova, KhondA variety of axes became common in Indian warfare at this time.The Kritant, as mentioned before, was a wide-bladed axe, oftento be seen on the coin of the period, and generally associatedwith royalty among the Kritantic peoples. The Bullova are actu-ally a number of varieties of axe, usually crescent shaped, and

thinner bladed than the Kritant. The Khond axes came from thesame region as the Bullova, but usually had a bifurcated or splithead, which made it less likely to lodge in a wound.

Axe, Naga WarThe Naga War axe was used primarily in Assam. A large bladedaxe on a long pole, this weapon generally bore a tassel on theopposite end, and was used by the primitive Naga people of thisregion for tribal defense. Older version of this axe had a moretraditional rounded head, but more modern Naga War Axes haveinverted triangular heads, an improvement that came with steel.

AnkusThe Ankus is a descendant of the elephant goad, a small, sharpstick used to control elephants. The Ankus was a later adaptationthat developed an entirely new purpose. The Ankus is a shortthrusting spear, less than two feet in length, with a sharp thrust-ing head at the point, and a hook curving out from the base of thespear head. This backwards curving hook was used primarily toshield trap, and since the Ankus was light, it allowed the shieldtrapper to make an attack with the opposite hand, if the Ankuswielder had a weapon in that hand. Using the Ankus to shieldtrap still provokes an attack of opportunity, and the lack ofmobility that any shield trapping action requires still leaves theAnkus wielder open to danger.

GadhaThe Gadha is a great club with a rounded, almost spherical head,which is used in an uniquely Indian martial arts called KalariPayatt. The gahda, at the base, is about three inches in diameter,but the club widens to nearly eight to twelve inches at the spheri-cal head. It is said that the oldest versions of the Gadha werecrafted of iron, although later versions were crafted of hard-wood. With a length of 3 to 4 feet, the Gadha is a heavy but dam-aging weapon.

The Fall of the GuptasEventually the Hunas, an alliance of tribes from the Kritanticregion struck south and struck down the Gupta reign. Despite thesimilarity of their names with the Huns, the Hunas were of norelation, and the name comes more from the region they invadedfrom than from any cultural relation. Indeed, the Hunas were soloosely affiliated that when they conquered the Gupta Empire,they did not even attempt to establish domain in India, andreturned with their loot to the mountains they came from. Withthe royal family destroyed, the Gupta Empire devolved againinto various kingdoms, and this left Northern India open to inva-sion and subjugation by the Persians.

A Brief FlourishingChina had entered a period of disunity. In the north warlordsfought amongst each other, attempting to reassert Empire, whilein the south Kingdoms were established in wealthier regions,and these fought games of politics amongst each other while

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Romance of the Three KingdomsRomance of the Three Kingdoms is perhaps the most popularpublished book in Asia. Written by Luo Guanzhong during theMing Dynasty, this book details the struggle between threegenerals for control over all of China. The story is of epiclength, with modern English translations totally 1500 pages.For those interested in playing a low or no magic China settingthere can be no better source for heroic adventure ideas andconcepts. This work is historical fiction, deeply steeped in thehistorical events of the time, but written as fiction to bring outthe human drama and the character of the three main charac-ters. The power of this story has lead to many computer gamesbased on this novel, some of which are available outside ofChina.


opposing the Northern States. Still, in the forge of war steel istempered, and eventually a Northern warlord won through andestablished the Tsui dynasty. As short-lived as the Qin, the Tsuiattempted to do too much on an almost non-existent budget.Rather than consolidating control and establishing effective linesof taxation, the Tsui Emperor spent money on battles with theJurchen, who had taken the whole of Korea back, as well asbuilding the Great Canal and erecting much of what is today’sGreat Wall. The Great Wall was never an effective deterrent ofbarbarian aggression, and was primarily built to build up supportamong the southern states and the shi, who were afraid of bar-barian encroachment. With insolvency rampant, the populacerevolted against the Tsui, and corruption and assassinationsended what the peasants could not.

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44. Iron Indian Scimitar; 45. Early Iron Tulwar; 46a–46d Bullova Axe varieties; 46e–46f Khond axe varieties; 47. Naga War Axe;48. Ankus; 49. Long Bar Flail; 50. Chinese Broadsword; 51. Long-Handle Nine Ring Sword

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Cult of KaliThere is no record of when the Cult of Kali was founded,although records first mention them in the 600’s. Based oncertain revelations, the Cult of Kali was established to fightagainst so called ‘demons’ that masqueraded as men amongthe ‘true chosen people of Kali’. Also known as the Thuggees,they were a cult of murderers who traveled throughout India,passing themselves off as regular travelers and waylayingindividuals in large groups, killing those who were consideredof the demon race. Their favored method of murder was stran-gulation, usually using a strangle cord, often worn as a belt todisguise its purpose. As soon as the victim was lulled into falseconfidence and was unwary, they would be murderer wouldslip the cord over their victim’s head and then draw it tight,asphyxiating their target. The hatchet was also a favoredweapon, used to dismember corpses or to take down particu-larly resistant foes. The Cult of Kali thrived in various formsthroughout this period, although during the colonial period noThuggee ever attacked a British citizen.


The Wudan Movement

The Tang Dynasty replaced the Tsui, although not withoutdifficulty. While fighting remnant forces of Tsui loyalists, Li

Shimin, the emperor to be of the Tang, was defeated and takenhostage. The fledgling Tang dynasty appealed to the Shaolinmonks of the region to send support. Legend says that theShaolin sent 13 monks to rescue Li Shimin, although somerecords note that as many as 113 monks were sent. Though theyfaced nearly 5000 men in mountainous terrain, the Shaolinmonks defeated the remnant Tsui forces and recovered LiShimin. Li Shimin later took the throne and granted the Shaolinmonks land and more religious freedoms than Buddhists hadever seen in China to date. The martial arts fighting styles of theShaolin (Gongfu, called Kung Fu in the West) became morepopular, and would eventually spawn the Wudan movement.

The Wudan movement in China was a second flourishing of theWushu movement, a refinement and emphasis on martial artistry.Today we think of the martial arts as hand-to-hand combat in aritualistic manner, but in this time period martial arts encom-passed the expertise and skill of all aspects of the military ormartial tradition. The Wudan period was a watershed time, last-ing for nearly 600 years, where a great variety of weapons weredeveloped and included in schools of fighting. Besides the com-mon weapons like sword, axe, or spear, may of these weaponsdeveloped from common tools or as variations on already exis-tant weapons of the period, and their use was often limited.Wudan weapons were more about fighting style than about war-fare. Still, any Middle Imperial Chinese setting would feel emptywithout these weapons. In addition to steel versions of theLungchan weapons, the following weapons were among themore exotic weapons practiced, although common militaryweapons were also part of this movement.

Flail, Long barThe long bar flail (or di sow gee) consists of a four to five foothaft, a short chain, and another foot of wooden pole. An exagger-ation of the common grain flail, this weapon is a long rangebludgeoning weapon. The long bar flail can be used to make tripattacks, usually through a low, ground-sweeping attack. If youare tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the longbar flail in order to avoid being tripped. This weapon is a shieldbypass weapon.

Broadsword, Chinese (Nine Ring Broadsword)The Chinese broadsword is the steel inheritor of the seven starsword legacy. Bearing the same heavy chopping blade, thelighter steel manufacture and changes in weapon weightingeliminated the hoop pommel and improved its balance. A variantof this broadsword, known as the nine-ring broadsword, has aseries of nine rings in the back of the blade, and these rings maybe used to perform a sword break maneuver.

Sword, Long-Handle Nine RingThis is actually a pole-arm version of the nine-ring broadsword.The pole is generally 6 feet in length, and the blade of the‘sword’ is another three feet long. This heavy weapon can beused to perform the sword break maneuver, like the originalbroadsword, and is considered a reach weapon. A reach weaponmay strike targets ten feet away, but not targets within that range.

Halberd, DoubleAlso sometimes referred to as the trident halberd, this is a hal-berd with the traditional Chinese halberd blade on both sides(not ends) of the pole. This allows the wielder some leeway inwhich direction to attack from, and makes the weapon more ver-satile, but this version was not quite as common on the battle-

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ShaolinThe story of the Shaolin is a story of cross-cultural influence.Bodhidharma, a Buddhist Priest from India, traveled to Chinato meet with the Emperor, to talk with him about theEmperor’s translation of Buddhist texts. On his return trip,Bodhidharma came across the Shaolin temple, and petitionedfor entrance, but was denied access to the temple because theabbot distrusted Bodhidharma’s intentions. Legend says thatBodhidharma undertook a trial, going to a nearby cave andmeditating while staring at the cave wall. It is said that after 9years Bodhidharma’s gaze bored through the cave wall, andthe monks of the temple came and asked him to enter, as hisdiscipline and dedication was no longer questioned.

When Bodhidharma was admitted it quickly became obviousthat the monks of the Shaolin temple were in poor shape. Thebulk of the Shaolin monk’s time was spent transcribing theholy texts, and their hunched figures and weak frames weredeemed incapable of performing the traditional Buddhist med-itations. Bodhidharma instituted exercise rituals, in order tostrengthen the bodies of the monks, so that they might performtheir duties more ably, and these exercises included early box-ing forms.

Eventually these exercises became true martial arts, ritualistichand combat techniques that stressed body awareness andavoidance of conflict. This fighting style became known asGongfu, and as the popularity of Shaolin practices increased,more temples would be established, and styles of Gongfuwould develop in other regions of China. The Monk class of

In a fantasy setting, Kali’s domains would likely be Evil,Death, Trickery, and Strength, and her favored weapons wouldbe the Strangle Cord and Hatchet. Kali is a death goddess,whose dancing is said to hasten the end of the world. Goddessof Blood and Cemeteries, her clerics oppose the undead asrobbing their Mistress of her due, and they turn undead ratherthan rebuke them. It is up to the GM to determine what groupof people the fantasy Kali cult might target as ‘demons’.

the Player’s Handbook is loosely based on these historicalShaolin Monks.


field. Like all halberds, the Double Halberd may be used to trapa shield and perform trip maneuvers.

Spear, Double HeadedThe double-headed spear is essentially a staff with a spearhead ateither end. Best used against multiple combatants, the double-headed spear is not quite as practical in the battlefield as its sin-gle headed variant, since the rearward head may cause troublefor allies. Both spearheads are often tasseled, although this doesnot confer any extra penalty or benefit. This is a double weapon,and if used as a double weapon, you incur all penalties associ-ated with fighting with two weapons as if you were using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon.

FluteUsually crafted from Bamboo, the flute is an instrument first anda weapon second. The flute is an exotic weapon, and is used in aparticular dance-like manner, at times looking like fencing; atothers like staff work. The flute was never used in a military con-text, and its use in the Wudan movement is more as an art formthan a weapon. Indeed, whenever the flute takes damage it losesits ability to play music normally, a significant indicator that the

flute was never really intended to be a serious weapon. You canuse the Weapon Finesse feat to apply a character’s Dexteritymodifier instead of the Strength modifier on attack rolls with aflute.

CanesThree kinds of canes were popular in the Wudan period of theWushu movement. The wooden cane, sometimes made of rattan,was the most common, as it could easily be passed as a normalcane, but was solid and useful as a club or a tripping weapon.The Steel cane, being made of steel, was considerably harder andmore potent as a weapon. The third kind of cane was actually asword cane, a sword sheathed in the cane’s wooden body, andusing the cane’s crook as its handle. This kind of cane could beused as a bludgeoning weapon, or the sword could be drawn andused as a sword. The sword cane could not be used to effectivelytrip an opponent. You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply acharacter’s Dexterity modifier instead of the Strength modifieron attack rolls with a Cane. A Japanese variant of this weapon,the Shinobi Zue, was used by Ninja, and is identical to theSword Cane.

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52. Double Halberd; 53. Double Headed Spear; 54. Flute; 55a. Wooden Cane; 55b. Sword Cane; 56. Fan; 57. Chinese Hammers; 58.Golden Coin Shovel; 59. Chay Yang Longsword; 60. Moonteeth Shovel; 61. Snake Spear

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FansFans were an ornamental item carried by magistrates and mem-bers of the nobility and aristocrats. The adaptation of the fan intothe Wudan period required that the fan be made of wood and lac-quered, in order to make it hard enough to carry an edge. The fanfighting style involved careful deflection of strikes by catchingthe enemy weapon at an angle, and use of swift slashes to inflictwounds. The fan could even be thrown. A considerably heavieriron version of the fan was introduced later, and was used in thesame manner. You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply acharacter’s Dexterity modifier instead of the Strength modifier onattack rolls with a Fan. A variant of the Fan developed in Japanwas called the Gunsen, and both wooden and iron versions of theGunsen were developed.

Hammer, ChineseNot a hammer in the European sense, the Chinese Hammer wasa large solid round weight on the end of a short pole. Oftenplated in bronze, the Chinese Hammer was referred to as aGolden Mellon, due to its size and shape. Essentially a veryheavy mace, the Chinese hammer was often used in pairs, andthe impressive weight of the weapons requires higher than aver-age strength to counteract the weight of the weapon.

Shovel, Golden CoinThe Golden Coin Shovel is another weapon ostensibly adaptedfrom a common tool. A long staff with a coin-like circular bladeat one end, it is used like a pole arm, and is swung in a slashingmotion at enemies. A tassel is often mounted behind the blade,and fancy versions of this weapon have gilding on the blade.

Longsword, Chay YangA variant of the Kwandao, this double weapon bears a roundedchopping blade on one end of a pole, and a spearhead on theother. Chay’s Longsword has a small recessed area on the backof the blade that is intended to allow disarms. This notch grants a+1 bonus on the user’s opposed attack roll when attempting todisarm an opponent, including the roll to keep from being dis-armed if they fail their disarm attempt. If used as a doubleweapon, you incur all penalties associated with fighting with twoweapons as if you were using a one-handed weapon and a lightweapon.

Shovel, MoonteethYet another adapted shovel, the Moonteeth shovel is a doubleweapon with a wide, thick, crescent shaped head on one end ofthe haft, and a spearhead on the other. The wide blade allows thewielder to control an opponent’s maneuvering, to keep themconstantly in the desirable range of the weapon. If used as a dou-ble weapon, you incur all penalties associated with fighting withtwo weapons as if you were using a one-handed weapon and alight weapon. A variant of this weapon, called the Long FullMoon Blade, does not have the spearhead, and is not considereda double weapon.

Spear, SnakeA spear with a wavy, curved head, the snake spear is essentiallya more artistic appearing longspear. The curved blade grants lit-tle benefit, although the wounds caused by it tend to be widerthan the actual blade width. This spear often sports a tasselbehind the head, and generally never saw exposure during wars.A Malaysian variant of this weapon was the Hak, which neversported a tassel, but was otherwise identical, statistically.

Sword, Tigerhead HookThis sword is a popular flavor weapon for Chinese-themedmovies and weapon-oriented action films. A sword with areversed hook at the end and a halberd-bladed hilt, the TigerheadHook sword is exclusively a martial weapon, developed to dis-arm opponents. The Tigerhead Hook sword can slash with eitherthe blade or the guard, and is often used in pairs. A single Tiger-head Hook sword grants a +2 bonus on the user’s opposed attackroll when attempting to disarm an opponent, including the roll tokeep from being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. Ifusing a pair of Tigerhead Hook swords, the disarm attempt is notconsidered to provoke an attack of opportunity.

Wheel, Wind and FireThis is an exotic hand weapon, a circular blade with flame-likeflanges at three places on the wheel, and a central stabilizingguard over the corded handle. Used in pairs, the Wind and FireWheel is a weapon that stresses speed and flexibility. You canuse the Weapon Finesse feat to apply a character’s Dexteritymodifier instead of the Strength modifier on attack rolls with aWind and Fire Wheel. A variant of this weapon has a seven wavyblades jutting from the ring at regular intervals, but is otherwiseidentical in stats and usage.

Meteor HammerThe only rope double weapon of the Wudan period, the MeteorHammer is 14 feet of rope with a heavy steel weight on eitherend. The Meteor Hammer is an exotic weapon that requirestraining and dedication to use effectively. The Meteor hammer isa reach weapon, but it can also be used on foes within 10 feet.Because it can wrap around a leg or other limb, it may also beused to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own tripattempt, you can drop the weapon in order to avoid beingtripped. Those using this weapon gain a +2 bonus on theiropposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent,including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they fail theirdisarm attempt. If used as a double weapon, you incur all penal-ties associated with fighting with two weapons as if you wereusing a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. You can use theWeapon Finesse feat to apply a character’s Dexterity modifierinstead of the Strength modifier on attack rolls with a MeteorHammer. This weapon is a shield bypass weapon.

Javelin, RopeAlso sometimes referred to as the Flying Dart, the rope javelin isa short, heavy javelin head attached to more than 10 feet of rope.

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Usually the wielder swings the javelin head to build up momen-tum, and then throws it at its target while maintaining a hold onthe rope. Although kept in the hand, it is treated as a rangedweapon with a maximum range of 10 feet, and no range penal-ties. Because it can wrap around a leg or other limb, it may alsobe used to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your owntrip attempt, you can drop the weapon in order to avoid beingtripped. Those using this weapon gain a +2 bonus on theiropposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent,including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they fail theirdisarm attempt.

Flying WeightSimilar to the Rope Javelin above, the Flying weight is a squat,conical weight attached to more than 10 feet of rope. Usually thewielder swings the weight to build up momentum, and thenthrows it at its target while maintaining a hold on the rope.Although kept in the hand, it is treated as a ranged weapon witha maximum range of 10 feet, and no range penalties. Because itcan wrap around a leg or other limb, it may also be used to make

trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, youcan drop the weapon in order to avoid being tripped. Those usingthis weapon gain a +2 bonus on their opposed attack roll whenattempting to disarm an opponent, including the roll to keepfrom being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. Thisweapon is a shield bypass weapon.

Emi PiercersEmi Piercers are finger weapons, used to augment a hand attack.Basically a one foot steel pin attached to the finger by a ring,these are used to stab an opponent. This makes any unarmedattack a normal impaling attack. This weapon was originallyinvented for underwater combat, where larger weapons might beimpractical. Attacking with Emi Piercers provokes an attack ofopportunity, just like any other unarmed weapon. Should a per-son armed with Emi Piercers have the Advanced Unarmed StrikeFeat, they can use the Emi Piercers without attracting an attackof opportunity. One Emi Piercer may be used per hand, sincethey must be grasped in the fist to be used appropriately.

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62. Tigerhead Hook Sword; 63. Wind and Fire Wheel; 64. Meteor Hammer; 65. Javelin Rope; 66. Flying Weight; 67. Emi Piercers;68a. Iron Balls; 68b. Iron Rings; 69. Heaven and Earth Blade; 70. Iron Claw; 71. Wolf's Teeth Staff

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Balls or Rings, IronAlthough actually crafted from steel, Iron balls are simply whatthey sound like, balls of solid metal. These are thrown, muchlike a stone, although a slinger could conceivably use them in asling. Heavy, these items are intended to distract more thaninjure, although strong throwers may use them more effectively.Metal rings, also crafted of steel, were a variant throwingweapon, causing little damage but useful for distraction value.

Blade, Heaven and EarthThis exotic weapon is a two handed blade staff with halberdblades over the grips. With a slightly curved sickle-like blade oneither end, this weapon can be used to stab opponents on eitherside of the wielder and slash at opponents in front. Wieldedsomewhat like a quarterstaff, this is a double weapon. If used asa double weapon, you incur all penalties associated with fightingwith two weapons as if you were using a one-handed weaponand a light weapon. A variant of this weapon is the Butterflywing sword, which has heavier chopping blades instead of thesickle blades.

Iron ClawThe Iron Claw is a mace-like weapon shaped in the form of ahand with sharp nails outstretched as if to scratch. The Iron Clawwas used as a mace, and could inflict both bludgeoning andscratching strikes. Sometimes the nails of the Iron Claw wouldbe poisoned, to aggravate their wounds.

Staff, Wolf’s Teeth The Wolf’s Teeth Staff is a polearm with a large, spiked head,not unlike a huge mace. Heavy and unwieldy, it required consid-erable strength to wield for long. The head of the mace is espe-cially potent against soft armors, and inflicts twice the damageindicated by the dice when damaging soft armors. A variant ofthe Wolf’s Teeth Staff, which bears no spikes and resemblesnothing more than a metal football on the end of a pole, hasidentical stats, but does not inflict the extra damage to softarmors.

Chain SwordThe Chain Sword is a pair of short, double-edged swords withoutquillions attached at the hilt by a length of chain. Used like theNunchaku, the Chain Sword is an exotic weapon that requirestraining and great dexterity to use effectively. You may use theWeapon Finesse feat to apply a character’s Dexterity modifierinstead of the Strength modifier to attack rolls with a ChainSword. This weapon is a shield bypass weapon.

Blade, Mandarin CoinA curious exotic hand weapon, the Mandarin Coin Blade con-sists of a round protective blade and halberd-blade guard, withtwo thrusting heads on either side of the handle. Used to fightopponents coming from front or back, this weapon is easy tochange tactics with, and generally used in pairs. The round coin-

like portion of the blade is not sharpened, and acts primarily as ablocking device. You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply acharacter’s Dexterity modifier instead of the Strength modifieron attack rolls with a Mandarin Coin Blade. A variant of thisweapon is the Double Snake Ring sword, which has wavythrusting heads, but is otherwise the same weapon statistically.

Knife, Deer AntlerThis exotic hand weapon consists of two opposing crescentblades, with one blade bearing the grip. Used in pairs, theseweapons are excellent at deflecting attacks and performing dan-gerous slashing attacks. A single Deer Antler Knife grants a +2bonus on the user’s opposed attack roll when attempting to dis-arm an opponent using a sword, including the roll to keep frombeing disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. If using a pair ofDeer Antler Knives, the disarm attempt does not provoke anattack of opportunity. You can use the Weapon Finesse feat toapply a character’s Dexterity modifier instead of the Strengthmodifier on attack rolls with a Deer Antler Knife. Variants oftenemphasize a single pair of blades.

Hook, Nine TeethA weapon looking like nothing more than a combat poker with aserrated handle guard, this weapon never saw battlefield use.The blade and serrated guard can be used to make slashingattacks, while the butt end of the weapon and the point can makeimpaling strikes. The hook of the weapon allows shield trapping,and grants a +2 bonus on the user’s opposed attack roll whenattempting to disarm an opponent, including the roll to keepfrom being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. The NineTeeth Hook can be used in pairs, and if using in pairs the disarmattempt is not considered an attack of opportunity. A variant ofthe Nine Teeth hook is the Double Hook Lain Sword, whichreplaces the serrated guard with a halberd blade guard, but isotherwise identical in stats and use.

Blade, Sun and Moon SpearA weapon similar to the Mandarin Coin Blade, the Sun andMoon spear has heavier chopping blades and three ‘rays comingfrom the hand guard. Used to fight opponents coming from frontor back, this weapon is easy to change tactics with, and generallyused in pairs. The rays on the round portion of the blade act astraps for sword blades, giving a +1 bonus on the user’s opposedattack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent using asword, including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they failtheir disarm attempt. If using a pair of Sun and Moon SpearBlades, the disarm attempt does not provoke an attack of oppor-tunity. You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply a charac-ter’s Dexterity modifier instead of the Strength modifier onattack rolls with a Mandarin Coin Blade.

Razor, Yuen YangAlso called rooster knives or Mandarin Duck razors, theseblades seem to be an experiment in creating an offensive weaponthat is truly offensive. Nearly every angle of these weapons has

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an active slashing surface, and foes in front or back can bestabbed with spearheads. The main haft of the weapon is a bladethat rides along the length of the arm, with a spearhead forwardand a split spike called a ‘chicken claw’ ending blade that tucksbehind the elbow. The actual handle is attached along the side ofthe haft, and a larger chicken claw extension juts out to connectthe handle to the blade. Generally used in pairs, these exoticweapons confer a +1 bonus to the armor class when usedtogether by someone proficient in their use.

Sword, Unicorn HornA short sword with a bladed hilt and a slight jutting quillion onthe opposite side of the guard, this weapon is often used in pairs.Light, swift, these swords make excellent paired weapons, andare similar enough to regular swords to be considered martialweapons.

Whip, HardThe hard whip is actually a mace, a hard handle with metalbands spaced periodically along the haft. Essentially a very well

balanced metal club, this weapon is often used to train a user formore difficult to control weapons. The Hard Whip can duplicatemost sword and staff maneuvers, and is likely to be found inmany training centers.

Blade, Horse ChoppingA slashing pole weapon that can be used as a double weapon,this item has a chopping sword like blade and two halberd handguards. The weapon can be used as a standard pole weapon, orcan be held at the hand guards to use one end as a slashingweapon and the other as a staff weapon. Since the weapon dam-age decreases if used as a double weapon, those untrained usu-ally use it as a single weapon. If used as a double weapon, youincur all penalties associated with fighting with two weapons asif you were using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon.

Sword, Ying Yang DaggerThese weapons actually resemble axes with a spearhead at theend of the handle. Compact and maneuverable, these weaponscan be used as either slashing weapons or stabbing weapons, and

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72. Chain Sword; 73. Mandarin Coin Blade; 74. Deer Antler Knife; 75. Nine Teeth Hook; 76. Sun and Moon Spear Blade; 77. YuenYang Razor; 78. Unicorn Horn Sword; 79. Hard Whip; 80. Horse Chopping Blade; 81. Ying Yang Dagger Sword

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are often used in pairs. Since the damage is different for theslashing and stabbing attacks, a user should declare how theyintend to use each weapon before an attack. These weapons mayalso be thrown, although not for an impaling attack. The DianPin Fu is a variant form of this weapon, larger, more traditionalappearing, but performing the same functions.

SabuA polearm with a central tine and two side tines, one facing for-ward and the other facing backward, this weapon is a spiritualcousin of the Sai. Used for thrusting attacks, the side tines can beused to attempt shield trapping, and they grant a +2 bonus on theuser’s opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an oppo-nent, including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they failtheir disarm attempt. Adapted from a kind of fishing spear, thiswas a weapon that was traded with other nations like Korea andOkinawa.

Tian-chi Fay ShortLooking like a short-hafted double halberd, these weapons are akind of hand axe, usually with a spearhead on the other end, and

a wavy blade jutting from between the blades. This weapon isoften used in pairs. The Tian-chi Fay Short can be used as athrusting or stabbing weapon, and as a chopping axe-likeweapon.

Flail, GreatThe great flail was used by Shaolin monks, and consisted of afour foot long pole with another foot and a half of chain, and aheavy iron weight at the end. Used to unhorse cavalrymen, ortrip opponents, this weapon was feared, but difficult to master.Because it can wrap around a leg or other limb, it may also beused to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own tripattempt, you can drop the chain in order to avoid being tripped.Those using this weapon gain a +2 bonus on their opposed attackroll when attempting to disarm an opponent, including the roll tokeep from being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. Thisweapon is a shield bypass weapon.

Knife, Golden Coin LongA kind of polearm with a heavy chopping blade and hoop base,this weapon gains its name from the coin design etched into the

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82. Sabu; 83. Tian-chi Fay Short; 84. Great Flail; 85. Golden Coin Long Knife; 86. Swallow Trident Long Knife; 87. Yeung GuenLong Knife; 88. Nine Teeth Rake; 89. Chinese Throwing Darts; 90. Executioner Sword

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blade. Similar to the Naginata, its use is primarily defensive,although, unlike many Wudan weapons it is a design more prac-tical for the battlefield.

Knife, Swallow Trident LongAn elaborate knife, with wavy, exaggerated quillions, thisweapon is an elaborate Chinese version of the more popular Sai.The quillions are particularly useful for disarm attempts, andthose using this weapon gain a +2 bonus on their opposed attackroll when attempting to disarm an opponent, including the roll tokeep from being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt.Unfortunately, this weapon is almost impossible to conceal,despite its small size, because of the exaggerated quillions, andany attempt to disguise or hide this weapon is subject to a -4penalty on any concealment attempt relating to the knife.

Knife, Yeung Guen LongAnother pole arm referred to as a knife, this weapon resembles athick, tri-bladed spear with a normal spearhead on the other endof the staff. Effective as both a thrusting and chopping weapon,this is a double weapon. The split head grants a +1 bonus on theuser’s opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an oppo-nent, including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they failtheir disarm attempt. If used as a double weapon, you incur allpenalties associated with fighting with two weapons as if youwere using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon.

Rake, Nine TeethThe Nine Teeth Rake evolved from the common rake, and it stillresembles its forebear enough that few people expect an attackfrom it. This allows a nine teeth rake wielder to make a surpriseattack if he does not otherwise appear to be dangerous. A peasantor monk’s weapon, this pole arm has a rack with nine sharpenedteeth jutting from it, which can cause fearsome gouges in anopponent. Those who are not concerned about the element ofsurprise often put tassels just below the rack.

Darts, Chinese ThrowingThe Chinese throwing dart is a small, flat blade usually in anarrow shape. Grasped between fingers, up to three Chinese dartsmay be thrown at once, although at a -2 to hit penalty for eachextra dart being thrown. If using in conjunction with a sneakattack, only the first dart should be considered a sneak attack.

Sword, Executioner (Tan-Kiev)A straight sword with a blunt point, the executioner sword wasoriginally used only for executions, but was adapted as a parry-ing blade in the Wudan movement. Usually used in conjunctionwith another weapon, this item does reasonable damage, butconveys a +1 armor bonus if used defensively by a person withthe Two Weapon Fighting feat. Attacks which fall into this rangeon a to hit roll will do damage to the sword as per the optionalweapon damage rules. Thinner variants like the Tan-Kiev werealso common and conveyed the same benefit, although they didless damage.

Lance, Fong TingA lance with a halberd blade below the thrusting head, thisweapon may be used as a charging weapon, or as a two-handedpole arm with a spearhead and chopping blade. This weaponmay be set against a charge. Like halberds, this weapon may beused to trap a shield and perform trip maneuvers.

Fork, Two TeethThis weapon developed from the hayfork, a two tined fork usedthroughout the world. A decent thrusting weapon, this item is asturdy, reliable item common among peasants.

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91. Fong Ting Lance; 92. Two Teeth Fork; 93. Full Moon; 94.Horse Hair Tassel Whip; 95. Combat Shield

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Full MoonThis weapon is similar to the Deer Antler Knife, except that oneof the crescent blades completes a full circle, with the entireedge sharpened. A single Full Moon grants a +1 bonus on theuser’s opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an oppo-nent using a sword, including the roll to keep from being dis-armed if they fail their disarm attempt. If using a pair of FullMoon, the disarm attempt does not provoke an attack of oppor-tunity. Use a a character’s Dexterity modifier instead of theStrength modifier on attack rolls with a Full Moon.

Whip, Horse Hair TasselA wide, heavy whip, made, unsurprisingly, from the tail of ahorse, this item was, like the flute, not a serious weapon, but oneto illustrate a technique and focus on elegance and form. Theweapon does a minimum of subdual damage, and deals no dam-age to any creature wearing armor of at least +1 armor bonus,and does no damage to a creature with a +1 natural armor bonus.Although kept in the hand, it is treated as a ranged weapon witha maximum range of 10 feet, and no range penalties. Thisweapon is incapable of performing disarms or trips. Using thisweapon to defeat a foe would be the height of embarrassmentand shame for that foe.

Iron SleevesA defensive item, iron sleeves were often sewn into the lining ofa martial outfit, to allow an unarmed man parry weapon strikes.When fighting defensively or using the Expertise skill with anunarmed weapon or attack, someone with Iron Sleeves may addan additional +1 armor bonus. This bonus does not stack witharmors that already have sleeves.

The Hidden KnifeKnives could be hidden in the stock, scabbard, or base of anyweapon. Characters who wish to purchase a hidden knife mustspend 10 more gold than the item costs, and then they must spec-ify where the knife is hidden. The Knife cannot be part of a

blade, but otherwise may be secreted in most portions of aweapon. The hidden knife stats given are for a generic steelknife. The GM is the final arbiter of whether or not a weaponcan bear a hidden knife.

Improvised Weapon TrainingFor campaigns where cinematic battle scenes or swashbucklingstyle is preferred, consider the below feat.

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96. Iron Sleeves; 97. Hidden Knives; 98. Beheading Sword

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Tassels on WeaponsMany of the weapons listings so far have noted if a weaponcan have tassels. Weapons with tassels or other distractingembellishments can be used by those with the right expertise,to distract a foe in combat. A person with the appropriateweapon proficiency and the feat Expertise can take a -1 totheir to hit rolls, and confer the same penalty on one specificenemy through using the tassels in a distracting manner. Ifboth foes use their tassels in this fashion on each other, thesepenalties overlap (thus both would have a cumulative -2 totheir hit rolls).

It should be noted that another important reason tassels wereadded to weapons was to soak up blood that might otherwisemake the weapon slippery and dangerous to the wielder. Takethis lesson very seriously, and always make sure your weaponsare never left bloody, to avoid accidents

Shield CombatThe shield was often used as a primary weapon during theWudan period. Used to block and to attack, this style favorsdiversions, deflecting attacks, and striking with stunningblows. Imagine a dance where the shield shifts from arm toarm, blocking blows, pushing away an attacker, and thenbeing used, one or two handed, to buffet an attacker into sub-mission. Shield proficiency is required to perform effectiveShield combat.


New Feat: Improvised Weapon Training: [General]You are trained to be able to use any object in your environmentin as a weapon.

Prerequisites: INT 13+, Alertness, Combat Reflexes, BaseAttack bonus of +3 or higher

Benefit: Any person with the Improvised Weapon Training featcan use any object in their environment as a weapon. This pro-vides a number of bonuses:

• If a person with Improvised Weapon Training comes across aweapon they are not proficient with, but similar to weaponsthat they already have proficiency with, they may wield thatweapon with only a -1 penalty on attack rolls. Thus a personwith Simple Weapons Proficiency could use a martial weaponlike a sword with a -1 penalty (since it is used a lot like a clubor sickle), and a person with Martial Weapons Proficiencywould be able to use a Kama at a -1 penalty (since they arealready familiar with the pick, which is used in a similar fash-ion). Really unusual weapons, like a spiked chain would onlybe available at a -1 penalty if that person already had profi-ciency with other similar weapons like the lariat or whip.

• If a person with Improvised Weapon Training comes across aweapon they are not proficient with, and its use is unlike anyweapon they are trained with, they may use that weapon witha -2 penalty on attack rolls. Thus a person with simpleweapons proficiency who attempts to use a longbow willexperience the -2 penalty, or a person with martial weaponsproficiency will experience the same penalty when trying touse a whip.

• If a person with Improvised Weapon Training attempts to usea non-weapon as a weapon, and the object can easily be usedas such, for example a fireplace poker used as a sword ormace, or a curtain rod as a staff or sword, then the personexperiences a -3 penalty on attack rolls with that weapon, andthe item does damage determined by the DM (usually onesize step lower than the weapon emulated, although certainweapons will do considerably less damage). In this manner acandelabra might be used like a trident, or a flaming brazierlike a flail. Note that in this instance fire damage may beappropriate.

• Finally, a person with Improvised Weapon Training may useany object deemed solid enough to inflict damage as aweapon, with a -4 penalty on attack rolls. These objects aremyriad, from things like chairs to beer steins to crystal ballsto silverware. Damage for these items should be based oncounterparts, where possible, although generally it will rangefrom 1d4 to 1d6 in damage. Obviously more damaging items,like a statue being wielded by a magically strong charactermight do considerably more damage. The DM is the finalarbiter of damage, and may even deem an item non-damagingor only inflicting subdual damage.

Whenever there is a question of the damage of an improvisedweapon due to its size, remember to consult the weapon size anddamage chart. A copy may be found at the end of this book.

Sword, BeheadingDeveloped during this period, but never used on the battlefieldor the Martial community, the Beheading Sword was a true exe-cutioners blade, a heavy, two handed sword used to executecriminals. Executioners would often travel between municipali-ties and earn their pay by cutting off the heads of those sentencedby the local lord. Executions were actually saved until an execu-tioner passed through the area, and then were held as publicspectacles.

Scale Armor, Chinese Mountain PatternAn incredibly hard, dense, and heavy, Chinese Mountain PatternArmor was worn exclusively by the officers of the military. Nocopy of this armor is in existence today, and much of what weknow about this armor is speculation by modern armor crafters.The name of the armor comes from the fact that the scales of thisarmor were shaped like the character for the word mountain,which looks something like an inverted Y. This pattern madetightly interlocking plates of scale, as hard as many platedarmors, but at the cost of mobility and flexibility. The cost of thiskind of armor was incredible, and each suit was painstakinglymade on commission, and sized to the wearer. Should a charac-ter come across a suit of this armor in a game, it is very unlikelythey would be able to wear it.

The Tang PeriodThe Tang period is often noted as one of the high points in Chi-nese culture. Tang Emperors ruled by Confucian standards, andthe examination system was often the way to the most presti-gious offices. But events conspired to muddy this reputation.First the eunuchs plotted and eventually took control of theDynasty, increasing their power through offers of offices andwealth, as well as assassination. Late in the Tang Period theeunuchs actually consolidated their power and were able tochoose successors and even assassinate emperors with impunity.These later emperors began to move away from Confucian stan-dards, and put great restrictions on Buddhism, a popular but for-eign religion. At one point a purge of Buddhist temples wasauthorized, and more than 14,000 temples were closed and40,000 Buddhist Monks and Nuns were killed. Rebellionsbecame more common. Generals refused to answer Imperial

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Chinese EnchantmentMuch of Chinese folklore connects the written word withmagic. Certain fictional wizards used written characters to castspells. If running a Chinese-themed campaign, rather thanmagical glows, consider the possibility of enchanted objectsbeing ornately inscribed with beautiful calligraphy. Perhaps theblade with Tiger’s Claw in fine calligraphy turns out to have akeen edge, or one with Rose’s Thorn is wounding. These the-matic touches can really bring a campaign world alive.


summonses, and consolidated their power in border provinces.Eventually a General attempted to free the Palace from eunuchcontrol. General Zhu Quanzong invaded the palace and killed allof the eunuchs, but in the process he also killed the Emperor.Although a popular rebellion attempted to take control of thegovernment, General Zhu Quanzong claimed power and estab-lished a short lived Liang dynasty.

Conquest

In the north five dynasties rose in fell in fifty years. In thesouth the various states became ten kingdoms. Barbarians

took advantage to reclaim the Silk Road, which was again quiteprofitable with trade to Persia, Arabia, and certain Europeanmercantile families. In other lands this would bring about anincredible holy war, but in the East this was just business. Even-tually the Song Dynasty, a northern dynasty established in theashes of another failed empire, would arise with aspirations togreater control. The Song built up an effective army and invadedthe south of China. Allying with various states against their ene-mies, the Song conquered the southern Kingdoms, often takingadvantage of Tibetan raids to arrive in a devastated region andconsolidate power. It took decades for the Song to finally domi-nate the southern kingdoms, but gradually the Song dynasty con-quered and ruled all of civilized China, but did so with adifferent focus.

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99a. Chinese Mountain Pattern Scale Armor—full suit; 99b. Chinese Mountain Pattern Scale Armor—closeup; 100. Chinese SteelScalemail

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perhaps your campaign centers on freeing the Empire from thecontrol of the Eunuchs and restoring the glory of the TangEmpire before it is too tarnished to last.

Tang as Campaign SettingThe Tang period is one of the most robust periods of ChineseHistory. And the tension of a game set in this period could bevery interesting. Eunuchs control the palace, and in Chinesefantasy many Eunuchs were Sorcerers, controlling dark magic.Shaolin Monks may either be common or rare, depending onthe exact time you set the campaign. Fighters might be mem-bers of the military, or members of the Wudan schools.Besides venturing against barbarians in the borderlands,adventures might include raiding Qin burial sites filled withstone golems painted like living soldiers, fending off rampag-ing spirits or monsters in the wild lands of the far south, orperhaps working for a military regent trying to establish anindependent state from the Sorcerer-controlled Empire. Or


The Song dynasty worked heavily on infrastructure, building upcities and promoting urbanization, improving roads and trans-portation, and preventing the power of the military from grow-ing. Having learned from previous dynasties that a strongmilitary might eventually rebel, military officers were restrictedfrom entering public service, and many soldiers were tattooed toprevent them from leaving military service. The aristocracy nolonger automatically held officer status in the military, and theSong Dynasty went a long way towards awarding rank to thosesoldiers whose skills and talents merited it. This lead to the armybeing a professional army, and civilians could enter the militaryand expect long-term employment. In addition, refined steelmaking techniques improved the strength and flexibility of theirweapons and armor. The Dao became the standard armament ofmost of the army, backed by the halberd, the crossbow, and thehorse-bound lancer. The development of better armor technologyalso lead to improvements in military efficiency.

Scalemail, Chinese SteelA less restrictive scale mail was developed. Although not as pro-tective as the mountain scale version, this one was easier tomake and mass-produce, and was worn by soldiers whose lordscould afford the cost.

Banded, Breastplate, and Mirror Plated Armor,ChineseChinese metal armors were expensive, and were generally onlyworn by those officers who didn’t wear the traditional MountainScale. Breastplate armor included arm, head and neck covering.Mirror Plated Armor was generally studded leather with largerectangles or squares of metal forming plates over vital areas.The densest armor used at this time was Banded Armor, whichhad overlapping plates and bands of metal that kept much of thebody encased and protected. Of course, the general drawback ofarmor was a lack of mobility.

Brigandine, ChineseOne attempt to improve this while still retaining better protectionwas the use of brigandine. Brigandine consists of metal plates, orsometimes even scales, that are riveted to a layer of leather oneither side. This creates a flexible body mesh that still affordssignificant defense. This kind of armor would be developed bymany cultures. For those lords who could afford it, this wouldeventually replace Scalemail as standard troop armor.

As the Song Dynasty began to establish itself, in India war wasbrewing. India remained a land of kingdoms, the north influencedby the Silk Road and the West, while the south was more andmore dominated by The Chola Kingdom. Military developmentsof this period were few but unique. India developed studded clotharmor, light enough for summer heat but more durable than theirheavy padded armor. In the South the Katar was experimented

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101a. Chinese Banded Armor; 101b. Mirror Plated Armor; 102. Chinese Brigandine

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with, and new variants were created. The metal smiths of Indiawere beginning to perfect woozt steel, the famed Damascus steel,which would see active use in the Crusades. Unfortunately thesedevelopments were not enough to combat the Persians.

Cloth Armors, Heavy and StuddedThe hotter climate of India made heavy armor oppressive duringthe summers. Peasants and poor militia often wore heavy cloth-ing when going into battle. Usually made of many layers ofclothing, they were itchy, stifling, but tolerable. Some kinds ofcloth armor attempted to augment cloth armor with metal studs,although the benefit was only slight. Heavy cloth armor shouldbe considered the rough equivalent of padded armor from theplayer’s handbook.

Ballam, Early SteelA heavy, barbed steel spear, this weapon was more of useagainst horses and elephants than against men. The wide blademade it perfect for countering a charge, and the barbed headmade the wound even more massive when someone attemptedto remove the spear. This spear was not a throwable weapon,and was difficult to use when not braced. A similar spear was

used in Malaysia, called the Tampuling, which is otherwiseidentical in stats.

Tschehouta, Early SteelA two headed spear similar to the double spear, this Indianweapon is used in much the same way. This is a double weapon,and if used as a double weapon, you incur all penalties associ-ated with fighting with two weapons as if you were using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon.

Katar, Closed Hilted Early SteelThe Katar saw some development during this period. One devel-opment was the closed hilted version of the Katar. The katarblade included a locked gauntlet. Any weapon with a lockedgauntlet is much harder to disarm, as per the rules in the Player’sHandbook.

Katar, Three Bladed Early SteelAnother departure from the standard Katar included two similartriangular blades on either side of the weapon, facing left andright. This allowed the Katar wielder to strike at opponents toeither side equally as well as they could strike forward. This also

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103. Studded Cloth Armor; 104. Early Steel Ballam; 105. Early Steel Tschehouta; 106. Closed Hilted Early Steel Katar; 107. Three Bladed Early Steel Katar

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conferred a slight deflection bonus, adding a +1 armor bonus todefense for a wielder fighting in a defensive stance.

The PersiansThe Persians invaded not long after the end of the first millen-nium, and with them they brought Persian culture and Islam. ThePersians dominated all of Northern India, and new peoples beganto settle more widely in the north, notably the Sikhs and Punjabs.It was through this invasion that Islam would first reach southeast-ern Asia and China, and it would be through Persia that Damascussteel would become the favored steel of the Islamic nations.

Mace, Damascened OxThe Ox mace is a stylized mace, whose head is shaped like thatof an ox. Often these maces had holes in the head to make itwhistle when it was swung. This was used to make horsesunsteady (-1 to all Ride checks) and to make demoralized troopseven more anxious as the screaming maces struck at them. If afoe already has a negative morale modifier do to any effect,using an ox mace around them will only worsen that modifier(Will save DC 12 or add an extra -1). This effect lasts as long asthat foe is within hearing distance of the ox mace.

Scale and Banded Armors, DamascenedArmor was rarely made of Damascus steel, mainly due to thecost. They are, in all respects similar to their steel equivalents,except for materials aspects.

Plate Armor and Damascened ScaleThe scale and plate armor of Persia, which had been adopted byRome and carried on in the heavy horsemen of Persia, was rarelyconverted to Damascus steel, but a few suits did exist. The costfor this suit of armor was formidable, and it must be assumedthat only great soldiers and nobles ever wore this armor.

Not WeaponsSufi Islam came to India during this invasion, and with it cameFakirs, mystics and wandering mendicants who shared and taughtIslamic mysticism. Laws in India, established during the GuptaEmpire, forbade holy men to carry weapons, and the Persians didnot see fit to change local laws. The Fakirs found themselvesunder constant threat from bandits and robbers who saw holymen as easy targets, and sought a solution. Their best solutionwas the development of weapons that weren’t weapons, itemsthat could be passed off as normal implements but could be usedoffensively. Two such were the Fakir’s Cane and Fakir’s Horns.During this time the Maru came into more common use.

Cane, Fakir’sThis cane is, in most respects, used in the same manner as thewooden cane of the Wudan movement. However, the handle ofthe Fakir’s cane sometimes came to a sharp point, so that it couldbe used like a pick weapon. Besides bludgeoning or stabbing,the Fakir’s cane can also be used to trip opponents.

Fakir’s HornsThis is a hand weapon, grasped and used to stab. The horns aresharp, and sometimes capped in iron, although usually this cap-ping process attracts attention.

MaruThe Maru is a rare object, a shield with weapons attached. Pro-tecting like a small shield, the Maru also mounts two steel tippedhorns at either end. This allows the shield to be used as an offen-sive stabbing weapon, much like a spear would be used. Whenused as a weapon, the Maru does not confer any defensivebonuses. The Maru is a double weapon.

TabarThe Tabar is a large, heavy double axe, made entirely of steel. Aformidable weapon, this is powerful axe is demanding, andrequires great strength to use effectively.

Arrow, AxebladeA wide bladed arrow, the axe blade delivers a potent slicingblow, rather than an impaling strike. This arrow was very usefulfor slicing through ropes, inflicting cuts in narrow spaces, anddriving animals to fear and flight.

The End of an EraThe Persians did not remain in India long. Muslim tribesremained in control of the North, but the Persians faced more

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Advanced Chinese SteelThe Chinese began to experiment with the early hard steel,attempting to make it more flexible. China would not find aneasy way to maintain the hard edge while keeping steel flexi-ble, and this lead to a number of experiments. New inlayed ormixed steel techniques would be created, to meld differentstrengths of steel together to form a stronger alloy. This oftenleft distinctive marks on the blade of such a weapon. Chinawould never take this practice to its ultimate conclusion.Instead, India and Japan would proceed with this kind of steelin two different directions. India would develop woozt steel,and use it to create potent patterned steel weapons. This Indianstyle of smithing would migrate to Muslim lands, where itwould be known as Damascus steel. The Japanese, on the otherhand, would develop their unique folding technique, and,through nearly infinite patience, craft incredibly durable blades.

Material Properties: Damascus SteelDamascus steel is made from Woozt Steel, and is made bycombining various hardnesses of steel together with minutequantities of other material to create a strong and flexiblematerial able to deal with the rigors of battle. Weapons madeof Damascus steel gain a +1 damage bonus, and any itemmade of Damascus steel is significantly more wear resistantthan regular iron or steel weapons (10 Hardness and +3 to HitPoints). Items made of Damascus Steel cost an additional 400gp above the normal price for the weapon type.


conflict in the West, and so left India to its own devices. Eventu-ally Turkish and Afghani chieftains would establish the DelhiSultanate, which would rule India for most of the MedievalPeriod. Held off only by strong kingdoms in the South, the printof Islam on India would last until the modern day.

Before the Delhi Sultanate was formed the Song dynasty founditself in trouble. Steppe tribes were causing trouble along the bor-ders, with the Jurchen of Korea threatening the Eastern border ofChina and the Liao people, a descendant tribe of the Xianpei,beginning a war of conquest. The lessened power of the militaryhad kept the nation from a homegrown military coup, but now themilitary was hard pressed to defeat the Liao, and eventually theSong dynasty had to retreat to the South, giving up control of theNorth to the Liao and Jurchen, in exchange for peace. Evenworse, the Tibetans finally established a firm stronghold along theSilk Road, and declared themselves the Western Xia, demandingtribute for access to southern trade routes. Hedged in on all sidesby enemies, the Song tried to stave off invasion and worked toestablish new trade routes with their neighbors.

And the Song Dynasties plan appeared to work. During thisperiod the merchant class began to develop, a firm middle classbetween lords and peasants, and the economy of China flourisheddespite the restrictions. The Liao, having lived near the Chineseregion and now inhabiting it, embraced Chinese culture and gave

up their nomadic ways, adopting the language and customs oftheir conquered people. Ironically, this would work against theLiao and the Song when their next enemy was to arrive.

The Great RideFrom Lake Bajkal runs the river Onan, which makes its waythrough wild lands, between hills and down into the flatlands,where it meets the Herlen and Amur rivers, to join them in theirvoyage to the Pacific. Along the bank of the Onan was bornTemujin, the man who would one day be known in the west asGhengis Khan, or the Oceanic Khan.

Before Temujin there was no Mongolian identity. The Mongo-lian region was a place where various Turkic tribes lived, someof them preserving blood strains of the Huns. It was a landbetween the steppes of the north and the mountains of the west,pressed firmly against the Great Wall and the armies of China.Temujin, though, was a man of strength, and of vision.

Life in Mongolia was harsh. Most tribes required a child to ridea horse by the age of three, and those unfit to do so were oftenleft to die. If they found a way to survive anyway they might bereadmitted to the tribe, but this was not guaranteed. Strength wasfavored, but not the absolute measure of a man. A strong man

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108. Damascened Ox Mace; 109. Fakir's Cane; 110. Fakir's Horns; 111. Maru; 112. Tabar; 113. Axeblade Arrow

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might be feared, but a man cunning in weapon craft wasrespected. Some would say the tribes-people of Mongolia wereinherently warlike and barbaric, but to them it was the only prac-tical existence when life was hostile and death was near.

Temujin rose to power through apprenticeship to Toghrul, atribal leader given tribute by the Jin to protect their borders.Under Toghrul’s tutelage Temujin learned the art of negotiation,and the value of organization. Temujin put these lessons, andthose of a life in conflict and hardship to good use, conqueringneighboring tribes and bringing them under his control. VariousMongolian tribes became part of Temujin’s horde, and Turkstood beside Kereyit stood beside Merkit stood beside Naiman.Each new tribe gave up autonomy and joined forces with Temu-jin. We do not have diaries or records written by Temujin him-self, but one can only suppose that besides strength what manysaw in Temujin was destiny.

Temujin sought Empire, but not empire like any other northerntribe sought. Temujin spent time studying warfare, even accept-ing exile to China after a failed battle, in order to learn the art ofwar. And then Temujin struck back at his enemies, and crushedand consolidated the Tartars, ancient enemies of both China andEastern Europe. By this time Temujin and Toghrul had a partingof ways, and they eventually waged war against each other, withTemujin killing the opposing lord and taking power over all ofMongolia and portions of Central Asia for himself. Many war-lords would end their conquest there.

But Temujin continued.

He took the title of Ghengis Khan at this time, choosing water tosymbolize the ubiquity of his intended rule. And he set about tomake it true. First he struck at the Jin, and crushed their hold onNortheast China and Korea. Then he turned his gaze toKhwarazm. Khwarazm was an empire situated in Afghanistan,Persia, and portions of Central Asia, including modern dayUzbekistan. Once dominated by the Sejulk Turks, Khwarazmhad become independent and was a flourishing center for Islamicthought, agriculture, and trade. But news of an attack upon Mon-golian merchants drew Temujin from the conquered land of theJin, and down into the Middle East. Though the Shah ofKhwarazm brought 400,000 men to face the Mongols, the Mon-gols attacked with 90,000 Mongolian Warriors, and defeated thenumerically superior force, possibly killing as many as 180,000men in the battle. The Shah fled the battle, and Temujin followedwith 40,000 horsemen split in two groups. Each group traveledthrough different portions of Persia, and records say whole areasof Persia were depopulated by their passage. The demoralizingeffect of the killing and bloodshed made what was left ofKhwarazm’s army too weak to face the Mongol forces, andwithin a year Khwarazm fell to the Mongols.

Temujin’s armies did not stop in Persia, however, but theyskirted the Caspian Sea and raided deep into Russia, looting por-tions of southern Russia before turning back to return to Mongo-lia. On the way back, the Mongols conquered Georgia, and then

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114. Mongol Lacquered Leather; 115. Mongol Recurve Bow; 116. Chinese Rocket; 117. Spear Gun; 118. Primitive Chinese Gun

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prepared for battle in China. But Temujin died unexpectedly inbattle against the Western Xia, and succession was thorny, withmultiple sons of Temujin vying for approval as the next Khan.

Mongol Warriors of this period wore lacquered leather armor,and carried small leather shields. Their horses were also bardedwith similar lacquered leather. They carried axes, scimitars,lances, lariats, and their own version of the recurve bow. Arrowswere poisoned as often as were not, and the range of the Mongolrecurve bow was exceptional. Both the Mongols and the Chineseof this period used guns, which ranged from pots stuffed withgunpowder and short spears to true guns with stone or iron shots.Primitive rockets were also in use. Later Mongol horsemenwould adapt chainmail, lamellar, scale, banded armor, brigan-dine, and various kinds of plate and mail.

Leather, LacqueredA weather treated leather worn by the early Mongol forces, Lac-quered Leather is only slightly more durable than regular leather,and was often a leather lamellar. Light enough to maneuver in, andeasy to repair, this remained the common armor of most MongolHordesmen. A barding version of this armor was also common.

Bow, Mongol RecurveThe Mongol Recurve bow descends from both the Hun andScythian designs, and incorporates much of their innovations. Anatural mighty bow, the Mongol Recurve bow had fearsomerange and propelled arrows with exceptional force. All MongolRecurve bows act as Mighty Composite Shortbows (usually +2),and may be used from horseback.

Rockets, ChineseThe Chinese had the technology of explosives from an earlytime, and manufactured fireworks for trade and celebration forages. Eventually some ingenious soul noticed that when certainfireworks did not function as expected, the thrust of the fuel pro-pelled the firework a fair distance before an explosion. This tech-nology was eventually adapted into the Chinese Rocket. A oneshot weapon, the Chinese rocket was a length of bamboo filledwith a combustible mixture and an explosive head. Once lit, thewielder would attempt to aim it where they intended to strike,and would hold on until the fuel created enough force to propelthe rocket forward and explode. Chinese rockets are destroyedduring the explosion, and cannot be repaired.

Spear GunEffectively an urn packed with explosives and lined with spears,this was a dangerous weapon to everyone on the battlefield. Oncelit, a fuse descends into the urn, which detonates the propellant.When the Spear gun fires, it propels a half dozen short spears thelisted range. Roll to hit on the target aimed at. If the target isstruck, and is in the first range increment, the target is actuallystruck by 1d3 spears (use the stats for the Steel Qiang), with theadded damage bonus conferred by the Spear gun. If the target isin the second range increment, it is struck by 1d2 spears, with half

of the added damage bonus conferred by the spear gun. Any tar-get in a five foot wide path in the third range increment has achance to be struck by 1 of the remaining spears. Roll an unmodi-fied d20 attack for each such target, until there are no more spearsto be accounted for. Any spears not accounted for are consideredlost, since they splinter against the ground on impact. The relia-bility rating for the spear gun is 5. Spear guns can only have aspectacular failure. Ignore the chart and apply the following resultupon any failure: the urn explodes, and inflicts 6d6 damage onthe wielder, and 3d6 to all beings within 5 feet.

Gun, Primitive ChineseEssentially a long length of bamboo tightly wrapped and bandedfor stability and fitted with a priming pan, this gun was the extentof the development of the gun in Chinese history. Neo Confucianthought would prevent new developments in firearms, whichwould mean firearms in Europe would eventually outstrip those inChina. The Primitive Chinese Gun fired shot of both stone andiron. This gun is equivalent to the Primitive Handcannon, andinformation on reliability, reloading times, and powder usage canbe found in the chapter Pageantry, Platemail, and Pistols.

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Guns and ReliabilityGuns are designed to take incredible punishment from theinternal explosions necessary to propel their ammunitiontowards a target. But sometimes guns fail. Because of thisguns have a reliability rating. That rating indicates the rate offailure of the weapon. When the d20 is rolled to determine to-hit, should the number rolled be equal to or below the reliabil-ity rating, the gun experiences a failure. Roll 1d20 (or use theeffect die) to determine what kind:

• 1–10—Misfire: the gun does not fire, as the powder chargedoes not catch. There is nothing wrong with the gun, andthe wielder may attempt to fire it again the next round.

• 11–15—Internal Scoring: the projectile scrapes the insideof the barrel, creating a natural skew. All shots are at a -1 tohit. Each such result is cumulative. This may be fixed asper rules for repair.

• 16–18—Jam: the projectile lodges in the gun barrel. Thiscauses scoring (see above), and requires 3d6 rounds toremove. Usually most people opt to drop a jammed gunand fix it after combat.

• 19—Major Failure: A major mechanism on the gun breaks,and the gun cannot be used again until it has been repaired.

• 20—Spectacular Failure: The gun explodes, inflicting max-imum damage on the wielder and standard rolled damageon every person within five feet. People at five feet mayattempt to avoid this damage by attempting a reflex save.

Gun Damage and Armor (Optional)Due to the incredible velocity a gun's projectile travels at, gunstreat armor differently. When guns miss and strike armor,apply damage to the armor as normal. However, take thatsame damage roll, and subtract the armor bonus from it. Any


Scaled JackA coat layered with hexagonal metal plates, the Scaled Jack is anarmored jacket, developed after the Mongols moved south intoPersia. This armor was surprisingly flexible and protective.

Plated mail, KolontarA chainmail and plate armor combination consisting of rectan-gles of plate covering much of the chest and mid-section. Helmand chain coifs are standard with this kind of plated mail armor.As with all plated mail armors, these afford impressive protec-tion, but are quite heavy.

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119. Scaled Jack; 120. Kolontar Plated Mail

119

120

damage left over from this subtraction should be applied to thearmor's wearer, as the impact causes bruising (if not brokenbones). In this way, armor still acts as a buffer (an impromptudamage resistance).

Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Firearms): [General]

You are trained to be able to use any firearms.

Prerequisites: Base attack bonus of +1 or higher

Benefit: You can make attack rolls with any firearm as normal.

Normal: Firearms are not inherently more difficult to fire thana crossbow. Any untrained person can fire a loaded gun with a-2 to hit. However, without training, a person will not knowthe proper reloading techniques, and will be unable to appro-priately maintain powder and a weapon. The reliability ratingof a gun being handled by an untrained person is doubled, andtwice as much powder is used per shot.


Elite Mongol Horsemen(Prestige Class)The Dread of the World. The Forcewhich humbled China and Europe. TheWolves of the Steppes, and the greatest war-riors of their time. The Mongols wererespected and feared as the best horsemen,horse archers, and the most fearsome footmen oftheir time. They practically invented modern cav-alry tactics, which are used even today in tank war-fare. From the age of three a child who could not ridea horse was left by the tribe to die. If the child couldsurvive and catch up with the tribe they would be givena second chance to rejoin, or be killed. The harsh landthey came from demanded a people who could move on amoment’s notice, and though much of their lifestyle mightsee barbaric and cruel to the modern reader, this was the onlylife they knew

Any Mongol warrior wanted to be one of the elite horsemen.And the membership was not closed. Turks and foreigners ofgreat mettle were often invited to join the Hordes. The require-ments were challenging, but anyone who could fill themwould be called brother.

Hit Die: d10

RequirementsTo qualify to become an Elite Mongol Horseman, a charactermust fulfill all the following criteria.

Basic Attack Bonus: +6

Skills: Ride 6 ranks

Feats: Mounted Combat, Any 2 other Mounted Feats,

Class Skills

The Elite Mongol Horseman’s class skills (and the key abilityfor each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha),Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), Swim (Str)


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Table 5-1:Elite Mongol Horsemen; Class Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Advanced Horsemanship2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Shoot on the Move3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Brutal Attack4th +4 +4 +1 +1 Battle Cry5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Streaking Shot6th +6 +5 +2 +2 Brutal Flurry 7th +7 +5 +2 +2 Horse Brother8th +8 +6 +2 +2 Last Ditch Strike9th +9 +6 +3 +3 Second Wind10th +10 +7 +3 +3 Penetrating Shot

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Elite Mongol Horse-man prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mongol Horsemen are profi-cient with all simple weapons and martial weapons. They arealso proficient with light, medium, and heavy armors andshields. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier thanleather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide,Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

Advanced Horsemanship: The Elite Mongol Horseman liveswith their mount, and must care for it night and day. They eatwhile riding and touch ground only to make camp. All ridemaneuvers are at a +2 to perform, and any mounted combatmaneuver gains a +2 bonus.

Shoot on the Move: The Elite Mongol Horseman takes nopenalty for firing from horseback, regardless of the speed of thehorse.

Brutal Attack: An Elite Mongol Horseman may take a standardaction to make a melee attack at their standard attack bonus. Ifthey hit, they inflict the maximum damage for the weapon(including their strength bonus). If the hit is a critical hit, theyinflict the maximum critical damage for that weapon (includingtheir strength bonus). This ability can only be used once per day.

Battle Cry: All allies within 30 feet of an Elite Mongol Horse-man using this ability gain a +1 morale bonus, and all enemiesreceive a -1 moral penalty. This ability can only be used once perday, and lasts a number of rounds equal to their total characterlevels.

Brutal Flurry: At 6th level the Elite Mongol Horseman gainsthe ability to double their attacks for one round, albeit at a -2penalty. Thus an Elite Mongol Warrior who attacks with+12/+7/+2 normally would have, for one round,+10/+10/+5/+5/-0/-0. This ability can be used only once per day,and cannot be used in conjunction with a Brutal Attack.

Horse Brother: At 7th level the Elite Mongol Horseman maycommunicate with their mount as if through an Empathic Link.It takes one month to establish an Empathic Link with a mount,and if that mount dies, the Elite Mongol Horseman will be dazedfor 1d8 rounds. This Link allows the Elite Mongol Warrior togive more complex commands and provides a +2 willpowerbonus to the Horse for resisting Fear effects.

Last Ditch Strike: If an Elite Mongol Warrior with this ability isreduced to zero hit points or below, they are given one morecombat round to perform any task before succumbing to theirwounds. Generally this round is used to make a final strike, butany action may be taken that occurs within the time-span of theround. This ability may only be used once per day.

Second Wind: At 9th level the Elite Mongol Warrior may sum-mon deep reserves of strength to push on in battle. A MongolWarrior may sacrifice 1 temporary point of constitution toremove any negative non-magical physical effects inflicting him,

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such as poison, fatigue, disease, or moral penalties. This abilitycan only be used once per day.

The SuccessorsEventually succession would be decided, and the Jin would befinally crushed. Then the Mongols would turn west again, andsend 150,000 Mongol Horsemen into Russia and EasternEurope. Russia and all the provinces of the region would fall tothe Mongol forces and be incorporated into the Golden Horde. Itwould not be until the late medieval period that Russia wouldfinally gain freedom from the Mongols again. In Europe Russiawould invade Poland and Hungary, taking great portions of landand sacking cities. They would eventually march on Austria, butTemujin’s heir would die before the Mongols could move far-ther. The Mongols returned home to fight over the next succes-sor. It is strongly suspected that the Mongols were intent onconquering the whole of Europe and, had it not been for OgedeiKhans death, they likely would have.

The next few Khans would be unable to retain their holdings inHungary and Poland, but would strengthen their grip on Russiaand Persia. Eventually it would be Kublai Khan who wouldreturn to China and finally topple the Liao and Sung Dynastiesafter a failed attempt to conquer Japan. Having finally unifiedChina, Kublai Khan would establish himself the first Emperor ofthe Yuan dynasty. But already the Mongol Empire was indecline. Kublai Khan would see mediocre results in the battle-field after his establishment of the Yuan Dynasty. Another attackon Japan would fail, foiled by the weather as well as Japanesewarriors. He would also attack the Champa and Annam, regionsof Vietnam, and find only marginal success. A later raid on Javawould fail for lack of supplies. The Mongols, never seamen, hadfound their limit.

Slowly the greater empire would crumble, as the Yuan Mongolsconcentrated on controlling China. They were largely unsuccess-ful, as they favored non-Han peoples, and promoted a great dealof non-traditional practices. In the other lands the Mongols con-quered Turkic and Mongolian tribes would establish Khanates,various Islamic states to control what land they could. Theprowess of the Mongolian Warriors would decline under Chi-nese domination, and in the end it would be the Mongolians whowould drive themselves from China, unable to resolve disputesover succession. The remnants of the Yuan dynastic familieswould retreat to Lake Bajkal to resolve their dispute, but wouldnever return to China. Over the span of a little more than a cen-tury and a half the only land that would still pay the Mongolstribute would be Russia. And the Mongol Empire would end uponly a short distance from where it began, after briefly becomingthe largest land empire in history.

The Ming DynastyIn the aftermath of the retreat of the Mongols, a Han peasant andformer Buddhist monk would establish the Ming Dynasty. Con-quered in stages, The Ming Dynasty would attempt to reconcile


changes established by the Yuan with the Neo-Confucianthought of the Song Dynasty. For the first century of its exis-tence the Ming Dynasty was the most maritime Chinese Dynastyin history, with Chinese sailors traveling as far as Africa, andpossibly even crossing the Pacific, as certain unique paralleldevelopments suggest contact between China and Mesoamericancultures. But after this first century of expansion China suddenlyceased sending ships so far. Scholars cite many reasons for thechange, from moral dilemmas to financial reasons, but there isno definitive answer for this change in policy. Ironically, thiswould leave China ripe for exploitation during the Opium Trade.

Guang Hu Adventurer (Prestige Class)The Guang Hu was an underworld of so-called lawless adventur-ers who wandered China perfecting their skills in combatagainst each other, or using their martial prowess fortheir own ends. Some were forces for good, trackingdown criminals and safeguarding shipments, whileothers were evil, striking at the forces of law and takingwhat they want. To be in the Guang Hu meant to be distrusted bysociety, but to be free from its strictures as well.

Many sought to join the Guang Hu. Some were soldiers who leftthe military but could no leave a life of conflict. Others werethose who sought spiritual enlightenment in the martial disci-pline and meditation. Some sought to leave family obligations,while others found themselves destitute, with nowhere else togo. Once you entered the Guang Hu, it often became more diffi-cult to completely leave it.

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Hit Die: d10

RequirementsTo qualify to become a Guang Hu Adventurer, a character mustfulfill all the following criteria.


Feats: Expertise, 1 other combat related Feat

The Guang Hu SettingThe Guang Hu Setting is a fictitious time period sometime inthe early Ming Dynasty, after Chinahas returned to self-rulership. Itinvolves something of an extension tothe Wudan period, and the rise of adisenfranchised wandering adventurersculture called the Guang Hu. This is the backdropof many Wuxia movies and fiction, and the con-trasted freedom of the Guang Hu adventurers with thestratification of Chinese culture make for an interestingcontrast. The Guang Hu culture is not unlike a criminalunderworld, where reputation and status is everything, andadventurers are constantly seeking to improve their own rep-utation by taking down more powerful adventurers. This inter-nal competition is heightened by rivalries between differentschools. If the chance to explore a wild world and then returnto a highly cultured society appeals to your gaminggroup, this fictitious campaign setting might just be perfectfor your players.

Class SkillsThe Guang Hu’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill)are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimi-date (Cha), Perform (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Philosophy)(Int), Swim (Str)


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Guang Hu Adven-turer prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Guang Hu Adventurers starttheir first level with proficiency in all simple weapons, 4 martialweapons of their school, and 1 exotic weapon of their school.Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leatherapply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump,Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

Meditation: Guang Hu Adventurers are trained to Meditate. At1st level a Guang Hu Adventurer may meditate to remove theeffects of fatigue. At 4th level a Guang Hu Adventurer mayMeditate for Clarity, which gives a +1 to strike for a number ofhours equal to the Adventurer’s total levels divided by two. At7th Level the Guang Hu Adventurer may Meditate to place theirbody in a state of suspended animation. This delays poison orprevents hit point loss due to bleeding for a number of hoursequal to the Adventurer’s current levels. At 10th Level theGuang Hu Adventurer may Meditate to neutralize any spell orspells affecting them. This last form of meditation requires onehour to take effect.

Two Weapon Fighting: This is the Feat, as listed in the Player’sHandbook

Training: Guang Hu Adventurers may pick one of the following

Proficiency with 4 More Martial Weapons of their schoolProficiency with 1 More Exotic Weapon of their schoolWeapon Focus with one known WeaponWeapon Specialization with one known Weapon1 Guang Hu Martial Technique

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Improvised Weapon Training—This is as per the Feat in thischapter.

Reputation: As the Guang Hu Adventurer journeys, their repu-tation grows and spreads. At 3rd level there is a 25% chance thata Guang Hu Adventurer will be recognized on sight or by nameby another Guang Hu Adventurer. At 6th Level there is a 50%chance that another Guang Hu Adventurer will recognize you,and a 25% that a person from civilized culture will recognizeyou. At 9th Level there is a 75% chance that another Guang HuAdventurer will recognize you, and a 50% chance that a personfrom civilized culture will recognize you. Recognition may havepositive or negative consequences, depending on you actions.You may earn respect from your fellow adventurers, or they maywish to prove themselves by challenging you. You may be paid agreater fee because of your fame, or you may be watched by thepolice while in the city, due to their knowing you’re a member ofthe Guang Hu.

Full Membership: At 5th Level a Guang Hu Adventurerbecomes a full member of their school, and may have a privateroom. If they wish, they may invite guests to stay, under theirprotection. Moreover, they can participate in training classes,and share in the fees collected.

Guang Hu Martial Techniques:A Guang Hu martial artist may perform any combination ofknown techniques a number of times equal to their Guang Huclass level/2 plus Cha bonus per day.

Body Like Water—Under heaven nothing is more soft and yield-ing than water: This ability allows the Guang Hu Adventurer tohalve the damage of a bludgeoning attack once per day per levelof Guang Hu Adventurer.

Body Like Wind—The movement of Heaven is powerful…strongand untiring: This ability allows a Guang Hu Adventurer tomove at their full movement rate over any surface, includingvertical walls, bodies of water, or branches of trees. As long asthe Adventurer continues to move at their full movement rateeach round, they may ignore certain normal physical limitations.As soon as the Adventurer moves less than their full movement

Table 5-2:Guang Hu AdventurerClass Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Starting Proficiencies, Meditation, Two Weapon Fighting2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 Training3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Reputation4th +4 +1 +4 +1 Training, Meditation5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Full Membership6th +6 +2 +5 +2 Training, Reputation7th +7 +2 +5 +2 Meditation8th +8 +2 +6 +2 Training9th +9 +3 +6 +3 Reputation10th +10 +3 +7 +3 Training, Meditation


in a turn, they are again subject to normal laws such as gravity,mass, and buoyancy. (This emulates the eerie almost flyingscenes from Wuxia movies and fantasy.)

Body Like Fire—That which is bright rises twice…the image offire: This ability allows a Guang Hu Adventurer to gain an extraattack at their highest Attack Bonus once per combat. Thus if aGuang Hu Adventurer has Attack Bonuses +9/+4, they can makethree attacks +9/+9/+4.

Refined Defense—Invincibility is a matter of defense, vulnera-bility is a matter of attack: The Guang Hu with this ability mayadd a +4 dexterity bonus to their AC once per day per 2 charac-ter levels.

Body at Peace—The Master sees things as they are, and doesnot try to control them… The Master resides in the center of thecircle: The Guang Hu with this ability may add a +8 bonus totheir Balance Skill for a number of rounds equal to their charac-ter level once per day.

Combat Calm—Empty yourself of everything. Let the mind be atpeace: The Guang Hu Adventurer cannot be effected by anyspell or ability that imposes a negative morale penalty while incombat. The meditation and centering techniques of the GuangHu make him immune while in battle.

Creating your Guang Hu SchoolA Guang Hu School trains its students in a subset of the Wudanweapons. Each Guang Hu school chooses its own assortment,and trains members with a certain number, stressing developingexpertise in one or a few. To design a Guang Hu School youshould select 18 weapons from the Wudan weapons of theWeapons list. Use the following as a guide:

Select 2–4 Pole weapons or SpearsSelect 3–5 one-handed weaponsSelect 3–5 weapons used in pairsSelect 3–5 common Chinese weapons—Jian, Dao, Fu, Knife,Staff, Mace, Crossbow, BowSelect 1–3 throwing weaponsSelect up to three exotic items not previously selected.

This will give your school a good range of weapons, and makeyour school more attractive to adventurers.

New Adventurers who join this school must pay a fee for theirtraining (up to 5th level, when they become full members).This fee is usually 100 gp per level, although this can be paidin installments. Student Membership also warrants a Guang Huadventurer a bed in a common barracks, and food a commonmeal.

Developments in Armor & WeaponsThe Ming suffered extensive piracy from Korea and Japan.Japanese developments in armor and weapons were often mim-icked in China, and a number of long sabers, choppingbroadswords, and two-handed swords became popular in coastaldefense. Trade with Japan was light, making the now famed

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Japanese blades coveted. Shortly before China gave up seafaringit came into contact with the Portuguese, and gradually Euro-pean traders would be given access to Shang Hai, which allowedimportation of European goods and items, including Europeanplate armor. Though the armor was expensive, suits were pur-chased and adapted for Chinese tastes. Such armor would sup-plant mountain pattern armor as the armor of choice for militaryofficers, and it will be discussed in later chapters dealing withEuropean armors.

Saber, Long and Broadsword, Two Handed Chi-neseThe Long Saber and the two Handed Chinese Broadsword arehuge chopping weapons, with blades roughly a yard across. Bothweapons require substantial strength to wield appropriately, butdo devastating damage in the right hands.

Tachi, Imitation ChineseThe Tachi of the Japanese swords makers was the first sword tobe traded with other nations, and the Chinese soon understoodthat this steel technique was superior to their own. Still, culturalrestrictions made it difficult to imitate this process, and Chinesestyle Tachis did not measure up to the original.

121a. Two-Handed Chinese Saber; 121b. Two-Handed ChineseBroadsword; 122. Imitation Chinese Tachi

121a 121b

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Zhuge NuThe Zhuge Nu was the ultimate in crossbow technology. Able tohold up to a dozen quarrels in its ammunition box, and firingautomatically, like the Chu Ko Nu, the Zhuge Nu was the lastword in defense along the Great Wall and in fortified cities. Avariant of the Zhuge Nu did not fire automatically, but insteadfired two bolts at once. This multishot weapon only requires asingle to hit roll, and a successful hit indicates that both boltsstrike the target! Unless the Repeater Zhuge Nu is braced on arock, wall, or other stable surface, a -1 to hit modifier must beadded for each shot. The Repeater Zhuge Nu can fire 3 shots perturn. If a character may normally only make a single attack dur-ing a combat round, they can still make a second shot at theirRanged Combat Bonus -5. If a character may normally onlymake two attacks during a combat round, they can still make athird shot at their Lowest Ranged Combat Bonus -5. The ZhugeNu’s ammunition box can hold up to 12 bolts at a time.

Indian ContributionsIn the south the Sultanate of Delhi was now a rich and vibrantculture, adapting Hindu, Sikh, Persian, Afghan, Buddhist,Islamic, and Tangut influences. Even when the Mongols sackedthe bulk of Persia, the Sultanate of Delhi was a flourishing exam-ple of the kind of cultural fusion found in Eastern Islam. Weaponsof the period were excellent and elegant in design. Made of both

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Woozt steel and regular steel, they were durable and artistic.Indian versions of European weapons and armor were beingmade, including early forms of plated mail armor.

Mace, Quoit, Ghargaz, Sickle, Cumber-JungA stylized mace with a head like the Quoit coin, the Quoit macewas just one of a number of new styles of mace. The Ghargazwas another common style, with a flanged, pear shaped head anda guarded hilt. The Sickle mace was a strange departure, placinga sickle blade on the end of a mace haft and hilt. All three maceswere constructed in steel, although damascened versions wereavailable. A two-headed flail variant of the Quoit mace was alsocommon, called the Cumber-Jung.

Binnol, Sabar, and HoolurgeIndia experimented with the bladed pick, designing various mod-els. Straight spiked blades or curved, the bladed picks of Indiawere usually embellished and solidly made, usually being con-structed entirely from steel.

Sword, Steel Fish SpineFashioned in a stylized pattern, the Fish Spine Sword was a wideand unwieldy weapon whose main advantage was being able toperform the sword break maneuver. There is no record that adamascened version of this blade ever existed.

123. Multi-shot Zhuge Nu; 124a. Quoit Mace; 124b. Sickle Mace; 124c. Ghargaz Mace; 125a. Indian Bladed Pick; 125b. IndianBladed Pick; 126. Steel Fish Spine Sword

123

124a 124b 124c 126

125a

125b


Katar, Dual Bladed and Tri-BladedThe Katar went through a few more designs. A version with twothin blades was produced. And a more complex version, with amechanism in the hilt, called the tri-bladed Katar was developed.This katar appeared to be a single bladed katar until the hilt wassqueezed in a specific manner. This triggered a mechanism in theblade to split the main Katar blade into two side blades, reveal-ing a smaller Katar blade within. This tri-bladed katar couldcause fearsome damage when opened, and made an excellentnasty surprise.

PataThe Pata is a Sikh weapon, a longsword with a locked gauntleton the hilt. This weapon was expensive and usually custommade for the user, although the gauntlet usually fit most users.Any weapon with a locked gauntlet is much harder to disarm, asper the rules in the Player’s Handbook.

Bow, SteelA strange experiment, the Steel Bow of India is the only entirelysteel bow in existence. The steel bow is actually a short bow, andits draw is not particularly spectacular, but the material of thebow makes it hard to break. No damascened version of thisweapon is known to exist.

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BuhjA very small knife, often hidden in a boot or belt, the buhj was asecret weapon, and is an Indian alternate version of the hiddenknife.

Bagh NakhThe Bagh Nakh is a strange hand weapon. Certain versions weremerely a knife blade with a spiked hilt that had individual fingerspaces. But variants of the Bagh Nakh sport multiple blades, upto three, and some also feature significant spikes on the grip. Theextra blades, however, only make the weapon more complex.The Bagh Nakh listed here sports a single blade and a spikedgrip.

SantieAn all steel spear with a handgrip at the center, this halfspearwas a thrusting only weapon, and was not thrown.

Longsword, GreatCalled the Mel Puhah Bemol, this incredibly long two handedsword sports a blade nearly 6 feet in length. Complete with ahandhold on the blade and incredible balance for its size, it stillrequires great strength to wield well.

127a. Dual Bladed Katar; 127b. Tri-Bladed Katar; 128. Pata; 129. Steel Bow; 130. Buhj; about the same weapon); 131. Bagh Nakh;132. Santie; 133. Great Longsword

127a 127b 128

129130

131

132

133

ShortswordVarious short swords like the Zafar Takieh were smithed duringthis time period as well. Often these blades were single edged,and sported hand guards or elaborate decoration of the hilt.Some swords in the north of India were straighter, with flatpoints, resembling the machete.

Patisa, SapolaVarious medium length swords were constructed, most of themchopping blades. Some of them, like the Sapola, had split tips.The Nagan was an interesting variant with a wavy blade, whichgave the weapon a sinister appearance and tended to cause widerwounds.

UrumiOften refered to as the Whip Sword, the Urumi is an exoticweapon, developed during the medieval period to showcase themobility focus of the Kalari Payatt school of Indian martial arts.The Urumi consists of a sword hilt attached to roughly 15 feet ofpaper thin steel, which is often worn as a belt when not in use.When the Urumi is uncoiled, its user must remain in near con-stant motion to keep the blade in the air. The thinness of theblade makes it very sharp, but since it must constantly stay inmotion, the Urumi does not benefit from the strength bonus, asmost melee weapons do. It is treated as a ranged weapon with amaximum range of 15 feet and no range penalties. The Urumideals no damage to any creature wearing armor of at least +2

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armor bonus, and does no damage to a creature with a +4 naturalarmor bonus. Because it can wrap around a leg or other limb, itmay also be used to make trip attacks. Unlike most trip attacks,if this attack is successful, it also inflicts damage as normal. Ifyou are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop theUrumi in order to avoid being tripped. The Urumi is exception-ally difficult to use without training, and it confers an extra -4penalty to all attacks made with it by one without Exoticweapons proficiency for the Urumi. Due to the nature of theUrumi, it has an exceptional chance of backlash. Should the totalattack roll for the user of an Urumi be 4 or less, a new attack rollmust be made against the wielder, adding 10 to the wielder'sDexterity bonus as factored after armor penalties. Should thisroll hit the wielder, they take damage as normal (unless theirarmor prevents this). The Urumi is a shield bypass weapon.

Plated Mail, Bakhteretz, Sind, and SikkimThe Bakhteretz form of Plated mail consisted of rows of thin,tight plate over the chest, and a more extensive coif and conicalhelmet than Kolontar. Sind Armor was extremely elaborate, withnearly every portion of the chainmail covered in extensive plat-ing, from head to toe. Sikkim plated mail focussed around a mir-rored round plate in the center of the chest and back, and twosmaller plates under the arms. A girdle of steel finished theensemble. All three types of mail were stifling and heavy towear. A barded version of the generic plated mail was also madefor both horses and elephants, although the elephant bardingrequired many men to carry and fit.

134. Short Sword; 135a. Khanda; 135b. Patisa; 135c. Sosun Pattah; 136a. Bakhteretz Plated Mail; 136b.Sikkim Plated Mail

134 135a 135b 135c136a 136b


The MoghulsAs Persia recovered from its devastation at the hands of theMongols certain royals eyed the Sultanate of Delhi with envy.Eventually one family allied with chieftains in Afghanistan, andattacked the Sultanate together, joint forces in joint conquest.Babur, a Prince of Persia, eventually challenged Ibrahim, theShah of Delhi, in battle, and defeated the sovereign, taking con-trol of the whole Sultanate. Babur established his separateempire in Northern India, the Moghul Empire. Though theAfghans would eventually wrest control from the PersianEmperor for a while, the Persians would regain and hold controlof Northern India during this period, and would become a veryprogressive Muslim nation. Through marriage and war theMoghuls would come to dominate all of India through Mysore,and would go a long distance towards becoming a true multicul-tural nation, giving Muslim and non-Muslim citizens nearlyequal protections under the law. It was during this time periodthat the Chakram would become a common weapon in India,usually used by the Sikhs.

ChakramChakram were metal rings about 12 to 14 inches in diameter,which were often worn on the hat on the head of a Sikh, the peo-ple who invented this weapon. Chakram were generally spun upto speed somewhat like a frisbee on the finger of a wielderbefore being cast at one’s opponent. The Chakram’s flight wassimilar to that of the frisbee, and it had a tendency to embeditself like a barbed weapon.

European ColonialismThe Moghul Empire would retain control of most of India intothe 18th century, until an attack from Persia would destroy Delhiand weaken the Empire, allowing kingdoms to split off again.This would leave India prey to growing European Colonialism,and the Moghuls would be the last major empire born on Indiansoil. India’s history, for a time, would not be her own.

Late in the 17th Century the Ming Dynasty would find its ownfortunes failing. Increased pirate raids, a decadent and inattentivearistocracy, and an alliance of Jurchen and Northern non-Chi-nese forces would put the Empire in peril. Manchu forcesmassed on the Chinese border, and Chinese forces, having stag-nated after a growing sentiment that China had already achievedits greatest glory and height of culture, could not hold them back.The Manchu attacked and sacked Beijing, and despite theManchurians being non-Chinese, the peasants accepted them ashaving the Mandate of Heaven. The Manchurian Dynasty, calledthe Qing, would be the last Empire of China.

The Qing would maintain the same structures that had become afacet of China’s government: the examination system, the socialand scholarly projects, and the maintenance of the Great Wall.But the Qing did not trust the Han Chinese, and would keepthem from the highest offices. The Han would be prevented fromjoining the military, or from intermarriage with the Qing.Though most peasants saw no change in their treatment, the mid-

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dle classes, shi, and aristocracy would know their governmentfor what it was: an occupation. The Qing would be too worriedabout internal revolt to see the true nature of the danger that con-fronted them. As history would show, it would be the West thatwould lead to the eventual fall of the Qing Dynasty. Trade, mis-sionaries, and Opium would destroy Imperial China from with-out, but not for ages to come.

Other Notables

NepalNepal is a small nation north of India, which has often been sub-ject to the fortunes and misfortunes of India. Many of India’sdevelopments would influence Nepal, and steelcraft would cometo Nepal during the late medieval period. Two weapons werecentral to Nepalese culture in the medieval period, notably theKora and the Ram Da’o. Later, after the colonial powers weretaking control of India, the Ghurkas would claim control ofNepal and bring with them the kukri, a blade that would seeextensive use in the Middle East in the 18th Century.

KoraThe Kora is the national weapon of Nepal, a curved choppingsword without a thrusting point. Used to hack at legs, arms, or

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136c. Sind Plated Mail; 137. Chakram; 138. Kora; 139 Urumi

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horses, this weapon is highly damaging and easy to use in a sin-gle hand.

Ram Da’oThe Ram Da’o is a sacrificial axe, curved in a sort of sickleshape, with the blade on the outside of the weapon. Used prima-rily to slaughter animals, this weapon was not used in warfare,except by priests.

KukriThe Ghurkas invented the Kukri, a bent, leaf-bladed one handedchopping sword. Its use became almost universal among nativetroops during the British Imperial period.

OkinawaMany of the islands of the Pacific traded with China, so many ofthe weapons of these islands were similar to Chinese make. Inthe Philippines the natives used Chinese weapons almost exclu-sively, except for the Butterfly Knife, Head Axe, and Escrima.On Okinawa a fertile farming culture flourished, but attacksfrom pirates forced them to adapt certain martial practices of theChinese mainland to defend themselves. Most notable of thesewere the Nunchuku, Eku, Sai, Kama, Ji-Kuwa, and Tonfa, aswell as the Bo staff, a variant quarterstaff. These Okinawanweapons were later adopted by adopted by the Chinese andJapanese.

Knife, ButterflyUnlike the modern knife of the same name, the Butterfly Knifeof china is a squat looking blade with a guard over one side ofthe hilt. These weapons are usually used paired, and they aregenerally used in brief flurries, attempting to slash the enemy anumber of times before a solid killing thrust is made. A variantof this weapon is the Bull’s Ear sword, which is often mistakenfor the Butterfly Knife.

Axe, HeadThe head axe is a large axe with a broad head. Used for day-to-day cutting, the Head Axe is often planted in the ground when aknife blade is needed, and then the item needing to be cut is runover the exposed blade.

EscrimaEscrima are essentially lacquered sticks, used in a native martialart. Wielded in pairs, their general use is to bludgeon an oppo-nent with quick and rhythmic strikes, until your enemy cannotdefend themselves any more.

Nunchuku, Eku, Sai, Kama, Ji-Kuwa, Tonfa, BoThe weapons of Okinawa had to be made from inconspicuousitems so as not to arouse the suspicions of occupying forces. TheNunchuku was designed from the grain flail. The Eku was anoar, turned to a bludgeoning weapon. The Sai was a furrowingtool before it became the formidable disarming weapon it is

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today. The Ji-Kuwa resembles a short tonfa, and was actually acommon kind of hairpin for women. The Tonfa was a rice-beat-ing club. And the Bo was a common staff. All of these itemswere used extensively in Okinawa and imported to Japan andChina, where they entered society in different facets. As a note:the Sai grants a +2 bonus on the user’s opposed attack roll whenattempting to disarm an opponent, including the roll to keepfrom being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. Sai, Ji-Kuwa, and Tonfa are often used paired. A Malaysian variant ofthe Sai is the Tjabang, which is essentially used in the samemanner. Use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply a character’s Dex-terity modifier instead of the Strength modifier to attack rollswith a Nunchuku. The Nunchuku is a shield bypass weapon.

Malaysia & IndonesiaThe nations of Malaysia and modern day Indonesia, having feltthe influences of China and India often but never having beenconquered by them, developed a great variety of weapons andunique martial arts. Pentjak Silat is a collection of highly aggres-sive martial arts native to this region, which stress swift anddecisive attacks to disable a foe before they can become a threat.Kuanto, another martial art, stressed careful preparation and

140. Ram Da'o; 141. Kukri; 142. Butterfly Knife; 143. HeadAxe; 144. Escrima

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power strikes. The weapons of Malaysia and Indonesia devel-oped with obvious influence from their neighbors, but the moreprimitive origins and tribal customs of the region, which includeheadhunting and cannibalism, can often show through in the pri-mal form of some of their older weapons.

Weapons Used in Kuanto and Pentjak

Sickle, Arit and TjalukThe Arit is a standard sickle, forward curving with a sharpenedinner edge. The Tjaluk is a sickle on a reversed handle, so thatthe sickle blade seems to extend from the end of the hand alongthe back of the arm. Both weapons are used to inflict painfulwounds. A variant of this is the Hui-Tho, which has a sickleblade, but it is attached to a rope, so that the weapon can be usedat range.

Hwa-Kek, Sjang SutaiBoth polearms show that not all of Malaysia’s martial artsrequire blinding speed. The Hwa-Kek resembles nothing somuch as a solid trident. The Sjang Sutai, on the other hand, lookslike a chopping sword-headed polearm. Both weapons requiresubstantial strength to use effectively, and stress physical control.

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Tombak, KujungiThe knives of Malaysia are rarely as symmetrical as the Tombak.Most of them are like the Kujungi, asymmetrical, flanged, oftenwith random metal hooks or points, and generally dangerouslooking.

LaingtjatThe Laingtjat looks like two dear antler razors mounted on eitherend of a staff. This double weapon is a fearsome slashing tool,and it fully earns its fearsome reputation. This is a doubleweapon, and if used as a double weapon, you incur all penaltiesassociated with fighting with two weapons as if you were usinga one-handed weapon and a light weapon.

PakuThe Paku is a short spike or cylindrical knife, usually thrown at afoe as a surprise attack. The miniscule size of the Paku makes itvery easy to conceal (+4 to any conceal attempts), and a Pakucan be held in a hand along with a readied weapon. This allowsthe wielder to carry and throw a weapon while still being pre-pared for melee.

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145. Nunchuku; 146. Eku; 147. Sai; 148. Kama; 149. Ji-Kuwa; 150. Tonfa; 151. Bo; 152. Arit Sickle; 153. Tjaluk Sickle; 154a. Hwa-Kek; 154b. Sjang Sutai; 155a. Tombak; 155b. Kujungi variations; 156. Laingtjat; 157. Paku; 158. Pedang; 159. Pendjepit

Pedang (variant Luris)The Pedang is a machete like blade, and is indicative of the gen-eral make of swords from this region. A variant, the LurisPedang, is actually two edged, however the general shape ofmost swords of this region is the one edge variety. The Luris is,in every other aspect, identical to the regular Pedang.

PendjepitThe Pendjepit is a particularly exotic weapon, effectively a pairof combat tongs. These spiked grippers are intended to grab ahold of free flesh in order to pull, tear, and grind it. The weapondeals no damage to any creature wearing armor of at least +1armor bonus, and does no damage to a creature with a +1 naturalarmor bonus. Attacking with the Pendjepit prompts an attack ofopportunity, just like any other unarmed weapon. Should a per-son armed with the Pendjepit have the Advanced UnarmedStrike Feat, they can use them without attracting an attack ofopportunity.

Sa Tjat KoenKnown as the three part staff, this weapon is suspected to haveoriginated in Malaysia before being introduced to the rest of theEastern World. Essentially three 2-foot poles attached by short

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chains, the Sa Tjat Koen is used in a similar manner to the Nun-chaku, although it generally has longer reach. Use the WeaponFinesse feat to apply a character’s Dexterity modifier instead ofthe Strength modifier to attack rolls with a Sa Tjat Koen. Thisweapon is a shield bypass weapon.

SiangkamThe Siangkam is a one handed weapon that looks like a veryshort spear. Generally wielded in pairs, they are effective whenused in quick thrusting maneuvers. These are identical to theSiangham weapon in the Player’s Handbook.

Tribal and Civil weapons

KapakThe Kapak is a small, iron throwing axe. Light and short, thiswas usually flung preceding a full-scale assault.

Karambit (Sabit)The Karambit is a very short, hooked dagger usually used forskinning or butchering. A variant, called the Sabit, has a reversedhook but is in all other ways identical, statistic-wise.

160. Sa Tjat Koen; 161. Siangkam; 162. Kapak; 163. Karambit; 164a. Kingfisher Kris; 164b. Kris scabbard; 164c. Kris; 165. Lad-ing; 166. Mancatcher; 167. Paralyser; 168a. Gina Parang; 168b. Latok Parang; 169. Piau; 170. Rante (star and spike)

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KrisThe Kris blade is perhaps the best known weapon of Malaysia.An asymmetrical long knife with a wavy blade, the Kris is an oldweapon, with great heritage in Malaysia. Every Kris blade ismade commission, and is decorated specifically for the wielderby the smith. The shape of each Kris is unique, and the history ofthe Kris blade is often remembered by the owner. The people ofthe region often fear this blade, for the important spiritual conno-tations the weapon conjures.

LadingThe lading is a double-edged knife with a fascinating origin: itwas originally a spearhead. When spears became broken or use-less, the heads were often removed and fashioned into lading,usually temporarily, although sometimes it was not practical touse the lading to create a new spear. Should a suitable shaft be

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found, the lading’s handle is ample cord to reattach the Lading toa pole to create a spear.

Mancatcher (variant with Spike)The Mancatcher is one of those rare instances of co-evolution ofsimilar weapons concepts. The Mancatcher, like the lariat, is aweapon that is not designed to inflict damage. A large rattan loopon the end of a wooden pole, this is used much like a net. Theloop is dropped around the target by succeeding with a rangedtouch attack. A successful hit means that the person is nowcaught within the loop of the Mancatcher. If an opposed StrengthCheck is successful, the person wielding the Mancatcher canlimit the movement of the entangled foe by the length of the pole(10 feet). This is a reach weapon, and cannot be used on foeswithin 10 feet. Some versions of the Mancatcher have a spikeseated at the base of the loop, where it attaches to the pole,which can be extended to make things more difficult for the cap-tured person. The spike imposes a -4 penalty on the person in theMancatcher loop when performing the Strength Check. If theperson in the Mancatcher succeeds he takes an automatic 1d6impaling damage from the spike. The captured person may electto accept the automatic damage and make the Check without theimposed penalty.

ParalyserThe Paralyser is a gruesome weapon, a long, serrated, two-headed spear. The second head is set slightly below the shaft,and about a foot away from the first spearhead. The concept wasthat the serrations made it difficult for a person impaled on thespear to back off of it, while the second spear head would pre-vent an impaled opponent from running up to the wielder toattack them. The Paralyser is a reach weapon, and cannot beused on opponents within 10 feet. Should a Paralyser wielderinflict critical damage, and the victim is still alive after theattack, the victim should be considered impaled on the weapon.Should they attempt to retreat off of the Paralyser, they willinflict the same damage to themselves again extricating them-selves. Should they push forward to close on the wielder, theywill inflict the same damage on themselves by impaling them-selves again on the second spearhead. Most such victims willlikely opt to attack the weapon, hoping to chop the Paralyserapart and give themselves an easier freedom. For each round thata victim is trapped on the Paralyser, the wielder can jostle theweapon in the wound, causing an automatic additional 1d6 ofdamage per round.

Parang (Gina, Latok)The Parang is a heavier bladed sword, similar in design to thePedang. Parang is actually a generic term for this kind of blade,which has many variations, such as the Gina Parang or the LatokParang. Solid and reliable, these weapons were used by nativesand foreign explorers who sought to enter the depths of thenative jungles.

Kris Blades and Black MagicMany pre-metal cultures find the art of smithing metal to besomething disturbing and unwholesome. Many sub-Saharantribes believes that blacksmiths worked dark magic to fashionmetal into blades, and a similar belief was held in Malaysiaand its surrounding regions for a time. Thus the Kris blade wasautomatically seen as dark sorcery, death magic made physicalby trapping it in the form of a knife. If playing a primitive cul-ture at the advent of smithing, perhaps metal weapons reallyare death spells given physical form. This concept could makeweapons very dangerous to own, since a cloudkill mace mightbe very deadly in an enclosed space, or a fireball knife mightmake a powerful throwing weapon.

Fated ItemsWhen a Kris blade was first forged, it was believed that a spiritor magic was trapped inside the blade. The nature of that spiritor magic was unknowable, although using the blade wouldreveal what kind of magic the Kris possessed. Some Krisblades were highly effective at killing one’s opponents, whileothers might be particularly powerful against animals. Butsome Kris blades were foul things, murderous weapons thatkilled relatives or innocents. One could never know what fatea Kris might bear until it was first used. Thus, it was preferredto receive a Kris as a gift from someone who knew how theblade was fated, so that you could avoid discovering yournewly commissioned blade was fated to take only your rela-tive’s blood. Weapon histories began to be kept so as to keeptrack of the weapon fate.

Fated Weapons make an interesting twist on magical weapons.Some Fates act as banes, making a blade more effectiveagainst a specific type of foe. But some may have more exten-sive enchantments or requirements, like those that require reg-ular sacrifice or that doom you to kill your companions. In aworld where metal weapons are rare or scarce, making allmetal weapons fated weapons adds a definite amount of dan-ger and prestige to carrying on of them.

PiauThe Piau is a short throwing knife, shaped somewhat like an axehead. If a person is caught in melee, they can attack with thePiau, grasping it so that they inflict damage as a slashing attack.Attacking with the Piau as a hand weapon prompts an automaticattack of opportunity, just like any other unarmed weapon.Should a person armed with the Piau have the AdvancedUnarmed Strike Feat, they can use them without provoking anattack of opportunity.

RanteThe Rante is an exotic chain weapon that is commonly used inMalaysia as a weapon. Normally this weapon inflicts damage as abludgeoning weapon, however there are two variants. One vari-ant, the Star Rante, has a serrated star at one end of the chain,which makes the damage identical but slashing. Another, the DartRante, has a sharp spike on the other end, making the damageidentical but impaling. Make sure to specify which variant youare purchasing so that your DM will know. Because it can wraparound a leg or other limb, it may also be used to make tripattacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you candrop the weapon in order to avoid being tripped. Those using thisweapon gain a +2 bonus on their opposed attack roll whenattempting to disarm an opponent, including the roll to keep frombeing disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. You may use theWeapon Finess feat to apply a character’s Dexterity modifier

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instead of the Strength modifier on attack rolls with a Rante. Thisweapon is a shield bypass weapon.

JapanNo examination of the Far East would be complete without a lookat Japan. But Japan, an island nation, has far less interaction withother nations than land-bound nations like India and China. Thereis archaeological evidence that supports a Stone Age culture (TheJomon) in Japan before the Korean settlers (Yayoi) arrived, andtheir intermarriage bred the unique culture that is Japan. The Yayoibrought with them a fledgling religion that would become Shinto,and they also brought a clan-centric cultural system that wouldeventually develop into the prominent uji system.

The first armors of Japan were lamellars and cuirasses, the Yoroiand Tanko. These saw use for two hundred years, as well asforms of leather and padded armor. It would not be until thedevelopment of the Keiko that Japanese armor would begin toresemble the familiar armor of Japan. Made up at least 7 differ-ent sizes of scale, the Keiko armors are essentially a very com-plex kind of scale work. All of these armors were made of iron.

Yoroi, Tanko, Keiko, IronThe three early Japanese armors, they are least like the armorstereotypical of Japan. The Yoroi armor was a kind of iron lamel-lar breastplate, which left the arms and legs free to move. The

171. Yoroi armor; 172. Tanko armor; 173. Keiko armor

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Tanko was an extension of this same concept, a heavy, metalcuirass without any shoulder protection, but which kept the torsovery well protected. The rest of the body was likely covered byleather armor. The Keiko was the first step towards more tradi-tional looking Japanese armor, and it was a complex form ofinterlocking lamellar. With plates and scales of 6 different sizes,the Keiko was time-consuming to make and expensive.

Outside InfluencesJapanese culture began to absorb a great deal of Chinese culture,adopting similar views on aesthetics and good governance,adopting a more Chinese Imperial culture, and similar art. TheJapanese practiced spirit worship as well as ancestor reverence atthis time, and Shinto was still in its fledgling stages. During theNara period two key changes would occur. Firstly, Buddhismwould merge with Shinto thought, and temples would be estab-lished, where monks practiced meditation and a unique form ofmartial arts. Secondly, Steel would be developed in Japan, andwith it new techniques of forging.

Early Japanese swords were straight edged, like the Dao. Theyalso had a native staff, shorter than the quarterstaff, called the Jo.Spears, (Yari) were simple, although tassels were added later onfor distraction and decorative purposes. Nageyari were the throw-ing equivalent, and Uichi-ne were darts that looked like shortspears and could be used as a stabbing weapon. Where Japanreally began to vary with mainland nations was in their earlypolearms. The Naginata was first developed in the 700’s and wasused by Bushi (soldiers) and monks alike. Later polearms wouldinclude the Bisento, Feruzue, Kama-Yari, Kongo-Zue, Tetsubo,Jumonki-Yari.

Ken, Ama Goi Ken (Short sword) The Ken was the first sword of Japan. A straight, two-edgedsword, like the Jian, this weapon was used like most Europeanswords. A smaller version, the Ama Goi Ken, was used for tem-ple defense, usually by monks, and was not adapted for battle.

JoThe Jo stick was Japan’s native staff weapon. A little less thanthree feet in length, this weapon was used like a club.

Yari, Nageyari, Uichi-ne, Kama-Yari, Jumonki-YariYari is the Japanese word for spear. The Yari was a longspear, themost commonly used weapon in the early Japanese military, givento nearly every Bushi. The Nageyari was a shorter throwing ver-sion of the Yari. The aristocrats, who generally didn’t see battle,were still expected to make an appearance, and the Uichi-ne wasdesigned as a noble’s weapon. Resembling a short spear, this dartweapon was the defensive weapon of choice by nobles, who werealso trained to use them like the Siangkam. The Kama-Yari was atri-bladed yari with two rearward swept blades and one forwardblade. Used to trip opponents and attack horse’s legs, this Yari wasa vicious weapon in the right hands. The Jumonki-Yari was a tri-

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bladed variant of the Yari, whose side tines extended perpendicu-lar to the staff, making it easier for the wielder to hit a foe.

NaginataIn the early period of Japan’s warfare development, the Naginatastyle polearm was as common as the Yari on the battlefield. Butthe Naginata was relatively light for a polearm, and was eventu-ally relegated to women, who were traditionally left to guard thecastle. The Naginata became known as a women’s weapon, aswas shameful to fight with for men, except in practice.

FeruzueA staff weapon resembling the Wolf Tooth Staff, the Feruzue hasa nasty surprise. The haft is hollow and contains a striking headattached to a chain within. While the Flail head is locked at theend of the staff, the staff is a normal polearm. But when the flailhead is released, it becomes a dangerous reach flail weapon.Because it can wrap around a leg or other limb in this state, itmay also be used to make trip attacks. If you are tripped duringyour own trip attempt, you can drop the weapon in order toavoid being tripped. Those using this weapon gain a +2 bonus ontheir opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent,including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they fail theirdisarm attempt. Extreme strength is needed to wield the Feruzueeffectively as a flail weapon. When the Feruzue head is released,the Feruzue is a shield bypass weapon.

Kongo-ZueThe Kongo-Zue is a weapon favored by the warrior monks ofJapan. A staff with iron rings at either end; this is an exoticdouble weapon. The rings allow the user to perform sword-breaking maneuvers. This is a double weapon, and if used as adouble weapon, you incur all penalties associated with fightingwith two weapons as if you were using a one-handed weaponand a light weapon.

The Samurai SystemDuring the Heinan period, the next major development was theSamurai system. Professional mounted soldiers, called servants(in Japanese, Samurai) were under the direct authority of theEmperor, but were spread through the various provinces. Overtime these Samurai become loyal to the local aristocracy, whosupported and funded their activities. During this period the fold-ing process came into practice, which created ultra-strongblades. The first such blades were straight, but later develop-ments showed that a slightly curved blade was easier to removefrom its scabbard, so smiths began to developed curvedweapons. The crossbow, called the oyumi in Japan, also began tosee common use.

As power devolved to the landed aristocracy, certain more pros-perous families made alliances and eventually ousted theEmperor. War broke out among the many families and the endresult was the re-establishment of the Imperial line and thedevelopment of a military dictatorship in the form of the Shogu-


nate. During this period the Samurai began to develop codes ofconduct that would eventually become published in the Bushido,or way of the Warrior. Eventually the more ornamental o-yoroiarmors came into common use, although the more fantastic Kab-utos, or helmets, were only worn by prominent warriors.

The samurai were also encouraged to become cultured, and topractice meditation and spiritual exercises. They were encour-aged to learn the ways of the sword, horsemanship, archery, andhand-to-hand fighting, as well. As the samurai became a rulingclass in their own right, ceremony and culture was stressed everybit as much as military prowess. And weapons were developedhere and there among the samurai.

The Mongols attacked twice during this time. The Mongols werenever great at sea, and their first landing on Japanese soil sawtheir own soldiers too weary from the sea travel to effectivelyestablish a beachhead. Samurai warriors and conscripts drove theMongols into the sea, and sailors kept them from finding a placeto land. The second attack, after Kublai Khan had established theYuan dynasty, was an equal failure, with more than half of hisboats sinking during a terrible tempest (Kamikaze or DivineWind in Japanese), and the rest, again, being unable to recoverwell enough to fight the Samurai. Emboldened, it is not so sur-

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prising that eventually a Shogun would look to take holdings inthe mainland.

By the time Shogun Ashikaga Takauji sought to strengthen thepower of the Shogunate, the Samurai class was a fixture in Japan-ese society. The katana was developed, and within a short periodthe Wakazashi followed, a shorter weapon intended for closefighting indoors. Zen, the tea ceremony, flower arranging, poetry,calligraphy, and gardening were all talents an accomplishedSamurai might brag of. The Samurai caste prided itself on beingcultured and refined, not the rough and crude blood spillers main-lander soldiers were. As a result, a variety of armors, all variantson the Do-Maru style armor began to develop

Ken and Tachi, Japanese Early FoldedThe folding techniques developed in Japan made the sword amore durable weapon, and gave it more effectiveness. The Tachiwas the first curved Japanese blade, and was used universally inJapan by Samurai until the invention of the Katana.

O-yoroiA more ornamental armor than the Keiko, the O-yoroi looksmore like traditional Samurai armor. Large plates, bound in cordand leather, and layered heavily over the body created fine pro-

174. Ken; 175. Jo; 176. Yari; 177. Nageyari; 178. Uichi-ne; 179. Kama-Yari; 180. Jumonki-Yari; 181. Naginata; 182. Feruzue; 183.Kongo-Zue

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tection at the cost of mobility. Samurai trained to act and reacteffectively in their heavy armor, but this kind of armor nevercaught on in the mainland.

BokkenA wooden practice sword, the Bokken was used to train studentsin sword technique. Solid enough to cause bruises and breakbones, the Bokken could duplicate any maneuver a Tachi could.

ChijirikiA yari with a chain mounted to the opposite end of the staff, thisdouble weapon performed a variety of tasks. Besides the stan-dard thrusting, the Chijiriki could wrap around a leg or otherlimb to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own tripattempt, you can drop the weapon in order to avoid beingtripped. Those using this weapon gain a +2 bonus on theiropposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent,including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they fail theirdisarm attempt.

Dai-KyuA large, asymmetrical bow used by the Samurai, this weapon isnearly six feet long. The grip of this bow is low, allowing this

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weapon to be fired from horseback. The Dai-Kyu is powerful,and is often a specialty weapon for certain Samurai.

Arrows, Armor Piercing and ForkedThese arrows are unique designs. The Armor piercing arrow is aspecially made impaling arrow that adds +1 to attack rollsagainst armored foes. The Forked arrow inflicts slashing dam-age, but was often used to cut things, such as ropes.

JitteThe Jitte is a parrying weapon designed to capture and disarmswords. The Jitte looks a lot like a Sai with a single tine, usuallyat a straight angle, rather than a curved one. Those using thisweapon gain a +2 bonus on their opposed attack roll whenattempting to disarm an opponent’s sword, including the roll tokeep from being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. TheJitte was often used as an off-hand weapon.

KumadeA polearm with a three pronged grappling head, this weapon wasdesigned, much like the first tridents, for use during sea combat.A solid weapon used to grab objects or people and pull them towhere you need them, it does minimal damage. A successful hitallows a grapple check. If successful, the person wielding the

184. Tachi; 185. O-yoroi armor; 186. Bokken; 187. Chijirki; 188. Dai-Kyu; 189a. Ornamental Arrowhead; 189b. Piercing Arrow-head; 189c. Forked Arrowhead; 190. Jitte

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Kumade can limit the movement of the entangled foe by thelength of the pole (5 feet).

Manriki-gusariThe Manriki-gusari started out as a simple chain, and eventuallytwo blunt weights were added to give it better throwing range.Designed by a samurai to allow him to disable a foe withoutkilling him, the Manriki-gusari can be used as whip-like weapon.When using it as a melee weapon, the manriki-gusari has reach.You can strike opponents 10 feet away with it but, unlike otherreach weapons, you can also use it against an adjacent foe.Because it can wrap around a leg or other limb, it may also beused to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own tripattempt, you can drop the weapon in order to avoid beingtripped. Those using a whip gain a +2 bonus on their opposedattack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent, including theroll to keep from being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt.When thrown, if it hits the target (even on the armor), there is a25% chance the target is entangled. A -2 penalty can be taken tothe attack roll to increase the entangle chance to 50%. An entan-gled creature is a -2 on attack rolls, and a -4 penalty on effectiveDexterity. The entangled creature can only move at half speedand cannot charge or run. If an entangled creature attempts tocast a spell, it must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 15) orbe unable to cast the spell. You can use the Weapon Finesse featto apply a character’s Dexterity modifier instead of the Strength

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modifier on attack rolls with a Manriki-gusari. This weapon is ashield bypass weapon.

MasakariWith a regular axe blade on one side and a tapered spike on theother, the Masakari is a weapon made to be used against armoredand unarmored foes alike. The Masakari can be used like an axeto do slashing damage, or it can be used like a pick to do impal-ing damage. This is one of the few axes used in Japan.

NagegamaThe Nagegama is a Kama-like sickle on the end of a Manriki-type chain. Swung in the hand as a Kama, it can also be thrown,like a Rante, to injure an opponent at range. When throwing theKama portion and retaining the chain, it has reach. You canstrike opponents 10 feet away with it but, unlike other reachweapons, you can also use it against an adjacent foe. . Because itcan wrap around a leg or other limb, it may also be used to maketrip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, youcan drop the weapon in order to avoid being tripped. Those usingthis weapon gain a +2 bonus on their opposed attack roll whenattempting to disarm an opponent, including the roll to keepfrom being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt.

NagimakiA longer, heavier cousin of the naginata, this blade does not havethe social stigma of its forebear. Indeed, it was designed to allowmen to use the popular women’s weapon without ridicule.

No-DachiA katana-like weapon with a blade six feet long, the No-Dachi isthe quintessential two-handed Japanese longsword. Usuallyworn on the back and drawn over the shoulder, the No-Dachiwas a very difficult weapon to manipulate effectively, but wasfearsome in the hands of a master.

O-NoA six foot staff topped with an axe blade, the O-no was a long-range chopping weapon. Used to attack foes from a wall or tostrike at enemies from afar, the O-no was not very popular, dueto its unwieldy nature.

Sode GaramiAlso known as the sleeve tangler, the Sode Garami is a long polewith many jagged barbs. Used to apprehend thieves or fleeingcriminals, a successful hit allows you to make an immediategrapple check. If successful, the person wielding the SodeGarami can limit the movement of the entangled foe by thelength of the pole (5 feet).

TontoA short knife, made with folded steel, it was often a side weaponto the Tachi, before the invention of the Wakazashi.

191. Kumade; 192. Manriki-gusari; 193. Masakari; 194.Nagegama; 195. Nagimaki; 196. No-Dachi; 197. O-No; 198.Sode Garami; 199. Tonto

191

193

199

192

194

196 197 198

195


Do-MaruA lighter armor than the O-yoroi, the Do-Maru provides slightlyless protection but has more flexible plating. The Do-Marubecame the standard armor worn by most Samurai, althoughsome chose heavier armors, for their protection.

KatanaThe signature weapon of the Samurai, the Katana is the Japaneseequivalent of the bastard sword. Although too large to be used inone hand without special training, all Samurai are trained to usethe Katana in one hand. The katana was always custom made,and each Katana was made with the advanced folding techniquesof Masamune.

WakazashiThe companion blade to the Katana, this weapon is shorter thanthe Katana or Tachi, and was intended for indoor use, where theKatana might be too unwieldy. The Wakazashi is worn slightlybelow the katana, and is a required weapon for the Samurai. The

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Wakazashi is made with the advanced folding techniques ofMasamune.

Haramaki DoSome experimentation was made on the Do-Maru. Haramaki Dowas a variant identical except for lacing strategy. The TsuzumiDo was a heavier suit, with thicker plates and a leather covering,making it more protective, but not as flexible. The Tatami Dohad a cloth backing for the plates, which made it inherently lessdurable, although slightly more protective than the Do-Maru inthe short run.

NinjaDuring this time the Ninja became a private force for espionageand assassination. Various histories propose that the ninja werein Japan from the earliest times, from the 600’s to the 1200’s,

and claim that they were everything from people ‘with the rightskills’ to isolated death cultists. Due to the popularization of Nin-jas in modern culture and the great wealth of literature by so-called Ninja experts, there is little modern historical informationthat can clear up the exact origin of the Ninja. Suffice it to saythe Ninja became a way for aristocratic families to gain informa-tion on their enemies and assassinate them. Ninja trained inhand-to-hand martial arts, and had a wide variety of weaponsthey could access, depending on their training. The Ninja weregenerally stigmatized in society, so disguising body wear wasadopted to hide their identities, and nothing heavier than paddedarmor was ever used, since it interfered with stealth.

Ninja-toA short, straight, single edged blade used by the Ninja, theNinja-to is an efficient assassination device. A smith belongingto the Ninja Dojo would be the one to craft the Ninja-to, since noregular smith would knowingly make a ninja weapon, for fear ofrepercussions.

ShurikenThe traditional throwing star, the Shuriken is too light to allowthe addition of the strength modifier to its damage. Graspedbetween fingers, up to three Shuriken may be thrown at once,

200. Do_Maru armor

200

Masamune’s revolutionMasamune was a legendary smith, the man who took the prac-tice of folding steel and made it an art. Most smiths wouldfold steel perhaps 3–5 times before being satisfied with thetemper. Masamune would fold no blade less than 10 times,and many blades were folded more, a rare few up to 20 times.This folded steel was highly superior, and weapons made withsteel folded this often were far superior to just about anythingthey would ever come in contact with. Masamune is alsocredited with crafting the first No-Dachi. Any weapon madein this advanced folding manner is automatically a masterworkweapon, has a hardness of 11,and receives the traditional +1combat bonus.]


although at a -1 to hit penalty for each dart being thrown. Ifusing in conjunction with a sneak attack, only the first Shurikenshould be considered a sneak attack.

Han-Kyu, A short bow, the Han-Kyu was used by the Ninja when a targetcould not be approached easily. Ninja had access to all mannerof arrows (any previously mentioned), and often poisoned anarrow, in order to make certain a target was eliminated.

GarroteA long wire or cord used for strangling. Wrapped about thehands or wrists, and carried in a reverse loop, the Garroterequired that the wielder get up behind an opponent and slip theloop over their head swiftly. Then the reversed loop would betightened, to strangle the victim. Wire versions also cut into theflesh, causing terrible damage to the throat. Some variants of theGarrote had wooden handles, to prevent damage to the hands. AGarrote is only useful as a flanking attack, and is best used whena foe is surprised. The to-hit roll is given a -4 modifier for hitlocation, and a foe wearing any kind of armor other than soft ornone is immune to this attack. Besides the rolled damage, anyvictim of this attack also suffers from suffocation, and performs

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any actions as if grappled and fatigued. Every subsequent attackby the Garrote dealer automatically hits, although a die roll isstill necessary to determine if critical damage should be applied.

FukidakeA small blowgun, usually split into 1 foot portions, and made tobe reconnected, the Fukidake is used to fire small needles, usu-ally poison tipped. Fukidake do not take damage from attacking,unlike other weapons. Instead, they only take damage frombeing attacked. The Fukidake is nearly silent, and can be usedwhile hiding and not reveal its source.

Kyoketsu-ShogiA weapon with a rope attached to the haft and an iron or woodenring on the other end of the rope, this exotic double weapon hasa surprising number of uses. The ring can be thrown for bludg-eoning damage, or the like-like weapon can be thrown for slash-ing damage. The rope itself can be used to attempt disarms ortrips. And the ring can be used as a defensive object, conferringa +1 armor bonus in the round it is used in this manner. Whenthrowing either end, it is treated as a ranged weapon with a max-imum range of 10 feet, and no range penalties. Because it canwrap around a leg or other limb, it may also be used to make trip

201. Ninja-to; 202. Shuriken; 203. Han-Kyu; 204. Garrote; 205. Fukidake; 206. Kyoketsu-Shogi; 207. Nekode; 208. Kawanaga; 209.Katana; 210. Wakazashi; 211. Teppo; 212. Nageteppo; 213. Nunti-Sai; 214. Kusari-gama

201

202

203

204

205

206

207 208

209

210

211

214

212

213


attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you candrop the whip in order to avoid being tripped. Those using aKyoketsu-Shogi gain a +2 bonus on their opposed attack rollwhen attempting to disarm an opponent, including the roll tokeep from being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt.

NekodeA grappling hook on a rope, this weapon was used much like theRante as a bludgeoning weapon by the Ninja. Because it canwrap around a leg or other limb, it may also be used tomake trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own tripattempt, you can drop the weapon in order to avoidbeing tripped. Those using this weapon gain a +2bonus on their opposed attack roll when attempting todisarm an opponent, including the roll to keep frombeing disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. Youcan use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply a charac-ter’s Dexterity modifier instead of the Strength modi-fier on attack rolls with a Nekode. This weapon is ashield bypass weapon.

KawanagaClimbing hooks, which grant a +2 bonus to climbing whileworn, these weapons make unarmed strikes normal piercingattacks. The Kawanaga does not change the normal hand attackdamage. Attacking with the Kawanaga prompts an automaticattack of opportunity, just like any other unarmed attack. Shoulda person armed with the Kawanaga have the Advanced UnarmedStrike Feat, they can use them without provoking an attack ofopportunity.

Ninja (Prestige Class)Those without Honor. Those who walk in the Night. The Ninjawere feared and reviled for their secretive ways and their rejec-tion of the code of Bushido. The Ninja were assassins and spies,for a cost, although many ninja clans claimed they also per-formed their duties out of religious conviction.

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Table 5-3:NinjaClass Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Training2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 Sneak Attack +1d63rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Training 4th +3 +1 +4 +1 Sneak Attack +2d65th +3 +1 +4 +1 Training6th +4 +2 +5 +2 Sneak Attack +3d67th +5 +2 +5 +2 Training8th +6 +2 +6 +2 Sneak Attack +4d69th +6 +3 +6 +3 Training10th +7 +3 +7 +3 Sneak Attack +5d6


The Ninja were made up of those who did not have a place in theSamurai Hierarchy. Some were Ronin, masterless samurai whoturned to a Ninja clan to give them purpose. Many were com-moners who could not legally carry weapons or wield power, butwho trained to give themselves the power society denied them.Some truly were death monks; warriors who believed that per-fection of death dealing would give them final enlightenment.And some… Some just did it for the money.

Hit Die: d8

RequirementsTo qualify to become a Ninja, a character must fulfill all the fol-lowing criteria.


Feats: Expertise

Skills: Move Silently rank 7, Hide rank 7

Special: Must complete one mission successfully to join clanand become a Ninja

Class SkillsThe Ninja class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bal-ance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide(Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Perform (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen(Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Swim (Str),Tumble (Dex)


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Ninja prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ninja start their first levelwith proficiency in all simple weapons and martial ninjaweapons. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier thanleather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide,Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

First Level Selection: At first level the new Ninja must selectone of the three options given.

Sneak Attack: This is the Feat, as listed in the Player’s Hand-book

Training: A Ninja may take one option from the following list:Improved Unarmed Strike (If not already possessed)Weapon Focus (Martial Ninja Weapon)Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Exotic Ninja Weapon)1 Ninja Ability

Ninja Abilities are the following:Fumiki Bari: This is the art of spitting poisoned needles. TheNinja learns how to carry and safely place poisoned needles intheir mouth to spit at an opponent. Range increment for a needleis 5 feet. If any damage is done to the target the poison’s effectshould be determined.

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Pass In the Shadows: The Ninja learns how to use their darkcostume and movements to their advantage while in the dark.This grants a +4 Hide bonus for any attempt to hide in shadow.This ability may be taken multiple times, and bonuses will stack.

Metsubishi: The Metsubishi is a small ceramic or shell containerwith a blowhole and pinhole exit point. This container was usu-ally filled with powdered glass, pepper, or possibly poison. Oneof the three should be designated in advance when a Ninjaintends to use a Metsubishi. The range of the Metsubishi is fivefeet, but it is rolled as a ranged touch attack to strike. If hit, thetarget is blinded for 1d3 turns, and is subject to the appropriatesecondary penalty:

Pepper: Sneezing fits for the next 1d6 turns, inflicting a further -2 to any physical skill rolls or attack rolls. (Ref DC 15 to avoidinhaling pepper)

Ground Glass: Intense Irritation. Extend the blinding duration to1d6 rounds. Roll 1d20. If a 20 is rolled, the blinding effect is per-manent.(Ref DC 15 to avert eyes)

Poison: Mild Poisoning. The subject is affected by the poisondesignated, but at half strength. A successful fortitude savenegates this entirely.

Play Dead: The Ninja has learned how to slow their autonomicfunctions so as to simulate death. Anyone checking the Ninja forsigns of life must make a Heal roll at DC 20 or a Spot Roll at DC25 to notice the Ninja is still alive.

Iron Sleeve Proficiency: The Ninja has learned how to use IronSleeves, and has them sewn into their costume.

Trackless Running: The Ninja has learned how to run whileleaving little sign of their passage. Anyone attempting to track aNinja with this ability must treat the track as if it was carefullyhidden (+5 to DC)

Great Leap: The Ninja has practiced using sudden explosivemaneuvers to leap far distances. Once per day per Ninja Level, aNinja may double their Jump distance. When using this abilitythe size limit does not apply.

Poisoning: The Ninja has learned the art of making poison andapplying poison to objects, weapons, or foods. Alchemy imme-diately becomes a class skill.

The Edo ShogunatePeril came to Japan in three ways. The central government col-lapsed, leading to a 32 year long war for supremacy. Then a Por-tuguese ship crashed along Japans coast, bringing with it thematchlock arquebus. Renamed the Teppo by the Japanese, itwould revolutionize warfare in Japan. In addition, Christianitywould come, bringing instability and change, which the Chineseform of the stable society did not support well. Various generalswould rise to power, some seeking to conquer land on the main-land, but it would take one man to unite Japan under a lastingpeace: Tokugawa Ieyasu.


The Edo Shogunate would be an end to wars. During this timeTokugawa would establish trade with their island nations and themainland, but would limit mainlanders and Europeans to tradingwith Japan only at Nagasaki. This would introduce a number ofnew weapons into the Japanese arsenal. He would establish thecode of Bushido, or the Way of the Warrior, a collection of estab-lished practices, beliefs, and rituals that Samurai had come toembody. Between this code and the body of laws Tokugawawould create a lasting peace that would endure into the 19thCentury. During this time the Samurai would only ever faceforces attacking them from the outside, and with armoring beingso much less important with the introduction of the firearm, theincredible armors of Japan would progress no farther.

TeppoThe Teppo is a converted Portuguese Common Arbequis. A singleshot weapon firing iron shot, the Teppo was mass-produced froma few original weapons, and is slightly less reliable than the origi-nal version, having a reliability rating of 3. Information on reload-ing times and powder usage can be found in the chapterPageantry, Platemail, and Pistols.

NageteppoA grenade-like weapon filled with gunpowder, the Nageteppowas used as a last ditch weapon by the Ninja. The Nageteppomust be lit before being thrown, as a standard round action. Theexplosion causes 2d6 fire damage in the square that it lands in,

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and people in the blast radius must make a Reflex Save (DC20)to avoid taking half damage.

Nunti-SaiAs the Okinawan weapons were imported to Japan, and as con-tact with the mainland continued, the Nunti-Sai was invented bycombining the Sabu’s tines with the Sai weapon concept. Theresult, the Nunti-Sai, is a Sai with no handle, a single tine bladewith an s-shaped tine blade intersecting it. Used in pairs, thisweapon can be used forward or reversed, and as an effective dis-arming weapon. The Nunti-Sai grants a +2 bonus on the user’sopposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent,including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they fail theirdisarm attempt.

Kusari-gamaThe Kusari-gama is a Kama blade with a Manriki-gusari chainattached to the head. The blade may be used as a Kama, or thechain may be used to strike like a Rante. When using the chainas a melee weapon, it has reach. You can strike opponents 10feet away with it but, unlike other reach weapons, you can alsouse it against an adjacent foe. Because it can wrap around a legor other limb, it may also be used to make trip attacks. If you aretripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the weaponin order to avoid being tripped. Those using a kusari-gama gaina +2 bonus on their opposed attack roll when attempting to dis-arm an opponent, including the roll to keep from being disarmedif they fail their disarm attempt.

Tôsei gusoku (Modern Armors)Tosei Gusoku is the term for modern armors: armors made afterthe Edo Peace. Maru Do is a slightly improved version of Do-Maru armor, made in a more efficient modern fashion. OkegawaDo (and the variant Tatahagi Do) is a form of Samurai armor thatsports a riveted breastplate, similar to that of European Half-plate. Nuinobe Do is a more elegant looking version of MaruDo, with a slightly better range of movement, while Hotoke Dowas a seamless metal cuirass, nearly identical to Okegawa Do,except for its hardness. Yokinoshita Do is also an equivalentarmor to Half-plate, with less embellishment than most Samuraiarmor. Nio Do, on the other hand, is a closer modern equivalentto Tatami Do, but was decorated with the starved chest of a Bud-

215a. Hotoke Do; 215b. Mogame Do; 215c. Tatami Do; 215d.Yokinoshita Do

215a

215b

215c

215d

New Perform Subskills:A number of Japanese cultural skills might fall into the Per-form Skill category—

Calligraphy—The art of careful and precise painting of wordsFlower Arraigning—The art of careful choice and arrange-ment of flowers for aesthetic and social reasons.Tea Ceremony—The art of precise and formulaic perform-ance of the Tea Drinking CeremonyGardening—This is the art of the Zen Garden, which stressescareful placement of plants and objects in a garden to achievethe greatest harmony.


dha. Mogame Do was a variant of Okegawa Do that substitutedlaces for rivets, which made the armor less structurally sound.But the most unusual version was Hatomune Do, which incorpo-rated imported Portuguese Plate armor, with notable success.

Samurai (Prestige Class)Samurai are those Bushi who take an oath of fealty to a lord inexchange for elevation to the rank of Samurai. The role of theSamurai is of preserver of the peace and loyal servant of hisliege lord. The Samurai code is one of dedication to Honor,Duty, and Warcraft. To break the code would be worse thandeath, and those that perceive they have failed their code arehonor bound to commit suicide. The Samurai were fearless war-riors, trained in fighting and taught to consider their lives alreadyforfeit, so that they won their lives back every battle they won.

Those who sought to become samurai were those drawn to thepower and the rigor of the life of a Samurai. Most had to belongto a Samurai family in order to join, although those with honorand dedication could join their ranks if they impressed a lord.This is not to say that those who sought their own power couldnot be Samurai. They just had to be exceptionally good at obey-ing their liege lord in the letter of their command.

Hit Die: d10

RequirementsTo qualify to become a Samurai, a character must fulfillall the following criteria.

Alignment: Any Lawful


Feats: Expertise, Combat Reflexes

Skills: Perform: 5 ranks

Special: Must be willing to take an oath with a lord, and thatlord must be willing to accept the oath. If the Samurai everopenly disobeys their liege lord, the liege lord can rescind theoath, and the Samurai becomes Ronin, a masterless warrior.

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Table 5-4:SamuraiClass Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special1st +1 +2 +0 +2 Training 2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 Honor3rd +3 +3 +1 +3 Training 4th +4 +4 +1 +4 Leadership, Honor5th +5 +4 +1 +4 Training6th +6 +5 +2 +5 Honor7th +7 +5 +2 +5 Training8th +8 +6 +2 +6 Honor9th +9 +6 +3 +6 Training10th +10 +7 +3 +7 Honor


Ronin will retain any gained abilities, but cannot gain anotherlevel of Samurai until taken into the patronage of another Lord.If the disobedience is sufficiently grievous, the Samurai may becommanded to commit seppuku (ritual suicide). If they refuse,they become Ronin, and are hunted by their former fellowSamurai. Optionally, the character must belong to the uppercaste.

Class SkillsThe Samurai class skills (and the key ability for each skill) areClimb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Perform (Cha), Jump(Str), Listen (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str)


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Samurai prestigeclass.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Samurai start their first levelwith proficiency in all simple weapons and martial Samuraiweapons. They are also proficient with Light, Medium, andHeavy Armor. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavierthan leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist,Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

First Level Selection: At first level the new Samurai must selectone of the three options given.

Low Justice: The Samurai, as part of their oath, gains the powerof life and death over all peasants in the region they are assignedto. They are required to adjudicate disputes and meet out appro-priate justice. Should a lord disagree with the decision, this maybe grounds for becoming Ronin.

Honor: A Samurai accrues honor for loyal service. Each level ofHonor allows a Samurai to negate one point of fatigue, non-mag-ical morale penalty, ability damage through non-magical poison,or ability damage through non-magical disease. This ability maybe used once per day, and the Honor pool is restored to fullpoints each day.

Leadership: This is as per the feat of the same name.

Training: A Samurai may take one option from the followinglist:

Improved Unarmed Strike (If not already possessed)Weapon Focus (Martial Samurai Weapon)Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Exotic Samurai Weapon)1 Zen Awareness

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Zen Awareness:Body Awareness: The Samurai who learns this awareness is ableto maneuver more effectively, regardless of his encumbrance.The Samurai moves as if encumbered by a load one level lighterthan their actual load. This does not allow the Samurai to carrymore, but merely allows them to move more effectively undertheir current load. If a Samurai is unencumbered (a light load),they may move at 10 feet faster than their normal movementspeed.

Blind Fight: The Samurai gains the Feat of this same name.

Blind Shot: The Samurai may fire at any opponent they cannotsee, as long as they have detected that opponent with anothersense. The penalty to do so is half the normal penalty. This canbe used to fire through thin materials like paper walls, if anenemy is known to be inside.

Advanced Alertness: The Samurai has improved their senses toa nearly supernatural level, and gains a +4 to all spot and listenchecks. This bonus supercedes the bonus granted by Alertness.

Combat Calm: The Samurai cannot be affected by any spell orability that imposes a negative morale penalty while in combat.The meditation and centering techniques of the Samurai makehim immune while in battle.

Envisioned Shot: The Samurai can take a full round to fire a sin-gle shot, and add +4 to their to-hit roll.

Eagle’s Vision: The Samurai may double their normal visionrange while outside, under normal sunlight.

Tracking: The Samurai gains the feat of this same name.

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Table 5-5: Far East WeaponsSimple Weapons-Melee Weapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HP SubsetTiny

Buhj, Damascened 402gp 1d4+1 19–20/x2 1lbs P M 10/6Buhj, Steel 2gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1lbs P M 9/3Dagger, Punching Bronze 1.3gp 1d4 x3 2.5lbs P MW 5/8Dagger, Punching Damascened 402gp 1d4+1 x3 2lbs P M 10/9Dagger, Punching Iron 1.5gp 1d4 x3 2.5lbs S MW 6/8Dagger, Punching Steel 2gp 1d4 x3 2lbs P M 9/6Fakir's Horns 5sp 1d6 x3 1.5lbs P B 3/5Hora* 4sp 1d3+1 x2 .5lbs B B 3/2Karambit 6sp 1d3 x3 .5lbs S M 6/2Knife, Chinese Bronze 2gp 1d4 x2 1lbs S M 5/3Knife, Chinese Iron 3gp 1d4 x2 1.5lbs S M 6/5Knife, Chinese Steel 5gp 1d4 x2 1lbs S M 9/3 GKnife, Hidden Steel 1gp 1d3 x3 .5lbs S M 9/2Kris 4gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1.5lbs S M 6/5Kujungi 1.5gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1.5lbs S M 6/5Lading 1.5gp 1d4 x3 1.5lbs P M 6/5Paku* 1gp 1d3 x3 10 ft. .5lbs S M 6/2Phurbu* 6gp 1d4 x2 1.5lbs P M 6/5Piercers, Emi* 1gp 1d3 x3 .5lbs P M 9/2 GTombak 2gp 1d4 19–20/x2 5lbs P M 6/15Tonto 1.8gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1 lb. P M 9/3 N/S

SmallArit Sickle 5gp 1d6 x2 3.5lbs S M 6/11Bagh Nakh, Steel 8gp 1d6 x3 5lbs S M 9/15Bagh Nakh, Steel Greater 10gp 2d3 x3 7lbs S M 9/21Escrima 2gp 1d4 x2 2lbs B W 5/6Iron Claw 7gp 1d6 x2 5.5lbs B & S M 9/15 GJo 2gp 1d6 x2 2lbs B W 5/8 N/STamo, Iron (Note that cost is for two Tamo knives)*‡ 4gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1.5lbs P M 7/7Tamo, Steel (Note that cost is for two Tamo Knives)*‡ 6gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1lbs P M 9/5 GTjaluk* 5gp 1d6 x2 10ft 3.5lbs P M 6/11Whip, Hard 5gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B M 9/12 G

Medium-SizeAxe, Head 12gp 1d10 x3 14lbs S MW 6/28Cane, Fakir's* 6gp 1d6 or 1d4 x2 or x3 4lbs B or P W 6/8Cane, Steel 8gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B M 9/8 GCane, Wooden 2gp 1d4 x2 2lbs B W 5/6 GGhargaz, Damascened 412gp 1d8+1 x2 12lbs B M 10/27Ghargaz, Steel 12gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B M 9/24Mace, Ox Damascened* 408gp 1d8+1 x2 8lbs B M 10/19Mace, Ox Steel 8gp 1d8 x2 8lbs B M 10/16Mace, Quoit Damascened 408gp 1d8+1 x2 8lbs B M 10/19Mace, Quoit Steel 8gp 1d8 x2 8lbs B M 10/16Mace, Sickle Damascened 412gp 1d6+1 x2 10lbs S M 10/21Mace, Sickle Steel 12gp 1d6 x2 10lbs S M 10/18Rake, Nine Teeth* 15gp 1d8 x2 14lbs S M 9/28 G


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Table 5-5: Far East WeaponsSimple Weapons-Melee Weapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HP SubsetMedium-Size

Santie, Damasceneda 406gp 1d6+1 x3 7lbs P M 10/17Santie, Steela 6gp 1d6 x3 7lbs P M 9/14Staff, Mace Bronze 9gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B M 4/24Staff, Mace Iron 10gp 1d8 x2 13lbs B M 6/26Staff, Mace Steel 12gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B M 9/24 GStaff, Short Bronze 5gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B M 4/8Staff, Short Iron 6gp 1d6 x2 5lbs B M 6/10Staff, Short Steel 8gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B M 9/8 GVeecharoval, Bronze 7gp 1d8 x3 9lbs S MW 5/18Veecharoval, Iron 8gp 1d8 x3 8lbs S MW 6/16

LargeBo*‡ 2gp 1d6/1d6 x2 4lbs B W 6/8 G/N/SCudgel, Monk's Iron 10gp 1d10 x2 14lbs B MW 7/28Cudgel, Monk's Steel 12gp 1d10 x2 13lbs B M 9/26 GFork, Two Teetha 10gp 1d8 x2 10lbs S M 9/18Naginata† 10 gp 1d10 x3 14lbs S WM 5/28 S

Simple Weapons-RangedTiny

Ball, Iron 6sp 1d3 x2 10ft .5lbs B 10M 9/2 GRings, Iron 5sp 1d2 x2 15ft .1lbs B 10M 9/1 G

SmallCrossbow, Light Bronze 29gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 8lbs As per Quarrel MW 4/22Crossbow, Light Iron 32gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 7lbs As per Quarrel MW 6/19Crossbow, Light Modern Chinese 40gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/18Crossbow, Light Steel 35gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/16

Medium-SizeCrossbow, Heavy Modern Chinese 50gp 1d10 19–20/x2 120ft 8lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/24


Ama Goi Ken 4gp 1d4 19–20/x2 3lbs S M 6/9Fu, Bronze 3gp 1d6 x3 5.5lbs S MW 4/17Fu, Iron 4gp 1d6 x3 5.5lbs S MW 6/17Fu, Steel 6gp 1d6 x3 5lbs S MW 9/15 GHatchet 5gp 1d6 x3 7lbs S MW 6/21Kapak 6gp 1d6 x2 10ft 4lbs S M 6/12Shortsword, Damascened 410gp 1d6+1 19–20/x2 3lbs S M 10/9Shortsword, Steel 10gp 1d6 19–20/x2 3lbs S M 9/9Wakazashi 300gp 1d6 19–20/x2 3lbs S M 11/11 S

Medium-SizeAxe, Bullova 8gp 1d8 x3 11lbs S MW 6/22Axe, Khond 8gp 1d8 x3 10.5lbs S MW 6/21Axe, Kritant 8gp 1d8 x3 10lbs S MW 6/20Binnol, Damascened 407gp 1d6+1 19–20/x2 10lbs P & S M 10/33Binnol, Steel 7gp 1d6 19–20/x2 10lbs P & S M 9/30Bokken 3gp 1d4 x2 6lbs B W 5/10 SBroadsword, Chinese 75gp 1d8 18–20/x2 6lbs S M 9/32 G

180


Table 5-5: Far East WeaponsMartial Weapons-Melee Weapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HP SubsetMedium-Size

Dao, Bronze 11gp 1d6 18–20/x2 7lbs S M 4/14Dao, Iron 12gp 1d6 18–20/x2 6lbs S M 6/12Dao, Steel 14gp 1d6 18–20/x2 5lbs S M 9/10 GGe, Iron 5gp 1d8 x3 10lbs S MW 6/20Jian, Bronze 12gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 4/12Jian, Iron 13gp 1d8 19–20/x2 5lbs S M 6/10Jian, Steel 15gp 1d8 19–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/8 GKatar, Bronze 5gp 1d6 x3 4.5lbs P MW 5/14Katar, Damascened 408gp 1d6+1 x3 4lbs P M 10/15Katar, Iron 6gp 1d6 x3 4.5lbs P MW 6/14Katar, Steel 8gp 1d6 x3 4lbs P M 9/12Ken 8gp 1d6 19–20/x2 5lbs S M 6/10Ken, Japanese Early Folded 10gp 1d6 19–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/12 SKnife, Butterfly 25gp 1d6 x3 4lbs S MW 6/28Kora 8gp 1d6 x2 4lbs S M 9/18Lance, Chinese†a 12gp 1d8 x3 9lbs P WM 5/18 GNagan 20gp 1d8 18–20/x2 5lbs S M 9/10Parang 14gp 2d3 19–20/x2 5lbs P M 6/10Patisa 15gp 1d8 19–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/8Pedang 7gp 1d6 x2 4lbs S M 6/8Sabar, Damascened 410gp 1d8+1 19–20/x2 10lbs S M 10/33Sabar, Steel 10gp 1d8 19–20/x2 10lbs S M 9/30Sapola 20gp 1d8 x3 4lbs P M 9/8Scimitar, Damascened 415gp 1d6+1 18–20/x2 5lbs S M 10/10Scimitar, Iron Indian 13gp 1d6 18–20/x2 6lbs S M 6/12Sword, Executioner* 9gp 1d8 x2 4lbs S M 9/8 GSword, Seven Star 13.5gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 7/14Sword, Steel Fish Spine* 12gp 1d6 x2 5lbs S M 9/10Sword, Unicorn Horn 8gp 1d6 x2 3lbs S M 9/6 GTachi, Early Folded 15gp 1d8 19–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/8 STachi, Imitation Chinese 13gp 1d8 19–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/6Tan-Kiev* 7gp 1d6 x2 3lbs S M 9/6 GTulwar, Damascened 412gp 1d6+1 18–20/x2 4lbs S M 10/8Tulwar, Early Iron 12gp 1d6 18–20/x2 5lbs S M 6/10

LargeAxe, Naga War† 20gp 1d10 x3 15lbs S WM 5/30Ballam, Early Steel†a 8gp 2d4 x3 9lbs P WM 5/18Broadsword, Two Handed Chinese 55gp 2d6 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32 GDung, Iron†a 4gp 1d8 x3 11lbs P MW 6/22Dung, Steel†a 6gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P MW 9/20Flail, Long bar*† 15gp 1d10 19–20/x2 20lbs B WM 5/38 GHoolurge, Damascened 415gp 2d4+1 x3 15lbs P & S M 10/33Hoolurge, Steel 15gp 2d4 x3 15lbs P & S M 9/30Knife, Golden Coin Long†a 15gp 1d10 19–20/x2 13lbs S MW 9/28 GLance, Fong Ting*†a 20gp 1d8 or 1d10 x3 14lbs P or S WM 5/24 GLongsword, Great Damascened 450gp 2d6+1 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 10/32


181

Table 5-5: Far East WeaponsMartial Weapons-MeleeWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HP SubsetLarge

Longsword, Great Steel 50gp 2d6 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32Nageyari†a 5gp 1d8 x3 10ft 9lbs P WM 5/18Nagimaki†a 8 gp 2d4 x3 15lbs S MW 5/30 SNo-Dachi 55gp 2d6 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/34 SQiang, Bronze†a 2gp 1d8 x3 11lbs P MW 4/22Qiang, Iron†a 3gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P MW 6/20Qiang, Steel†a 5gp 1d8 x3 9lbs P MW 9/18 GSaber, Long 20gp 1d10 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32 GSabu*†a 12gp 1d8 x3 14lbs P M 9/28 GSpear, Snake†a 5gp 1d8 x3 11lbs P MW 5/22 GSteel Fang†a 7gp 1d8 19–20/x2 10lbs P & S MW 9/20 GYari†a 6gp 1d8 x3 11lbs P WM 5/20 S

Martial Weapons-Ranged Medium-Size

Bow, Short Hinged* 60gp 1d6 x3 55ft 2lbs As per Arrow WM 4/6Large

Bow, Long Hinged* 150gp 1d8 x3 90ft 3lbs As per Arrow WM 4/9Exotic Weapons-MeleeTiny

Fan, Iron* 2gp 1d4 x2 5ft 1lbs S M 6/3 G/S/NFan, Lacquered* 1.5gp 1d3 x2 5ft .5lbs S W 6/2 G/S/NGarrote, Cord* -- 1d3* x3 1lb S* C 3/3 NGarrote, Wire* -- 1d4* x4 .5lbs S* M 9/2 NJi-Kuwa* 1gp 1d2 x3 .5lbs P M 9/2Kukri 8gp 1d4 18–20/x2 1lb S M 9/5Strangler's Belt -- 1d2§ x2 1lbs B F 2/3

SmallKawanaga (cost per hand)* 1gp 1lb P M 9/3 NNekode* 6gp 1d6 x2 10ft 7lbs B M 9/19 NBlade, Mandarin Coin* 3gp 1d6 x2 3lbs S M 9/9 GBlade, Sun and Moon Spear* 4gp 1d6 x3 3.5lbs S M 9/11 GCane, Hidden Sword (damage as cane or sword)* 10gp 1d4 or 1d6 x2 Or 19–20/x2 3lbs B or P M 9/9 G/NFlute* 1gp 1d3 x2 .5lb B W 3/2 GFull Moon* 6gp 1d6 19–20/x2 2.5lbs S M 9/8 GJitte* 5 sp 1d4 x3 1.5lbs P M 9/5 N/SKama 2gp 1d6 x2 2lbs B WM 5/6 G/NKatar, Closed Hilted Early Steel* 23gp 1d6 x3 7lbs P MW 8/21Katar, Dual Bladed Damascened* 412gp 2d3+1 x3 5lbs P M 10/15Katar, Dual Bladed Steel* 12gp 2d3 x3 5lbs P M 9/15Katar, Three Bladed Damascened* 417gp 1d6+1 x3 6lbs P M 10/18Katar, Three Bladed Early Steel* 17gp 1d6 x3 9lbs P MW 8/25Katar, Three Bladed Steel* 18gp 1d6 x3 6lbs P M 9/18Katar, Tri-Bladed Steel* 20gp 1d6 or 3d3 x3 5lbs P M 9/15Knife, Deer Antler* 6gp 1d6 19–20/x2 2lbs S M 9/6 GKnife, Swallow Trident Long* 3gp 1d6 x2 1lbs P M 9/3 GKusari-gama*†# 10gp 1d6/1d6 x2/x2 3lbs S/B M 9/9 N/S

182


Table 5-5: Far East WeaponsExotic Weapons-MeleeWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HP SubsetSmall

Manriki-gusari*†# 8gp 1d6 x2 5lbs B M 9/15 N/SNinja-to 10gp 1d6 18–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/12 NNunchuku*# 2gp 1d6 x2 2lbs B WC 5/6 G/NNunti-Sai* 5gp 1d4 x3 2lbs P M 9/6 NPendjepit* 4gp 1d4 x3 1lb P M 6/3Rante*# 8gp 1d6 x2 10ft 6.5lbs S M 6/20Razor, Yuen Yang* 15gp 1d6 x3 4lbs P or S M 9/12 GSai* 3 gp 1d4 x3 2lbs P M 9/4 G/NSiangkam* 3gp 1d6 x2 3.5lbs P M 6/11Tian-chi Fay Shorta 15gp 1d6 x3 4lbs P or S M 4/12 GTonfa 1gp 1d6 x2 1.5lbs B W 5/5Wheel, Wind and Fire* 4gp 1d6 x3 3.5lbs S M 9/11 G

Medium-SizeBroadsword, Nine Ring* 80gp 2d4 18–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32 GChain, Segmented*† 20gp 1d6 x2 4.5lbs S M 9/10 GChain Sword*‡ 20gp 1d4/1d4 19–20/x2 5lbs S M 9/15 GCumber-Jung, Damascened 425gp 2d4+1 X2 15lbs B 10M 15/22Cumber-Jung, Steel Quoit 25gp 2d4 x2 15lbs B M 9/30Eku 2gp 1d8 x2 5lbs B W 5/10Grain Sword, Iron* 16gp 1d8 18–20/x2 7lbs S M 6/14Grain Sword, Steel* 20gp 1d8 18–20/x2 6lbs S M 9/12 GHammer, Chinese* 35gp 2d4 x3 14lbs B M 9/28 GHook, Nine Teeth*‡ 12gp 1d8 x2 4lbs P or S M 9/12 GKatana 400 gp 1d10 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 11/18 SKyoketsu-Shogi*‡ 12gp 1d6/1d4 19–20/x2 / x2 10ft 8lbs S/B M 9/16 NMaru*‡ 7gp 1d6 x2 9lbs P WBM 5/18Masakari 16gp 1d8 or 1d4 x3 or x4 5lbs P or S M 9/10Nagegama*† 14gp 1d6/1d6 19–20/x2 8lbs S/B M 9/16 N/SPata, Damascened* 465gp 1d8+1 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 10/35Pata, Steel* 65gp 1d8 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32Sa Tjat Koen*# 11gp 1d8 x2 4lbs B WM 5/8 G/N/SSword, Tigerhead Hook*‡ 12gp 1d8 x2 4lbs S M 9/8 GTiger Fork, Iron*‡a 12gp 1d8 x2 7lbs P MW 7/14Tiger Fork, Steel*‡a 13gp 1d8 x2 5lbs P MW 9/10 GUrumi*†*# 30gp 1d6 19–20/x3 15ft 8lbs S M 9/16

LargeBlade, Heaven and Earth† 60gp 1d8/1d8 x2 13lbs S M 9/26 GBlade, Horse Chopping†‡a 75gp 1d6/1d10 x2 16lbs S M 9/32 GChijiriki*‡ 40gp 1d8/1d6 x3/x2 15lbs P/B MW 9/30 SFeruzue (staff or flail damage)*†# 20gp 1d8 or 1d10 x2 or 19–20/x2 15lbs B & P M 6/30Flail, Great*# 25gp 1d12 x2 20lbs B WM 5/40 GGadha, Iron 18gp 1d10 x2 15lbs B M 6/30Gadha, Wood 16gp 1d10 x2 13lbs B W 6/26Halberd, Double*‡a 60gp 1d10 x3 15lbs P/S MW 9/30 GHwa-Keka 20gp 2d4 x2 10lbs S MW 6/22Jumonki-Yari*†a 10gp 1d8 x3 12lbs P or S WM 5/24


183

Table 5-5: Far East WeaponsExotic Weapons-MeleeWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HP SubsetLarge

Kama-Yari*†a 10gp 1d8 x3 12lbs P or S WM 5/24Knife, Yeung Guen Long*†‡a 55gp 1d8/1d6 x3 16lbs P & S MW 9/32 GKongo-Zue*‡ 15gp 1d6/1d6 x2 9lbs B WM 5/18Kumade*† 14gp 1d4 x2 11lbs P WM 5/22 SKwandao, Iron*†‡a 44gp 1d8/1d6 x3 18lbs P & S MW 7/36Kwandao, Steel*†‡a 50gp 1d8/1d6 x3 15lbs P & S MW 9/30 GLaingtjat‡ 25gp 1d6/1d6 x3 13lb S M 6/26Longsword, Chay Yang†‡a 50gp 1d8/1d6 x3 15lbs P & S MW 9/30 GMace, Double Bronze‡ 49gp 1d8/1d8 x2/x2 16lbs B M 4/32Mace, Double Iron‡ 51gp 1d8/1d8 x2/x2 15lbs B M 6/30Mace, Double Steel‡ 55gp 1d8/1d8 x2/x2 14lbs B M 9/28 GMancatcher*† 6gp 10lbs W 5/18Mancatcher w/ Spike*† 11gp 1d4 x2 11lbs P WM 5/20Meteor Hammer*†‡# 65gp 1d8/1d8 x2 14lbs B MC 9/28 GMonk's Spade, Iron‡ 13gp 1d8/1d8 x2/x2 22lbs S MW 7/44Monk's Spade, Steel‡ 15gp 1d8/1d8 x2/x2 20lbs S/S MW 9/40 GO-No† 20gp 2d4 x3 14lbs B M 9/28Paralyser*†a 15gp 2d4 x3 11lbs P W 5/22Pudao, Iron* 65gp 2d6 x3 16lbs S MW 7/32Pudao, Steel* 70gp 2d6 x3 15lbs S MW 9/30 GRam Da'o 13gp 1d8 x2 6lbs S M 9/12Shovel, Golden Coin 20gp 1d8 x3 10lbs S M 9/20 GShovel, Moonteeth‡a 30gp 1d8/1d6 x3 16lbs P & S MW 9/32 GSjang Sutai†a 25gp 2d4 19–20/x2 11lbs S MW 6/22Sode Garami*a 14gp 1d4 x2 13lbs P M 9/26Spear, Double Headed†‡a 12gp 1d8/1d8 x3/x3 10lbs P/P MW 9/20 GStaff, Wolf's Teeth* 16gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B & P M 9/24 GSword, Beheading 40gp 2d4 18–20/x2 18lbs S M 9/34Sword, Long-Handle Nine Ring† 75gp 3d3 19–20/x2 20lbs S M 9/40 GTabar, Damascened 425gp 1d12+1 x3 22lbs S M 10/47Tabar, Steel 25gp 1d12 x3 22lbs S M 9/44Tschehouta, Early Steel*†‡a 12gp 1d8/1d8 x3/x3 10lbs P/P MW 8/20

Exotic Weapons-RangedTiny

Darts, Chinese Throwing* 6sp 1d3 x3 10ft .5lbs P 10M 9/2 GPiau* 3gp 1d3 x3 10ft 1lbs S M 6/3Shuriken* 2gp 1d2 x2 10ft .1lbs P M 9/1 NUichi-ne 6gp 1d4 x2 20ft .5lbs P MW 6/2 S

SmallChakram, Damascened* 410gp 1d4+1 x3 30ft 2lbs S M 10/9Chakram, Steel* 10gp 1d4 x3 30ft 2lbs S M 9/6Fukidake* 1gp 1 x2 10ft 2lbs As per Needle W 3/6 NNageteppo* 50gp 2d6 x2 10ft 1lb N/A M 9/3 NWhip, Horse Hair Tassel* 3gp 1§ x2 10ft 3lbs S FW 2/9 GWhip, Steel Barbed Chinese* 6gp 1d4 x2 10ft 3lbs S LM 4/9


Table 5-5: Far East WeaponsExotic Weapons-RangedWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type D/M H/HP SubsetMedium-Size

Bow, Mongol Recurve* 90gp 1d6 x3 110ft 4lbs Per Arrow W 5/12Bow, Steel 75gp 1d6 x3 60ft 5lbs As Per Arrow M 9/15Chu Ko Nu* 60gp 1d6 19–20/x2 60ft 7lbs As per Quarrel WM 5/21Chu Ko Nu, Improved* 75gp 1d6 19–20/x2 70ft 7lbs As per Quarrel WM 5/23Flying Weight* 12gp 1d6 x2 10ft 3lbs B MC 9/6 GHan-Kyu 35gp 1d6 x3 60ft 2lbs As per arrow W 5/6 NJavelin, Rope* 12gp 1d6 x2 10ft 2.5lbs P MC 9/8 GSpear Gun* 100gp +5* As Steel Qiang 120ft 36lbs As Steel Qiang 2S 2/36Teppo 300gp 1d12 x3 150ft 10lbs As per Shot MW 9/30Zhuge Nu, Multishot* 150gp 1d6/1d6 19–20/x2 80ft 7lbs As per Quarrel WM 5/21Zhuge Nu, Repeater* 175gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 7lbs As per Quarrel WM 5/21

LargeDai-Kyu 80gp 1d8 x3 90ft 3lbs Per Arrow WC 5/11 SGun, Primitive Chinese 200gp 1d10 x3 70ft 9lbs As per shot MW 9/27Rockets, Chinese* 200gp 2d6 x2 150ft 8lbs N/A W 3/24

Weapons Ranged-AmmunitionArrow, Axeblade 2gp 3lbs S WM 5/3Arrow, Forked 2gp 4lbs S WM 5/4Arrow, Steel Armor Piercing* 3gp 3lbs P WM 5/3Arrow, Whistling* 2gp 3lbs P WM 5/3Bow, Pellet 20gp 1d4 x2 40ft 2lbs As per Pellet W 4/2Crossbow, Pellet 25sp 1d4 19–20/x2 60ft 7lbs As per Pellet WM 5/21Pellet, Clay (weight per 30) 3gp 2lbs B§ S 1/2Quarrel, Bronze (weight per 10) 7sp 1.5lb P MW 4/2Quarrel, Iron (weight per 10) 8sp 1.5lbs P MW 6/2Quarrel, Steel (weight per 10) 1gp 1lbs P MW 9/1Shot, Iron 3gp 2.5lbs P M 6/3Shot, Stone (weight per 10) 2gp 2lbs P S 4/2

G Indicates a weapon is part of the Guang Hu subsetN Indicates a weapon is part of the Ninja subsetS Indicates a weapon is part of the Samurai subset* See the description in the text for special rules.‡ Double Weapon† Reach Weapona If you ready an action to set this weapon against a charge you deal double damage.# Shield Bypass Weapon§ Subdual damage

Table 5-6: Far East Armor


Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

ArcaneSpell

Speed30ft/20ft Weight‡ M H/HP

Light ArmorBezainted Leather 75gp +3 +5 -3 20% 30ft/20ft 23lbs LM 5/46Cloth Armor, Heavy (Padded) 5gp +1 +8 0 5% 30ft/20ft 10lbs F 2/20Cloth Armor, Studded 13gp +2 +5 0 15% 30ft/20ft 15lbs FM 2/30Corded Armor 25gp +2 +6 -1 15% 30ft/20ft 14lbs C 3/28Jigap 15gp +2 +7 0 10% 30ft/20ft 12lbs F 3/24Leather, Lacquered 45gp +3 +5 -1 10% 30ft/20ft 16lbs L 5/32Padded Armor, Silk 12gp +1 +9 0 5% 30ft/20ft 8lbs F 3/18Paper Armor, Chinese Pirate 8gp +1 +7 0 5% 30ft/20ft 7lbs F 2/12Scaled Jack 85gp +4 +4 -3 20% 30ft/20ft 22lbs MF 9/44


Table 5-6: Far East Armor


Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure Speed30ft/20ft Weight‡ M H/HP

Medium ArmorBreastplate Armor, Chinese 210gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 30lbs M 9/60Brigandine, Chinese 340gp +5 +3 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 41lbs ML 9/82Hide Armor, Rhino 40gp +4 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 27lbs L 5/54Keiko, Iron 180gp +5 +3 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 33lbs M 6/66Nio Do 205gp +5 +3 -4 30% 20ft/15ft 34lbs M 9/68Plated Armor, Chinese (Mirrors) 230gp +5 +3 -4 35% 20ft/15ft 40lbs M 9/80Scale Armor, Damascened 450gp +4 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 30lbs M 10/63Scalemail, Chinese Steel 55gp +4 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 30lbs M 9/60Tanko 230gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 31lbs M 6/62Tatami Do 195gp +5 +3 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 35lbs MF 9/70Yoroi 45gp +4 +4 -3 25% 20ft/15ft 28lbs M 6/56

Heavy ArmorBanded Armor, Chinese 265gp +6 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 35lbs M 9/70Banded Armor, Damascened 750gp +6 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 35lbs M 10/73Do-Maru 255gp +6 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs M 9/90Hatomune Do 850gp +8 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 52lbs M 9/104Hotoke Do 506gp +7 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 51lbs M 9/102Maru Do 260gp +6 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 44lbs M 9/88Mogame Do 640gp +7 +1 -7 35% 20ft*/15ft* 47lbs M 9/94Nuinobe Do 335gp +6 +2 -5 30% 20ft*/15ft* 42lbs M 9/84Okegawa Do 510gp +7 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 53lbs M 9/106O-yoroi 505gp +7 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 50lbs M 9/100Plate and Scale Armor, Damascened 560gp +7 +0 -8 40% 20ft*/15ft* 52lbs M 10/107Plated Mail, Bakhteretz 205gp +6 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 49lbs M 9/98Plated Mail, Kolontar 225gp +6 +1 -7 35% 20ft*/15ft* 47lbs M 9/94Plated Mail, Sind 510gp +7 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 50lbs M 9/102Scale Armor, Chinese Mountain Pattern 225gp +6 +0 -6 40% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs M 9/90Tsuzumi Do 250gp +6 +1 -7 35% 20ft*/15ft* 46lbs M 9/92Yokinoshita Do 650gp +7 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 49lbs M 9/98

Mount's GearLight

Barding, Bezainted Leather Elephant 600gp +3 +5 -3 N/A 40ft/50ft/60ft 69lbs LM 5/138Barding, Bezainted Leather Horse 300gp +3 +5 -3 N/A 40ft/50ft/60ft 46lbs LM 5/92Barding, Lacquered Leather Horse 180gp +3 +5 -1 N/A 40ft/50ft/60ft 32lbs L 5/64Barding, Leather Elephant 80gp +2 +6 0 N/A 40ft/50ft/60ft 45lbs L 3/90Barding, Studded Leather Elephant 200gp +3 +5 -1 N/A 40ft/50ft/60ft 60lbs LM 4/120

MediumBarding, Iron Lamellar Elephant 362gp +4 +3 -5 N/A 30ft/35ft/40ft 93lbs M 6/186

HeavyBarding, Plated Mail Elephant 1600gp +6 +0 -7 N/A 30ft*/35ft*/40ft* 135lbs M 9/270Barding, Plated Mail Horse 800gp +6 +0 -7 N/A 30ft*/35ft*/40ft* 90lbs M 9/180


Barbarians and the Remnants of Rome 188Goths 189Vandals 190Franks 190

Christianity 190Byzantium 190

The Rise of Islam 192Lances on Foot 192Conflict 194More on Greek Fire 194

Of the British Isles, Arthur, and the Saxon invasion 196Feudal Europe 197

Charlemagne 201The Vikings. 202The Fragmentation of Islam 204

Sources of the Crusades 205End of an Age 207

The Crusades 208The First Crusade 208The Second Crusade 209Flaming Clothing 211The Third Crusade 211The Fourth Crusade 213The Fifth Crusade 217The Sixth Crusade 217A Storm Rises in the East 218The Seventh Crusade 219Table 6-1: Dark Age Weapons 221Table 6-2: Dark Age Armor 224

186

A Dark Age, A Golden Age

AA DDaarrkk AAggee,, AA GGoollddeenn AAggee

I will treat with the Franji King tomorrow. The fever thatwas upon him appears to have abated at last, although myaides tell me hfe all but rejected my gifts of snow and fruit.There is a mighty spirit in him, which I have seen in battle,and I cannot help but picture him, flushed and shaky, yetmighty-maned and fierce as a lion, craving my gifts buttelling himself he cannot take them, on account of his honor.Yet the honor is mine, in the giving, and a worthy foe shouldbe treasured.

I feel for him. He has seen thousands of men die, and he is nocloser to his goal than when he arrived here. His task is impos-sible, and yet, were it merely a matter of willpower, I believe hewould batter down the walls of Jerusalem by himself. I’ve seenhim fall under a horse in battle and come up with swordswinging. When I have brought him to sit with me under thepavilion, his pride preceeds him like an honor guard.

Yet I am here, knowing that I will take a meal with him in mytent, show him my hospitality, and make him another offer. Anoffer he cannot afford to refuse. His forces have withered likegrapes left too long on the vine. His victory at Acre, followedby the martyrdom of thousands, will leave him a city too largefor its populace. And even I have heard of the doings of hisbrother in his homeland. If he wishes to have a country toreturn home to, he will accept my offer.

There is a look in the eyes of the Emirs, in the eyes of my Kur-dish generals, in the eyes of the Mameluke slaves who are notallowed to believe our faith. They look at me as an instrumentof Allah. I have fought the Franji king. I have brought thisarmy against his best and worst, and though we have failed inbattle, we have also succeeded. His great horses bore down onmy faithful warriors, and yet he could not destroy us. We havereclaimed the holy city of Jerusalem, and he cannot take itfrom us. We have victory, even before he accepts my offer.

And who am I to question them? The prophet himself said thatall things happen as Allah wills. We need only look to ourprosperity, to our sense of right, to our very lives, to see that wedo as Allah desires. And yet it is humbling to see their admi-ration. I do not wish to be known as anything but an instru-ment of Allah’s will. All the talk, all the admiration candeflect my eyes and heart, if I let it. And this victory is not theend of my work.

With a truce signed, I will not be able to reclaim Acre. I willhave to return to those for whom this battlefield is a far awayplace, and try to explain to them how the loss of a city is a vic-tory for Islam. I will return to Damascus, and tell my peoplethat, by the Will of Allah, I have killed their fathers, sons, andbrothers so as to secure a tenuous peace with the Franji thatstill occupy our land. I almost do not wish to return to Damas-cus. Though I know they have been received into paradise, Icannot help to feel the burden of the death I have wroughtupon my own people.

There will be peace. Acre will remain in their hands, butJerusalem will remain in mine. I am even willing to give them

access to Jerusalem, if they truly wish to come as pilgrims.Though they will not accept it, we share a God, after all, and Iwould not want to deny them access to Him. I have studiedtheir customs as best I can, by those few Franji who I was ableto capture. I understand their concepts of honor and generosity,so similar to our own. There are the seeds of civilization evenwithin their barbaric culture.

As to the particulars, I will have one of my stewards findsomething we can both eat. I do not think a show of opulencewill impress him, so I will have him meet with me in my owntent, and I will, for once, not have to gild it to impress someone.There will be no need for silks, gold, and women. Richard is awarrior born, and he would not appreciate such things as myEmirs feel the need to see. Should I laugh that it is only amongmy servants and my enemies that I can feel most free to bemyself?

Let this victory be permanent. May I never have to take thefield again to claim that which I should already own. I willleave it to other Sultans, other generals, other faithful men tofight and die for this land of blood. I do not think this will bethe last Crusade. The holy men among them cry for blood, andtheir best warriors still rally to spill it. I can only hope thatthis journal may convey some of my insight, some seed of ourvictory, so that those who read it may be better prepared for thenext attack.

Inshallah.

It is the Will of Allah.

Rome’s collapse was not total. With the split in the Imperialrulership, steps had been taken to preserve a portion of theRoman Empire from collapse. When Western Rome fell to bar-barians, Eastern Rome remained, a stronghold of civilizationstraddling portions of the Balkans and Asia Minor. In the major-ity of Europe, barbarian tribes like the Ostrogoths, Visigoths,Franks, Vandals, and remnants of the Huns sought dominion.The Middle East was divided between the Sassanids of Persia,and various minor kingdoms. With those larger powers doingeverything they could to merely maintain what power they had,and the barbarians seeking to establish a greater dominion, muchof the western world entered a Dark Age.

Before Rome fell, the invasion of the Huns set into motion thegreat roaming barbarian Gothic nations. Actually a conglomera-tion of Gothic tribes, the Goths were a relatively stable force out-side the borders of Rome until the Huns entered the region,driving another tribe of barbarians, the Alans (who weredescended from the Scythians), before them. Two waves ofattack put the Goths in a precarious position; lacking fertile land,a stable home-front, and security, the Gothic tribes raided acrossthe Danube and moved south, sacking Roman cities. This lead toa favorable settlement and tribute from Rome, weakening analready decaying border defense force, and eventually paving theway for certain Gothic tribes to be approached with an offer.Those tribes that agreed to defend the borders of Rome would bethe ones to receive the tribute and distribute it, and they would

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be considered citizens of Rome. Most of those tribes that agreedto this offer would eventually become known as the Visigoths.Many of those that did not would eventually become the Ostro-goths. Both of these forces would stand in the battle with theHuns, the Visigoths on the side of Rome, the Ostrogoths with theHuns.

Other barbarian tribes, the Vandals, Alans, and Sueves, wouldtravel across Gaul and into Iberia, establishing themselves inSpain. From here the three tribes would draw straws to dividetheir holdings among themselves, although certain disputes leadto duel by champion to determine the outcome. The Vandalswould be allotted Northern Africa, which at this time was coolerand more fertile than it is today. The Alans would come to pos-sess the Iberian lands in the South East, most related to the landsCarthage had dominated. Other minor tribes would split thenorthern territories, and the Sueves would take the lands closestto the Pyrennes.

As the Western Roman Empire folded, the Ostrogoths and Visig-oths would split. The Ostrogoths invaded the Italic peninsula andformed a German Kingdom there. The Visigoths spread oversouthern Gaul and through most of Iberia, eventually drivingmost other tribes from the land and forcing the Sueves into onlythe northwesternmost point of Spain. The Franks, descendantGerman tribes of those who had often sought to invade Gaul,took control of most of the Gallic region, except the small north-western portion where the Bretons, a Celtic tribe, held dominion.The Vandals, at this point, controlled most of the North Africanlands that Carthage had controlled, while the Angles and Saxonswarred in Northern Germany and Southern Denmark, and madewar together against the Celtic British people in the British Isles.The British themselves absorbed the last remnants of the Romanforces that had been in the region and were themselves trying tohold back an invasion of the barbarian Picts at Hadrian’s Wall.The remnants of the Western Empire encamped along the Dal-matian coast, clinging to the hope that they might regain theirlost homeland. They would never return.

Byzantium herself was powerful still, holding all of Greece,Thracia, and Moesia, three provinces south of the modern dayUkraine. Her holdings in Asia were even more impressive, con-trolling all of Asia Minor and Anatolia (modern day Turkey), thePalestinian coast, and Egypt. Their neighbors to the west werethe Persians, whose tenacious refusal to fall to Byzantium stillresulted in skirmishes along the joint borders from time to time.

The western world was in chaos.

Barbarians and

the Remnants of RomeThe major barbarian tribes of Europe had a great deal of similar-ity in their warfare tactics. Most warriors wore leather or chain-mail, and wore the spangenhelm, an iron helmet with a chainveil, which sometimes also had a faceguard. Shields were taken

from Roman designs, with large rectangular or oval shields mostcommon. The general weapons of the barbarian tribes werebroadswords, spears, scramsaxes, axes, bows, javelins, darts,throwing clubs, and francisca. The barbarians tended to fightpoorly in sieges, through a lack of good siege weaponry andtraining, and their unwillingness to fight in a skirmish line as theRomans did.

Scramsax, Early SteelA thick knife about a foot in length, the scramsax was an eatingutensil, a skinning tool, and a backup weapon. The Saxons taketheir name from this weapon, which they invented, and theytrained with its use as children. The scramsax may be used as adagger by those with only Simple Weapon proficiency, but thosewith Martial Weapons proficiency may also throw it withoutpenalty.

Broadsword, Early SteelNot as long as the longsword, the broadsword is characteristi-cally two to three inches in width. Many early broadwords weretapered, either getting wider or thinner towards the point. Thosethat grew thinner towards the point had a very wide base, andwere better for thrusting with. Those wider at the tip were heav-ier in the front and did more chopping damage. Mostbroadswords, though, were of uniform width nearly to the point,and were used in much the same style as the longsword,although without quite the same reach.

Optional: Should you opt to have a tapered broadsword, youmay elect to make the weapon solely a thrusting (piercing) orchopping (slashing) weapons. Such a decision should be madeon purchase.

Battleaxe, Early SteelThe battleaxe is a generally single edged chopping weapon, andit may either have a half-moon shaped blade, a crescent blade, orflat-topped with a curving blade. Adapted from tree-cutting axes,the battleaxe is not the perfect weapon for combat, since its par-rying surface is poor. Still, the battleaxe was a practical weapon,and it does most of its damage from the weight of the blade.

Francisca, Early SteelThe francisca is a substantial throwing axe. The blade itself is atan awkward angle to use as a chopping axe, but a perfect angleto strike a target the francisca is thrown at. The Francisca is apractical weapon for the Germans, who were used to fighting indense forests, where the superior range of other missle weaponswas moot. A throwing axe might not travel far, but it did so in astraight, vertical manner, and if it struck a tree, the blade wasmore likely to avoid damage than an arrowhead.

Club, Wooden and Early Steel ThrowingCommonly used by German tribes, wooden throwing clubs werelittle better than very heavy sticks, although sometimes thesewould be lit before being thrown. The later throwing clubs were

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short and metal. These precursors to maces were thrown with theintention of being recovered. Being a ranged bludgeoningweapon, the throwing club was very effective at knocking outenemies unexpectedly, and someone throwing a throwing clubmay opt to make the damage subdual rather than normal at onlya –2 to attack penalty. The sneak attack bonus of rogues can beadded to this attack as well.

GothsAlthough the barbarians were often grouped together by morecivilized nations, there were differences. Generally the Gothictribes were considered honorable by those more civilized. Theyrarely broke treaties and insisted that those they made treatieswith held to their word. When they married, they married forlife, and remarriage was forbidden. In fact, those who wereknown to be unchaste were excluded from being able to marry.Since status came from family, this was a particularly cruel pun-ishment. Both Goth men and women fought in battle, and somehistorians claim that the women often fought bare-chested to dis-tract their opponents. These same historians also claimed that theGoth men fought armored with only a cloak, although archaelog-ical evidence and other historic accounts suggest this to be a fan-

ciful fiction intended to make the Goths seem fearsome and bar-baric. One fascinating (and factual) tactic the Goths employed,though, was the wagon ring.

Goth WagonsGoth wagons were large, leather-sided affairs, canopied anddrawn in trains. When Goths were traveling or embarking on araid, they would draw the wagons into as perfect a circle as theycould. Then they would move on their target, usually a caravanor encampment, and attack from cover. At the first sign of a

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1. Scramsax; 2a. Broadsword; 2b. Tapered Broadsword; 3a. Battleaxe; 3b. Battleaxe variation; 3c. Battleaxe variation; 4. Francisca;5a. Wooden Club; 5b. Steel Throwing Club; 6. Byzantine Breastplate and Mail; 7. Byzantine Chainshirt; 8. Byzantine Padded Armor

1 2a 2b

3a

3b

3c

6

4

7 8

5a 5b

After their defeat by Roman forces, the Huns retreated toEastern Europe. With the questionable wedding night deathof Attila and the new strength of the Visigoths, the Hunsbecame marginalized, fighting skirmishes for tribute withboth halves of the Empire, but losing as often as they won.Eventually they would disappear, blending into local easternpopulations, and most of the Slavic peoples of EasternEurope would inherit their heritage. Magyar legends attest tothe relationship between the Slavs and the Huns, and Slavicculture would see re-infusions from later warlike eastern cul-tures like the Turks and Mongols in later periods.


counter attack from their foes, the Goths would retreat into thecircle of wagons, which acted as a makeshift fortress, blockingarrows, spears, and sling stones. The Goths could stand in thebreaches and attack from relative safety, throwing their missileweapons until they were exhausted. This tactic was especiallyeffective against the Romans, since the Romans often attacked ina rigid line, men shoulder to shoulder with shields locked, shar-ing their protection, often carrying an extra shield above theirhead to protect from missiles. This formation, the Tetsudo or tor-toise formation, was extremely effective, and made it impossiblefor the light Goth forces to make a successful hit. But if theGoths were within their wagon ring, the Roman’s were forced tofight in a skirmish order. Siege weapons like the catapult werevery effective at breaking up wagon rings, but since patrols oftendidn’t have any siege weapons to speak of, this tactic was onlyeffective in a limited capacity.

VandalsThe Vandals, on the other hand, were considered impassive anddevout. Where the Goths resisted Christianity, the Vandalsembraced it. However, the Vandals did not embrace RomanCatholicism, but rather Arian Christianity, a sect that preachedthe non-divinity of Jesus. As the Vandals conquered lands theyimposed their religion on the populace, and treated RomanCatholics harshly. They also rejected the celebrations common toother barbarian peoples, like the Goths. Stern, serious con-querors, they established not only a land empire that spreadthrough most of Northern Africa, but a powerful navy thatranged throughout the Mediterranean. Carthage, Sicily, and mostof the western Mediterranean islands were eventually conqueredby the Vandals, and this aggression would eventually lead theforces of Byzantium against them.

FranksThe Franks, whose land often faced the threat of outsideinvaders, fought off waves of barbarian tribes, who generallymade the crossing over the Danube and into Central and South-ern France. The Frankish King allied himself with a number offriendly tribes and brought war to the invaders, driving the Visig-oths out of Central and Southern Gaul, and establishing theFrankish state. The king of the Franks, in order to defray the costof having to defend the whole of Gaul, divided his nation intofiefs, and offered major tribes and families jurisdiction over cer-tain portions of land in exchange for their fealty to himself. Thissystem decentralized power and military control, but made itpossible for a number of allied lords to control larger portions ofland. This was the beginning of the Feudal system that woulddominate Europe during the Medieval period.

ChristianityChristianity, despite being the religion of Rome at the end of theEmpire, was very weak at the beginning of the Dark Ages. With-out the Roman infrastructure the Church became very vulnerable

to the whims of the German rulers, and popes and priests wereoften killed for not conforming to the desires of those who ruledtheir region. In the former Roman provinces heresies, beliefs thatvaried strongly from what was considered the universal norm,prospered, like that of the Arians. This lead to various regionalchurches. The Roman Church maintained communicationsbetween itself and the provinces, and used the old Roman systemof dividing the empire into parishes and diocese to establish theirown internal hierarchy.

Roman Catholic Christianity would receive its first major boostwhen Clovis, King of the Franks, converted to Roman Catholi-cism, and mandated that his Kingdom become Christian. Thisnot only made the largest contiguous Kingdom in Europe at thetime an overlty Christian nation, but it also lent a lot of impliedpower to the Roman Church. In areas where lesser kingdoms orno one lord ruled, monasteries gradually grew in social power,taking on the spiritual care, and sometimes physical care, of thegeneral populace. This also aided the Roman Church in fightingheresies or reabsorbing groups that had strayed from Churchteachings. It should be noted that not all heresies were perse-cuted, and that some heresies lead to dialog and change withinthe Roman Church.

In Byzantium the Orthodox Church held sway. A doctrinal splitearly in the history of the Christian church separated the RomanCatholic and Orthodox Churches. The Patriarchy of the Ortho-dox Church was based in Constantinople, and the Orthodoxchurch absorbed a great deal of the rich culture of the EasternEmpire. The tense relations between both religions was oftenlost on the peasantry, but it would lead to a split between most ofEurope and those nations that would eventually adopt Ortho-doxy, most notably Russia.

ByzantiumByzantium had been fighting Persia for hundreds of years beforeWestern Rome fell. The Fall of Western Rome left Byzantiumwithout much defense from barbarian tribes, and the DalmatianRoman forces were entreated to accept Byzantine hegemony, inorder to bolster Byzantine defenses. As it was, armies had to betransferred from the Persian front and relegated to Syria,Lebanon, Palestine, and Asia Minor. But the Persians, under therule of the Sassanids, were implacable. Relying heavily on theirCataphracts and Archers, the Persians were nearly impossible forthe archery light Byzantine armies to defeat, but their siege craftwas not perfect. Byzantium established forts and fortified cities,and preferred to fight their wars from behind high walls, sallyingforth with their horsemen during lulls in combat. The Byzantinearmy was made up of heavy cavalry similar to the Cataphracts ofPersia, which wore breastplate armor and bore lance and sword(Spathion), Lighter Horse archers garbed in chain shirts and car-rying composite bows, soldiers in scale armor and bearingspears, maces, swords (Xiphos or Spathions) and shields, andlight troops in either padded or leather armor with spears, slings,bows, and shortswords (Xiphos).

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Breastplate and Mail, Byzantine Early SteelThe Breastplate and Mail armor of the Byzantines is a historicaloddity. Breastplates were phased out of use by the Persians, andthe western warriors of the Crusades would only wear chainmail.The basis for this armor came from the lorica segmentata, whichbecame too expensive to produce in the late Roman period, butwhich, simplified, survived in Byzantium, which also had manyGreek roots. The similarity between the Byzantine breastplateand the Greek cuirass was often evident in the design.

Chain shirt, Byzantine Early SteelThe Byzantines gave professional archers mail shirts, and usu-ally one size fit all. On some the fit was tight, on others the chainhung loose and far down on the chest. This meant that the armorwas often less than fully effective, no matter how well made itwas. If you wish to simulate this with chain shirts or chain armorin general, consider rolling a d10. On a roll of 1, the mail is tootight, and the armor bonus is –1 versus bludgeoning strikes. On aroll of 10, the mail is too loose, and the armor bonus is –1 versuspiercing attacks. European chainmail was used in a similar fash-ion, although chainmail barding was fitted.

Padded Armor, ByzantineByzantine padded armor evolved from the heavy quilted cloth-ing worn with heavier armors. Usually given to militia and con-scripts, padded armor wasn’t much to look at or to defend with,but it was better than nothing. A slashing weapon might drawmore stuffing than flesh in a quick strike, and in a battle thatcould mean the difference between disembowlment and living tofight another day.

Lance, Byzantine Early SteelThe Byzantine lance was often eight feet in length. The lance isconsidered a reach weapon. The lance can be used in a charge,doing doublee damage (triple with the Spirited Charge feat).Critical damage on a charge would triple that lance damage yetagain, often with deadly consequences.

Xiphos, Single and Double Edged Early Steel and Spathion,Early SteelThe xiphos descended from the kopis, akinakes, and falcata.There were two kinds of xiphos. One was a full length slightlycurved thick sword, reminiscent of the scimitar and falchion,without any embellishments. The double-edged xiphos was ashorter sidearm, often carried by those whose main weapon wasnot a sword. Someone who favored a longer double-edged bladewould favor the spathion, which descended from the Romanspatha.

When the Vandals took Carthage, it was a blow to Byzantium,who had taken on rulership of the fallen Western Empire’s hold-ings. When the Vandals took Sicily, it was an insult. When theVandals assaulted Rome itself, well after the fall of the WesternEmpire, it was taken as a declaration of war by the Byzantines.Belisarius, the General of Byzantium at the time, had just fin-

ished a military reorganization. One of the most interestingresults of this reorganization was not its new formations of war-band, brigade, and division, but its careful attention to a non-standard division of forces.

The scouting of an enemy’s army to determine their numberswas an ancient and established practice. Techniques like count-ing campfires and torchlights had often been used, although thiswas exploited by Hannibal to great effect. The most commonscouting method involved counting marching units. Since mostarmies were organized in a specific number, knowing how manyformations there were and simple arithmetic could determine aroughly accurate number of soldiers. The Byzantine forces, how-ever, were not organized by strict number, and scouts found itmuch more difficult to get an accurate count of men in the field.Without accurate numbers, their foes often over or underesti-mated Byzantine forces, and would either fall back too early orstand at a defense that was untenable.

Belisarius fell upon the Vandals like an avenging angel. Histroops, tempered in battle against Persia and hardened by longmarches through Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, easily over-whelmed the Vandal forces in Numidia, and then marchedstraight into Carthage. During their time in Carthage, and espe-cially after the sack of Rome, the rich living of the Vandals, aswell as their poor treatment of the local people made them ripefor slaughter. There was no need to march on Mauritania afterthe fall of the Vandals. The Vandal king was captured and forcedto surrender, and Byzantine rule was established throughout allof Northern Africa. The Vandals, who had never developed anykind of unique artwork or culture that was passed down, fadedfrom the annals of history.

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Comitatus and the OptimatiThe Germans used a kind of military unit called the Comitatusduring the years that lead to the fall of the Roman Empire. TheComitatus was a gathering of soldiers-at-arms who pledgedthemselves to a particular tribal chieftain or leader because oftheir affection or respect for that leader. The Comitatus systemestablished bodyguards of irregular soldiers for major chief-tains. The bonds that men formed in the Comitatus were oftenas strong or stronger than family bonds, since the men in aComitatus ate, slept, fought, and died together. Later, in theDark Ages, these groups would attach themselves to belovednobles, calling themselves Frater Comitatus, Brothers in Com-mitment. This is the basis for legendary groups of knights likethe mythical Round Table of Arthur.

The Optimati were a German military force elected by theirtribes. Each Optimati warrior was determined by their clans tobe the best warriors they had. Optimati received the tribe’s sup-port and were often assigned assistants, called armati, who weresent to attend to the Optimati’s needs and tend to his armor andweapons. The Optimati tradition appears to be a direct progeni-tor to the later knightly traditions that would become popularwith the Feudal System and the Chivalric Movement.


Byzantium once more came under attack by the Persians. At firstthe Persians struck deep into Syria, and took all of Palestine. ButBelisarius and his successor Narsis employed their new tacticswith great success. The Byzantines crippled the Persian forceswith attacks that struck deep into Persia territory, and the Per-sians were forced to retreat from much of their initial holdings.Narsis even added a new tactic to the works. During several bat-tles he had heavy cavalrymen dismount and set lances against acharge in a phalanx formation, thus creating a sort of mountedpikeman, which would prove effective against the Persians. Still,possession of Syria and Palestine remained disputed, only to beinterrupted by another invasion.

The Rise of IslamOver the centuries, the Peninsula of Arabia was settled bynomadic Bedouin and Semitic tribes. These Arabs were commonin the deserts of Syria and Western Persia, and settlements inArabia were generally around oases. Arabia was a cultural hub,where Byzantine and Persian cultures met, and Arabs were oftento be found fighting as auxiliaries in both Persian and Byzantinearmies. Mecca, home of the sacred shrine of the Rock, was alsothe spiritual center of Arab culture. A great variety of gods wereworshipped in Mecca, and bazaars were held at different timeswhere almost anything from most parts of the world could bepurchased. Pilgrimages were made to Mecca by many Arabs,usually on a yearly basis, to worship at the Ka’bah, a holy placefor all Arab peoples.

While the war between Persia and Byzantium was becomingmore active, a man named Muhammad, while in a desert retreat,experienced a number of deep spiritual revelations. Three yearsafter he started to receive these revelations, he began to preach inpublic in Mecca. If it were not for his family ties and marriagerelationships with a high-ranking family in Mecca, he may wellhave been silenced by the powers that ruled the city. Christianityhad already visited the Arab world, and a number of Arab groupswere Christian, but the majority of Meccan civilians were poly-theistic, and Muhammad’s preaching was very much againsttheir form of worship. Moreover, he began to gain converts tohis new belief system, and city leaders were concerned that hewas going to foment a rebellion.

Ironically, it would be their own short-sighted actions thatbrought about what they worst feared. After the death ofMuhammad’s first wife and her uncle, whose family prestige had

formerly kept the clan leaders from action, a systematic persecu-tion began. It started with harassment of Muhammad’s follow-ers. It was not uncommon for them to be accosted in the streets,and the clan leaders turned a blind eye to beatings or torture.Muhammad during this time, had his first contact with the city ofYathrib, a smaller Arab community to the north of Mecca. Afterthey sent to Mecca for him to adjudicate a conflict between rivaltribes, Yathrib invited Muhammad to settle in its territory. Asthings worsened in Mecca, he sent 70 of his followers to Yathrib,starting the Hijrah. Eventually Muhammad got wind of an assas-sination plot against him, and he and his closest friend, AbuBakr, fled Mecca. When the assassins went to Muhammad’shouse that night, they discovered he was not there, and that hiscousin Ali was waiting in Muhammad’s bed. The assassins,incensed, pursued Muhammad, but did not capture him.

In Yathrib, Muhammad so impressed the ruling tribes that theypledged support to him. After taking two years to organize hismen and the tribes that allied themselves with him, Muhammadbrought war to the Meccans. At his first battle, in Badr, he struckagainst a force three times larger than his own. Muhammad’smen fought in formation, tightly ranked, most likely usingByzantine or Persian tactics, while the Meccan forces in Badrwere mostly loosely confederated horsemen and light infantry.The superior defense and tight fighting techniques of the Mus-lims routed the Meccans, who were likely unprepared for seriouswarfare. Following the victory, one of the tribes who allied itselfto Muhammad that proved to be un-supportive in the battle ofBadr was cast out of the alliance of tribes in Yathrib. This set therequirement of full support for Muhammad’s tribal allies.

Likely it was during this first year that the Constitution of Med-ina was established, under which the tribes and clans that alliedthemselves with Muhammad recognized his station as theProphet of God. The city of Yathrib was renamed Medina, andthe structure of lawful society was established as an example ofhow a Muslim city should be ruled. There was a Jewish commu-nity in Medina at that time, and they were declared dhimmis,protected people, due to their worship of One God and theiradherence to a book. A tax was established, and all dhimmiswere required to conform to the civil laws, while payment of thetax perpetuated religious tolerance. Christians in Islamic citieswould also be considered dhimmis, but this status was neverconferred to polytheists.

War continued with Mecca. The Meccans fought a successfulengagement with Muhammad’s forces at the ridge of Uhud, driv-ing them back into Medina. With an even larger army, the Mec-can’s attacked Medina two years later, laying siege to the city,but experiencing a terrible attrition. Called the Battle of theTrench, Muhammad had had his forces dig a wide, deep trench,so long that the Meccan cavalry could not cross it without expos-ing their forces to withering archer fire. The Meccan’s losseswere great, and although the Muslims of Medina never made aneffective countercharge, the Meccans were forced to withdraw.Muhammad’s bid to create a new identity for his community andfaith was now impossible to stop. It is said that Muhammad even

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Lances on FootMost lances (except tournament lances) were intended for useboth on foot and on horseback. The lance is used much like alongspear when wielded on foot, and can be set against acharge when used in this manner. Most lances are reachweapons, and the penalties for reach weapons should be keptin mind when they are wielded in this manner. The main bene-fit of using a lance from horseback is the charge multiplier,which can be devastating.


wrote to the Emperor of Byzantium, the King of Persia, the Gov-ernor of Egypt, and the Negus of Abyssinia, inviting them tosubmit to Islam.

Within a year, Muhammad was able to negotiate his return toMecca, to that he and his followers could worship at the Ka’bah.A year after that Muhammad peacefully occupied Mecca,destroyed all the idols in the Ka’bah, and forbade any polytheis-tic practice. He also won over two of his greatest enemies, ‘Amribn al-’As and Khalid ibn al-Walid. The latter of these menwould one day hold the title of Sword of God, while the formerwas the future conqueror of Egypt. This was the climax ofMuhammad’s career. In a few years Muhammad took ill, anddied.

Abu Bakr inherited the leadership of Islam in a briefly contestedsuccession. Taking the title of Khalifah, or Caliph, as the angli-cized version is spelled, Abu Bakr held together the alliance oftribes, and funneled their aggression against the larger powers.Byzantium and Persia saw an increase in skirmishes with more

organized Arab forces along their borders, but since they weremore concerned with each other, no concerted effort was madeto stop the raids.

Succeeding Caliphs had greater and greater successes against thegreater powers. The Arabs, now awakened and united, began tocarve out an empire throughout northern Egypt, Palestine, andSyria. Major cities often held out against Islamic forces, but thelands and people in between were often Arab held and con-trolled, and Byzantine and Persian forces found it impossible tomaintain effective fronts to stop this encroachment. During thistime it is likely the Majra was designed by Arab forces, whichwould eventually lead to the Byzantine Solenarion.

Majra/SolenarionThe solenarion and the Majra were likely developed in responseto each other. The majra was likely developed first, with thesolenarion being developed in reaction to this new tactic by Araband Islamic forces. The majra (or solenarion) is not a weapon initself, but rather a bow accessory. The majra was a reed or bone

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9. Byzantine Lance; 10a. Xiphos shortsword; 10b. Xiphos curved; 11. Spathion; 12. Solenarion; 13. Byzantine and Arab Bow Darts;14a. Early Longspear Head; 14b. Early Longspear Head; 15. Saxon Shortsword; 16. Sparte; 17. Double Winged Battleaxe; 18a.Heavy war mace; 18b. Heavy war mace; 18c. Ceremonial mace; 19. Morning Star mace

9

10a

10b

11

12

13

14a 14b

15

16

17

18a

18b 18c

19


sheath, with a cord attached to one end that was either tied to thebow, the bow wielder’s wrist, or held in the hand bracing thebow. The majra was then loaded with up to five darts, each usu-ally six inches in length. When the bow was drawn back, themajra would rest like an arrow on the string, holding the darts inplace. The archer would fire the majra, and the majra, darts andall, would race forward in the same manner as an arrow, only tobe stopped short by the attached cord. The darts, however, wouldremain on their same trajectory, perhaps only a tad less effectivethan an equivalent bow shot. This allowed a single archer todeliver a merciless barrage of dart fire.

The majra, and the later solenarion, provided a number of otheradvantages. Darts were small and easy to carry. An archer couldcarry twenty arrows in a quiver, but forty darts in a quiver halfthe size. Darts could not be picked up by enemy archers andfired back, unless the enemy also possessed a majra or solenar-ion. An archer trying to fire a dart from a bow was as likely tostrike himself in the bracing hand as hit any target in front ofthemselves.

In game terms the majra or solenarion are identical, and mice(see below) or arab darts can be fired from either. The rangeincrement of darts fired from a bow using a majra or solenarionis reduced by 10 feet, to show the slight loss of range and force.For the first range increment, the damage of a fired dart is +1damage. Each range increment after that subtracts 1 damagepoint. Thus, the second range increment does normal damage,while the third does normal damage -1, etc. When firing into agroup, roll randomly to see which target(s) might be struck andthen make attack rolls against each. If using multiple darts, eachhas a -2 to attack rolls per extra dart. Thus if two darts are usedeach has a -2 penalty, if three darts are used each has a -4penalty, etc. If firing from hiding and a sneak attack is made,only the first dart qualifies for the sneak attack damage bonus.Darts may not target more than one foe.

Use of the majra or solenarion requires special training, and areconsidered an exotic items. The majra and solenarion wereregional weapons, and the extensive training bowmen requiredto use it made its use limited. Western cultures did not haveenough exposure to the weapons to adopt them, and the adventof the crossbow would allow large number of untrained con-scripts in both Europe and Arabian lands to supercede the use ofthis fascinating weapon. The majra and solenarion require a fullround action to reload.

Darts, Byzantine and Arab BowThe darts used by the Arabs and Byzantines were very similar toregular darts. They were about six inches in length, and Byzan-tine darts had bullet-shaped heads while the Arab darts could bearrow-headed (slashing), bullet shaped (piercing), barbed (pierc-ing w/barbs), or spiked (piercing with +1 damage, but the armorbonus of an enemy wearing medium or heavy armor is +1). TheByzantines often referred to such darts as mice.

ConflictDenied of supplies, and unable to reinforce or replace their sol-diers, cities like Damascus and Jerusalem eventually fell to Mus-lim forces. Other cities, where religious differences betweenChristian sects already had them in turmoil, minority sects wouldoften ally themselves with the Muslims, whose brand of reli-gious tolerance would allow them to finally practice their beliefsopenly. Like the tide before a storm, the forces of Islam contin-ued to grow more and more bold and effective. When Byzantineforces stymied them in the North, they moved against the Sas-sanids, using fast moving light cavalry and unorthodox tactics tosubdue and crush the ailing empire, despite the Persian cat-aphracts and elephant units. With the fall of the Sassanids, Persialay wide open to Islamic forces. Later conquests over the follow-ing decades would consolidate Islam’s power in Eastern Persia.

Under the Caliphate of ‘Uthman, conflict grew up within theburgeoning Islamic world. ‘Uthman consolidated power underhis family, in the hope of establishing a dynastic chain. Hemoved the capitol of Islam to Damascus, where his family heldthe majority of power. While Libya and Armenia were broughtunder Islamic rule and a true navy was beginning to develop tocounter the Byzantines, ‘Uthman attempted to cement theUmayyadd dynasty, but protests and grievances lodged by otherleaders lead to a power struggle within Islam, and the killing of‘Uthman.

The succession from that point was contested. Ali, Muhammad’scousin who had stayed in his place to draw the attentions of theassassins, was nominated to succeed ‘Uthman, primarily, it issaid, by those who were responsible for ‘Uthman’s death. TheUmayyadd family, on the other hand, promoted Mu’awiyah ibnAbi Sufyan, the leader of the new navy, governor of Syria, andthe cousin of ‘Uthman. This contested Caliphate spawned twofactions within Islam, the Sunnis and the Shi’is. Sunnite andShi’ite divisions were primarily political, rather than religious innature, and would eventually lead to inter-islamic conflict.

Before the Islamic state was fifty years old, an Islamic armylaid siege to Constantinople. By this time it controlled all of theland Byzantium had won back from the Vandals, and all ofSyria, Palestine, and Asia Minor (Anatolia or modern dayTurkey). The first siege failed, as the Byzantines were able tomaintain good supply and cause more casualties than the Mus-lim siege forces could sustain. Byzantine siege tactics werewell refined, and included large siege weapons, use of GreekFire, and Cavalry sorties.

More on Greek FireThe Byzantines were the ones to perfect Greek Fire (alchemist’sfire). Heated in pressurized cauldrons and then sent spewing atships at sea or cascading down fortification walls, Greek Fire wassomething of a Dark Ages equivalent to modern napalm. GreekFire could burn on the surface of water, and the flames of GreekFire were not doused by submersion. Worse, Greek Fire wouldcling to skin, and was nearly impossible to wipe off, owing to itsdangerous nature. Greek Fire merely had to come in contact with

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anything on a person. Armor would grow intensely hot, bakingthe victim within it. Clothing or leather would shortly begin toburn, and needed to quickly be removed if the victim had anyhope of surviving. And once it came in contact with skin andflesh, there was rarely hope for the victim, other than completeimmersion in sand or a swift amputation, if possible.

Greek Fire was not as mysterious or well kept a secret as manyhistorians may make it out to be. The Byzantines were, without adoubt, the most common users of Greek Fire, but the Arabsknew the manner in which to prepare Greek Fire, and documentsoften speak of naval battles where Byzantine, Arab, and Venetianships all had pressurized Greek Fire weapons in use. The rarityof Greek Fire is due to the difficulty of acquiring and processingthe ingedients, and the skill needed to tend the pressurized caul-dron that heated it. If the pressure became too high in the GreekFire cooker, it had a tendency to explode, which meant death foranyone on the ship or on the portion of city wall that employedthe weapon.

Greek Fire does not rightly fall under the category of personalweapon or armor, but makes an excellent and fearsome weaponto use in either naval or siege battles, along side such standbys asmolten lead, boiling water, and flaming pitch.

This did not stop the growing state of Islam. The Arabs contin-ued to push into the interior of Persia, crossing the Hindu Kushand entering portions of western India, while also moving acrossMauritania and into Spain. In Cordoba, where the minority Cor-doban court held sway, Islam established a Western capitol, aportent of how long a stay Islam would have in Iberia. Islam hadfinally entered Europe.

The Umayyads’ returned to Byzantium, looking to extend acrossthe Bosporus, but again, the Byzantines proved too expert onsiege warfare. With little ground gained, the only front to presswas the Spanish front, and that, too, was countered eventually atTours, where Frankish forces, under the rule of King CharlesMartel, countered and turned back the forces of Islam. TheUmayyads had reached the limit of their power. They could nolonger expand westward, and for the time being they wereoverextended in Persia.

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Primer on SiegesIt is not in the scope of this work to detail the use of SiegeEngines or Large-Scale Battle tactics. Still, the development ofweapons, armor, and tactics were certainly shaped by thenature of the siege, which was one of the most common battle-field activities besides the skirmish or full scale battle.

A siege’s goal is to occupy a fortified location, be it a tower,keep, city, or castle. Often these targets were built on difficultterrain, which made one or more sides of the target locationimpossible to attack. Those laying siege had a few optionswhen it came to how to take the objective.

On a siege where the attackers had no means of breaching thedefenses of the location, a blockade was the most commontactic. Blockades involved cutting off any access to the city,

either in and or out, usually by establishing a perimeter thatprevented relieving forces from reinforcing the defenders andpreventing any supplies from coming in. Often, if a siege wasexpected, the defenders would stockpile food and water, soblockades could last for months, and possibly years, if a wellwas located within the city walls. If the defenders felt theywere strong enough, they might also attempt sorties, attacks toweaken the besieging force, usually by having heavy cavalryattempt a short charge against whatever they could attack. Sor-ties might simply be to demoralize the besiegers or they mightbe coordinated to allow a relieving force into the locationunder siege. Still, blockades promoted starvation, thirst, dis-ease, and boredom, all of which could lead to the surrender ofa target. If you do not believe boredom could be a dangerouscondition, consider how lax bored defenders might get onguard duty, or how an anxious gate warden might, throughboredom and fear of attack, consider giving the enemy accessto the city in exchange for a position in the occupier’s forces.

Another common tactic was Escalade, the mounting of wallsin order to establish a foothold on defensive ground. Thisrequired scaling ladders or siege towers, and was highly dan-gerous, as those climbing ladders could be tipped over, havethings poured down on them (such as the aforementionedGreek Fire, molten lead, boiling oil, or flaming pitch), or comeunder fire from archers on the defending wall. Siege towerswere usually very vulnerable to fire hazards, or smoke, which,in the close quarters of a siege tower, could be a deadlyweapon, choking those waiting to climb onto the wall. Ditchesor moats made use of a siege tower impossible. If the besieg-ing force could successfully mount the enemy walls, though,they could considerably shorten the length of a siege, oftenestablishing control of towers, baileys, or portions of wall tolead attacks from. Some fortresses were built with multiplelayers of walls, to limit the benefit of a successful Escalade.

Siege forces with the right equipment might attempt to breacha wall, either through use of a bombardment, battering ram,bore, or mouse. Very weak walls might be knocked apart withenough bombarment by a catapult or trebuchet, although thistactic took a great deal of time and effort. Often such bom-barding siege weapons were used to attack the interior of a tar-get, to disrupt interior defenses or to simply cause injury anddeath, often with hopes that this might cause confusion, panic,or disease. Battering rams, usually made from large trees andcapped by iron, could be wheeled up to a city gate, and thenswung against the gate in an effort to break them. Operators ofa ram were vulnerable while close to the wall, though, anddefenders could throw down rocks, fire flaming arrows, pourliquids, or generally make it impossible to operate the ram.Thus, palisades, called cats, which were effectively roofedstructures to cover the ram and it operators, were oftenemployed. Smaller cats might also conceal a bore, much like amodern drill, which could be used against the city wall, tobreak up stone and mortar, or a mouse, which was simply asharpened lever, which was used to scrape the mortar between


Of the British Isles, Arthur,

and the Saxon invasionWhile barbarian tribes moved across Europe, the British Islesstruggled to maintain some of the Roman civilization that hadbeen brought to them. Even when Roman forces left the island,the majority of the civilized lands, the cities in South East Eng-land especially, still identified themselves as Roman. A civilizedBriton would point to Hadrian’s Wall, which separated their civi-lized lands from those of the barbaric Picts, who dyed or tattooedtheir skin and fought with crude weapons. So when Romanarmies withdrew to help fight wars in the southern lands ofRome, the Britons looked on their departure with dread. There isevidence that the political structures and military structures ofRome endured in the aftermath. Civil militia still practiced drill,and elections for local ruling bodies still were held. Bishopsfrom the mainland and Irish monks still arrived to try and evan-gelize the populace, which was not as open to Roman Catholi-cism as other areas were. Many diehard Rome supporters likelyconverted to the Christian religion when Rome made it univer-sal, and it is very likely that the man we know as King Arthurwas born into one of these families.

By the likely time of Arthur’s birth, the situation in Britain wasgrim. Pict raids had finally breached Hadrian’s Wall, and withoutthe structure to defend from, the depredations were severe. Atribe of people called the Scots had joined the Picts in the landsabove the wall, immigrants from Ireland who had a more warlike

demeanor. Added to this were increasing numbers of Saxons, anorthern Germanic tribe hired to deal with the Pictish problem,who came to Briton in increasing numbers and showed no inter-est in leaving. In fact, when the Picts were driven back, the Sax-ons saw Briton as an easy conquest.

Saxon culture, like many northern Germanic cultures, celebratedwarriors. As with most central and northern Germanic cultures,male Saxon children began combat training at a young age,likely age 6–7, and trained to use the scramsax and dart. Fistfighting was an encouraged sport, as was Greco-Romanwrestling. By the age of ten the child would graduate to spearand sword training, would learn to carry a shield, and would betaught to string and shoot a bow, if they showed promise. Javelintraining was briefly touched upon, but it was assumed that some-one able to use darts well would adapt to the javelin as quickly.Some Germanic tribes also used slings. At some point a malechild needed to go through a rite of passage to attain adulthood.Those who did not undertake this rite of passage were still con-sidered tribe members, but were never considered adults, andcould never achieve a position of importance in the tribe. Thisdid not make it impossible to marry or raise children, but it didmean that a man who never undertook the rite of passage wouldbe buried with a child’s grave, and would never be considered atrue warrior. Those who did complete the rite of passage wouldbe taught to throw the francisca and fight with the battleaxe. Cer-tain strong warriors even favored a double winged battleaxe, forits fearsome appearance and optional two-handed grip.

Saxon culture also stressed seamanship, and even organized itsmilitary units in ‘keels’. The historians of this period note thatSaxons were experts at sea-craft, and that they also practiced sur-viving wrecks and even using deliberate shipwrecks to theiradvantage. If attacking a village with a limited port, the Saxonsoften deliberately sunk a hulk or two outside a harbor, to preventenemy ships from evacuating. A wrecked ship could not be usedagainst the Saxons, and if a wreck was set ablaze it could be atreacherous hazard to other ships at sea.

The Saxons began to build up forces in South-Eastern Briton,taking over the provinces of Kent and Anglia, where the bulk ofcivilized people lived. The Scots north of the Grampians andHadrian’s Wall kept the northern Britons from organizing, andthe Welsh lands were still primarily ruled by wild Celtic tribes.Still, the man who would be called Arthur raised up forces in theremaining civilized Britons, and fought against the Saxonencroachment.

It is likely that Arthur’s men were organized as the late Romanforces were, with Heavy Cavalry primary (likely only the nobles,who could afford to maintain horses) and armed infantry second.In the twelve battles Arthur waged against the Saxons, heshowed a keen grasp of terrain and tactics, and reputedly suf-fered few casualties. He fought alongside his men, and recordssuggest that he became feared among the Saxons for his fearless-ness and supposed invulnerability. The popular trappings of theArthur myth had no deep basis in fact. No true knighthood hadbeen established yet (although knight probably comes from a

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stones away until the stones could be loosened and removed.In this way a wall could be breached, and attackers could enterthe target location at will.

Another tactic might be mining, which was the process of dig-ging under the foundation of the city walls, in order to weakenthem. This required trained miners, who would dig so far,establish braces to keep the tunnel from collapsing, and thenmove farther. Once the mine extended under the wall founda-tions, braces would be set up, and then burned, so that minerscould back away from where the wall would collapse, and sothat, once burned, the wall above would have no support struc-ture. This would cause the wall to fall, creating a breach. If thedefenders knew where the enemy miners were digging, theycould often countermine, establishing their own mine wellbefore the foundations and then laying in wait for the time theenemy would break through. Then it would fall to tunnel fight-ing, often with little light and mining equipment.

But quite often deceit was the tactic of choice, attempting tobribe, frighten, or otherwise manipulate the defenders into giv-ing the attackers the advantage. Perhaps a captain wanted tocontrol the city after the besiegers left, or simply wanted a por-tion of the loot. Perhaps a political faction was interested inallowing the besieger to rule, perceiving some advantage.There were often many reasons for why a defender mightallow an attacker entrance, but in the end it usually lead tomurder, looting, and a change in power.


Saxon word meaning military servant), there was no Camelot,they likely wore chainmail or old Roman lorica armors, and inthe last fateful battle where Arthur fell, it is likely Briton’s lastdefenses fell. The Britons were forced to retreat from the Saxonheld territories, and live between the Welsh wilds of the West,the Saxon lands of the East, and the Scot lands of the North.

The Angles, a Germanic tribe that warred often with the Saxons,saw the wealth of the Saxons increase and approached them dur-ing a brief peace. The Saxons invited the Angles to join them inthe land of the Britons, and eventually the Jutes and Danes senttoken forces to this relatively free region. With them came theGermanic tongue, which blended with the gaelic and latindialects of Briton and eventually lead to the development of theEnglish language. As time progressed, the Angles and Saxonsintermarried in Briton, and their combined forces eventually sub-jugated all of southern Briton except for the wildest portions ofWales. The name, England, comes from the Frankish name fortheir land—Angle-terre: Land of the Angles.

Spear, Early Steel LongThe longspear, one of the oldest weapons in history, was used asa common footman’s weapon, but also doubled as a makeshiftlance for charges. The long spear is a reach weapon, and can bereadied against a charge (doing double damage when set). Aswith the majority of reach weapons, the spear cannot be usedagainst a foe within 10 feet.

Sword, Early Steel ShortThe Saxon shortsword was a development of the scramsax, andwas a single sided chopping blade up to two feet in length. Theshortsword was the primary weapon of teens and warriors intraining, and made a good stepping-stone to larger types ofswords, as many of the tactics learned with the shortswordapplied to larger variants.

Sparte, Early SteelThe sparte was a single-bladed battleaxe developed by the Sax-ons. The sparte had a broad, half-moon shaped blade, and a haftabout three feet in length. The sparte was an axe, an adult’sweapon, and is sometimes found buried by the bodies of war-riors fallen in battle. Most of them were unadorned, but thosewith wealth sometimes had inlays of gold or silver on the bladeor haft, as a sign of their wealth and station. Though the amountof gold or silver on the weapon was not enough to improve ordecrease its combat effectiveness, it did let one’s opponent knowexactly who they were facing. Such adorned weapons werelikely not used often, if at all.

Battleaxe, Early Steel Double WingedCalled double winged because of their twin blades, one on eitherside of the haft, these weapons are quite popular in modern bar-barian fantasy, but were only rarely used in battle. The problemwith a double-winged axe is that the second blade increases thehead weight, requiring more strength for the weapon to be han-

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dled effectively, and the second blade cannot be brought to bearagainst an enemy while the first is striking. The benefit of thedouble winged axe was one that only the trained fighter couldtake advantage of. The main defense against a standard axeattack was to simply block the first strike, which would force theaxe-wielder to withdraw their weapon and reset their stance.With the second head pointing in the opposite direction of thestrike, a deflected slash could be reversed without having to getback into a stance, meaning that an aggressive fighter could keeptheir foe on the defensive, rather than giving them a chance totake over momentum.

Feudal EuropeAcross the Channel the Franks joined together with the Burgun-dians, the Brettons, the Auvergnes, and the Orleans to unite anddrive away foreign powers, and take back all of France for them-selves. The Feudal System spread gradually through Europe, andlords took up the protection of their limited fief, extracting taxesand goods from the peasants to feed and clothe the soldiers, andthe hierarchy of the feudal system gave nobles and peasants arecourse for judgement of conflicts. The nobles often intermar-ried to strengthen their ties to each other, so as to promote peacebetween fiefdoms and to promote their joint well-being. A con-cern for the purity of bloodlines would only begin to set in whenwar broke out between feudal states. Conflict between feudalstates was a new kind of war, not so much for conquest and sub-jugation, but more for honor and prestige. Soldiers fought eachother more often for the honor of their lord than for the changeof a dynasty. Not to say that a noble with aspirations for thecrown couldn’t fight their way to it, but as European civilizationstratified from the feudal system, it became more difficult to winpower from strength of arms. Often other nobles were muchmore likely to oppose a particularly aggressive lord out of thebelief that the feudal system was there to protect states from theambitions of the few. All of this helped to strengthen the powerof the higher lords, and conveyed a new kind of security toEurope. While not as enlightened or civil as the Pax Romana, theFeudal system’s security came from its obsessive order.

Mace, Early Steel Light and HeavyThere were a great variety of maces developed during the DarkAges. The mace became such a prominent symbol of war andmilitary authority that kings began to fashion fancy maces forthemselves as a sign of their dominion. These scepters were gen-erally gilt light maces, and were rarely if ever used in combat.Maces came in a variety of styles, from those with a plain ballhead to those with triangular jutting blades to those with spikes.This last, called the morning star, has it own unique statistics.

Hatchet, Early SteelThe hachet, or hand axe, was a common worker’s tool. Used tobreak up fallen wood, cut down bushes, or split and hammerboard, the hatchet was one item likely to be found in most peas-

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ant homes. The hatchet is not aerodynamic, unlike the throwingaxe. It can be used as a bludgeoning weapon if the back of theaxe head is used as the striking surface, but use of the hatchet inthis manner incurs a -4 to hit, due to the weapon not being usedin its intended fashion.

Axe, Woodcutter’sThe woodcutter’s axe was also a common item in the peasantcommunity, and was used to fell trees. Often the woodcutter’saxe has a knee-bend about a third of the way down the haft, thatincreases the force of a strike and also makes it easier to pull anaxe out of wood, as the knee-bend acts as point of torque. Thewoodcutter’s axe was not intended for warfare, but peasant brig-ands were often depicted with such axes waylaying knights ormerchants in tapestries or drawings from the Dark Ages.

Sickle, Early SteelThe sickle was rarely crafted in steel. Often the work involved tocraft a steel sickle made it too expensive for the farmers whomight want to use it. The only time sickles were crafted in anyversion of steel was when they were made by a particularlyskilled peasant craftsman, and usually items like this were lim-ited to the village that craftsman lived in. The sickle was rarelycarried onto the field of battle in this age, and would only havebeen used in combat in desperate situations.

Scythe, Early SteelLike the sickle, the scythe was rarely crafted in steel. The scytheblade was never finely crafted, more of a curved wedge of metalthan a weapon of war. A well-made scythe was a rarity, whileone made of steel would be even rarer and more precious still.

Whip, BullThe bull whip was made from leather, wrapped in a spiral pat-tern to enhance its strength. Bull whips were primarily used astools in training and controlling wild animals, although theywere also used by various cultures to keep slaves in line. Thebull whip deals subdual damage, and no damage to any creaturewearing armor of at least +1 armor bonus or creatures with a +3natural armor bonus. Although kept in the hand, the bull whip istreated as a ranged weapon with a maximum range of 15 feet,and no range penalties. The bull whip can be used to wraparound a leg or other limb, it may also be used to make tripattacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you candrop the bull whip in order to avoid being tripped. Those using awhip gain a +2 bonus on their opposed attack roll when attempt-ing to disarm an opponent, including the roll to keep from beingdisarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. The whip is consid-ered an exotic weapon. This weapon is a shield bypass weapon.

Knife, Early SteelThe knife was used primarily for skinning and cutting up killsafter a hunt. The knife, in Europe, tended to be straight, and wasusually single-edged, although double-edged versions were not

Tinting of MetalsAlthough the Romans discovered the secrets of tinting metals,metal tinting was not actively used until the Dark Ages. Tint-ing Metal required that, at some point in the forging process,the iron or steel item be exposed to some kind of liquid agent,in order to cause a slight corrosion. This corrosion changed thecolor of the metal, but imparted a curious and useful trait,namely, it made the item much more corrosion resistant.Blackening of armor or weapons required that, when the steelwas hottest, it was subjected to a bath of oil, which caused aslight charring in the metal. Browning armor required using asalted liquid (many kinds were used) at the end of the forgingprocess, and then allowing the item to cool and rust for a fewdays before scrubbing the item with a chain cloth. Mild acids,used to quench the item during the smithing process, tended toblue the metal, although there was a definite range of blue,which often tended towards black. Extreme heat could alsocause the iron or steel to blue, although this required anextremely hot forge.

Items that are tinted (blued, blacked, or browned) have theirhit points reduced by 1, since they are inherently slightly dam-aged (although not visibly so), but their likelihood to rust,untreated, after submersion, is only 1%. Mercenaries oftenused tinted mail, since they were often on the march, since itprevented rust and gave the armor more durability. Militia orguard units might also tint their armor or weapons a specificcolor in order to appear as a unified group.

Feudal warriors often wore chainmail suits, and officers worepatches on their forearms to indicate their family heritage andloyalties. These patches allowed soldiers to recognize friendsor foes, and richer feudal lords liveried (or dressed) their sol-diers in their house colors. From time to time, if necessary,peasant levies would be called to defend a land, and moreoften than not these levies carried whatever items they hadthat could be used as a weapon. This motley assortmentincluded hatchets, sickles, scythes, whips, knives, grain flails,various forks, slings, crooks, staves, smithing or carpentryhammers, mason’s mauls, or even miners pick axes. Maces,longspears, or shortswords might be provided by a rich lord,should he feel it necessary to arm the conscripts. Armor wasoften many layers of the heaviest clothing you could afford, ifnot skins or furs and skins. Again, a wealthy lord might beable to afford leather armor or hide or wooden shields for con-scripts, but this was an extreme expense.

When Islam invaded Europe these were the armies that stoodagainst it. In truth there is much to be said of King CharlesMartel’s force and strategy, that he was able to weld his fight-ing men into an army capable of stopping the potent Islamicforces. At Tours he met and turned back an invading armywith a cadre of loosely affiliated lords, in a variety of armors,their small body of personal soldiers, and a larger body ofgreen conscripts. It is likely this victory that began to promotethe ‘Kingdom’ mentality of France.


completely uncommon. The double-edged version is identical instatistics to the single edged version, although its damage is con-sidered piercing. Some knives had a curved hook at the tip of theblade, in order to aid in cutting sinews and separating bones.This has no benefit in combat, however.

Flail, Grain (Plain and Studded)The grain flail consisted of a long pole, a short thong of leatheror length of chain, and then a shorter pole. This was used to beatgrain off of the stalk, after the grain had been cut in the field. Theusefulness of the flail as a war weapon gradually became obvi-ous when conscripts used the weapon for battering opponents ata distance, and for entangling the legs of horses. The grain flailcan be used to wrap around a leg or other limb, it may also beused to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own tripattempt, you can drop the grain flail in order to avoid beingtripped. A studded version was developed to inflict more damageupon impact. This weapon is a shield bypass weapon.

Hayforks and PitchforksThese were common use weapons kept around the farm forstacking hay, moving compost, or any of a variety of other jobs.

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The main difference between a hayfork and a pitchfork is thenumber of tines on each fork: the hayfork has two tines while thepitchfork has three. Steel versions of the hay or pitch forks wererare for many of the same reasons that steel sickles or scytheswere rare. Still, the forks would inspire the development of cer-tain polearms.

CroziersThe shepherd’s crook, or crozier, is an ancient staff, likely as oldas sheep herding. The term crook refers to the often bent orcurled head at the top of the staff. The shepherd’s crook wasused to defend against wild animal attack, and to guide sheepwhen the shepherd was moving them. During the Dark Ages theshepherd’s crook became a symbol of the guiding role of theChristian Church in Europe’s development, and many higherofficials in the church took to carrying a metal, stylized shep-herd’s crook, often with an ornate head, as a sign of their office.Some less scrupulous individuals hid a blade at the end of theweapon, in case of the need for a weapon of last resort. Althoughin the Dark Ages and Medieval period there was some leewayfor clergy of the Christian church to defend themselves withweapons, a concealed weapon in a symbol of their office wasconsidered deceitful. You can fight with the spear-bearing

20. Hatchet; 21. Woodcutter's Axe; 22. Sickle; 23. Scythe; 24. Bull Whip; 25. Knife; 26. Grain Flail; 27a. Hayfork; 27b. Pitchfork;28a. Shepard's Crook; 28b. Crozier; 29. Quarterstaff; 30. Hammer; 31. Maul; 32. Pick Axe; 33. Miner's Axe; 34. European PaddedCloth Armor

22

21 23

20

26

27a

27b

28a 28b 29 3334

24

2530

31

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crozier as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do you incurall the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with twoweapons as if you are using a one-handed weapon and a lightweapon. A creature using a double weapon in one hand, such asa Large creature using a crozier, cannot use it as a doubleweapon.

QuarterstaffThe quarterstaff is a simple weapon with a variety of uses. In thehands of the untrained, it is a heavy stick, something to wieldlike a longsword and club on the heads of attackers. To one of amore martial bent the quarterstaff can be used as a doubleweapon, using each end of the quarterstaff to attack an opponentwhile using the center to defend against strikes. The master ofthe staff, though, knows that the staff can be used effectively inboth manners. Quick, swift strikes and blocks are effectiveagainst multiple opponents or against a trained opponent whocannot attack swiftly themselves. However, the master alsoknows how to use the length and flexibility of the staff to attackopponents before they expect it, with swift, crushing blows thatstave armor and shatter bones. You can fight with the quarterstaffas if fighting with two weapons, but if you do you incur all thenormal attack penalties associated with fighting with twoweapons as if you are using a one-handed weapon and a lightweapon. A creature using a double weapon in one hand, such asa Large creature using a quarterstaff, cannot use it as a doubleweapon.

HammerThe hammer was a multipurpose tool. Many peasants had ahammer for effecting repairs to their homes, which were oftenwooden framed. Wagon wheels that came loose required beingpounded back into place with a hammer, and then having thelocking piece hammered in to hold it there. Carpenters, obvi-ously, had an occupational need for the hammer. The word ham-mer appears to descend from an ancient German word for rock,and most old hammers were simply stone clubs. Hammers withmetal heads were introduced during the Dark and Middle Ages,and as they entered conscript armies they came to the attentionof the ruling lords. It is said that Charles Martel carried a greathammer and wielded it in battle. The hammer would pave theway for the warhammer and variants like the martel de fer.

MaulThe maul was the larger cousin of the hammer, and was used foreverything from pounding stakes for a fence to breaking rocks ina quarry. The maul was large, heavy, and somewhat clumsy, andrequired two hands to wield. Still, those brutes strong enough touse the maul without penalty could cause fearsome injuries, anddrive men from their feet with a single blow. Metal version ofthe maul were used almost exclusively by masons.

Axe, PickA popular tool, the pickaxe was a weapon that found its way intomobs and conscript armies. The wound from the pick itself tends

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to be small, but the small area that the weapon concentrates itsforce into can make it frightfully damaging. Picks could go rightthrough armor on a square hit, and as soon as this was demon-strated on the battlefield, military commanders began experi-menting with the pick, to discover better ways to use it incombat.

Axe, Miner’sAlthough it is called a miner’s axe, this weapon did not developin the mines, among the peasantry. Instead, the miner in theminer’s axe, refers to those engineers and sappers who practicedthe very dangerous and effective siege work of mining. Devel-oped to dig well, cut support timbers quickly, and fight in closequarters, the miner’s axe was a weapon that was rarely seenabove ground, at first. As the art of siege engineering becamemore prestigious, and as its use became more treasured, theminer’s axe found its way into the collections of frequent cam-paigners, who might have it highly decorated or inscribed, orforged with great artistry and flourish. These later versions ofminer’s axes were mostly for show, and would not see the regu-lar scour of soil, splinter of wood, or the splash of blood thattheir more utilitarian cousins were likely to see.

Cloth, European PaddedPadded armor developed from the gambeson worn under theheavier forms of armor used in Europe. Quilt stitched, warm,and prone to mold, padded armor tended to stink after a few daysof regular use, and required a great deal of boiling to clean.Padded armor was the most common armor given to conscripts,and many archers preferred it to heavier forms of armor thatrestricted their movement.

CharlemagneWhen Charlemagne came to rule France, his people were greatlydivided, and the static nature of the Feudal system was taking itstoll. Lords fought amongst each other for choice land, and theking was often ignored when his commands were unpopular.The military arts were more and more neglected, as the noblestook much of the responsibility of being the elite forces on them-selves, leaving their soldiery mostly defensive. Peasants hadminimal education, little religion, and very little contact withthose outside their local community. Charlemagne sought tochange this.

Internal dissention in Europe and yet more sectarian conflicts inthe Christian church left Rome in peril. The Lombards, yetanother Germanic tribe, found the Gothic Kingdom of Italy inshambles, and they quickly conquered the region and began todispute with the Pope for both temporal and spiritual control ofthe region. The Frankish powers, who had closely allied them-selves to the Pope under the rule of Clovis, were invited by thePope to come to his aid, and Charlemagne did, destroying theLombards and establishing much of Italy as a feudal state underthe control of the Pope. Called the Papal States, this became thefirst example of the Roman Catholic church directly administer-ing lands in Europe, although the process, once begun, spread


quickly. Local monasteries, parishes, and diocese more and moreoften held onto lands deeded to the Church by the dying, whichoriginally were turned over to local rulers. This lead to conflictbetween local feudal rulers and the Roman Catholic church, apattern that would continue through a great deal of history, aseither temporal or spiritual powers vied for domination of thepopulace of Europe.

Charlemagne allied himself to the Pope and the Roman Churchduring his reign, enforcing catechism among his people, andrequiring captured lands and peoples to become Christians. Heunited France under the crown again by declaring war on thebarbarous north, on Germany. Charlemagne forged new tacticswith his feudal armies, organizing them in heavy cavalry, lightscouts, heavy infantry, and conscripts, and he employed both for-tifications and siege warfare to great effect. The barbarians hadno chance. Charlemagne rolled across Europe, conquering tribesand states, converting them from their pagan or sectarian beliefs,and forcing them to bow to his rule. Even so, this war lasted apunishing 32 years.

Germany was not Charlemagne’s only field of conflict. Charle-magne attempted to retake parts of Spain from the Moors, butfailed miserably, as recounted in the Song of Roland. Charle-magne brought forces against the Slavs, the Magyars, and theAvars (descendants of the Huns) in Eastern Europe, and he mademuch progress against them, destroying what nascent states hadbeen there, to establish more Feudal structures. By the year 800A.D. Rome repaid Charlemagne by conferring on him the title ofHoly Roman Emperor. The establishment of the Holy RomanEmpire cemented the power of the Roman Catholic church over

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Europe, and the many states established within the Holy RomanEmpire would remain part of the alliance for ages to come. Evenwhen other crowns rose in Europe, the states of the Holy RomanEmpire retained their unity, and eventually it became the practicefor those Holy Roman Empire states to vote for the Emperor, sothat no one crown of Europe would hold complete power over her.

While Charlemagne was recreating Europe, a new power beganto grow in the North, one which, in its own way, would createsweeping change: The Vikings.

The Vikings.The Vikings came from the far northern lands of Europe, fromhigh in the fjords, where villages were set in fertile outcrops andship travel was more efficient than foot travel for tradingbetween villages. Fjord culture developed gradually, with thosevillages highest up the fjord trading with the lower villages forfood and supplies that they could not manufacture or grow ontheir own. In some fjords this relationship of trade becameantagonistic, when the highest villages had nothing to offer thelower villages by means of trade. Then the higher villagerswould take up arms and sail down the fjords, raiding the lowervillages for what they needed, then rowing back up swiftlyenough to evade capture. The higher villages built up woodenforts to oppose attack, and, enriched by this raiding practice, theygrew powerful. This practice was called viking in the Nordiclands, and those who practiced it took the name for themselves.

Viking culture and religion celebrated the life of the warrior. It wastheir belief that they practiced in life the ways of the warrior sothat, when the end of the world came, they would be able to standwith the Gods in the final battles. Those judged unworthy andunfit were cast out, sometimes literally, and were believed to go toHel, the land named for the Trickster’s fell daughter, a realm of

What’s in a name?Many peoples were often named by others who did not knowtheir lands well. When Charles Martel fought the forces ofIslam at Tours, it was recorded that he fought an army ofMoors and Saracens, with certain Vandals in their number. TheMoors were swarthy, sometimes black skinned African Mus-lims from the lands of Mauritania, for which they were named(Mauritania shortened to Maur or Moor). The Saracens wereconsidered any of a great number of people who dwelt in thelands of Syria and south of there, of which the Arabs were justone of many (Syria became Saria, or Saracens). EventuallySaracen came to describe any Muslim who was not so darkskinned as a Moor. The Vandals mentioned in their numberwere likely any number of conquered Germans who had dweltin Spain before the invasion, who were now conscripted intofighting with the Islamic forces. They were likely to be fromone of any number of different Germanic tribes, but Vandalsbeing the most common and most hated, historically, that wasthe label used. For their part, the Islamic invaders returned totheir conquered lands after the battles of Tours with tales ofthe fearsome and deadly Franji (similar in sound to French orFrank), who had stopped the conquest of all the known world.When the Crusades would begin, generations later, any Euro-pean on Crusade was often referred to as a Franji.

Material Properties: Pattern Welded SteelDeveloped in the Rhineland, the secret of Pattern Welded Steelwas kept primarily among a few smiths in that region. PatternWelding is a process of braiding steel of various strengths, so asto maintain the flexibility of softer steels while retaining thehardness and edge of denser steels. Similar in concept to Dam-ascus steel, it also tends to create a similar visual effect,although the pattern on the blade is not as fine as that of Damas-cus steel. Blades made of Pattern Welded steel are usually mas-terwork (and gain a +1 damage bonus), and are generally ofHardness 9. Charlemagne would eventually draft laws forbid-ding trade in Pattern Welded weapons to such tribes as theVikings and Avars, but when the Vikings acquired such bladesthey also learned the technique of Pattern Welding. The Vikingswould eventually improve upon these weapons to the degreethat each blade be able to bend a full inch to either side and thenreturn to its original state without warping. Such Viking madePattern Welded blades were a Hardness of 10. At some pointduring the many wars of Europe, the secret of pattern weldingwas lost, and when the Vikings eventually began to fade as aworld influence, so would the secret of Pattern Welding..

fire, death, suffering, and hate. There is little surprise that Vikingculture became so aggressive and warlike, with their religiousmotivations. And as they prospered on the wealth and bounty ofothers, the Vikings multiplied, populating the fjords and spreadingout, to create new communities.

It started in England. At first sporadic, minor raids, then therecame a great raid in the fertile lands around LindsfarneMonastery. A village was destroyed, the monastery was ran-sacked, all the grain and livestock were taken or slaughtered, andmost items of value were carried away by the great bearded war-riors that came on dragon-prowed ships. The Vikings of the timewore leather armor, if they wore any armor at all, although thosewithout still carried a wooden shield, sometimes covered withleather, and all Vikings wore the heavier clothing favored in theirmountain climes. Helmets were never horned (despite myth),and were likely similar to those of the Franks, with a conicalshape and nose guards. Some rare few might have worn chain-mail shirts or byrnies, but most did not. The weapons most com-monly in use were spears, bows, long knives like the scramsax,battleaxes, long bearded axes, and a small smattering of patternwelded swords, forged to exacting specifications.

Shield, Viking Wooden Small and LargeViking Shields were made to take damage. They were thick,heavy, and hard at the center, with a metal boss that protected thehand. But the Vikings would often soak the outer rim of the shield,or oil it, and refrained from lining the shield with metal to protectits rim. This was because the Vikings used their shields to disarmtheir foes. The wood at the rim was left soft to catch the blades ofswords or axes used to attack them. When an axe strikes a Vikingshield with more than half its normal damage, it is consideredstuck, and requires an opposed strength roll to determine if theblade is removed. If the axe wielder succeeds in the opposedstrength roll by only 1 point, he is unable to remove his axe, but hemay use his axe to shield trap the person wielding the Vikingshield. Should he succeed by more than 1 point, his axe is free. Ifa sword strikes the shield for 3 or more points of damage, it is con-sidered stuck, and the Viking shield wielder may, as an attack ofopportunity, attempt to make a sword breaking maneuver, if he iseligible. If the Viking shield wielder does not elect or cannot notmake such a maneuver, the sword wielder must make an opposedstrength roll in the same fashion as the axe wielder above.

Spear, KrokaspjótThe krokaspjót spear was a spear with a hooked point, somewhata forbear of the glaive. A reach weapon used for slashing, thekrokaspjót was used by Vikings for snagging and cutting rigging,slashing at horses’ legs, and shield trapping. The krokaspjót, alarge two handed weapon, was a forebearer to the halberd, alongwith the refthi.

RefthiThe refthi was originally referred to in ancient sagas as a ham-mer axe weapon. Effectively a polearm with a short hammer-

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head on one side of the head and an axe blade on the other, therefthi was both a bludgeoning and slashing reach weapon. Astime went on the axe head grew more pronounced and the ham-mer portion was minimized, leading to a very halberd-likedesign.

Axe, BeardedThe bearded axe was a mainstay of Viking warfare. A twohanded battleaxe with a long, dropping blade, the bearded axewas used for savage attacks. Many stories tell of Vikings cleav-ing through the wooded shields of their foes with single blows ofthis axe. Well designed for battle, this was the weapon of choiceeven for the Danes and Varangians, and saw use from Byzantiumto Iceland.

Pattern Welded Viking SwordsPotent and dangerous blades, these weapons were used by Vikingsof all ages, and were more common on the battlefield than in raids.Whether short, long, or two-handed, these Viking blades werecoveted throughout Christendom. In Viking tradition, swords werepassed down from father to son, and a well kept blade could lastgenerations, and see battles in many hands. Most Viking bladeswere inlaid with runes, and those runes were believed to confermagical powers on the blades themselves.

Byrnie, ChainmailThe byrnie was a knee-length chain shirt, backed by leather andtopped with a spangenhelm. Where the Chain did not cover onarms or knees, splint armor, usually iron or steel, but sometimeswood or bone, covered. The byrnie was a very protective gar-ment, but it was expensive and time consuming to manufacture.Usually only great warriors or chieftains wore byrnies.

Viking raids spread. Ireland, France, and England bore the bruntof the Viking onslaught, but it did not take the Vikings long toattack Spain, to sail down the great rivers of France and Englandto attack major cities, or to reach the Mediterranian. Once in theMediterranian the Vikings became a real menace, and no shoreseemed safe from their attacks. Their ships could appear at anytime, bringing battle hardened warriors intent only to terrorizethe populace, take anything they could hold onto, and evadeslower moving militia or soldiery when they arrived. With theViking homeland often well beyond the reach of most navalforces of the age, the Vikings could not be pursued, and their vic-tories stood uncontested. Their land tactics were varied, incorpo-rating shield walls such as the Romans used and wild tacticscalled ‘boar snout’ which was a running wedge intended to breakthrough an enemy line and then disperse to flank them. Add tothat their use of sword-breaking tactics and their legend as greatwarriors is well deserved. But the Vikings did not merely seekgoods and wealth. They also sought land to settle.

Varangians, a Swedish Viking tribe, landed in the cold lands offthe Baltic coast, and ventured deep in to Slavic lands. Finding alarge number of unaffiliated villages, the Varangians establisheda kingdom in that land called Rus. At first the Slavs opposed the


Vikings and drove them out, but within a decade, having discov-ered that they could not resolve tribal differences and rule them-selves, they invited the Varangians back in, and established theRus Kingdom with Viking rulers. These landbound Vikingsforged an alliance between the Slavic tribes, and lead armiesover land to raid northern Byzantine holdings, during a timewhen the Byzantines were concerned with holding their southernborder against the Saracens. Their prowess so impressed theByzantines that they paid tribute and eventually hired a substan-tial Varangian mercenary contingent to help in their defense,cementing an alliance between Byzantium and Russia that wouldpromote Orthodox Christianity in that state. Eventually theKingdom of Rus would be based in the city of Novgorod, andthe Russian nation would begin its slow rise, expanding herpower as other cities, like Kiev, were founded.

Kingdoms were established in many lands. The Kingdom ofYork was established by Danish Vikings. The Kingdom of Manwould be established in Ireland and the wilds of Wales. Vikingswould land and establish lands in the north of France, in Nor-mandy, where they would learn the tongue of the Franks and beknown as Normans. The drive to expand lead the Vikings to sailwest, beyond familiar seas, and to colonize Iceland, Greenland,and even portions of North America, and some speculate possi-bly as far south as the modern day state of New Jersey. TheNorth American settlements proved too difficult to maintain,however, and eventually they were abandoned.

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35. Viking Shield; 36. Krokaspjot Spear; 37. Refthi; 38. Bearded Axe; 39. Pattern Welded Viking Sword; 40. Chainmail Byrnie; 41.Splint Mail

35

38

39

37

36

40 41

Runic Inscription and the Naming of Swordsand AxesThe Vikings believed that runes held power, and that byinscribing them on sword blades they might confer that powerto the weapon. According to Sagas, this kind of power did notrequire understanding the runes that were inscribed on theblade, and powers could include anything from a sword madeto cleave shields in a single blow to a sword made to slayoathbreakers. The runes were inscribed on a blade by theViking smith, and it was entirely up to the smith as to whetherthe sword purchaser knew what the enchantment was or not.

The runes on a blade rarely had anything to do with the namegiven it. Axes, which did not regularly sport runic magic, wereoften given names of giantesses or valkyries from sagas, whileswords were given a variety of names. Some bore names likeFoot-biter or Leg-biter, likely indicative of the first woundcaused by such a blade, while others might be named for their(hoped) effect in melee, like Fierce or Flame of Battle. Stillothers might confer a kind of spirit, like Gnawer or Viper.Sword names were selected by the first owner of a givenblade, and the prestige of a given blade would carry its namewith it.

Splint MailIn the later years of the Viking expansion, the byrnie-cladVikings were joined by Viking warriors wearing splint mail intobattle. Made of metal, bone, or wooden splints riveted to aleather backing, splint mail was an oddity, good at deflectingmost glancing blows, but sacrificing mobility and ease of repair.Most non-metal versions of splint mail were employed by poorViking tribes, while the metal versions were prohibitively expen-sive, although not as expensive as chainmail. Splint mail sawonly limited use, failing to develop the popularity of chainmail.

The Vikings shook up the established feudal states, attackingGermany, the Netherlands, Ireland, France, Spain, Belgium,Luxembourg, Portugaul, Morocco, Italy, and even Turkey. Theirculture further diluted the already varied culture of England, andthe eventual Norman invasion of France and England furtherinfused England with Viking culture and gave it claims to land inthe north of France, which would spawn quite a few wars in thefuture. Though eventually Christianized and civilized, theNordic nations were never as dedicated to Roman Catholicism,and would be among the first nations to embrace the Reformedfaiths in later ages.

The Fragmentation of IslamNot long after the halting of the Arab expansion at Tours, theAbbasids revolted. The revolt, based on political issues of thesuccession of Caliphs, eventually cast the Umayyads out ofpower, and the Umayyads fled to Spain, to establish the separateUmayyad Spain. This would lay the foundation for eventual con-flict between the Shiite and Sunni divisions that would formthroughout greater Islam. Still, the Abbasid dynasty brought withit an openly acknowledged flourishing of scholarship, culture,trade, and industry. The Arabs had assiduously saved Greciantexts over the generations as Roman civilization decayed, and asIslamic culture spread, they added to their classical knowledgewith Indian philosophy and cultural discoveries. Arab philoso-phy, science, and warfare would make jumps that European civi-lization would not for many centuries.

Arab civilization spread gradually into Central Asia and China,as discussed in previous chapters, but even before the coming ofthe Vikings, Islam had reached something of a peak. TheAbbasid dynasty moved the center of Islam to Mesopotamia, andfounded the city of Baghdad. Schools of law were established toexplore the nature of justice. An academy, the House of Wisdom,was established, to translate great works from Sanskrit, Greek,Syriac, and Persian into Arabic. And then something changed.

Islam had grown large, and governors were needed to controldifferent regions appropriately. These strictly temporal officialswere called Sultans, and Sultanates were established as a meansto administrate vastly different regions such as Egypt and Persia.After a time the governors took on more power, and new inde-pendent regions were born. Slowly Islam found itself parti-tioned, becoming separate regions, all united by religion but

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divided by local Caliphs, whose politics often differed with thoseof other Caliphs. The Tahirids, Saffarids, Samanids, Buwayhids,Ziyarids, and Ghaznavids sprung up in the east, the Hamdanidsdeveloped in Syria and northern Mesopotamia, and the Tulunids,Ikhshidids, and Fatimids took hold of Egypt. The Fatamids, forexample, who opposed and eventually conquered the TulunCaliph of Egypt, were more a political movement than a reli-gious one. The Buwayhids, on the other hand, attacked Baghdad,opposing the Abbasids on purely succession-based grounds.These movements were met with outrage, as Muslims were notsupposed to bear arms against other Muslims. Independentcaliphs often used their power to attack minority groups theypersonally disliked. Such was the case when the Fatamid Caliph,Al-Hakim ordered the destruction of the Church of the HolySepulchre in Jerusalem. Even though he would later have itrebuilt, actions like this, as well as other purges of dhimmis inindividual cities, often by rogue generals, would have ripples inthe European community.

Causes of the CrusadesThe coming of the first millennia saw Europe at war. The Nor-mans fought against Frankish forces, which were in retreat hav-ing surrendered much of France to the Viking descendants. TheVikings themselves were on the decline, their colonization pro-grams growing too expensive to maintain, and their holdings inEurope dwindling as Germanic nations and the Danes turnedagainst them. Christians in Spain were agitating against theUmayyad government, calling for help from Christian nations.The Italic states were in the midst of a trade war, as mercantilefamilies vied with the hierarchy of the church and local rulingfamilies for control of the economies of Italy, where trade madethe nation the only importer of Silk Road goods, a monopoly thatcould make the right people phenomenally rich.

The Sejulk Turks were one of the many Turkish peoples to con-vert to Islam, but their alliance with Persia made them particu-larly powerful. The Sejulk-Persian alliance gave both nationssubstantial power within the Arab community, and the Sejulksmaintained strong military forces that could be brought to bearswiftly. The alliance and access to the mountainous regions eastof Byzantium meant that the Sejulks were in a prime position toterrorize and debilitate the traditional enemy of the Islamic state.Sejulk raids were particularly costly, and despite reinforcementsby Russian troops, Byzantium worried that their borders wouldnot last.

In the many Sultanates and caliphates of Islam, Christians wereagitating. Although the dhimmi tax was considerably reasonable,many Christian peoples saw it as a form of oppression, and moreand more they felt treated as second-class citizens. Christianprotests and failure of tax payments were met with a variety ofreactions. Some states required conversion for those who refusedto pay taxes, while others forced people into exile, or executedtroublemakers. Some more extreme leaders used events like thisto purge cities of undesirable elements, although this was not inaccord with the tenets of Islamic teaching. Word of these purges


would reach Europe slowly, and among those who most cared,these events would be viewed as reasons to consider war.

In 1066, the Normans, under the rule of King William, wouldinvade England. According to legend, William would trip whiledebarking his ship, something that would certainly have beentaken as an ill omen by his men if he was not a quick thinker. ButWilliam’s wit was swift, and he placed a kiss upon the shore,telling his men that he wished to embrace the land they wereabout to conquer. The conquest of England from its Anglo-Saxon rulers was swift. The Norman soldiers, armed with qual-ity middle-steel blades, were more than a match for theweakened kings of England. Conquest on this scale sent ripplesof anxiety through the Feudal states.

Warfare in Europe had progressed, and weapons developmentalong with it. The heavy dependance on elite cavalry promotedthe introduction of whole regiments of soldiers carryingpolearms. The halberd, which descended from the long beardedaxe and refthi, became a staple in the Holy Roman Empire, andeventually beyond. New military versions of conscriptionweapons were being developed, often in two varieties, one forknights on horseback and one for footmen. But the most impor-tant development for European combat was the crossbow, whichwas seeing increased use in the armies of Europe, especially incavalry charges.

HalberdThe halberd, an axe blade with a protruding spike and thrustinghead, was developed from the influence of the bearded axe,refthi, and the krokaspjót. The halberd’s original name, halbert,implies that it, at one time, also had a ‘bearded’ reputation. TheHalberd has a variety of uses and attack forms. The Halberdcould be used as a slashing axe weapon, a piercing thrustingspear weapon, or as a double weapon, using the piercing spike orthe slashing axe as one attack and the butt end of the weapon asa light staff weapon. When using the Halberd as a doubleweapon you incur all the normal attack penalties associated withfighting with two weapons as if you are using a one-handedweapon and a light weapon. A creature using a double weapon inone hand, such as a Large creature using a halberd, cannot use itas a double weapon. The Halberd may also be used for trippingattacks (using either the axe blade or the spike to attempt a trip).If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop theHalberd in order to avoid being tripped. Some versions of theHalberd have a metal-capped butt, to increase the impact of abutt-end attack, while others had a short spike, to use as amakeshift spear, in close quarters. The Halberd may be setagainst a charge.

BillCousin of the halberd and guisarme, the bill was incredibly com-mon among conscript armies. The name bill comes from thesimilarity between most bill blades and the bill of a duck orgoose, and, indeed, some version of the bill were referred to asduck bills. A slashing reach polearm similar to the krokaspjót,

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the bill also had thrusting spike and small hook blade thatallowed tripping attacks or attacks at horse’s legs. . If you aretripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the bill inorder to avoid being tripped. The bill, unlike the halberd, was notappropriately weighted for effective use as a double weapon, butit can still be used as a slashing weapon and a normal bludgeon-ing pole weapon, with normal two weapon fighting penalties,although it looses the reach attack ability when used in this man-ner. A creature using a double weapon in one hand, such as aLarge creature using a bill, cannot use it as a double weapon.The bill may be set against a charge. The guisarme is statisticallythe same as the bill, but the hook is not separate on the guisarme,but found at the end of the spear-like blade, and thus may not beset against a charge.

Crossbow, (Middle Steel) LightThe crossbow was originally a siege weapon, similar to the bal-lista, in Roman times. Eventually the size of the crossbow wasgreatly reduced, and a single man could carry and fire it withoutsignificant training, which was a great boon for conscript armies.This began a great debate between proponents of the bow andadvocates of the crossbow as to which weapon was superior onthe field of battle. The crossbow, for its simplicity of use, wasoften maligned by those who felt that training and status should bethe order of the battlefield, while the bow, which required talentand practice, remained a less used and more elite weapon. Despiteits lack of appeal among bards as a knightly weapon, manymounted knights would ride into a charge bearing a crossbow first.Then, once the bolt was deployed, the knight would raise his lanceand commence his charge in earnest. Crossbow charges, althoughcommon, were not a regularly documented tactic.

Mace, Footman’s and Horseman’sThe major difference between a footman’s weapon and a horse-man’s weapon was that the horseman’s weapon was oftenshorter and better constructed. A footman’s mace had a woodenhaft two feet long, and a heavy head, usually with a roundedattack surface, although some had spiked, studded, or toothedheads. The horseman’s mace was generally smaller, easier tocarry and draw quickly, and the haft was made of steel, notwood. It’s entirely possible to use a horseman’s mace off of ahorse, and there is no penalty for doing so.

Pick, Footman’s and Horseman’sAgain, the major difference between a footman’s weapon and ahorseman’s weapon is its make and length. The military versionof the pick was designed to puncture armor, and armor is lesseffective against it. The pick is quite capable of puncturingarmor, but the damage it does to armor is very localized, and so(if you are using the option equipment damage rules) any dam-age by a pick that exceeds the hardness should be halved (round-ing up) before being applied to the hit points. The footman’s pickoften had a short bludgeoning head on the other side of theattack head, which gave it an alternate attack. The horseman’spick did not have this head, was shorter, and was made entirely

of steel. It’s entirely possible to use a horseman’s pick off of ahorse, and there is no penalty for doing so.

Warhammer, Footman’s and Horseman’sThe warhammer adapted the German hammer to military use.The two versions follow the established pattern between foot-man’s weapons and horseman’s weapons, and both weapons fea-ture a spike at the rear of the hammer head, to use as a secondaryattack. The spike was designed to puncture armor. It’s entirelypossible to use a horseman’s warhammer off of a horse, andthere is no penalty for doing so.

Axe, Footman’s and Horseman’sThe axe had long been a part of military warfare. The footman’saxe was a battleaxe, usually with a spike or pick on the rear ofthe blade. The spike was designed to puncture armor. The horse-man’s axe also sported a short spike, and was made entirely ofsteel. It’s entirely possible to use a horseman’s axe off of a horse,and there is no penalty for doing so. The Byzantines used a vari-ant of the footman’s axe that also had a thrusting spike at the endof the haft.

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Martel de Fer, Middle SteelIn the tradition of weapons that did double duty, the martel de ferwas a warhammer with spike facing rearward. The heavy headof the martel de fer was mallet like, and quite capable of pulver-izing bones through light armor. If you are using the optionalarmor damage rules, when inflicting damage with a martel de feragainst light armor, half of any damage that the armor takes froma strike effects the foe as well. The martel de fer does not have ahorseman’s variant.

Flail, MilitaryThe military flail was a heavy, two handed flail with three chainsconnected to round, steel flail heads. The power, and inherentdanger, of a military flail is the three striking heads that it putsinto play at one time. This weapon is extremely dangerous to usefor the untrained, and those without Martial Weapons Profi-ciency are at a -8 to strike with this weapon. Even should a mili-tary flail wielder be trained generally in Martial Weapons, thereis a great benefit to focus or specialize in the military flail, as itincreases full strikes. Flails grant a +2 bonus to disarm attemptsand may be used to make trip attacks. This weapon is a shieldbypass weapon.

42a–42d. Halberd variations; 43a–43d. Bill variations; 44. Light Crossbow; 45a. Footman's Mace; 45b. Horseman's Mace; 46a.Footman's Pick; 46b. Horseman's Pick

42a 42b 42c 42d 43a

43b

43c

43d

45a 45b

46a 46b44


End of an AgeIn the nations of Islam the Golden Age was coming to an end.Fragmentation of the Islamic state and heightened hostilities pro-moted a number of changes. Contact with India brought a slowintroduction of the material that would one day be called Damas-cus steel. It would take time and investments for the legendaryDamascus blades to become anywhere near common in the Arablands, although eventually a contingent of smiths trained in itsmanufacture would establish a colony in Damascus, explainingthe name’s origin. The shamshir was becoming more common inwestern Persian lands, and the scimitar was in its early stages ofdevelopment. The composite bow was in common use, althoughthe crossbow, imported from China, could be found here andthere. Arab forces promoted light cavalry, cavalry archers, andheavy infantry.

Shamshir, EarlyThe shamshir is a thicker, slightly curved chopping blade, regu-larly used by Arab cavalry. The shamshir did not have a coveredguard in its early form, and its pommel was usually flat orcrested, making it difficult to change stances easily with theblade. Heavier than a scimitar, it was used extensively in Persia,although it would eventually move into certain Central AsianTurkish lands and Northern India. Some rare versions of thisearly shamshir were damascened.

By the end of the first millennium, Byzantium was facingincreased attacks from the Sejulks. The Byzantines asked thePapacy to send help. In addition, the Papacy saw increasingstrife in Europe, and disunity appeared to be leading towardsanother time of chaos. Word of the troubles in the holy land gave

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weight to the call for action, and the Papacy also saw a chance tofocus the financial concerns of the Italic peninsula onto an actionagainst the Arabs. So in 1095, Pope Urban II called upon theFranks, and all of Christendom, to embark upon a Crusade to theHoly Lands, to liberate the sacred cities from Saracen influence,and to free the Christian peoples oppressed there. His impas-sioned speech fired the hearts of many knights, but more impor-tantly it also fueled the hopes of thousands of the poor, whowould also march on the Arab lands with little more than theclothes on their backs, right into the very heart of battle with sea-soned Sejulk and Arab armies.

The CrusadesIn the history of Islam the Crusades were really nothing morethan yet another barbarian uprising against their rightful rule.Since only the first Crusade was anywhere near organized andeffective, Islamic histories only really concern themselves withthe first Crusade. In Europe, however, the success and failure ofthe Crusades as military campaigns would lead to a number ofincredible developments, and would catapult Europe towards herown eventual rise.

The First CrusadeThe First Crusade may have been called in 1095, but it took timeto muster armies and march across dozens of states, having topay tolls and taxes, and pledge friendship along the way withany number of feudal lords, in order to arrive at Byzantium. Andthe first Crusader armies were anything but organized. Eacharmy took on a Lord or Priest at their lead, and could be com-posed of trained soldiers or peasants with hopes of making theirfortune in the Holy Land. One of the first armies to reach theHoly Land, a mostly peasant army under the control of Peter theHermit, caused nearly as much damage to Byzantium as it did toIslam, raiding and sacking Belgrade, and then later fighting andbeing routed at Nish. When, at last, Peter’s army made it to Ana-tolia, they established a stronghold at Civetot, and struck out toraid the region. Their initial successes were against villages inthe region, most of which were Christian, although Peter’s Cru-saders were not very attentive to this. Their attacks eventuallyfaced opposition, when Kilij Arslan, the Sultan of Nicaea,brought his trained soldiers to bear on the rabble of Peter theHermit, and after a successful ambush, killed them nearly to theman, taking the young men and women in the rabble prisonerand selling them into slavery.

Many of the less organized forces met similar fates, if they leftEurope at all. A contemporary force of German knights whoencamped at the abandoned castle of Xerigordon, around thetime that Peter’s peasant army encamped at Civetot, found them-selves swiftly captured and forced to convert or die. Othergroups like the Crusades of Gottschalk, Volkmar, and CountEmicho, ended up getting into trouble while trying to crossthrough Hungary, and eventually their Crusades led to theslaughter of a great number of Jews, all innocent of any crime.

Optional Flail MechanicsMultiattack: Normally only a single attack roll is made witha flail regardless of how many heads it actually possesses.Optionally, when attacking with a multiheaded flail, you maymake an attack roll for each head. For each additional headapply a cumulative -5 circumstance penalty to attack rolls.Thus, both attack rolls with a two-headed flail would be at a -5penalty, whereas all three attacks with a triple-headed flailwould be at -10. Anyone attempting a multiattack is subject tobacklash (see below).

Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Flail): If an exotic weapon pro-ficiency feat is used for the flail reduce all multiattackpenaltiesto -3 per additional head. Thus, both attack rolls witha two-headed flail would be at a -3 penalty, whereas all threeattacks with a triple-headed flail would be at -6.

Backlash: During a multiattack, should any flail head’s attackroll be a natural 1, backlash occurs. Instead of striking youropponent, that flail head completes its revolution and strikes,instead, at you. The wielder must then make a Reflex save at aDC of 10 + Base Attack Bonus or be struck by his ownweapon. Use the backlash rule only if the multiattack option isbeing used.

However, not all Crusaders were inept. Godfrey of Bouillon leada Crusade of trained solders that successfully negotiated Ger-many, Hungary, and Byzantium, and made it to the Holy Landintact. So did Bohemond of Tarentum and Raymond ofToulouse. Others opted to travel to Italy and then sail for theHoly Land, although naval mishaps often caused great calamity,and not all of those armies successfully arrived. Still, one yearafter the call for the Crusades began, most of the major playershad arrived in the region.

The true Crusades started after Byzantium tried and failed to geta pledge from the Crusaders that any lands once held by Byzan-tium that were reconquered would be turned over to theEmperor. When that failed to be accepted, Byzantium helped theCrusaders on their way, and the wars in Asia Minor began. Thefirst conquest was, of course, Nicaea, but the Byzantines, inhopes of preventing looting, entered the city first, and declared itprotected by Byzantium. This worsened the relations they hadwith the Crusading troops, and the Crusaders refused to cooper-ate with Byzantine forces after that.

Crusading forces spread out. Some marched on Antioch, whileothers made for Tarsus and Jerusalem. Tarsus fell quickly andwas reinforced. Antioch fell only after a long siege and the brib-ing of a key captain of the watch. But in the fall of Antioch, theCrusaders plundered the city only to find that they, themselves,were besieged by the reinforcements who had been marching tothe cities defense. It was only upon the discovery of a spearreputed to be the Spear of Longinus that the Crusaders were ableto break the siege of Antioch and take full control of the region.Palestine was held by the Fatamids, who did not post defensiveencampments, so the cities of Beirut, Tyre, and Acre were easilytaken. Jerusalem, a holy city for both Christianity and Islam, hada strong defensive force, but the Crusaders eventually took it en-mass. After the fall of Jerusalem, there was a general slaughter,and both Jews and Muslims were massacred. Though a warstarted ostensibly in religious fervor and with concern for theinnocents, the Crusades would cause greater suffering than theywould ever alleviate.

After taking Jerusalem, the First Crusade ended, its goal ofsecuring the Church of the Holy Sepulcher attained and a greatdeal of Arab lands (in the eyes of the West) subdued. The knightswho led the first Crusade either returned to Europe with whatthey could carry or stayed in the Holy Land to administer thenew Christian lands. Another wave of Crusaders was launched toprovide reinforcements to the new Christian states, but the threearmies sent arrived only to discover Antioch had been retaken bythe Turks. Poor navigation and constant attack from Turkish andArab forces would destroy those three armies before they couldeven reinforce the forces in Palestine.

After a time seven knights, under the command of Hughes dePayens, dedicated themselves to the care and protection of allpilgrims to the Holy Lands. Supported by the King of Jerusalemand the local Patriarch, the Poor Knights of the Temple wereestablished. The Knights Templar became the model that otherReligious Knightly orders would follow, most notably the

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Knights Hospitaller and the Teutonic Knights. Bernard de Clair-vaux, a contemporary, would help them draft a Rule for theirorder, and their power, both in the Holy Land and in France,would grow.

The Second CrusadeThe Second Crusade started with the pledge of King Louis ofFrance to the Crusading cause. Joined by King Conrad, the cur-rent Holy Roman Emperor, it seemed destined to success. Thegreatest crowns of the age had dedicated themselves to conquestof the Holy Lands. But this wasn’t the only Crusade embarkedupon. In Southern France the Reconquistadores raised armies toretake Spain from the Infidels. In Germany a Crusade against theWendish Slavs was declared, due to the Slavs being pagan. Thearmy of King Louis of France was forced to take a circuitousroute by sea around Gibraltar, and during the course he wasforced to set in at Oporto in Portugal. There they temporarilyjoined forces with a Frankish lord Henry who was attempting tofree Portugal from Muslim control. After helping secure Por-tugual for the now crowned King Henry, many of King Louis’sforce decided to remain in Portugal or return home. Still, KingLouis and the remnants sailed on to the Holy Land.

King Conrad arrived in the region first, and his forces were mas-sacred while watering their horses. His entire force was dis-persed, and he was forced to retreat to Christian held lands untilhe could join up with King Louis’s army. King Louis first

The Rule as a Guide for PaladinsThe Rule of the Templars is an excellent historical documentthat tells a story that was unintended by the drafter. It wouldbehoove any player seeking to play a Paladin to read the Ruleof the Templars, so as to get into the mindset. Translations canbe found both in print and on the internet.

The beginning of the rule speaks with great passion about thecall to live as a knight for the only king who might be obeyedwith all heart, mind, soul, and strength—the knight’s God. Inthe first two paragraphs alone it is intended to convert thedevout soul, and to convince the reader than anyone strongenough to carry a sword should find it an honor to serve as aKnight Templar. After a good deal on the history of the foun-dational meeting, the Rule goes into the requirements andobligations of a Knight Templar. Besides matters of religiousdevotion, it speaks of the required color of dress (white, black,or brown), it prohibits the wearing of pointed shoes, requiresbrothers to eat in pairs from the same bowl, forbids hunting,and, of course, forbids the embraces of women, among manyother requirements and prohibitions. The Rule was a productof its time, inspired by Benedict of Clairvaux, who was acharismatic founder of orders, and it attests to many of theconcerns and strange matters the Crusaders had to deal withwhile on Crusade at the time the Knights Templar werefounded. In a fantasy realm it is entirely possible a Rule atleast as complex might be created for any religion embracingHoly Knighthood.


marched to help Antioch, which had been retaken by ChristianKnights, but, rather than striking at Aleppo, as his advisors sug-gested, King Louis moved south into Palestine, and providedsupport for the King of Jerusalem and Queen Jocelyn of Edessa.After a time he resolved to march on Damascus, in hopes thattaking out the stronghold would weaken the attacks of the Sara-cens attacking the Holy Land. But King Louis’s army could findno safe place to encamp, and Damascus was so strongly heldthat they were forced to retreat. In the end the Second Crusademilitarily netted only Portugal.

But the struggles were not completely a waste. Exposure to mili-tary technology in the Holy Lands improved crossbow design, asthe composite bows used by the Arabs and Turks became tem-plates for heavier crossbows with stronger pulls. Developmentsin Wales would eventually lead to the legendary English long-bow. In Europe the Chivalric Code began to gain popularityamong the nobility, mainly through the agency of the bardic tra-dition, which sang songs and told stories glorifying it. Tradebetween the Christian holdings in the Holy Land and Italyincreased, and the Knights Templar flourished by acting as akind of bank, allowing lords and merchants to trade land andcapital for an equal amount of currency to trade along the Silk

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Road. As the Knights Templar became rich off of the trade, theyalso began to be persecuted in France, where their holdings weresubstantial and untaxed, by Papal Writ.

Crossbow, Heavy (Early Arbalest)Better metalworking, composite bow technology, and the devel-opment of a number of retraction mechanisms allowed the cross-bow to have a much greater pull. This made the crossbow chargeeven more deadly. The most notable addition to the crossbowwas the boot stirrup, a sort of metal loop on the end of the cross-bow that allowed a soldier to brace the crossbow with their feetwhile pulling the drawstring back into place. The second mostnotable advance was the belt hook, which was placed under thedrawstring before the soldier stepped into the stirrup, so that thesoldier’s belt could being the process of bringing the drawstringback into position. Drawing the bowstring without these mecha-nisms requires the wielder to succeed at a DC 15 Strength test inorder to load the weapon in a full combat round. This test maybe retried any number of times, although a DM may opt to

A Woman’s Place in WarWomen were generally not allowed to fight in the Dark Agesand the Medieval Period (at least in the West), althoughstrapped townships or villages might allow them to helpdefend with a peasant militia. Believed to be too weak of con-stitution for combat and too frail, this was only made worse bythe growing popularization by bards of the virtues of ChivalricLove, which stressed the femininity of the gentle woman. Butthis didn’t prevent the popularity of certain fantasy fightingwomen, like the Fighting Warrior Women of Ireland, thePolyanitzas, and the Amazons.

The Irish have a rich oral history of heroes and heroic deeds.Often warrior women featured in these stories would per-formed incredible feats of dexterity and acrobatics during bat-tle, feats that would not seem out of place in a wuxia film. Onewarrior woman might leap on top of an opponent’s upheldshield to strike him, or make a acrobatic spin that disarmed herfoes. The Polyanitzas, on the other hand, were a Russian leg-end based around women who fought along side the menwhen Russian lands were invaded by the Turks. Wearingchainmail and bearing swords, they were said to have foughtevery bit as well as the defending men. The Greek legend ofthe Amazons persisted from Homer’s time to the Medievalperiod, warrior women who lived in a Matriarchal society, andwhose zealot archers cut off a breast to aid in their bow-wom-anship. Eleanor, wife of King Louis of France, stood dressedas an Amazon during the ceremony that started the SecondCrusade, and it is said that she (symbolically) took the cross athis side. While Eleanor was not allowed to fight during theCrusade, she did remain a powerful political figure during theSecond Crusade.

ChivalryNo philosophical movement had a greater impact on thedevelopment of Europe and the ending of the Dark Ages thanChivalry. The Gothic sense of honor would definitely be con-sidered the original wellspring of the Chivalric movement, buta heavy dose of Christianity’s best aspects, combined with thegrowth of the bardic tradition lead to a the social movement ofChivalry. Chivalry is about the behavior and character ofknights, and, indirectly, of good Lords. Besides the virtuesheld dear by Christianity, such as faith, honesty, generosity,purity, and loyalty, Chivalry dictated the virtues of martialprowess, courage, hospitality, and nobility. Knights wereexpected to act with courtesy, to honor their words, to obey thecommands of their liege lord, and to stand firm in the face ofcertain doom. The knighthood spoken of in the documents onchivalry published during the Medieval period was an idyllicknighthood, a standard that many would consider unreachable.The closer a knight might reach to the ideal, the more honor hewas likely to garner for himself. And since most knights weregenerally only slightly better off than freemen, honor wasoften a more important currency than coinage, as a knight withhonor was more likely to be treated with respect by his liege,and his honor could become the basis for financial credit fromhis peers. This did not prevent knights or barons from usingtheir power and soldiers to terrorize the peasantry and robmerchants and travelers. Indeed, these raubritter (meaningrobber barons in German) were often an excellent way formore honorable knights to test their mettle and courage againsttheir contemporaries.

The concept of courtly love, which does not fall into the scopeof this work, was also propagated with the Chivalric move-ment, and the romance of this bardic tradition is often whatleads people in the modern day to lament the supposed deathof Chivalry.

increase or decrease the difficulty as appropriate. A Mediumsized or larger character may shoot (but not load) a crossbowwith one hand, incurring a –4 penalty. They may attempt to firea heavy crossbow from each hand at a –6 penalty, plus the nor-mal –4 penalty for off-handed firing (making it –6/-10). TheTwo Weapon Fighting feat will not mitigate this penalty, since itis used for melee weapons only. Ambidexterity, however,removes the offhand penalty (making the firing penalty –6/-6).The cranaquin or windlass would go a long way towards over-coming this less than reliable reloading problem.

Longbow, WelshThe Welsh developed the longbow that would eventuallybecome the English longbow. The Welsh longbow was aboutfive feet in length, and was used quite effectively against invad-ing English forces. The incredible range and force of the Welshlongbow impressed the English, who adopted and later refined it,making the longbow the national weapon of choice for England.Arrows for a Welsh lLongbow were longer than most traditionalarrows were, measuring over two feet in length and bearing 3-4inch arrow heads.

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Flaming ClothingThe Arabs used a very unorthodox tactic when attackingencampments or undefended villages in Christian control withthe express intention of disruption. By treating a cloth garment,and then covering it with naphtha, the clothing could be ignitedand yet allow the wearer a limited immunity to the flamesengulfing them. Once set ablaze, the wearer would run into thecamp or village and either strike at flammable supplies or merelygrab anyone and everyone they could, in order to set other peo-ple ablaze, in an effort to cause wholesale chaos and terror. Usu-ally this attack would last only a few minutes, and then theblazing man would flee back to a designated location where hisclothing would be extinguished he could be treated for any burnsor injuries. Sometimes the blazing man’s fireproofing would notprove adequate, and his clothing would either begin to burn inearnest or he would succumb to heat and exhaustion, collapsing.These unfortunate few would either die of being baked to death,or would be killed by his victims, once their senses were aboutthem.

Flaming clothing provides no defensive bonus, other than a lim-ited fire resistance. It does not mitigate heat damage, and thewearer of such clothing, when it is flaming, takes damage as ifengulfed in abysmal heat. Worse, the fire proofing may not befool proof. Roll a d20. Should the result of the roll be a 1, the fireproofing is incomplete, and the wearer will begin to take 1d3 firedamage each combat round after the third combat round. Shouldthe wearer of flaming clothing douse or beat out the flame beforethe third combat round, this damage does not occur. Still, theperson wearing this form of flaming clothing must merely comeinto contact with a flammable object to set it on fire. Even non-flammable items will burn for 1d3 turns, due to the nature ofnaphtha, although damage to the object itself will be halved.Usually the naphtha will consume its fuel entirely in 15 minutes,if allowed to burn that long.

The Third CrusadeThe Sack of Jerusalem by Salah al-Din was the impetus for theThird Crusade. The Pope appealed to the French King, who wasin the midst of a war with England, to send forces to help theKnights Templar and other forces still in the Christian held landsretake Jerusalem. King Phillip of France made peace with KingHenry of England, and both agreed to lead a Crusade, but KingHenry’s son, Richard of Pitou, started a war in the interimbetween himself and the Count of Toulouse. When King Henryrestricted funding and publicly rebuked his son, Richardswitched sides, and, as an agent of France, made war on hisfather. King Henry died of natural causes during the war, andRichard found himself King of England. So it was that KingRichard and King Phillip lead the forces of England and Franceto the Third Crusade.

King Richard’s Crusade against Salah al-Din, known as Saladinin the west, was rocky from the start. Fredrick Barbarosa (RedBeard), the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, had left morethan a year before, and had made inroads in Turkey, but when

Early TournamentsMartial combat as sport in Europe is nothing new. Trial bycombat, feuding, and dueling all come from Germanic tradi-tions, and then there is the example of the Romans to giveweight to a European fascination with death and bloodshed.Even after the end of gladiatorial combat, dog and cock fight-ing was still a rural sport, and bear baiting was popular inmuch of Northern and Western Europe. But the practice oftournaments began as an extension of the training regimens totrain soldiers and knights. Neighboring Lords would bringtheir fighting men together to have mock battles, often withreal weapons, simply for the testing of their training regimensand their tactics. Most such battles shed no blood, but thedamage to equipment could be expensive, and some did leadto bloodshed and death. In an effort to control the circum-stances in these gatherings, the tournament format was pro-posed. Lords would agree to the schedule of events, frommelees to skills testing (like lance work or feats of arms) tosingle man combat to duels of honor. Though jousting mightbe on the agenda for a tournament, it was by no means as pop-ular as it would be in later tournaments, mainly because thelances used were not blunted in any fashion, and death was notinfrequent. There were no lists in the early tournaments, andhorsemen who fell in combat often took the battle to theground, drawing melee weapons and attacking their mountedfoe. Early tournaments might even be used between twopotential foes to test each other’s forces, and even to settleminor squabbles. Still, the tournament process at the end of the13th century would set the stage for the rise of the tournamentas a sporting event rather than practice for war.


trying to cross into Syria Fredrick drowned while fording theCilician River. Without their Emperor to guide them, the Germanforces disbanded, and many returned home, while others madefor Antioch. The Kings of England and France took a sea route,sailing from Sicily to Cyprus, a small island that had, untilrecently, been allied with the Byzantines off the coast of Turkey.When Richard and Phillip arrived (actually shipwrecked wascloser to accurate) off of the coast, the current ruler took mem-bers of one ship prisoner in hopes that this would ensure peacewhile Richard and Phillip were in Cyprus. But Richard opted togo to war against the insurgent government, and when the rulerlost the first few battles against Richard’s Crusaders the peopleof Cyprus overthrew him, and accepted Richard as their King.Richard, rather than taking control of the island for England,would eventually sell it to the Knights Templar.

When Richard joined Phillip in the holy land, they immediatelymoved on Acre. Due to the decline of the Fatamid state and therise of independent emirates in the area, Saladin had been forcedto recruit his armies from many Emirs, and to make concessionsto each in the process. Saladin could not afford to focus on onearea too long, as the Emirs would take his attention asfavoritism, and he could only operate during one season of theyear. Still, he harried the forces in siege of Acre from time to

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time, especially when the city was under the most dire pressure.Since it was dangerous to commit all forces to a siege whilethere was an active army in the area, the siege of Acre lastedlonger than expected, but the result was still a loss of the city.The peace negotiated when the city was surrendered, however,was the most devastating portion of the siege. The city agreed tosurrender, give over 2000 prisoners, pay a large ransom, and turnover the True Cross.

Saladin, the Sultan, was honor bound to fulfill the surrenderagreement. The Crusaders encamped in Acre, and during theirencampment, King Phillip decided to return home. Richard,intent to stay and continue the Crusade, took a large number ofMuslim civilians hostage. This was intended to ensure paymentof the required settlement. But when Saladin could not turn overthe full amount pledged by the city, nor produce the True Cross,Richard slaughtered his prisoners: over 2500 men, women, andchildren. The butchery took all day, and Saladin attempted torescue the prisoners, but could not penetrate the Crusader’sdefenses. Historians condemn Richard for the slaughter, but itshould be noted that Richard did not have the supplies necessaryto feed, clothe, and maintain that many prisoners, and the Mus-lims generally regarded the slaughtered as having died a holymartyrdom. And it was shortly after this affair was completed

47a. Horseman's Warhammer; 47b. Footman's Warhammer; 48a. Horseman's Axe; 48b. Footman's Axe; 49. Martel de Fer; 50. Mili-tary Flail; 51. Shamshir; 52a. Heavy Crossbow; 52b. Crossbow Boot Stirrup; 52c. Crossbow Belt Hook; 53. Welsh Longbow; 54.Falchion

47a 47b 48a 48b

49 50

51

52a

52b 52c

53

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that Richard marched south out of Acre, intent on takingJerusalem.

Saladin was a scholar of both Turkish and Arabic tactics. Manytimes on the southern march Saladin would attack the Crusaderswith small numbers of light infantry, armed with compositebows, who would ride swiftly at the army and then retreat afterfiring off a few volleys. Saladin hoped to draw the Crusadersinto a charge against the small units of light infantry, so as todraw them into an ambush where Saladin could bring heavierforces to bear. Though the tactic had worked well with lessorganized Crusades, Richard did not fall for the maneuver, eventhough it meant his men had to stop marching and hide behindtheir shields until the archers retreated. Eventually this practicewas too much for the Templars among the Crusaders to stand.Two Templars led a charge despite Richard’s orders to standtheir ground, and soon the whole army followed. Ironically, thissudden change in tactics, backed by a huge force of chargingknights, broke Saladin’s army, and they had a clear march toJerusalem, while Saladin rushed to reform his forces.

Richard would never arrive at Jerusalem. Without Phillip, mostof the French contingent disbanded and left, and Richard had tosell the isle of Cyprus to pay the rest of those who stayed withhim. With reduced numbers, Richard could not safely approachJerusalem, whose desert location made it hard to arrive unex-pected, and whose fortifications were well manned by Saladin’sremaining forces. Worse yet, news of his brother, John theUsurper’s doings began to arrive, and Richard realized he mightnot have a Kingdom to return to if he remained on Crusademuch longer. After King Conrad, who had vied for the throne ofJerusalem, was killed by the Assassins, Richard was required towitness a marriage and approve the new king of Jerusalem, andin the process mollify a close supporter by arranging for him torule Cyprus.

After this, Richard’s campaign was one of a delayed retreat. FirstRichard was forced to give up a siege on Jerusalem. Then he lostJaffa to Saladin’s forces, only to regain it in a battle that wouldnearly destroy his army. At one point they fought behind a wallmade of planted shields and lances, their only defense against aforce many times their size. Richard had a horse killed fromunder him, and, in recognition of Richard’s gallantry Saladinsent him two horses, so that he would not have to fightunmounted. Perhaps this was because Saladin could see that theCrusaders would go no farther. After driving off Saladin’s forces,Richard fell ill, and Saladin had fresh fruit and snow from farmountaintops sent to him, to ease his discomfort. A month later atreaty would be signed, leaving Jerusalem in Muslim hands, butpromising that Christian pilgrims might visit the city free frommolestation. Richard attempted to return home.

Knowing that he would cross through lands of those he hadmade enemies of, Richard opted to disguise himself as a Tem-plar, but his disguise would only last until he reached Austria. Inan inn in Vienna Richard was recognized and apprehended.Duke Leopold of Austria, during the taking of Acre, had beeninsulted by English forces—they had cast his flag into the mud

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when he attempted to place it in an equal footing with those ofEngland and France. Now he had England’s King in his hands.Eventually he would be forced to give up Richard to EmperorHenry, his rightful lord, but Henry would place a high ransom onhis head. In the end, Richard was ransomed and he returned toEngland to chastise his brother for his excesses in the rule ofEngland. Richard, often called the Lion Hearted, would ruleEngland for about five years before his death. Still, his return, aschronicled in such stories as the Tale of Robin Hood and Ivan-hoe, would be regarded as a high point in the era.

The Fourth CrusadeThe Fourth Crusade was a travesty. Originally dedicated torecapturing Jerusalem, the Crusaders would eventually end up inVenice, trying to pay for a fleet to take them to Egypt. Whenthey could not come up with the funds, they were convinced tohelp Venice by recovering territory in Dalmatia, and, while onthe march to Dalmatia, they came upon Alexius the Fourth ofConstantinople. Byzantine intrigue left his father blind and inprison, and his uncle on the throne, and Alexius requested theCrusader’s support in returning him to power in Constantinople.In exchange he offered them the money to pay for the fleet wait-ing in Venice.

After recovering territory in Dalmatia for Venice, the Crusadersmoved on Byzantium. In an ironic turn of fate, the Crusaderswould accomplish what the Muslims never had: they attackedand conquered Constantinople. But the people of Byzantiumwould not accept Alexius the Fourth as Emperor, and after theCrusaders established him as Co-Emperor along with his blindedfather, another family member rose to claim the crown, and thepeople revolted. When the Crusaders saw the Emperors mur-dered and the Empire usurped by Alexius the Fifth, they decidedthat they should establish an Emperor of their own, so thatByzantium would finally be at peace, and would support theCrusades.

The second sack of Constantinople was both a success and fail-ure. It was the richest city in Europe, having stored art and treas-ures for nearly a millenium. When the Crusaders sackedConstantinople, they took away shiploads of treasure, and leftthe city weakened, ruled by a weak ruler and unable to supportany significant army. Without Constantinople to watch overthem, Bulgaria and Serbia began to grow in power, and theywould often oppose the rest of Europe. Byzantium would even-tually revolt again, returning rule to Byzantine rulers, but itwould never reclaim its former glory. And the Fourth Crusadewould never so much as set foot in the Middle East.

Crusading fervor reached a fever pitch at the beginning of the13th century. Stories of the valor of Christian Knights and talesof Templar bravery fired the imagination, and the tournamentculture helped to make individual knights as popular as modernday sports heroes. Two boys, one in France and one in Germany,were so moved by their Crusade mania that they began to preacha children’s Crusade. Boys as young as six years of age took upthe cross and left their homes, eventually raising a children’s


‘army’ of thousands. During their march they were turned backagain and again by those that told them a children’s Crusadewould never succeed. History does not record if they ever madeit to the holy land. It does not record their fate. Many suspectthat they were massacred or enslaved. The end result was thatthousands of young men and boys set out and few ever returnedhome.

At roughly the same time the Albingensian Crusade began. TheCathars, a heresy that preached a dualistic world view, wasstrong in southern France. When France proved unable to ade-quately put down the heresy, the Pope called for a Crusade,which promptly took place. All of southern France becameinvolved, as did the King of Aragon, and many provinceschanged hands. It quickly became evident that heresies could noteasily be rooted out by warfare, and a short while after the finishof the Albingensian Crusade the Inquistion would be establishedto prosecute heresies on a social scale, since armies were bestused for warfare, not social change.

In Spain the Crusades were going well. The Reconquista, as itwas known, had borne fruit. The two families, Castile andAragon, along with the King of Navarre, were slowly drivingback Muslim held Spain. Chain-mailed French and ChristianSpanish Knights fought Moorish warriors on horseback, the dou-ble edged European broadsword versus the Spanish Falchion.The Falchion, was the final descendant of a long line of heavychopping swords. The Spanish and Portuguese had forged anunsteady alliance, and driven the Muslims into the south ofIberia, isolating them in Catalonia and Granada. While the Kingof Aragon was fighting the Albingensian Crusade, King Ferdi-nand of Castille would be conquering Cordova, Murcia, Jaen,and Seville. He would drive the Muslims before him, and theywould eventually fall back to Granada, their final stronghold.The success of the Reconquista would enable the Kings of Spainto run for election as Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire,although Granada would last long beyond the last true Crusade.

FalchionAt last, the falchion came into existence. Developed by Arabs,the falchion became popular among the Crusaders for its strongoffensive capabilities. Damascened versions were uncommonbut were made when someone paid for their manufacture. TheCrusaders imported this weapon to Europe, although the Moorsand Muslims of Spain also used a steel version (but not dama-scened) version of this weapon independently. The falchion,being a weapon designed outside of Europe, was not consideredan appropriately chivalric weapon, and was never depicted indrawings or tapestries as a knight’s weapon.

European warfare was finally coming to resemble what mostpeople picture Medieval combat to look like. Chainmail still pre-dominated, but leg, arm, hand, knee, shoulder, and head wearwas now sometimes plated. Cuirbouille, boiled leather, wasagain becoming popular, and hard suits of boiled leather armorwere common among infantry. Along with the broadsword,longsword, bow, crossbow, mace, hammer, pick, and axe, the

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glaive, pike, partisan, and mace and chain came into commonuse. A coat of plates was being experimented which would even-tually lead to European plated armor. Rivetted chain mail andreinforced chain mail were also being experimented with, bothattempts to make chain mail more protective. Most shields werewooden, with a rare number of them being steel, and small,large, great, and tower shields were found on the battlefield,from the teardrop great shields common to cavalry and theirlesser cousin the kite shield to rectangular, oblong, round, orsquare shields of all sizes.

Sword ShieldDeemed an appropriate dueling weapon in the Assizes ofJerusalem, the sword shield was any long, thin rectangular oroval shield that bore at least two triangular spike-like blades onit, usually at opposite ends. Some bore more such blades, up tosix, and often of varying lengths or at asymmetrical intervals.The sword shield counts as both a shield and weapon, and waswielded two-handed. The Sword Shield may be used as a doubleweapon. When using it in this manner you incur all the normalattack penalties associated with fighting with two weapons as ifyou are using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. A crea-ture using a double weapon in one hand, such as a Large creatureusing a sword shield, cannot use it as a double weapon. Whenfighting defensively with a sword shield, you may add the swordshield’s armor bonus to your AC, unlike most shield weapons.Knights were likely to duel with these until first blood, but someduels ended in death anyway, either from a lucky strike or fromhot blood and deliberate ignoring of the decorum of dueling.There is no record of the sword shield being used in regularcombat, but adding sword blades to shields did become morepopular after the Assizes of Jerusalem were disseminated amongthe Barons of Palestine and the Lords of Europe.

Chainmail, Steel PlatedChainmail was the dominant armor of Europe, and was onlyslightly improved upon during this period with the use of plates.Small plates were added at weak points: the hands, knees,elbows, shoulders, and feet. Chain boots were developed, andclosed helms became more common, especially the heaume. Themost common covering for a Crusader was a white surplice witha crimson Crusader’s cross on it. Many pictures of this era thatappear to depict a chainmailed knight with a breastplate invari-ably are over dramatized depictions of bloused surplices. Heavyplating would not be found in the 13th Century.

Leather, Cuirbouille and Studded CuirbouilleThe art of boiling leather was never lost. However, after the fallof the Romans, tanned leather became more popular, and chain-mail seemed excellent as a harder armor. Boiled leather returnedto prominence primarily as an armor for more wealthy militias orinfantry. It compromised cost with defense and mobility, andcould be studded to provide a slight boost in defensibility. Cuir-bouille was never as finely worked in the Medieval period as it

had been in earlier eras, and was rarely decorated in any signifi-cant fashion.

Coat of PlatesA leather coat lined with heavy steel plates, this type of armorwas found in an archaeological dig in Denmark. Dated to theearly 14th century, it represented a unique form of armor, a sortof stepping stone between chainmail and platemail that neversaw great prominence in the rest of Europe. It seems likely thatthe coat of plates began to be experimented with during the endof the 13th Century, and that it was an attempt, of sorts, to makea heavier militia armor that might still remain flexible. It waslikely combined with leather for the rest of the body, and a hel-met or open faced helm for headgear.

Chainmail, Riveted or ReinforcedChainmail was made in a variety of ways, but riveted and rein-forced chainmail were significant enough variants to make noteof. Riveted chainmail was made by closing a chain link with aniron rivet, making the armor considerably more dense, but lessflexible. The rivet gave the chainmail a stippled appearance,almost like minute studding. Still, riveted chainmail was unpop-ular due to the lack of flexibility at the joints. This did not pre-

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vent it from seeing significant use as barding. Reinforced chain-mail also sought to make chainmail harder to penetrate, and itused thin leather strips in its attempt. The leather stripes werewoven between the chain links, filling the space between themand attempting to make it harder for piercing weapons to breakthrough the armor. Leather was used, rather than steel wire, forexample, because leather was assumed to be flexible enough to

55. Steel Plated Chainmail

55

The Assizes of JerusalemA compilation of the governing charter of the Kingdom ofJerusalem, the Assizes were a sort of model document writtenafter the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin. Since Jerusalem had nooriginal European Christian government before the Crusades,there was no unwritten body of law to govern the kingdom,and it fell to the first European King of Jerusalem to gather thebest laws and practices of the Feudal Period and attempt toadminister the new region by them. Besides establishing aHouse of Burghers to help run the Kingdom and its fourduchies, the Assizes established laws of lawful conduct andadjudicating disputes based on the principles of Chivalricbehavior, and many legal matters were given the option ofbeing resolved in combat, either by the accused and hisaccuser or their chosen champions. There was a long list oflawful reasons to call for a duel between two parties, as wellas legal guidelines on how to lawfully pursue feuds. WhetherJerusalem was ever truly ruled to the letter of the Assizes isopen to question, but the Assizes became the basis of latergovernments or kingly rules who sought to have the ‘perfectfeudal system’.

Shield BladesLike spikes, sword-like blades may be added to any shield butthe buckler or tower shield. These blades turn the shield into amartial weapon that deals 1d4 points of slashing damage (x2crit) regardless of the size of the shield. Possessing multipleblades on a small shield does not confer an advantage in bat-tle, however having two blades opposite each other on anoblong or rectangular Large or Great shield will make it a dou-ble weapon, as per the Sword Shield.


take the regular wear and tear without making the armor toostiff. The result was not entirely satisfactory. True, piercingweapons were not quite as effective against chainmail as theywere normally, but the leather tended to wear away quickly andrequired time intensive maintenance to keep in top performance.

Glaive, Middle SteelThis polearm is often thought to be a descendant of the bill orhalberd. A long, wood-hafted weapon with a 6-8 inch curvedchopping blade at the end, the upthrust point of the Glaive wasnot effective enough to set against a charge, and the balance wastoo ungainly to use the Glaive as a double weapon. The Glaivewas generally used in infantry groups to keep enemy lines backand chop at enemy weapons. Since the blades did fearsomedamage in close quarters melee the weapon head often had aflared disk at its base, to prevent an opponent from beingimpaled too far down the weapon haft.

Pike, Middle SteelThe Pike was a spiritual descendant of the sarissa, a 15 footpolearm meant to prevent charges by both cavalry and infantry.The pike is an extended reach weapon, and may be used toattack an opponent 15 feet away. The pike, if choked up on, mustbe able to extend up to five feet behind the wielder, and thenmay only be used against a foe 10 feet away. As with most reachweapons, any foe within the pike’s range may not effectively beattacked. The pike may be set against a charge, doing damageagainst a charging foe. Pikes were often carried in large numbers

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by light and medium infantry, and would bristle in nearly impen-etrable lines at the beginning of a battle. This maneuver lead tothe greater prominence of archers in enemy formations beingused at the beginning of battle.

Partisan, Middle SteelThe partisan is a close cousin of the halberd, having an axeblade, rearward spike, and thrusting spike. While the axe bladewas prominent on the halberd, the thrusting spike at the top ofthe partisan was its dominant feature. The staff end of a partisoncan also be used to strike making this a double weapon. Whenusing the partisan as a double weapon, it does not count as areach weapon, and you incur all the normal attack penalties asso-ciated with fighting with two weapons as if you are using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. A creature using a doubleweapon in one hand, such as a Large creature using a partisan,cannot use it as a double weapon. The partisan may also be usedfor tripping attacks (using the rearward spike to attempt a trip). Ifyou are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop thepartisan in order to avoid being tripped. The partisan may be setagainst charge.

56. Sword Shield; 57. Studded Cuirbouille Leather; 58. Coat ofPlates

56

57 58

Glaives


Mace And ChainThe mace and chain was a simplification of the military flail,sacrificing the multiple heads for a single flail head that was notquite as dangerous to use. The strike head of the mace and chaincould either be a smooth round steel ball or it could be spiked,like a morningstar. The spiked version of the mace and chainwas sometimes referred to as the day-star or the good day, in anattempt to make a joke of how unpleasant a day someone struckby the weapon could experience. Either version gives a +2 bonuson their opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an oppo-nent, including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they failtheir disarm attempt. This weapon is a shield bypass weapon andcan be used to trip an opponent.

Flail, Horseman’s (Goupillon)The goupillon was a much shortened, one-handed version of themilitary flail, intended for use on horseback. The chains weregreatly foreshortened, lessening the damage but eliminating thechance of backlash. The goupillon was never as popular as thedaystar for horsemen, mainly because of its less than advanta-geous damage and lessened disarm bonus (+1). The flail headsof the goupillon were generally spiked like that of a morningstar.

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The Fifth CrusadeThe Fifth Crusade targeted Egypt, as most Crusaders nowbelieved that as long as Egypt could send reinforcements,Jerusalem would not fall. The Crusaders knew that the Nile wastheir best route to Cairo, but there was a chain on the river, lead-ing from a tower to the city walls of Damietta. The chain made itimpossible for ships to sail in either direction along the Nile, andin order to attack Cairo, the Crusaders needed supply ships andreinforcements from the mainland to be able to navigate theriver. The Crusaders laid siege against the tower first, and theycontrolled it within a month.

With the chain cut, the Egyptians knew their time was limited.Worse, a plot was hatched by the Kurdish general of the Egypt-ian forces to stage a military coup and change the rulership ofEgypt. The Egyptian Sultan discovered the conspiracy before itwas sprung, and he arrested the general and retreated fromDamietta. When his forces learned that their Sultan had fled andthe general was under house arrest, they fled Damietta them-selves. The Sultan sent the Crusaders an offer: he would givethem the Kingdom of Jerusalem, minus two castles, and theywould agree to a truce with Egypt for thirty years. CardinalPelagius, the papal legate and current commander of the Christ-ian forces, believed that they were about to take Egypt, and he

59a. Rivetted Chainmail; 59b. Reinforced Chainmail; 60a-60d. Pike examples; 61a-61d. Partisan examples; 62. Mace and Chain; 63.Horseman's Flail

59a

59b 60a 60b 60c 60d 61a 61b 61c 61d

62

63


refused the offer. The Sultan sweetened the deal by offering30,000 bezaints, but still the Cardinal refused.

After a number of skirmishes the Crusaders fought the civilianmilitia of Damietta and finally took the city. As soon as they werewell fortified, they pursued the Egyptian army in the field. TheSultan of Egypt was dedicated to retreating, knowing his forceswere weak and demoralized. This tactic, though, proved to beconfusing to the Crusaders, and when the Sultan noted that theCrusaders hesitated in their march while he retreated, he ordereda cavalry charge and scored huge losses on the Crusaders. Then,hoping their weakened position might prompt them to take anoffer, he sent them yet another surrender offer, offering to helpthem rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and to return the True Cross,in exchange for peace. The cardinal, again, refused.

The cardinal, for his defense, was expecting the Holy RomanEmperor to arrive. But he never did. Worse, the cardinal’s refusalto accept the terms put him at odds with all but the Italian contin-gent of the Crusaders. This made it impossible for him to com-mand the Crusaders, and it wasn’t until the forces of the HolyRoman Empire arrived that another could take control and leadthe Crusaders against the Egyptians. In the time they foughtamongst each other, the Egyptians had had time to reorganizeand restore their forces.

The Crusaders marched on the Egyptian forces, but it was theirignorance of the environment that defeated them. The Crusadersmade camp between a dry canal and the Nile, and the flood sea-son was fast approaching. When the flood finally came, the Cru-saders found themselves on a muddy island cut off from themain land, and Egyptian ships sailed past them to cut off theirescape or resupply. The Crusaders were trapped.

Knowing there was only twenty days of food left, and no way toget to the supply ships, the cardinal ordered retreat. The Crusaders,feeling it a shame to leave good supplies behind, torched theirexcess food and drank all the wine. Many of them were intoxi-cated when they fled the camp at night, but the sight of the fire intheir supply gave their retreat away to the Egyptian forces. TheEgyptians moved to meet the retreat, and the drunken Crusaderswere forced to fight in the mud and water against mounted sol-diers. There was no way to win. Most were forced to retreat totheir camp, which now had no supplies, and a few managed toreach supply ships and retreat to Damietta. Finally, the Cardinalaccepted terms of surrender with the Egyptians. The Egyptians,now having the upper hand, simply demanded that the Crusadersleave Egypt and not return. Once the Crusaders agreed, the Egypt-ian Sultan fed the Crusaders and entertained their officers untilthey could all leave by ship. With the failure of the Fifth Crusade,the Crusades lost much of their shine. Only the Reconquistaseemed to be effective, and the superior weaponry that was com-ing out of Damascus made combat with the Saracens a danger.

The Sixth CrusadeThe Sixth Crusade was anything but a Crusade. The HolyRoman Emperor, Fredrick the Second, who was widely blamedfor the failure of the Fifth Crusade, finally decided to leave on

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his own Crusade. Unfortunately, when he and his men wereabout to sail for the holy land, they caught Malaria. This delay,plus previous failures to make a Crusade got Fredrick excommu-nicated. Excommunication was a tool used by the Pope to stig-matize rulers or individuals, and in this case hisexcommunication caused many of his Crusaders to leaveFredrick. When Fredrick recovered he decided to embark on hisCrusade anyway, and was excommunicated again for not havingconfessed before undertaking a Crusade. When his men heard ofhis second excommunication, still more left him.

Fredrick was left without a substantial army. AlthoughJerusalem’s wall was broken, he knew he had no hope of takingthe city while the Sultan of Egypt was still a threat. Fredrickopted to negotiate for a settlement to recover Jerusalem withouta fight. The Sultan, who was currently besieging Damascus in ahope to subdue all of Syria and bring it under Egyptian control,wanted freedom from the threat of a Crusader army, so he couldfinish his offensive. Eventually the Sultan decided it was betterto give Frederick a minor victory so as to make his own positionsecure. The Sultan of Egypt agreed to give the Christians controlof Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and the castles of Montfortand Toron. In return the Arabs would have free access to the city,and would retain ownership of the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque. Both men got what they wanted from the negotia-tion, although they both were criticized for their decisions. TheSultan of Egypt was accused of giving up without a fight. Fred-erick was accused of not using his Crusaders to negotiate a bettersettlement. Most people on both sides knew that with the wallsof Jerusalem indefensible, the truce would last only as long asthe Muslim forces wanted it to last. Still, Emperor Frederickgained by negotiation what previous Crusades had been unableto: the return of Jerusalem to Christian hands.

With the reclamation of Jerusalem secured, the popularity of theCrusades waned. Italian merchants continued to establish ties withthe Muslims, who welcomed the money and trade, and the Christ-ian barons of Palestine knew that they were tolerated only as longas they could defend themselves. The Muslim people were in themidst of social reorganization, and murmurs from the East told ofa great scourge approaching from beyond Islamic lands.

A Storm Rises in the EastBetween the Sixth and the Seventh Crusade, the Mongols came.Their thundering, horsebound hordes tore through the armies ofRussia and crushed the capitol of Kiev, uniting all of Russiaunder the Golden Horde. Then the Mongols invaded Lithuania,Poland, Hungary, and the Balkans. What little Byzantine controlwas left in the Balkans fell under the Mongol onslaught, and fora time all of Europe was in terror that the Mongols were about towash over it, erasing the tenuous society they had established.Fortunately, the Khan at the time, Ogodai, died before the inva-sion could have extended beyond eastern Europe. Plans had beenin place to move across Europe, possibly in as little as two years,and had they proceeded, Europe would likely have been recon-stituted entirely, ruled by Khanates, united in an Empire stretch-ing from China and Korea to the edge of the Pyrenees. But the


Mongols retreated from Europe, leaving their controlled lands inthe hands of the hereditary rulers, and only required continuedtribute from Russia. Russia would ever after have ties to theTurks and Mongols, and would be influenced by factors that therest of Europe would be immune to.

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Meanwhile, while fighting the reconquista, the Moors of Spaindeveloped a number of unique weapons which, unfortunately,never spread much outside of Iberia and Morocco.

ManopleThe Manople is a gauntletted longsword, with two lesser, curv-ing blades extending parallel on either side of the main one.Besides being exceptionally difficult to disarm (+10 versus anopponent's disarm), the Manople's shorter blades made give it anadditional +2 on their opposed attack roll when attempting todisarm an opponent. This includes the roll to keep from beingdisarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. The Manople is con-sidered an exotic weapon.

AdargaAnother exotic weapon, the Adarga was a strange shield-weaponcombination. A short pole with a spear at either end was matedwith a diamond or rectangular small shield, which was set at themidpoint of the pole. As if it was not already an awkwardweapon, the Adarga also had a sword blade that thrust from thecenter of the shield, giving the attacker a thrusting weapon aswell. The Adarga was generally used like a shortsword, exceptwhen the wielder needed to make a quick stab with either spearblade. The shield bonus of the small shield cannot be used whileattacking.

In the interim, Jerusalem fell once more to the Muslim armies.As had been suspected, the walls proved inadequate to defend aslong as Egypt could attack. Though the armies of Palestine didtheir best to hold against the Arab forces, but they did not havethe numbers that the Muslim armies did. At this time the Egyp-tians began to employ the Mamelukes, slaves of non-Arabiandescent who were not muslim, and could be used to fight bothChristian and Muslim forces. The Mamelukes became theprominent military force of Egypt after the Kurds proveduntrustworthy.

The Seventh CrusadeThe Seventh Crusade, lead by King Louis the Ninth of France,again targeted Egypt. As before, the Crusaders landed and had aninitial victory at Damietta. Again, they were offered Jerusalem inreturn for Damietta. Again, the Crusaders refused, feeling thatthey could get a better settlement with a successful attack onCairo. This time they anticipated the flooding of the Nile, andwaited to proceed to the place where the Nile and the dry canalmet (see 5th Crusade). This time they avoided the obviousdefensive location, knowing it to be a death trap, and insteadattempted to create a dam to cross the river. The Mamelukesfoiled this, but a Coptic Christian offered to show the Crusadersa ford. The Crusaders forded the river under cover of darkness,and, though King Louis ordered the advance forces to wait forhis command to attack, the Templar Knight who lead theadvance force decided to strike anyway.

The advance forces were mostly knights, elite riders who sur-passed most Muslim cavalrymen, being trained to fight long and

The Eagle’s NestIn what today is modern day Iran, in the valley of Alamut, aman called Hassan I Sabbah ruled. From the castle of Aluh Ala-mut, Hassan I Sabbah controlled one of the most deadly organ-izations in history, the Assassins. There is a story, recounted byMarco Polo and repeated by many many historians of how theAssassins were established by Hassan creating a mock up ofthe Islamic paradise and having new recruits smoke hashishuntil they passed out. When they awoke, they would find them-selves in a place that they could only take as heaven, and whenthey were later taken from it, they would obey Hassan com-pletely, believing by serving him they would return to paradiseagain. This story, beautiful and poetic, is not true.

Hassan was an Ismailite, a member of a heretical sect of Islamthat split from the Shiite branch of Islam over political andreligious differences. Hassan was a charismatic and devotedman who converted many to the Ismailite cause, and used hispower to take the poorly defended castle of Aluh Alamut.Making it his home, he used it to solidify his power in his por-tion of Persia, and he employed his assassins, called fidais, tokill those who stood in the way of his ambitions. The Assas-sins employed simple tactics, appearing as unassumingstrangers, drawing their weapons only when they were directlyin front of their targets, and stabbing them, in the open, in pub-lic. There was no use of poison or backstabbing, and theAssassins were often killed upon completion of their mission.

Called Assassins by the Crusaders, after Hassan himself(whom they called the Old Man), they were as much myth asthey were a reality for the Christian invaders. Assassins onlyrarely struck the Crusaders, and then only when a PalestinianBaron or Lord was interfering with the religious wars betweenthe Ismaili and Shiite sects. Later inheritors of Hassan’s man-tle caused more chaos in the Persian lands than they ever didin Palestine, since a split between the Ismailis in Cairo andthose in Alamut left the two organizations opposed to eachother. Only the Ismailis in Syria still interacted with Crusadersat all, while those in the East were to embark on their own eso-teric religious journey that had no effect on this narrative.Among the charges leveled against the Templars when theorder was tried a century later was this supposed interactionwith the Assassins, and it was intimated that the Templars hadregular contact with them. Although a short alliance wasattempted by the Assa ssins with Jerusalem shortly beforeJerusalem was sacked by Saladin, it never came to fruition.

In the end, the Assassins were destroyed by the Mongol con-quest. They dismantled Aluh Alamut stone by stone, andattempted to utterly purge their controlled areas of the Assas-sins completely. The remnants of Hassan’s forces were forcedunderground, and would never cohesively surface again.


hard on horseback. They came upon the Mameluke encampmentwhile they were going through their morning activities, andutterly crushed the Egyptian army. Surprised, and unprepared todefend against an attack on their own side of the river, the armycollapsed and fled to the city of Mansourah. The Crusaders fool-ishly opted to pursue.

The captain of the Mamelukes ordered that the gates of the citybe left open, and that the Crusaders be allowed to enter the city.Only when the attackers were deep in the city did his spring hiscounter-attack. The crusading knights were potent warriors andexcellent horsemen, but the alleys and streets of Mansourahwere frequently narrow, sometimes so much so that a horsecould not even turn around. The people of Mansourah joined theMamelukes in the attack, throwing rocks from rooftops, or leap-ing down to unhorse knights. Once on foot, the knights were sur-rounded and overwhelmed. Of nearly three hundred Templarknights to enter the city, only five escaped. Most of the Englishforces that had come with the largely French army perished inMansourah. Many nobles lost their lives in the attack. And all ofthis occurred while King Louis and the rest of the army, mostlyinfantry and archers, were still crossing the ford.

Without their knights, the Christian forces knew they were at asevere disadvantage. Worse, the Sultan of Damascus arrivedwith reinforcements for Egypt, cutting off supply ships and cre-ating a famine in the Christian camp. The Christians were forcedto fall back, but typhus and dysentery were rampant, and theMamelukes, now having time to recover from the attack on theirarmy, were able to harass the Crusaders, although never actuallybeing able to effectively defeat them. In the end, the Crusaders

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were cornered, with most of their leaders sick, and when theMamelukes made a lightning strike, the Crusaders surrendered.Nearly the entire army was captured.

The Mamelukes could not feed or care for such a great numberof prisoners. They were forced to take three hundred of the sick-est Crusaders and behead them, in order to lessen the burden.King Louis, who was very sick, was taken to Mansourah andcared for in a private home, placed in chains but nursed back tohealth. The Egyptians needed him healthy if they intended toransom him. And ransom him they did. Eventually they sold himback to the forces of Damietta in exchange for the city and half amillion pounds of gold coinage. Louis had to sell a great deal ofland and take out loans with the Templars to pay half of the ran-som, and then he and the rest of the Christians in Damiettaretreated by ship to Acre. Those soldiers too ill to leave were leftbehind, and slaughtered by the Mamelukes when they occupiedDamietta.

The Mamelukes, meanwhile, took advantage of the chaos andthe presence of the Sultan of Damascus to stage a coup. Theirleader attempted to assassinate the Sultan, but he fled. His horsewas killed from under him, and he waded deep into the Nile toescape pursuers, but was riddled with arrows while fleeing.Eventually the leader of the coup had to wade out into the waterto hack the Sultan apart. With the Sultan of Damascus dead andEgypt firmly in their hands, the Mamelukes took over rulershipof Egypt, although through puppet Sultans to begin with, so as toavoid causing too great a backlash among their neighbors.

63. Manople; 64 Adarga

63

64


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The Mongols, by this time, were invading Persia, and theyappeared to be intent on conquering all of Islam. The forces ofDamascus and Egypt, at odds because of the death of the Sultanof Damascus, were forced to put their enmity aside to face theMongols together. The Christians were forced to accept that thesuccesses of the First Crusade would never be repeated, and thatthe lands lost would likely never be recovered. As Islam pre-pared for a true invasion, the Christians looked upon the suc-cesses and failures of the Crusades and realized that they werelargely finished with their task. For good or ill, the Holy Landwould not rest solely in the hands of the Christians.

The Mongols never successfully took Palestine. Muslim forcesbalked them in Western Syria, and this left the Mamelukes freeto focus on the Christian holdings. Antioch was crushed in amassive attack, and two French Castles were crushed as well.Then came the Sultan Kalavun. He pulled a coalition army ofEmirs together dedicated to one task: driving out the Franks.They besieged Acre, but the Sultan was aged and died during thecampaign. The Christian rulers thought they were spared, but foronce the succession was swift and painless, and Kalavun’s sontook up where his father left off.

Gifts of the Mongol ConquestWith the Mongols came both death and life. The Mongolssacked Persia and established their own Empire in its wake,but within a generation the ruling Mongols converted to Islam,and returned it to the laws that governed much of Islam. Butwith the Mongols came better steel weapons, the many armorscommon to the Mongol rule (lacquered leather, scaled jack,and kolontar plated mail), the much improved silk armor ofChina, and the secret of rocketry.

Acre was a stronghold. Its walls were well maintained, and itwas fully garrisoned by both Templar and Hospitaller forces,as well as a large militia contingent. The Muslims brought ahuge force of artillery, and bombarded the city day and night.They employed more than 1000 engineers to sap the walls.Their army was ten times that of the army held in Acre. Sortieswere attempted, but they failed twice and were abandoned.Although reinforcements arrived, they were not enough. Themuslims were finally dedicated to retaking their lands. Acrefell 9 years before the turn of the century.

The Templars and Hospitallers took cruel losses. Many wereforced to flee by ship, and were pursued by a muslim fleet.The remnants of the Templars retreated to their own castle, butit, too fell within ten days. Those Templar Knights that hadremained were either executed or sent into slavery. And withthem, Christian control of any part of the Holy Land fell. Thefinal cities were easily crushed, and the castles left were sys-tematically destroyed. Only a little more than a century afterthe Crusades began, the Holy Land was once more completelyoccupied by Islam.


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Table 6-1: Dark Age WeaponsSimple Weapons-Melee Weapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HPTiny

Knife, Early Steel 1.4gp 1d4 x2 1lb S M 7/3Knife, Middle Steel 1.5gp 1d4 x2 1lb S M 8/3

SmallAxe, Woodcutter's Iron 7gp 1d6 x3 7lbs S MW 6/21Axe, Woodcutter's Early Steel 7.5gp 1d6 x3 6.5lbs S MW 7/20Mace, Horseman's Middle Steel 5gp 1d6 x2 5.5lbs B MW 8/19Mace, Light Early Steel 4.5gp 1d6 x2 2.5lbs S M 7/8Scramsax, Early Steel 6gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B MW 7/18Sickle, Early Steel 5gp 1d6 x2 3lbs S M 7/9

Medium-SizeAxe, Miner's Early Steel 8gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 7/16Axe, Pick Early Steel 7gp 1d6 x3 6lbs P MW 7/12Axe, Pick Iron 5gp 1d6 x3 7lbs P MW 6/14Club, Throwing* -- 1d3 x2 10 ft 2lbs B W 4/4Club, Throwing Early Steel* 2gp 1d4 x2 10 ft 3lbs B MW 7/6Hayfork, Irona 7gp 1d8 x3 8lbs P MW 6/16Hayfork, Early Steela 8gp 1d8 x3 7lbs P MW 7/14Mace, Early Steel Heavy 12gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B MW 7/24Mace, Early Steel Footman's 11gp 1d8 x2 11lbs B MW 7/22Mace, Middle Steel Footman's 12gp 1d8 x2 11lbs B MW 8/22Morningstar, Early Steel 7gp 1d8 x2 8lbs B and P MW 7/16Morningstar, Middle Steel 8gp 1d8 x2 8lbs B and P MW 8/16Pitchfork, Irona 8gp 1d8 x3 8.5lbs P MW 6/17Pitchfork, Early Steela 9.5gp 1d8 x3 7.5lbs P MW 7/15

LargeCrozier‡ 5gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B 6M 6/12Crozier w/ Hidden Spearhead‡ 10gp 1d6/1d8 x2 8lbs B 7M 7/16Quarterstaff‡ 2gp 1d6/1d6 x2 4lbs B 4W 4/10

Simple Weapons-Ranged Small

Crossbow, Light Middle Steel 35gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 8/18Medium-Size

Crossbow, Heavy Middle Steel 50gp 1d10 19–20/x2 120ft 9lbs As per Quarrel MW 8/27Martial Weapons-Melee Small

Flail, Horseman's*# 7.5gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B MW 8/12Francisca, Early Steel 7gp 1d6 x3 10ft 8lbs S MW 7/24Hatchet, Early Steel 6gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 7/24Mace & Chain, Middle Steel*# 7gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B MW 8/12Mace & Chain, Middle Steel (Spiked)*# 8gp 1d8 x2 5lbs B and P MW 8/15Shortsword, Early Steel 9gp 1d6 19–20/x2 4lbs P M 7/12Shortsword, Viking Pattern Welded* 409gp 1d6+1 19–20/x2 4lbs P M 9/12

Medium-SizeAxe, Footman's Early Steel 8gp 1d8 x3 6lbs S 7MW 7/12Axe, Footman's Middle Steel 9gp 1d8 x3 6lbs S 8MW 8/12Axe, Horseman's Middle Steel 8.5gp 1d6 x3 4lbs S 8MW 8/10

222


Table 6-1: Dark Age WeaponsMartial Weapons-Melee Weapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HPMedium-Size

Axe, Spiked Middle Steel 12gp 1d8 or 1d4 x3 8lbs S or P MW 8/16Battleaxe, Early Steel 9gp 1d8 x3 8lbs S MW 7/16Battleaxe, Middle Steel 10gp 1d8 x3 8lbs S MW 8/16Broadsword, Early Steel 22gp 2d4 19–20/x2 8lbs S M 7/18Broadsword, Middle Steel 25gp 2d4 19–20/x2 8lbs S M 8/18Flail, Grain*# 5gp 1d6 x2 3lbs B W 4/6Flail, Grain Iron Studded*# 7gp 1d8 x2 5lbs B WM 6/10Flail, Grain Early Steel Studded*# 7.5gp 1d8 x2 4.5lbs B MW 7/9Hammer, Iron 6gp 1d6 x2 7lbs B MW 6/14Hammer, Early Steel 7gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B MW 7/12Lance, Byzantine Early Steel*† 7gp 1d8 x3 7lbs P WM 5/14Lance, European Early Steel*†a 7gp 1d6 x3 7lbs P WM 5/14Lance, Middle Steel Knight's*†a 10gp 1d8 x3 9lbs P MW 8/18Longsword, Middle Steel 15gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 8/12Longsword, Viking Pattern Welded 415gp 1d8+1 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 9/12Manople* 30gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 8/14Pick, Footman's Early Steel 7gp 1d6 x4 4lbs P MW 7/8Pick, Footman's Middle Steel 8gp 1d6 x4 4lbs P MW 8/8Pick, Horseman's Middle Steel 7.5gp 1d4 x4 4lbs P MW 8/10Shamshir, Middle Steel Early 16gp 1d6 18–20/x2 4lbs S M 8/8Shamshir, Damascened Early 416gp 1d6+1 18–20/x2 4lbs S M 10/11Sparte, Early Steel 15gp 1d8 x3 7lbs S M 7/14Spathion, Early Steel 14gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 7/12Warhammer, Footman's Early Steel 10.5gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 7/16Warhammer, Footman's Middle Steel 12gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 8/16Warhammer, Horseman's Middle Steel 11gp 1d6 or 1d3 x3 or x4 5.5lbs B or P MW 8/11Xiphos, One Edged Early Steel 14gp 1d6 18–20/x2 6lbs S M 7/12Xiphos, Double-Edged Early Steel 14gp 1d6 19–20/x2 4lbs P M 7/8

LargeAxe, Bearded 9gp 2d4 x3 9lbs S MW 7/18Battleaxe, Double Winged Early Steel 18gp 1d10 x3 15lbs S MW 7/30Bill, Early Steel*†a 18gp 1d8 or 1d3/1d4 x3/x2 14lbs S or P / B MW 7/28Bill, Middle Steel*†a 20gp 1d8 or 1d3/1d4 x3/x2 14lbs S or P / B MW 8/28Falchion, Middle Steel 75gp 2d4 18–20/x2 16lbs S M 8/32Falchion, Damascened 475gp 2d4+1 18–20/x2 16lbs S M 10/35Glaive, Middle Steela 8gp 1d10 x3 15lbs S MW 8/30Halberd, Capped Early Steel*a 13.5gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 8/30Halberd, Capped Middle Steel*a 15gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 8/30Halberd, Early Steel*a 9gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d4 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 7/30Halberd, Middle Steel*a 10gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d4 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 8/30Halberd, Spiked Early Steel*a 18gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3 15lbs S or P / P MW 7/30Halberd, Spiked Middle Steel*a 20gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3 15lbs S or P / P MW 8/30Maul, Wooden 5gp 2d3 x2 8lbs B W 4/16Maul, Iron 7gp 1d8 x2 11lbs B MW 6/22Maul, Early Steel 8gp 1d8 x2 10lbs B MW 7/20Partisan, Middle Steel*‡a 12gp 1d8 or 1d6/1d4 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 7/30


223

Table 6-1: Dark Age WeaponsMartial Weapons-MeleeWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HPLarge

Pike, Middle Steel*†a 8gp 1d10 x3 14lbs P MW 8/28Refthi (Halberd-like Axe) 8gp 1d6 or 1d8 x2 or x3 13lbs B or S MW 7/26Scythe, Early Steel 16gp 2d4 x4 12lbs P and S MW 7/24Spear, Krokaspjót (Hooked Spear)*†a 8gp 1d8 x3 9lbs S MW 7/18Spear, Long Early Steel†a 4.5gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P MW 7/20Spear, Long Middle Steel*†a 5gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P MW 8/20Two Handed Sword, Viking Pattern Welded* 420gp 1d12+1 19–20/x2 11lbs S M 9/22

Martial Weapons-RangedLarge

Longbow, Welsh 150gp 1d10 x3 120ft 3.5lbs As per Arrow W 6/13Exotic Weapons-MeleeLarge

Flail, Military* 120gp 1d8 19–20/x2 16lbs B MW 8/32Martel de Fer, Middle Steel* 30gp 1d8 or 1d3 x3 9lbs B or P MW 8/20

Exotic Weapons-RangedSmall

Whip, Bull*# 1gp 1d2§ x2 15ft 2lbs S L 4/6Accessories

Solenarion/Majra* 9sp -10 ft .5lbs As per Dart W 1/2Weapons Ranged-Ammunition

Arrow, Welsh Longbow (wt. per 20) 3gp 3lbs P MW 8/3Darts, Byzantine Bow (Mice)* 1gp 1d3 .2lbs P M 6/1Darts, Arab Arrow Headed Bow* 1gp 1d3 .2lbs S M 6/1Darts, Arab Bullet Headed Bow* 1gp 1d3 .2lbs P M 6/1Darts, Arab Barbed Bow* 1gp 1d3 .2lbs P M 6/1Darts, Arab Spiked Bow* 2gp 1d3 .2lbs P M 6/1

Special Items Damage Critical Range Weight Type Mater- H/HPAdarga* 45gp 1d8/1d6 x3/x2 13lbs P/S M 8/26

Armor Bonus Armor Check Arcane Spell Failure1 -1 5%


224


Table 6-2: Dark Age Armor


Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure

Speed30ft/20ft Weight‡ M H/HP

Light ArmorChainshirt, Byzantine Early Steel 90gp +4 +4 -2 25% 30ft/20ft 25lbs M 7/50Cloth, European Padded 8gp +1 +8 0 5% 30ft/20ft 10lbs F 3/20Leather, Cuir-bouille 15gp +2 +6 0 10% 30ft/20ft 15lbs L 4/30Leather, Cuir-bouille Studded 30gp +3 +5 -1 15% 30ft/20ft 20lbs LM 6/40Padded Armor, Byzantine 8gp +1 +9 0 5% 30ft/20ft 10lbs F 2/20

Medium ArmorByrnie, Chainmail 165gp +5 +2 -4 30% 20ft/15ft 30lbs M 7/60Chainmail, Early Steel 145gp +5 +2 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 40lbs M 7/80Chainmail, Reinforced 210gp +5 +3 -4 35% 20ft/15ft 43lbs M 8/86Chainmail, Steel Plated 260gp +6 +2 -6 30% 20ft/15ft 45lbs M 8/90Coat of Plates 215gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 25lbs M 8/50

Heavy ArmorBreastplate and Mail, Byzantine Early Steel 480gp +7 +0 -8 40% 20ft*/15ft* 48lbs M 8/96Chainmail, Rivetted 240gp +6 +1 -6 30% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs M 8/92Splint Mail, Bone 180gp +5 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 34lbs BL 6/66Splint Mail, Early Steel 190gp +6 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs ML 8/90Splint Mail, Wood 180gp +5 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 35lbs WL 4/68

ShieldsShield, Great Early Steel 34gp +3 -3 25% 25lbs M 7/50Shield, Great Middle Steel 36gp +3 -3 25% 25lbs M 8/50Shield, Large Early Steel 19gp +2 -2 15% 15lbs M 7/30Shield, Large Middle Steel 20gp +2 -2 15% 15lbs M 8/60Shield, Large Viking Wooden 9gp +2 -2 15% 10lbs W 3/20Shield, Small Early Steel 8gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs M 7/12Shield, Small Middle Steel 9gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs M 8/12Shield, Small Viking Wooden 5gp +1 -1 5% 5lbs W 3/10Shield, Tower Early Steel** 55gp * -10 50% 60lbs M 7/120Shield, Tower Middle Steel** 60gp * -10 50% 60lbs M 8/120

Mount's GearMedium

Barding, Early Steel Chainmail Horse 580gp +5 +2 -5 30ft/35ft/40ft 60lbs M 7/120Barding, Rivetted Chainmail Horse 960gp +6 +1 -6 30ft/35ft/40ft 68lbs M 8/166

Special Item Damage Critical Range TypeSword Shield 35gp 1d6/1d6 X2 S 16lbs M 8/32

ArmorBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure

+2 -2 15%


A Time of Strife 227Bows vs. Crossbows—The Great Debate 227

War and Consolidation 230Developments in Armor and Weapons 232

Compound Bows and Crossbows 234The Progress of War 237

NPC Class: Yeoman 237Firearms 239Table 7-1: The Yeoman 239Reloading guns 240Prestige Class: Janissaries 242

Table 7-2: Janissary 244The Beginning of the Renaissance 245The Rise of Personal Weaponry 253

Prestige Class: Duelist 256Table 7-3: Duelist 258Fencing) 259Table 7-5: Pagentry Weapons 265Table 7-6: Material Updates Weapons 269Guns and Reliability 269Table 7-7: Pagentry Armor 271

225

Pagentry, Platemail, and Pistols


Rambaldo raised his pistol and discharged it. The rain bar-rel at the end of the alley cracked and burst apart, creatingan obscuring explosion of water and making the whole areaslick. The first of his pursuers was drenched, and fell, notcompensating for the slick footing. Two of the buffoonsbehind him tripped over their fallen comrade in quick suc-cession. It would take them time to untangle, and the otherswould have to slow to avoid them, but Rambaldo had nointention of sticking around watch. He turned and sprinteddown the alleyway, taking the next left fork, hoping to eludehis pursuers.

As he took yet another turn in the winding confusion of for-eign alleyways, Rambaldo racked his brain, trying to figureout who might have sent them after him. He was new toVienna, and had thought he hadn’t yet had time to makeany enemies. These days it seemed everyone hated Veni-tians. Glancing down an alleyway, Rambaldo thought hesaw movement. How could they move so fast? Sliding alongthe wall past the corpse of a dog, Rambaldo dashed downthe next right, hoping he could hit a main thoroughfaresoon, and disappear into the crowd.

He immediately realized this was a bad move. A figurestood at the end of the alleyway, and from behind Ram-baldo could hear the sounds of rapid footfalls. The figure atthe end of the alley raised a hand, and in the gloom Ram-baldo spotted the reflection of light off of metal. The lightfrom the street beyond obscured the figure making him seema shadow against reality.

Rambaldo called out, “Guards!”

The figure let out a familiar chuckle, and Rambaldo’s heartsunk. “They’ve been paid good money to leave us alone,Rambaldo. It seems I’m no longer one step behind you any-more.”

“Francois…” The figured nodded, and stepped forward,allowing Rambaldo to make out more details. It was indeedFrancois, down to the scar on his forehead Rambaldo gavehim last time they met up. “Why the gun, Francois. Do youmean to shoot me?”

Francois gestured with the gun. “Drop your pistols. If youtry anything funny, I’ll kill you.”

Rambaldo shrugged, and pulled his guns from his beltscarefully, so as to avoid being shot. He dropped themnearby, just in case. Hands from behind him grabbed theweapons, and more began to search him. He felt somethingsharp press into the small of his back. After a moment ofsearching, and the discovery of his third pistol, Francoisnodded. “Let him go.” Then Francois lowered his pistol, anddrew his rapier. “It’s time we finish this, Rambaldo. I willnot chase you all over creation anymore. Draw yourweapon, and face me like a man.”

Rambaldo knew Francois from way back. Francois seemedto believe that Rambaldo had something to do with the col-

lapse of Francois’s business, and the disappearance ofFrancois’s wife. Francois had been pursuing Rambaldo fora few years now, but so far Rambaldo had stayed ahead ofhim. Shaking his head, he pulled his own rapier from itssheath. “Are parrying blades allowed?” Rambaldo asked,gesturing to his belt.

Francois took a stance and shook his head. “No. Oneweapon, one man. Defend yourself.”

Predictable. Francois started with a standard thrust, whichRambaldo turned aside and countered. Rambaldo’s bladeslid down his opponent’s blade, but at the last momentFrancois flicked his wrist, and Rambaldo’s coupe wentwide. The elegance of the maneuver was not lost on Ram-baldo. Francois had not been idle.

The thugs behind Rambaldo were not moving to attack him,which Rambaldo could only take as a fortunate turn ofevents. As long as they thought of this as a grudge duel, theywere likely to stay out of it. Rambaldo decided to take theoffensive, laying out a series of beats and thrusts, trying toforce Francois into an error or produce an opening, butFrancois turned the attacks aside, and avoided a Corps-a-Corps that Rambaldo tried to draw him into. There wouldbe no scuffle, no knife in the gut. Rambaldo found himselfworrying, seeing his avenue of escape closing.

Rambaldo pulled a feint, hoping to draw Francois into anattack against a false opening. But before Rambaldo com-pleted the feint, Francois’s blade danced forward and cut ashallow furrow along Rambaldo’s side. The pain was mini-mal, but the sudden warmth of his blood reminded Ram-baldo of just how mortal he was. Playing with Francoiswas no longer an option, and being the first man injured leftRambaldo at a distinct disadvantage.

Rambaldo sneered. “That was luck.”

Francois smirked. “Not likely.” And then he thrust again, asif trying to prove a point. Rambaldo tapped the thrust aside,and, with an unexpected speed, struck Francois in the jawwith the basket hilt of his rapier, giving himself the open-ning he needed. While Francois was still too distracted toreact, Rambaldo pressed past him, and sprinted for thestreet at the end of the alley. There were shouts, one of themFrancois’s, but Rambaldo shoved his sword into his belt,and ran as if his life depended on it.

“Stop!” Francois screamed.

Rambaldo shot into the street and between two merchants,then dodged a wagon and a militiaman in brigandine. Themilitiaman scowled at Rambaldo, until he noticed thenblood, and then he spotted Rambaldo’s pursuer. “Halt!” themilitiaman shouted. Rambaldo couldn’t be sure who themilitiaman was shouting at, but he took a gamble that itwasn’t himself. All he had to do was make it to the bankingdistrict, and find Giancarlo. He’d know where Rambaldocould hide, and he’d probably know a way of getting out of

226

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the city unnoticed. Behind him he heard more shouts, andsounds of fighting. The crowd began to bunch up, and Ram-baldo pressed past the dawdlers, who were turning to seewhat was going on.

Rambaldo cursed as he fled the scene. One of those pistolshad been his cousin’s. Mafeo would kill him when he foundout it was lost.

A Time of StrifeBy the end of the 14th Century, England was at a turning point.After the fall of the Romans, the invasions of the Angles andSaxons, and the later Normans, the English found themselves ina curious position. In the North the Scots had been subdued aftera number of wars, and it had become royal policy to offer theborder clans special privileges and rights. This served to createdissention among the southern and northern clans, and kept theScots from uniting. The Welsh were, at times, allies, and whenthey were not, the English were able to keep them to their bor-ders. Through these skirmishes, the English acquired the long-bow, and were slowly making it their own. Across the sea to thewest was Ireland, and English invasions, backed by Scottishmercenaries and colonial settlement, had given England a size-able population pool to draw conscripts from. In France, Eng-land was allied with Brittany, and had holdings in a great numberof southern and western French counties. With the bloodlines asclose as they were between England and France, heritage andrights were often in question, and more and more the Englishand French were at odds in how to divide French land.

Longbow, EnglishThe English Longbow descended from the Welsh Longbow, andwas gradually adopted as the national weapon of choice for Eng-land. The English Longbow was about five to six feet in length,and could be accurate to incredible distances. Even after theadvent of guns, the longbow was still more accurate at greaterrange, making it the perfect sniping weapon. Arrows for the Eng-lish Longbow were longer than most traditional arrows were,measuring over two and a half feet in length and bearing 4–5inch arrow heads. An unorthodox style of firing was experi-mented with during the Hundred Years war, and in battles after-ward would be used when being able to fire a long distance wasmore important than being able to fire accurately: reclined firing.An English Longbow is huge, and its size meant that it could befired by an archer bracing his knees (or, if he was particularlyshort, his feet) on the bow, and drawing the string back with bothhands. Reclined firing was very dangerous: the archer had a veryhigh likelyhood of damaging the bow. However the rangeachieved by this extensive over-drawing of the bow gave it theability to either fire ballista arrows at a limited range (60 ft rangeincrement, -3 to hit) or fire standard longbow arrows at an evengreater range (150 ft. range increment), albiet without muchaccuracy (-6 to hit). Accuracy rarely mattered when firing at anarmy, fortunately, and the fear that striking at this kind of dis-

tance caused engendered was remarkable. When firing the Eng-lish Longbow reclined, fire as normal, but roll damage dice nomatter what. Compare the damage dice to the Longbow’s hard-ness halved (4 hardness), and apply damage to the bow rightaway. Damage for a ballista arrow fired in this manner is 2d8-1.An archer firing reclined is considered a prone defender vs. anyattack, and firing reclined provokes an attack of opportunity.

Bows vs. Crossbows—The Great DebateThroughout the Medieval period there had been much debateamong nobles as to whether the crossbow or the bow was asuperior weapon of war. England’s monarchs were actuallymembers of the crossbow camp until the Welsh wars. After theirexperience with the Welsh Longbow, however, they came toadvocate the superiority of the bow, arguing that the superiorrange of the longbow was more tactically advantageous. Mostcrossbow proponents, such as the Holy Roman Empire orFrance, argued that the crossbow was superior, since it did notrequire extensive training to use, and was equally as effective,regardless of strength of limb or speed of arm. On the continentthe crossbow was far more common in conscript and infantryunits, while in England the Yeoman class would develop amongthe peasant militias and conscripts, and at tournaments archerycontests were often held to promote interest in the use of thelongbow. ]

The French were dealing with the aftermath of the failures in theMiddle East. The Templars held a great deal of land in southernFrance, and, by papal writ, were allowed to tithe all land theycontrolled. Besides their French holdings, the Templars had landin Spain, Portugual, and Germany, and monastery/fortresses hadbeen built on those lands to help administrate them and providesovereigns to make trades for trade currency in the Middle East.The Templar Order’s great influence in the Holy Land gave themexcellent credit and a mercantile presence that allowed them totrade in common goods, and this became the backbone of a rarekind of banking system. In France, the Templars most likely col-lected more money in the required tithe of their lands than the

227

Robin Hood—Fact and MythThe Robin Hood of Nottingham fame is, unfortunately, a fan-ciful fabrication, a work to romanticize the period of John theUsurper’s rule. The real Robin Hood was a highwayman inEngland at the end of the 13th century, well after the return ofRichard the Lionhearted. Traveling the roads in search of a fatpurse, Robin Hood was renowned for his disguises andescapes. There exist no descriptions of Robin Hood, mainlybecause he was noted as appearing different in most encoun-ters. He was also very experienced at fleeing from capture,using forests, fens, and moors to their best advantage. Eventu-ally Robin Hood was captured by soldiers and killed on theroad, ending his crime spree. The proceeds of his thefts, how-ever, were never officially recovered, leading to the popularbut highly unlikely theory that Robin Hood had donated hisill-gotten gains to a church or to the poor. More than likely heburied or spent his proceeds.


French King collected in taxes. Strapped by funding a number ofCrusades, and facing rebellions among his people, the King ofFrance was looking for a way to recoup money that he saw thechurch taking from him.

Meanwhile, the German territories were in turmoil. Over thedecades the Hapsburgs of Austria became more and more domi-nant in German society, and the other German nations began toreact against their hegemony. Eventually the Hapsburgs wouldattempt to get the Papacy involved in the legitimization of theircontrol of the Holy Roman Empire, but this would only lead toassassination and intrigue. The Papacy had its own problemswith France’s bid to control the local clergy and their own trou-bles with Venice, which was a constant threat.

Even Byzantium faced trouble. Though the Empire had returnedto Greek Orthodox hands, they were forced to rely more andmore upon mercenaries to protect themselves. A Turkish warriorby the name of Osman began to worry Byzantium’s borders,wreaking havoc and even defeating the full army of Byzantiumat Nicomedia. Besides a stronger, heavier cavalry based on Mon-golian tactics, Osman’s Turks (who would later be known as theOttomans) brought with them two major developments: Rocketsand rudimentary handguns (both identical to the Chinese Rock-ets and Primitive Chinese Handgun of the Far East Chapter). TheByzantines resorted to hiring Catalonian (Spanish) mercenaries,but this proved unpopular among the populace, and revolts brokeout as the commoners perceived they were once again underenforced ruled by ‘latins’.

In the lands of Rus, the principalities of Novgorod, Moscovy,and Kiev were picking up the pieces after the Mongol Invasion.Having faced the destruction caused by the Mongol’s cavalry,Russian forces were developing tactics to fight cavalry heavyforces, which would serve them in good stead against laterthreats from Turkic and Mongolian hordes. Armored in scale,chainmail, and leather, they favored bows (both normal andcomposite short bows), the axe, longspear, a short spear called

228

The Catalan Furnace and the Legend of ToledoSteelThe Catalan Furnace was the end result of centuries of interestin iron and steel working in the Toledo region of Spain. Ableto heat metal to a high temperature and keep it there during theforging process, the Catalan Furnace allowed superior forgingconditions to creating a truly formidable steel. Toledo Steelhas been considered superior from Roman times, and anyweapon crafted of Toledo Steel has its Hardness increased by1 and its Hit Points increased by 3. Thus, while an Early Steelweapon is Hardness 7, a Toledo Steel version of that weapon

would be a Hardness 8. Toledo Steel items are consideredmasterwork, due to the time and workmanship of their con-struction, and are priced accordingly.

1. English Longbow; 2. Sulitsa; 3. Chekan; 4. Oslopi; 5. Sovna; 6. Sekir; 7. Dirk; 8. Sgain Dubh; 9. Kidney Dagger; 10. Claymore

1

2 2 4 5 6

7 8 9

10


the sulitsa, the chekan (a hammer-pick, a nail-studded quarter-staff variant called the oslopi, flails, maces, a naginata-likepolearm called the sovna, straight swords and sabres, sekir,javelins, and the rare light crossbow. As armor got heavier, theydeveloped Kolontar Plated Mail.

SulitsaSulitsas were short spears, usually about 3–4 four feet in length,made either of wood and steel or entirely of steel. Meant to befought with in close, like swords, or thrown at nearby targets, theSulitsa was a workhorse for most infantry. Up to three Sulitsawould be strapped to a common soldier’s back, to make certainthe soldier always had a weapon handy.

ChekanA military hammer/pick, the Checkan was excellent at punctur-ing armor or battering it out of shape. The Chekan often had aconcealed blade (see Hidden Knife in the Far East Section) inthe haft, either at the bottom or at the top. Those version with anunscrewing hidden blade at the top could reverse the hiddenblade and screw it in, to add a thrusting, piercing attack of 1d6(crit x3). The Chekan was common among infantry.

OslopiA quarterstaff-like weapon, the Oslopi was roughly 6 feet inlength at the beginning of its incarnation. Each end of the Oslopiwas studded with nails (blunt side out), which gave each end alittle more impact. A simple weapon, the Oslopi was used muchlike a quarterstaff. In the hands of the untrained, it is a heavystick, something to wield like a longsword and club on the headsof attackers. To one of a more martial bent the Oslopi can beused as a double weapon, using each end of the Oslopi to attackan opponent while using the center to defend against strikes. Themaster of the staff, though, knows that the staff can be usedeffectively in both manners. Quick, swift strikes and blocks areeffective against multiple opponents or against a trained oppo-nent who cannot attack swiftly themselves. However, the masteralso knows how to use the length and flexibility of the staff toattack opponents before they expect it, with swift, crushingblows that stave armor and shatter bones. You can fight with theOslopi as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do you incurall the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with twoweapons as if you are using a one-handed weapon and a lightweapon. A creature using a double weapon in one hand, such asa Large creature using an Oslopi, cannot use it as a doubleweapon.

SovnaLooking something like the naginata, the Sovna is a bladedpolearm, used by infantry, usually to attack soldiers on horse-back. The Sovna was not a common staple in the Russian mili-tary, but was used throughout the Slavic lands, although nevergaining the popularity of the glaive. The Sovna was often embel-lished for the bodyguard of a prominent lord.

SekirAn axe with a hook, the Sekir descended from a purely socialweapon, a kind of axe (Topor) offered to ambassadors as a badgeof their status. While the Topor is simply a hand axe, the Sekir’shook is very useful in trips, disarms, and shield trapping. TheSekir gives a +2 bonus on the opposed attack roll when attempt-ing to disarm an opponent, including the roll to keep from beingdisarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. If you are tripped dur-ing your own trip attempt, you can drop the Sekir in order toavoid being tripped.

The French pressured the Pope into relocating to Avegnon.Using their access to him, they were able to bring the TemplarOrder under the Inquisition, and charged them with all mannerof foul deed, from trafficking with the infidels to trafficking withdevils. The Inquistion was very effective at extracting confes-sions, and in the end their lands in France were confiscated, andmost of them were executed. In other lands where the Templarsheld property they met a variety of fates, the mildest of whichinvolved giving up some lands and disbanding as a MilitantOrder, while others faced similar fates to their French compatri-ots. The perceived failure the Templars in the Crusadesdestroyed them, both in Islamic lands and in Christendom. OtherKnightly Orders did their best to make alliances with othernations, such as the Prussian alliance with the Teutonic Knights.The Hospitallers attacked and conquered the Isle of Rhodes,long a haven for pirates in the Mediterranean, and establishedthemselves as a sovereign nation. Over generations the Hospi-tallers would become known only as the Knights, and theywould vie with Aragon and Castille, often unsuccessfully, forcontrol of many of the islands of the Mediterranean.

Besides rockets and primitive handguns, the 14th century broughtanother devastating change to warfare: the cannon. Early experi-ments with gunpowder lead to the creation of cannons. Forged,of copper and bronze, then later of iron, these weapons had unri-valed destructive power, both in terms of the range it could strikeat and in terms of the damage of its shot. The first cannons likelyfired stone shot, either from being packed with a large amount ofstone fragments or from the larger stones shattering upon the ini-tial explosion. Lead eventually replaced stone as the material ofchoice for cannonballs, and a variety of different shot were used.Grape shot involved great numbers of lead slugs about the sizeof a sling bullet, while some cannon used large cannon balls toput holes in major targets, such as walls or ships. In the 14th Cen-tury, cannons were huge, heavy, and they required a very stablebase. They would only be found in fortresses and castles duringmost of this century, and it would be a long time before theybecame mobile enough to place on ships or carts. AlthoughEurope was exposed to rudimentary guns during the Mongolincursions into Easter Europe and the Ottomans’ attacks, the can-non would be the central source of inspiration for the hand gunin Europe, and most early handguns of the 14th century werereferred to as hand cannons.

At the end of the 13th century the Scots rebelled. Robert theBruce with an alliance of clans (mostly northern, although some

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southern clans joined out of fear) brought war on England. Tiredof the impositions of the English lords, and their manipulationsof the southern clans, the Scottish rebellion seemed to take on alife of its own. Although the English were able to field superiorcavalry, legions of Irish conscript footmen, and Archers (bothlongbowmen and crossbowmen), they were unable to fully putdown the Scottish forces. William Wallace, a common-born gen-eral of the Scottish armies, became a figure of legend, and morethan once the conscripts would leave the field rather than facehis armies. Wallace trained his men in the use of pikes, and heused native forests to cover his small numbers of archers. TheScottish forces were generally armed with various knives, shortand longswords, claymores, maces, battleaxes, flails, mace-and-chains, padded armor, various kinds of leather, chainmailhauberks, and Scottish targes. In the end the English, facinginternal strife, would sue for peace, and Scotland would becomean independent nation. France immediately offered and signed atreaty with Scotland, establishing one of the most durable andlongstanding alliances in European history. The French-Scottishalliance would effectively put a check on English expansion forcenturies to come.

Dirk, Sgain Dubh, Kidney DaggerA thick, business-like dagger, often 8 to 10 inches long, the dirkwas a sidearm that precluded the need for a shortsword. Carriedat the belt, the dirk was first used in Scotland, but eventuallyadopted in much of Western Europe by mercenaries and freemenwith a tendency to get into trouble. Dirks were solidly made,durable, and could put up with impressive punishment. TheSgain Dubh was another Scottish knife, worn in the sock, at thetop of the boot. Weighted for throwing and small enough toevade attention, the Sgain Dubh was intended to be a surprisedagger, a backup when the trouble you couldn’t anticipate camecalling. The Kidney Dagger, on the other hand, was a long, thin,four-sided knife, an excellent stabbing weapon also called theBollocks Dagger. Regardless of the name, the intent of thisweapon was very clear—its blade was meant to be placed as farinto a sensitive portion of your foe’s anatomy as possible. Allthree daggers did little to convince the more refined in Europethat Scotland’s populace was deeply civilized.

Claymore, Middle SteelThe Claymore’s origin is disputed, many claiming it started asearly as the 12th century, while others claim as late as the 15th.Many records sight William Wallace (as well as many other free-dom fighters fighting for Scottish independence) as havingwielded a huge two-handed sword with up-facing quillions and awrapped leather portion above the hilt for a hand-rest. Since thisfits within the definition of a Claymore of an early period, itmust be assumed to have been an early form of Claymore. TheClaymore is a heavy, two-handed sword. The leather wrappingjust above the hilt was entirely optional, but was usually placedthere so that a wielder could brace a hand there, to shorten thelength of the blade, when necessary.

Targe, ScottishThe Targe is a Scottish shield that eventually became semi-com-mon in France and parts of Spain and Germany. The Targe is asmall wooden shield, faced with leather that is rivetted to thewood, with a pair of leather handles on the back. The Targesports a spike in the boss of the shield, which is useful, of course,for shield bashing, but also for disarms. The Targe’s spike wasintended to catch onto chains, flourishes, or edges of weapons, inorder to pull them out of a foe’s hand. The Targe gives a +2bonus on the wielder’s opposed attack roll when attempting todisarm an opponent, including the roll to keep from being dis-armed if they fail their disarm attempt.

War and ConsolidationWhile the Holy Roman Empire was embroiled in political strug-gles to determine if any state could take power away from theHapsburgs, tensions in the east and west mounted into full scalewar. In the West, England’s King Edward the Third would makea public claim for the French Throne, a move intended to forceFrance into a war it was not prepared for. England had claim tomany of the northern and coastal provinces in France, and soughtto reclaim those that had fallen under French rule, although con-trol of all of France was not entirely their goal. With allies in Brit-tany, a great number of Irish conscripts, and the Scottish delayedin rebuilding after their war, England clearly had an upper hand.Little did any nation know that this conflict would drag on farbeyond the length of any previous war. A whole generation wouldbe born and die before the end of this conflict.

In the East, Byzantium was embroiled in civil war, as the tradi-tional complex and obscure politics and succession brought grand-father against grandson in a battle for power. With Byzantiumweakened by Ottoman raids, an emboldened Serbian Prince wouldstrike against Bulgaria, taking their Macedonian holdings andestablishing the Serbs as the dominant power in the Balkans. Theywould go on to secure Albania, and declare themselves an empire,

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11. Scottish Targe

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even going so far as to establish a separate Patriach, in an attemptto make a separate Orthodox religious identity for the Serbs. Laterattacks would pick away at Byzantine control in the Balkans, butother events would make this Empire building irrelevant.

The Ottoman Turks were not patient with modest gains andraids. Seeing weakness in Byzantium, the Turks pushed forward,taking territory in Anatolia and cutting out the population base ofthe faltering Byzantine Empire. Later drives would remove all ofByzantium’s Asian holdings, and then begin the process of sur-rounding Constantinople, cutting off its regional support. Itwould take time, but the Turks were patient conquerors, and theywould strike into Greece, then up, through Bulgaria, where theywould meet and defeat a coalition of Hungarian, Serbian, andBulgarian forces, then into Kosovo, where they would conquerthe Serbian Empire and consolidate their holdings in theBalkans. During this process they would force Byzantium intovassalage, and eventually they would absorb most of theprovinces of the Balkans into the Ottoman Empire. It would takean outside challenge to halt the Ottoman expansion, which,unchecked, might have spread to all of Eastern Europe.

In the North, the Teutonic Knights made a deal with Denmark.Denmark sold them the rights to Estonia, so as to raise moneyfor projects to unite the core territories of Denmark. This, alongwith the Prussian territories, territories siezed from the Templars,portions of the Pommeranian coast, and Livonia, the TeutonicKnights became a sizeable power in North Eastern Europe. Butit would be the Hansa, a purely mercantile concern, which wouldshake up the Teutonic Knight’s growing influence.

The Hanseatic League was a mercantile alliance between manyof the cities of the Holy Roman Empire. In exchange for inde-pendence from local rule by the feudal lords of the Holy RomanEmpire, the Hanseatic League cities would pay a yearly tributeto their local lord, as assessed by their city income. League cities(called Hansa members) were granted unrivaled freedoms inexchange for this tributary system. Cities elected their own lead-ership, often from the crafts guilds. All citizens of a city wereconsidered freemen, and their children were eligible to appren-tice at any craft guild. Serfs who fled their lord’s lands and livedin a free city for a year and a day without being recaptured weregranted natural citizenship, making them freemen. And since theHansa cities were allied, they did not compete with each otherfor market share in foreign markets. Hansa merchants couldexpect fair to good return for their products, and as the Leagueexpended to cover most of the great cities of the Holy RomanEmpire, they also created an insurance and banking system,which allowed people to convert their wealth into letters of debit,which were redemable with Hansa merchants or at Hansa banks.The Hansa letters of debit made money mobile, made banditrymore difficult (since a Hansa letter of credit was worthless to awanted and known criminal), and since it could be insured tosome degree, promoted investment by the nobility in the cities.The League even owned trading ships, and eventually a smallnavy force that allowed them to fight pirates. Mercenaries wouldhire themselves to Hansa merchants, and some eventually signedon as Hansa mercenaries, preferring regular pay in the sociallyacceptable currency. Some of the Teutonic properties in Pom-merania and Prussia included Hansa cities. But their conflictwould take nearly a century to foment.

But the greatest surprise, one that would most directly affect thepath of both the lands of Islam and of Christendom, would comefrom a Tartar born in what is today Uzbekistan. Timur Lang(Tamerlane), born to a military family in the Mongol establishedTartar Hordelands, was disadvantaged from youth, being partiallyparalyzed on the right side of his body. Despite his handicaps,both social and physical, Timur would come to rule the JagataiHorde, and from his capitol of Samarkand he would raid throughneighboring lands, claiming to be restoring the Mongol Empire.

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VassalageWar in Europe was an event that required much consideration.Going to war with your neighbor required a declaration of warto be issued. Hopefully a nation had a Causus Belli (Case forWar) to cite, because without one the social outcry, both withinand without the attacking nation would be great. A nation at warwould have to consider its other border nation’s readiness tojoin an alliance or attack. Many a nation would attack a foe,only to discover that a neighbor declared war on them once theattacker’s armies were committed elsewhere. Lastly, one had toconsider what one’s goals were for the attack. Did the nationattack to prevent another nation from going to war?; To takeland?; To extract a heavy tribute in war indemnities?

Annexation was frowned upon by most of Europe, because ittended to weaken the assumed natural balance established byFeudalism. Often it was expedient to vassalize a conquerednation. In the Feudal system a vassal is a subordinate lord,who must pay a certain portion of their income and providearmies to support their liege’s wars. Vassalage allowed a coun-try to maintain something of an independent national identitywhile still keeping them under your control. Vassalizationserved to placate states that might be nervous about expan-sionism while still increasing a nation’s power and influence.In history, most large nations had a few vassal states, usuallyin the Holy Roman Empire.

Serfdom vs. PeasantryWith almost 90% of the European populace being peasants orserfs, the events important to much of the Medieval periodreally only describe what happen to that last 10% of the popu-lation. Both peasants and serfs had little contact with the greatlords, and they might well see many changes in leadership dur-ing their short, often difficult lives. But there was a significantdifference between serfs and peasants. Serfs were not free.Though not slaves, serfs were bound to the land they lived on,and when land switched hands as the result of an inheritance ortreaty, the serfs were considered a part of the value of the land.Serfs were required to provide a certain percentage of theircrops to the lord who owned their land, which often left theSerfs with just enough to live on. Coin was a rare commodityfor a serf, and a serf who came into money would often see it


His first conquests focussed on the fading Mongol State in Per-sia. Uniting Georgia and Armenia along the way, Timur Lang, orTamerlane, as he is often referred to in history texts, lead Mon-gol style hordes through these lands, although he left their rulingstructures intact, preferring tribute to control. Many accountsspeak of the destruction of Tamerlane’s conquests, especially ofthe destruction of cities and the pyramids of skulls left in hispath. It is notable that Tamerlane wreaked so much destruction inPersia that the Mongol-born Empire collapsed. Tamerlane evenraided into India and ancient Mesopotamia, sacking Delhi andputting hundreds of thousands of Indian soldiers to the sword.

Then Tamerlane turned his eyes westward. As the Ottomanswere strengthening their grip around Constantinople, consolidat-ing their power in Anatolia, and moving south into Syria andPalestine, the forces of Tamerlane struck. The Ottomans, ayoung empire, had yet to face defeat. But in Tamerlane theyfound only death and slaughter. Some historians suggest that,had Tamerlane pressed his advantage, the Ottomans might havebeen utterly destroyed in their homeland. Indeed, he raided asdeep as Ankara, and for a time Tamerlane received tribute fromboth Egypt and Constantinople, both sovereigns concerned thathe would attack them next. Either way, Christendom was inad-vertently given a reprieve from a robust and advancing OttomanEmpire, which would require time to recover from the depreda-tions of Tamerlane’s conquests.

Why was Tamerlane so focused on conquest and slaughter? Itseems most likely that Tamerlane desired to control the Silk Road.At this time the Silk Road was all but closed, its trade dried to atrickle and restricted to only the most limited of trade agreements.Tamerlane’s conquest and tributaries gave him control over everyinch of the Silk Road route, and when he died he was drawing upplans of conquest in China. But, like so many empires createdfrom mostly nomadic origins, when Tamerlane died, his childrenfell to conflict to determine who would rule his holdings. In theend the Empire of Tamerlane would collapse, leaving the Timuriddynasty in what today is Iraq, as well as portions of Persia.

Developments in Armor and

WeaponsThe 14th century was a time of transition. The coat of plates pavedthe way for greater use of metal plating to avoid damage. Platedgloves gained larger use, shoulder pauldrons grew larger, kneeand elbow joints were covered by metal disks, and greaves beganto come back into style. Breastplates of steel were adopted, thefirst being riveted plates formed to cover the torso, while laterversions were single piece breastplates that could be linked to thepauldrons. During the first half of the 14th century these greavesonly went as high as the knee, but the later half saw platemailwearing soldiers often having plate along the full length of theirlegs and arms. Closed helms began to vary somewhat dependingon where they were made, but they became more and more popu-lar as protection during battle. With the Hundred Years war rag-ing, all of Europe vied to sell France and England theaccoutrements of war, and so nobles might often sport differenthelms depending on where they purchased their armor.

Platemail, Light and HalfPlatemail was a gradual, almost organic development in armor,and one of the few times where defensive development appearedto outstrip the development of offensive countermeasures. Lightplate involved a breastplate that was separate from arm andshoulder plating, and leg armor was limited to plated greaves. InLight Platemail, chainmail was still acting as the primary bufferbetween weapons and the wearer. As armor crafting technologybecame more sophisticated, leg armor could be actuated enoughto allow reasonable movement, and the breastplate could be con-nected to other armor on the torso. Although still using chain-mail to cover places that were hard to cover, such as the neck,groin, and the inside of joints, Half Platemail was definitelymore protection than Light.

Brigandine, the rivetting of steel plates under layers of leather,also developed from the coat of plates. At first brigandine wasonly made in coats. Men-at-Arms would wear a brigandine coat,a helmet or open-faced helm, and carry a shield to guard theirunarmored legs. Longer Brigandine Hauberks were eventuallydeveloped, which dropped to the knee, and, with boots, made abetter protection for the legs. Flexible, well able to dispersebludgeoning damage, and exceptional at blocking slashing andpiercing damage, Brigandine was also easy to disguise, since ittended to look like studded leather to the untrained eye. Imaginethe surprise of a soldier thinking he was facing a thug in studdedleather when his sword would scrape against steel. The practiceof bandits and highwaymen wearing brigandine became so com-mon that the word brigand was termed to mean an outlaw orraider who waylaid the unwary. Brigandine was relatively popu-lar among those lords who could afford it, but anyone who couldpay for the riveting and sewing required could purchase a suit.

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taxed away quickly, or be arrested as a possible thief. Peasants,on the other hand, rented land from a lord, and had full rights towhatever they grew or manufactured. They were taxed a cer-tain portion of their income, often well over 50%, but whateverthey had left over was theirs to keep. This meant that, althoughpeasants were often poor, they could conceivably improve theirlives with diligence and productivity. When land changedhands by inheritance or war, the peasants had the right to leave,and some did. Most, however, understood that the lords rarelytook a deep interest in the peasantry unless they were interestedin new taxes or a peasant’s daughter. Serfdom or peasantrycould be altered at a lord’s whim, and at certain times in historypeasants became serfs or serfs became peasants. Some lordsoften charged such high rent and taxes that peasants had noth-ing left over for themselves. But the difference between serf-dom and peasantry, although in appearance minimal, wassignificant enough that serfs would risk imprisonment anddeath to escape, often fleeing to Hansa cities for freedom.


Brigandine Coats, Hauberks, and ArmorAs mentioned above, all forms of Brigandine look like studdedleather of a similar make. Brigandine coats covered the torso andarms, usually to the elbow. Early versions were laced in the front,but eventually they laces were moved to the back, to avoid hav-ing an enemy cut them off, leaving the armor dangling, and thedefender effectively unprotected. The Hauberk extended thesleeves to the wrist, and included a belted skirt, to protect thegroin and upper legs. Hauberks still allowed the legs to be free, toallow better movement, but its protection of most of the vitalareas caused Brigandine Coats to fade out of usage. Full Brigan-dine Armor is just as covering as studded leather, but with thesuperior backing of plates, making it somewhat harder to moveelegantly, but still providing ample protection and support. Brig-andine was the most popular heavy protection in Europe, andthose that could afford it armored as many non-noble professionalsoldiers in it as possible.

Shields saw some development as well. The buckler was devel-oped by the English to give their archers a modicum of protec-tion. A small shield strapped to the forearm, it was often made ofleather, wood, or steel. The buckler spread quickly throughEurope, primarily because the English and French were so intenton their mutual warring that they had to pay other nations to pro-duce the armor and weapons they could not make in largeenough quantities themselves. Especially with the coming of the

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plague, Europe was experiencing a population decline, whichput the whole continent in jeopardy.

BucklerWhether made of leather on a wooden frame, wood, or steel, thebuckler was a surprisingly effective addition to the defensive ret-inue. Literally buckled to the forearm, the buckler left the shieldarm free to maneuver, allowing a person to carry a secondweapon or wield a bow. Bows and crossbows may be wieldedwithout added penalty by someone wearing a buckler. Off handweapons only receive a –1 to their attack roll, due to the extraweight on the arm. This penalty stacks with any other penalties.If you use a weapon in your off-hand, you do not gain any ACbonuses from the buckler in the round that weapon is active.Bucklers, due to their lack of mass, are too light to effectivelyshield bash with.

Weapons were getting heavier and more damaging. The couchedlance was developed, an innovation that made the lance far moreeffective and dangerous in charges. The crossbow, previouslycomposite, began to be made with steel bows, making them evenharder to pull, but more damaging. Pulleys were also added tosome crossbows to make them easier to draw, although this oftenreduced damage and range. The bastard sword was developed toallow a swordsman a weapon strong enough to pierce plate. And

12. Light Platemail; 13. Brigandine Armor; 14. Buckler

12 13

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Optional Mechanics—Helmets and HelmsHelmets and Helms do not provide an armor bonus, since theyare considered part of a given suit of armor. However, someeffects specifically target the head or neck of a character (vor-pal swords, for example). In such a circumstance one may stillgive certain benefits for helmets, open faced helms, and closedfaced helms.

A Helmet, covering the top of the skull but not extending pastthe ears, provides a one quarter cover bonus for the head.Thus, a successful strike to the head must still exceed the hel-met’s cover bonus, added to the normal armor bonus, or it isturned aside.

An Open Faced Helm, covering the cheeks, bridge of the nose,and the back of the head, provides one-half coverage againsteffects targeting the head. Again, this means that the coverbonus must be added to the normal armor bonus, beforechecking to see if the strike is successful. An Open FacedHelm, however, interferes with peripheral vision, and imposesa –1 to all visual perception checks.

A Closed Face Helm covers the entire head, often with only athin grating or slit to view through. This provides a nine-tenthscoverage for the head, and gives the head Immunity to CriticalHits. This means that the attacker must add the coverage bonusto the armor bonus before determining a successful hit, and acritical hit may not be made on the head. A Closed Face Helm,greatly interferes with vision in general, and imposes a –3 to allvisual perception checks and any ranged strike rolls. Archers,in general, preferred to wear Helmets or Open Faced Helms.


there was a revolution in polearms, as an incredible variety ofpolearms from all over Europe flourished among conscript andmilitia armies.

Lance, CouchedThe Couched Lance is the Heavy Lance, as listed in the Player’sHandbook. A reach weapon, wielded primarily from a mountedposition, the couched lance is the ultimate charging weapon. Atthe base of the lance, where the hand grasps it, the couched lancehas an extended flare, somewhat like a shield, which providesadded protection (+1 vs disarm attaempts) in a charge. Thelance, in a charge, does x2 damage (x3 with the Spirited ChargeFeat). Couched lances would see even greater usage when thelance rest was invented.

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Steel CrossbowsAs steelworking became more refined, steel bows replaced thecomposite bows on most crossbows. Steel bows could have evengreater pull, and could be repaired more easily when the bowtook damage. Steel Crossbows were manufactured all overEurope, and the crossbow became the most common weapon inEurope, useful and easy to master, yet very powerful. Steelcrossbows made for the public were mostly of a lighter construc-tion than those used primarily for war.

Compound Bows and CrossbowsThe pulley is a simple machine used to redirect force. In the 14th

century, Renaissance thinkers began experimenting with simplemachines, and the compound bow and crossbow were devel-oped. Using pulleys made it easier to draw a bow or pull back acrossbow string, allowing people with less arm strength to wielda bow or crossbow more easily.

With a traditional bow, the greatest effect is gained when thebow is drawn to its maximum distance. More powerful bowshave a heavier draw, and contribute that force in proportion tohow far the bow is drawn. Since the traditional bow resists morethe farther its drawn, the archer must draw quickly and release,giving him less time to aim.

Crossbow Reload MechanismsCrossbows are very difficult to reload, generally. Since com-pound crossbows were not universal, or even common, mostcrossbows were constructed to be reloaded via some kind ofmechanism. Some employed a crude cord and pulley system,where the crossbow was braced and a cord attached to thedraw string was pulled, using a pulley to give the drawer a bet-ter angle to work from. The Goat’s Foot draw involved a leverthat could be braced on the stock of the crossbow, with twometal prongs that would pull the drawstring into place whenthe lever was applied. The Screw & Handle method involveda screw set into the stock of the crossbow, which attached tothe drawstring through a forked prong, and a handle not unlikea huge butterfly nut, which, when wound by hand, allowed thedrawstring to be pulled back. The Cranequin and Windlasswere more complex machines, the cranequin being a kind ofjack-like device, which required the rotation of a handle topull a central stock down a toothed track, the end of the stockattached to the drawstring. The Windlass, on the other hand,required two hands to rotate a two handed crank, which,through a complex pulley system, drew the drawstring backinto place. The weight of the crossbow and its pull indicatedthe kind of reload mechanism involved. A light crossbowlikely employed a cord and pulley or a goat’s foot device,while a heavy crossbow might use a Screw and Handle sys-tem. light steel crossbows used the cranequin, and the wind-lass was used almost exclusively with the heavy steelcrossbows.

The PlagueThe Bubonic Plague was caused by poor sanitation, poorhygiene, and vermin infestation in the larger cities of Europe,and spread like wild fire, decimating European populationcenters. Stories like the Pied Piper of Hamlin, or children’ssongs like Ring-Around-the-Rosey are direct historical refer-ences to the Plague, which lead to such rapid and universaldeath that bodies had to be collected daily and carted outsideof cities to be burned, to prevent the spread of other death-borne diseases.

Ashes, Ashes…We all fall down!

Although the rats were commonly blamed for the spread of theBubonic Plague, it was actually the fleas that carried the infec-tion. Fleas carrying tainted blood would bite a person, givingthem the disease. Rats were usually just unfortunate carriers.The infection usually revealed itself 1-7 days after the bite,and its most obvious signs were oozing, pussy sores over thelymph nodes, called buboes. Spots would also develop, firstred, then black. The disease was terminal about 50% of thetime, and, although herbal remedies were claimed to work bycertain Medieval herbalists, there was really no known cure.One third of Europe’s population died during the first bout ofPlague, over a 5 year period from 1347 to 1352. MedievalEurope would never again see the prosperity it once had, andfrom treasuries to collection boxes, the loss of that much of theworkforce was felt keenly.

Unfortunately, the Plague was not a truly impartial killer.Those with more exposure to the flea plague carriers weremore likely to get the disease. This included a great number ofpriests, nuns, Franciscan friars, physicians, and other selflesssouls who sought to alleviate the suffering of the plague vic-tims. Some of the moral decline of Europe and the Renais-sance period has been speculated to stem from the loss of agreat number of humanitarians to the Plague.

Although the Plague struck Europe in 1347, it did not endquickly, and it would return again and again until it wouldfinally disappear in the 17th century.


The compound bow, however, diverts some of the energy of thedraw. Thus, there is a let off as the bow draws closest to maxi-mum. During this period, the let off was something like 35-40% ofthe full draw weight. Thus, if the bow drew to 70 pounds, it wouldonly feel as if one were drawing back about 42 pounds, which wasa welcome relief. This does not mean that you do not, at somepoint, draw back the full 70 pounds. Usually you will reach thisdraw weight about two thirds of the way to full extension.

The compound bow, thus allows a person to do more damagethan their Strength score would normally allow: +1 with a stan-dard bow, +2 with a mighty +1 composite bow, +3 with a mighty+2 composite bow, etc.

There are fewer variables to consider with the compound cross-bow. Making a crossbow a composite crossbow makes reloadingit considerably easier. Compound Crossbows are reloaded as astandard action and do not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Compound bows may only be made from composite bows orsteel bows. Thus, the only varieties of compound bow are com-posite short, composite long, and all crossbows. Compoundbows cost 50% more than standard bows. Thus, a compoundcomposite longbow would cost 150 gp, 50% more than the 100gp a normal composite longbow costs.

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Sword, BastardThe Bastard Sword is also known as the Hand-and-a-Half sword,and its unique construction makes it useable as either a one ortwo-handed weapon. Bastard swords were longer thanlongswords, and those without special training (Exotic Profi-ciency) with it found it necessary to use it two handed. Whetherwielded two-handed or one, the damage was the same, and theBastard Sword had its own following among the Germans.

Ahlespeiss and Awl PikeBoth of these weapons descended from the same origins. TheAhlespeiss is a roughly four-foot thrusting weapon, much like ashort spear with a sword handle, common in Bohemian Infantry.The blade itself was usually conical and thin, and it was wieldedmuch as a kind of thick, heavy sword. The Awl Pike was a muchlonger affair, a reach weapon with a similar thrusting blade,meant to spear charging cavalry or infantry. Neither weapon waswidespread, the thrusting blade proving too fragile to make it auniversal favorite.

FalcastraThe Falcastra was an attempt to make the scythe a more militaryweapon. A reach polearm with a triangular blade at the end, theFalcastra was a better weapon for defending city or castle walls

15a. Couched Lance, French 16th century; 15b. Couched Lance, German 16th century; 16a. Steel Crossbow; 16b. Cranequin; 16c.Windlass; 16d. Goat's Foot Lever

15a

15b

16a

16b

16c

16d


than a battlefield weapon. The Falcastra was best used in sweep-ing maneuvers, and makes an excellent tripping weapon. If youare tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the Fal-castra in order to avoid being tripped.

FalxBy name alone one might think that the Falx descended from theDacian Falx used during Roman times. Unfortunately, this is afalse connection. The Falx was yet another refinement of the reachpolearm, bearing a heavy axe head with a serrated bladed, arounded surface, and a short triangular flange on the opposite sideof the striking head. The Falx could be used as a double weapon,using the chopping head as the primary weapon and the butt endof the weapon as a light staff weapon. When using the Falx as adouble weapon, it does not count as a reach weapon, but if you doyou incur all the normal attack penalties associated with fightingwith two weapons as if you are using a one-handed weapon and alight weapon. A creature using a double weapon in one hand, suchas a Large creature using a Falx, cannot use it as a double weapon.The Falx may also be used for tripping attacks (using either side ofthe blade to attempt a trip). If you are tripped during your own tripattempt, you can drop the Falx in order to avoid being tripped.

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Half Moon, EuropeanThe European Half Moon resembles nothing so much as a greatletter C on the end of a polearm. Intended to catch the pole of anopponent’s polearm, in order to disarm them, the European HalfMoon conveys a +2 bonus on the wielder’s opposed attack rollwhen attempting to disarm an opponent wielding a polearm,including the roll to keep from being disarmed if they fail theirdisarm attempt. The Half Moon was not used in large numbers,and was often interspersed with other types of polearms, in orderto camoflage it. The Half Moon is a reach weapon. The HalfMoon can be used as a double weapon, using the head as the pri-mary weapon and the butt end of the weapon as a light staffweapon. When using the Half Moon as a double weapon, it doesnot count as a reach weapon, but if you do you incur all the nor-mal attack penalties associated with fighting with two weaponsas if you are using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. Acreature using a double weapon in one hand, such as a Largecreature using a Half Moon, cannot use it as a double weapon.

Fork, ScalingA late fork weapon, and a reach polearm, the Scaling Fork wasused for fortification defense. Between the tines of the Scalingfork were two smaller hooks, which were intended to be hooked

17. Bastard Sword; 18. Ahlepeiss; 19. Awl Pike; 20. Falcastra; 21. Falx; 22. European Half Moon; 23. Scaling Fork; 24. Spetum

17 18

19 19

20

20

21 22 23 24


onto scaling ladders, to push them away from the walls. This pre-vented the Scaling Fork wielder from being exposed to enemyarcher fire, while still keeping the walls clear of attackers. TheScaling Fork was not well enough balanced to be used as a dou-ble weapon, but it could be set against a charge in the rare eventthat the Scaling Fork Wielder was subject of a charging attack.

Spetum, Ranseur, Chauves-SourisWhether descended from the trident or the pitchfork, the Spetumwas a surprisingly common tri-bladed reach polearm. Excellentfor setting against charges, spetum ranks were very common inthe Holy Roman Empire, especially in the Eastern portions. TheSpetum was not well enough balanced to be used as a doubleweapon. The Ranseur, its French cousin, has a tighter set ofprongs, and gives a +2 bonus on the wielder's opposed attack rollwhen attempting to disarm an opponent, including the roll tokeep from being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. TheChauves-Souris (Bat, in french) was a later variant of the Spe-tum, a slashing weapon with identical stats.

VoulgeA reach polearm related to the halberd, the Voulge possess aheavier axe head, the top of which draws up into a thrustingpoint. Behind the axe head is a short spike, intended to pull rid-ers from horses or make tripping attacks. The Voulge can be setagainst a charge, but is too top heavy to use as a double weapon.If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop theVoulge in order to avoid being tripped.

The Progress of WarThe Hundred Years War changed the landscape of war inEurope. England could only count on a limited number ofknights, and as war dragged on, the loss of nobles in battlereduced those numbers further. England had to increase itsreliance on infantry, and make better and more extensive use ofarchers. The debate over the merits of the longbow as opposed tothe crossbow forced adaptations of the role of archers in the Eng-lish army, and the English employed archer teams as a large por-tion of their military force. An archer team consisted of alongbowman (called a yeoman) and a shieldman with a maceand shortsword, but only padded armor. The shieldman carried atower shield, which he would use to guard both himself and thearcher, providing cover on the battlefield for the archer to firefrom. The shieldman’s only reason to carry weapons at all was toprotect the archer in case of a charge overtaking them.

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NPC Class: YeomanIn England, the Yeoman was a commoner who excelled at bow-manship. Yeomen could come from any part of common society,from peasants to freemen and artisans. Yeomen were not trainedFighters or Warriors, nor were they nature-bound like Rangers.Instead, the Yeomen were those who were strong of thew andkeen of eye, able to wield the bow for defense of his village orlord. Yeomen were critical to English defense: the Yeoman sup-ported local militia and could be conscripted into an army asneeded.

Player Characters should not be Yeoman, except under very lim-ited circumstances. The Yeoman is quite limited in scope, andmost bow-centric PC’s fare better as Fighters, since they gainmore training and access to more feats to make themselves morepotent archers. The Yeoman represent commoners who, eitherthrough patriotism or a strong sense of loyalty to their people orlord, opt to become experts with the bow. Neither are they war-riors, who learn the use of heavier armors and most meleeweapons.

Hit Die: d6

Class SkillsThe Yeoman’s Class skills (and the key ability for each skill) areClimb (Str), Craft (Int), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen(Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Int), and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int Modifier) x 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int Modifier

Class FeaturesThe following is a class feature of the Yeoman NPC class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Yeoman is proficient inthe use of all simple weapons, the short bow, short compositebow, longbow, long composite bow, and the Welsh and EnglishLongbows. The Yeoman is proficient with light armors and thebuckler shield. Note that armor check penalties for armor heav-ier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist,Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

Starting Gear: 2d4 x 10 gp worth of equipment, plus an EnglishLongbow.

The French, on the other hand, had a larger heavy cavalry force,their pool of nobles being larger, and they practiced older meth-ods of combat that made the cavalry charge the main focus ofbattle. Heavily armored knights in chainmail and platemail(when they could afford it) would charge into battle, and thenlighter infantry and crossbowmen would pick away at the strag-glers. This tactic relied on the shock value of the first charge topropel the army, and this was why England succeeded, at first.

England’s infantry became adept at forming pike walls to receivecharges, while their longbowmen, behind tower shields, raineddeath down on their enemy much farther than the crossbowcould return it. Again and again, French Knights would chase

Combat Maneuver: Unseating a RiderA good number of weapons that possess hooks or spikes areparticularly good at unseating a rider. Should a horsemancharge past a footman with such a polearm, the footman mayattempt to Unseat the Rider. Refer to the Trip rule in the PHB.


English light infantry into traps where pikemen could close inbehind them and whittle them down so that the small force ofEnglish Knights could plow through the survivors.

But, despite limited success, the matter of the kingship of France,or the control of all of France by Eng-land appeared more and more impos-sible. The territorial gain of the warwas slight, at first, and as the wardragged on the people of Englandbecame weary of the costs in lives andluxury. Generations had to go without tosupport the war taxes, and their lords paidless and less attention, leaving the care ofthe land they lived on to landlords who oftenovertaxed them and lived on the excess.Revolts among the common people forced Eng-land to withdraw some forces to the home front toput down uprisings, and as Scotland recovered fromtheir war with England, they renewed their attacks.

In France, revolts of their own lead to the independenceof the Burgundians, a rival noble family that claimed cen-tral and southern lands in France. This force weakened theFrench by removing the forces France could draw upon for rein-forcements. Even when England had to fall back, and give upterritory in order to put down revolts at home, the Frenchcould not make an effective attack. England, as a counter-measure to avoid French resurgence, gave up some ofits French territory to the Burgundians, in exchangefor a military alliance.

Eventually, a poor shepherd’s girl, a farmer’sdaughter, began to receive visions in the fieldwhile tending her sheep. Counseled by the saints and an angel ofwar, Joan of Arc, at the age of 16, presented herself to the Kingof France and told him she was being sent to him by God to helphim fight the war. After much questioning by the king and the-ologians, she was given command of an army, a suit of platearmor, and sent to fight against the English and Burgundians.

Joan despite every expectation, reformed what was left of theFrench Army, reorganized it to make better use of the mercenar-ies and infantry, and for two years she retook southern provinces,eventually legitimizing the French monarchy’s hold on France.Ultimately the Burgundians captured the visionary girl/general,who had been a constant thorn in the English and Burgundian’sside and gave a seeming holy mandate from God for the Frenchcause. In an attempt to de-legitimize her holy mystique they helda sham trial, alleging a number of baseless allegations, and thenburned her at the stake. The trial angered the French, and wouldeventually be condemned by Rome, who would declare Joan ofArc a saint many years later.

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Field PlateField Plate is the equivalent of the Full Plate listed in thePlayer’s Handbook. Heavy, elaborate, with a leather backing,rather than chainmail, and plating covering most of the body,Field Plate was the kind of armor worn by knights and kings.Field Plate was far too expensive for most soldiers, and often itsuse alone implied station. Crests and patterns on the armor mightbe added to parade armor to identify the person within, but bat-tlefield plate armor was most often plain, to avoid somethingthat might catch an opponent’s weapon. With the rarest of excep-tions, Field Plate includes a Closed-Face Helm, should optionalrules about helms be in use. Barding of Plate is also available.

FirearmsThe difference between most guns listed in this chapter involvesnot the damage or the appearance, but the firing mechanism.Once the primitive firearms, crafted of bronze or iron, were sur-passed, and the principles of explosive discharge were understoodbetter, new guns were designed, with wooden stocks supportinglong steel barrels.

Handgonne, Early MatchlockThe first individual gunpowder weapons were simply tiny ver-sions of field guns. Some were fired held in the crook of an arm,and some had a simple stock (really just a straight handle)attached to the barrel. The latter were generally fired braced on ashooting stick, and were more accurate than the former. Bothtypes were fired in the same way: the gunner carried a burning'match', actually a slow burning wick, which was held to the gun's

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touch hole igniting the powder in the barrel. In a D&D setting,there are better alternatives for ignition - tindertwigs, the 'firefin-ger' function of Prestidigitation, etc. No matter the ignitionsource, gunpowder weapons worked poorly in wet weather. TheDM may wish to require a skill check (Firearms, Int, useableuntrained) to successfully fire a gun under these conditions. DC15 for fog, 20 for drizzle, 25 for rain, etc. None of these primitive

Table 7-1: The YeomanNPC Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save

1st +1 +0 +2 +02nd +2 +0 +3 +03rd +3 +1 +3 +14th +4 +1 +4 +15th +5 +1 +4 +16th +6/+1 +2 +5 +27th +7/+2 +2 +5 +28th +8/+3 +2 +6 +29th +9/+4 +3 +6 +310th +10/+5 +3 +7 +311th +11/+6/+1 +3 +7 +312th +12/+7/+2 +4 +8 +413th +13/+8/+3 +4 +8 +414th +14/+9/+4 +4 +9 +415th +15/+10/+5 +5 +9 +516th +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +10 +517th +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +518th +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +619th +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +620th +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +6

The Order of the Golden FleeceEstablished as a knightly and chivalric order by the King ofBurgundy, the Order of the Golden Fleece was a secular orderof knights, ruled by a Grand Master, who usually was the Kingof Burgundy. Eventually, through intermarriage, the GrandMastership passed to the Hapsburgs, primarily the SpanishBranch, although for a time it was claimed by both the Austrianand Spanish branches of the family. The Order stressed cultureand civilization of its members, and members were required toact in as chivalric a manner as possible in public. They wereencouraged to be solicitous to women and the poor, and to helpall those who were in need. Piety and obedience to the Popewere included as meritorious behavior, but since the order wassecular, could not be enforced. Membership in the Order gavemany Knights and Nobles prestige in Europe, and carried theexpectation that the member was a man of sterling characterand courage. The Order is an excellent example of a secularlyfounded Knightly Order in the later Medieval Period. Othersimilar secular orders include the Danish Order of the Ele-phant, the English Order of the Garter, The Piedmontese Orderof Annuziata (which claims heritage from the Savoyan Orderof the Collar), and the Mantuan Knights of the Precious Blood.


guns were ever adopted as standard armament for military units,and their appearence ! on the battlefield was unusual and spo-radic.

Reloading a handgonne is a laborious process. First the touchhole has to be reamed out with a metal spike or wire, and the bar-rel must be swabbed to quench any hot embers from the last shot(gunners generally kept small pieces of cloth called 'patches' intheir cheek for this purpose). Next the charge of gunpowder hasto be measured into the barrel, then the bullet (wrapped in a drypatch) placed in the barrel and rammed home. Finally, a smallamount of powder must be poured into the touch hole. Now theweapon is ready to be mounted, aimed, and fired.

Reloading gunsThe weapon tables at the end of this chapter and the appendix listrates of fire (ROF) for each firearm. This number represents thenumber of full round actions required to load the particularweapon. Because of the delay in reloading a weapon, gun use wasnot common in the middle of melee. Gunners either dropped theirweapons quickly to prepare for a charge, or they fired from a hardto reach location. Pistols, invented later, take less time to reload,and use half the powder of a comparable carbine.

New Feat: Swift Reload: [General]You are trained to reload a gun more quickly.

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Prerequisites: Exotic Weapons Proficiency (Firearms)

Benefit: It takes one less full round action for you to load agun. If the gun only requires one full round action to load, thenthis feat reduces it to a standard action. Thus, if the characterwould normally reload a gun in 5 rounds, the Swift Reload featwould allow him to reload the gun in only 4 rounds.

New Feat: Superior Gunnery: [General]Prerequisites: Exotic Weapons Proficiency (Firearms)

You have learned to compensate for the innate inaccuracies ofthe gunpowder firearm.

Benefit: All guns listed in this book may be fired up to ranges10x the listed value. A person with the superior gunnery feat canfire at targets up to 15 range increments distant, although still at a-2 penal;ty per range increment beyond the first..

New Feat: Impaling Shot: [General]You have learned to take advantage of line of sight to strike twotargets in line.

Prerequisites: Point Blank Shot, Dex 15+

Benefit: This feat is, in effect, a version of Cleave for rangedweapons. If you a deal a creature enough damage to make it dropwith a ranged weapon (typically by dripping it to below 0 hitpoints, killing it, etc.) you gain an immediate, extra ranged strike

25a. Voulge; 25b. Voulge; 26. Field Plate; 27. Early Matchlock Handgonne; 28. Common Serpentine Lock Arbequis; 29. TournamentPlate Armor; 30. Coronel Lance Head

25a 25b

2627

28

29

30


against another creature in the line of sight. If there is no creatureimmediate line of strike, no extra attack make be made. Theextra ranged strike is made with the same missile, with the priorattack bonus. If the missile must travel far enough to enter a newrange increment, the bonus is further modified accordingly. Youcan use this ability once per round.

New Feat: Greater Impaling Shot: [General]You have learned to take advantage of line of sight to strike mul-tiple targets in line.

Prerequisites: Point Blank Shot, Impaling Shot, Dex 15+, Baseattack bonus of +5 or higher

Benefit: As impaling shot, except that you have no restriction tothe number of times you can use it per round, as long as all tar-gets are in the same line of sight.

Arbequis, Common (Serpentine Lock)The matchlock arquebus was the first personal gunpowderweapon to see widespread battlefield use. It used the same igni-tion system as the earlier handgonnes, but was designed with astock generally similar to that of modern long arms, and had along, smaller bore barrel. Shooting sticks were standard to bracethe weapon, and a ramrod was generally held in a tube below theweapon's barrel. The stock often had an inset box to hold patchesand extra match material. Reloading a matchlock follows gener-ally the same proceedure as a handgonne, but is quicker due tothe ready access to the required tools.

The serpentine lock arquebus was a distinct step forward in gundesign. The burning match was now held by an S - shaped (orserpentine) latch attached to the musket with a pivot in the mid-dle. When the time came to fire, the bottom of the latch waspulled towards the firer, pressing the lit match to the gun's touchhole. This was the first 'trigger' on a gun. There were numerousother improvements to these weapons, for instance the shootingstick was now attached to the gun's stock near the muzzle andhinged so that it could fold against the stock when not in use.The gun's touch hole usually had a pan next to it to hold powderfor improved priming. Loading a serpentine lock firearm is simi-lar to loading a matchlock, but various advances such as charge -measuring powderhorns and improvements in training reducethe required time.

France had the momentum after that. The English lost their bestfield commander, then the Burgundians made a separate peacewith France, after concluding the war could not be won. Weak-ness in the English Monarchy forced them to disadvantageoustruces with France again and again. As the English Monarchybecame embroiled in matters of succession, they found them-selves unable to continue anything like an effective war withFrance. In the end, with virtually every province they had everpossessed lost to them but Calais, the English signed a compre-hensive treaty and ended the Hundred Years War.

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Lance RestThe lance rest was a simple device that could be bolted to suitsof Tournament Plate Armor. Basically a hook, often with a hinge,so that it could be folded out of the way when the wearer was notcarrying a lance, the rest was underneath the right arm, slightlyabove the waist, and the butt of the lance was placed on top ofthat hook, so as to hold it in place. Once the lance was placed inthe lance rest, it was a great deal easier to carry and aim. Thelance rest conveys a +1 to the strike roll for any lance placedwithin it, since the lance is held steady, and can be brought tobear with more accuracy. Lance rests, as mentioned above, arestandard on Tournament Plate Armor. Should one wish to have alance rest built onto any other kind of plate armor, they may doso at the cost of 25 gold for a normal lance rest and 40 gold for ahinged rest.

Plate Armor, TournamentTournament Plate Armor was heavy, thick, and meant to with-stand the impact of a charging knight’s lance. The damage twomen can inflict when charging at each other, lance vs lance, wasincredible, and tournament armor reinforced every area of thebody possible. It was also nearly impossible to walk in. Tourna-ment Plate Armor armors the upper body almost exclusively, andleaves the lower torso almost untouched. A short plate skirt cov-ers some of the hip area, but, other than the boots, the leg portionof tournament armor is actually attached to the horse’s saddle.Many forms of tournament armor had shields bolted to the offarm, making the protection of the shield a permanent feature,and often immobilizing the upper arm. As well, although it was

Wicks and PowderThe Wick material was cheap and easy to produce. The liquidsit was soaked in varied from linseed oil to kerosene, and wax-ing was optional, although waxed cord had a better chance ofresisting soaking. Wick should cost 1 silver per 5 feet, and theaverage firing requires 2-3 inches of wick, making it a cheapexpense. Powder, on the other hand, was expensive. Usuallystored in kegs and then portioned out into horns, powder couldcost as much or more than the gun, at least in the early 14th

century. 25 GP would get you a 5 pound keg, which resulted inenough powder to fill 5 horns. Each horn (carrying a pound ofpowder) was usually good for 10 musket shots (or 20 pistolshots). Detonation of a 5 pound keg was something to begreatly avoided (unless it was meant to be used as a bomb),and could inflict up to 6d6 damage in the initial target square,and 1d6 in all adjacent squares, (Reflex save DC 15 halves).Larger kegs were certainly available, often up to 32 pounds.

As an alternative to the powder horn, 16th century or laterhunters and soldiers might wear a bandolier with a pouch forshot, and up to one dozen wooden ‘apostles’, small woodenvials that held a pre-packed charge for a given gun. Eachapostle was hollowed out to hold the approximate amount ofpowder needed to fire the given pistol or musket, and could beeasily refilled from the keg while encamped. Apostles wouldcost 1 GP a piece.]


technically illegal in the tournament, many suits of armor actu-ally locked to the leg guard, effectively locking the knight intothe saddle, making him that much harder to unseat. Even asheavily armored as they were, knights died in tournament jousts.Impacts with the helmet could snap necks or cause brain dam-age. Splintering lances (and they often splintered) could enter thesmallest of gaps in armor. The last joust in England ended withHenry the Second dead, a splinter from a charging lance havingpassed through his visor and into his head, killing him. Even theconstant pounding of lance to armor to flesh could cause brokenbones and concussions. There are a number of tales of knightsunhorsed who, dazed, leave the field, fall asleep, and die. Nomatter how protective the armor was, the human body wassometimes too fragile for the punishment meted upon it. Tourna-ment Plate Armor has a lance rest built into it.

Lance w/ CoronelThe coronel (crown) was made to protect the opponent during acharge. The three-lobed head was intended to spread the powerof the lance over a larger space, dispersing the force and makingthe lance a bludgeoning weapon. A heavy lance with a bludgeon-ing head, the Lance with coronel was made only for tournament,and was usually made of dried wood, so as to promote breakage.The lance with the coronel does normal damage in a charge andonly x2 with the Spirited Charge Feat. It is highly suggested thatthe damage rules to unseat be applied when attempting to simu-late jousting.

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Near the end of the Hundred Years War, the Ottomans, suffi-ciently recovered from the attacks of Tamerlane, and having con-solidated their power in the Balkans, moved forward again.Crusades, lead by the Hungarians, and allied armies fromclaimed territories, attempted to dislodge the Ottomans, but theonly major result of this was the incorporation of handguns inthe repertoire of the Janissaries. Then, for the first and last time,the Turks finally laid siege to Constantinople, and won. DespiteRussian claims to the mantle of Rome, via the Orthodox Churchand the Varangian connection, this would be the last fall of theTrue Rome. With Constantinople fallen, the Ottoman Turksmoved their capitol there, and they would never leave. For awhile it seemed the Turks would rest, now that all of Greece andthe Balkans was theirs. Still, they sat on Hungary’s doorstep, andtheir ships began to compete with Vienna’s at sea.

Prestige Class: JanissariesThe elite slave-warriors of the Ottoman Empire, the Janissarieswere the last in a great tradition of slaves who became greaterthan the freemen. In Rome, the gladiators stole the minds andhearts of their persecutors, drawing the Roman commoner intothe passion of their brutal lives. In Egypt the Mamelukes servedforeign rulers, prevented from embracing the One True Faith ofIslam until they overthrew their masters and became the powerbehind the throne. In the Ottoman Empire the Janissaries startedas slaves from conquered territories, and they ended up nearlyruling the Empire itself.

The Janissaries were selected from among those who were notonly strong but healthy and able to learn. Taken young, theywere given a rigorous education, taught warcraft and drills, tac-tics and weaponry, as well as Islamic belief and literature, Arabiclanguage and writing. The Janissaries were given great freedomsin exchange for their service to the Empire. Janissaries weregiven great pay, and wives when they were deemed ready. Theywere given rank in the army, and the privilege of being the firston every battlefield. And they were given the right to choosetheir weaponry. Whenever a new technology was developed ortaken from enemies, the Janissaries were given the first crack atit. The Janissaries were given gunpowder weapons first, andevery one of the Janissaries took to carrying a gun as well astheir normal chosen weapons. Their familiarity with theirweapons gave them the offensive edge in combat. Their prideand their prestige gave them a stake in the development of theEmpire. Regardless of their land of origin, the Janissaries werethe pride of the Empire.

Hit Die: d10

RequirementsTo qualify to become a Janissary a character must fulfill all thefollowing criteria.

Minimum Statistic: STR 12, CON 12, INT 12

Base Attack Bonus: +1

Alignment: Any non-chaotic

The Height of the Tournament CultureThe tournament culture hit a peak during the 14th century.Tournaments would last for days, with the first two days regu-larly being exhibitions. Exhibition competitions includedevents that freemen could participate in, such as archery com-petitions (popular in England), wrestling, horsemanship (bothto show the talent of the rider and to show the training of thehorse), duels between feuding knights (generally to firstblood), and tests of skill. The third day was usually the mainevent, with jousting, one on one melee combats (with axes,swords, and polearms, either blunt or sharp), even free for allmelee (where a number of knights were set in an arena and thelast knight standing won). Prizes for the winner of a joust wereoften the armor and horse of the fallen knight, as well as amodest sum for the winner of the competition. Jousts becameso well regulated that there were actual divisions of expertise,and some nobles performed almost solely on the tournamentgrounds, rather than the battlefield. It was an unofficial tradi-tion for knights to sell back armor or mounts won from fellowknights who might not have extra, but this tradition was notenforced, and a poor knight might often needed to keep hiswinnings. Some grew to depend on the winnings of tourna-ments to make up for poor lands or empty titles. As the gungrew more powerful on the battlefield, the tournament grewless prominent, and tournaments devolved into parades, showsof wealth, displays of horsemanship and maneuvers, or subtlemockery.


Special: A potential Janissary must be a prisoner of theOttomans; they were usually taken as tribute while children. orcitizen of a region captured by the Ottoman Empire. They mustpass rigorous inspection, and be deemed capable of adapting tothe lifestyle of a Janissary. They must complete the training regi-ment of the Janissaries, including conversion to Islam. Should aJanissary be deemed unfit or incapable of performing his duties,they will be expelled from the Janissaries, and maybe exiled,made a slave, or killed. Any member expelled from the Janis-saries may retain any gained abilities, but cannot gain anotherlevel of Janissary unless readmitted to the Janissaries. If thisclass is used in a fantasy Empire, substitute Ottoman and Islamfor whatever Empire and/or Organization is most appropriate.

Class SkillsThe Janissary’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) areBluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump(Str), Knowledge (Islam), Knowledge (Islamic Literature), Ride(Dex), Speak Language (Int), Swim (Str)


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Janissaryprestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Janissaries are proficientwith all simple weapons and martial weapons. They are alsoproficient with light, medium, and heavy armors and shields.Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leatherapply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump,Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

Weapons Training: The Janissary is given extensive weaponstraining, and may select one weapon they are proficient with totake the Weapon Focus feat with. Alternately, they may chooseone exotic weapon and take Exotic Weapon Proficiency with it.Alternately, they may select one weapon they already haveWeapon Focus with and take Weapon Specialization with thatweapon, as per the Fighter feat in the Player’s Handbook.

Adaptive Tactics: The Janissaries were best known for their abil-ity to adapt to the conditions of the battlefield and revise their tac-tics to meet their challenges; no small feat, considering they didthis in the heat of battle. Few military groups were as resourceful,and many of the later tactics of Europe and the Ottomans weredeveloped by Janissaries, often involving firearm use. At 2nd, 5th,and 8th level, the Janissary gains a point of adaptive tactics. Eachpoint may be used, once per day, to make the following modifica-tions after the roll of the dice—Add or subtract 1 from the armorbonus, Add or subtract 1 from a strike roll, or Add or subtract 1from a damage roll. Multiple points may be used on the same roll,but points do not return until after the first full night’s sleep(which might not be so common during a campaign).

Second Wind: The Janissary can push through exhaustion andcontinue to fight effectively. A Janissary may ignore the first 2points of any fatigue modifier.

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Prestige: Despite being slaves, the Janissaries gained prestige,and could gain certain privileges with it. At 6th Level a Janissarymay wed (multiple times, if his income permits), have his owndwelling, carry a mid-level rank when dealing with regular sol-diers, and move freely within any city at which he is billeted. At10th Level, a Janissary is given a royal pension, giving him a reg-ular income beyond his soldier’s pay, for life, of 10x his soldierpay (or 1d6 X 1000 gp, if no pay is given). At 10th level he alsogains General-level rank when dealing with regular soldiers, andfreedom to travel anywhere within the Empire when not on cam-paign. In history, Janissaries eventually gained enough powerand prestige to control the Sultanate for a while, until they werebrutally suppressed and disbanded.

KinzhalA small, curved knife carried by the Turks, the Kinzhal was con-sidered as much a badge of citizenship as it was a weapon. MostTurks did not even consider it a weapon when they wererequired to disarm, such as before entering a palace or temple. Ina Turkish city this was not a problem, and only the most para-noid of rulers would prevent a citizen from carrying a Kinzhal.However, in the land of a foreign power, this practice sometimeslead to international incidents.

In Prussia and Pommerania, the rule of the Teutonic Knights waswearing thin. As the Hansa Cities prospered and German culturepromoted a sense of independence in these areas, a coalition ofanti-Teutons developed to protest the rule of the TeutonicKnights. They were accused of being backwards, antiquated, andtoo restrictive of hereditary freedoms, all claims that were oftenleveled at unpopular rulers. Indeed, when the coalition presentedtheir grievances to the Holy Roman Emperor, he demanded thatthe coalition disband and submit to the Teuton authorities. Thealliance then turned their pleas to the Polish king.

Poland, at this time, was not the dominating powerhouse itwould become. Since Poland and Lithuania shared a commonroyal family, Poland could normally draw on the support of thelarger and more robust Lithuanian nation, but at this time bothcountries were at odds, so Lithuania refused to even entertainPoland’s entry into the conflict. But with most of the world

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either looking to Constantinople’s fall or the rebuilding after theHundred Years War, the Polish did not have to worry about retri-bution from a conflict with the Teutonic Knights.

When the war was finally declared, the Teutons had alreadymanaged to drum up support in a number of German Duchies,most notably Saxony and Brandenburg. Although the Polish andPrussian forces possessed better artillery and included some ofthe unreliable but new matchlock pistols to great effect, the Teu-tons were able to use the new support to great effect, holding thePolish forces back and retaking portions of Eastern Prussia. ThePolish sued for peace, asking that Brandenburgian mediators beused to negotiate the settlement. But the Teutonic Grand Masterrefused. Seeing an advantage, the Teutons pressed forward.

Pistol, Matchlock and Serpentine LockThe pistol was a definite advance, a shorter gun that could stillinflict sizeable damage. Matchlock pistols were often braced onthe arm, and lit from a match held in the mouth. Serpentine Lockpistols did not enjoy the foot of their longer cousins but the pow-der required to fire a pistol was just half that of the longer guns,which saved on supplies while still allowing a man to carry apotent weapon on his person.

Serpentine lock pistols were fairly common also, especiallyamong the cavalry. They were less powerful and accurate that along gun, and nearly as cumbersome to reload, but they onlyrequired one hand to fire.

Poland used the time bought in seeking negotiations to call uparmies even into Russian territory, recruiting Slavic and Tartarforces and mercenaries from all over. When war restarted, thePolish army was larger than before, while the Teutons had nonew armies. The tide slowly turned against the Teutons. Merce-naries turned against the Knights and sold three castles to thePoles. For a brief time the Poles occupied the Teutonic capitol,but it was not to be. The Grand Master retook his capitol, and thetide turned once more.

Back and forth it seesawed, until the king turned command ofthe army over to an able bodied general not of noble birth. PiotrDunin lead more effective offensives, and slowly Poland made

Table 7-2: JanissaryClass Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special

1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Weapons Training2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Adaptive Tactics3rd +3 +3 +1 +14th +4 +4 +1 +1 Second Wind5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Adaptive Tactics6th +6 +5 +2 +2 Prestige7th +7 +5 +2 +28th +8 +6 +2 +2 Adaptive Tactics9th +9 +6 +3 +310th +10 +7 +3 +3 Prestige


ground against the Teutons. Negotiations were heated, with bothparties unwilling to come to compromise over the ownership ofPrussia. It would take 5 years of negotiation, punctuated bybloody sieges and capture of fortresses and cities by the Polish toforce the Teutonic Knights to give up Prussia to Poland. Part ofthe agreement allowed the Teutons to continue to rule a portionof Prussia as a vassal to Poland, while the Grand Master of theTeutonic Knights was given the title of Senator of the Polishkingdom. The immediate benefit for Poland was coastline,which gave them the ability to form a fleet and improve theirtrade. As well it gave them access to the Hansa and to the com-munity of German thought, which allowed them to improve theirtactics and have a better chance of recruiting mercenaries.

The Beginning

of the RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a philosophical movement, spurred on byrediscoveries and new advances in science that lent man newinsights into the workings of the world around him. It stressedfreedom and individuality, reason and pursuit of knowledge.Advances in ship construction allowed Portugual to sail aroundAfrica to circumvent the Silk Road’s exorbitant prices and bringnew trade to Europe. This lead to better steel refinement, whichwould yet again improve steel. It also allowed Columbus to sailto the New World in search of a more direct route to China. Theinitial battles with the natives of America were brief, deadly, andin favor of the Europeans.

Near the end of the 15th century, the Landsknecht movementstarted in the Holy Roman Empire. The Landsknecht were com-moner mercenaries who had become experts at heavy infantrywarfare, being trained with pikes, polearms, great axes, twohanded swords, and gunnery, as well as crossbowmanship. TheLandsknecht were given specific rights by the Holy RomanEmperor, in exchange for their service as high quality mercenar-ies. First, they were allowed to carry and keep their weapons atall times. Second, they were given the right to wear anythingthey chose. Lastly, they were given the right to determine theirown internal hierarchy. The Landsknecht would be a major forceon the battlefield well into the 17th century, and their creation andgrowth would underline the new face of war- one where merit,more than family name, was most important.

Landsknecht Matchlock and ArbequisOtherwise similar to their common cousin, the Landsknechtguns also doubled as clubs, their heavy butts reinforced andbulky, to improve the impact. Thus a Landsknecht could fire afew times and then swing their guns at a charging foe, addingusefulness to the weapon. Later versions of the gun would beappropriately reinforced to use as clubs, and the Landsknechtpractice spread to common usage.

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Great Axe, Flamberge, and ZwiehanderMen of great character and bravery required great weapons. Theweapons of the Landsknecht seemed almost oversized, althoughthey drew from the tradition of the Swiss Guard, defenders ofSwitzerland and aggressive social militants. The Great Axe wasjust short of a polearm, a heavy, two handed axe, often with along-dropping lower tooth that could be used to shield trap, TheFlamberge was a weapon of intimidation more than a trulypotent variant, a two-handed sword whose blade became wavyabout half way along its four foot blade. The Zwiehander, how-ever, is the weapon that would become common among mostmercenary units in Europe. Literally, the Two Hander, theZwiehander is a reach weapon, a sword with a six foot blade,broad and heavy, with straight, unflourished quillions. TheZwiehander required tremendous strength to wield effectively,but its damage made it popular. All three weapons common tothe Landknecht were used both to maim the opposition and tosunder their enemies’ pikes before a charge.

Across Europe new weapons and armor were being developed.In Italy a new style of sword was being developed. Long butwith a thin, light blade, the rapier was quickly adopted by thedueling culture. Behind this culture new schools of thought,inspired by the Renaissance Reason and Science movements,were being developed to make warfare more scientific and per-fect individual fighting styles. This movement would lead toschools of fencing and warfare. In Germany Plate Armor grew

31. Kinzhal; 32. Serpentine Lock Pistol; 33. LandsknechtArbequis

31

32

33


even heavier, entering into its high Maximillian period. Max-imillian plate would be the most robust pure plate armor thatwould ever be seen on the battlefield. It attempted to rectify theimbalance brought by the addition of gunpowder weapons,although it never proved sufficiently protective. Still, refining thestandards would be a halmark of the 16th century. Refinementsof battlefield common weapons lead to more elegant versions,like the Backsword, Bec-de-Corbin, Berdiche, Chaves-Souris,Dagger Mace, Doloire, Fist Mace, Hurlbat, Jeddart Axe, LucerneHammer, Main Gauche, Saber Halberd, and Thrusting Axe.

Rapier, EarlyThe early rapier was a simple, straight sword, with a thinner bladethan the longsword, and a simple hilt guard. Used as personaldefense for Italian nobility, rapier usage gradually spread all overEurope, becoming the weapon of gentlemen, scholars, and thosewho fancied themselves educated. The rapier would be the sourceof a great deal of writing, as scholars and philosophers seeking tounderstand the science of personal combat. You can use theWeapon Finesse Feat with the rapier, in order to use your dexter-ity bonus rather than your strength bonus in attack rolls.

BackswordA sort of cross between a scimitar and a broadsword, thebacksword was a much more solid weapon, but without thegrace of its lighter relative. The backsword was so namedbecause it was usually carried on a sheath over the back, and waspopular both on ships, as an alternate to the cutlass, and amongmercenaries. The backsword, as a single edged, short, slightlycurved weapon, was common in much of Europe.

Bec-de-CorbinThe bec-de-corbin (Raven’s Beak) is a French polearm, effec-tively a reach warhammer. The weapon head had a four-prongedhammer, and a pick on the opposite head, with a short thrustingspike on the top. The butt of the bec-de-corbin was often spikedas well. The bec-de-corbin can be used as a double weapon,using the head as the primary weapon and the butt end of theweapon as a light staff weapon. When using the bec-de-corbin asa double weapon, it does not count as a reach weapon, but if you

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do you incur all the normal attack penalties associated withfighting with two weapons as if you are using a one-handedweapon and a light weapon. A creature using a double weapon inone hand, such as a Large creature using a bec-de-corbin, cannotuse it as a double weapon.

BerdicheThe berdiche is a huge axe, two handed, which was used in East-ern Europe and Russia. The berdiche has a very large axe headwith a rising edge that can be used for quick thrusts. Theberdiche was a very effective footman’s weapon, made to cleavethrough plate, and it was much feared in the hands of a well-trained user.

Dagger and Fist MacesNot unlike the fist maces of China, European fist maces were amerger of artistry and warcraft. The fist mace merely resembled

34. Great Axe; 35. Flamberge; 36. Zwiehander

34 35 36

Landsknecht FashionThe Landsknecht, given the right to wear whatever they chose,tended to wear extremely motley garb. Battle often causedclothing to rip and tear, and for the Landsknecht, each battlebecame a chance to restore their clothing by salvaging cloth-ing after the battle. If a shirt was torn, perhaps only the sleeveswere salvageable, and so those were taken and tied or sewnonto another shirt. Perhaps a pair of pantaloons were holed.These pantaloons were likely patched with any material foundnearby, making the average Landsknecht appear almostclown-like, often with clothes of varying value, hue, and style.Cheerful and comedic as such clothing might seem to chil-dren, the attire of a Landsknecht did far more to explain whatoccupation they had than any title or scar ever would.


a fist, and, other than its elegant design, it was nothing more thanthat. The dagger mace looked like a fist carrying a dagger, andthe dagger portion could be used much like a pick, althoughwithout the same effect, since the dagger was a blade, rather thana spike. Both maces were more common in Venice and Italy.

HurlbatThe Hurlbat is the spiritual descendant of the francisca. A lightthrowing axe, the hurlbat is made entirely of steel, and the haft isa flat rectangular piece of steel with two sharpened points ateither end. The Hurlbat was used by horsemen, and thrownbefore battle. The sharpened points meant that most contactpoints were likely to damage an opponent, rather than just theaxe blade. The Hurlbat was a Germanic weapon.

Lochaber and Jeddart AxesBoth axes from Scotland, these pole weapons were axes of asimilar theme, with a heavy chopping blade on one side and ahook on the other. The jeddart axe had the top edge of the axeswept up into a thrusting point, while the lochaber axe was not

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quite as effective for thrusting. Either weapon was most fearedfor its simple hook, however, which was very effective forpulling riders off of horses. Neither weapon was a reach weapon.

Hammer, LucerneThe Lucerne hammer was similar to the bec-de-corbin, a reachpolearm with a warhammer head. However, the rear spike wasslightly curved, the better to unseat a rider, and the thrustingspike was replaced with a double edged sword-like blade thatstretched about 8–10 inches above. Some versions had a spike atthe base of the weapon, however those that didn’t were best usedto set against a charge. Either spiked or unspiked version couldbe used a double weapon. When using the lucerne hammer as adouble weapon, it does not count as a reach weapon, but if youdo you incur all the normal attack penalties associated withfighting with two weapons as if you are using a one-handedweapon and a light weapon. A creature using a double weapon inone hand, such as a Large creature using a lucerne hammer, can-not use it as a double weapon.

37. Early Rapier; 38. Backsword; 39. Bed-de-Corbin; 40. Berdiche; 41a. Fist Mace; 41b. Dagger Mace; 42. Lochaber Axe; 43. Jed-dart Axe; 44. Lucerne Hammer; 45. Main Gauche; 46. Saber Halberd; 47. Thrusting Axe; 48. Misericorde

37 38 39

40

41a

41b

42

44

45

46

47

48

43


Main GaucheLiterally, left hand, the main gauche was a parrying dagger,intended to be used as an off-hand weapon and to block strikesthe primary weapon could not. The main gauche often had anexaggerated hilt, the kind more commonly found on much largerblades, in order to aide in blocking and disarming maneuvers.The main gauche has particular use for Duelists.

Halberd, SaberA halberd with the thrusting point replaced with a length of saberblade, the saber halberd was not quite as popular as its progeni-tor. The saber halberd was an attempt to make a kind of fencingpolearm, in order to give polearm wielders more range inmaneuvers. However, the added length of the saber made theweapon awkward, and only those that take exotic proficiencywith the saber halberd can use it as a double weapon. Whenusing the saber halberd as a double weapon, it does not count asa reach weapon, but if you do you incur all the normal attackpenalties associated with fighting with two weapons as if you areusing a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. A creature usinga double weapon in one hand, such as a Large creature using asaber halberd, cannot use it as a double weapon.

Axe, ThrustingThe thrusting axe was an experiment with certain commonworker’s axes, most notably the doloire or workman’s axe, togive the axe more versatility in combat. The doloire was one ofany number of workman’s axes, sometimes with a rising upperend to the axe blade. The thrusting axe drew that rising bladeinto a full-fledged thrusting blade, making the thrusting axe botha chopping and thrusting single-handed weapon. It was easy touse, and light, often carried as a backup weapon, and some sap-pers were known to carry it rather than the mining axe.

MisericordeCalled the “mercy blade” and named for a prayer for mercy, themisericorde was a small thrusting knife, carried by knights, toput a mortally wounded knight out of his misery. The miseri-corde had a four-sided blade (square cross-section), and wasvery capable of piercing plate armor with a weighty shove. Themisericorde was rarely used for anything other than a coupe-de-grace, and was only used when the foe was determined withouthope of recovery.

Plate Armor, MaximillianNamed for the Emperor who introduced it, Maximillian platearmor is the heaviest, most well made plate armor constructed.Crafted in a variety of forms, Maximillian plate armor was nevermass produced, and each item, individually tailored and crafted,is already considered masterwork (and the masterwork bonus isreflected in the statistics). Maximillian armor came in a greatvariety of forms, from pleated and crimped suits looking likegreat metal shells to austere, unburnished metal suits that couldlook at home in a cathedral. Maximillian plate armor was onlyowned by the rich.

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Wheellock Muskets and PistolsThe wheel lock was the first mechanical firearm action. Theyused clockwork gears and springs to spin a flint or carborundumcoated wheel against a metal plate, shooting a stream of sparksinto the firing pan. This system was a great improvement as it nolonger required a lit match to be carried at all times, and was alsofar more resistant to wet weather (+10 circumstance bonus). Forthe first time, it was possible to carry a gun that was ready foraction at a moment's notice. Unfortunately, wheellocks wereextremely expensive and fairly fragile. They were also mainte-nance intensive - the wheel needs replacement after every 20shots or so (20gp) as well as the drive spring every 50 shots or so(25 gp and a craft: gunsmith check DC20). Field repairs to bro-ken wheel locks are difficult, as fine tools and a work space areneeded. Due to these restrictions, no army ever equipped morethan a handful of soldiers with wheel lock guns, and the arque-bus still remained the battlefield standard.

With the advent of the wheel lock, multi barrel guns began tospring up - at least among the nobility. This gave the opportinityfor a follow up shot before reloading. Two barrels were generallythe limit for the period, and such a weapon would cost triple andwould also have to be masterwork. No gunsmith would buildsuch a complex custom job without making it his very bestwork. Both barrels could be fired at once (- 6 attack penalty toboth shots), though this wasn't the intent. Obviously, each barreltakes the full time to reload.

Wheel locks followed the same basic drill for reloading, thoughthere was one new step; every 5 shots or so, the mechanismneeded to be rewound like a clock (a standard action). Waxedpaper cartridges holding premeasured powder charges were nowbeing produced, and this and other improvements furtherspeeded the reload process.

Early in the 16th century guns also had a number of revolution-ary breakthroughs. The wheellock would be invented, whichmade the use of guns more reliable. In addition, better metalslead to more durable barrels, which could take being packedwith more powder. Damascened guns, which were manufac-tured exclusively in Spain, were much more durable, and wereable to be packed with more gunpowder, allowing a moreforceful blast and greater range. The gun was still highlyinnaccurate, but in large numbers, when used against a massedline, their effects were deadly.

The statistics for the damascened versions indicate a barrelfully packed, although it can be fired with a lesser charge, likethe regular wheellock, and use the regular wheellock’s damageand range stats.

Rifled barrels started becoming available about this time. Ingeneral, a rifle is double the cost of a smoothbore, has a 50%greater range increment, and requires one more full action toreload.


During the time that the Ottomans halted movement in Europe,they began a southern expansion. Moving through Mameluketerritory, they established dominance in Palestine and NorthernEgypt. They attempted to completely wipe out the Mamelukeforces, but could not pursue them up the Nile effectively. Theenmity between the Mamelukes and the Ottomans would lead tomany wars between them in the future. The Ottomans, aided bytheir growing fleets, also attacked and vassalized Algiers andTunisia, although they did not extend their thrust to Morroco.For a short time they landed in the Papal States and took a portcity, but they were driven back as much by the ire of much ofChristendom as they were by the Papal forces. The Ottomanstook Cyprus, and challenged the ownership of Crete and Iona,although Venice would also expand its island holdings in theMediterranian, leading to conflict between both nations and ageneral mistrust of Venice by European powers who saw theirexpansion as ambition.

Nations like Spain and Portugal began to turn their eyes west-ward. The Portuguese were consummate sailors, but Spain’snavy was huge, and they saw westward expansion as a way toget in on the trade explosion. The Treaty of Tordesillas was

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enacted by Pope Alexander the Fourth to prevent conflict overwho would have claim to the new lands of America, and it estab-lished a latitude line that gave much of South America and NorthAmerica to Spain while Portugal received mainly the area ofland that makes up modern Brazil. Westward expansion wouldbegin with Spain and Portugual, but eventually England, France,and the as yet unformed Netherlands would follow.

Expansion into the New World had a great number of conse-quences. The New World had valuable resources that broughthigh prices on the European market, tobacco chief amongstthese. Spain would reintroduce the conquistadore practice, andwould look on the native inhabitants of the New World as primi-tive subjects to be administered as lower than serfs. Illnesswould spread through native populaces as contact between thecolonizers and the natives of the New World increased, some-times decimating whole tribes. Similar patterns would be seen insub-Saharan Africa, Deccan India, and South East Asia, whencolonization hit those areas, although many of the illnesses werealready known there. But trade did flourish with some tribes, aswell, and metal craft would eventually be shared, leading to a

49. Maximillian Plate Armor; 50a. Wheel Lock Musket; 50b. Wheel Lock Pistol; 51a. Executioner's Sword; 51b. Executioner's Axe;51c Hurlbat; 52. Russian Double Chainmail; 53. Late Steel Scimitar

49

50a

50b

51c51a 51b 53

52


few new weapons of American origin, primarily the steel ver-sions of the tomahawk and the North American lance.

Early in the 16th century a religious schism would change theface of Europe and lead to a whole new age of warfare. MartinLuther, with his 95 theses, began a move against the church thatlead to the foundation of Protestantism. Protestantism started asan outcry against many of the inconsistencies and hypocriticalpractices endemic in the Roman Catholic Church, but earlychances for a dialog between the Roman church and the nascentProtestant movement were ignored, and no reconciliation waspossible later in this century, after the Council of Trent. TheCounter-Reform movement in the Roman Catholic churchwould remove the possibility for establishing effective commu-nication between both groups, and Protestantism and its sistermovement of Reformism would spread through many of theareas of Europe that had had the most difficulty with the RomanCatholic doctrine.

War over religion became quite common. England, after Henrythe Eighth split with the Roman Catholic church, would facemultiple attempted invasions and a political succession thatwould see-saw back and forth over the policy of the establishedstate religion. Religious groups would travel throughout Europe,establishing colonies in more permissive provinces or going overseas to New World territories to escape the religious conflict inEurope. The Holy Roman Empire would be torn apart by theschism of Christianity, and warfare, as often as not, would usereligion as cover for expansionism, as state would conquer stateto attempt to enforce a change of religion and control. A series ofpeasant revolts would force the nobles to brutally suppress thepopulace to maintain their power, helping to brew the powderkeg that would eventually destroy many German monarchies.

Executioner’s Axe and SwordAlthough many means of execution were available in theMedieval and Renaissance period, execution by axe or swordwas most common. The executioner’s sword was a broadswordwithout a thrusting point, and the axe was often a simplified bat-tleaxe. Neither weapon was made to the specifications of a battleversion of the weapon, and they were more likely to break, as aresult. Executioners were often wandering tradesmen, whooffered their services to the lord of a region as they passedthrough. Those that were carpenters often were able to constructgallows and coffins with equal ease, and most executioners spe-cialized in a specific kind of execution.

The Ottomans took advantage of this situation, certainly. A greatdeal of Ottoman gold was sent to support fledgling Protestantnations. The Ottomans sought to expand into Europe even more,and a Europe in Chaos was a Europe that could not defend itself.As well, they were increasingly worried about the Russian terri-tories, which were beginning to expand aggressively, conqueringcrumbling Khanates and Turkic states in Central Asia. Russiawould continue to expand nearly unchecked, throughout the 16th

century, uniting the Russian territory under the once inconse-quential Moscovite nation. The Ottomans pressed forward,

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claiming most of southern Hungary, and political pressure forcedthe Hungarian monarch to join with Austria’s royal family to sur-vive, making Hungary a part of Austria and establishing the Aus-trio-Hungarian Empire. Suleyman would lay siege to Vienna, aspart of a temporary alliance with France to try and overthrow theinfluential Hapsburg domination of the Holy Roman Empire,however he would never take the city. After Suleyman, noOttoman Emperor would reach this height again. The OttomanEmpire had peaked, controlling land from Hungary toMesopotamia to Northern Africa, as well as dominating theMediterranian and being a force in the Red Sea and the IndianOcean. The Ottoman dream of reestablishing the Caliphatewould never be realized.

Russian Double Chainshirt and ChainmailDouble chainmail involved a six ring pattern of chain weaving,not dissimilar to hexes on a hex grid. Each chain was linked with6 others, which greatly increased the density of the chain andreduced some of its flexibility. This made chainmail less easy topenetrate, even by impaling weapons. Evidence of similar chain-mail in Celtic graves has often been sited as the origin for thiskind of armor, but lack of battle evidence for this suggests thatthe more elaborate pattern was rejected as too complex for realuse. Some of Russia’s neighbors also took to using double chain,although not quite as universally as Russia did.

Scimitar, Late SteelThe Scimitar, long in arriving, saw entry into Europe from theTurks. Either made of late or damascened steel, the scimitar wasevery bit as useful as the longsword, and more common in Islamiclands. Still, no European would use a scimitar, since it was consid-ered the weapon of heathens, and eastern cultures that did adoptthe scimitar were often declared enemies of Christianity.

Lamellar, Late SteelLamellar remained a popular armor in the East, common infallen Byzantium, Turkey, Poland, Southern Russia, theKhanates, and Arab lands. Steel versions capitalized on its sim-ple construction, and often plates were burnished or decoratedwith script or images, when the money was available. Leatherties were often studded, to make the armor appear more martial.

During this time the Polish army began a large shift in policyand practice. Knights, already becoming irrelevant due to thehigh concentration on gunnery in the Polish army, were beingreplaced by Hussar cavalry. The Hussar cavalrymen were lightlyarmored at first, carrying only a large shield for defense, and alance, pistol, and saber for attack. As the 16th century progressedthey would add a chainshirt or segmented breastplate armor tothe mix, as well as a light skins for decoration. The Hussars werea light, fast unit, intended to strike quickly to cause maximumshock in their foes. With fanciful wings on wooden framesbehind them, the Hussars appeared to be half-feral avengingangels on charging striders.


Breastplate, SegmentedMade of riveted sections and often attached at the back of theopen-faced helmet, the segmented breastplate of the Hussars wasa gorgeous armor, stately and every bit the appearance of martialstrength. Backed with chain over the arms and waist, the seg-mented breastplate left exceptional mobility to the Hussar, andwas just as useful on foot as in the saddle. Often, a woodenframe was attached with screws before a battle, to bear the Hus-sar’s wings.

Later in the century the Poles would begin experimenting with aslightly heavier cavalry. They would employ Russian doublechainmail, and would wield short lances, sabres, pistols, car-bines, bows, as well as one of the three popular Polish warham-mers, the oubuch, nadziak and czekan. For those who couldafford it, some would make the stock of their warhammers intocarbines, to augment their already formidable armament. TheHussars would remain a lighter force, but they would add theHussar sabre, a longer sword intended only for charges.

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Czekan, Nadziak, and OubuchThe Poles were proud of their warhammers, and carried themeverywhere, much to the chagrin of non-Polish hosts. Each ham-mer had its own unique features. The Czekan was simple, a ham-mer with an axe head on the opposite side. The Nadziak had afancy, hexagonal hammer head, and a drooping pick on theopposite side, excellent for shield trapping. The oubuch had asimpler hammer head, and a curved hook, made to pull riders

54. Late Steel Lamellar; 55. Segmented Breastplate with Hussar Wings; 56. Czekan; 57. Nadziak; 58. Oubuch

54

55

56 57

58

Hussar WingsAttached to the back of their Hussar armor, the wings weremade of two curving wooden frames that were lined witheagle feathers. Graceful, yet simple, there was no combatvalue to the Hussar wings. Most likely, like the bone hair pipebreastplate of the Native Americans, the Hussar Wings wereadded for psychological shock, to undermine the determina-tion of enemy foes. The appearance of a Hussar in shiningarmor, with wings and animal skin, racing towards a standingline would very well have been imposing. In a fantasy world,wings of this kind might well be enchanted with shining aurasto intimidate or flight ability to allow a flying Hussar toengage a foe without need for a steed.


from saddles (as trip). All three hammers were banned from pub-lic use multiple times by the monarchs of Poland, although theselaws were rarely enforced.

About half way through the 16th Century a number of provincesof Dutch heritage, then under the control of Spain, via an inheri-

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tance from Austria (Burgundy), revolted against Spain and estab-lished independence. Calling themselves the Netherlands, theywere the first of what are termed the New Nations, a state that

59a. Snaphaunce detail; 59b. Snaphaunce pistol; 60. Cutlass; 61. Long Rapier; 62a. Schiavona; 62b. Schiavona hilt detail; 63.Schnepfer; 64. Tuck; 65. Target; 66. Lantern Shield

60 61 62a 62b 63 64 65

66

59a

59b

Melee Weapons with GunsIn the 15th century a few nobles experimented with buildingguns into standard melee weapons. Eventually the novelty ofthis practice grew very popular among nobility, and manymaces, battleaxes, and hammers were made with guns insidethem. As the versatility of these novelties became evident, thecraze spread to other types of weapons. The Cossacks, forexample, were known for building guns into their warham-mers. Certain elite bodyguards built guns into their halberds orpartisans. The utility of having a weapon that could also fire atrange made the expense and drawbacks seem insignificant forthose who could afford and desire them.

Any medium or larger weapon with a metal or wooden haftmay have a gun built into it. Only pistols may be built into amedium weapon, although either a pistol or a long arm may bebuilt into any large weapon. Any kind of pistol from the ser-pentine lock variety forward may be chosen. Statistics for the

gun built into the weapon are identical, however the Hardnessand Hit Points are as per the weapon with one noted differ-ence—The pistol subtracts 1d3 hit points from the weapon’shit points, since the weapon is inherently weakened by theaddition of the gun.

Guns built into the weapon have a very high chance of beingdamaged when the weapon is used as a melee weapon. Anytime the weapon takes damage, there is a 50% chance that thebuilt in gun’s mechanism is broken and becomes inoperable.Thus, the gun will likely need to be repaired frequently. Mostguns built into weapons were expected to fire just once beforethe wielder was in melee anyway. Building a weapon into agun costs three times as much as the weapon and gun wouldcost combined. plus the masterwork cost

Guns were also built, from time to time, into shields. AnySmall, Large, or Great Steel shield may have a gun built intothe boss of the shield. Using a gun in this manner does notnegate the protective capacity of the shield. Building a weaponinto a shield costs three times as much as the shield and gunwould cost combined plus the cost of masterwork.

did not previously exist that established its own governance inand after the Age of Reason. The Netherlands were a unique sit-uation, where an ethnic group that did not have a previous his-tory of independence rose up and established nationhood in analready stratified region. It was also the first state establishedwith a Reformed religion, rather than converted to one. TheDutch would prosper quickly, and would join the colonialistnations quickly, settling in the New World as well as establishingcolonies in Africa and India. Spain, on the other hand, would seerocky times ahead, as it entered war with England over domi-nance of the oceans.

At roughly this same time the gun became the primary weaponon the battlefield, surpassing the pike and sword. Infantry whoseprimary role was to carry a musket were called Musketeers.Musketeers wore no armor, carried no shield, and likely onlycarried simple weapons, although a rich sponsor might providethem with a Melee Weapon Gun, as detailed above. Such sol-diers were expected to fire as often as possible until the pikewalls and cavalry engaged, then fall back and look for opportu-nities. If they were ever attacked, they more than likely ran.France, as well as a number of other countries, kept an eliteguard of musketeers as a royal bodyguard, and though they alsorarely sported armor, they were usually far better trained and for-midable than the common Musketeer. Many of them, in fact,were active duelists.

Snaphaunce Muskets and PistolsIn an effort to build a gun that had many of the advantages of thewheel lock at an affordable price, the shaphaunce action was

concieved. This design had a spring loaded hanmmer holding apiece of flint. When the trigger was pulled, the hammer scrapedthe flint along a rough metal striker plate, showering sparks intothe pan. The snaphaunce was more vulnerable to weather than awheel lock, only providing a +5 circumstance bonus. Generallyseen as more delicate and less reliable than the arquebus, thesnaphaunce was more successful in private use than military.The flint needs to be replaced every 25 shots or so, at negligable

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cost. Double barreled shaphaunces follow the same rules aswheel locks.

The Rise of Personal

WeaponryWith the lance and gun dominating warfare in the 16th and 17th

centuries, the sword would go into decline. Sabers would seegreater use on the battlefield, while pistols and cutlasses wouldbe more common on the sea. In Italy the rapier would becomemore and more popular as an elegant weapon for the gentlemanand noble, and development and understanding of the rapierwould lead to the long rapier and the dominance of basket hilts.

CutlassThe cutlass was a thinner version of the backsword, and the mostcommon weapon on the seas, able to cut rigging as swiftly asflesh. Since armor on the sea was light, the cutlass did notrequire the heavy weight of a larger sword, and a pistol wasoften used in the off hand.

Rapier, LongThe long rapier was designed according to theories that sug-gested a longer, lighter blade could inflict more damage than theoriginal rapier. Well over three feet in length, but light, the rapieroften sported a swept or basket hilt. Like the early rapier, thelong rapier can be used with the Weapon Finesse Feat, in order

The Rise of PrivateersSometimes referred to as the Age of Sail, the Renaissanceincluded great developments in ship technology and a greaterinterest and boldness about the sea. Piracy had always been anissue, throughout history, but with the development of fastercraft and inclusion of cannon on ships, nations often commis-sioned privateers to ply the seas, raiding enemy shipping andotherwise causing havoc on the high seas. Historical figureslike John Hawkins, Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh all sailed asprivateers for England, for example, raiding Spanish holdingsin the New World, even targeting the renowned TreasureFleets, which brought back gold and valuables from thecolonies for the Spanish coffers. Buccaneers and pirates areone of the largest European sources for adventurers in all ofhistory.

Swept Hilts and Basket HiltsSwept and Basket hilts were invented to protect the handwielding a sword. While they do not add an armor bonus, theydo have beneficial effects during certain combat maneuvers. Aswept hilt is a hilt with a great degree of filigree on the guardwork, but the guard itself is not closed. Made to block a slid-ing blade and to trap a miss-timed thrust, a sword with a swepthilt reduces an opponent’s attempt to disarm you by 1 (-1 toany opponent’s disarm check) and adds a +1 to any disarmcheck you may make if your opponent fails to disarm you.

A basket hilt, on the other hand, is a thicker, more solid guard,which protects the hand and prevents disarms. A basket hiltedsword reduces an opponent’s attempt to disarm you by 2 (-2 toany opponent’s disarm check), although it does not confer anybonus to the react disarm check.

Swept and basket hilts take time, effort, and skill to craft, andany sword (other than those that list these properties in theirdescription) so equipped costs 25% more than a normal ver-sion of that sword would cost. Thus, a shortsword with a bas-ket hilt would cost 12 gold and 5 silvers (original cost of 10gold *1.25 = 12.5 gold).


to use your dexterity bonus rather than your strength bonus inattack rolls.

Schiavona, Schnepfer, Tuck, Verdun, and ClaymoreAll four of these blades featured advanced hilts, and were usedamong the educated fighters and duelists. The schiavona wasVenetian, a broadsword with a basket hilt, while the schnepferwas Swiss, a slightly lighter saber, also sporting a basket hilt.The tuck was likely a Scottish or English blade, commissionedfrom Spain, and thin, straight, elegant, with a swept hilt, whilethe verdun was likely made in Italy, but French in origin, also ofa swept hilt. Experimentation with these dueling weapons fueleddueling culture among the nobles, and increased its popularity.There was even a one-handed version of the claymore that borea basket hilt. Although not as potent as its predecessor, it showsthe amount of experimentation that was going on with personalweaponry.

Schools of fighting and warcraft, as mentioned before, were notnew. The Marxbruder is often sited as the first, and it was estab-lished in the late 15th century. Training manuals from the 15th andearly 16th century showed that a variety of fighting styles werealready becoming popular. In fact, cloak and dagger fighting,where a cloak was carried in the off hand, rather than a shield,was already an established dueling practice in the early 16th cen-tury. The main gauche (literally, the left hand) was developed asa parrying dagger. Small shields, called targets, were also rela-tively common in duels, and were a slightly larger style of buck-ler. Styles of fighting with two rapiers, called Florentine, since itwas most popular in Florence, were experimented with, requir-ing good dexterity and awareness. Even lantern fighting with abullseye lantern was experimented with.

TargetThe target was a small shield (basically a buckler), wooden orsteel, and usually square or round, carried in the hand. Used incertain kinds of fencing, the target was intended for activedefense, as it really covered very little of the combatant. Mosttarget wielders were duelers, and the target saw only limited bat-tlefield use.

Shield, LanternThe Lantern Shield was an experiment of sorts, that went a tadwild. Invented in Italy, and made to take advantage of lanternfencing, the lantern shield was a large shield mounted on anarmored glove, with a sword-like blade mounted beneath theglove and two spikes projecting from the glove. The shieldmight or might not also sport a spike, like the target, and a smallwindow at the top of the shield could be opened to dazzle anopponent with a lantern that could be mounted on the inside ofthe shield. The result was elaborate, complex, and somewhatunwieldy. With a variety of attacks available, the lantern shieldappeared an offensive nightmare, a weapon that was impossibleto prepare a fight against, but in general it was quite weighty,hard to maneuver, and, if the lantern was broken, could becomea burning mass at the end of a combatant’s arm. If the shield

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sported a spike, it could be used to disarm, giving a +1 bonus onthe wielder’s opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm anopponent, including the roll to keep from being disarmed if theyfail their disarm attempt. Use of the lantern shield in the off handincurs all penalties associated with using any normal off-handweapon. The lantern shield is an exotic weapon.

Tactics were also devised for using common battlefield weaponslike polearms (such as the Morris Pike), or for new weapons cre-ated to explore combat theories or allow weapons to be used insocial settings. The cane and sword cane, for example, weredeveloped in the late 16th century in France, to allow a fightingenthusiast to display their prowess in social settings. Thefokosok was of a similar theme, a cane with an axe head. Thedusack was a kind of practice saber that never saw battlefielduse, but was popular in certain German fighting associations.The feather staff was an elegant but slightly impractical weapon,attempting to act as a surprise polearm. Experiments with leadedweapons (weapons filled with lead to increase the impact)resulted in leaded version of the cane, as well as the sap. Thesaber had its own following, especially in Hungary, and a shorterversion of the saber was developed for dueling.

Pike, MorrisThe morris pike is an ironically named weapon, morris meant toimply the pike is of Moorish origin, and could, therefore, not beof so great a length as the “European” pike. The morris pike is anshort pike, effectively a heavy, long spear, with a spike at eitherend. It may be set against a charge, is a reach weapon, and maybe used as a double weapon. When using the morris as a doubleweapon, it does not count as a reach weapon, but if you do youincur all the normal attack penalties associated with fightingwith two weapons as if you are using a one-handed weapon anda light weapon. A creature using a double weapon in one hand,such as a Large creature using a morris pike, cannot use it as adouble weapon.

French Fighting and Sword CanesThe French began to experiment with canes, much like the Indi-ans and Chinese, adapting them to combat. The cane could beused as a bludgeoning weapon, and was excellent for tripping.The sword in a sword cane could also be drawn and used as asword, however, the sword cane could not be used to effectivelytrip an opponent. Use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply a charac-ter’s Dexterity modifier instead of the Strength modifier to attackrolls with a cane or sword cane.

Cane, LeadedThe leaded cane was a separate advance, involving a hollowcane with lead powder inside of it. The hollowing made theweapon very light and quick, and the lead gave it a potentimpact. The leaded cane can be used to inflict subdual damage atonly a –2 to hit, as the principle of use is similar. The leadedcane does not have the mass to make an effective trip attack.


FokosokAnother cane weapon, the fokosok was an Eastern Europeancane, with an axe head in the handle. The fokosok was not wellmade for tripping, but was solid enough to use as a bludgeon in apinch. The head of the fokosok was often embellished in order tostress its utility as cane.

DusackThe dusack is a practice blade, a single-edged thick choppingblade with a hole at the base to admit a hand. The dusack wasintended to be used only in practice, and was rarely given anedge. Indeed, sharpening the blade of a dusack could be evi-dence enough of a desire to end a sparring partner’s life. Thedusack originated in Germany.

Feather StaffThe feather staff appears, at first, to be a wooden pole with aleather cap at one end, a kind of over-done walking staff. Indeed,

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it can be used as a delicate quarterstaff. But, once the cap isremoved and the feather staff’s three blades are extended, itbecame a tri-pronged polearm. Unfortunately, the spring mecha-nism of the feather staff was usually weak. Any time the featherstaff takes 3 or more points of damage, there is a 25% chance theblades retract, and cannot be extended until the mechanism isfixed. Beyond that, the feather staff is a weapon that could wellhave been one of the most elegant polearms in Europe.

SapA leather sack filled with powdered lead, the sap is subdualweapon. Best used at the base of the neck, the cap of the skull, orat the temple, the sap was marginally better than using one’s ownfist to attack an unsuspecting foe.

Saber, ShortThe short saber eventually became the national weapon of Hun-gary. No more than two feet in length, with a blade that widens

67. Morris Pike; 68. French Sword Cane; 69. Leaded Cane; 70. Fokosok; 71. Dusack; 72. Feather Staff; 73. Sap; 74. Short Saber; 75.Bilbo; 76. Bodkin; 77. Stiletto; 78. Snicker-snee; 79. Sword-breaker; 80. Triple Knife; 81. Colichemarde; 82. Short Rapier; 83. Epee

67

68 69 70 71

7273

74

75 77 76

78

79

80

81 82 83


near the point, the short saber was used to make quick, savagestrikes. Twin sabers were not an uncommon fencing style inHungary, and saber fencing was almost as popular in EasternEurope as rapier fencing was in Western Europe.

One of the most notable proliferations during this period was inknives. Knives of various types were everywhere, and were asmuch a part of one’s attire and daily routine as shoes or cloakswere. Many, like the bilbo, bodkin, or stiletto were designed tobe deadly but only in a restricted sense. Others had a secondarypurpose, like the snicker snee, which was used for scaling. Thesword breaker was an off-shoot of the main gauche, but it wasnot widely used, and was not carried onto the battlefield.Another, similar, fencing development in knives was the tripleknife, mostly found in Germany.

Bilbo, Bodkin, and StilettoThe bilbo, bodkin, and stiletto are all thrusting knives, withthicker blades not intended to cut. The bilbo is either a very shortsword or a very long knife, depending on your source, and its 4cornered blade was used by those who sought to get between theplates of armor on a more heavily armored foe. The bodkin, onthe other hand, was definitely a knife, also four cornered, andintended for stabbing or throwing. The stiletto was an Italiandevelopment, a knife with a conical or pick-like blade, not unlikethe modern ice pick, and it was often ornamented, to accessorizewith any attire. The stiletto, of the three, was a very social knife,often used as part of a cloak clasp or a decoration for a Venetianwoman.

Snicker-SneeA Dutch weapon, common among sailors, the snicker-snee is alarge knife, resembling a sword. Often used in knife fights alongthe quay, the snicker-snee gained a bad reputation, and its usagewas forbidden in some ports. Often, a portion of the back of thesnicker-snee blade is serrated, to aid in scaling of fish, althoughthis was not the primary use of the weapon.

Sword BreakerThe sword breaker was invented as a means to give more func-tionality to the main gauche. A parrying knife with a series ofsquare cuts along one side of the blade, the sword breaker con-veys a +4 to any active sword break attempt, and may also beused to passively sword break. The sword breaker may be usedin any maneuver a normal parrying knife might be used in.

Knife, TripleAnother variation on the main gauche, this parrying knifeappears, at first glance to be nothing special. It may be used quiteeffectively as a standard parrying knife. However, when themechanism in the hilt is depressed, the blade splits into threeparts, which aid in locking (+2), disarming (+2), and binding(+2). The +2 bonus on the wielder’s opposed attack roll whenattempting to disarm an opponent also includes the roll to keepfrom being disarmed if they fail their disarm attempt.

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Regardless of the weapon of choice, a whole subculture sur-rounding dueling and martial prowess developed in Europe dur-ing this time, even among the Aristocracy, who generally hadmore and more time on their hands due to the phasing out ofnoble-only cavalry. The development of the short rapier was oneof convenience, established when the King of France changedhis courtly attire and demanded that a lighter blade be made togo with his new clothing style. By the year 1700, the epee wouldbe developed, the end result of the refinement of a weapon thatwas no longer intended to kill except in the most extreme of situ-ations.

ColichemardeWhether basket or swept hilt, the colichemarde was the progeni-tor of the epee. A thin, triangular blade, with slightly concavesides, the colichemarde was made to enhance the thrustingdynamics of the rapier. The colichemarde was made for dueling,but it suffered from a tendency for the blade to crack. You mayuse the Weapon Finesse Feat with the colichemarde to add yourdexterity bonus to attack rolls, rather than your strength bonus.

Rapier, ShortFor some, the long rapier was just too long. In order to make asword that worked well with courtly attire, the rapier had to beshortened. The modern image of the rapier, a short fencingweapon, descended from the short rapier. Shortening the blademade the rapier faster, and slightly more defensive, as the bladewas actually stronger in its shorter incarnation. The short rapiermay sport a swept or basket hilt. You may use the WeaponFinesse Feat with the short rapier to add your dexterity bonus toattack rolls, rather than your strength bonus.

EpeeThe ultimate dueling sword, the epee has a long, thin, roundblade with a short, conical point. Structurally light, sporting abasket hilt, the epee could whip around swiftly, and its thrustscould be quite deadly. But it was entirely too weak for effectiveparries. The Hardness of an epee is halved when the Epee isstruck by another weapon. You may use the Weapon FinesseFeat with the epee to add your dexterity bonus to attack rolls,rather than your strength bonus.

Prestige Class: DuelistThe Duelists have a very varied history. Starting with the 15th

century Marxbruder, and descending from schools of thoughtthat included both Islamic and Western philosophy, the Duelistswere nearly as different as each province in Europe was fromeach other. The Duelists came from a variety of backgrounds,from the aristocracy to the scholars to the mercenaries to thedilettantes. From country to country the art of combat was stud-ied as intensely as the new sciences of Physics and Biology, andthe variance of thought was great.

Duelists are those who train for personal, one on one combat.Some nobles may train because warfare is no longer the sole


province of their elevated blood. Some scholars may train to pro-tect themselves from bullies and ruffians, bravos and scholarlyrivals. Many mercenaries train in the hopes of their added skillsgiving them better survival chances in the next engagement. Andthe dilettantes… they learn dueling to pass the time, and relievethe monotony.

Hit Die: d8

RequirementsTo qualify to become a Duelist, a character must fulfill all thefollowing criteria.


Feats: Expertise, 1 other combat related Feat

Skills: Knowledge (Philosophy) +5

Class SkillsThe Dualist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) areAppraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft(Int), Fencing (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Perform (Cha), Jump (Str),Knowledge (Philosophy) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and SpeakLanguage (Int).


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Duelist prestigeclass.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Duelists are proficient withall simple weapons and all duelist martial weapons, which are:Rapier, Early; Main Gauche, Middle Steel; Main Gauche, LateSteel; Rapier, Long; Schiavona; Schnepfer; Tuck; Verdun; Cane,French Sword; Dusack; Saber, Short; Sword Breaker; Knife,Triple; Colichemarde; Rapier, Short; Epee; Pappenheimer.

Duelists also have Shield Proficiency. Note that armor checkpenalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skillsBalance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, MoveSilently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.

Training: Besides access to the Fencing Skill, whichgrants certain special maneuvers, the Duelist may take one of thefollowing special Feats at each level noted on the chart above. Ifa feat has prerequisites, those prerequisites must be completed totake the feat.

Cloak Fighting; Advanced Dodge; Ambidexterity; CombatReflexes; Cruel Wounding; Dodge; Improved; Disarm;Improved Initiative; Improved Trip; Improved Two-WeaponFighting; Improvised Weapon Training; Lantern Fighting; Light-ning Reflexes; Mobility; Move Through Punch; Off-Hand Parry;Punch ; sing Hilt ; Punch Using Hilt; Quick Draw; SpringAttack; Two-Weapon Fighting; Weapon Finesse; Weapon Focus;Whirlwind Attack.

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New Feat: Advanced Dodge: [General]You are trained to aggressively evade against multiple targets.

Prerequisites: Alertness, Dodge

Benefit: Any person trained with advanced dodge may use theirentire dexterity bonus +1 as a dodge bonus against attacks froma single specified opponent, or they may divide this bonus up (ifpossible) between multiple opponents, selecting how much of adodge bonus they wish to use on each opponent at the start of around. Thus, if a person with Advanced Dodge has a +3 dexter-ity bonus, they may opt to add +4 as a dodge bonus to theirArmor Class against a single opponent, or, if faced by opponentsA, B, C, and D, they may opt to give themselves a +2 dodgebonus against B, and a +1 dodge bonus against B and D. Thisbonus may be reapportioned each round.

New Feat: Punch Using Hilt: [General]You have learned the unorthodox tactic of punching an opponentwith your fencing sword.

Benefit: The person who has Mastered Punching with the baskethilt of a weapon may make an unarmed attack doing normaldamage without provoking an attack of opportunity. Making thiskind of attack allows you to keep your weapon at ready, andallows you to use any other feat or ability normally reserved foran unarmed strike, such as Stunning Fist. Punch Using Hilt maybe substituted for Improved Unarmed Strike if one wishes totake the Stunning Fist Feat, if this Feat is purchased in this man-ner, it may only be used in conjunction with Punch Using Hilt,unless the character later purchases Improved Unarmed Strike.

New Feat: Move Through Punch: [General]You have learned to use the punch as a prelude to movement

Prerequisites: Dodge, Punch Using Hilt or Improved UnarmedStrike, Dex 13+, Str 13+.

Benefit: A person with Move Through Punch may attempt tomove within or out of a threat area by distracting an opponentwith a quick jab. A character must declare he is using the MoveThrough Punch before making any rolls. The character mustmake a successful hit against the target opponent, either with a

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Punch Using Hilt or with an Improved Unarmed Strike. If thishit misses, the character may opt to continue with the move any-way, provoking the standard Attack of Opportunity, or the char-acter may abort the move. If the hit is successful, the impactdistracts the target (Will save vs DC 15+ damage) enough toallow the character free movement within or out of the threatarea. If the character moves into an area that is threatened by anopponent other than the punched opponent, they will provoke anattack of opportunity from the unaffected opponent.

New Feat: Cloak Fighting: [General]You have learned to use your cloak in your offhand in combat.


Benefit: A person with Cloak Fighting has learned to use theircloak as a form of defense, much like a shield. A cloak drapedover the off arm or wrapped around it grants the person with theCloak Fighting skill a +1 armor bonus. Someone proficient inCloak Fighting may also use the cloak to distract, weapon trap,or disarm. The cloak wielder proficient in Cloak Fighting mayvoluntarily forgo their armor bonus from their cloak to distracttheir opponent, granting their opponent a –1 to hit anyone. Aswell, a proficient cloak fighter may attempt to grab their oppo-nent’s weapon, by making an attack to strike the weapon withthe cloak hand. If this attack succeeds, the weapon is entangledin the cloak, and may either be trapped or disarmed. Trapping aweapon requires an opposed strength check. Success on the partof the cloak wielder means that the opponent cannot pull hisweapon free, or use it to attack for that turn. Failure means thatthe weapon wielder has extricated his weapon, and may make anattack on the cloak wielder, and the cloak wielder cannot use thearmor benefit of the cloak for that turn. If the cloak wielderattempts to disarm, they must roll as normal, adding a +1 to thewielder’s opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm anopponent. This bonus also includes the roll to keep from beingdisarmed if they fail their disarm attempt. A return disarm willtear the cloak to shreds, making it useless.

New Feat: Lantern Fighting: [General]You have learned to use a Bull’s Eye lantern in your offhand incombat.

Table 7-3: DuelistClass Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special

1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Training2nd +2 +0 +2 +0 Training3rd +3 +1 +3 +14th +4 +1 +3 +1 Training5th +5 +1 +4 +16th +6 +2 +4 +2 Training7th +7 +2 +5 +28th +8 +2 +5 +2 Training9th +9 +3 +6 +310th +10 +3 +6 +3 Training



Benefit: A person with Lantern Fighting has learned to use aBull’s Eye Lantern as a form of defense at night or in darkplaces. If someone proficient with Lantern Fighting carries aBull’s Eye Lantern into combat in a dark place, they may make afree action once a turn to attempt to dazzle your opponent. Theopponent must make a fortitude save vs a DC (10 + total charac-ter levels of lantern wielder) to withstand the dazzling. Each sub-sequent lantern attack in a single combat gives the opponent atemporary +1 to their fortitude save vs. dazzling (cumulative)since they’re growing to anticipate the attack. This attack doesnot work against sightless foes.

New Feat: Off-Hand Parry: [General]You have learned to use a parrying knife or dueling blade defen-sively in your off-hand in combat.

Prerequisites: Proficiency with the weapon in the off-hand, TwoWeapon Fighting Feat, +7 Base or greater attack bonus

Benefit: A person with Off-Hand Parry has learned to use a par-rying knife or dueling blade in their off-hand as a form ofdefense. The combatant proficient in the Off-Hand Parry featmay add a deflection bonus to their armor class based on thebase attack bonus after off-hand weapon and two weapon fight-ing penalties. Thus a person with a +7 Base attack bonus, afteroff-hand weapon and two weapon fighting penalties (-6 to hit,with Two Weapon Fighting Feat), gains a +1 deflection bonus totheir armor class. The maximum deflection bonus that can begained from this feat is +5.

New Feat: Cruel Wounding: [General]You are trained to make strikes with a piercing or slashingweapon that cause intense pain.

Prerequisites: Expertise, Power Attack

Benefit: The Cruel Wounding feat allows an attacker to make acruel strike, where the blow is intended to distract one’s oppo-nent through pain. An attacker must declare they are attemptinga Cruel Wounding before making an attack. The Cruel Woundingstrike is resolved as per a normal attack, but with a –2 to hit. Ifthe strike is successful, normal damage is inflicted, and theopponent must make a fortitude save vs 10 + the damage rolled.Failure indicates that the blow inflicted debilitating pain, and thevictim is considered shaken for the next turn.

Fencing (Int, Trained Use Only; ArmorCheck Penalty)The Fencing skill is used to perform special maneuvers in com-bat. The higher your Fencing skill, the better your performanceagainst other fencers. Since Fencing is a fighting style, this skillis a measure of your expertise with standard Fencing practices,but it may be used to answer knowledge questions about fencing.Fencing maneuvers may be attempted using any traditional fenc-ing weapon (see the Duelist weapon proficiencies above) and

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any similar item at the DM's discretion. As a rule of thumb, anyweapon eligible for the Weapon Finesse Feat might be consid-ered. Defensive items such as sticks, cloaks, small shields andbucklers, and off hand weapons are also allowed.

Check: When used to answer knowledge questions the ArmorCheck Penalty does not penalize skill use.Aside from usingFencing skill to answer knowledge questions about fencing, thefollowing maneuvers may be attempted:

BalestraA balestra is a leaping attack. Should a fencer wish to perform abalestra, they must elect to jump forward before their attack andmake a Fencing check at DC 20. If the fencer succeeds, he maymake a normal attack with a +2 circumstance bonus to damagefor every 5 ft jumped. Otherwise they provoke an attack ofopportunity and gain no benefits (although the fencer may stillattack). Fencers able to jump forward a good distance due tomagical aide may find the balestra to be a devastating attack. Ifthe balestra attack misses, the damage bonus is still applied,should the attack strike a weapon, shield, or armor.

BeatA beat is a sharp slap at an opponent's weapon, to jar the oppo-nent and create an opening to attack. A fencer may elect to makea beat attempt as a full-round action. The fencer must make anopposed skill roll, using their Fencing skill versus the opponentsFencing skill (or their standard attack roll if better). A successfulbeat attack knocks the opponents weapon aside, giving thefencer an immediate attack of opportunity with an circumstancebonus of +4 to hit. If the beat attempt fails, and the opponent isable, he may make a riposte attempt.

BindA bind is an attack that carry’s your opponent’s weapon with it,leaving them open to attack and out of readiness. A fencer mayelect to make a bind attempt as a full-round action. The fencermust make an opposed skill roll, using their Fencing skill versusthe opponents Fencing skill (or their standard attack roll if bet-ter). Success allows the attacker to make an opposed Dexteritycheck to bind the weapon. A successful bind allows the fencer animmediate attack of opportunity and leaves the defender effec-tively Dazed for the next round (unable to attack, defends nor-mally). If the Dexterity check fails, the defender may make ariposte attack (if able) and disengage.

Ceding ParryA ceding parry is a maneuver where the fencer moves their bladeout of a corps-a-corps (below) by following his opponent’s bladeinto a disengaged position. A fencer caught in a corps-a-corpsmay immediately attempt to make a ceding parry. The fencershould attempt an opposed Fencing roll (or Strength check if bet-ter) against their opponent’s Fencing skill, giving himself a +2for their ceding parry maneuver. If the roll succeeds, the fencermaking a Ceding Parry may step back into an empty square and


automatically disengage. Otherwise, the corps-a-corps stands,and proceeds as normal.

Corps-a-CorpsThe corps-a-corps is a defending reaction to a beat, bind, orpress, by drawing one's opponent into a close position, usuallywith both blades trapped against each other and both combatantsfighting to gain an advantage. A fencer, faced by a beat, bind, orpress, may desire to draw his opponent into a clinch. An opposedFencing maneuver must be made, and if the fencer attempting tocreate a corps-a-corps situation wins, both fencers enter the samesquare, find their blades locked, and regular fencing becomesimpossible. Both fencers may then resort to fighting with off-hand weapons, attempt to over-power each other, or attempt todisengage. Attacking an opponent in a corps-a-corps with an off-hand weapon invokes no penalty, as there is little room tomaneuver, either to dodge or miss. If one or both fencers areusing a dueling weapon in their off-hand, they will find thisweapon ineffective, due to its length, however, parrying knivesare perfect for this kind of in-close fighting. Attempting to over-power your opponent involves making a straight, opposedstrength test. The winner may opt to disengage safely, or forcetheir opponent into a disadvantageous position. This may eitherbe forcing an opponent into a kneeling position, or, if they arealready kneeling, forcing them into a fall. Forcing an opponentinto a kneeling position makes it impossible for them to use theirDexterity bonus to their armor class. Forcing an opponent to fallautomatically disengages and leaves the opponent prone. If oneor both opponents in a corps-a-corps attempts to disengage whilethe other is still standing or kneeling, they must make anopposed fencing check, with the fencer attempting a disengageat a -3 if kneeling. If the disengage succeeds, the disengagingfencer steps back into an empty square at their flank. If it fails,the disengaging fencer steps back into an empty square at theirflank, but draws an attack of opportunity. Both fencers may ver-bally agree to disengage, and, as long as both fencers do not tryanything, they may both step back and out of a corps-a-corps.

CroiséA croisé is like a beat or bind, except it is executed as part of aparry. If an opponent misses an attack, the fencer may attempt acroisé. The fencer attempting a croisé must make a Fencing skillcheck vs. a DC equal to 10 plus opponents Strength bonus+opponents rank in Fencing (or base attack bonus, whichever isgreater). If that skill roll succeeds, the fencer sweeps his oppo-nent's blade aside, creating the opening for an attack of opportu-nity. This is a free action that can be attempted once per round.

FeintA dangerous maneuver, where the fencer attempts to mislead hisopponent with a false attack or false opening. Feinting in combatis a miscellaneous standard action that does not instantly draw anattack of opportunity. Make an opposed Fencing roll vs. youropponent's Sense Motive or Fencing skill, whichever is higher. Ifthe check is successful, your target may not use his Dexterity

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bonus to his armor class, since he is reacting to a false signal. Ifyour feint fails by 5 or more points, you do draw an attack ofopportunity, as your opponent takes advantage of a real openingwhile you feint.

FlecheA fleche is a charging thrust, where the momentum of the fenceradds to the damage of the attack. A fencer who elects to make afleche must make a Fencing check at DC 15 while charging hisfoe. If successful he may attack normally (as per the Chargerules) and receives a +1 circumstance bonus to damage for every10 feet he charged (to a maximum of +3). Should the fencer beattacked before delivering a fleche (such as by drawing an attackof opportunity during movement), the fleche damage bonus frommovement is negated, regardless of the success of the attack, asit distracts the fencer. If the fleche attack after the movementmisses, the damage bonus is still applied, should the attack strikea weapon, shield, or armor.

LungeA lunge is a quick, forward strike, where the entire body extendsto strike an opponent out of normal arm-reach. A fencer mayattempt to strike an opponent at 10 feet by making a lunge attackas though he were using a reach weapon. The space directlybetween the fencer and his target must be empty, and the fencermust make a successful Fencing check (DC 15) to return to hisoriginal position. If successful, he does not provoke an attack ofopportunity, otherwise the fencer winds up in that interveningspace and does provoke an attack of opportunity. An opponentmay attempt a riposte or croisé against a lunge, even if they donot have a reach weapon. Lunging is a full-round action. Note:Tiny creatures can only lunge 5 feet whereas Large creaturesmay lunge a distance of 10 feet.

PattinandoA pattinando is an advance combined with a lunge. If a fencerhas already moved and wishes to attack an opponent 15 feetaway, he may attempt a pattinando, by taking an additional 5foot step and a lunge. The lunge works exactly as the lungemaneuver described above, however the fencer incurs a -2 cir-cumstance penalty to his AC for this over-extending attack. Thisis a standard action.

PressA press is much like a bind, however the fencer does not disen-gage blades to strike-he simply catches the opponent's blade andholds it with his own. In order to attempt a press, the fencer mustmake a standard strike a weapon attack (without provoking anattack of opportunity). If the attack is successful, resolve theweapon damage as normal, and then make an opposed Fencingskill check (using the opponent's Fencing skill or their baseattack bonus, if they have no Fencing skill). A successfulopposed Fencing skill check allows the fencer to hold the oppo-nent's blade out of combat, so long as the fencer does not use thepressing weapon. Each turn another opposed Fencing check


must be made to determine if the press holds. Off-hand weaponsmay still be used normally, thus this maneuver favors the com-batant with a blade in his off-hand. In a pinch, unarmed attacksmay be made with the off-hand, although normal unarmedattacks provoke an off-handed attack of opportunity from one'sopponent. If the strike a weapon succeeds but the press attemptfails, the opponent may attempt a riposte, if they are able.

RemiseA remise is an attempt to correct a failed attack. If a fencer failsan attack and is not counter-attacked in any fashion, they mayattempt a Remise. The fencer must make an opposed Fencingroll versus his opponent's Fencing skill (or base attack bonus). Ifthe fencer succeeds, he may roll a new attack, with a -5 circum-stance penalty to his attack roll. A Remise consumes one attackof opportunity so can be attempted only once per round unlessthe fencer has combat reflexes. This is a free action.

RiposteA reversal, or counter attack, the riposte takes advantage ofopenings left when an opponent attacks. If an opponent misses,the fencer may opt to make a Fencing skill roll vs. a DC of 10 +the opponents Fencing skill rank (or base attack bonus,whichever is higher). If that skill roll succeeds, the fencer mayuse the failed attack as an opening for an attack of opportunity. Ifthe riposte fails, the opponent may make an attack of opportu-nity, if he is able. The coupé is a form of riposte.

ThrustA thrust is a quick, lunging strike, attempting to move past one'sopponent's guard before they can react. If the thrust fails, itleaves the attacker very open to a counter attack. A fencer mayelect to make a thrust as a full-round combat action. The thrustgains a bonus to strike of the fencer's Fencing rank, minus anyFencing ranks of the opponent (or base attack bonus if he does

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not have the Fencing skill). If the attack is successful, the fencermay return to their combat stance without incident. If the attackfails, or if it inflicts no damage (due to damage resistance orother circumstances), the fencer is open to an attack of opportu-nity, and is considered flat-footed for that attack of opportunity.

The new century brought with it yet another weapon refinement.The snaphaunce, which was adopted by much of WesternEurope, was further refined into the flintlock, which would bedominant through the rest of the Renaissance period. The nowmore reliable pistols and carbines were becoming very commonat sea or among hunters, which meant that a commoner had agreat chance of killing a knight at distance. This power, in thehands of commoners, served to further weaken and displace thenoble families, and heavy armor began to decline, looking forlimited protection that still gave enough mobility to move out ofdanger. Through the 17th century new armors would be lessdefensive than Maximillian plate, but they would allow greaterrange of motion.

Flintlock Muskets and PistolsBasically a refinement and improvement of the snaphauncedesign, the flintlock realised the full potential of that idea. It wasjust as reliable and weather resistant as a wheel lock, and muchcheaper and more durable. The flintlock quickly became theweapon of choice for the military and citizenry, and remaineddominant until the 19th century.

Double barreled flintlocks can be had as non-masterwork items,though they still cost triple. 3 barrelled muskets are now avail-able, though at 5 times cost, requiring masterwork craftsman-ship, and an exotic weapon proficiency to avoid a -4 penalty.Only one barrel of one of these curiosities maybe fired at a time.

Pistols can be made with more barrels also, usually in a pepper-box configuration. Triple barrelled pistols cost 5x, quadruplebarrelled ones 10x, and both must be masterwork. These 3 & 4barrelled pistols also require exotic weapon proficiency, and aDM might want to require a skill check (firearms, DC 20 ormore) for subsequent shots unless a move equivalent action istaken between each shot to properly work the action.

Flintlocks are the fastest reloading guns in this supplement. Manyadvances, such as waxed paper cartriges containing powdercharge and bullet with training (see the Swift Reload Feat) allowa standard military rate of fire of 6 rounds per minute. This rap-idly spelled the end for melee weapon units, outside the cavalry.

Plate Armor, HalfUnlike half platemail, half plate armor is a suit of plate armorwithout chainmail. Armored thoroughly from the waist up, thelegs are left relatively unprotected, since they were less likely to bea target for gunners, who aimed for the thickest part of the body.Despite this seeming weakness, half plate was what eventuallytook the place of plate armor in most of Europe, especially Spain.

The 17th century would use war to bring a grim kind of peace toCentral Europe at last. The Thirty Years war would start as a way

SwashbucklingThe term swashbuckler has an ironic origin, coming from thehabit of certain lower talent bravos to slap their weaponsagainst their bucklers to intimidate their opponents. Despitethis low origin, swashbuckling has come to mean a fast paced,raucous and witty, sword-spangled adventure in a time ofrapiers, pirates, and musketeers. Those who wish to play D&Dwith a swashbuckling style may want to consider adding a fewlevels of the Duelist class, or allow players to purchase theFencing skill as an out-of-class skill. Doing this allows themto gain the use of the fancifully adapted fencing maneuversmentioned in its skill description, but hardcore duelists willstill advance more quickly. Consider the Improvised WeaponTraining feat from the Far East chapter, to increase the utilityof setting props. Suddenly candelabras, goblets, and hambones all have much more use in a game. Above all, action ina swashbuckling game should favor the flashiest, boldest, andmost outrageous maneuvers, in order to get into the spirit ofevents.


for Austria and Spain to strike against Protestant nations inNorthern Germany. At first they would be highly successful, aprospect that made France and much of the Protestant worldnervous, since it threatened the fall of Protestantism and wouldhave conceivably left France surrounded by Spanish holdings.This left France opposing the Holy Roman Empire’s electedEmperor, and France allied itself with Sweden and the Nether-lands in an effort to prevent a complete victory by Spanish andAustrian forces.

PappenheimerA rapier-like blade found in Northern Europe, the pappenheimerfeatured an elaborate swept hilt and a slightly longer blade thanthe short rapier. The pappenheimer was a dueling sword, and themore elaborate the hilt, the more it was supposed to signify thewielder’s wealth and influence. The pappenheimer hilt is stillquite popular today, although the blade style itself has faded withthe rise of the fencing movement, which favored the rapier. Youmay use the Weapon Finesse Feat to apply your Dexterity bonusto attack rolls rather than you Strength bonus.

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CatchpoleThe idea imported from the East Indies by the English, the catch-pole is a reach polearm without a weapon head. Instead, thecatchpole has a spring-loaded mechanism involving two semi-circular forks that, once released, form a tight ring. This weaponwas carried by town watchmen, and was used in apprehendingvillains, by trapping their necks in the ring. The catchpole hitswith a melee (reach) touch attack, rather than a normal meleeroll. A successful hit means that the person is now caught withinthe ring of the catchpole. If an opposed Strength Check is suc-ceeded, the person wielding the catchpole can limit the move-ment of the entangled foe by the length of the pole (10 feet).

Plate Mail, Three QuarterThree quarter plate mail was yet another step away from platemail, with the top half of the body being armored as plate mail,while chainmail pants were worn, with plate knee cops. Threequarter plate retained the high protective value of plate armor,but did not go as bare as half plate armor. Three quarter platearmor was still quite expensive, and was used more for footmenthan for riders.

84a. Flintlock Musket; 84b. Flintlock Pistol; 84c Apostle; 85. Half Plate Armor; 86. Pappenheimer style hilt; 87. Catchpole; 88.Three Quarter Plate Mail

84b84c

84a

85

86

87

88


While the French monetary contribution proved not to be enough,Sweden’s armies were almost enough. Sweden’s military was per-haps the most effective of the time, using much smaller units ofinfantry and cavalry in order to achieve objectives more swiftlythan the larger, lumbering armies of the Empire. Swedish muske-teers were trained to fight in ranks, like the pilum throwers ofRome, with the first line firing, then falling back to allow the linebehind them to fire while they reloaded. This cycling process car-ried through 5 ranks, so that the Swedish musketeers would keepup a steady stream of gunfire throughout a conflict, which haddeadly effects. In an entirely freak occurrence, Gustavus Adol-phus, the Swedish General, died in a battle in Luetzen, and theSwedish lost momentum and were forced to sign a peace beforeall of the Protestant kingdoms could be regained. The Austrianswere able to use their influence to secure that the Emperor wouldalways be elected from the Hapsburg family, a tremendous coupthat would permanently tie the strength of the Holy RomanEmpire to Austria’s family. The Spanish ended up taking a numberof territories along the French eastern border, though, which leadto the Spanish-French Wars, a war that France felt forced into, inorder to counter Spanish strength.

Two significant developments occurred near the end of theThirty Years war. In Italy, experiments with gunpowder grenades(statistically identical to nageteppo) lead to the determinationthat a device should be made to throw them far enough away notto threaten the carrier. Thus the hand mortar was developed, ahighly inaccurate and dangerous indirect personal weapon thatwas, effectively, the first grenade launcher. In Bayonne, France,

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it became common practice to affix a long knife to the end of amusket. This made the long arm into a short pike, a kind of thickthrusting spear. This bayonnette, as it was called, gave a muske-teer another way to use his gun in melee without causing thedamage that using it as a club did.

Hand MortarAn Italian development, the Hand Mortar was a very dangerousindirect fire exotic weapon. Squat, with an enormous mouth anda weighty body often carried in the crook of the arm or braced onthe ground, the hand mortar fired a gunpowder grenade with a litfuse. Once the mortar was packed, the fuse was lit on the grenade,and then the mortar was fired, via a modified flint-lock. If themortar worked correctly, the grenade would be delivered a greatdistance away, where it would detonate as per a gunpowdergrenade. If it failed, the grenade either detonated inside of themortar (igniting the powder in the mortar, causing an explosionequivalent to that of a 5 pound keg) or if the seal was not quiteright, the grenade would only fly about 1d6 feet before exploding,which often had dire results. If a misfire is rolled with a reliabilitycheck, on a 1-5 (d20) the grenade actually fired, but only the 1d6feet away. Otherwise the powder did not catch, and one shouldhope that another shot might be taken before the grenadeexplodes. It takes an entire powder horn to fire a hand mortar.Grenade fuses generally last 1d3 rounds. Later developments bythe Dutch and Swiss lead to a chemical, impact fuse, whichcaused the grenade to explode once the compounds were suffi-ciently jarred, usually on impact. They function almost identically

89. Hand Mortar; 90a. Plug Bayonet; 90b. Fixed Bayonet; 91. Tarch; 92. Karacena Armor; 93. Karabela; 94. Plate ReinforcedLeather Armor

89

90a

90b

91

92 93 94


to lit grenades, but only explode on impact, not in the barrel ofthe mortar.

BayonetInvented in Bayonne, the bayonet was intended to make a mus-ket into a pike. Actually, it made it into a spear. The first bayo-nets were affixed in the barrel of the flintlock, and were used asa spear might be. Later versions of the bayonet were screwedonto the bottom or top of the gun, and were used to stab a charg-ing enemy. If a gun is ready to fire and a foe is struck with thebayonet, the gun wielder may use a free action to fire the gun,inflicting an automatic hit. A roll should still be made to deter-mine if the damage is critical.

England, by the 1640’s, was in the depths of civil war. Royalistfactions who sought to place Charles the First on Englandsthrone saw this as a way to return England to the CatholicChurch. Parlimentarians, lead by Oliver Cromwell, sought toprevent the return of Roman Catholicism. The war would waverback and forth for a decade until the Parlimentarians won, abol-ishing the monarchy, and establishing the Commonwealth.Cromwell’s death, which occurred shortly before the end of theSpanish-French wars, would be the end of the brief rule by acommoner, and the monarchy would slowly be restored,although without some of the power it previously held.

In Russia, conflict with Poland increased, as Polish Hussars andCossacks attacked Russia’s southern border. Explorers begantheir journey east, looking to expand Russian territory into thethinly settled Siberian region. The rise of Peter the Great wouldsee growing expansion to all corners, with Russians adoptingmuskteers, employing their own Cossack cavalry, and pickingapart failing Khanates to the South while opposing Poland-Lithuania. Lithuania, long in decline, would eventually crumble,leaving Poland much weaker for the loss. Russia, on the otherhand, would face popular uprisings against the forced modern-ization by Peter the Great, but it would begin a level of expan-sion that would one day make it a major world power.

TarchA modified shield, the Tarch was a gauntleted small shield with ablade attached to the mailed gauntlet. Attempting to move theshield to the weapon arm, the tarch heavily armored that arm andgave the body considerable protection, while the blade was still ausable weapon. Using a tarch does not negate its armor bonus. Thegauntlet of the tarch can be used to wield a two-handed weapon,but it cannot wield another weapon and use the blade effectively.

Karacena—Jazerainted scale for infantryKaracena armor was infantry armor, made in small, coin-shapedplates. This kind of armor is referred to as jazerainted armor, andwas used primarily in Poland and parts of Russia near Poland.Karacena was often very intricately decorated, and the tiesbetween jazeraints were often brass or bronze, to give the armorcolor. Karacena was usually worn with a helmet or open facedhelm.

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KarabelaA three foot saber, the karabela was a charging saber used by theCossacks, and was made for use on horseback. The karabela wasan attempt to make a saber into something like a lance. Quick,elegant, and very dangerous, eventually the karabela wasreplaced with a shorter saber in the 18th century.

For short periods of time the Ottomans would attempt to laysiege to Vienna, but with the Janissaries diminished and Europemuch more capable at self-defense, the Ottomans would seetheir first major losses. Eventually Austrian forces would retakeportions of Hungary held by the Ottomans. It would be another200 years before the Ottomans would collapse, however, andthey would fight every step of the way.

Leather Armor, Plate ReinforcedBy the end of the 17th Century, plate armor was being phased out.The most radical departure was plate reinforced leather, whichwas essentially breastplate armor with leather, rather than chain-mail. The cost of making this kind of armor was much lowerthan normal forms of heavy armor, and whole armies could beoutfitted in plate and leather. This was the armor worn by theconquerors of the New World, and the national armor of Spain.Variants came into use in many other parts of Europe, beforeheavy armor was eventually abandoned altogether.

In the New World, Spain and Portugual would dominate,although the English would establish a firm foothold in NorthernAmerica. France would nominally hold title to much land in theNew World, but it would not effectively govern it, allowingmany traders and commoners to grow rich from a lack of heavytaxation. Wars with the Native Americans would prove toexpand the strength of the colonists, and would, in the long runlead to policies of extermination and unbridled expansion in thedecades to come. Already a new culture was developing in theEnglish colonies, based on deism, individuality, self-reliance,and opposition to strong government. Minority opposition cellswould eventually lead a rebellion to change the role of colonyand patron nation.

With the decline of armor, the rise of the gun, and the atrophyingof the aristocracy, the Renaissance would give way to a centuryof civil wars and dynastic collapses. Contact with the East wouldmake England a world power, while France would dominate thecontinent. Slaves, rum, and molasses would bring wealth toDutch coffers, while Germany would struggle in turmoil almosttwo more centuries to finally achieve unity. Spain would slowlydecline, as war and revolt would weaken a nation already proneto conflict. Islam would see factions rise and fall, but, other thanPersia, none would come close to the greatness that once was. Itwould not be until the industrial age and oil consumption beforeprosperity would return to the Middle East. By then, many of theseeds planted at the end of the Renaissance and Colonialismwould grow into new conflicts the likes of which 17th CenturyEuropeans could not even speculate on.


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Table 7-4: Pagentry WeaponsSimple Weapons—Melee Weapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HPTiny

Bilbo 4gp 1d6 x3 2lbs P M 9/6Bodkin 3gp 1d4 x3 10ft 1lbs P M 9/4Dirk, Middle Steel 4gp 1d6 x2 2lbs S M 8/6Dirk, Late Steel 5gp 1d6 x2 2lbs S M 9/6Kinzhal 5gp 1d4 x3 2lbs S M 9/5Dagger, Kidney Late Steel 7gp 1d4 x3 1.5lbs P M 9/5Dagger, Kidney Middle Steel 6gp 1d4 x3 1.5lbs P M 8/5Misericorde, Middle Steel 9gp 1d3 x4 1lb P M 8/3Misericorde, Late Steel 10gp 1d3 x4 1lb P M 8/3Sgain Dubh, Late Steel 4gp 1d4 x3 10ft 1lbs S M 9/3Sgain Dubh, Middle Steel 3gp 1d4 x3 10ft 1lbs S M 8/3Stiletto 11gp 1d4 x3 15ft .5lbs P M 9/3

SmallSnicker-Snee 6gp 1d6 x2 2.5lbs S M 9/7

Medium-SizeAhlespeiss, Middle Steela 10gp 1d8 x3 7lbs P M 8/14Ahlespeiss, Late Steela 11gp 1d8 x3 7lbs P M 9/14Cane, French Fighting 2gp 1d6 x2 2lbs B W 5/6Cane, Leaded 8gp 2d3 x2 3lbs B WM 5/8Mace, Dagger Late Steel 22gp 1d8 19-20/x2 8lbs S and P M 9/16Mace, Dagger Middle Steel 20gp 1d8 19-20/x2 8lbs S and P M 8/16Mace, Fist Late Steel 17gp 1d8 x2 10lbs B M 9/20Mace, Fist Middle Steel 15gp 1d8 x2 10lbs B M 8/20Sulitsa, Early Steela 1gp 1d6 x3 20ft 3lbs P M 7/9Sulitsa, Middle Steela 2gp 1d6 x3 20ft 3lbs P M 8/9Sulitsa, Late Steela 3gp 1d6 x3 20ft 3lbs P M 9/9

LargeOslopi*‡ 10gp 1d6/1d6 x2/x2 14lbs B WM 5/26

Simple Weapons—RangedSmall

Crossbow, Light Steel (Middle) 40gp 1d8 19-20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 8/12Crossbow, Light Steel (Late) 45gp 1d8 19-20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/12

Medium-SizeCrossbow, Heavy Steel (Middle) 80gp 1d10 19-20/x2 120ft 8lbs As per Quarrel MW 8/16Crossbow, Heavy Steel (Late) 90gp 1d10 19-20/x2 120ft 8lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/16

Martial Weapons—Melee Tiny

Knife, Triple* 8gp 1d4 19-20/x2 1lbs P M 9/3Main Gauche, Middle Steel* 6gp 1d4 19-20/x2 1lbs P M 8/5Main Gauche, Late Steel* 7gp 1d4 19-20/x2 1lbs P M 9/5Sap 1gp 1d6§ x2 3lbs B LM 4/4Sword Breaker* 8gp 1d4 19-20/x2 1lbs P M 9/4

SmallAxe, Thrusting Middle Steel 9gp 1d6 x3 5lbs S or P MW 8/10Axe, Thrusting Late Steel 10gp 1d6 x3 5lbs S or P MW 9/10Hurlbat 12gp 1d6 x3 10ft 2lbs S M 9/6


266

Table 7-4: Pagentry WeaponsMartial Weapons—Melee Weapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HPSmall

Sekir, Early Steel* 6gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 7/16Sekir, Middle Steel* 7gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 8/16Sekir, Late Steel* 8gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 9/16Tomahawk, Steel 7gp 1d6 x3 15ft 3lbs S WM 4/9

Medium-SizeAxe, Executioner's 7gp 1d8 x3 9lbs S MW 8/9Backsword, Middle Steel 15gp 1d8 19-20/x2 6lbs S M 8/14Backsword, Late Steel 17gp 1d8 19-20/x2 6lbs S M 9/14Bayonet on Rifle*a 4gp 1d4 x3 1lbs P M 9/3Cane, French Sword* 10gp 1d6 x3 2lbs S MW 9/6Chekan, Early Steel* 11gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 7/16Chekan, Middle Steel* 12gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 8/16Chekan, Late Steel* 13gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 9/16Claymore, Basket-Hilted 35gp 1d8 19-20/x2 6lbs S M 9/14Colichemarde* 25gp 1d6 x3 4lbs P or S M 9/8Cutlass 17gp 1d6 18-20/x2 5lbs S M 9/12Czekan 15gp 1d8 x3 9lbs B or S M 9/16Doloire, Middle Steel 6gp 1d6 x3 6lbs S MW 8/12Doloire, Late Steel 7gp 1d6 x3 6lbs S MW 9/12Dusack 4gp 1d4 x2 3lbs S M 9/9Epee* 15gp 1d4 18-20/x2 2lbs P M 9/4Karabela 20gp 1d6 18-20/x2 4lbs S or P M 9/12Lance w/ Coronel*†a 7gp 1d6 x2 11lbs B WM 4/11Lance, Couched*†a 10gp 1d8 x3 10lbs S WM 6/10Lance, Steel North American*†a 9gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P WM 5/10Nadziak* 12gp 1d8 x3 10lbs B M 9/18Oubuch* 12gp 1d8 x3 10lbs B M 9/18Pappenheimer* 25gp 1d6 18-20/x2 3lbs S or P M 9/9Rapier, Early* 22gp 1d6 18-20/x2 3lbs S or P M 8/9Rapier, Long* 25gp 1d6 18-20/x2 4lbs S or P M 9/10Rapier, Short* 20gp 1d6 18-20/x2 3lbs S or P M 9/9Saber, Short 15gp 1d6 18-20/x2 5lbs S M 9/10Schiavona 40gp 2d4 19-20/x2 8lbs S M 9/14Schnepfer 25gp 1d6 18-20/x2 4.5lbs S M 9/9Scimitar, Late Steel 17gp 1d6 18-20/x2 5lbs S M 9/15Sword, Executioner's 8gp 1d6 x3 7lbs S MW 8/7Tuck 18gp 1d6 19-20/x2 2.5lbs S or P M 8/8Verdun 19gp 1d6 19-20/x2 3lbs S or P M 8/9

LargeAxe, Great Late Steel* 22gp 1d12 x3 20lbs S MW 9/38Axe, Great Middle Steel* 20gp 1d12 x3 20lbs S MW 8/38Axe, Jeddart Late Steel*a 12gp 1d10 or 1d4 x3 14lbs S or P MW 9/26Axe, Jeddart Middle Steel*a 11gp 1d10 or 1d4 x3 14lbs S or P MW 8/26Axe, Lochaber Late Steel*a 11gp 1d10 or 1d3 x3 14lbs S or P MW 9/26Axe, Lochaber Middle Steel*a 10gp 1d10 or 1d3 x3 14lbs S or P MW 8/26


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Table 7-4: Pagentry WeaponsMartial Weapons—Melee Weapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HPLarge

Bec-de-Corbin, Middle Steel*†‡ 8gp 1d8 or 1d4/1d6 x3 or x2/x2 16lbs S or P / P MW 8/30Bec-de-Corbin, Late Steel*†‡ 10gp 1d8 or 1d4/1d6 x3 or x2/x2 16lbs S or P / P MW 9/30Berdiche, Middle Steel 10gp 1d10 x3 14lbs S M 8/28Berdiche, Late Steel 11gp 1d10 x3 14lbs S M 9/28Chauves-Souris, Middle Steel*†a 10gp 2d4 x3 9.5lbs S MW 8/17Chauves-Souris, Late Steel*†a 11gp 2d4 x3 9.5lbs S MW 9/17Claymore, Middle Steel 50gp 2d6 19-20/x2 15lbs S M 8/30Claymore, Late Steel 60gp 2d6 19-20/x2 15lbs S M 9/30Falcastra*† 9gp 1d8 x3 9lbs P or S WM 6/16Falx, Middle Steel*†‡ 13gp 1d8/1d4 x3/x2 14lbs S / B MW 8/28Falx, Late Steel*†‡ 15gp 1d8/1d4 x3/x2 14lbs S / B MW 9/28Flamberge, Middle Steel 50gp 2d6 19-20/x2 15lbs S M 8/30Flamberge, Late Steel 60gp 2d6 19-20/x2 15lbs S M 9/30Fork, Scaling Middle Steel*†a 10gp 1d8 x3 8lbs P MW 8/16Fork, Scaling Late Steel*†a 11gp 1d8 x3 8lbs P MW 9/16Half Moon, European*†‡ 10gp 1d8 x3 10lbs S WM 6/18Hammer, Lucerne Middle Steel 15gp 1d10 or 1d6 x3 or x3 12lbs B or P MW 8/24Hammer, Lucerne Late Steel 17gp 1d10 or 1d6 x3 or x3 12lbs B or P MW 9/24Pike, Awl Middle Steel†a 10gp 1d10 x3 11lbs P MW 8/20Pike, Awl Late Steel †a 12gp 1d10 x3 11lbs P MW 9/20Pike, Morris*†‡a 10gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P WM 6/22Ranseur, Middle Steel*†a 10gp 2d4 x3 15lbs P MW 8/30Ranseur, Late Steel*†a 11gp 2d4 x3 15lbs P MW 9/30Sovna, Early Steel† 9gp 1d10 x3 12lbs S M 7/24Sovna, Middle Steel† 10gp 1d10 x3 12lbs S M 8/24Spetum, Middle Steel*†a 10gp 2d4 x3 9.5lbs P MW 8/17Spetum, Late Steel*†a 12gp 2d4 x3 9.5lbs P MW 9/17Voulge, Middle Steel*†a 25gp 1d12 or 1d4/1d4 x3 18lbs S or P / P MW 8/38Voulge, Late Steel*†a 28gp 1d12 or 1d4/1d4 x3 18lbs S or P / P MW 9/38Zwiehander, Middle Steel† 60gp 2d6 19-20/x2 18lbs S M 8/36Zwiehander, Late Steel† 66gp 2d6 19-20/x2 18lbs S M 9/36

Martial Weapons—RangedLarge

Longbow, English* 175gp 1d10 x3 120ft 4 lbs As per Arrow W 8/12Exotic Weapons—Melee Medium-Size

Fokosok 8gp 1d6 x3 4lbs S MW 9/8Sword, Bastard Middle Steel* 35gp 1d10 19-20/x2 10lbs S M 8/20Sword, Bastard Late Steel* 38gp 1d10 19-20/x2 10lbs S M 9/20

LargeHalberd, Saber Middle Steel*†‡ 50gp 1d10 or 1d6/1d4 x3/x2 17lbs S / B MW 8/32Halberd, Saber Late Steel*†‡ 53gp 1d10 or 1d6/1d4 x3/x2 17lbs S/ B MW 9/32Feather Staff*‡a 38gp 1d4 or 1d8 x2 or x3 14lbs B or S WM 5/14


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Table 7-4: Pagentry WeaponsExotic Weapons (Firearms)-RangedGun Cost ROF Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HPHandgun

Hand Gonne, Matchlock Early Landsknecht* 350gp 5 1d12 x3 15ft 12lbs As per shot MW 7/18Hand Gonne, Matchlock Early* 300gp 5 1d12 x3 15ft 10lbs As per shot MW 8/24

Hand Mortar* 500gp 5per

grenade per grenade 25ft 13lbsAs per

Grenade M 8/20

Handcannon, Primitive* 100gp 6 1d10 x3 10ft 9lbs As per shot M 9/26Pistol, Flintlock* 425gp 2 1d10 x3 15ft 3lbs As per shot MW 9/9Pistol, Matchlock* 150gp 5 1d10 x3 5ft 5lbs As per shot MW 9/9Pistol, Snaphaunce* 350gp 3 1d10 x3 15ft 3.5lbs As per Shot MW 9//8Pistol, Wheel Lock Damascened* 650gp 3 2d6 x3 15ft 4lbs As per shot MW 11/11Pistol, Wheel Lock Late Steel* 250gp 3 1d10 x3 10ft 4lbs As per Shot MW 8/8

LongarmsArbequis, Common* 150gp 4 1d12 x3 30ft 10lbs As per shot MW 8/20Arbequis, Landsknecht* 200gp 4 1d12 x3 30ft 12lbs As per Shot MW 8/24Musket, Flintlock* 850gp 2 2d6 x3 60ft 10lbs As per shot MW 9/20Musket, Snaphaunce* 700gp 3 2d6 x3 45ft 10lbs As per shot MW 11/11Musket, Wheel Lock Damascened* 900gp 3 2d8 x3 45ft 10lbs As per shot MW 9/20Musket, Wheel Lock Late Steel* 500gp 3 2d6 x3 35ft 10lbs As per shot MW 9/20

Weapons Ranged—AmmunitionArrow, English Longbow (wt. per 20) 3gp 3lbs P WM 5/3Arrow, Ballista (wt. Per arrow) 6gp * 3lbs P WM 5/9

Exotic Weapons (Firearms) Ranged AmmunitionGun Cost ROF Damage Critical Range Weight Type M

Shot, Lead 3gp 4lbs P M

Special Items Cost Damage Critical Range Weight TypeShield, Lantern 40gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S or P M 9/16

ArmorBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure

+1 -1 25%Tarche 40gp 1d6 x2 10lbs S M 9/20

ArmorBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure

+2 -2 30%

ExplosivesWeapon Cost RoF Damage Critical Range Weight Type M

Grenade, Gunpowder (Lit Fuse)* 50gp 2d6* N/A 5ft 1lb Fire MGrenade, Gunpowder(Incendiary Fuse)* 75gp 2d6* N/A 5ft 1lb Fire M



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Weapon ReliabilityHandcannon, Primitive 4Handgun, Early Matchlock 3Arbequis, Common 2Pistol, Matchlock 3Handgun, Early Landsknecht Matchlock 3Arbequis, Landsknecht 2Musket, Late Steel Wheel Lock 1Musket, Damascened Wheel Lock 1Pistol, Late Steel Wheel Lock 1Pistol, Damascened Wheel Lock 1Musket, Snaphaunce 2Pistol, Snaphaunce 2Musket, Flintlock 1Pistol, Flintlock 1Hand Mortar 3

Guns and ReliabilityGuns are designed to take incredible punishment from theinternal explosions necessary to propel their ammunitiontowards a target. But sometimes guns fail. Because of thisguns have a reliability rating. That rating indicates the rate offailure of the weapon. When the d20 is rolled to determine to-hit, should the number rolled be equal to or below the reliabil-ity rating, the gun experiences a failure. Roll 1d20 (or use theeffect die) to determine what kind:

• 1–10—Misfire: the gun does not fire, as the powder chargedoes not catch. There is nothing wrong with the gun, andthe wielder may attempt to fire it again the next round.

• 11–15—Internal Scoring: the projectile scrapes the insideof the barrel, creating a natural skew. All shots are at a -1 tohit. Each such result is cumulative. This may be fixed asper rules for repair.

• 16–18—Jam: the projectile lodges in the gun barrel. Thiscauses scoring (see above), and requires 3d6 rounds toremove. Usually most people opt to drop a jammed gunand fix it after combat.

• 19—Major Failure: A major mechanism on the gun breaks,and the gun cannot be used again until it has been repaired.

• 20—Spectacular Failure: The gun explodes, inflicting max-imum damage on the wielder and standard rolled damageon every person within five feet. People at five feet mayattempt to avoid this damage by attempting a reflex save.

Table 7-5: Material Updates WeaponsSimple Weapons-MeleeWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HPTiny

Knife, Late Steel 2gp 1d4 x2 1lb S M 9/4Small

Axe, Woodcutter's Late Steel 10gp 1d6 x3 6.5lbs S MW 9/13Mace, Light Late Steel 8gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B MW 9/12Mace, Horseman's Late Steel 6gp 1d6 x2 5.5lbs B MW 9/16Sickle, Late Steel 8gp 1d6 x2 3lbs S M 9/6

Medium-SizeAxe, Miner's Late Steel 11gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 9/16Axe, Pick Late Steel 10gp 1d6 x3 6lbs P MW 9/12Hayfork, Late Steela 10gp 1d8 x3 7lbs P MW 9/12Mace, Footman's Late Steel 14gp 1d8 x2 11lbs B MW 9/22Mace, Heavy Late Steel 16gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B MW 9/24Morningstar, Late Steel 10gp 1d8 x2 8lbs B and P MW 9/16Pitchfork, Late Steela 13gp 1d8 x3 7.5lbs P MW 9/15

LargeCrozier‡ 7gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B M 9/10Crozier w/ Hidden Spearhead‡ 12gp 1d6/1d8 x2 8lbs B M 9/14These are material updates of items from previous chapters that were still in use during this period

Rate of FireThe weapon tables here and in the appendix list rates of fire(ROF) for each firearm. This number represents the number offull round actions required to load the particular weapon.


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Table 7-5: Material Updates WeaponsSimple Weapons-RangedWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HPSmall

Crossbow, Light Late Steel 55gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 8lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/16Medium-Size

Crossbow, Heavy Late Steel 40gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/12Martial Weapons-MeleeSmall

Mace & Chain, Late Steel*# 9gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B MW 9/10Mace & Chain, Late Steel (Spiked)*# 10gp 1d8 x2 5lbs B and P MW 9/12Flail, Horseman's*# 9gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B MW 9/12Hatchet, Late Steel 8gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 9/16Shortsword, Late Steel 12gp 1d6 19–20/x2 4lbs P M 9/8

Medium-SizeAxe, Footman's Late Steel 11gp 1d8 x3 6lbs S MW 9/12Axe, Horseman's Late Steel 10gp 1d6 x3 4lbs S MW 9/12Axe, Spiked Middle Steel 14gp 1d8 or 1d4 x3 8lbs S or P MW 9/16Battleaxe, Late Steel 12gp 1d8 x3 8lbs S MW 9/16Broadsword, Late Steel 28gp 2d4 19–20/x2 8lbs S M 9/16Hammer, Late Steel 10gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B MW 9/12Longsword, Late Steel 18gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 9/12Pick, Footman's Late Steel 9gp 1d6 x4 4lbs P MW 9/8Pick, Horseman's Late Steel 9gp 1d4 x4 4lbs P MW 9/12Shamsir, Late Steel 18gp 1d6 18–20/x2 4lbs S MW 9/8Warhammer, Footman's Late Steel 14gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 9/16Warhammer, Horseman's Late Steel 13gp 1d6 or 1d3 x3 or x4 5.5lbs B or P MW 9/17

LargeAxe, Bearded 13gp 2d4 x3 9lbs S MW 9/18Battleaxe, Double Winged Late Steel 22gp 1d10 x3 15lbs S MW 9/30Bill, Late Steel*†a 22gp 1d8 or 1d3/1d4 x3/x2 14lbs S or P / B MW 9/28Falchion, Late Steel 83gp 2d4 18–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32Glaive, Late Steel† 10gp 1d10 x3 15lbs S MW 9/30Halberd, Capped Late Steel*a 18gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 9/30Halberd, Spiked Late Steel*a 24gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3 15lbs S or P / P MW 9/30Halberd, Late Steel*a 12gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d4 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 9/30Maul, Late Steel 12gp 1d8 x2 10lbs B MW 9/20Partisan, Late Steel*†a 15gp 1d8 or 1d6/1d4 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 9/30Pike, Late Steel*†a 10gp 1d10 x3 14lbs P MW 9/28Scythe, Late Steel 20gp 2d4 x4 12lbs P and S MW 9/24Spear, Long Late Steel†a 7gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P MW 9/20

Exotic Weapons-MeleeLarge

Flail, Military* 135gp 1d8 19–20/x2 16lbs B MW 9/32Martel de Fer, Late Steel* 35gp 1d8 or 1d3 x3 9lbs B or P MW 9/18

These are material updates of items from previous chapters that were still in use during this period


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Table 7-6: Pagentry Armor


Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure Speed 30ft/ 20ft Weight‡ M

Medium ArmorBreastplate, Segmented 260gp +5 +4 -3 20% 20ft/15ft 26lbs MChainshirt, Russian Double 190gp +5 +3 -5 25% 20ft/15ft 29lbs MHauberk, Brigandine Middle Steel 195gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 34lbs MLHauberk,Brigandine Late Steel 205gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 34lbs MLKaracena 200gp +5 +2 -3 20% 20ft/15ft 25lbs MLamellar, Late Steel 60gp +5 +2 -5 25% 20ft/15ft 29lbs MLeather Armor, Plate Reinforced 220gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 30lbs MLShirt, Brigandine Late Steel 100gp +4 +4 -3 20% 20ft/15ft 29lbs MLShirt, Brigandine Middle Steel 90gp +4 +4 -3 20% 20ft/15ft 29lbs ML

Heavy ArmorBrigandine, Late Steel 330gp +6 +2 -5 35% 20ft*/15ft* 41lbs MLBrigandine, Middle Steel 320gp +6 +2 -5 35% 20ft*/15ft* 41lbs MLChainmail, Russian Double 375gp +6 +2 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 35lbs MField Plate, Late Steel 1050gp +8 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 50lbs MField Plate, Middle Steel 1000gp +8 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 50lbs MHalf Plate and Leather Armor 390gp +6 +2 -5 35% 20ft*/15ft* 35lbs MLHalf Plate Armor 250gp +6 +1 -6 40% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs MHalf Platemail, Middle Steel 500gp +7 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 50lbs MPlate Armor, Maximillian Late Steel 2100gp +9 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 48lbs MPlate Armor, Maximillian Middle Steel 2000gp +9 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 48lbs MPlate Armor, Tournament# 1000gp +9 -1 -8 50% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs MPlate Mail, Three Quarter 750gp +7 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs MPlatemail, Light Middle Steel 300gp +6 +1 -5 35% 20ft*/15ft* 40lbs M

ShieldsBuckler, Late Steel 18gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs SBuckler, Leather 12gp +1 -1 5% 4lbs LWBuckler, Middle Steel 15gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs SBuckler, Wood 13gp +1 -1 5% 5lbs WTarge, Scottish 15gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs LWTarget, Late Steel 10gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs STarget, Wooden 8gp +1 -1 5% 5lbs W

Mounts GearHeavy

Barding, Plate Late Steel 4200gp +8 +1 -6 30ft*/35ft*/40ft* 100lbs MBarding, Plate Middle Steel 4000gp +8 +1 -6 30ft*/35ft*/40ft* 100lbs M

Material updates of items from previous chapters that were still in use during this periodMedium Armor

Chainmail, Late Steel 175gp +5 +2 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 40lbs MMounts GearMedium

Barding, Late Steel Chainmail Horse 700gp +5 +2 -5 30ft/35ft/40ft 60lbs MShields

Shield, Great Late Steel 40gp +3 -3 25% 25lbs MShield, Large Late Steel 22gp +2 -2 15% 15lbs MShield, Small Late Steel 10gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs MShield, Tower Late Steel 65gp * -10 50% 60lbs M


Myth and Magic

272

Divine Items 273Special Divine Property

Death 273Plague 273Pestilence 273Famine 273Inner Reflection 273Missiles Without Limit 274Unerring 274Weightless 275

Normal Magical Item Abilities 275Aura 275Banishing 275Blurred 275Corrosion 275Darkness-Bearing 276Finding 276Heart Seeking 277Impervious 277Light-Bearing 277Material Cutting 278Potent 278Quaking 278Renewing 278Sundering 278Warding 278

Specific Wonderous Item: 279Items by Region 279

America 279Australia 280Sub-Sahara Africa 280Egypt 281Asia 282India 282Japan 283Mesopotamia 283Europe 284Teutonic/Nordic Myth 284Celtic Myth 285Rome 285Greece 285Medieval 287

Historical Racial Items 288New Spells 288

MMyytthh aanndd MMaaggiicc

The following are new Magical Weapon and Armor SpecialAbilities, followed by a regional list of notable Legendary

and Mythical Items.

Divine ItemsDivine Items are items directly imbued with the power of a godor gods. All Divine Items have certain shared properties, butmany also have additional divine abilities. The shared propertiesof Divine Items are:

• Divine Items cannot be damaged except by direct divineattack or other Divine Items.

• Divine weapons are supernaturally potent against non-divineitems. Divine weapons ignore the hardness of any non-divineitem when inflicting damage. Magical Items have a limitedamount of defense vs. Divine weapons, based on their totalenhancement bonus. A +1 short sword would have 1 hardnesswhen resisting damage from a Divine weapon, regardless ofits material and normal hardness. A +3 Holy DefenderLongsword has 6 hardness vs. Divine Weapons: 3 + 2 (for theHoly Ability) + 1 (for the Defender ability) = 6. Divineweapons facing other divine weapons or armor damage eachother as normal.

• Divine Items are automatically masterwork. Divine Weaponsdo damage as if they are one size larger than their actual size(You may wish to refer to the Size Chart on page ???). Divinearmor gains an additional +1 to its conferred armor bonus.

Certain Divine Items have additional properties.

Special Divine Property—DeathDeath Divine Items are imbued with the power of a god who hasinfluence over life and death. If the victim is injured in any man-ner by this divine item of Death, even accidentally, they mustmake a fortitude save vs. DC 20, or die instantly, as per a DeathAttack. Only Death Ward can protect against this kind of attack.More powerful gods may have even higher save DCs, if the DMso desires. The DM may also wish for Death Items (especiallyarmor) to effect animals or plants as well.

Special Divine Property—PlaguePlague Divine Items are touched by the rancor of a god who isconcerned with healing or illness, or whose aspect engenderscontagion, such as that which spreads after war or natural disas-ter. There are two ways Divine Plagues spread. Contact requiresthat the victim be touched or wounded by the item. Touching isweaker, requiring a fortitude save versus DC 20 to avoid beinginfected. Wounding increases the save DC to 25. Contagion is aregion of dispersal (60 foot radius), where one need only breathein order to contract the sickness. Contagion generally requires afortitude save versus DC 15. Obviously, undead and those thatdo not need to breath are not subject to contracting contagiondiseases. Any illness may be transferred on a Divine Plagueitem. Ranged Divine Plague weapons generally are Contact only,

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while Divine Plague melee weapons can be either the Contact orContagion type. Divine Plague Armor is almost exclusivelyContagion only, although there is no reason why armor could notbe a Contact carrier as well. Again, more powerful gods mayhave even higher save DCs or greater ranges of dispersal, if theDM so desires. If the DM so chooses, the plague effect may alsoeffect mounts, livestock, or wildlife.

Special Divine Property—PestilencePestilence Divine Items generally come from war or illnessgods, although death and fertility gods may also use these items.Pestilence often accompanies Plague in Divine Items, but itholds a different role, that of weakening the healthy. DivinePestilence Items project a field of Pestilence to a radius of 60feet, and in that field no healing magic may take place and allwounds act as if inflicted by a weapon of Wounding. Addition-ally, anyone within the radius of Divine Pestilence must makefortitude save versus DC 15, or suffer –2 to Strength, Dexterity,and Constitution for as long as they remain within the 60 footradius. As always, the DM may opt to increase the DC or radiusfor more powerful gods. Divine Items with Pestilence should beconsidered Wounding at all times.

Special Divine Property—FamineFamine Divine Items are cruel, devastating, yet passive. Oftenempowered by sun, nature, or spiteful gods, famine items targetpeople only indirectly, by killing or withering their source ofnourishment. Divine Famine items project a field Famine to aradius of 60 feet. Within those 60 feet, all food rots, and all palat-able drink sours, curdles, or goes bitter. No one may gain nour-ishment from food or drink that has turned. Grain in the field orfruit on the bough wither and fester, and the flesh of any animalslaughtered in that 60 foot radius automatically turns rancid.Famine may not directly affect a person, but the effects canpotentially destroy armies.

Special Divine Property—Inner ReflectionDivine Items with Inner Reflection are difficult to define,because they have the power to reflect the inner nature of thewielder. By their contact with the Divine, certain items seem totake a small portion of god’s power, and allow those who usethem to shape that power into incredible abilities, all based ontheir own subconscious desires. The Inner Reflection ability iswell hidden in an item, and cannot be detected until the wielderhas spent time with that item, learning its secrets and capabili-ties. Spells like Legend Lore or Contact Other Plane are excel-lent ways to research the powers of such a Divine Item. Researchin a great library (with a high DC), prayer (In an important tem-ple, and often after much repetition), or 1d20 + 6 months in con-stant contact with such an item might also reveal the secret ofsuch an item. Once an individual discovers an item has hiddenpower, it must be activated while the object is being held orworn. Inner Reflection may mirror any number of standard mag-ical item abilities (you have 10 points to design the items power,as below).


For Armor• All Resistances may be increased by 5 points for every point

spent.• The Arrow Deflection DC can be lowered by 2 for every

point spent, and by spending an extra point on Arrow Deflec-tion, exceptional items can be deflected by an appropriateDivine Shield.

• Shields with the Bashing Ability may be treated as if theirdamage is one size higher per point spent.

• Blinding’s DC may be increased by 2 for every point spent.• Invulnerability may be enhanced: for every point spent, the

damage reduction may be increased by 1. For every 5 pointpoints spent, the bonus required to ignore damage reductionmay be increased by 1.

• Reflection may be used one extra time a day per point spent.• The + circumstance bonus for Shadow, Silent Moves, or Slick

may be increased by 2 per point spent on the ability. • Darkness-bearing armor (see below) can have the range of

darkness emission increased by 10 feet per point spent.• Renewing armor (see below) can heal an additional hit point

per round per point spent on this ability.• One use Aura Enchantments (see below) may be used one

additional time per day per 2 point points spent. Three useAura Enchantments may be used one additional time per dayper 1 point point spent.

For Weapons• The weapon gains a +1 enhancement bonus for every point

spent (up to +5 maximum)• Extra damage dice for abilities that add extra damage dice

may be purchased at 1 extra die per 5 points spent. • The duration of the ability Dancing may be increased to

unlimited rounds by purchasing it with an extra point.• Disruption’s DC may be increased by 2 for every point spent.• Bane’s extra enhancement bonus can be increased by +2 for

every point spent.• Distance can be purchased multiple times, doubling ranged

distance for every point spent.• Mighty Cleaving may be purchased additional times, adding

an additional cleave attempt per round per point spent.• Spell storing may be purchased with a higher maximum level

for a stored spell or may be purchased to store more than onespell: for every extra point spent this way, the maximum levelmay be increased by one, or another spell may be stored inthe item.

• Wounding damage may be increased by one point per 2points spent this way.

• Darkness-bearing weapons (see below) can have the range ofdarkness emission increased by 10 feet per point spent.

• Renewing weapons (see below) can heal an additional hitpoint per round per point spent on this ability.

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• Heart Seeking weapons (see below) may use the Heart Seek-ing ability an additional time per day per 2 point points spenton it.

• One use Aura Enchantments (see below) may be used oneadditional time per day per 2 point points spent. Three useAura Enchantments may be used one additional time per dayper 1 point point spent.

The first time an individual activates the Inner Reflection abili-ties of this Divine Item, they must select the powers that itemwill exhibit. DM’s should take careful note to make certain thoseabilities are clearly defined, and any augmentation is clearlyaccounted for. If a being activating the Divine Item has an ele-mental or spiritual aspect, such as an Elemental or Celestial, atleast 5 points of that item’s abilities should be focused on theirinnate aspect. Once the Divine Item’s Inner Reflection abilitieshave been defined, they will remain set for the individual unlessthey suffer an alignment change. Other individuals may pick upsuch an item and, after detecting the power within that item,select an entirely different suite of abilities, but once that itemhas been defined for an individual, it is again set. Shape-shifting,reincarnation in a new form, or amnesia will not change how thatitem reacts to that specific wielder. These powers represent yourinner desires and drives, given a small portion of divine power toshape your reality.

DM’s should consider carefully before using a Divine Item withthis power, because the effects can potentially be game breaking.If other powers are selected for use with an item, or if a playerwants to boost other powers than those mentioned above in aspecific manner, discuss it with your DM first. DM’s may opt tolimit or increase the number of points available to purchase pow-ers with, at their own discrimination.

Special Divine Property—Missiles With-out LimitCertain Divine bows and many Divine missiles or thrownweapons have no true range. These Divine Items Without Limitignore range, and do not lose accuracy, no matter how far theymust travel. Theoretically, an arrow can be shot directly to thesun, or to the depths of the ocean, as a Divine Item WithoutLimit will not stop until it has struck something solid. Regard-less of the distance, such an item will travel to its target in oneround, and even gravity does not affect such a missile, makingarcing unnecessary. Obviously, Divine Bows Without Limit con-fer this ability upon their ammunition.

Special Divine Property—UnerringFortunately, Unerring Divine weapons are rare. War gods orpatrons of hunters are the most likely sources for these danger-ous items. An Unerring Divine Weapon will not miss. It may belimited by range (remember that a missile weapon can only fireup to 10 times the range increment), but an Unerring DivineWeapon will not miss a valid target. Concealment or Cover (ifnot full cover) are ignored by an Unerring Weapon (it automati-cally avoids these obstacles), but as long as an defender can be


seen and aimed at, it will be struck. To resolve a combat roll foran Unerring Divine weapon, roll to strike as normal, and if theweapon critically strikes, resolve damage as per a critical hit.Otherwise, damage is rolled normally and applied to the oppo-nent or object in question.

Special Divine Property—WeightlessWeightless Divine items are a blessing. Whether it may be armoror weapon, a weightless item does not weigh down the bearer.Weightless Armor is particularly advantageous: the MaximumDexterity Bonus for Divine Weightless Armor is doubled (to amaximum of +8) and the Armor Check Penalty is halved (to aminimum of –1). Weightless items will float in water, but theydo not float in air (fortunately), and the damage of DivineWeightless Weapons is not decreased, as might normally beexpected. Weightless Divine Items do not effect encumbrance,but keep note of the normal weight of such an item, just incase…

Normal Magical Item AbilitiesThe following are new Magical Item Abilities to add to MagicalWeapons or Armor.

AuraAll weapons except for ammunition, all armors, and all shieldsmay be enchanted with an Aura. Each Aura has a different abil-ity. To randomly determine the type of aura enchantment an itemhas, roll on the following table:

Caster Level: 12th for Command, Peace, 10th for Nobility, Brav-ery, and Chaos; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor,Mass Suggestion (For Command) or Sanctuary(For Peace) orEmotion (For Nobility) or Remove Fear(For Bravery) or Confu-sion (For Chaos); Market Price: +3 Bonus for Nobility andBravery, +4 Bonus for Command, Peace, and Chaos

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BanishingBanishing weapons are often carried by witch hunters or thosewho intend to fight conjurers. Banishing weapons have a chanceof banishing an Outsider every time they strike that creature.Any Outsider struck by a banishing weapon must make awillpower save (DC 22), or be banished back to their homeplane. If that Outsider has Spell Resistance, the character mustmake a caster level check (1d20 + caster level of the item) atleast equal to the creature’s spell resistance rating for the banish-ment to affect that creature. Missile weapons with this enchante-ment confer this ability to their ammunition.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor,Banishment; Market Price: +4 Bonus

BlurredWeapons with the blurred enchantment are harder to see clearly,and, therefore, harder to dodge. An opponent can only apply halfof their positive Dexterity bonus (rounding down) to their armorclass against this weapon. If an opponent has a negative Dexter-ity bonus, their negative Dexterity bonus is doubled, as thealready maladroit foe finds it yet harder to try and get out of theway of the attack. Missile weapons with this ability confer thisability to their ammunition.

Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor,Blur; Market Price: +2 Bonus

CorrosionWeapons with corrosion inflict verdigris or rust on copper,bronze, iron, or steel. Corrosion weapons do not harm the armoron the hands of the wielder. When a weapon with corrosioncomes into contact with a normal copper, bronze, iron, or steel

41–60: Nobility—An aura of nobility may be used upon thestatement of a command word. When activated, this aura proj-ects a sense of respect and admiration for the item bearer to allliving creatures within 15 feet. All NPC attitudes are improvedone favorable step (as per the NPC Attitudes table) for as longas the effect remains active. The effect can be ended with acommand word. This ability may be used up to three times perday.

61–80: Bravery—An aura of bravery may be used up to threetimes per day. When activated by command word, this effectgrants a +4 moral bonus to against fear, including allowingsomeone already affected by fear to make a new save versusfear with the +4 morale bonus. This aura lasts 10 minutes.

81–100: Chaos—An aura of chaos may be activated once perday. When activated, this aura projects confusion to all crea-tures within 200 feet. All creatures must make a willpowersave versus the caster level of the item, or be affected, as perthe Confusion spell. This aura lasts 10 rounds (1 minute).

Unlike most enchantments missile weapons with this abilitydo not confer this ability to their ammunition.

01–20: Command—An aura of command may be activatedonce per day. When activated by command word the closest12 creatures within 220 feet become open to suggestion, as perthe spell Suggestion. The duration of this effect is 12 hours, oruntil the suggested task imposed on a creature is completed.Spell resistance can protect a creature from this enchantment.

21–40: Peace—An aura of peace and calm may be activatedonce per day. When activated by command word, any beingthat attacks the aura of peace bearing individual must firstmake a successful willpower save (vs the caster level of theobject). If they fail, they cannot follow through with theattack, that portion of their combat round is lost, and they can-not attack the individual until this effect wears off. This effectlasts for 12 rounds, or until the bearer makes an attack of theirown. Area affect attacks do not invoke the willpower save.


item, it causes instant verdigris or rust where it strikes, inflictingan additional +1d6 hit points of damage to that item. Missileweapons so enchanted confer the corrosion energy upon theirammunition.

Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor,Rusting Grasp; Market Price: +1 Bonus

Darkness-BearingDarkness-bearing items carry with them a magical darkness thatcan obscure sight at the item bearer’s command. Through speak-ing the command word, the darkness-bearing item will exude analmost palpable darkness to a radius of 20 feet. Within thatspace, only creatures that can normally see in darkness (such asthose with darkness vision) can see, and only light spells of 3rd

level or greater can cancel out this magical darkness. This abilityis activated by command word, lasts for one hour, and may beused three times per day. Darkness-bearing objects may be anykind of armor, shield, or weapon, and missile weapons with thisability confer this ability to their ammunition.

Caster Level: 6th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor,Darkness; Market Price: +2 Bonus

FindingThe finding enchantment is cast on ammunition, rather thanweapons. A finding item is used to direct searchers towardssomething. Each type of finding item leads towards a differentkind of thing. To randomly determine the type of findingenchantment an item has, roll % on the following table:

Caster Level: 10th for all but Specific Creature Finding which is12th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, DetectChaos/Evil/Good/Law/Magic/Poison/Secret Doors/Snares andPits/Undead (for Finding items of the same aspects) or DetectAnimal or Plant (For Specific Type of Animal or Plant) orLocate Object (For Specific Type of Object) or Locate Creature(for Specific Creature Finding), Feather Fall; Market Price: +1Bonus for Chaos/Evil/Good/Law/Magic/Poison/SecretDoors/Snares and Pits/Undead, +2 Bonus for Specific Type ofAnimal, Plant, or Object, +3 for Specific Creature Finding.

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01–08: Chaos—An item of Chaos Finding, once fired, willturn towards the nearest, most powerful chaotic object or crea-ture within 800 feet. If the object or creature is within thatitem’s normal range, it will land safely in front of that objector creature. Otherwise it will fall gently to the ground, point-ing in the direction of the object or creature.

09–17: Evil—An item of Evil Finding, once fired, will turntowards the nearest, most powerful evil object or creaturewithin 800 feet. If the object or creature is within that item’snormal range, it will land safely in front of that object or crea-ture. Otherwise it will fall gently to the ground, pointing in thedirection of the object or creature.

18–26: Good—An item of Good Finding, once fired, will turntowards the nearest, most powerful good object or creature

within 800 feet. If the object or creature is within that item’snormal range, it will land safely in front of that object or crea-ture. Otherwise it will fall gently to the ground, pointing in thedirection of the object or creature.

27–35: Law—An item of Law Finding, once fired, will turntowards the nearest, most powerful lawful object or creaturewithin 800 feet. If the object or creature is within that item’snormal range, it will land safely in front of that object or crea-ture. Otherwise it will fall gently to the ground, pointing in thedirection of the object or creature.

36–43: Magic—An item of Magic Finding, once fired, willturn towards the nearest, most powerful magic object or crea-ture within 800 feet. If the object or creature is within thatitem’s normal range, it will land safely in front of that objector creature. Otherwise it will fall gently to the ground, point-ing in the direction of the object or creature.

44–53: Poison - An item of Poison Finding, once fired, willturn towards the nearest, most powerful poisonous object orcreature within 800 feet. If the object or creature is within thatitem’s normal range, it will land safely in front of that objector creature. Otherwise it will fall gently to the ground, point-ing in the direction of the object or creature.

54–62: Secret Doors—An item of Secret Door Finding, oncefired, will turn towards the nearest secret door within 60 feet.If there is no secret door, the item will fire as normal, and takedamage as normal if it strikes a wall. Otherwise it will lightlytap against the secret door and then fall gently to the ground infront of the secret door.

63–71: Snares and Pits—An item of Snares and Pit Finding,once fired, will turn towards the nearest snare or pit within 60feet. If there is no snare or pit, the item will fire as normal, andtake damage as normal if it strikes a wall. Otherwise it willlightly tap against the snare or pit and then fall gently to theground in front of it.

72–80: Undead—An item of Undead Finding, once fired, willturn towards the nearest, most powerful undead creaturewithin 800 feet. If the creature is within that item’s normalrange, it will land safely in front of that creature. Otherwise itwill fall gently to the ground, pointing in the direction of thecreature.

81–86: Specific Type of Animal—An item of Specific Typeof Animal Finding is permanently attuned to one species ofanimal. Determine which type of animal randomly, or have theDM select one. Once fired, the item will turn towards the near-est animal of that type within 800 feet. If the animal is withinthat item’s normal range, it will land safely in front of that ani-mal. Otherwise it will fall gently to the ground, pointing in thedirection of the animal.

87–92: Specific Type of Plant—An item of Specific Type ofPlant Finding is permanently attuned to one species of plant.Determine which type of plant randomly, or have the DM


Heart SeekingThe heart seeking enchantment is only placed on individualammunition or throwing items. Quite rare and valuable, heartseeking items confer a +20 insight benefit to the attack roll whenfiring or throwing that item. Fortunately (or unfortunately) thisenchantment may only be used once per day, and requires a stan-dard action to activate. Otherwise the item is treated as no differ-ent than any other.

Caster Level: 8th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor,True Strike; Market Price: +3 Bonus

ImperviousImpervious magical items are immune to damage from a specificdamage group. This ability does not confer any immunity to thebearer, but merely indicates an immunity in the item. Unlikemost enchantments missile weapons with this ability do not con-

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fer this ability to their ammunition. To randomly determine thetype of immunity a shield, armor, or weapon has, roll on the fol-lowing table:

Often more than one Impervious enchantment is cast on a singleitem or set of armor.

Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor,Appropriate Protection From Spell; Market Price: +1 Bonus

Light-BearingLight-bearing items do more than just emit a magical glow, as agood number of magical items do. Light-bearing items bearcelestial light, either true sunlight, moonlight, or starlight. Eachtype of light-bearing item has unique features. To randomlydetermine the type of light-bearing item a shield, armor, orweapon is, roll 1d6 on the following table:

Light Bearing objects may be any kind of armor, shield, orweapon, and missile weapons with this ability confer this abilityto their ammunition.

select one. Once fired, the item will turn towards the nearestplant of that type within 800 feet. If the plant is within thatitem’s normal range, it will land safely in front of that plant.Otherwise it will fall gently to the ground, pointing in thedirection of the plant.

93–98: Specific Type of Object—An item of Specific Type ofObject is permanently attuned to one general type of item ormineral. Determine which type of item or mineral randomly,or have the DM select one. Once fired, the item will turntowards the nearest item or mineral of that type within 800feet. If the item or mineral is within that item’s normal range,it will land safely in front of that item or mineral. Otherwise itwill fall gently to the ground, pointing in the direction of theitem or mineral. Dwarves often craft crossbow bolts of GoldFinding, for example, to determine where new veins arelocated.

99–100: Specific Creature - An item of Specific Creature is abit more complex than most finding items. If found randomly,there is a 90% chance it is already attuned to one specific crea-ture when found. This item will not be reset until that creatureis found. In order to attune an item of Specific Creature Find-ing, it must be touching some part of the creature in questionwhen the command word is used. This part of the creaturemay include blood, flesh, hair, etc., which has been later sepa-rated from the creature (such as hair that has been cut, orblood from a puddle). Once fired, the attuned item will turntowards the creature if it is within 800 feet. If the creature iswithin that item’s normal range, it will land safely in front ofthat creature. Otherwise it will fall gently to the ground, point-ing in the direction of the creature. The attunement can only benullified by bringing the item into contact with some part ofthat creature again, and using the command word. Then theitem is free to be attuned to a new creature.

If the type of thing a Finding item detects is not with the rangeof the item, it will act in all other aspects like a normal versionof that item.

1–34: Bludgeoning—Items that are impervious to bludgeon-ing take no damage from bludgeoning attacks of any kind.

35–67: Slashing—Items that are impervious to slashing takeno damage from slashing attacks of any kind.

68–100: Piercing—Items that are impervious to piercing takeno damage from piercing attacks of any kind.

1–2: Sunlight—Sunlight-bearing items radiate natural sun-light to a radius of 60 feet. All creatures that suffer penalties innatural sunlight suffer them while within the radius of thisitem’s light. This ability may be invoked by command wordup to three times a day, and will last for one hour.

3–4: Moonlight—Moonlight-bearing items shed the cool,pale light of the moon to a radius of 30 feet. Within that light,however, darkness (normal or magical) cannot affect thewielder, locations, objects, or creatures that are invisible willbe revealed, illusions can be seen through, and the true form ofan altered, polymorphed, or shape-shifted creature is revealed.This ability may be invoked three times per day, and lasts upto 15 minutes.

5–6: Starlight—Starlight-bearing items project the faint, mes-merizing light of the stars. Although it only projects light in a15 foot radius, starlight-bearing items tend to enthrall viewers,effecting 12d4+6 HD of creatures who can see the wearer.Creatures must make a will save (DC 15), with the lowestnumber of HD are affected first, and of creatures that are ofequal HD, the ones closest to the item bearer are affected first.All creatures who fail are affected by the enchantment, and actas though they are affected by the spell hypnotism, althoughthey are not open to suggestions. Creatures that cannot see arenot affected by the enchantment.


Caster Level: 6th for Sunlight, 12th for Moonlight, 8th for Starlight;Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Daylight(for Sun-light) or Continual Flame, True Seeing (for Moonlight) or Hyp-notic Pattern (for Starlight); Market Price: +2 Bonus forDaylight and Starlight, +3 Bonus for Moonlight.

Material CuttingThe material cutting enchantment is only cast on slashingweapons, and usually only very old ones, as it is an enchantmentwith ancient heritage. Material Cutting weapons are either madeto cleave wood or stone (50% Wood, 50% Stone). Material cut-ting weapons cut through the material in question as it were but-ter, ignoring the hardness of any item made of that material.Material Cutting weapons. Folklore has it that such items wereused to create wilderness fastnesses for druids, or to shape thestanding stones of Ireland and England, including the famousStonehenge.

Caster Level: 12th for Wood Cutting, 16th for Stone Cutting; Pre-requisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Repel Wood (For WoodCutting) or Repell Stone (For Stone Cutting); Market Price: +2Bonus for Wood, +3 Bonus for Stone

PotentPotent weapons deal more damage. The enchantment on a potentweapon makes it naturally more damaging, rather than addingadditional damage dice to a weapon. A potent weapon does dam-age as a weapon one size greater per rank (see appendix II).Thus a rank IV potent weapon would do damage as a weapon 4sizes greater. The Potent enchantment does not increase theactual size of the weapon.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor,Bull’s Strength, Magic Weapon; Market Price: +2 Bonus forRank I, +3 Bonus for Rank II, +4 Bonus for Rank III, +5 Bonusfor Rank IV

QuakingThe first quaking weapon was an accident, the result of trying tobind two opposing high level enchantments into the sameweapon. The result was a weapon that seemed to tremble withenergy, almost as if the embedded enchantments were about toburst out in a magical explosion. Fortunately, there was noexplosion, and as the maker experimented with the first quakingweapon, he realized that there were certain advantages to theenchantment. Quaking items constantly quiver with energy, andwhen they strike they cause an extra +2d6 points of kinetic dam-age. Quaking items are very potent against glass, bone, or stonedue to the constant vibration of the weapon, and strikes againstthese materials do an extra +4d6 points of kinetic damage.Unfortunately, wielding a quaking weapon puts a tremendousstrain on the arm muscles, as the jarring force of the quakingweapon also puts the body through its paces. If a battle goesmore than 3 minutes (30 rounds), the quaking weapon wieldertakes 1 point of temporary Strength damage, which will return

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after an hour of rest. Quaking enchantments are only cast uponmelee weapons.

Caster Level: 12th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor,Resonate; Market Price: +3 Bonus

RenewingRenewing items gradually repair themselves. If a renewing itemis damaged for any reason, it will regain 1 Hit Point per rounduntil it has returned to full Hit Points. Renewing Items do notconfer any healing capacity to the bearer, but merely indicates aproperty of the item. Unlike most enchantments missile weaponswith this ability do not confer this ability to their ammunition.

Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor,Renew; Market Price: +1 Bonus

SunderingA weapon with sundering deals extra damage to weapons, armor,or shields they strike. When a sundering weapon strikes aweapon, armor, or shield, it deals an extra +1d6 shattering dam-age to the item it strikes. Missile weapons so enchanted conferthe shattering energy upon their ammunition.

Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor,Shatter; Market Price: +1 Bonus

WardingA warding weapon protects its wielder from a particular type ofthreat (determined below), absorbing the first 5 points of damagefrom that threat. Additionally, a warding weapon confers anadditional +2 enhancement bonus against the source of thethreat. To randomly determine the threat type a weapon is ward-ing against, roll on the following table:

01–10: Lightning—Items with Lightning Warding absorb thefirst 5 points of electrical damage per round, and confer a +2bonus versus creatures with electrical attacks. These weaponstend to have a bluish tinge, and may sport a cloud or lightningmotif.

11–20: Fire—Items with Fire Warding absorb the first 5points of electrical damage per round, and confer a +2 bonusversus creatures with fire-based attacks (including fire ele-mentals). These weapons tend to have a slightly reddish tinge(not to be confused with rust), and may sport a flame or dra-conic motif.

21–30: Cold—Items with Cold Warding absorb the first 5points of cold damage per round, and confer a +2 bonus versuscreatures with cold-based attacks (including ice elementals).These weapons tend to have a bluish tinge, and may sport asnowflake or mountaintop motif.

31–40: Acid—Items with Acid Warding absorb the first 5points of acid damage per round, and confer a +2 bonus versuscreatures with acid-based attacks. This weapons tend to have a


If a creature has an item that confers an elemental or poisonattack, the Warding enchantment does not confer the notedenhancement bonus against that creature. The Warding enchant-ment does confer the noted enhancement bonus against a crea-ture imbued with an elemental or poison attack by magic, butonly for the duration that they possess that attack. The Wardingweapon does not harm the wielder if the wielder would normallybe warded by the weapon (i.e. a chaotic character can wield aweapon of Chaos Warding without incident).

Caster Level: 8th for all but Poison, 12th for Poison; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Endure Elements (for Lightning,Fire, Cold, Acid, and Sonic) or Protection FromEvil/Good/Chaos/Law (for the respective weapons) or Neutral-ize Poison (for Poison), Repulsion; Market Price: +3 Bonus forAll but Poison, +4 Bonus for Poison.

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Specific Wonderous Item:

Quiver of RecallThis appears as a typical arrow containercapable of holding 20 arrows. Examina-tion shows the stitching of arcane symbolsinside the bottom lining of the quiver.When the command word is used, thequiver is attuned to all arrows within it.From that point forward, if an arrow isfired from the quiver and is still intact when itcomes to rest, the arrow is instantly transportedback into the quiver the next round. If the arrow isbarbed and lodged in a creature, this effect removesthe arrow from the creature without causing extradamage to that creature, as the arrow merely disap-pears from the wound, and reappears in the quiver. Useful inlong battles, it is still wise to refill the quiver from time to timeand re-attune it to the new arrows, since broken arrows can stilloccur, and, when broken, these arrows do not return.

Caster Level: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft Wonderous Item, ArcaneMark, D’s Instant Summons; Market Price: 2000 gp; Weight: -

Items by RegionEach of the items in this section come from myth or folklore inthis region, and represent appropriate powerful cultural items.These items, with very little work, may be adapted to your owncampaign world easily, and may allow you to add depth and fla-vor to a region or culture group. If the item does not imply a spe-cific material, consider the weapon true steel (Hardness 10)

AmericaIn Meso America, a common weapon of the gods was the blow-gun, which was used to cast spells at a distance, and to hunt bothanimals and other gods. There are a number of more interestingMeso-American items, though.

Atlaua’s AtlatlAtlaua is the Meso-American god of fishermen, and the inventorof the atlatl. His first atlatl, which he still possesses, appearsrough-hewn, with none of the artistry that later atlatls tend to becrafted with. This Divine atlatl is Without Limit, and Atlaua cancast a dart into the heavens or spear fish at the depths of the

ocean with it. From time to time,Atlaua will appear in disguise to

a fisherman, and lendhim his atlatl to fish with forthe day. The fisherman who willinglyshares his catch and makes appropriate sacri-fices to Atlaua may be richly rewarded.

dull grey finish, and may sport a tear drop motif or a second-ary yellow or green tinge.

41–50: Sonic—Items with Sonic Warding absorb the first 5points of sonic damage per round, and confer a +2 bonus ver-sus creatures with sonic attacks. These weapons tend to appearglistening, as if just submerged, and may sport a ripple motif.

51–60: Evil - Items with Evil Warding absorb the first 5 pointsof unholy damage per round, and confer a +2 bonus versusevil creatures. These weapons tend to appear brightly pol-ished, and may sport etched holy symbols.

61–70: Good—Items with Good Warding absorb the first 5points of holy damage per round, and confer a +2 bonus ver-sus good creatures. These weapons tend to appear blackened,and may sport profane or unholy symbols or iconography.

71–80: Chaos—Items with Chaos Warding absorb the first 5points of chaos damage per round, and confer a +2 bonus ver-sus chaotic creatures. These weapons tend to look completelynormal, although they may, in rare cases, sport symbols oflawful divinities or organizations.

81–90: Law—Items with Law Warding absorb the first 5points of law damage per round, and confer a +2 bonus versuslawful creatures. These weapons tend to appear normal untilthe light catches the weapon a certain way, then it appears tofluoresce. Symbols of chaotic divinities or organizations mightalso rarely be found on these items.

91–100: Poison - Items with Poison Warding absorb the first 5points of poison damage per round, and confer a +2 bonus ver-sus creatures with poison attacks. These weapons tend to havea greenish tinge, and may sport ophidian imagery.

Itzlacoliuhque Obsidian KnifeItzlacoliuhque is the Meso-American god of theobsidian knife. His worship teaches the appropri-ate sacrificial uses of the obsidian knife, and priestsof many other Meso-American gods tend to seekhis favor before sanctifying new sacrificial knives.Itzlacoliuhque’s Knife is said to be p a r t i c u l a r l yKeen, and being a Divine Knife, it does not face theswift breakage that most obsidian knives experience. Itshould be noted that Itzlacoli- uhque is not known tolend out his knife, but he would be very jealous of any bloodshed by it, and woe to any who do not make appropriate sacri-fices of that blood, should they bear his knife.

Itzli’s Stone Sacrificial KnifeBefore Itzlacoliuhque crafted the obsidian knife, Itzlicrafted the stone knife. Itzli’s worship declined as bloodsacrifice became more important than outright death sac-rifices. Itzli’s Stone Knife (Material (Stone) Hardness(3)) is a Divine Death weapon, and care should be takenwith its usage. Should the wielder ever slip and cut him-self with its blade, he may find himself in death’s embrace,rather than the intended sacrifice.

Tezcatlipoca’s Smoking MirrorTezcatlipoca is often called Smoking Mirror, for his most potentpossession, a Divine Death Mirror. Tezcatlipoca is a shapeshifterand trickster, the evil foe of Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent).His mirror never appears the same twice, and it smokes with themalevolence of its Death magic. Those who gaze upon its sur-face view their own death, and usually this experience is enoughto kill them. Should a character gaze into the Smoking Mirror,they should instantly make their Divine Death save, or die.Should Tezcatlipoca ever be defeated, and his mirror claimed byanother, it may well be that it has other abilities hidden deepwithin it, making it a Divine Weapon of Inner Reflection.

Navaho myth is a subject that there is little written on, mainlybecause ancient Navaho culture had a large number of restric-tions on the kinds of representations and stories that could betold about their gods. Of the few war and hunt gods and god-desses, Nayanezgani is the one we have the most detail on.

Nayanezgani’s Armor and ArrowsNayanezgani’s aspects as a war god areunderplayed, and his role as a thundergod is primary. Nayanezgani wearsDivine armor of flint, and asthe joints of the armor cometogether, they produce greatbursts of lightning. Descrip-tions are few, but it seemslikely that flint armor wouldbe splint or slat armor(Material (Stone) Hardness

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(2)), Divine in nature, with Blinding and Shocking Burstenchantments. In other myths his arrows are bolts of chain light-ning (Divine Shocking Burst Arrows), which he uses to defeathis foes.

AustraliaAustralia’s Aboriginal people have a rich and fantastic mythol-ogy, centered around an ancient type of existance called Dream-time. Most beings in Dreamtime make use of the mostrudimentary and natural objects, but there are a few notableexceptions.

Bobbi-bobbi’s RibBobbi-bobbi was a snake who lived under theEarth. When man was starving, Bobbi-bobbi senthim flying foxes (bats) to eat. But the flying foxesescaped the men, and Bobbi-bobbi gave the men one ofhis ribs to use as a Divine Returning Boomerang, so thatthey could hunt down the food animals. Bobbi-bobbi’s ribkept man well fed, but the men fell to idle foolishness, andone man took the rib and struck a hole in the sky with it(Since the rib was Without Limit). Bobbi-bobbi, in hisanger, sent out his tongue, and grabbed both his rib andthe two men who tried to keep ahold of it. All three have neverbeen seen again, but perhaps Bobbi-bobbi may again decide togrant his rib to a worthy man in need

Wati-kutjara’s BoomerangWhen the Man in the Moon(Kidili) attempted to rape the first woman, it wasWati-kutjara, the Iguana Man, that came to her rescue.Wati-kutjara took his Divine Returning Boomerang, themost cunningly sharp ever designed, and threw it at Kidili. Theboomerang was Unerring, and its Vorpal edge struck Kidili.Kidili was emasculated, and he fled to a nearby Water Hole,where he eventually died. Wati-kutjara’s legacy has passed to thetribes of central-western Australia, and it may be his boomerangis also in their possession.

Sub-Sahara AfricaAfrica has a variety of beliefs about weapons, includ-ing a fear of the black magic of smithing, not unsimilarto that of certain groups in Malaysia. In lands were ironweapons were rare, the ability to craft the very bones ofthe Earth seemed somehow wrong or dangerous. Notthat Earth’s bones alone were necessary to

Khonvoum’s BowKhonvoum is a hunting god, and the creator god of thePygmy people. Khonvoum hunts creatures across thevery heavens, and his Divine Bow is quite Potent (ClassIII). Weightless, Khonvoum’s bow was constructedfrom two great snakes, whose glossy scales appear asthe rainbow by those who see his bow on Earth. Fortu-


nately, his bow is Weightless, and he may traverse the skies withease while pursuing his prey. Should one ever find their way intothe heavens, perhaps Khonvoum might consider the lending ofhis bow, but only for matters most grave.

Shango’s Double Headed AxeThe Yoruba people of Nigeria claim to descendfrom a thunder god. Shango is a great, but turbu-lent god, who once held the secrets of magic beforehis first wife stole them from him. The symbol for thun-der in many Sub-Saharan African cultures is the Dou-ble Axe, and Shango’s Divine Battleaxe packs aShocking Burst. Should the DM wish to deal with aShango who still, alone, held the secrets of magic, hisBattleaxe might also possess the mysterious power ofInner Reflection.

EgyptEgypt has some of the most popular and recognizable mythictraits of any culture. The Egyptian fascination with death makesDivine Death items somewhat more common than most othercultures, but there are definitely a great variety of Divine items inEgyptian culture. The most common weapon of the gods is theDivine Spear, which nearly every Egyptian god seems to carry invarious images.

Bes’s WeaponsBes is often depicted as a crude, uglydwarf, sometimes with leonine or felinefacial features. A god of human pleasures,song, dance, and celebration, Bes is also thepatron of children and women in labor. Bes hasa veritable armory of knives and sword (bothstraight and kopesh), and he uses hid HolyDivine weapons to protect children andwomen from evil spirits. Bes may well bewilling to equip those who join him inhis protective duties.

Atum’s SunbeamsAtum is one of the oldest gods of Egyptian myth, and he is cred-ited as being a progenitor of the line of the Pharoahs. His manyaspects and roles in Egyptian culture indicate how old his cult is,and it is little surprise that one of his depictions is that of an oldman with the sunset behind his back. Atum has represented thesun’s light from time to time, and he is sometimes depicted asfiring sunbeams at the four corners of the world when a Pharoahascends. His Divine, Holy Arrows illuminated the whole heav-ens, being Without Limit. Should a Dynasty face prematuredemise from unholy forces, Atum may yet come to their aid, orlend his sunbeams to a rightful heir.

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Horus’s Sword

Horus’s Divine Sword is the definition of Vorpal. When he is inhis full capacities, Horus might stride through a battlefield, strik-ing the heads from his foes left and right. But, on the night of thenew moon, Horus is blind, and in battle he has been known tostrike the heads from allies as well as enemies. Those who wishto make battle as an ally with Horus are best advised to choosetheir time of war carefully.

Neith’s ArrowsNeith is a minor hunting goddess, who Divine Heart Seekingarrows take down the greatest of prey. Her priesthood blesses thebows and arrows of hunters, and her protections also extend tothe remains of the dead, which were nominally under her care.Neith’s priesthood may grant her blessing on a hunter’s weaponfor a reasonable fee.

Neith’s BlessingTransmutationLevel: Clr 2Components: V,S,DFCasting Time: 1 actionRange: TouchTarget: Weapon TouchedDuration: 1 minute/level after activationSaving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)Spell Resistance: Yes (Harmless, Object)

Neith’s Blessing, once activated, gives a weapon a +1 enhance-ment bonus to attack and damage rolls. If you’re a good cleric,the cleric of a good deity, or a paladin, the weapon is consideredblessed, which means it has special effects on certain creatures.Neith’s Blessing remains dormant on the weapon until it is acti-vated, and no bonus is given until the full action activationoccurs.

Sakhmet’s ArrowsSakhmet is a dark goddess in Egyptian mythology, a woman ofvengence and war. When Re sent her to stop mortals who wereplotting against him, she became so enraptured by the slaughterthat proceeded, that she nearly slew all of humanity. Sakhmet’sArrows may be normal Divine Arrows, but she also carried thetitle “Lady of Pestilence”, and she bears Divine Plague andPestilence Arrows as well. If one could survive her onslaught, itmight be possible one of her divine arrows may survive, andsuch weapons could bring great power.

Set’s Spear

Set is a god of chaos, hostility, and evil. Black at heart, Setfavors an ebon spear, which he has, from time to time, appeared

to have forgotten here or there. His ebon spear is a Divine Deathweapon, cruel and uncompromising when used. But the truedanger to one who finds it is that, no matter where they may be,when Set wants that spear, he will appear nearby to reclaim it.Most finders of Set’s spear usually end up dead.

AsiaBetween China, India, South East Asia, Persia, Siberia, andMesopotamia, Asia has an incredible diversity of mythology anddivine items. Here is just a small smattering.

China has a very regulated afterlife and pantheon. With a Heav-enly Bureaucracy, mostly good aligned dragons, and a strongnational tendency to avoid religion, one might imagine the possi-bilities here to be quite limited. One would be wrong.

Cai-shen’s Cap and MaceIn Chinese tradition, great figures in history can bedeified for their life actions. Cai-shen was one of these.In life he was Zhao Xuan-tan, a General of the Qindynasty. After death, Cai-shen became a god of prosperity,and he gained powers to protect from thunder and light-ning. Cai-shen’s Divine Iron Cap grants Lightning and Sonicresistance, and his Divine Mace is a mace of Light- n i n gWarding. It is said a prayer to Cai-shen before a businesstransaction often brings fortune.

Men-shen Arrows, Sabers, SpearsThe Men-shen are guardian gods, who are oftendepicted in sculp- ture before doorways. Origi-nally two 6th century generals, Qin Shu-bao andHu Jing-de, the Men- shen now guard homesand public buildings, and are said to chase evil spiritsaway. Their Divine Arrows, Sabers, andSpears should all be considered Evil Warding. Obviously,if there is a great supernatural catastrophe in a city,the Men-shen might well be found fighting along sidethe army and civilians.

Monkey King’s Compliant Staff, Golden Armor, CloudRiding Shoes, Iron Crown

The Monkey King is a fantastical being, bornfrom rock, who travels in search of wisdom

and mischief. Early in his legend he goes tothe Palace of the Dragon Kings, in the EastOcean, and bargains with them for a magicalweapon. When no weapon in the kingdomseems to be right for him, they lead him tothe staff that Da Yu purportedly used to tamethe great deluge from antiquity. When Mon-key King claimed the Divine Staff he foundhimself able to control its size (which, in turn,controls the damage it inflicts, as per the sizechart), so that with a thought he could shrink itto the size of a pin or extend it to hundreds of

feet. Its weight was in the vicinity of 13,500 pounds. From theDragon Kings he also bullied a golden set of +3 Mountain Pat-tern Armor, a set of Cloud Riding Shoes (the equivalent ofWinged Boots), and a Golden Crown. Much later his crown wasreplaced with one of Iron, but the Iron Crown had a curse.Should anyone speak the appropriate command word, the crownwould constrict, causing the Monkey King 1d6 points of damageper round until the command word was re-invoked. Thus was theMonkey King somewhat subdued.

Southern Tian-wang Sword

Called the Celestial Kings, the Tian-wang are quasi-demoniccreatures who guard the four corners of the earth and protectgoodness everywhere. Each Tian-wang has their own powersand aspects, and the Southern Tian-wang is dedicated to fightingagainst darkness and ignorance. His Divine Sword is Light Bear-ing, carrying the illuminating Light of the Sun, and it radiates anaura of Nobility.

Shen Yi’s BowWhen the earth was young, its surface was scorchedby the light of 10 suns. No plants could flourish underthis combined enslaught, and Shen Yi took up his bowand shot 9 of the 10 suns from the sky. The light andheat much lessened, Shen Yi’s bow was stayed by theother gods, and the world cooled, becoming abundantwith life. Shen Yi was declared the Celestial Archer,and his Divine Bow Without Limit was taken, with him,into the heavens. Shen Yi is depicted with the sun inhis hand, but the whereabouts of his bow is unknown.

Zhong-kui’s Sword

Zhong-kui is a demon, a man who committed suicide because hefailed to reach first place in the examinations. In his afterlife heis the patron of literature and examinations, and he protectsagainst evil spirits and demons that might seek to encourage oth-ers to his fate. He must constantly pit himself against their poi-soned words, which threaten to turn the heart, and his DivineSword possesses the enchantment of Poison Warding. Zhong-kuiis often invoked by nervous scholars before tests.

IndiaIndia’s Hindu religion has hundreds, if not thousands, of gods,and equally as many strange, wonderful, and terrible mythicalcreatures. From time to time people are born who seem toexceed the common existence of human experience, and thesepeople are often considered avatars of the gods. Add to this mix

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the fact that the heavenly realm can and often has been invadedand even conquered by ambitious spirits, demi-gods, and men,and you have a myth base that is action packed and bursting withcolor and nuance.

Kalki Avatara’s Scimitar

In Hindu myth there are to be 10 incarnations of Vishnu. Vishudescends to earth from time to time when the balance of exis-tence is upset, and it is believed that he will descend again in theKalki Avatara when the earth needs to be set in appropriate bal-ance again. The Kalki Avatara will come riding a white horse,and bearing a Divine Scimitar, by which he will subdue nations,destroy the wicked, and restore the righteous. It seems likely thathis Scimitar will bear an Aura of Command, to help rally thefaithful.

Devi’s Sword

Many gods and goddesses in Hindu belief have multiple incar-nations. Devi the Divine Mother incarnation of the goddess whois also Durgha, Kali, and Parvati. Devi is the consort of Shiva,and as the mother of all things, she holds the power of life anddeath. Devi bears a Divine Broadsword (in both her own incar-nation and that of Kali), and it represents Death. Still, Devi isvery careful about dealing death, and she does not wage warindiscriminately.

Vajra, Indra’s Bolt

Indra is another major god in Hindu belief, but while he wasonce the supreme god, later religious movements have reducedhis role in Hindu society. One of his lesser aspects is as the Lordof Weather, and he bears the Divine Spear Vajra. Vajra is aDivine shortspear of Shocking, and he uses it in battle to driveback his foes. At various times he has also used a bow, net, andhook as weapons, although there is no indication that these weredivine weapons.

Shiva’s Flaming DiscusJalamdhara was born of the unionbetween Shiva’s UncontrolledAnger (who had taken on inde-pendent existance) and the god-dess of the Ganges river.Jalamdhara was an asura, a powerful spirit-being opposed to the

Devas, or gods. Jalamdhara inherited a kingdom, and, when thetime was right, he summoned his armies and invaded heaven.Jalamdhara, among his many abilities, had the power to raise thedead, so while he lead mere mortals against the gods, his armiesnever lessened, and he was able to conquer heaven and chase theDevas from it. The Devas, in order to retake heaven, combinedtheir powers to create an unstoppable weapon. Divine fire fromthe gods, the power of Shiva’s third eye, and Vishnu’s divineanger were combined into the form of a Flaming Discus. ThisUnerring Divine Discus (1d8, x3 critical, throwing increment30ft) was Flaming and Vorpal, and its Bright Energy was nearlyblinding, and could only be hidden under Shiva’s armpit. When,at last, Jalamdhara and Shiva came to blows, Shiva cast the Dis-cus at his foe, striking Jalamdhara’s head from his shouldersthree times. In the end the deva goddesses were summoned tothe battlefield as blood-drinking ogres, to weaken Jalamdharasufficiently for Shiva’s deadly weapon to finish him.

JapanJapan’s heroes were often the most exciting portion of Japanesemyth and folklore. Many of them were awarded named swordsfor their tasks, but few of those weapons were overtly magical.

Susanowo’s Grass Cutting Sword

Susanowo is a Shinto god of the winds, storms, and ocean. He isa courageous but evil god, who plagues both his loved ones andthe earthly mortals, until he is banished. In his exile he wandersfrom place to place, adventuring. One such adventure involveddefeating Koshi, an eight-headed serpent. From Koshi’s corpseSusanowo drew the “Grass Cutting Sword”, a +3 VorpalKatana. Eventually Okuni-Nushi, Susanowo’s son, and the godof magic and medicine, tricked Susanowo out of his sword.Susanowo is said to be seeking his lost sword.

Mesopotamia

Nergal’s Club and SickleMany of the D&D gods are based on mythical gods from variouscultures, and Nergal is one of the mostdirectly adapted. Descending fromSumero-Babylonian myth, Nergal isan evil god of the netherworld,who brings war, pestilence,fever, and devastation. Inhis depictions he car-ries a club andsickle. His club is aDivine Club ofWounding, a cruelweapon to inflict pain andsuffering. But his Sickle is

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much worse. Death, Pestilence, and Plague accompany hisDivine Sickle, and it also carries the Sundering enchantment, sothat he may lay low even the mightiest of those who oppose him.

EuropeEurope has a number of unique myth centers. Teutonic or Nordicmyth is one source for much of our fantasy beliefs about elvesand dwarves, while Celtic myth is rich in heroic action anddrama. Rome’s myths were an amalgam of every land they con-quered, and they bespoke the complexity of the common citi-zen’s life at the crossroads of one of the world’s greatestempires. Greece’s pantheon and heroes are among the most com-mon stories in western culture, but more recent legends, likethose of Roland and Arthur, are also sources for modern wonder.

Teutonic/Nordic MythMost Norse mythical items were crafted by the swartalfs, or darkelves, which was an alternate name for dwarves. The nordicdwarves were incredible smiths and craftsmen, and couldempower their items with incredible abilities, partly becausethey were also superb magic wielders. That the dwarves oftenresented the gods only made things more interesting.

Balmung

One of the few great weapons not created by the dwarves, Bal-mung was created by Wayland, an elven smith. Odin placed Bal-mung in a tree and stated that the man who could pull it from thetree would be destined to win in battle. Only Sigmund, of the Vol-sung princes, could draw it forth. Eventually Balmung would bedestroyed by Odin but Sigurd, Sigmund’s son, would later reforgethe weapon, and use it to kill the dragon Fafnir. Balmung is a +3Class III Potent Viking Longsword with an Aura of Bravery.

Fenrir’s Muzzle

Fenrir, the Great Wolf, was a wild creature, fearsome and deadly,but worse, unpredictable. Eventually the gods decided Fenrirneeded to be apprehended, and they conspired to capture andrestrain him. The first time they attempted this, the stout ropethey used would not hold him, and many were wounded. Theypetitioned the dwarves for something to restrain him, and whenthe dwarves produced the subtle golden ribbon that would holdhim, they again approached Fenrir. Freyr restrained Fenrir longenough to put the ribbon around Fenrir’s neck, but he lost hisright hand to the Wolf. Then, to keep Fenrir from biting anyoneelse, they placed a sword in his mouth. The sword would havehad to be Divine, and Impervious to Piercing in order to surviveFenrir’s ferocity.

Freyr’s Sword

After Freyr lost his sword hand, a new sword was crafted forhim. Freyr need merely draw it, and it would fight for him, danc-ing about the field. Later Skirnir, Freyr’s servant, would threatento cover the earth in ice in order to force the Giantess Gerd tomarry Freyr. Eventually, the Fire Giant Surtur would acquireFreyr’s sword, and while he wielded it, it would burn with a firegreater than the sun, melting the ice. Thus, it seems most likelythat Freyr’s Divine Viking Longsword is a sword of Inner Reflec-tion, and since it is uncertain when or how Surtur got the swordfrom Skirnir, perhaps there are others who will bear itbefore Ragnarok.

Thor’s Hammer Mjolnir and GloveThe dwarves were petitioned to craft a weapon forThor, Odin’s son and the God of Thunder. Mjolnir wascrafted as a great hammer, a shortened Stone Maulwhich Shocked and Thundered. They also craftedan iron glove to protect Thor. When Thorinvested his divine power in Mjolnir it becameDivine, and he could hurl it Without Limit. Thepower invested in the glove allowed him tocall Mjolnir back after it was cast, giving it thepower to Return (Making it Returning if you wear theGlove) to the glove wearer. On rare occasions othershave taken or used the hammer, but never with the skilland power of Thor.

Odin’s Gungnir

Odin bears a short spear, Gungnir. This Divine short spear isUnerring, and he may cast it in battle or fight with it in hand.Though he has survived many battles with it, Odin is not only awar and death god, but also a god of wisdom and poetry. InRagnarok, Odin will face Fenrir, and they will kill each other inbattle.

Valkyrie’s Spears and ArmorThe Valkyrie or “Choosers of the Slain”appear as beautiful women, mounted onwinged horses. They carry Spears Barbedwith Flames (+3 Flaming Barbed Longs-pears), in order to protect their chosen war-riors. As well, they wear Starlight-BearingChainmail Hauberks, which the Norse attrib-uted to being the source of the Aurora Borealis.

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Celtic MythThe Celts at one time spanned the lands from Ireland to MiddleEurope. Their various myths are as often based on rumors andmemories of farther east lands they once occupied, and the vari-ation from area to area is indicative of the changed in Celtic cul-tures in the new lands they occupied.

Cuchulainn’s Notched Spear

Cuchulainn was a hero of Irish myth, who placed a geas uponhimself after accidentally killing the watchdog of the smithCulann. For a time he was known as the Hound of Culann, andhe guarded the pass into Ulster for a while. Later he went to trainwith the warrior goddess Scathach, on the Isle of Shadow. Whenhe returned he bore a Divine spear described as being notched inevery fashion so as to cause as much pain and difficulty as possi-ble when it was removed from a wound. His Divine BronzeBarbed Spear was also Unerring, never missing the target it wasthrown or thrust at. Cuchulainn eventually headed the RedBranch, and fought in many wars, but died in a war againstQueen Maeve of Connacht.

Manannan mac Lir’s Sword

Manannan mac Lir is the Irish god of the sea and fertility. Heforecasts the weather and rides the sea in chariot. It is said thathe existed before the Tuatha De Dannan, but he is also consid-ered one of them, an inconsistency often found in many-layeredmyth. Among the many magical objects he bears are a self-guid-ing ship without sails, a cloak of invisibility, a helmet of flames,and a Divine Unerring Sword. Manawydan ap Llyr is said to behis Welsh equivalent.

Lugh’s Rainbow SlingBalor is the god of Death, and the leader of the Fomorians. Balorhad one eye, which he kept closed at all times, because anythinghe gazed at would die. Fated to be killed byhis own grandson, he imprisoned hisdaughter, but a member of the Tuatha DeDannan was able to come to her any-way, and they sired a child, Lugh.Lugh grew up among the Tuatha DeDannan, and when Balor came to warwith them, Lugh was able to defeat himby striking out Balor’s eye with hisDivine Sling, which spun with such Haste that it appeared like arainbow when used.

Tuatha Dé Lances and ShieldsThe Tuatha De Dannan are a race of gods in Irishmyth. Coming from a land in the west, they have per-fect knowledge of magic, and are also the source ofthe sidhe or fairies. In war the bear Divinelong spears, Flaming with blueflames, and they carry Moon-lightbearing Divine Shields, to protectthemselves from foes and falseimages. The forces of the TuathaDe Dannan were eventually driveninto the underworld by the Mile-sians, followers of the fantasticalking Milesius, of Spain.

Rome

Saturn’s SickleMany of Rome’s gods and myths come from other cultures, butsome are uniquely their own. Saturn isloosely related to the Greek TitanCronus, but this relation is one of con-venience, since Saturn has a number ofvery different aspects, and the relationto Cronus comes from Saturn’s role asfather of Jupiter. Saturn had manyaspects, being a harvest andwine god. But he was alsoancient, and his senility (or madness) was anoted aspect of his celebration. Every December17th, the Romans would hold a Saturnalia, a festival of Saturnwhere the roles of slave and master were reversed, morals wereloosened, work was put off, and gifts were given. Saturn bears aDivine sickle in his depictions, and it bears an aura of Chaos, asit drives men to distraction.

Veiovis’s ArrowsDescended from an Etruscan god, Veiovis is one of the first godsof Rome. A god of healing, Veiovis was later identified withAesclepius. Veiovis is portrayed with a bunch of Divine arrowsin the form of lightning bolts (Shocking) in his hand. Veiovis,fortunately, did not use these often.

Greece

Arrow of AbarisAbaris was a priest of Apollo in Scythia, when plague broke out.Through the help of his god he fled the plague, and Apollo giftedhim a single golden arrow that bore a number of powers. TheArrow of Abaris could Remove Diseases as per the spell, anynumber of times a day. It also gave Oracles, foretelling the futurein a cryptic manner, but never on command, or in ways that wereobvious before the event foretold occurred. Abaris’s Arrow alsogranted the wielder flying on command, and could turn himinvisible for 5 minutes at a time, once per day. In time Abaris

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gave his arrow to Pythagoras, but there is no record as to whomit was given thereafter

Aegis, Cloak-Shield of Zeus and AthenaIt may have been the skin of the Almalthean Goat which nursedZeus as a babe, or it might have been the skin of some

great scaled lizard. The legends of Aegisare confused at best as to the exact

origin of the Cloak-Shield, but itis clear that Hephaestus forgedit, and the earliest drawings ofZeus with Aegis show it as acloak. Later, when Zeus’s

daughter Athena was born, hegave her Aegis, which Hephaes-

tus forged into a shield. Either incar-nation of Aegis is as a Divine

Weightless Cloak or Shield that isLightning and Sonic Resistant.

Apollo’s Plague ArrowsApollo, the Sun God, is proud of his archery skills. He bearswith him a bow, and he will often compete with his sisterArtemis in feats of skill. Apollo is not expressly a war god, butfrom time to time certain people have called on Apollo for aid inconflict. One of Apollo’s most unusual weapons is his DivineArrows of Plague, which spread illness throughout a particularlyegregious enemy. Apollo’s alternate role as a patron of healersgives him unique insight into the causes and types of plague.

Ares’s Sword

Ares the bold lives for war. He takes joy in combat, and it is saidthat in every war one can find Ares knee-deep in blood. He doesnot care which side he fights on, or the merit of his cause, but hefights because he can, often in the company of Fear, Terror,Plague, and Famine. Ares carried a Divine Sword of Wounding,that also bears an Aura of Confusion, in order to promote moreindiscriminate bloodshed. Ironically, Ares is one of the few godswho is often wounded by men, and when he is wounded he oftenflees battle, rather than continue fighting.

Artemis’s BowArtemis, as mentioned above, competes with her brotherin archery, usually to her own advantage. Artemis is a vir-gin goddess, a moon goddess, and patron of hunters.Although she uses many bows, her personal Divine Bow isWithout Limit. Fortunately, the Greek Gods prided them-selves of personal accomplishment, so her bow is notUnerring. Oddly, when she seeks revenge, it is not by thebow.

Charon’s HammerCharon is usually depicted as the robed ferryman onthe River Styx. A being somewhere between God andMan, Charon leads the newly dead to Hades, althoughthose without the proper payment cannot cross. Charon isthe child of Erebus, a Being of Primordial Darkness, andNyx, a goddess of Darkness. In his true form he is a dark,demonic being, winged and wielding a Divine Maul ofDisruption, to punish the living invaders or the dead whodo not know their place.

Cronus’s SickleCronus was the youngest titan born of the union of Uranusand Gaia. Uranus hid his children with Gaia away in Tar-tarus, a place deep in the earth. In time, the pain caused by

having her children buried deep within herself promptedGaia to conspire with Cronus to kill his father. Gaia

gave Cronus a Divine Sickle, a Vorpal blade deadlysharp. With it he confronted his father and emas-

culated him, driving him far away from Gaia,and allowing her to free her children fromTartarus.

Eros’s ArrowsEros’s incarnation in Rome is Cupid, whom is depicted as acherub with a bow and arrows. Eros, as son of Aphrodite, hadsimilar powers over the passions as his mother, and he too car-ried bow and arrow. Eros was a beautiful, quiet young man, andhe possessed two kinds of arrows, rather than the common lovearrows held by Cupid. One kind of Arrow engendered lovebetween the person struck and the next person they saw. Theother kind of arrow engendered hatred between the person struckand the next person they saw. These arrows did no damage, buttheir effects were permanent, and could change the lives of menand gods.

Europa’s Javelin

Zeus had a number of trysts that populated the world with Demi-gods and caused conflict with his Wife-Sister Hera. Europa wasone of these, whom Zeus appeared to as a bull, but one so gentleof nature that she got on his back, and he took her to the Isle ofCrete. On Crete they bore three children, and Zeus gave herthree gifts for her protection. One of those gifts was a DivineUnerring Javelin, which she made her legacy to her children,and which supposedly descended through the lineage of KingMinos of Crete.

Melpomene KnifeMelpomene is the Muse of Tragedies. Of the two masks oftenassociated with theater, the smiling mask symbolizes comedy,and is the province of the Muse Thalia, while the frowning maskis Melpomene’s tragic mask. Besides the masks Melpomene

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sometimes bears a Divine Club or Dagger. In fitting withher aspect, either weapon should be considered cursedto cause more harm than good whenever used todraw blood. Whether it be that the person stabbed is arelative, or the person clubbed was a secret benefac-tor, Melpomene’s instruments never bring thequick solution they appear to provide.

Poseidon’s Trident

Poseidon is one of the most powerful gods in Greek myth, andone of the most feared. Poseidon rules the oceans, and every-thing in them, and many hero stories center around heroes whohave foolishly angered Poseidon. His Divine Trident is a Quak-ing weapon, which can summon forth the white horses of thesea, conjure earthquakes as per the spell, and control theweather. With it Poseidon can conjure storms to sink ships, orbecalm the seas, so as to take the wind from a ship’s sails.

Zeus’s Lightning BoltsForged by Haephestus, with the help of the Cyclopes, the light-ning bolts of Zeus were his weapons of vengeance and warning.Zeus was often depicted reclining in a dark cloud, watching theground with lightning bolt in hand. When he spotted someone orsomething that aroused his anger, he would cast his bolt downupon the earth, although not with great accuracy. Zeus’s Light-ning bolts act as Divine Shocking Javelins Without Limit, but heregularly only has a few of these on hand.

Nemean Lion SkinHeracles, the Demi-god son of Zeus, was put in service ofhis cousin for a time, to atone for hissins. One of the tasks he was set toresolve was the problem of theNemean lion. This fearsome creaturewas terrorizing the land, and so far noone had found a way to subdue it.When Hercules attacked it withsword, javelin, and spear, he foundthat nothing could pierce its hide.Eventually he had to wrestle with thebeast and kill it with his bare hands.He took its skin as armor, and it should be treated as +4 SkinArmor Impervious to Slashing and Piercing.

Odysseus’s Armor and BowOdysseus was a Grecian king who went with Agamemnon tofight Troy. After Achilles died, his Divine Armor (Golden Breast-plate Armor) was given to Odysseus after a contest of wits.Odysseus lost that armor at sea on his return voyage, which ischronicled in the Odyssey. When he arrived at home he found

his wife besieged by suitors. It hadbecome a contest to see who couldfully draw Odysseus’s Mighty Long-bow (which would be considered +5and Potent (Class I). No man butOdysseus could draw it, and whenOdysseus revealed himself, he wasforced to kill all of the suitors with it.

Medieval

Durandal

In true history, Roland commanded a rear-guard action againstmutinying Basques, and was killed in the battle. Later his storywas revisited in the Chanson de Roland, where Roland was pic-tured as a great Christian warrior who struggled to defendagainst the Moors who were coming to invade France fromSpain. Roland, in the story, carried a blade called Durandal,which, when he realized he was about to die, he tried to break, sothat it would not fall into the enemy’s hands. But no matter whatforce he brought against it, it would not break. Durandal is a +1Early Steel Longsword Impervious to Slashing, Piercing, andBludgeoning.

The Dolorous Stroke

The story of the Fisher King is older than Christianity in theWest, and is a morality tale about a king who would not take hisresponsibilities seriously. In the end he was injured by a spearcalled The Dolorous Stroke. This wound would not heal, and hefound the only way to withstand the pain was to spend his daysfishing. In the Christianization of this story, Dolorous Stroke wasequated with the Spear of Longinous, a spear which reputedlypierced the side of Jesus on the cross. It is a Divine Spear ofWounding, although it may also possess the power of InnerReflection, as the tales of its other abilities (usually when refer-ring to it as the Spear of Destiny) suggest it may have deepermysteries.

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Excalibur and ScabbardExcalibur is a sword older than thelegend of King Arthur. It hasCeltic roots, and it has changednames throughout history. Calad-bolg (variously hard belly or hardlightning) was one incarnation ofit, where it was reputed to con-sume anything. Nuada’s Swordwas also the same kind of aweapon, a sword that could bestopped by nothing. Excalibur wasa Divine Sword, likely crafted bythe Tuatha De Dannan, and givento the Lady of the Lake. It was aPotent (Class I) blade, and it wasalso an excellent Sundering blade.Merlin claimed that the scabbardwas every bit as valuable as thesword, however, as the scabbardwas reputed to keep wounds frombleeding. The bearer of Excal-ibur’s scabbard, thus, is immuneto Wounding. Although Excaliburwas supposed to be cast into theLake after Arthur’s fall, the scab-bard was supposed to be retained by Bedivere. In 1191, Richardthe Lionhearted presented to the sovereign of Cyprus a sword heclaimed to have been Arthur’s. In a mythical Europe, it’s entirelypossible the true Excalibur might have been lost in the Crusades.

Historical Racial ItemsMany cultures have different views of elves. Celtic lands sawelves as fae creatures, or beings near to divinity. Norse culturessplit their elves into three groups: light elves, dark elves, andswarthy elves or dwarves. Light elves were willowy forestdwellers, keen in magic, but withdrawn from other races. Darkelves and dwarves were both underworld dwellers, and there ismuch to suggest that the dark elves and dwarves come from sim-ilar roots, or were alternate names for each other. Dark Elves arereferred to as ugly, black, and short, while dwarves are referredto as sooty, stunted, and short. Little is known of the Dark Elves,other than the name, probably because their stories were neverrecorded in Eddas. The Dwarves, though, were great magiciansand smiths, and their weapons and handicrafts were desired bythe gods. Norse dwarves also turned to stone in daylight. TheDanish added an interesting twist to elves, making them comelyin appearance from the front, but having sunken, hollow backs.

Mythic ElvesIn most Irish myth, the elves bore Lightning (Shocking) Arrows,which they either fired directly at a victim, or fired at the ground.Those fired at the ground would throw up wedges of turf, calledelf-bolts, which would invariably hit the intended target. Elf-

bolts were essentially pieces of rock and turf, intended to woundand drive away foes. In continental elf-myth, fae elves also usedsleep arrows to great advantage.

Mythic DwarvesThe Nordic dwarves were reluctant allies of the gods, and fromtime to time they rebelled or created cursed items. One such itemwas Tyrfingr, a cursed Viking longsword that, once drawn, couldnot be sheathed until someone was killed by it. Usually itselected the closest person, like a nearby family member orfriend. Dwarves made marvelous caps for themselves, such asthe Red Cap, which made a dwarf invisible, or the Helm of Awe,which could allow a dwarf to change shape to whatever hedesired. They wrought Iron when Bronze was the common mate-rial, and Steel in the age of Iron. Once, a dwarven master smithcreated a Hauberk of Chainmail, described as a dark-grey rip-pling coat of rings. This Chainmail Hauberk was likely master-work, and quite possibly magical, although it was destroyed byjealous men who wanted to own it.

Other Racial ItemsGiants in myth may bear axes, swords, and clubs and staves ofironwood. In the story of Beowulf, Beowulf killed the mother ofGrendel with the Sword of Eotens, a +4 Keen Sword made for aGiant (Huge Size), which he could barely lift. Some stories talkof ogres or trolls crafting leather or hide armor from lizard skins,possibly even dragon skin, and many foul creatures used humanleather. The farther a creature strayed from human-like appear-ance, the more primitive their means became. Grendel, a crea-ture reputedly descended from the line of Cain, had claws ofiron, making it unnecessary to even carry a weapon. Of course,not fighting with a weapon was a sign of barbarism in the DarkAges.

New SpellsThe following are new arcane spells to enhance a fantasy setting.Take care when introducing any new spells to your campaignworld, as they may change the balance of your setting. SpellBind is particularly prone to abuse, and the DM should be awareof the spell’s capabilities and limitations before allowing PC’s touse this spell.

Durance

TransmutationLevel: Brd 1, Clr 1, Pal 1, Sor/Wiz 1Components: V, S, M/DFCasting Time: 1 actionRange: TouchTarget: Weapon, armor, or shield touchedDuration: 1 minute/levelSaving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)

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Durance gives a weapon, set of armor, or shield a +1 enhance-ment bonus to hardness, and adds temporary hit points to theitem equal to its current hit points. This magically reinforceditem can take much more punishment. Any damage taken by theitem must be subtracted from the temporary hit points first, andonly the damage that is done to the actual hit points of the objectis retained after the spell duration has elapsed. This spell cannotbe cast on natural weapons or armor, such as claws or toughhide. The arcane material focus for this spell is a cube of steel,which is not consumed in the casting process (it may be usedagain).

Protection from Bludgeoning

AbjurationLevel: Sor/Wiz 2Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 actionRange: TouchTarget: Creature touchedDuration: 10 minutes/level or until dischargedSaving Throw: Will negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The warded creature gains resistance to bludgeoning weapons.The subject gains damage reduction 5/+1 against bludgeoningweapons. It ignores the first 5 points of damage each time ittakes damage from a bludgeoning weapon, though a weaponwith a +1 enhancement bonus or any magical attack bypasses thereduction. The damage reduction increases with the caster levelto 10/+2 at 5th, 15/+3 at 10th, 20/+4 at 15th, and 25/+5 at 20th.Once the spell has prevented a total of 10 points of damage percaster level, it is discharged. The arcane material focus for thisspell is a chunk of granite.

Protection from Piercing


The warded creature gains resistance to piercing weapons. Thesubject gains damage reduction 5/+1 against piercing weapons.It ignores the first 5 points of damage each time it takes damagefrom a piercing weapon, though a weapon with a +1 enhance-ment bonus or any magical attack bypasses the reduction. Thedamage reduction increases with the caster level to 10/+2 at 5th,15/+3 at 10th, 20/+4 at 15th, and 25/+5 at 20th. Once the spellhas prevented a total of 10 points of damage per caster level, it isdischarged. The arcane material focus for this spell is a scrap ofsilk.

Protection from Slashing


The warded creature gains resistance to slashing weapons. Thesubject gains damage reduction 5/+1 against slashing weapons.It ignores the first 5 points of damage each time it takes damagefrom a slashing weapon, though a weapon with a +1 enhance-ment bonus or any magical attack bypasses the reduction. Thedamage reduction increases with the caster level to 10/+2 at 5th,15/+3 at 10th, 20/+4 at 15th, and 25/+5 at 20th. Once the spellhas prevented a total of 10 points of damage per caster level, it isdischarged. The arcane material focus for this spell is a wad oftar.

Renew

TransmutationLevel: Sor/Wis 2Components: V,S,MCasting Time: 1 actionRange: Close (25ft + 5 ft/2 levels)Target: One object of up to 10 cu.ft/levelDuration: 1 minute/level or until dischargedSaving Throw: Will negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Take note of the object’s hit points when Renew is cast. Once anobject has Renew cast upon it, it will heal damage done to it, upto a maximum of the object’s hit points at the time when Renewwas cast, at a rate of 1 hit point per round. This spell does notrestore any magical abilities to an object that lost them before thespell was cast, and it does not repair an already broken object. Ifthe object is in multiple pieces before Renew is cast, only onepiece is the target of Renew, and it will only heal damage toreturn it to its state at the beginning of the casting of Renew.This spell is primarily useful in protecting an object that is aboutto be used in a brutal environment. Ropes to be used over fire,stilts to be used to cross acid pools, or swords to be wielded in awar might all be good targets of Renew. The arcane materialfocus for this spell is a scrap of troll hide.

Resonate

Evocation [Sonic]Level: Brd 3, Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4Components: V, S, M or DFCasting Time: 1 action

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Range: TouchTarget: One solid object touched.Duration: Concentration (up to 1 round per level)Saving Throw: Will negates (object)Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

Resonate channels a gradually building thrumming sonic wavethrough the touched object. The sonic wave increases in volumeand pitch as long as the caster can concentrate, until the objecttouched crumbles under the sonic onslaught. Resonate candestroy an object of up to 10 pounds per level of the caster in asingle round. For every round that resonate is maintained afterthe first, that amount is doubled. Thus, a 7th level wizard maydestroy an up to 70 pound object in the first round, or he maymaintain resonate, and each round double the weight of theobject he can destroy. If he maintains it for 3 rounds, for exam-ple, he may destroy a 280 pound object: 1st round is 70 pounds,2nd round is 140 pounds, 3rd round is 280 pounds. A 7th levelcaster who maintains this spell for the full 7 rounds may destroyan object up to 4480 pounds in weight! Resonate only works ona single solid object, regardless of the total amount of weight acaster can destroy, so if resonate is targeted at the cornerstone ina castle wall, it will only destroy that stone, rather than a wholewall. Strategic use of this spell can still be very effective. Theobject destroyed is reduced to dust. The arcane material focusfor this spell is a horn instrument.

Spell Bind

UniversalLevel: Sor/Wiz 5Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 10 roundsRange: TouchTarget: One solid touched objectDuration: 1 year and 1 daySaving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)

Spell Bind allows you to empower an object with magic itemenchantments for a long-term but temporary period of time.Spell Binding is a limited form of the process that empowers atrue magic item, and in order to spell bind an item, the castermust possess the appropriate caster level, item creation feat, andprerequisites necessary to craft the actual item. In order to castthe spell, the item to be empowered by the spell binding isbrought together with a brass ring (which is the arcane materialcomponent), and all prerequisite spells must be cast upon theitem, followed by the spell bind spell. While casting the spellbind spell a brass ring must be pressed against the item, and ifthe spell is not resisted, the ring will pass through the item harm-lessly upon completion of the spell. Once bound, the item willpossess the magic item enchantments bound to it, but only forthe period of a year and a day. During that time, the brass ringwill begin to corrode, and the extent of the corrosion indicatesthe amount of time left that the spell is bound to the object.

An object that is spell-bound is not a true magical weapon. Ittakes damage as a normal weapon, unless the enchantment on itwould prevent the damage (such as an Impervious Enchantment,or a Resistance Enchantment). If a dispel magic spell targets aspell bound object and overcomes the object’s resistance, thespell binding is permanently dispelled, removing any enchant-ments temporarily laid on the item, and rendering it mundane.The ring bound to the item during spell binding will fall off,should the object become dispelled. Lastly, an object with trueenchantments or an object with spells already bound to it cannotbe further enhanced by a spell binding. The already existentenchantments will need to be dispelled or removed before theitem can be the subject of a spell binding.

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Materials

What happens when you miss? 292Creating a Strike Table: 292Item Damage 293Deterioration 293Durability, Strike a Weapon, and the Break DC 294How to calculate the Break DC 294

Material Properties 294Bone and Teeth 294Cord 295Dragon Hide, Scale, and Tooth 295Fabric 296Gemstone 296Glass 297Ice 297

Leather 297Metal (Adamantine) 298Metal (Copper, Bronze, Iron) 299Metal (Gold or Silver) 299Metal (Mithril) 300Stone 301Wood 301

Maintenance and Repair 302How to Generate Stats for Items: 302

Weapon Statistics 302Armor Statistics 302Table 9-1: Weight 302Table 9-2: Hit Points 303Table 9-3: Hardness 303

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Throughout From Stone to Steel each weapon has been givenstatistics describing its durability and material composition.

As well, you have read about ways to damage items, and itemsthat have particular vulnerabilities. As with every new rule set inthis work, the Durability system is an optional rule set, but onewhich guided much of the philosophy of this work. All itemsdegrade. Armor will rust, molder, or warp. Weapons will notch,bend, and skew. Bows will crack, and their strings will fray.Arrows and daggers snap. Shields will rot or split. Often thesethings happen by virtue of the materials they are constructedfrom. In the Materials segment you will find a number of realand fantasy materials, and their properties. Those properties canallow you to more realistically track item hit point loss for suchthings as rust, rot, heat damage, and so on.

A bronze sword does not do less damage than a steel sword sim-ply because its material is more pliable. It does not hit less often,either. A bronze sword, instead, is more likely to blunt throughregular use, and eventually it will loose its effectiveness as a cut-ting implement. This is because the hardness of a bronze item islower than that of a steel item. In the current d20 system Hard-ness only usually comes up when someone is attempting tobreak down a door, or snap a sword. But in real combat,weapons, armor, and shields are put under constant stress. Theydegrade. They fall apart merely from use. The Durability systemis a way to track that gradual decay, and to add some realism toyour fantasy game. If you do opt to use the durability system, itis suggested that a second d20 is rolled with every strike roll.This d20 is called the effect die, and is used to determine what astrike really does when it misses. If a strike hits and is in the crit-ical range, the effect die can double as the critical check die.

What happens when you miss?

Melee is not made of up of two men alternating swordstrokes until one man collapses from his injuries. Melee

may be frantic or deliberate, chaotic or brutally efficient, but itinvolves opposing forces seeking to bring each other down. Peo-ple in combat do not miss each other half of the time. But thecurrent strike system suggests that this is the case, since any rollfrom 1-10 is likely to miss the average character.

Missing happens quite rarely in real melee combat. Usuallymelee combatants strike something when they attack each other.Often the first thing they strike is the shield or weapon of anopponent. These are the first things in the way of an attack, andthe trained combatant knows how to use weapon and shield todefend themselves. If the defenses of weapon and shield arebypassed, the next most likely thing one strikes is the armor.Armor is designed to diffuse the force of a blow, and impede itso as to protect the wearer. In order to determine what a meleeattack really hits when a character misses, a strike table needs tobe established. The strike table uses the effect die to determinewhere an attack strikes.

Creating a Strike Table:On the roll of the effect die (the extra d20 mentioned above), thenumbers 1 and 2 will always indicate a true miss. This is when aweapon strikes nothing, which is actually a somewhat rare event.

If a character has a positive dexterity bonus after their armor lim-itations, that bonus becomes the next few numbers, and they, too,indicate a miss. This kind of miss occurs because an agile oppo-nent has avoided your strike. If constructing a strike table for acharacter with a +2 dexterity bonus wearing scale mail (maxdexterity bonus of +3) their full bonus would be available andthe numbers 3 and 4 and four would indicate misses. If a charac-ter had a +5 dexterity bonus, but was wearing a chainmail shirt(maximum dexterity bonus of 4), the character would only beable to use 4 points of their dexterity bonus, so the numbers 3-6would indicate misses. If a character has a negative dexteritybonus, no penalty is applied on the strike table, but no extra missspaces are added.

The armor worn comes next. Armor strikes indicate that thearmor itself has been struck. Strikes to armor may damage thatarmor (see item damage, below), but only in very rare cases doarmor strikes result in injury to the wearer. In the above example,the scale mail wearer would allot numbers 5-8 for armor, sincescale mail confers a +4 armor bonus. The chainmail wearerabove would allot numbers 7-10 to armor (since chainmail con-fers a +4 armor bonus).

The rest of the numbers on the strike chart are divided betweenthe shield and the weapon, with the shield being struck on evennumbers and the weapon being struck on odd numbers. If a char-acter does not use a shield, but uses a secondary weapon, thenthe secondary weapon is struck on even numbers. If the charac-ter only wields a weapon, for example, a two-handed sword,then obviously only the weapon is struck after armor. In the rarecase of a combatant only using a shield, then the shield is theonly thing struck after armor. Again, strikes against shield orweapon may damage said item (see item damage, below), butonly rarely results in an injury to the wearer.

Let's look at a strike chart: If our above scale mail wearer werecarrying a small shield and wielding a dagger, their strike chartwould look like the following.

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As you can see, the odds favor the dagger or shield being struckmost often, and there is an equal chance of a strike hitting thearmor or missing.

A physical chart like the one above isn't necessary to figuring outwhat is struck. Simply use the following guidelines to keepquick track of the strike chart:

• 1 and 2 are always misses• Next add the modified dexterity bonus• Next add the armor bonus• All the rest strike shield (or secondary weapon) on even,

weapon on odd, or single item if only one item is carried.

Ranged combat has a slightly simpler strike chart. Thrown orshot missiles are more likely to completely miss. As well, it isextremely difficult to deflect a shot with a weapon in hand. Togenerate a strike chart for ranged combat, use the followingguidelines:

• 1-10 are always misses• All the rest strike either shield on even or armor on odd. If

there is no shield, then all the rest strike armor.

The ranged strike chart for the scale mail wearer above wouldlook like this:

1 True Miss2 True Miss3 Miss4 Miss5 Scale mail6 Scale mail7 Scale mail8 Scale mail9 Dagger10 Small Shield11 Dagger12 Small Shield13 Dagger14 Small Shield15 Dagger16 Small Shield17 Dagger18 Small Shield19 Dagger20 Small Shield

Item DamageTo determine if an item is damaged, simply roll the weapondamage, and then apply that damage to the hardness of the itemit struck. If there is any damage left over, that damage is appliedto the item's hit points. For most steel items, damage is likely tobe minimal, but for older or more fragile materials, damage maynot be infrequent.

But damage also occurs to weapons that strike as well. The samerolled damage should be applied to the striking weapon's hard-ness, and excess points should be subtracted from the weapon'shit points. A man with a bronze sword striking at a man in steelplatemail will notice his sword blunting quickly, while theplatemail will likely still look very solid.

DeteriorationEvery time an item takes 25% of its hit points in damage, it dete-riorates. In the materials section (below), roll on the appropriatedeterioration chart (there are 2-3 for every material) to determinehow the weapon has degraded. Items that have deteriorated loosetheir effectiveness, until they are repaired. This process willoccur again at 50% of hit points and 75% of hit points. When allhit points are lost, an item is considered broken. Refer to thebreakage description to see if anything special occurs. Items thatare broken can usually be repaired (see the materials descriptionto see if repairing or replacing is suggested). If someone wishesto use a broken melee or thrown item, its damage is halvedbefore applying the 3 deterioration penalties it has accrued.Damage cannot be reduced below 1, and range increments can-not be negative. Missile weapons like bows or ammunition can-not be used if broken.

If an item has less than 4 total hit points, every point of damagerequires a deterioration roll. As well, if an item receives enough

1 True Miss2 True Miss3 True Miss4 True Miss5 True Miss6 True Miss7 True Miss8 True Miss9 True10 True11 Scale mail12 Small Shield13 Scale mail14 Small Shield15 Scale mail16 Small Shield17 Scale mail18 Small Shield19 Scale mail20 Small Shield

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damage to require multiple deterioration rolls, each roll must bemade.

Durability, Strike a Weapon, and the Break DCThe Durability system requires a minor alteration of the rules forstriking a weapon, as given in the Player's Handbook. The nor-mal striking of a weapon is very common in combat, and isn'trestricted to slashing weapons only. Under the durability system,any weapon may attempt to strike a weapon or shield, regardlessof comparative size. Such an attack does not provoke an attackof opportunity because you need not drop your defense to attacka defending weapon or shield: the weapon or shield is being putin the way of any oncoming attack. In order to land such anattack, you and the defender must make opposed strike rolls, andif you succeed, roll damage and apply it to both your weaponand your opponent's weapon or shield as listed above.

One may also attempt to strike to break. Striking to break is anattempt to outright break an object with a heavy blow, and itrequires you to focus all of your strength and attention on break-ing the weapon or shield you are targeting. Because of your shiftof attention, you do provoke an attack of opportunity for a Striketo Break. Striking to break requires the use of a slashing orbludgeoning weapon. In order to land such an attack, you andthe defender must make opposed strike rolls, and if you succeed,roll damage and apply it to both your weapon and your oppo-nent's weapon or shield as listed above.

In addition, you may now check to see if the attack break's youropponent's weapon. The break attempt is a strength checkagainst the target weapon or shield, using its Break DC as thetarget. Use the following chart to determine any modifiers:

How to calculate the Break DCof a weapon or shieldThe base Break DC of a weapon or shield can be hard to esti-mate. As a rule of thumb, take the item's hardness + half of its hitpoints (rounded up) and add a base of 2 (tiny), 4 (small), 6 (med)or 8 (large). That DC is further modified by the following:

+1/-1 for each size category larger/smaller your weapon is thanthe target weapon or shield

+1/-1 for each point of hardness your weapon has above/belowthe target weapon or shield

+1 for each level of deterioration already suffered by the targetweapon or shield

To determine shield size a buckler is considered small, a smallshield is medium sized, a large shield is large, and a tower shieldis considered huge. Once all modifiers have been determined,roll to determine whether or not the item breaks.

A success means that the target item is broken (its hit points havebeen reduced to zero). A defender may elect to drop the weaponor shield that is struck, rather than allow it to break. In order to

do so, they must make a reflex save vs. a DC of 10 + your baseattack bonus. If they succeed, they may drop the weapon orshield (which provokes an attack of opportunity), but theweapon or shield will not be broken. If they fail, they are unableto react swiftly enough to prevent the breaking of the weapon orshield.

If either weapon is broken through normal damage before abreak check, no break check is made.

Material PropertiesEach material listed below has unique properties that extend toany item made of that material. Whether a bone comes from aleopard or a mammoth, it shares certain properties when used inarmor or weapons. Stone, from flint to granite, can have similarproperties as well. The entries below indicate general propertiesthat each material group shares and the various effects of dam-age on them as they degrade or deteriorate (see appendix). Notethat some items or special materials have additional properties,which were noted in their chapter entries.In a Fantasy Setting, one isn’t restricted to historical materials.Items of gold, silver, mithril, or adamantine are all possible,and have thus been included.

Bone and Teeth

WeaknessesBone is particularly susceptible to extreme heat or cold, andtakes 2 times the normal damage from heat or cold based attacks.Bone is prone to fractures, and so does not hold an edge well.Slashing weapons made of bone have half the standard hardness.The primary exception to this is items made with teeth, whichare particularly resilient, and so do not have this limitation. Suchitems will have this noted in their special information.

Effects of damageBone chips or cracks when damaged. When a bone meleeweapon deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the following chart:

When a bone missile deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the fol-lowing chart:

When bone armor deteriorates, reduce the Armor Bonus by 1

BreakageBone tends to snap when it breaks, although extreme blowsmay cause splintering. If a bone item takes 5 more points ofdamage than needed to reduce its hit points to zero, it shattersinto splinters.

1–2 -1 to hit3–4 -1 damage5–6 -5ft range increment

1–5 -1 damage6 -1 to hit

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RepairDamaged wholly bone weapons cannot be repaired and must bereplaced. If a weapon contains bone, among other materials, thebone portions must be completely replaced as part of the repairprocess. Wholly bone armor does not require complete replace-ment, but instead requires replacement of only damaged por-tions.

Cord

WeaknessesCord is flammable, and should be considered to have half itshardness versus fire attacks. If it is damaged by a fire, (byexceeding the hardness of the item) it will catch on fire. Such anitem will take another 1d6 damage (ignoring the hardness) eachturn until the character can put the fire out. The character mayalso catch on fire, as per the rules in the DMG. Spells, or spe-cific treatments mentioned in the text may increase the corditem’s resistance to catching on fire.

Cord may begin to rot if it is not appropriately dried after sub-mersion or soaking. If an item is submersed, soaked, or other-wise immersed in water for at least 15 minutes, there is a 15%chance the cord will begin to rot. If rotting cord is not dried cor-rectly, it will take 1 point of damage a week, from both the cur-rent and maximum hit points. Rotting causes the item topermanently grow weaker. Correctly coating a cord item with oilor wax will reduce this risk to 1%, and will require reapplicationafter submersion or 1 month, whichever comes first.

Effects of damageCord frays when damaged. When a corded missile deteriorates,roll 1d6 and consult the following chart:

When corded armor deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the follow-ing chart:

BreakageCord splits when broken. There is no adverse effect of cordbreakage.

RepairDamaged cord items are best replaced, rather than repaired.Good maintenance can restore 1–2 hit points of damage for acorded item, but no more. If a weapon contains cord, amongother materials, the cord portions must be completely replaced aspart of the repair process. Armor made from cord does notrequire complete replacement, but instead requires replacementon only damaged portions.

1–4 -1 Armor Bonus 5 -1 Maximum Dexterity Bonus 6 +1 Armor Check Penalty


Dragon Hide, Scale, and ToothNo creature in fantasy literature has so many items worked fromit as the Dragon has. Dragon Hide may be used to create armorsor weapons that normally require leather. Dragon scale can beused to make plated items. Dragon teeth may serve as arrow-heads, spearheads, or blades for swords or knives. From time totime the nature of the dragon who contributed the material hasan effect on the way the item functions.

PropertiesDragon is highly flammable, and should be considered to havehalf hardness versus fire attacks, unless the dragon it came fromwas immune to heat damage. If it is not immune, and damagedby a fire, (by exceeding the hardness of the item) it will catch onfire. Such an item will take another 1d6 hit points of damage(ignoring the hardness) each turn until the character can put thefire out. The character may also catch on fire, as per the rules inthe DMG. Spells may increase the Dragon Hide item’s resistanceto catching on fire.

Dragon Hide from a dragon not native to marsh or aquaticregions, or from a dragon who does not possess water breathingmay begin to rot if it is not appropriately dried after submersionor soaking. If an item is submersed, soaked, or otherwiseimmersed in water for at least 15 minutes, there is a 15% chancethe Dragon Hide will begin to rot. If rotting dragon hide is notdried and treated properly, it will take 1 point of damage a week,starting the first weak after contracting rot. Rotting causes theitem to permanently grow weaker. Correctly coating a dragonhide item with oil will reduce this risk to 1%, and will requirereapplication after submersion or 1 month, whichever comesfirst.

Dragon teeth are particularly susceptible to extreme heat or cold,unless the dragon they came from is immune to heat or cold-based damage. Non-immune teeth take 2 times the damage fromheat or cold-based attacks.

Items made from dragon hide, scales, or teeth are immune to anytype of attack the original dragon had immunity to. This immu-nity is not conferred to the wearer. Items made from a dragonthat had a subtype such as cold or fire also possess that subtype.

Effects of damageHide cracks, splits, or frays when damaged. Scale and Teethcrack or chip when damaged. When a dragon-material meleeweapon deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the following chart:

When a dragon-material missile deteriorates, roll 1d6 and con-sult the following chart:


1–3 -1 damage4–6 -1 to hit

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When dragon-material armor deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consultthe following chart:

BreakageHide tends to tear when it breaks. Scale and Teeth tend to snap orshatter. Extreme blows may cause Dragon Tooth items to splin-ter. If a Dragon Tooth item takes 5 more points of damage thanneeded to reduce its hit points to zero, it shatters into splinters.

RepairDamaged Hide items are best repaired, but scale and tooth itemsneed to be replaced when broken. Good maintenance can restore1–3 hit points of damage for a hide item, but no more. If aweapon contains scale or tooth, among other materials, the scaleor tooth portions must be completely replaced as part of therepair process. Armor made from multiple scales does notrequire complete replacement, but instead requires replacementon only damaged portions.

Fabric

WeaknessesFabric is highly flammable, and should be considered to havehalf hardness versus fire or heat attacks. If it is damaged by afire or heat, (by exceeding the hardness of the item) it will catchon fire. Such an item will take another 1d6 hit points (ignoringthe hardness) each turn until the character can put the fire out.The character may also catch on fire, as per the DMG. Spells, orspecific treatments mentioned in the text may increase the fabricitem’s resistance to catching on fire.

Fabric may begin to rot if it is not appropriately dried after sub-mersion or soaking. If an item is submersed, soaked, or other-wise immersed in water for at least 15 minutes, there is a 15%chance the fabric will begin to rot. If rotting fabric is not driedand treated properly, it will take 1 point of hit points a week,starting the first weak after contracting rot. Rotting causes theitem to permanently grow weaker. Correctly coating a fabricitem with oil will reduce this risk to 1%, and will require reappli-cation after submersion or 1 month, whichever comes first.

Effects of damageFabric tears when damaged. When fabric armor deteriorates,reduce the Armor Bonus by 1

BreakageFabric tears completely when broken. There is no adverse effectof fabric breakage.

RepairDamaged fabric items are usually best repaired, rather thanreplaced. Armor made from a fabric can be sewn or patched.

1–2 -1 Armor Bonus3–4 -1 Maximum Dexterity Bonus5–6 +1 Armor Check Penalty

GemstoneBesides use as a display of wealth, gemstone items may be desir-able as a cultural status symbol or, in the case of diamond, forspecific material density. Historically, gemstone items wererarely made, but in a fantasy world it’s possible one might findgemstones of sufficient size to craft large items. Perhaps in a fan-tasy world a specific type of gemstone may be related to a spe-cific kind of enchantment, which might necessitate its use in aweapon or suit of armor.

PropertiesGemstones retain heat. A gemstone item heated in flames willinflict an extra +1 of heat damage. This effect lasts 1 round forevery 3 minutes of exposure in flame. After a gemstone has beenexposed to flames for 1 hour, it has reached its greatest retentionof damage, so the maximum time a gemstone item can retain thiskind of heat for is 20 rounds, or 2 minutes. A gemstone objectthat is struck by intense heat from an attack will similarly do 1d6damage to whatever touches it in the round it is struck, and in thenext round.

Effects of damageGemstones flake or crack when damaged. When a gemstonemelee weapon deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the followingchart:

When a gemstone missile deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult thefollowing chart:

When gemstone armor deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the fol-lowing chart:

BreakageGemstone tends to snap or shatter when broken. If a gemstoneitem takes 5 more points of damage than needed to reduce its hitpoints to zero, it shatters into shards.

RepairDamaged wholly gemstone weapons cannot be repaired andmust be replaced. If a weapon contains gemstones as a majormaterial portion, among other materials, the gemstone portionsmust be completely replaced as part of the repair process.

1–3 -1 Armor Bonus4–5 -1 Maximum Dexterity Bonus6 +1 Armor Check Penalty



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Wholly gemstone armor does not require complete replacement,but instead requires replacement on only damaged portions.

GlassItems crafted of glass are fragile, but may be preferable for cer-tain special uses. Glass items are perfect for carrying poison oracid, as they are not susceptible to this damage. Glass daggers,glass darts, and glass arrowheads might well be desirable inadvanced and complex societies

PropertiesGlass is particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures, andtake 2 times the damage from heat-based and cold-based attacks.In addition, if a glass item takes damage from heat, its hardnessis halved for 1 minute per point of heat damage it takes. Glasstakes no damage from poison or acid attacks.

Effects of damageGlass cracks or splinters when damaged. When a glass meleeweapon deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the following chart:

When a glass missile deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the fol-lowing chart:

Should you wish to employ glass armor, it deteriorates, roll 1d6and consult the following chart:

BreakageGlass tends to snap or, in extreme cases, shatter. If an glass itemtakes 5 more points of damage than needed to reduce its hitpoints to zero, it shatters into shards.

RepairDamaged glass weapons are best replaced, rather than repaired.If a weapon contains glass, among other materials, the glass por-tions must be completely replaced as part of the repair process.Armor made from a single piece of glass, such as a helmet, willrequire full replacement to completely repair, but items madefrom multiple pieces of glass only require damaged portions tobe replaced.

1–3 -1 Armor Bonus4–5 -1 Maximum Dexterity Bonus6 +1 Armor Check Penalty

1 -1 Armor Bonus2–5 -1 Maximum Dexterity Bonus6 +1 Armor Check Penalty


IceItems crafted of ice are fragile and heat sensitive, but may allowresource poor ice-bound tribes to produce slashing and piercingweapons.

PropertiesIn temperatures above freezing, ice will melt, taking one point ofdamage per round until the temperature drops to below freezing.Ice in contact with skin will melt as above, due to body heat. Iceis particularly susceptible to extreme heat, and take 2 times thedamage from heat-based attacks. Ice takes no damage from cold-based attacks.

Effects of damageIce cracks when damaged. When an ice melee weapon deterio-rates, roll 1d6 and consult the following chart:

When an ice missile deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the fol-lowing chart:

When ice armor deteriorates, reduce the Armor Bonus by 1

BreakageIce tends to snap when it breaks, although extreme blows maycause splintering. If an ice item takes 5 more points of damagethan needed to reduce its hit points to zero, it shatters intosplinters.

RepairDamaged wholly ice weapons cannot be repaired and must bereplaced. If a weapon contains ice, among other materials, theice portions must be completely replaced as part of the repairprocess. Armor made from a single piece of ice, such as a helmetor breastplate, will require full replacement to completely repair,but items made from multiple pieces of ice only require dam-aged portions to be replaced.

Leather

WeaknessesLeather is highly flammable, and should be considered to havehalf hardness versus fire attacks. If it is damaged by a fire, (byexceeding the hardness of the item) it will catch on fire. Such anitem will take another 1d6 hit points (ignoring the hardness) eachturn until the character can put the fire out. The character mayalso catch on fire, as per the DMG. Spells, or specific treatmentsmentioned in the text may increase the leather item’s resistanceto catching on fire.

1 -1 to hit2–4 -1 damage5–6 -5ft range increment


297


Leather may begin to rot if it is not appropriately dried after sub-mersion or soaking. If an item is submersed, soaked, or other-wise immersed in water for at least 15 minutes, there is a 15%chance the leather will begin to rot. If rotting leather is not driedand treated properly, it will take 1 point of hit points a week,starting the first weak after contracting rot. Rotting causes theitem to permanently grow weaker. Correctly coating a leatheritem with oil will reduce this risk to 1%, and will require reappli-cation after submersion or 1 month, whichever comes first.

Effects of damageLeather cracks or is cut when damaged. When a leather meleeweapon deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the following chart:

When leather armor deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the follow-ing chart:

BreakageLeather splits when broken. Usually portions of the armor fall tothe ground.

RepairDamaged leather items are best replaced, rather than repaired.Good maintenance can restore 1–3 hit points of damage for aleather item, but no more. If a weapon contains leather, amongother materials, the leather portions must be completely replacedas part of the repair process. Armor made from a leather can besewn or patched.

Metal (Adamantine)Appearing as steel (although sometimes with a white or greenluster), adamantine is an extremely rare, hard metal found in cer-tain fantasy worlds. Items made of adamantine are consideredmasterwork but gain a +2 enhancement bonus for attack rolls,rather than the usual +1 for masterwork items (this bonus doesnot stack with enchantments).

PropertiesAdamantine retains heat. An adamantine item heated in a normalfire will inflict an extra +1 of heat damage. This effect lasts 1round for every 20 rounds of exposure in flame. After anadamantine item has been exposed to flames for 1 hour, it hasreached its greatest retention of damage, so the maximum time aadamantine item can retain this kind of heat for is 120 rounds, or10 minutes. An adamantine object that is struck by intense heatfrom an attack will similarly do +1 damage to whatever touchesit in the round it is struck, and in the next two rounds. Note that

1–5 -1 Armor Bonus6 +1 Armor Check Penalty


the wielder must wear a protective glove or automatically sufferthe heat damage himself.

Adamantine is conductive, although not as conductive as othermetals. The AC bonus of adamantine armor should be halvedversus electrical attacks that require an attack roll (such as anelectrically charged weapon). If a shield is also adamantine, it,too, will add only half the AC bonus (rounded up) when rollingto hit directly. However, direct strikes against adamantine shieldsor armor with electricity will do only ½ times the usual damage,but will ignore the materials hardness and also do direct damageto the victim.

Effects of damageAdamantine dents and warps when damaged. When an adaman-tine melee weapon deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the follow-ing chart:

When an adamantine missile deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consultthe following chart:

When adamantine armor deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult thefollowing chart:

BreakageAdamantine snaps, rends, or staves when broken. If adamantinearmor takes more than three points of damage than what isneeded to reduce its hit points to zero, it staves or rends. This canbe quite dangerous. The excess damage is applied to the victimthat turn, and every turn afterwards the character receives oneless point of damage, until the armor is removed or the damagefalls to zero. Clerical spells or other healing will only heal dam-age done, but after the healing spell is cast, the wound willreopen, due to the adamantine still in their flesh, and this damageprogression will begin again.

It is suggested that a character remove staved or rended armorimmediately, preferably with the help of others, as per the sec-tion of the Player’s Handbook, Getting Into and Out of Armor,and Table 7-6. Any plated armor also has leather buckles that canbe cut to reduce removal time by half, but destroy the usabilityof the armor.

RepairDamaged adamantine items are usually best repaired, rather thanreplaced. Good maintenance can restore 1-6 hit points of damage




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for an adamantine item, but no more. If a weapon containsadamantine, among other materials, the other portions must becompletely replaced as part of the repair process. Brokenadamantine items can be repaired, sometimes to full ability.Adamantine armor whose leather straps have been cut willrequire the straps to be replaced.

Metal (Copper, Bronze, Iron)

WeaknessesMetal retains heat. A metal item heated in a normal fire willinflict an extra +1 of heat damage. This effect lasts 1 round forevery 10 rounds of exposure in flame. After a metal item hasbeen exposed to flames for 1 hour, it has reached its greatestretention of damage, so the maximum time a metal item canretain this kind of heat for is 60 rounds, or 5 minutes. A metalobject that is struck by intense heat from an attack will similarlydo +1 damage to whatever touches it in the round it is struck,and in the next two rounds. Note that the wielder must wear aprotective glove or automatically suffer the heat damage himself.

Metal is highly conductive. It’s AC bonus should be ignoredversus electrical attacks that require a to hit roll (such as an elec-trically charged weapon). If a shield is also metal, it, too, willnot add to the AC when rolling to hit directly. Strikes againstmetal shield or armor with electricity will only do half the nor-mal damage, but will ignore hardness and also do direct damageto the victim.

Effects of damageMetal dents, cracks, warps, or splits when damaged. When ametal melee weapon deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the fol-lowing chart:

When a metal missile deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the fol-lowing chart:

When metal armor deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the follow-ing cha rt:

BreakageMetal snaps, rends, or staves when broken. If metal armor takesmore damage than needed to reduce its hit points to zero, itstaves or rends. This can be quite dangerous. The excess dam-age is applied to the victim that turn, and every turn afterwardsthe character receives the same damage less one, until the armor




is removed or the damage falls to zero. Clerical spells or otherhealing will only heal damage done, but after the healing spell iscast, the wound will reopen, due to the metal still in their flesh,and this damage progression will begin again.

It is suggested that a character remove staved or rended armorimmediately, preferably with the help of others, as per the sec-tion of the Player’s Handbook, Getting Into and Out of Armor,and Table 7-6. Any plated armor also has leather buckles, whichcan be cut to reduce removal time by half, but destroy the usabil-ity of the armor.

RepairDamaged metal items are usually best repaired, rather thanreplaced. Good maintenance can restore 1-6 hit points of damagefor a metal item, but no more. If a weapon contains metal,among other materials, the other portions must be completelyreplaced as part of the repair process. Broken Metal Items can berepaired, sometimes to full ability. Metal Armor whose leatherstraps have been cut will require the straps to be replaced.

Metal (Gold or Silver)Noble metals like gold or silver may be popular to display thewealth of the wearer. Gold is immune to acid, while Silver isoften useful against specific creatures.

PropertiesGold and silver retain heat. A gold or silver item heated in a nor-mal fire will inflict an extra +1 of heat damage. This effect lasts1 round for every 10 rounds of exposure in flame. After a gold orsilver item has been exposed to flames for 1 hour, it has reachedits greatest retention of damage, so the maximum time a gold orsilver item can retain this kind of heat for is 60 rounds, or 5 min-utes. A gold or silver object that is struck by intense heat from anattack will similarly do +1 damage to whatever touches it in theround it is struck, and in the next two rounds.

Gold or silver is highly conductive. It’s AC should be ignoredversus electrical attacks that require a to hit roll (such as an elec-trically charged weapon). If a shield is also gold or silver, it, too,will not add to the AC when rolling to hit directly. Strikes againstmetal shield or armor with electricity will only do half the nor-mal damage, but will ignore hardness and also do direct damageto the victim.

Gold takes no damage from acid.

Effects of damageGold or silver dents, cracks, warps, or splits when damaged.When a gold or silver melee weapon deteriorates, roll 1d6 andconsult the following chart:

When a gold or silver missile deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consultthe following chart:


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When gold or silver armor deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult thefollowing chart:

BreakageGold or silver snaps, rends, or staves when broken. If gold or sil-ver armor takes more damage than needed to reduce its hit pointsto zero, it staves or rends. This can be quite dangerous. Theexcess damage is applied to the victim that turn, and every turnafterwards the character receives one less point of damage, untilthe armor is removed or the damage falls to zero. Clerical spellsor other healing will only heal damage done, but after the heal-ing spell is cast, the wound will reopen, due to the gold or silverstill in their flesh, and this damage progression will begin again.

It is suggested that a character remove staved or rended armorimmediately, preferably with the help of others, as per the sec-tion of the Player’s Handbook, Getting Into and Out of Armor,and Table 7-6. Any plated armor also has leather buckles whichcan be cut to reduce removal time by half, but destroy the usabil-ity of the armor.

RepairDamaged gold and silver items are usually best repaired, ratherthan replaced. Good maintenance can restore 1-6 hit points ofdamage for a gold and silver item, but no more. If a weapon con-tains gold and silver, among other materials, the other portionsmust be completely replaced as part of the repair process.

Broken gold or silver items can be repaired, sometimes to fullability. Gold or silver armor whose leather straps have been cutwill require the straps to be replaced.

Metal (Mithril)Mithril is a silver-blue iron-like material found in certain fantasysettings. Light, durable, and easier to maneuver in, Mithril itemsare rare and treasured. Creation and repair time for mithril itemsis treated as if the item were masterwork, but the masterworkenhancement bonus or armor check penalty bonus is not appliedto mithril items.

PropertiesMithril retains heat. A Mithril item heated in a normal fire willinflict an extra +1 of heat damage. This effect lasts 1 round forevery 20 rounds of exposure in flame. After a mithril item has

1 -1 to hit2–3 -1 damage4–6 -5ft range increment


been exposed to flames for 1 hour, it has reached its greatestretention of damage, so the maximum time a mithril item canretain this kind of heat for is 120 rounds, or 10 minutes. A mithrilobject that is struck by intense heat from an attack will similarlydo +1 damage to whatever touches it in the round it is struck,and in the next two rounds.

Mithril is conductive, although not as conductive as other metals.It’s AC bonus should be halved versus electrical attacks that requirean attack roll (such as an electrically charged weapon). If a shield isalso mithril, it, too, will add only half the AC bonus (rounded up)when rolling to hit directly. Strikes against a mithril shield or armorwith electricity will only do half the normal damage, but willignore hardness and also do direct damage to the victim.

Effects of damageMithril dents and warps when damaged. When a mithril meleeweapon deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the following chart:

When a mithril missile deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the fol-lowing chart:

When mithril armor deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the follow-ing chart:

BreakageMithril snaps, rends, or staves when broken. If mithril armormore that three points of damage than needed to reduce its hitpoints to zero, it staves or rends. This can be quite dangerous.The excess damage is applied to the victim that turn, and everyturn afterwards the character receives one less point of damage,until the armor is removed or the damage falls to zero. Clericalspells or other healing will only heal damage done, but after thehealing spell is cast, the wound will reopen, due to the mithrilstill in their flesh, and this damage progression will begin again.

It is suggested that a character remove staved or rended armorimmediately, preferably with the help of others, as per the sec-tion of the Player’s Handbook, Getting Into and Out of Armor,and Table 7-6. Any plated armor also has leather buckles that canbe cut to reduce removal time by half, but destroy the usabilityof the armor.

RepairDamaged mithril items are usually best repaired, rather thanreplaced. Good maintenance can restore 1-6 hit points of damage




300

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for a mithril item, but no more. If a weapon contains mithril,among other materials, the other portions must be completelyreplaced as part of the repair process. Broken mithril items canbe repaired, sometimes to full ability. Mithril armor whoseleather straps have been cut will require the straps to be replaced.

Stone

WeaknessesStone retains heat. A stone item heated in flames will inflict anextra +1 of heat damage. This effect lasts 1 round for every 3minutes of exposure in flame. After a stone has been exposed toflames for 1 hour, it has reached its greatest retention of damage,so the maximum time a stone item can retain this kind of heat foris 20 rounds, or 2 minutes. A stone object that is struck byintense heat from an attack will similarly do one point of heatdamage to whatever touches it in the round it is struck, and in thenext round.

Effects of damageStone flakes or cracks when damaged. When a stone meleeweapon deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the following chart:

When a stone missile deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the fol-lowing chart:

When stone armor deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the follow-ing chart:

BreakageStone tends to snap or shatter when broken. If a stone item takes5 more points of damage than needed to reduce its hit points tozero, it shatters into splinters.

RepairDamaged wholly stone weapons cannot be repaired and must bereplaced. If a weapon contains stone, among other materials, thestone portions must be completely replaced as part of the repairprocess. Wholly stone armor does not require complete replace-ment, but instead requires replacement on only damaged por-tions.

1–3 -1 to hit4–5 -1 damage6 -5ft range increment



Wood

WeaknessesWood is flammable, and if it is damaged by a fire or heat attack,(by exceeding the hardness of the item) it will catch on fire.Such an item will take another 1d6 hit points (ignoring the hard-ness) each turn until the character can put the fire out. The char-acter may also catch on fire, as per the DMG. Spells, or specifictreatments mentioned in the text may increase the wooden item’sresistance to catching on fire.

Wood may begin to rot if it is not appropriately dried after sub-mersion or soaking. If an item is submersed, soaked, or other-wise immersed in water for at least 15 minutes, there is a 15%chance the wood will begin to rot. If rotting wood is not driedcorrectly, it will take 1 point of hit points a week, from both thecurrent and maximum structural rating. Rotting causes the itemto permanently grow weaker. Correctly coating a wooden itemwith oil or wax will reduce this risk to 1%, and will require reap-plication after submersion or 1 month, whichever comes first.

Wood is fibrous, and does not take an edge well. Slashingweapons made of wood have half the listed hardness.

Effects of damageWood cracks, splinters, or warps when damaged.

When a wooden melee weapon deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consultthe following chart:

When a wooden missile deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult thefollowing chart:

When Wooden armor deteriorates, roll 1d6 and consult the fol-lowing chart:

BreakageWood tends to snap or, in very extreme cases, splinter. If awooden item takes 8 more points of damage than needed toreduce its hit points to zero, it shatters into splinters.

RepairDamaged wooden weapons are best replaced, rather thanrepaired. Good maintenance can restore 1–3 hit points of dam-age for a wooden item, but no more. If a weapon contains wood,among other materials, the wood portions must be completelyreplaced as part of the repair process. Armor made from a single

1–3 -1 to hit4–5 -1 damage6 -5ft range increment



301


piece of wood, such as a helmet, will require full replacement tocompletely repair, but items made from multiple pieces of woodonly require damaged portions to be replaced.

Maintenance and RepairIt is assumed that if a character is trained in the use of a weaponor armor, they know the proper methods of maintenance andtreatment. Usually maintenance requires tending to items forabout 5-15 minutes after they’ve been used, although if they areused multiple times a day, this time frame is not increased. Usea day period as a rule of thumb. If an item has been in use dur-ing the day, 5-15 minutes must be spent at the end of the day tomake certain it stays in top form. Using proper maintenance willrestore structure as noted above.

Use the rules in the Players Handbook under the craft skill torepair items. Note that the appropriate skill must be had to workthe appropriate materials and items. A character trained as anarmorer, for example, will know how to fashion metal armors,but will also need training as a tanner to work leather into armor.Primitive materials usually require a special sub-skill, like bonecarving or stone masonry. Several skills may be applicable forrepairing an item: An iron sword may be correctly repaired by ametalsmith, weaponsmith, or blacksmith, but the weaponsmithwould be the best at it, and have all the appropriate tools. When arepair attempt fails, deduct 1–3 hit points permanently. This lossshould not exceed the number of hit points actually beingrepaired. Otherwise, the process may be repeated as often asdesired, following the limitations given in the Player’s Handbook.

How to Generate Stats for

Items:

Weapon StatisticsThe Damage, Critical Range, and Range Increment, and Damagetype for a weapon will not change for any material, except in thefollowing cases:

• Adamantine adds a +2 enchancement bonus on attack rollsfor any weapon.

• Folded steel items are automatically considered masterwork• Pattern welded items, Damascus steel items, and Obsidian

add +1 to damage rolls.

Armor StatisticsThe Armor Bonus, Maximum Dexterity Bonus, Armor CheckPenalty, Arcane Spell Failure, and Speed will not change for anymaterial, except for Mithril. Mithral confers the followingchanges:

• Mithril armors are one category lighter for purposes of move-ment (Heavy moves as Medium, Medium moves as Light.Light has no modification.)

• Arcane Spell Failure is reduced by 10% • Maximum Dexterity Bonus is increased by 2• Armor Check Penalty is reduced by 3

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Table 9-1: WeightThe base weight of an item is its weight in steel. Follow thebelow chart to determine exact weight:

Material Weight ModifierDried Clay -.5 to -2 lbs (small or tiny items are -

.5, all others are -2)Stone No modifier

Obsidian -.5 to -1 lbs (small or tiny items are -.5, all others are -1)

Wood, Soft -.5 to -1 lbs (small or tiny items are -.5, all others are -1)

Wood, Normal No modifierWood, Hard No modifier

Wood, Iron +.5 to +1 lbs (small or tiny items are+.5, all others are +1)

Leather No modifier

Boiled Leather +.5 to +1 lbs (small or tiny items are+.5, all others are +1)

Hide No modifierFabric No modifier

Copper +.5 to +1 lbs (small or tiny items are+.5, all others are +1)

Bronze +.5 to +2 lbs (small or tiny items are+.5, all others are +2)

Iron +.5 to +1 lbs (small or tiny items are+.5, all others are +1)

Lead +.5 to +1 lbs (small or tiny items are+.5, all others are +1)

Early Steel No modifierMiddle Steel No modifierLate Steel No modifierTrue Steel No modifierPattern-Welded Steel No modifierDamascus Steel No modifier

Folded Steel +.5 to +1 lbs (small or tiny items are+.5, all others are +1)

Ice -.5 to -1 lbs (small or tiny items are -.5, all others are -1)

Glass -.5 to -2 lbs (small or tiny items are -.5, all others are -2)

Gold +.5 to +2 lbs (small or tiny items are+.5, all others are +2)

Silver No modifier

Mithril No modifier for armor, weapons arehalf normal weight

Adamantine +.5 to +1 lbs (small or tiny items are+.5, all others are +1)

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Hit PointsTo determine the hit points of an item, multiply the item weightby the following:

The following modifiers may be applied to hardness:

• Items that are structurally weak or top-heavy have their hitpoints modified by -2

• Items that are particularly solid and sturdy have their hitpoints modified by +2

• Damascus Steel items gain +3 hit points for their superiormanufacture

• Boiled Leather items are more brittle than normal, and theirhit points are modified by -2.

• Half hit points are rounded up

Table 9-2: Hit PointsItem Type Multiply

Weight

Normal Melee Weapons, Shields andArmor

X2

Non-gun Missile Weapons and Thrownweapons (but not ammunition)

X3

Guns and Grenades X2Ammunition X1Masterwork Missile Weapons X3.5Masterwork Melee Weapons X3Masterwork Shields or Armor X2.5

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Table 9-1: WeightMaterial Weight ModifierDragon Hide No modifierDragon Scale No modifier

Dragon Tooth -.5 to -1 lbs (small or tiny itemsare -.5, all others are -1)

Diamond

These items are +.5 lbs forsmall or tiny, +2 lbs for allother weapons, and +4 forarmor

Pearl, Shell, Amber These items are half weightOther Gemstones No modifierWeight for barding is determined by multiplying the weight by2 for horse barding or by 3 for elephant barding.

Table 9-3: HardnessThe hardness of an item is based on its primary material (thefirst material it’s made from). Use the following chart to deter-mine hardness:Material HardnessClay 1–2Stone 3–4Obsidian 2Wood, Soft 1–2Wood, Normal 3–4Wood, Hard 5–6Wood, Iron 7Leather 3–4Boiled Leather 4–5Hide 5Fabric (Exception: Jigap [2]) 1Copper 2Bronze 3–5Iron 5–6Early Steel 7Middle Steel, Lead 8Late Steel 9True Steel 10Pattern-Welded Steel 9Damascus Steel 10Folded Steel 11Ice 2Glass 2–3Gold 5Silver 8Mithril 15Adamantine 20Dragon Hide 6Dragon Scale 10Dragon Tooth 10Diamond 16Ruby, Sapphire, Chrysoberyl 8Aquamarine, Emerald, Topaz, Garnet, Tourmaline 7Agate, Amethyst, Bloodstone, Chalcedony, Cit-rine, Jasper, Onyx, Peridot, Tiger's Eye, Quartz 6

Jade, Lapis-Lazuli, Moonstone, Turquoise 5Coral, Fluorite, Malachite, Pearl, Shell 4Amber 2The following modifiers may be applied to hardness:Fire hardening increases the hardness of wood by 1Lacquering increases the hardness of leather by 1Viking-made Pattern Welded Steel hardness is increased by 1Primitive stone arrowheads have a hardness of 1Masterwork items have their hardness increased by 1

Appendix

304

Table 10-1: Weapon Size and Damage 305

Table 10-2: Blunt Force Trauma 305

Weapon Size and Damage 305

Optional Mechanics 305

Alternate Armor System: Armor as Damage Resistance 305

Alt Armor/Damage System: Blunt Force Trauma 305

Converting Range Increments 305

Minimum Strength 306

Alternate Fatigue System 306

Table 10-3: Fatigue 306

Item Crafting and Quality 307

Glossary of Terms 307

Table 10-4: Item Crafting and Quality 307

Bibliography 308

Works Cited 308

Table 10-5: Traditional d20 Weapons. Extended Damage/Size Chart 310


Table 10-5: Traditional d20 Armor. Extended Damage/Size Chart 312


AAppppeennddiixx

Weapon Size and Damage

For an even larger version of a weapon that does 2 or more diceof damage, convert each die to the next larger category. Forinstance, a Large version of a longsword does 2d6 points ofdamage (up from 1d8), and a Huge version of a longsword does2d8 points of damage (increasing each d6 to a d8).

A weapon reduced in size so that it does less than 1 point ofdamage is useless.

Optional MechanicsThe following systems attempt to give more the player and DMmore realism. These systems are completely optional, and somemay not work well with each other.

Alternate Armor System: Armor as Damage ResistanceArmor is not designed to make the wearer harder to hit. Armoris designed to deflect blows and absorb shock. One way to rep-resent this would be to make armor a kind of damage resistance(DR), rather than part of the strike roll. Those who wish to usearmor as DR should use the following guidelines:

• The armor bonus conveyed by a suit of armor becomes thedamage resistance of the armor. Any time the player takesdamage, he reduces the damage by his armor bonus beforeapplying it to his hit points

• Shields grant a true armor bonus, since they do not so muchsoften a blow as prevent it from ever striking the body.Shields still make an attack roll more difficult.

• Misses still process on the Actual Strike chart, but hits toarmor on the Actual Strike chart do not carry through to thewearer (unless the weapon used is a gun).

This change means that characters will be hit much moreoften, although they won’t always take damage. Optionally,the DM may assert that over time a character learns to betterdefend themselves and avoid attacks. They may award aDefense bonus, which makes a character harder to hit, based

on the highest base attack bonus of the character. If a charac-ter has a base attack bonus of +11/+6/+1, then they wouldreceive a +11 Defense bonus. Note that this option stronglyfavors fighter classes.

Alt Armor/Damage System: Blunt Force TraumaThis optional system attempts to reconcile the concept of bluntforce trauma with the current combat system. Blunt forcetrauma is the damage that travels through armor and into thewearer, which causes bruises, disorientation, and sometimesunconsciousness. To use this system, you must also use the rulesfor incidental weapon and armor damage.

Whenever armor is damaged, Blunt Force Trauma can occur.The type of damage indicates how much blunt force traumaoccurs. Apply the following modifier to damage taken by armor:

For every 2 points of damage after the above modifier is fac-tored, blunt force trauma causes 1 point of subdual damage.Obviously, blunt force trauma is best caused by bludgeoningweapons, like staves, clubs, maces, and flails.

Converting Range IncrementsIn real life, bows do not have range increments. A bow is ratedby its pull, and the pull of the bow, combined with the user’sstrength, determine how far an arrow can fly. In order to gener-ate more realistic ranges for bows, you may wish to try an alter-nate ranging system.

The pull of a bow can be determined by subtracting 20 from therange increment. Thus, a bow with a range increment of 70would have a pull of 50 (70 - 20 = 50). Then, in order to deter-mine the true range increment of a bow when wielded by yourcharacter, just multiply your strength bonus by 10, to determinethe additional range due to your strength. A character with astrength bonus of +3 would be able to fire the above bow at arange increment of 80 (+3 strength bonus x 10 = + 30 rangebonus, 50 pull + 30 range bonus = 80 range increment). In thisway a strong bowmen may be able to fire farther than a weakerone.

There is a limit, however, to the amount of strength that can beused with a given bow. The pull of the bow also indicates themaximum amount of range bonus it can be modified by. A bowcan only be modified until the pull is doubled. Thus, if a charac-ter has a +6 strength bonus and wields a 50 pull bow, they willonly have a range increment of 100, and the extra 10 rangebonus points would be lost.

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Table 10-1: Weapon Size and DamageAs a weapon gets larger or smaller, the damage it deals changesaccording to the following progression:

One Size Smaller Original Damage One Size Larger1 1d2 1d3

1d2 1d3 1d41d3 1d4 1d61d4 1d6 1d81d6 1d8 2d61d6 1d10 2d61d8 1d12 2d8

Table 10-2: Blunt Force TraumaIf the damage type was… Then divide by…Bludgeoning 1Slashing 2Piercing 4Round off any fractions as appropriate.


Note that only mighty bows add the strength bonus to the dam-age of a bow. The range bonus does not affect damage in anyway.

Minimum StrengthSome weapons are heavy. Items like the Golden Melons can beintimidating for a weaker character to carry. Should a DM feel itnecessary to prevent weak characters from using heavy weaponsone handed without a penalty, the optional Minimum Strengthmechanics may be used.

To determine the minimum strength needed for a medium sizedcreature to wield a medium-size or smaller weapon one handedwithout penalty, refer to the Carrying Capacity table in thePlayer’s Handbook. Look at the Light Load level for the crea-ture in question. A creature may use any weapon that is ¼ oftheir Light Load carrying weight (rounding down) withoutpenalty. For every pound over that ¼ of their Light Load carry-ing weight a wielded weapon is, a –1 to hit should be applied.For example, a creature with 10 strength, has a limit of 8 pounds(light load = 33 lbs. 33/4 = 8.25, rounded to 8). Thus, a strength10 creature can wield most traditional d20 medium-sizeweapons, but the heavy mace, heavy lance, bastard sword, ordwarven waraxe might cause trouble. A medium-sized creaturemay wield a medium-size or smaller weapon two handed with-out penalty, gaining the strength bonus benefit for wielding aone-handed weapon two-handed.

Small size creatures may wield a small or tiny size weapon onehanded without penalty if is it ¼ of their Light Load carryingweight (rounding down). Note that the heaviest small weapon inthe traditional d20 list is the light mace, at 6 pounds, so smallcreatures with a strength of at least 8 needn’t worry about thismuch. Again a small size creature may wield a small or tiny sizeweapon two handed without penalty, gaining the strength bonusbenefit for wielding a one-handed weapon two-handed.

Greater sized creatures may use this same method to determinewhich weapons they can and cannot use one-handed withoutpenalty, but such creatures are rarely lacking in strength.

Alternate Fatigue SystemFatigue occurs when one over-exerts oneself. As people fight,run, jump, and otherwise subject themselves to extreme experi-ences, they are bound to become tired, and, therefore, less men-tally acute. This alternate fatigue system may be used toencourage characters who expect to exert themselves to travellight and plan for rest. For the purpose of this alternate system,consider the fatigued condition to be separate from the fatiguecounter. This alternate system also requires paying attention to acharacter’s encumbrance.

When a character is active, they are bound to gain fatigue. Referto the following chart to determine how much time an activitymay be sustained before a character gains 1 point of fatigue:

306

Fatigue points gained are incremental, and each point is a –1penalty to all skill checks and attack rolls. When a person istired, they are bound to make poor decisions, and are slower toreact to opportunities.

Rest may remove fatigue points. For every hour a character rests(sits, reads, sings quietly, practices a tune on an instrument, per-forms basic maintenance on a weapon, cooks a simple meal,eats, meditates, performs a tea ceremony, etc.) the character losesa point of fatigue. This rate may be doubled for every hour spentin total rest (sleep, or, for elves, deep meditation).

The DM may, at any time, deem that a stressful activity has givena player a point of fatigue. Torture or psychological trauma islikely to convey fatigue, as is poisoning. Also, healing elixers,bathing in a warm/hot bath, massage, or other activities may

Table 10-3: Fatigue

Action Light LoadMedium

LoadHeavyLoad

Fighting20 minutes(100 rounds)

5 minutes(50 rounds)

2 ½ minutes(25 rounds)

Running 30 minutes 10 minutes 5 minutesSwimming 20 minutes 5 minutes 2 ½ minutesHeavy Exertion (IE:rock or rope climbing,sprinting up stairs, ford-ing a swift river, liftingand holding maximumlift weight, rapid miningor smithing, fighting tohold a crushing walltrap in place, dragging astruggling prisoner by arope, etc.)

20 minutes 5 minutes 2 ½ minutes

Medium Exertion (IE:scaling a ladder quickly,fording a regular river,mining or smithing at anormal pace, frequentjumping and ducking(for complex traps),dragging a heavy objectby a rope, etc.)

30 minutes 10 minutes 5 minutes

Light Exertion (IE:scaling a tall ladder at anormal rate, regularmonk’s exercises,pulling a laden cart at anormal pace, fighting astubborn mount, plow-ing, regular heavy lift-ing (longshoremanwork), etc.)

1 hour 30 minutes 15 minutes

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allow a character to loose fatigue more quickly than normal.Assume a good night’s sleep cures all ills. A hard day’s adventur-ing may well make night in a tavern bed seem very welcoming.

Item Crafting and QualityHand-made items are rarely crafted with the exact same qualityevery time. Some items are of better quality than others. Thefollowing chart may be used when crafting a weapon or armor todetermine the effects of craftsmanship. Shields are not apprecia-bly changed by variance in quality.

When crafting a weapon or suit of armor, the craftsman mayelect to craft an item at one of the above quality levels, and alterthe construction modifier by the specified amount. This allowsthe option for more variance in item quality. Bonuses or penal-ties for quality are not cumulative in a given column. A poorquality armor has an armor check penalty of –1, for example, not–2. An Excellent weapon will receive a +4 to its hit points. Thebenefit of crafting items of lower than average quality is thatthey are quicker to construct and easier to make, which in crisistimes may be an advantage. Many of the swords from the Hun-dred Years war were crafted by smiths in the wagon trains ofarmies, and their poor quality was offset by the practical needsfor new weapons on the battlefield.

Glossary of TermsThroughout From Stone to Steel, there may be terms that you areunfamiliar with. Hopefully you’ll find your answer here.

Ailettes—Ailettes are small square or rectangular plates attachedto the pauldrons, which display the coat of armes in battle.These were used to identify a lord of note, to prevent confusionon the battlefield.

Barding—Armor for animals. Barding is usually used onhorses, but other kinds of war animals bore barding, such as ele-phants. Horse barding usually consists of a chamfron, crinet,and coat.

Boss—When shields are constructed, it is common to leave ahollow at the center to make a hand hold. The hollow is coveredwith a metal covering, called the boss. Shield bosses becamecommon after the practice of having a hand-hold in the center ofthe shield was abandoned, because bosses could mount spikesquite easily, and were better at deflecting arrows.

Breastplate—The breastplate as that portion of armor whichcovers the torso, regardless of material. See also Cuirass

Chamfron—The head covering of horse barding, the chamfronis often decorated by wealthy lords.

Coif—The portion of chainmail that covers the head.

Coronal—A three-pointed cap for a lance, to prevent casualtieson the tournament grounds.

Courboille—Courboille is boiled leather. Boiled and thenallowed to dry, courboille is harder than normal leather, but canbe more brittle.

Crinet—The neck covering of horse barding, the Crinet maysometimes sport a false mane, and is often decorated.

Cuirass—An older form of chest armor, often sculpted to appearlike the human form, the cuirass is similar to a breastplate. TheCuirass can be hinged or may be laced and buckled on.

Flights—The feathers on an arrow, that keep it on target andaccurate. Without flights, arrows don’t travel as far, and tend tospin more.

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Table 10-4: Item Crafting and QualityConstructionDC modifier

Level ofQuality

ToHit Damage

Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

Arcane SpellFailure Hardness

HitPoints

Cost forArmor

Cost forWeapon

+6 Excellent - - - - - +1 +4* +100 +200+4 Superior - - - - - - +4* +50 +100+2 Good - - - - - - +2 +25 +500 Average - - - - - - --2 Fair - - - - - - -2* -1/8 cost -1/8 cost-4 Inferior -1 - - -1 - - -4* -1/4 cost -1/4 cost-6 Poor -1 -1 -1 -1 +5% -1 -4* -1/2 cost -1/2 cost* Hit points can only be increased to a maximum of weight x3 +2. If this addition exceeds that, then the extra hit points are lost.The minimum hit points for an item are 1.


Fuller—The groove down the center of many sword blades, thefuller is added to lighten a blade without weakening it.

Gauntlet—Hand covering, either as part of a suit of plate, or asa separate accessory.

Gorget—The neck protection of a suit of plate armor, the Gor-get prevents easy decapitation on the battlefield.

Greaves—Greaves are leg armor, often a single plate strappedor buckled to the leg. Plate armor versions of the greave werehinged.

Grip—The portion of a sword hilt that is grasped in the handduring combat.

Guard—The portion of the sword hilt at the base of the bladethat prevents an opponent’s weapon from sliding up the bladeand injuring the sword-wielder’s hand. In the later medievalperiod, the guard was often extended out over the grip, to protectthe wielder’s hand from direct attack, especially when armor fellout of style, and it became more common to fight unarmored.

Haft—A metal or wooden pole that connects a handle to thestriking surface of a weapon.

Lames—Plates, usually square or rectangular, although manydifferent kinds of lames were made. Armor constructed fromlames was called lamellar.

Laminate—To layer over something, so as to cover it. Lami-nate may be in the form of some kind of plate covering, like splitor whalebone armor, or it may be a kind of lacquering that cov-ers leather, wood, or metal and hardens, making the item dense.

Nock—The notch at the end of an arrow that allows it to be seton a bow string.

Pauldron—The shoulder plate on plated armors.

Polearm—Any of a large number of weapons which are set on along pole. Most polearms are reach weapons.

Pommel—The portion of the hilt below the grip, which helps tocounterbalance the weight of a sword blade.

Quillion—The extending portions of a guard which block a slid-ing blade, quillions are one of the parts of the sword most deco-rated.

Sabaton—Metal shoes or boots that come as part of plate armor.

Sinew—Muscle and gristle from a slaughtered animal that isoften used as cord for bows or binders for primitive armors anditems.

Tang—The portion of a blade that extends into the hilt, to givethe blade stability and anchor it.

Vambrace—That portion of armor that covers the forearm, thevambrace may be part of a suit of armor, or worn separately.

—The armor that covers the mid-face and eyes in helmet, thevisor is often hinged, to allow it to be raised or lowered. Raisinga visor allows a person to see better.

308

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310

Table 10-5: Traditional d20 WeaponsWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HPSimple Weapons-MeleeUnarmed Attacks

Gauntlet 2gp * * 2lbs B M 10/4TinyDagger* 2gp 1d4 19–20/x2 10ft 1lbs P M 10/3Dagger, Punching 2gp 1d4 x3 2lbs P M 10/6Gauntlet, Spiked* 5gp 1d4 x2 2lbs P M 10/6

SmallMace, Light 5gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B M 10/18Sickle 6gp 1d6 x2 3lbs S MW 10/9

Medium-sizeClub — 1d6 x2 10ft 3lbs B WM 4/8Halfspeara 1gp 1d6 x3 20ft 3lbs P M 10/12Mace, Heavy 12gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B M 10/26Morningstar 8gp 1d8 x2 8lbs BP MW 10/16

LargeQuarterstaff*‡ — 1d6/1d6 x2 4lbs B W 5/8Shortspeara 2gp 1d8 x3 20ft 5lbs P WM 5/13


Crossbow, Light* 35gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80 ft 6lbs P WM 5/16Bolts, crossbow (10)* 1gp 1lbs M 10/1Dart 5sp 1d4 x2 20ft .5lbs P WM 5/1Sling* — 1d4 x2 50ft 0lbs B L 2/3Bullets, Sling (10)* 1sp 5lbs M 8/3

Medium-sizedCrossbow, Heavy* 50gp 1d10 19–20/x2 120ft 9lbs P WM 6/27Bolts, Crossbow (10)* 1gp 1lbs M 10/1Javelin* 1gp 1d6 x2 30ft 2lbs P WM 5/6

Martial Weapons-MeleeSmall

Axe, throwing 8gp 1d6 x2 10ft 4lbs S MW 10/12Hammer, light 1gp 1d4 x2 20ft 2lbs B M 10/6Handaxe 6gp 1d6 x3 5lbs S MW 10/15Lance, light* 6gp 1d6 x3 5lbs P WM 4/15Pick, light 4gp 1d4 x4 4lbs P M 10/10Sap 1gp 1d6§ x2 3lbs B LM 3/9Sword, Short 10gp 1d6 19–20/x2 3lbs P M 10/11

Medium-sizedBattleaxe 10gp 1d8 x3 7lbs S MW 10/14Flail, light* 8gp 1d8 x2 5lbs B MW 10/10Lance, heavy*† 10gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P WM 5/20Longsword 15gp 1d8 19–20/x2 4lbs S M 10/10Pick, heavy 8gp 1d6 x4 6lbs P M 10/12Rapier* 20gp 1d6 18–20/x2 3lbs P M 10/6Scimitar 15gp 1d6 18–20/x2 4lbs S M 10/10Tridenta 15gp 1d8 x2 10ft 5lbs P WM 5/10Warhammer 12gp 1d8 x3 8lbs B MW 10/16

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311

Table 10-5: Traditional d20 WeaponsWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HPMartial Weapons-MeleeLarge

Falchion 75gp 2d4 18–20/x2 16lbs S M 10/32Flail, heavy* 15gp 1d10 19–20/x2 20lbs B M 10/38Glaive*† 8gp 1d10 x3 15lbs S WM 5/30Greataxe 20gp 1d12 x3 20lbs S MW 10/40Greatclub 5gp 1d10 x2 10lbs B WM 6/22Greatsword 50gp 2d6 19–20/x2 15lbs S M 10/30Guisarme*† 9gp 2d4 x3 15lbs S WM 5/30Halberd*a 10gp 1d10 x3 15lbs PS MW 10/30Longspear*† 5gp 1d8 x3 9lbs P MW 10/18Ranseur*†a 10gp 2d4 x3 15lbs P MW 10/30Scythe 18gp 2d4 x4 12lbs PS WM 5/24

Martial Weapons-RangedMedium-size

Shortbow* 30gp 1d6 x3 60ft 2lbs P W 6/6Arrows (20)* 1gp 3lbs WM 4/3Shortbow, composite* 75gp 1d6 x3 70ft 2lbs P WB 6/6Arrows (20)* 1gp 3lbs WM 4/3

LargeLongbow* 75gp 1d8 x3 100ft 3lbs P W 6/6Arrows (20)* 1gp 3lbs WM 4/3Longbow, composite* 100gp 1d8 x2 110ft 3lbs P WB 6/6Arrows (20)* 1gp 3lbs WM 4/3

Exotic Weapons-MeleeTiny

Kama, halfling* 2gp 1d4 x2 1lbs S MW 10/3Kukri 8gp 1d4 18–20/x2 3lbs S M 10/9Nunchaku, halfling* 2gp 1d4 x2 1lbs B W 5/3Siangham, halfling* 2gp 1d4 x2 1lbs P M 10/3

SmallKama* 2gp 1d6 x2 2lbs S MW 10/6Nunchaku* 2gp 1d6 x2 2lbs B W 5/6Siangham* 3gp 1d6 x2 1lbs P M 10/3

Medium-sizeSword, bastard* 35gp 1d10 19–20/x2 10lb S M 10/20Waraxe, dwarven* 30gp 1d10 x3 15lb S M 10/32Hammer, gnome hooked*‡ 20gp 1d6/1d4 x3/x4 6lbs BP M 10/12

LargeAxe, orc double*‡ 60gp 1d8/1d8 x3 15ft 25lbs S MW 10/50Chain, spiked*† 25gp 2d4 x2 15lbs S M 10/30Flail, dire*‡ 90gp 1d8/1d8 x2 20lbs B MW 10/40Sword, two-bladed*‡ 100gp 1d8/1d8 19–20/x2 30lbs S M 10/60Urgrosh, dwarven‡a 50gp 1d8/1d6 x3 15lbs SP M 10/32

Exotic Weapons-RangedTiny

Crossbow, hand* 100gp 1d4 19–20/x2 30ft 3lbs Piercing WM 4/7Bolts (10)* 1gp 1lbs M 10/1Shuriken* 1gp 1 x2 10ft .1lbs P M 10/1


312

Table 10-5: Traditional d20 WeaponsWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HPExotic Weapons-RangedSmall

Whip* 1gp 1d2§ x2 15ft* 2lbs S L 4/6Medium-size

Crossbow, repeating* 250gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 16lbs P WM 5/30Bolts (5)* 1gp 1lbs M 10/1Net* 20gp * * 10ft* 10lbs * CM 3/18

Table 10-5: Traditional d20 ArmorArmor Cost

ArmorBonus

Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

Arcane SpellFailure

Speed 30ft 20ft

Weight‡ M H/HP

Light ArmorPadded 5gp +1 +8 -0 5% 30ft 20ft 10lbs F 1/20Leather 10gp +2 +6 -0 10% 30ft 20ft 15lbs L 4/30Studded Leather 25gp +3 +5 -1 15% 30ft 20ft 20lbs LM 4/40Chain shirt 100gp +4 +4 -2 20% 30ft 20ft 25lbs M 10/50

Medium ArmorHide 35gp +3 +4 -3 20% 20ft 15ft 25lbs L 5/50Scale mail 50gp +4 +3 -4 25% 20ft 15ft 30lbs M 10/60Chainmail 150gp +5 +2 -5 30% 20ft 15ft 40lbs M 10/80Breastplate 200gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft 15ft 30lbs M 10/60

Heavy ArmorSplint mail* 200gp +6 +0 -7 40% 20ft 15ft 45lbs M 10/90Banded mail* 250gp +6 +1 -6 35% 20ft 15ft 35lbs M 10/70Half-plate* 500gp +7 +0 -7 40% 20ft 15ft 50lbs M 10/100Full plate* 1000gp +8 +1 -6 35% 20ft 15ft 50lbs M 10/100

ShieldsBuckler 15gp +1 -1 5% 5lbs M 10/8Shield, small, wooden 3gp +1 -1 5% 5lbs W 5/10Shield, small, steel 9gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs M 10/12Shield, large, wooden 7gp +2 -1 15% 10lbs W 5/20Shield, large, steel 20gp +2 -1 15% 15lbs M 10/30Shield, tower** 30gp -1 50% 45lbs W 6/90

ExtrasArmor spikes +50gp +10lbs MGauntlet, locked† 8gp Special +5lbs MShield spikes +10gp +5lbs M

* When running in heavy armor you move only triple your speed, not quadruple.** The tower shields grants you cover. See the description.† Hand not free to cast spells. ‡ Armor fitted for small characters weighs half as much.

Master Tables

Table 11-1: Simple Melee Weapons 314

Table 11-2: Simple Ranged Weapons 318

Table 11-3: Martial Weapons-Melee 319

Table 11-4: Martial Weapons-Ranged 326

Table 11-5: Exotic Weapons-Melee 327

Table 11-6: Exotic Weapons-Ranged 330

Table 11-8: Special Items 331

Table 11-7: Weapons Ranged-Ammunition 331

Table 11-9: Firearms-Ranged 332

Table 11-10: Light Armor 333

Table 11-11: Medium Armor 334

Table 11-12: Heavy Armor 335

Table 11-13: Shields & Accessories 336

313


314

Table 11-1: Simple Melee WeaponsWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HP SubsetTiny

Bilbo 4gp 1d6 x3 2lbs P M 9/6Bodkin 3gp 1d4 x3 10ft 1lbs P M 9/4Buhj, Damascened 402gp 1d4+1 19–20/x2 1lbs P M 10/6Buhj, Steel 2gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1lbs P M 9/3Cestus* 6sp * x2 2.5 lbs B L 3/8Cestus, Spiked* 1.2gp 1d4 x2 3 lbs P LM 4/9Dagger, Bronze 1.4gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1.5 lbs P M 4/6Dagger, Bronze Punching 1.3gp 1d4 x3 2.5lbs P MW 5/8Dagger, Copper 1.2gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1.5 lbs P M 3/6Dagger, Damascened Punching 402gp 1d4+1 x3 2lbs P M 10/9Dagger, Iron 1.6gp 1d4 19–20/x2 15ft 1.5 lbs P M 6/5Dagger, Kidney Late Steel 7gp 1d4 x3 1.5lbs P M 9/5Dagger, Middle Steel Kidney 6gp 1d4 x3 1.5lbs P M 8/5Dagger, Punching Iron 1.5gp 1d4 x3 2.5lbs S MW 6/8Dagger, Punching Steel 2gp 1d4 x3 2lbs P M 9/6Dirk, Late Steel 5gp 1d6 x2 2lbs S M 9/6Dirk, Middle Steel 4gp 1d6 x2 2lbs S M 8/6Fakir's Horns 5sp 1d6 x3 1.5lbs P B 3/5Hora* 4sp 1d3+1 x2 .5lbs B B 3/2Karambit 6sp 1d3 x3 .5lbs S M 6/2Kinzhal 5gp 1d4 x3 2lbs S M 9/5Knife, Bamboo 8sp 1d3 19–20/x2 1 lbs S W 4/3Knife, Bronze 1gp 1d4 x2 1.5 lbs S M 4/4Knife, Bronze Chinese 2gp 1d4 x2 1lbs S M 5/3Knife, Chinese Curved 1.8gp 1d4 x3 1.5 lbs S M 6/5Knife, Copper 9sp 1d4 x2 1.5 lbs S M 3/4Knife, Early Steel 1.4gp 1d4 x2 1lb S M 7/3Knife, Hidden Steel 1gp 1d3 x3 .5lbs S M 9/2Knife, Iron 1.3gp 1d4 x2 1.5 lbs S M 6/5Knife, Iron Chinese 3gp 1d4 x2 1.5lbs S M 6/5Knife, Late Steel 2gp 1d4 x2 1lb S M 9/4Knife, Middle Steel 1.5gp 1d4 x2 1lb S M 8/3Knife, Rock -- 1d3 19–20/x2 1.5 lbs S S 3/3Knife, Steel Chinese 5gp 1d4 x2 1lbs S M 9/3 GKris 4gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1.5lbs S M 6/5Kujungi 1.5gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1.5lbs S M 6/5Lading 1.5gp 1d4 x3 1.5lbs P M 6/5Misericorde, Late Steel 10gp 1d3 x4 1lb P M 8/3Misericorde, Middle Steel 9gp 1d3 x4 1lb P M 8/3Paku* 1gp 1d3 x3 10ft. .5lbs S M 6/2Phurbu* 6gp 1d4 x2 1.5lbs P M 6/5Piercers, Emi* 1gp 1d3 x3 .5lbs P M 9/2 GPugio* 1gp 1d6-1 x2 3 lbs P M 6/9Sgain Dubh, Late Steel 4gp 1d4 x3 10ft 1lbs S M 9/3Sgain Dubh, Middle Steel 3gp 1d4 x3 10ft 1lbs S M 8/3Short Tusk -- 1d3 x2 1.5 lbs P B 3/5

MMaasstteerr TTaabblleess

315

Table 11-1: Simple Melee WeaponsWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HP SubsetTiny

Spike, Bone -- 1d3 19–20/x2 1.5 lbs P B 3/5Stiletto 11gp 1d4 x3 15ft .5lbs P M 9/3Tombak 2gp 1d4 19–20/x2 5lbs P M 6/15Tonto 1.8gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1 lb. P M 9/3 N/SUlu 5sp 1d3 x2 1 lbs S B 3/3

SmallAdze, Bronze 4gp 1d6 x3 5.5 lbs S MW 4/17Adze, Improved Stone 2gp 1d6 x3 5 lbs P WS 4/17Adze, Stone 1gp 1d6 x3 5 lbs P WS 3/15Arit Sickle 5gp 1d6 x2 3.5lbs S M 6/11Axe, Woodcutter's Early Steel 7.5gp 1d6 x3 6.5lbs S MW 7/20Axe, Woodcutter's Iron 7gp 1d6 x3 7lbs S MW 6/21Axe, Woodcutter's Late Steel 10gp 1d6 x3 6.5lbs S MW 9/13Bagh Nakh, Steel 8gp 1d6 x3 5lbs S M 9/15Bagh Nakh, Steel Greater 10gp 2d3 x3 7lbs S M 9/21Branding Iron* 6sp 1d3+1 x2 1.5 lbs B M 3/5Escrima 2gp 1d4 x2 2lbs B W 5/6Iron Claw 7gp 1d6 x2 5.5lbs B & S M 9/15 GJo 2gp 1d6 x2 2lbs B W 5/8 N/SMace, Horseman's Late Steel 6gp 1d6 x2 5.5lbs B MW 9/16Mace, Horseman's Middle Steel 5gp 1d6 x2 5.5lbs B MW 8/19Mace, Light Early Steel 4.5gp 1d6 x2 2.5lbs S M 7/8Mace, Light Iron 9gp 1d6 x2 6.5 lbs B MW 6/18Mace, Light Late Steel 8gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B MW 9/12Mace, Stone 2gp 1d6 x2 6 lbs B WS 3/18Scramsax, Early Steel 6gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B MW 7/18Sickle Sword, Bronze 6gp 1d6 x2 3 lbs S M 5/9Sickle, Bone 1gp 1d4 x2 2 lbs S B 2/6Sickle, Bronze 3gp 1d6 x2 3.5 lbs S M 4/11Sickle, Copper 2gp 1d6 x2 3.5 lbs S M 3/11Sickle, Early Steel 5gp 1d6 x2 3lbs S M 7/9Sickle, Iron 4gp 1d6 x2 3.5 lbs S M 6/12Sickle, Late Steel 8gp 1d6 x2 3lbs S M 9/6Sickle, Stone 1gp 1d4 x2 2.5 lbs S S 2/8Snicker-Snee 6gp 1d6 x2 2.5lbs S M 9/7Tamo, Iron (Note that cost is for two Tamo knives)*‡ 4gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1.5lbs P M 7/7Tamo, Steel (Note that cost is for two Tamo Knives)*‡ 6gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1lbs P M 9/5 GThresher (Proto-Flail) 3gp 1d6 x2 3 lbs B W 3/9Tjaluk* 5gp 1d6 x2 10ft 3.5lbs P M 6/11Whip, Hard 5gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B M 9/12 G

Medium-SizeAhlespeiss, Late Steela 11gp 1d8 x3 7lbs P M 9/14Ahlespeiss, Middle Steela 10gp 1d8 x3 7lbs P M 8/14Axe, Head 12gp 1d10 x3 14lbs S MW 6/28Axe, Miner's Early Steel 8gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 7/16Axe, Miner's Late Steel 11gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 9/16


316

Table 11-1: Simple Melee WeaponsWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HP SubsetMedium-Size

Axe, Pick Early Steel 7gp 1d6 x3 6lbs P MW 7/12Axe, Pick Iron 5gp 1d6 x3 7lbs P MW 6/14Axe, Pick Late Steel 10gp 1d6 x3 6lbs P MW 9/12Cane, Fakir's* 6gp 1d6 or 1d4 x2 or x3 4lbs B or P W 6/8Cane, French Fighting 2gp 1d6 x2 2lbs B W 5/6Cane, Leaded 8gp 2d3 x2 3lbs B WM 5/8Cane, Steel 8gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B M 9/8 GCane, Wooden 2gp 1d4 x2 2lbs B W 5/6 GClub, Bone -- 1d6 x2 2.5 lbs B B 3/5Club, Bronze Studded 3gp 1d6 x2 6 lbs B MW 4/12Club, Copper Studded 2gp 1d6 x2 5 lbs B MW 3/10Club, Iron Studded 4gp 1d6 x2 5 lbs B MW 6/10Club, Paddle 1gp 1d6 x2 5 lbs B & S M 5/10Club, Shark Tooth 6gp 1d6 x3 4 lbs B BW 3/8Club, Throwing Early Steel* 2gp 1d4 x2 10ft 3lbs B MW 7/6Club, Throwing* -- 1d3 x2 10ft 2lbs B W 4/4Ghargaz, Damascened 412gp 1d8+1 x2 12lbs B M 10/27Ghargaz, Steel 12gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B M 9/24Hayforka 2gp 1d8 x2 7 lbs P MW 3/14Hayfork, Early Steela 8gp 1d8 x3 7lbs P MW 7/14Hayfork, Irona 7gp 1d8 x3 8lbs P MW 6/16Hayfork, Late Steela 10gp 1d8 x3 7lbs P MW 9/12Macahuitl* 45gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6 lbs S/B SW 3/28Mace, Bronze Headed 8gp 1d8 x2 14 lbs B MW 4/28Mace, Copper Headed 6gp 1d8 x2 13 lbs B MW 3/26Mace, Dagger Late Steel 22gp 1d8 19–20/x2 8lbs S and P M 9/16Mace, Dagger Middle Steel 20gp 1d8 19–20/x2 8lbs S and P M 8/16Mace, Fist Middle Steel 15gp 1d8 x2 10lbs B M 8/20Mace, Footman's Early Steel 11gp 1d8 x2 11lbs B MW 7/22Mace, Footman's Late Steel 14gp 1d8 x2 11lbs B MW 9/22Mace, Footman's Middle Steel 12gp 1d8 x2 11lbs B MW 8/22Mace, Heavy Early Steel 12gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B MW 7/24Mace, Heavy Iron 10gp 1d8 x2 13 lbs B M 6/26Mace, Heavy Late Steel 16gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B MW 9/24Mace, Late Steel Fist 17gp 1d8 x2 10lbs B M 9/20Mace, Ox Damascened* 408gp 1d8+1 x2 8lbs B M 10/19Mace, Ox Steel 8gp 1d8 x2 8lbs B M 10/16Mace, Quoit Damascened 408gp 1d8+1 x2 8lbs B M 10/19Mace, Quoit Steel 8gp 1d8 x2 8lbs B M 10/16Mace, Sickle Damascened 412gp 1d6+1 x2 10lbs S M 10/21Mace, Sickle Steel 12gp 1d6 x2 10lbs S M 10/18Mace, Stone Toothed 6gp 1d8 x2 12 lbs B & P WS 3/24Morningstar, Early Steel 7gp 1d8 x2 8lbs B and P MW 7/16Morningstar, Late Steel 10gp 1d8 x2 8lbs B and P MW 9/16Morningstar, Middle Steel 8gp 1d8 x2 8lbs B and P MW 8/16Pitchfork, Early Steela 9.5gp 1d8 x3 7.5lbs P MW 7/15


317

Table 11-1: Simple Melee WeaponsWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HP SubsetMedium-Size

Pitchfork, Irona 8gp 1d8 x3 8.5lbs P MW 6/17Pitchfork, Late Steela 13gp 1d8 x3 7.5lbs P MW 9/15Rake, Nine Teeth* 15gp 1d8 x2 14lbs S M 9/28 GSantie, Damasceneda 406gp 1d6+1 x3 7lbs P M 10/17Santie, Steela 6gp 1d6 x3 7lbs P M 9/14Spear, Iron Halfa 9sp 1d6 x3 20ft 4 lbs P WM 4/8Staff, Mace Bronze 9gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B M 4/24Staff, Mace Iron 10gp 1d8 x2 13lbs B M 6/26Staff, Mace Steel 12gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B M 9/24 GStaff, Short Bronze 5gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B M 4/8Staff, Short Iron 6gp 1d6 x2 5lbs B M 6/10Staff, Short Steel 8gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B M 9/8 GStick, Short (Club) -- 1d6 x2 3 lb B W 3/8Sulitsa, Early Steela 1gp 1d6 x3 20ft 3lbs P M 7/9Sulitsa, Late Steela 3gp 1d6 x3 20ft 3lbs P M 9/9Sulitsa, Middle Steela 2gp 1d6 x3 20ft 3lbs P M 8/9Throwing Spear, Early Iron 8sp 1d6 x3 20ft 4 lbs P WM 4/12Veecharoval, Bronze 7gp 1d8 x3 9lbs S MW 5/18Veecharoval, Iron 8gp 1d8 x3 8lbs S MW 6/16

LargeBo*‡ 2gp 1d6/1d6 x2 4lbs B W 6/8 G/N/SCrozier‡ 5gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B 6M 6/12Crozier‡ 7gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B M 9/10Crozier w/ Hidden Spearhead‡ 10gp 1d6/1d8 x2 8lbs B 7M 7/16Crozier w/ Hidden Spearhead‡ 12gp 1d6/1d8 x2 8lbs B M 9/14Cudgel, Monk's Iron 10gp 1d10 x2 14lbs B MW 7/28Cudgel, Monk's Steel 12gp 1d10 x2 13lbs B M 9/26 GFork, Two Teetha 10gp 1d8 x2 10lbs S M 9/18Long Tusk -- 1d6 x2 2 lbs P B 3/4Naginata† 10 gp 1d10 x3 14lbs S WM 5/28 SOslopi*‡ 10gp 1d6/1d6 x2/x2 14lbs B WM 5/26Pruning Hook, Bronze†*a 3gp 1d8 x3 15 lbs P MW 4/30Pruning Hook, Copper†*a 2gp 1d8 x3 14 lbs P MW 3/28Quarterstaff‡ 2gp 1d6/1d6 x2 4lbs B 4W 4/10Scythe, Bronze 13gp 2d4 x4 13 lbs S MW 4/26Scythe, Copper 10gp 2d4 x4 12 lbs S MW 3/24Spear, Bambooa 2gp 1d6 x3 20ft 5 lbs P W 4/12Spear, Short Irona 1.6gp 1d8 x3 20ft 5 lbs P WM 4/10Spear, Primitive Wooden Hardened†a -- 1d6 x3 20ft 7 lbs P W 4/14Spear, Primitive Wooden†a -- 1d6 x3 20ft 7 lbs P W 3/14Spear, Stone Head†a 1gp 1d8 x3 20ft 8 lbs P WS 3/16Stick, Long (Quarterstaff)‡ -- 1d6/1d6 x2 2.5 lbs B W 2/7


318

Table 11-2: Simple Ranged WeaponsWeapon Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HP SubsetTiny

Ball, Iron 6sp 1d3 x2 10ft .5lbs B 10M 9/2 GRings, Iron 5sp 1d2 x2 15ft .1lbs B 10M 9/1 GRock, Throwing -- 1d2 x2 15ft .5 lbs B S 3/4

SmallCrossbow, Light Bronze 29gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 8lbs As per Quarrel MW 4/22Crossbow, Light Iron 32gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 7lbs As per Quarrel MW 6/19Crossbow, Light Late Steel 55gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 8lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/16Crossbow, Light Middle Steel 35gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 8/18Crossbow, Light Modern Chinese 40gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/18Crossbow, Light Steel 35gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/16Crossbow, Light Steel (Late) 45gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/12Crossbow, Light Steel (Middle) 40gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 8/12Dart, Bone 2sp 1d3 x2 20ft .5 lbs P B 2/2Dart, Bronze 3sp 1d4 x2 20ft 1.5 lbs P MW 5/5Dart, Iron 4sp 1d4 x2 20ft 1.5 lbs P MW 6/5Sling -- Per Ammunition x2 50ft .01 lbs B L 2/1Sling, Double String 2gp As per ammo x2 50ft .1 lbs As per ammo C 2/3

Medium-SizeCrossbow, Heavy Late Steel 40gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 6lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/12Crossbow, Heavy Middle Steel 50gp 1d10 19–20/x2 120ft 9lbs As per Quarrel MW 8/27Crossbow, Heavy Modern Chinese 50gp 1d10 19–20/x2 120ft 8lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/24Crossbow, Heavy Steel (Late) 90gp 1d10 19–20/x2 120ft 8lbs As per Quarrel MW 9/16Crossbow, Heavy Steel (Middle) 80gp 1d10 19–20/x2 120ft 8lbs As per Quarrel MW 8/16Gastrophetes* 45gp 1d10 19–20/x2 110ft 13lbs P WB 5/39Javelin, Bronze Tipped 8sp 1d6 x2 30ft 4 lbs P MW 4/12Javelin, Copper Tipped 7sp 1d6 x2 30ft 3 lbs P MW 4/9Javelin, Iron Headed 9sp 1d6 x2 30ft 4 lbs P WM 6/12Javelin, Iron-tipped Heavy 1gp 2d3 x2 30ft 4 lbs P MW 6/12Javelin, Primitive Wooden 6sp 1d4 x2 30ft 2 lbs P W 3/4Javelin, Primitive Wooden Hardened 1gp 1d4 x2 30ft 2 lbs P W 4/4Pilum, Heavy* 7gp 1d8 x3 30ft 7 lbs P WM 4/19Pilum, Light* 5gp 1d6 x3 30ft 5 lbs P WM 4/13

G Indicates a weapon is part of the Guang Hu subsetN Indicates a weapon is part of the Ninja subsetS Indicates a weapon is part of the Samurai subset* See the description in the text for special rules.‡ Double Weapon† Reach Weapona If you ready an action to set this weapon against a charge you deal double damage.# Shield bypass weapon§ Subdual damage


319

Table 11-3: Martial Weapons-MeleeWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HP SubsetTiny

Knife, Triple* 8gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1lbs P M 9/3Main Gauche, Middle Steel* 6gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1lbs P M 8/5Main Gauche, Late Steel* 7gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1lbs P M 9/5Sap 1gp 1d6§ x2 3lbs B LM 4/4Sword Breaker* 8gp 1d4 19–20/x2 1lbs P M 9/4

SmallAma Goi Ken 4gp 1d4 19–20/x2 3lbs S M 6/9Axe, Hand Bronze 4gp 1d6 x3 5.5 lbs S MW 4/17Axe, Improved Stone 3gp 1d6 x3 5 lbs S SW 4/12Axe, Stone 2gp 1d6 x3 5 lbs S or P WS 3/10Axe, Throwing Bronze 6gp 1d6 x2 10ft 4.5 lbs S MW 5/14Axe, Throwing Early Steel 7.5gp 1d6 x2 10ft 4 lbs S MW 7/12Axe, Throwing Iron 7gp 1d6 x2 10ft 4.5 lbs S MW 6/14Axe, Thrusting Late Steel 10gp 1d6 x3 5lbs S or P MW 9/10Axe, Thrusting Middle Steel 9gp 1d6 x3 5lbs S or P MW 8/10Celt 2gp 1d6 x3 3.5 lbs S SBW 3/7Celt, Bronze 4.2gp 1d6 x3 6 lbs S MBW 4/18Falcata 13gp 2d3 18–20/x2 10.5 lbs S M 6/32Flail, Horseman's*# 9gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B MW 9/12Flail, Horseman's*# 7.5gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B MW 8/12Francisca, Early Steel 7gp 1d6 x3 10ft 8lbs S MW 7/24Fu, Bronze 3gp 1d6 x3 5.5lbs S MW 4/17Fu, Iron 4gp 1d6 x3 5.5lbs S MW 6/17Fu, Steel 6gp 1d6 x3 5lbs S MW 9/15 GGladius 9gp 1d6 19–20/x2 4 lbs P M 6/10Handaxe, Copper Incan 3gp 1d6 x3 5.5 lbs S/B MW 3/17Hatchet 5gp 1d6 x3 7lbs S MW 6/21Hatchet, Early Steel 6gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 7/24Hatchet, Late Steel 8gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 9/16Hurlbat 12gp 1d6 x3 10ft 2lbs S M 9/6Kapak 6gp 1d6 x2 10ft 4lbs S M 6/12Kopis 12gp 1d6 18–20/x2 7.5 lbs S M 6/23Lance, Light Iron†a 5gp 1d6 x3 5.5 lbs P M 6/12Mace & Chain, Late Steel (Spiked)*# 10gp 1d8 x2 5lbs B and P MW 9/12Mace & Chain, Late Steel*# 9gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B MW 9/10Mace & Chain, Middle Steel (Spiked)*# 8gp 1d8 x2 5lbs B and P MW 8/15Mace & Chain, Middle Steel*# 7gp 1d6 x2 4lbs B MW 8/12Sekir, Early Steel* 6gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 7/16Sekir, Late Steel* 8gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 9/16Sekir, Middle Steel* 7gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S MW 8/16Shem Sharru 13gp 1d6 18–20/x2 5 lbs S M 6/15Shortsword, Damascened 410gp 1d6+1 19–20/x2 3lbs S M 10/9Shortsword, Early Steel 9gp 1d6 19–20/x2 4lbs P M 7/12Shortsword, Flint 5gp 1d6 19–20/x2 3.5 lbs S S 3/7Shortsword, Iron 9gp 1d6 x3 3.5 lbs P M 6/12Shortsword, Late Steel 12gp 1d6 19–20/x2 4lbs P M 9/8Shortsword, Steel 10gp 1d6 19–20/x2 3lbs S M 9/9


320

Table 11-3: Martial Weapons-MeleeWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HP SubsetSmall

Shortsword, Viking Pattern Welded* 406gp 1d6+1 19–20/x2 4lbs P M 9/12Tomahawk, Steel 7gp 1d6 x3 15ft 3lbs S WM 4/9Wakazashi 300gp 1d6 19–20/x2 3lbs S M 11/11 S

Medium-SizeAkinakes 12gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6 lbs P M 6/12Axe, Bullova 8gp 1d8 x3 11lbs S MW 6/22Axe, Executioner's 7gp 1d8 x3 9lbs S MW 8/9Axe, Footman's Early Steel 8gp 1d8 x3 6lbs S 7MW 7/12Axe, Footman's Late Steel 11gp 1d8 x3 6lbs S MW 9/12Axe, Footman's Middle Steel 9gp 1d8 x3 6lbs S 8MW 8/12Axe, Horseman's Late Steel 10gp 1d6 x3 4lbs S MW 9/12Axe, Horseman's Middle Steel 8.5gp 1d6 x3 4lbs S 8MW 8/10Axe, Khond 8gp 1d8 x3 10.5lbs S MW 6/21Axe, Kritant 8gp 1d8 x3 10lbs S MW 6/20Axe, Spiked Middle Steel 12gp 1d8 or 1d4 x3 8lbs S or P MW 8/16Axe, Spiked Middle Steel 14gp 1d8 or 1d4 x3 8lbs S or P MW 9/16Backsword, Late Steel 17gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 9/14Backsword, Middle Steel 15gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 8/14Battleaxe, Early Iron 8gp 1d8 x3 8 lbs S MW 4/16Battleaxe, Egyptian Bronze 7gp 1d8 x3 9.5 lbs S/P MW 4/19Battleaxe, Iron 9gp 1d8 x3 8 lbs S M 6/16Battleaxe, Stone 5gp 1d8 x3 7 lbs S SW 3/14Battleaxe, Sumerian Bronze 7gp 1d8 x3 9 lbs S MW 4/18Battleaxe, Sumerian Copper 6gp 1d8 x3 8 lbs S MW 3/16Battleaxe, Early Steel 9gp 1d8 x3 8lbs S MW 7/16Battleaxe, Late Steel 12gp 1d8 x3 8lbs S MW 9/16Battleaxe, Middle Steel 10gp 1d8 x3 8lbs S MW 8/16Bayonet on Rifle*a 4gp 1d4 x3 1lbs P M 9/3Binnol, Damascened 21gp 1d6+1 19–20/x2 10lbs P & S M 10/33Binnol, Steel 7gp 1d6 19–20/x2 10lbs P & S M 9/30Bokken 3gp 1d4 x2 6lbs B W 5/10 SBroadsword, Chinese 75gp 1d8 18–20/x2 6lbs S M 9/32 GBroadsword, Early Steel 22gp 2d4 19–20/x2 8lbs S M 7/18Broadsword, Late Steel 28gp 2d4 19–20/x2 8lbs S M 9/16Broadsword, Middle Steel 25gp 2d4 19–20/x2 8lbs S M 8/18Cane, French Sword* 10gp 1d6 x3 2lbs S MW 9/6Chekan, Early Steel* 11gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 7/16Chekan, Late Steel* 13gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 9/16Chekan, Middle Steel* 12gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 8/16Claymore, Basket-Hilted 35gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 9/14Colichemarde* 25gp 1d6 x3 4lbs P or S M 9/8Cutlass 17gp 1d6 18–20/x2 5lbs S M 9/12Czekan 15gp 1d8 x3 9lbs B or S M 9/16Dao, Bronze 11gp 1d6 18–20/x2 7lbs S M 4/14Dao, Iron 12gp 1d6 18–20/x2 6lbs S M 6/12Dao, Steel 14gp 1d6 18–20/x2 5lbs S M 9/10 GDoloire, Late Steel 7gp 1d6 x3 6lbs S MW 9/12


321

Table 11-3: Martial Weapons-MeleeWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HP SubsetMedium-Size

Doloire, Middle Steel 6gp 1d6 x3 6lbs S MW 8/12Dusack 4gp 1d4 x2 3lbs S M 9/9Epee* 15gp 1d4 18–20/x2 2lbs P M 9/4Flail, Grain Early Steel Studded*# 7.5gp 1d8 x2 4.5lbs B MW 7/9Flail, Grain Iron Studded*# 7gp 1d8 x2 5lbs B WM 6/10Flail, Grain*# 5gp 1d6 x2 3lbs B W 4/6Fu, Bronze 4gp 1d6 X3 7 lbs S MW 4/14Ge, Bronze‡ 8gp 1d8 x3 11 lbs S/B M 4/22Ge, Iron 5gp 1d8 x3 10lbs S MW 6/20Hammer, Early Steel 7gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B MW 7/12Hammer, Iron 6gp 1d6 x2 7lbs B MW 6/14Hammer, Late Steel 10gp 1d6 x2 6lbs B MW 9/12Jian, Bronze 12gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 4/12Jian, Iron 13gp 1d8 19–20/x2 5lbs S M 6/10Jian, Steel 15gp 1d8 19–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/8 GKarabela 20gp 1d6 18–20/x2 4lbs S or P M 9/12Katar, Bronze 5gp 1d6 x3 4.5lbs P MW 5/14Katar, Damascened 408gp 1d6+1 x3 4lbs P M 10/15Katar, Iron 6gp 1d6 x3 4.5lbs P MW 6/14Katar, Steel 8gp 1d6 x3 4lbs P M 9/12Ken 8gp 1d6 19–20/x2 5lbs S M 6/10Ken, Japanese Early Folded 10gp 1d6 19–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/12 SKnife, Butterfly 25gp 1d6 x3 4lbs S MW 6/28Kora 8gp 1d6 x2 4lbs S M 9/18Lance w/ Coronel*†a 7gp 1d6 x2 11lbs B WM 4/11Lance, Byzantine Early Steel*†a 7gp 1d8 x3 7lbs P WM 5/14Lance, Chinese†a 12gp 1d8 x3 9lbs P WM 5/18 GLance, Couched*†a 10gp 1d8 x3 10lbs S WM 6/10Lance, European Early Steel*†a 7gp 1d6 x3 7lbs P WM 5/14Lance, Forked South American Wooden†a 4gp 1d6 x3 10 lbs P W 3/18Lance, Knight's Middle Steel*†a 10gp 1d8 x3 9lbs P MW 8/18Lance, North American Stone†a 3gp 1d8 x3 10 lbs P WS 4/20Lance, South American Wooden†a 3gp 1d6 x3 9 lbs P W 3/18Lance, North American Steel*†a 9gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P WM 5/10Longsword, Bronze 12gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6 lbs S M 5/12 Longsword, Early Steel 14gp 1d8 19–20/x2 4 lbs S M 7/8Longsword, Iron 13gp 1d8 19–20/x2 5 lbs P M 6/15Longsword, Late Steel 18gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 9/12Longsword, Middle Steel 15gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 8/12Longsword, Pattern Welded Viking 415gp 1d8+1 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 9/12Manople* 30gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 8/14Nadziak* 12gp 1d8 x3 10lbs B M 9/18Nagan 20gp 1d8 18–20/x2 5lbs S M 9/10Oubuch* 12gp 1d8 x3 10lbs B M 9/18Pappenheimer* 25gp 1d6 18–20/x2 3lbs S or P M 9/9 dParang 14gp 2d3 19–20/x2 5lbs P M 6/10Patisa 15gp 1d8 19–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/8Pedang 7gp 1d6 x2 4lbs S M 6/8Pick, Footman's Early Steel 7gp 1d6 x4 4lbs P MW 7/8Pick, Footman's Late Steel 9gp 1d6 x4 4lbs P MW 9/8Pick, Footman's Middle Steel 8gp 1d6 x4 4lbs P MW 8/8


322


Pick, Horseman's Late Steel 9gp 1d4 x4 4lbs P MW 9/12 dPick, Horseman's Middle Steel 7.5gp 1d4 x4 4lbs P MW 8/10 dRapier, Early* 22gp 1d6 18–20/x2 3lbs S or P M 8/9 dRapier, Long* 25gp 1d6 18–20/x2 4lbs S or P M 9/10 dRapier, Short* 20gp 1d6 18–20/x2 3lbs S or P M 9/9 dSabar, Damascened 410gp 1d8+1 19–20/x2 10lbs S M 10/33Sabar, Steel 10gp 1d8 19–20/x2 10lbs S M 9/30Saber, Hunnic Early Steel 12gp 1d6 18–20/x2 3 lbs S M 7/6Saber, Short 15gp 1d6 18–20/x2 5lbs S M 9/10 dSapola 20gp 1d8 x3 4lbs P M 9/8Schiavona 40gp 2d4 19–20/x2 8lbs S M 9/14 dSchnepfer 25gp 1d6 18–20/x2 4.5lbs S M 9/9 dScimitar, Damascened 415gp 1d6+1 18–20/x2 5lbs S M 10/10Scimitar, Iron Indian 13gp 1d6 18–20/x2 6lbs S M 6/12Scimitar, Late Steel 17gp 1d6 18–20/x2 5lbs S M 9/15Shamshir, Damascened Early 58gp 1d6+1 18–20/x2 4lbs S M 10/11Shamshir, Middle Steel Early 16gp 1d6 18–20/x2 4lbs S M 8/8Shamsir, Late Steel 18gp 1d6 18–20/x2 4lbs S MW 9/8Sica 13gp 1d6 18–20/x2 5 lbs S M 6/10Sparte, Early Steel 15gp 1d8 x3 7lbs S M 7/14Spatha 12gp 1d8 19–20/x2 5 lbs S M 6/10Spathion, Early Steel 14gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 7/12Sword, Bronze 7gp 1d6 19–20/x2 6 lbs P M 4/12Sword, Early Iron 13gp 1d8 x3 5 lbs P/S M 4/10Sword, Executioner* 9gp 1d8 x2 4lbs S M 9/8 GSword, Executioner's 8gp 1d6 x3 7lbs S MW 8/7Sword, Grain Bronze 9gp 1d8 18–20/x2 7 lbs Slashing M 4/14Sword, Horse Head 7gp 1d6 18–20/x2 6 lbs Slashing M 4/14Sword, Kopesh Bronze 8gp 1d6 18–20/x2 6 lbs S M 5/12Sword, Seven Star 13.5gp 1d8 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 7/14Sword, Shark Tooth * 50gp 1d6 x3 5 lbs S BW 3/10Sword, Steel Fish Spine* 12gp 1d6 x2 5lbs S M 9/10Sword, Unicorn Horn 8gp 1d6 x2 3lbs S M 9/6 GTachi, Early Folded 15gp 1d8 19–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/8 STachi, Imitation Chinese 13gp 1d8 19–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/6Tan-Kiev* 7gp 1d6 x2 3lbs S M 9/6 GTrident, Iron Headeda 13gp 1d8 x2 10ft 6 lbs P M 6/12Tuck 18gp 1d6 19–20/x2 2.5lbs S or P M 8/8 dTulwar, Damascened 412gp 1d6+1 18–20/x2 4lbs S M 10/8Tulwar, Early Iron 12gp 1d6 18–20/x2 5lbs S M 6/10Verdun 19gp 1d6 19–20/x2 3lbs S or P M 8/9 dWarhammer, Footman's Early Steel 10.5gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 7/16Warhammer, Footman's Late Steel 14gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 9/16Warhammer, Footman's Middle Steel 12gp 1d8 or 1d4 x2 or x4 8lbs B or P MW 8/16Warhammer, Horseman's Late Steel 13gp 1d6 or 1d3 x3 or x4 5.5lbs B or P MW 9/17Warhammer, Horseman's Middle Steel 11gp 1d6 or 1d3 x3 or x4 5.5lbs B or P MW 8/11


323


Xiphos, Double-Edged Early Steel 14gp 1d6 19–20/x2 4lbs P M 7/8Xiphos, One Edged Early Steel 14gp 1d6 18–20/x2 6lbs S M 7/12

LargeAxe, Bearded 13gp 2d4 x3 9lbs S MW 9/18Axe, Bearded 9gp 2d4 x3 9lbs S MW 7/18Axe, Great Late Steel* 22gp 1d12 x3 20lbs S MW 9/38Axe, Great Middle Steel* 20gp 1d12 x3 20lbs S MW 8/38Axe, Jeddart Late Steel*a 12gp 1d10 or 1d4 x3 14lbs S or P MW 9/26Axe, Jeddart Middle Steel*a 11gp 1d10 or 1d4 x3 14lbs S or P MW 8/26Axe, Lochaber Late Steel*a 11gp 1d10 or 1d3 x3 14lbs S or P MW 9/26Axe, Lochaber Middle Steel*a 10gp 1d10 or 1d3 x3 14lbs S or P MW 8/26Axe, Naga War† 20gp 1d10 x3 15lbs S WM 5/30Ballam, Early Steel†a 8gp 2d4 x3 9lbs P WM 5/18Battleaxe, Double Headed Iron 16gp 1d10 x3 15 lbs S M 6/30Battleaxe, Early Steel Double Winged 18gp 1d10 x3 15lbs S MW 7/30Battleaxe, Late Steel Double Winged 22gp 1d10 x3 15lbs S MW 9/30Bec-de-Corbin, Late Steel*†‡ 10gp 1d8 or 1d4/1d6 x3 or x2/x2 16lbs S or P / P MW 9/30Bec-de-Corbin, Middle Steel*†‡ 8gp 1d8 or 1d4/1d6 x3 or x2/x2 16lbs S or P / P MW 8/30Berdiche, Late Steel 11gp 1d10 x3 14lbs S M 9/28Berdiche, Middle Steel 10gp 1d10 x3 14lbs S M 8/28Bill, Early Steel*†a 18gp 1d8 or 1d3/1d4 x3/x2 14lbs S or P / B MW 7/28Bill, Late Steel*†a 22gp 1d8 or 1d3/1d4 x3/x2 14lbs S or P / B MW 9/28Bill, Middle Steel*†a 20gp 1d8 or 1d3/1d4 x3/x2 14lbs S or P / B MW 8/28Broadsword, Two Handed Chinese 55gp 2d6 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32 GChauves-Souris, Late Steel*†a 11gp 2d4 x3 9.5lbs S MW 9/17Chauves-Souris, Middle Steel*†a 10gp 2d4 x3 9.5lbs S MW 8/17Claymore, Late Steel 60gp 2d6 19–20/x2 15lbs S M 9/30Claymore, Middle Steel 50gp 2d6 19–20/x2 15lbs S M 8/30Club, Great Iron Studded 4.5gp 1d10 x3 11 lbs B MW 6/22Dung, Iron†a 4gp 1d8 x3 11lbs P MW 6/22Dung, Steel†a 6gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P MW 9/20Falcastra*† 9gp 1d8 x3 9lbs P or S WM 6/16Falchion, Damascened 475gp 2d4+1 18–20/x2 16lbs S M 10/35Falchion, Late Steel 83gp 2d4 18–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32Falchion, Middle Steel 75gp 2d4 18–20/x2 16lbs S M 8/32Falx, Dacian* 25gp 1d12 19–20/x2 9 lbs S MW 6/18Falx, Late Steel*†‡ 15gp 1d8/1d4 x3/x2 14lbs S / B MW 9/28Falx, Middle Steel*†‡ 13gp 1d8/1d4 x3/x2 14lbs S / B MW 8/28Flail, Long bar*† 15gp 1d10 19–20/x2 20lbs B WM 5/38 GFlamberge, Late Steel 60gp 2d6 19–20/x2 15lbs S M 9/30Flamberge, Middle Steel 50gp 2d6 19–20/x2 15lbs S M 8/30Fork, Scaling Late Steel*†a 11gp 1d8 x3 8lbs P MW 9/16Fork, Scaling Middle Steel*†a 10gp 1d8 x3 8lbs P MW 8/16Glaive, Late Steela 10gp 1d10 x3 15lbs S MW 9/30Glaive, Middle Steela 8gp 1d10 x3 15lbs S MW 8/30Halberd, Capped Early Steel*a 13.5gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 8/30Halberd, Capped Late Steel*a 18gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 9/30


324

Table 11-3: Martial Weapons-MeleeWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HP SubsetLarge

Halberd, Capped Middle Steel*a 15gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 8/30Halberd, Early Steel*a 9gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d4 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 7/30Halberd, Incan Copper†a 8gp 1d10 x3 16 lbs P/S MW 3/32Halberd, Late Steel*a 12gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d4 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 9/30Halberd, Middle Steel*a 10gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d4 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 8/30Halberd, Spiked Early Steel*a 18gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3 15lbs S or P / P MW 7/30Halberd, Spiked Late Steel*a 24gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3 15lbs S or P / P MW 9/30Halberd, Spiked Middle Steel*a 20gp 1d10 or 1d4/1d6 x3 15lbs S or P / P MW 8/30Half Moon, European*†‡ 10gp 1d8 x3 10lbs S WM 6/18Hammer, Lucerne Late Steel 17gp 1d10 or 1d6 x3 or x3 12lbs B or P MW 9/24Hammer, Lucerne Middle Steel 15gp 1d10 or 1d6 x3 or x3 12lbs B or P MW 8/24Hoolurge, Damascened 415gp 2d4+1 x3 15lbs P & S M 10/33Hoolurge, Steel 15gp 2d4 x3 15lbs P & S M 9/30Knife, Golden Coin Long†a 15gp 1d10 19–20/x2 13lbs S MW 9/28 GLance, Fong Ting*†a 20gp 1d8 or 1d10 x3 14lbs P or S WM 5/24 GLongsword, Great Damascened 450gp 2d6+1 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 10/32Longsword, Great Steel 50gp 2d6 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32Maul, Early Steel 8gp 1d8 x2 10lbs B MW 7/20Maul, Iron 7gp 1d8 x2 11lbs B MW 6/22Maul, Late Steel 12gp 1d8 x2 10lbs B MW 9/20Maul, Wooden 5gp 2d3 x2 8lbs B W 4/16Nageyari†a 5gp 1d8 x3 10ft 9lbs P WM 5/18Nagimaki†a 8 gp 2d4 x3 15lbs S MW 5/30 SNo-Dachi 55gp 2d6 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/34 SPartisan, Late Steel*†a 15gp 1d8 or 1d6/1d4 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 9/30Partisan, Middle Steel*‡a 12gp 1d8 or 1d6/1d4 x3/x2 15lbs S or P / B MW 7/30Pike, Awl Late Steel †a 12gp 1d10 x3 11lbs P MW 9/20Pike, Awl Middle Steel†a 10gp 1d10 x3 11lbs P MW 8/20Pike, Late Steel*†a 10gp 1d10 x3 14lbs P MW 9/28Pike, Middle Steel*†a 8gp 1d10 x3 14lbs P MW 8/28Pike, Morris*†‡a 10gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P WM 6/22Qiang, Bronze†a 2gp 1d8 x3 11lbs P MW 4/22Qiang, Iron†a 3gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P MW 6/20Qiang, Steel†a 5gp 1d8 x3 9lbs P MW 9/18 GRanseur, Late Steel*†a 11gp 2d4 x3 15lbs P MW 9/30Ranseur, Middle Steel*†a 10gp 2d4 x3 15lbs P MW 8/30Refthi (Halberd-like Axe) 8gp 1d6 or 1d8 x2 or x3 13lbs B or S MW 7/26Saber, Long 20gp 1d10 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32 GSabu*†a 12gp 1d8 x3 14lbs P M 9/28 GSarissa†a 10gp 1d10 x3 13 lbs P WM 4/26Scythe, Early Steel 16gp 2d4 x4 12lbs P and S MW 7/24Scythe, Iron 16gp 2d4 x4 13 lbs P & S MW 6/26Scythe, Late Steel 20gp 2d4 x4 12lbs P and S MW 9/24


325

Table 11-3: Martial Weapons-MeleeWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HP SubsetLarge

Sovna, Early Steel† 9gp 1d10 x3 12lbs S M 7/24Sovna, Middle Steel† 10gp 1d10 x3 12lbs S M 8/24Spear, Bladed Bronze†a 2gp 1d8 x3 15ft 11 lbs P WM 4/22Spear, Bladed Copper†a 1.5gp 1d8 x3 15ft 10 lbs P WM 4/20Spear, Early Iron†a 3.5gp 1d8 x3 10 lbs P WM 4/20Spear, Krokaspjót (Hooked Spear)*†a 8gp 1d8 x3 9lbs S MW 7/18Spear, Long Bronze†a 3gp 1d8 x3 9 lbs P WM 4/18Spear, Long Early Steel†a 4.5gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P MW 7/20Spear, Long Iron†a 4gp 1d8 x3 10 lbs P WM 4/20Spear, Long Late Steel†a 7gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P MW 9/20Spear, Long Middle Steel*†a 5gp 1d8 x3 10lbs P MW 8/20Spear, Snake†a 5gp 1d8 x3 11lbs P MW 5/22 GSpetum, Late Steel*†a 12gp 2d4 x3 9.5lbs P MW 9/17Spetum, Middle Steel*†a 10gp 2d4 x3 9.5lbs P MW 8/17Steel Fang†a 7gp 1d8 19–20/x2 10lbs P & S MW 9/20 GTepoztopilli†* 50gp 1d8 19–20/X2 13lbs S W 2/26

60gp 1d12+1 19–20/x2 11lbs S M 9/22Voulge, Late Steel*†a 28gp 1d12 or 1d4/1d4 x3 18lbs S or P / P MW 9/38Voulge, Middle Steel*†a 25gp 1d12 or 1d4/1d4 x3 18lbs S or P / P MW 8/38Yari†a 6gp 1d8 x3 11lbs P WM 5/20 SZwiehander, Late Steel† 66gp 2d6 19–20/x2 18lbs S M 9/36Zwiehander, Middle Steel† 60gp 2d6 19–20/x2 18lbs S M 8/36


326

Table 11-4: Martial Weapons-RangedWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HP SubsetSmall

Tomahawk* 4gp 1d6 x2 15ft 3 lbs S WS 3/9Tomahawk, Peace Pipe* 4gp 1d6 x2 15ft 2.5 lbs S WS 2/8

Medium-SizeBow, Composite Medium 85gp 1d6 x3 90ft 3 lbs Per arrow WB 3/9Bow, Composite Short 75gp 1d6 x3 70ft 2 lbs Per arrow WB 3/8Bow, Horn 20gp 1d6 x3 60ft 2 lbs Per arrow B 3/6Bow, Horse Hunnic 85gp 1d6 x3 100ft 3 lbs Per arrow W 5/9Bow, Hunting Primitive 30gp 1d6 x2 60ft 2 lbs Per arrow W 3/6 Bow, Primitive Medium 45gp 1d6 x2 70ft 2 lbs Per arrow W 3/6 Bow, Short Hinged* 60gp 1d6 x3 55ft 2lbs As per Arrow WM 4/6Bow, War Light 45gp 1d6 x3 60ft 2 lbs Per arrow WC 4/6Club, Stone Throwing 5sp 1d4 x2 10ft 3 lbs B WS 3/9

LargeBow, Cordage Backed 100gp 1d8 x3 80ft 3.5 lbs Per arrow WC 3/11Bow, Double Recurve* 120gp 1d8 x3 100ft 3 lbs Per arrow W 4/9Bow, Long Hinged* 150gp 1d8 x3 90ft 3lbs As per Arrow WM 4/9Harpoon, Stone* 5gp 1d6 x3 20ft 12 lbs P WS 3/22Longbow, Composite 100gp 1d8 x3 110ft 3 lbs As per arrow W 4/9Longbow, English* 175gp 1d10 x3 120ft 4 lbs As per Arrow W 8/12Longbow, North American Indian 90gp 1d8 x3 90ft 3 lbs Per arrow W 3/9Longbow, Welsh 150gp 1d10 x3 120ft 3.5lbs As per Arrow W 6/13



327

Table 11-5: Exotic Weapons-MeleeWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HP SubsetTiny

Fan, Iron* 2gp 1d4 x2 5ft 1lbs S M 6/3 G/S/NFan, Lacquered* 1.5gp 1d3 x2 5ft .5lbs S W 6/2 G/S/NGarrote, Cord* -- 1d3* x3 1lb S* C 3/3 NGarrote, Wire* -- 1d4* x4 .5lbs S* M 9/2 NJi-Kuwa* 1gp 1d2 x3 .5lbs P M 9/2Kukri 8gp 1d4 18–20/x2 1lb S M 9/5Strangler's Belt -- 1d2§ x2 1lbs B F 2/3

SmallAxe, Sickle 8gp 1d8 x3 7 lbs S MW 6/21Blade, Mandarin Coin* 3gp 1d6 x2 3lbs S M 9/9 GBlade, Sun and Moon Spear* 4gp 1d6 x3 3.5lbs S M 9/11 GCane, Hidden Sword (damage as cane or sword)* 10gp 1d4 or 1d6 x2 Or 19–20/x2 3lbs B or P M 9/9 G/NFlute* 1gp 1d3 x2 .5lb B W 3/2 GFull Moon* 6gp 1d6 19–20/x2 2.5lbs S M 9/8 GJitte* 5 sp 1d4 x3 1.5lbs P M 9/5 N/SKama 2gp 1d6 x2 2lbs B WM 5/6 G/NKatar, Closed Hilted Early Steel* 23gp 1d6 x3 7lbs P MW 8/21Katar, Dual Bladed Damascened* 412gp 2d3+1 x3 5lbs P M 10/15Katar, Dual Bladed Steel* 12gp 2d3 x3 5lbs P M 9/15Katar, Three Bladed Damascened* 417gp 1d6+1 x3 6lbs P M 10/18Katar, Three Bladed Early Steel* 17gp 1d6 x3 9lbs P MW 8/25Katar, Three Bladed Steel* 18gp 1d6 x3 6lbs P M 9/18Katar, Tri-Bladed Steel* 20gp 1d6 or 3d3 x3 5lbs P M 9/15Kawanaga (cost per hand)* 1gp 1lb P M 9/3 NKnife, Deer Antler* 6gp 1d6 19–20/x2 2lbs S M 9/6 GKnife, Swallow Trident Long* 3gp 1d6 x2 1lbs P M 9/3 GKusari-gama*†# 10gp 1d6/1d6 x2/x2 3lbs S/B M 9/9 N/SManriki-gusari*†# 8gp 1d6 x2 5lbs B M 9/15 N/SNekode* 6gp 1d6 x2 10ft 7lbs B M 9/19 NNinja-to 10gp 1d6 18–20/x2 4lbs S M 9/12 NNunchuku#* 2gp 1d6 x2 2lbs B WC 5/6 G/NNunti-Sai* 5gp 1d4 x3 2lbs P M 9/6 NPendjepit* 4gp 1d4 x3 1lb P M 6/3Rabbit Stick 5sp 1d4 x2 20ft 0.5 lbs B W 3/4Rante#* 8gp 1d6 x2 10ft 6.5lbs S M 6/20Razor, Yuen Yang* 15gp 1d6 x3 4lbs P or S M 9/12 GSai* 3 gp 1d4 x3 2lbs P M 9/4 G/NSiangkam* 3gp 1d6 x2 3.5lbs P M 6/11Sword, African Sickle 5gp 1d6 x2 4 lbs S MW 6/12Tian-chi Fay Shorta 15gp 1d6 x3 4lbs P or S M 4/12 GTonfa 1gp 1d6 x2 1.5lbs B W 5/5Wheel, Wind and Fire* 4gp 1d6 x3 3.5lbs S M 9/11 G

Medium-SizeBroadsword, Nine Ring* 80gp 2d4 18–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32 GChain Sword*‡ 20gp 1d4/1d4 19–20/x2 5lbs S M 9/15 GChain, Segmented*† 20gp 1d6 x2 4.5lbs S M 9/10 GCumber-Jung, Damascened 425gp 2d4+1 X2 15lbs B 10M 15/22


328

Table 11-5: Exotic Weapons-MeleeWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HP SubsetMedium-Size

Cumber-Jung, Steel Quoit 25gp 2d4 x2 15lbs B M 9/30Eku 2gp 1d8 x2 5lbs B W 5/10Flagellum* 8gp 1d2§ x2 1.5 lbs S C 3/5Grain Sword, Iron* 16gp 1d8 18–20/x2 7lbs S M 6/14Grain Sword, Steel* 20gp 1d8 18–20/x2 6lbs S M 9/12 GHammer, Chinese* 35gp 2d4 x3 14lbs B M 9/28 GHook, Nine Teeth*‡ 12gp 1d8 x2 4lbs P or S M 9/12 GKatana 400 gp 1d10 19–20/x2 6lbs S M 11/18 SKyoketsu-Shogi*‡ 12gp 1d6/1d4 19–20/x2 / x2 10ft 8lbs S/B M 9/16 NMaru*‡ 7gp 1d6 x2 9lbs P WBM 5/18Masakari 16gp 1d8 or 1d4 x3 or x4 5lbs P or S M 9/10Nagegama*† 14gp 1d6/1d6 19–20/x2 8lbs S/B M 9/16 N/SPata, Damascened* 465gp 1d8+1 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 10/35Pata, Steel* 65gp 1d8 19–20/x2 16lbs S M 9/32Sa Tjat Koen*# 11gp 1d8 x2 4lbs B WM 5/8 G/N/SScourge, Metal* 1gp 1d4 x2 2 lbs S CM 3/6Sword, Tigerhead Hook*‡ 12gp 1d8 x2 4lbs S M 9/8 GTiger Fork, Iron*‡a 12gp 1d8 x2 7lbs P MW 7/14Tiger Fork, Steel*‡a 13gp 1d8 x2 5lbs P MW 9/10 GUrumi*†# 30gp 1d6 19–20/x3 15ft 8lbs S M 9/16Whip, Maori* 1sp 1d3§ x2 1 lbs S W 2/2

LargeBlade, Heaven and Earth† 60gp 1d8/1d8 x2 13lbs S M 9/26 GBlade, Horse Chopping†‡a 75gp 1d6/1d10 x2 16lbs S M 9/32 GChijiriki*‡ 40gp 1d8/1d6 x3/x2 15lbs P/B MW 9/30 SFeruzue (staff or flail damage)*†# 20gp 1d8 or 1d10 x2 or 19–20/x2 15lbs B & P M 6/30Flail, Great*# 25gp 1d12 x2 20lbs B WM 5/40 GFlail, Military* 120gp 1d8 19–20/x2 16lbs B MW 8/32Gadha, Iron 18gp 1d10 x2 15lbs B M 6/30Gadha, Wood 16gp 1d10 x2 13lbs B W 6/26Halberd, Double*‡a 60gp 1d10 x3 15lbs P/S MW 9/30 GHwa-Keka 20gp 2d4 x2 10lbs S MW 6/22Jumonki-Yari*†a 10gp 1d8 x3 12lbs P or S WM 5/24Kama-Yari*†a 10gp 1d8 x3 12lbs P or S WM 5/24Knife, Yeung Guen Long*†‡a 55gp 1d8/1d6 x3 16lbs P & S MW 9/32 GKongo-Zue*‡ 15gp 1d6/1d6 x2 9lbs B WM 5/18Kumade*† 14gp 1d4 x2 11lbs P WM 5/22 SKwandao, Iron*†‡a 44gp 1d8/1d6 x3 18lbs P & S MW 7/36Kwandao, Steel*†‡a 50gp 1d8/1d6 x3 15lbs P & S MW 9/30 GLaingtjat‡ 25gp 1d6/1d6 x3 13lb S M 6/26Longsword, Chay Yang†‡a 50gp 1d8/1d6 x3 15lbs P & S MW 9/30 GMace, Double Bronze‡ 49gp 1d8/1d8 x2/x2 16lbs B M 4/32Mace, Double Iron‡ 51gp 1d8/1d8 x2/x2 15lbs B M 6/30Mace, Double Steel‡ 55gp 1d8/1d8 x2/x2 14lbs B M 9/28 GMancatcher w/ Spike*† 11gp 1d4 x2 11lbs P WM 5/20Mancatcher*† 6gp 10lbs W 5/18Martel de Fer, Middle Steel* 30gp 1d8 or 1d3 x3 9lbs B or P MW 8/20


329

Table 11-5: Exotic Weapons-MeleeWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HP SubsetLarge

Meteor Hammer*†‡# 65gp 1d8/1d8 x2 14lbs B MC 9/28 GMonk's Spade, Iron‡ 13gp 1d8/1d8 x2/x2 22lbs S MW 7/44Monk's Spade, Steel‡ 15gp 1d8/1d8 x2/x2 20lbs S/S MW 9/40 GO-No† 20gp 2d4 x3 14lbs B M 9/28Paralyser*†a 15gp 2d4 x3 11lbs P W 5/22Pudao, Iron* 65gp 2d6 x3 16lbs S MW 7/32Pudao, Steel* 70gp 2d6 x3 15lbs S MW 9/30 GRam Da'o 13gp 1d8 x2 6lbs S M 9/12Shovel, Golden Coin 20gp 1d8 x3 10lbs S M 9/20 GShovel, Moonteeth‡a 30gp 1d8/1d6 x3 16lbs P & S MW 9/32 GSjang Sutai†a 25gp 2d4 19–20/x2 11lbs S MW 6/22Sode Garami*a 14gp 1d4 x2 13lbs P M 9/26Spear, Double Headed†‡a 12gp 1d8/1d8 x3/x3 10lbs P/P MW 9/20 GStaff, Wolf's Teeth* 16gp 1d8 x2 12lbs B & P M 9/24 GSword, Beheading 40gp 2d4 18–20/x2 18lbs S M 9/34Sword, Long-Handle Nine Ring† 75gp 3d3 19–20/x2 20lbs S M 9/40 GTabar, Damascened 425gp 1d12+1 x3 22lbs S M 10/47Tabar, Steel 25gp 1d12 x3 22lbs S M 9/44Tschehouta, Early Steel*†‡a 12gp 1d8/1d8 x3/x3 10lbs P/P MW 8/20



330

Table 11-6: Exotic Weapons-RangedWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HP SubsetTiny

Blowgun 1gp 1 x2 20ft 2 lbs P W 4/4Bola, Copper War* 2gp 1d4 19–20/x2 15ft 3.5 lbs B CM 2/11Darts, Chinese Throwing* 6sp 1d3 x3 10ft .5lbs P 10M 9/2 GPiau* 3gp 1d3 x3 10ft 1lbs S M 6/3Shuriken* 2gp 1d2 x2 10ft .1lbs P M 9/1 NUichi-ne 6gp 1d4 x2 20ft .5lbs P MW 6/2 S

SmallBola, Northern American* 8sp 1d3 x2 20ft 2 lbs B CS 3/6Bola, South American* 1gp 1d4 19–20/x2 15ft 3 lbs B CS 3/9Boomerang, Fighting# 2gp 1d6 x2 15ft 3.5 lbs B W 3/11Boomerang, Returning* 2gp 1d4 x2 10ft 2 lbs B W 2/6Cestrosphendone (kestros) 2gp 1d4 x3 10ft 3 lbs P W 4/9Chakram, Damascened* 410gp 1d4+1 x3 30ft 2lbs S M 10/9Chakram, Steel* 10gp 1d4 x3 30ft 2lbs S M 9/6Fukidake* 1gp 1 x2 10ft 2lbs As per Needle W 3/6 NKnife, African Throwing#*# 4gp 1d6 x4 15ft 3 lbs P MW 6/9Kylie* 2gp 1d6 x2 20ft 3 lbs B W 3/9Nageteppo* 50gp 2d6 x2 10ft 1lb N/A M 9/3 NWhip, Bone Scourge#* 8sp 1d2 x2 1.5 lbs S CB 3/5Whip, Braided or Hair#*# 6sp 1d2§ x2 10ft 1.5 lbs S C 2/5 Whip, Bull*# 1gp 1d2§ x2 15ft 2lbs S L 4/6Whip, Horse Hair Tassel* 3gp 1§ x2 10ft 3lbs S FW 2/9 GWhip, Leather#*# 1gp 1d2§ x2 10ft 2 lbs S L 4/6Whip, Steel Barbed Chinese* 6gp 1d4 x2 10ft 3lbs S LM 4/9

Medium-SizeAtlatl* 8sp +1 x3 1 lbs W 2/2Bow, Mongol Recurve* 90gp 1d6 x3 110ft 4lbs Per Arrow W 5/12Bow, Steel 75gp 1d6 x3 60ft 5lbs As Per Arrow M 9/15Chu Ko Nu* 60gp 1d6 19–20/x2 60ft 7lbs As per Quarrel WM 5/21Chu Ko Nu, Improved* 75gp 1d6 19–20/x2 70ft 7lbs As per Quarrel WM 5/23Flying Weight* 12gp 1d6 x2 10ft 3lbs B MC 9/6 GHan-Kyu 35gp 1d6 x3 60ft 2lbs As per arrow W 5/6 NJavelin, Rope* 12gp 1d6 x2 10ft 2.5lbs P MC 9/8 G

Lariat* 4sp 20ft 4 lbs S C 2/8*Net, Grass* 8gp 10ft 8 lbs FC 2/16 Net, Retiarii* 20gp 10ft 10 lbs L 3/12Spear Thrower* 1gp +1 x2 2 lbs W 2/4Spear, Stingray Spine*a 15gp 1d6 x3 20ft 4.5 lbs P B 2/9Teppo 300gp 1d12 x3 150ft 10lbs As per Shot MW 9/30Zhuge Nu, Multishot* 150gp 1d6/1d6 19–20/x2 80ft 7lbs As per Quarrel WM 5/21Zhuge Nu, Repeater* 175gp 1d8 19–20/x2 80ft 7lbs As per Quarrel WM 5/21

LargeDai-Kyu 80gp 1d8 x3 90ft 3lbs Per Arrow WC 5/11 SPole-mounted sling* 3gp As per ammo x2 60ft 4 lbs B WL 4/13


331

Table 11-7: Weapons Ranged-Ammunition & Special ItemsWeapons Ranged-AmmunitionWeapons Cost Damage Critical Range Wgt Type M H/HP

Arrow, Axeblade 2gp 3lbs S WM 5/3Arrow, Ballista (wt. Per arrow)* 6gp 3lbs P WM 5/9Arrow, Blunt (20) 1gp 3.5 lbs B WB/S 1/4Arrow, Bone Head (20) 6sp 2.5 lbs P WB 1/3 Arrow, Bronze Fire* (20) 20gp +1/rnd -10ft 3.5 lbs P+Fire WM 1/4Arrow, Bronze Headed (20) 9sp 3 lbs P WM 1/3Arrow, Copper Headed (20) 8sp 3 lbs P WM 1/3Arrow, Early Iron Headed (20) 1gp 3 lbs P WM 1/3Arrow, English Longbow (wt. per 20) 3gp 3lbs P WM 5/3Arrow, Flight 2gp -1 +10ft 2.5 lbs P WM 2/3Arrow, Forked 2gp 4lbs S WM 5/4Arrow, Iron Fire* (20) 22gp +1/rnd -10ft 3.5 lbs P & Fire WM 1/4Arrow, Iron Headed (20) 1gp 4 lbs P WM 1/4Arrow, Shark Tooth (20) 2gp 3 lbs P WB 1/3Arrow, Sheaf* 2gp -10ft 3.5 lbs P WM 2/4Arrow, Steel Armor Piercing* 3gp 3lbs P WM 5/3Arrow, Stone Head (20) 6sp 3 lbs P WS 1/3 Arrow, Welsh Longbow (wt. per 20) 3gp 3lbs P MW 8/3Arrow, Whistling* 2gp 3lbs P WM 5/3Arrow, Wooden (20) -- -1 2 lbs P W 1/2Bullet, Bronze Sling (10) 1sp 1d4 5.5 lbs B M 4/6Bullet, Clay Sling 3cp 1d3 -- -- 3.5 lbs B S 2/4Bullet, Lead Sling 1sp 1d4 6 lbs B M 8/6Bullet, Stone (10) 6cp 1d3 2 lbs B S 2/2Darts, Arab Arrow Headed Bow* 1gp 1d3 .2lbs S M 6/1Darts, Arab Barbed Bow* 1gp 1d3 .2lbs P M 6/1Darts, Arab Bullet Headed Bow* 1gp 1d3 .2lbs P M 6/1Darts, Arab Spiked Bow* 2gp 1d3 .2lbs P M 6/1Darts, Byzantine Bow (Mice)* 1gp 1d3 .2lbs P M 6/1Needles (20) 1gp .5 lbs P W 1/1Pellet, Bow 20gp 1d4 x2 40ft 2lbs As per Pellet W 4/2Pellet, Clay (weight per 30) 3gp 2lbs B§ S 1/2Pellet, Crossbow 25sp 1d4 19–20/x2 60ft 7lbs As per Pellet WM 5/21Quarrel, Bronze (weight per 10) 7sp 1.5lb P MW 4/2Quarrel, Iron (weight per 10) 8sp 1.5lbs P MW 6/2Quarrel, Steel (weight per 10) 1gp 1lbs P MW 9/1Shot, Iron 3gp 2.5lbs P M 6/3Shot, Stone (weight per 10) 2gp 2lbs P S 4/2

Table 11-8: Special ItemsSpecial Items Cost Damage Critical Range Weight Type Material H/HP

Adarga* 45gp 1d8/1d6 x3/x2 13lbs P/S M 8/26ArmorBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

Arcane SpellFailure

1 -1 5%Shield, Lantern 40gp 1d6 x3 8lbs S or P M 9/16

ArmorBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

Arcane SpellFailure

+1 -1 25%Tarche 40gp 1d6 x2 10lbs S M 9/20

ArmorBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

Arcane SpellFailure

+2 -2 30%


332

Table 11-9: Firearms-RangedGun Cost ROF Damage Critical Range Weight Type M H/HPHandgun

Gun, Primitive Chinese 200gp 4 1d10 x3 35ft 9lbs As per shot MW 9/27Handcannon, Primitive* 100gp 6 1d10 x3 10ft 9lbs As per shot M 7/18Hand Gonne, Matchlock Early* 300gp 5 1d12 x3 15ft 10lbs As per shot MW 8/24Hand Gonne, Matchlock Early Landsknecht* 350gp 5 1d12 x3 15ft 12lbs As per shot MW 8/20

Hand Mortar* 500gp 5As per

grenadeAs per

grenade 25ft 13lbsAs per

Grenade M 9/26Pistol, Flintlock* 425gp 2 1d10 x3 15ft 3lbs As per shot MW 9/9Pistol, Matchlock* 150gp 5 1d10 x3 5ft 5lbs As per shot MW 9/9Pistol, Snaphaunce* 350gp 3 1d10 x3 15ft 3.5lbs As per Shot MW 9//8Pistol, Wheel Lock Damascened* 650gp 3 2d6 x3 15ft 4lbs As per shot MW 11/11Pistol, Wheel Lock Late Steel* 250gp 3 1d10 x3 10ft 4lbs As per Shot MW 8/8

LongarmsArbequis, Common* 150gp 4 1d12 x3 30ft 10lbs As per shot MW 8/20Arbequis, Landsknecht* 200gp 4 1d12 x3 30ft 12lbs As per Shot MW 8/24Musket, Flintlock* 850gp 2 2d6 x3 60ft 10lbs As per shot MW 9/20Musket, Snaphaunce* 700gp 3 2d6 x3 45ft 10lbs As per shot MW 11/11Musket, Wheel Lock Damascened* 900gp 3 2d8 x3 45ft 10lbs As per shot MW 9/20Musket, Wheel Lock Late Steel* 500gp 3 2d6 x3 35ft 10lbs As per shot MW 9/20Teppo 150gp 4 1d12 x3 30ft 10lbs As per shot MW 9/30

OtherSpear Gun* 100gp 4 +5 x3 120ft 36lbs P 2S 2/36

Exotic Weapons (Firearms) Ranged AmmunitionGun Cost ROF Damage Critical Range Weight Type M

Shot, Lead 3gp 4lbs P M

ExplosivesWeapon Cost ROF Damage Critical Range Weight Type M Subset

Grenade, Gunpowder (Lit Fuse)* 50gp 2d6 N/A 5ft 1lb Fire MGrenade, Gunpowder(Incendiary Fuse)* 75gp 2d6 N/A 5ft 1lb Fire MNageteppo* 50gp 2d6 x2 10ft 1lb N/A M NRockets, Chinese* 200gp 2d6 x2 150ft 8lbs N/A W

Armor Bonus Armor Check

Penalty Arcane Spell Failure1 -1 5%

* See the description in the text for special rules.§ Subdual damage

Rate of FireThe weapon tables here and in the appendix list rates of fire (ROF) for each firearm. This number represents the number of fullround actions required to load the particular weapon.


333

Table 11-10: Light Armor


Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure


Armbands 2gp 1lbs M 6/2Armor, Bezainted Leather 75gp +3 +5 -3 20% 30ft/20ft 23lbs LM 5/46Armor, Bronze Studded Leather Block 22gp +3 +5 -1 15% 30ft/20ft 18lbs LM 3/36Armor, Incan Cotton 9gp +2 +5 -1 5% 30ft/20ft 20lbs F 4/38 Aztec Cotton Armor 115gp +2 +5 -2 15% 30ft/20ft 20lbs F 4/42Breast Plate, Tortoise 30gp +3 +5 -2 20% 30ft/20ft 20lbs B 4/40Breast Plate, Bone Hair Pipe 2gp +0 N/A 0 0% 30ft/20ft .5lbs BC 1/1Buckskin 13gp +2 +6 0 5% 30ft/20ft 8lbs L 3/10Chainmail Shirt, Bronze 80gp +4 +4 -2 20% 30ft/20ft 27lbs M 5/54Chainmail Shirt, Iron 90gp +4 +4 -2 20% 30ft/20ft 26lbs M 6/52Chainshirt, Byzantine Early Steel 90gp +4 +4 -2 25% 30ft/20ft 25lbs M 7/50Cloth Armor, Heavy (Padded) 5gp +1 +8 0 5% 30ft/20ft 10lbs F 2/20Cloth Armor, Studded 13gp +2 +5 0 15% 30ft/20ft 15lbs FM 2/30Cloth, European Padded 8gp +1 +8 0 5% 30ft/20ft 10lbs F 3/20Corded Armor 25gp +2 +6 -1 15% 30ft/20ft 14lbs C 3/28Cuirass, Bronze Plated Linen 20gp +3 +5 -2 15% 30ft/20ft 25lbs MF 4/50Cuirass, Iron Scaled Linen 50gp 4 4 -3 20% 30ft/20ft 24lbs MF 6/48Cuirass, Linen 14gp +2 +5 0 10% 30ft/20ft 12lbs F 3/24Furs and Hides 8gp +2 +5 -1 15% 30ft/20ft 12lbs L 2/24Jigap 15gp +2 +7 0 10% 30ft/20ft 12lbs F 3/24Lamellar, Bronze-Bound Leather 60gp +3 +4 -2 25% 30ft/20ft 23lbs LM 4/46Leather Armor, Tanned 10gp +2 +6 0 10% 30ft/20ft 15lbs L 3/32Leather, Bronze Studded 23gp +3 +5 -1 15% 30ft/20ft 15lbs LM 4/30Leather, Cuir-bouille 15gp +2 +6 0 10% 30ft/20ft 15lbs L 4/30Leather, Cuir-bouille Studded 30gp +3 +5 -1 15% 30ft/20ft 20lbs LM 6/40Leather, Lacquered 45gp +3 +5 -1 10% 30ft/20ft 16lbs L 5/32Mail Shirt, Shark Tooth# 25gp +3 +4 -1 25% 30ft/20ft 18lbs B 3/34Padded Armor, Byzantine 8gp +1 +9 0 5% 30ft/20ft 10lbs F 2/20Padded Armor, Silk 12gp +1 +9 0 5% 30ft/20ft 8lbs F 3/18Paper Armor, Chinese Pirate 8gp +1 +7 0 5% 30ft/20ft 7lbs F 2/12Scaled Jack 85gp +4 +4 -3 20% 30ft/20ft 22lbs MF 9/44Skin Armor -- +1 +6 -1 10% 30ft/20ft 8lbs L 1/14Wood and Hide Armor 10gp +2 +4 -2 20% 30ft/20ft 18lbs WL 3/36# See the description in the text for special rules.‡ Armor fitted for small characters weighs half as much.


334

Table 11-11: Medium Armor


Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure


Breastplate Armor, Chinese 210gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 30lbs M 9/60Breastplate, Minoan Bronze 35gp +4 +2 -3 25% 20ft/15ft 30lbs M 4/60Breastplate, Mycenaen Bronze 180gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 32lbs M 5/64Breastplate, Segmented 260 gp +5 +4 -3 20% 20ft/15ft 26lbs M 9/52Brigandine, Chinese 340gp +5 +3 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 41lbs ML 9/82Byrnie, Chainmail 165gp +5 +2 -4 30% 20ft/15ft 30lbs M 7/60Chainmail, Bronze 130gp +5 +2 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 42lbs M 5/84Chainmail, Early Steel 145gp +5 +2 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 40lbs M 7/80Chainmail, Iron 140gp +5 +2 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 41lbs M 6/82Chainmail, Late Steel 175gp +5 +2 -5 30% 20ft 15ft 40lbs M 9/80Chainmail, Reinforced 210gp +5 +3 -4 35% 20/15ft 43lbs M 8/86Chainmail, Steel Plated 260gp +6 +2 -6 30% 20ft/15ft 45lbs M 8/90Chainshirt, Russian Double 190 gp +5 +3 -5 25% 20ft/15ft 29lbs M 9/58Coat of Plates 215gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 25lbs M 8/50Cuirass, Iron 180gp +5 +3 -3 25% 20ft/15ft 31lbs M 6/62Hauberk, Late Steel Brigandine 205 gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 34lbs ML 9/68Hauberk, Middle Steel Brigandine 195 gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 34lbs ML 8/68Hide Armor, Rhino 40gp +4 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 27lbs L 5/54Hides, Heavy 35gp +3 +4 -3 20% 20ft/15ft 25lbs L 5/50Karacena 200 gp +5 +2 -3 20% 20ft/15ft 25lbs M 9/50Keiko, Iron 180gp +5 +3 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 33lbs M 6/66Lamellar, Bone 33gp +4 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 26lbs B 4/52Lamellar, Bronze 30gp +4 +3 -5 25% 20ft/15ft 32lbs M 4/64Lamellar, Iron 44gp +4 +2 -5 25% 20ft/15ft 31lbs M 6/62Lamellar, Late Steel 60 gp +5 +2 -5 25% 20ft/15ft 29lbs M 9/58Leather Armor, Plate Reinforced 220 gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 30lbs ML 9/60Leather, Steel Plated 85gp +4 +2 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 26lbs L 7/52Nio Do 205gp +5 +3 -4 30% 20ft/15ft 34lbs M 9/68Plate, Bone 15gp +3 +4 -3 25% 20ft/15ft 22lbs BL 3/44Plated Armor, Chinese (Mirrors) 230gp +5 +3 -4 35% 20ft/15ft 40lbs M 9/80Scale Armor, Damascened 150gp +4 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 30lbs M 10/63Scale Mail, Bronze 42gp +4 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 32lbs M 5/64Scale Mail, Iron 45gp +4 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 31lbs M 6/62Scalemail, Chinese Steel 55gp +4 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 30lbs M 9/60Shirt, Brigandine Late Steel 10gp +4 +4 -3 20% 20ft/15ft 29lbs ML 9/58Shirt, Brigandine Middle Steel 8gp +4 +4 -3 20% 20ft/15ft 29lbs ML 8/58Shirt, Plated Bronze 18gp +3 +4 -3 20% 20ft/15ft/ 22lbs M 4/44Slat Armor 30gp +3 +4 -3 25% 20ft/15ft 25lbs WL 4/50Tanko 230gp +5 +3 -4 25% 20ft/15ft 31lbs M 6/62Tatami Do 195gp +5 +3 -5 30% 20ft/15ft 35lbs MF 9/70Yoroi 45gp +4 +4 -3 25% 20ft/15ft 28lbs M 6/56

# See the description in the text for special rules.‡ Armor fitted for small characters weighs half as much.


335

Table 11-12: Heavy Armor


Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure


Banded Armor, Bronze 165gp +5 +1 -5 25% 20ft*/15ft* 36lbs M 5/70Banded Armor, Chinese 265gp +6 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 35lbs M 9/70Banded Armor, Damascened 750gp +6 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 35lbs M 10/73Breastplate and Mail, Byzantine Early Steel 480gp +7 +0 -8 40% 20ft*/15ft* 48lbs M 8/96Chainmail, Rivetted 240gp +6 +1 -6 30% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs M 8/92Chainmail, Russian Double 375gp +6 +2 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 35lbs M 9/70Do-Maru 255gp +6 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs M 9/90Field Plate, Late Steel 1050gp +8 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 50lbs M 9/100Field Plate, Middle Steel 1000gp +8 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 50lbs M 8/100Half Plate and Leather Armor 390gp +6 +2 -5 35% 20ft*/15ft* 35lbs ML 9/70Hatomune Do 850gp +8 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 52lbs M 9/104Hotoke Do 506gp +7 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 51lbs M 9/102Late Brigandine Steel 330 gp +6 +2 -5 35% 20ft*/15ft* 41lbs ML 9/82Lorica Hamata 170gp +5 +2 -5 30% 20ft*/15ft* 41lbs M 6/82Lorica Segmentata 185gp +5 +3 -4 30% 20ft*/15ft* 39lbs M 6/78Lorica Squamata 180gp +5 +3 -5 30% 20ft*/15ft* 41lbs M 6/82Mail, Iron Scale and Chain 190gp +6 +0 -7 35% 20ft*/15ft* 39lbs M 6/78Mail, Scale and Plate 465gp +7 +0 -8 40% 20ft*/15ft* 51lbs M 6/102Maru Do 260gp +6 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 44lbs M 9/88Middle Brigandine Steel 320 gp +6 +2 -5 35% 20ft*/15ft* 41lbs ML 8/82Mogame Do 640gp +7 +1 -7 35% 20ft*/15ft* 47lbs M 9/94Nuinobe Do 335gp +6 +2 -5 30% 20ft*/15ft* 42lbs M 9/84Okegawa Do 510gp +7 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 53lbs M 9/106O-yoroi 505gp +7 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 50lbs M 9/100Persian Charioteer Armor# 235gp +6 +1 -9 40% 15ft*/10ft* 42lbs M 6/86Plate Armor, Damascened and Scale 480gp +7 +0 -8 40% 20ft*/15ft* 52lbs M 10/107Plate Armor, Half 250gp +6 +1 -6 40% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs M 9/90Plate Armor, Maximillian Late Steel 2100gp +9 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 48lbs M 9/96Plate Armor, Maximillian Middle Steel 2000gp +9 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 48lbs M 8/96Plate Armor, Tournament# 1000gp +9* -1* -8 50% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs M 9/90Plate Mail, Three Quarter 750gp +7 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs M 9/90Plated Mail, Bakhteretz 205gp +6 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 49lbs M 9/98Plated Mail, Kolontar 225gp +6 +1 -7 35% 20ft*/15ft* 47lbs M 9/94Plated Mail, Sind 510gp +7 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 50lbs M 9/102Platemail, Half Middle Steel 500gp +7 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 50lbs M 8/100Platemail, Light Middle Steel 300gp +6 +1 -5 35% 20ft*/15ft* 40lbs M 8/80Ringmail, Greek Bronze 185gp +5 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 37lbs M 5/52Ringmail, Greek Iron 190gp +5 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 36lbs M 6/50Scale Armor, Chinese Mountain Pattern 225gp +6 +0 -6 40% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs M 9/90Splint Mail, Bone 180gp +5 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 34lbs BL 6/66Splint Mail, Early Steel 190gp +6 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 45lbs ML 8/90Splint Mail, Wood 180gp +5 +0 -7 40% 20ft*/15ft* 35lbs WL 4/68Tsuzumi Do 250gp +6 +1 -7 35% 20ft*/15ft* 46lbs M 9/92Yokinoshita Do 650gp +7 +1 -6 35% 20ft*/15ft* 49lbs M 9/98

# See the description in the text for special rules.‡ Armor fitted for small characters weighs half as much.* When running in heavy armor you move only triple your speed, not quadruple.


336

Table 11-13: Shields & Accessories


Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure Spd 30'/20' Weight‡ M H/HP

ShieldsScutum 18gp +2 -2 15% 15lbs MW 6/30Shield, Aboriginal Fire 1gp +1 -1 10% 3lbs W 3/6Shield, Great Bark 12gp +3 -3 20% 15lbs W 1/28Shield, Great Bronze 32gp +3 -3 25% 22lbs M 3/44 Shield, Great Early Steel 34gp +3 -3 25% 25lbs M 7/50Shield, Great Iron 34gp +3 -3 25% 26lbs M 6/52Shield, Great Late Steel 40gp +3 -3 25% 25lbs M 9/50Shield, Great Middle Steel 36gp +3 -3 25% 25lbs M 8/50Shield, Great Wooden 18gp +3 -3 25% 13lbs W 3/26Shield, Large Bark 5gp +2 -2 15% 10lbs W 1/18Shield, Large Bronze 15gp +2 -2 15% 17lbs M 4/34Shield, Large Copper 14gp +2 -2 15% 16lbs M 3/32Shield, Large Early Steel 19gp +2 -2 15% 15lbs M 7/30Shield, Large Grass 6gp +2 -2 15% 7lbs C 2/14Shield, Large Hide 5gp +2 -2 15% 8lbs L 1/16Shield, Large Iron 17gp +2 -2 15% 16lbs M 6/32Shield, Large Late Steel 22gp +2 -2 15% 15lbs M 9/30Shield, Large Leather 7gp +2 -2 15% 9lbs L 3/18Shield, Large Middle Steel 20gp +2 -2 15% 15lbs M 8/60Shield, Large Viking Wooden 9gp +2 -2 15% 10lbs W 3/20Shield, Large Wooden 7gp +2 -2 15% 10lbs W 3/20Shield Skirt, Leather # 5gp +.5 1lbs L 4/2Shield, Small Middle Steel 9gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs M 8/12Shield, Small Bark 1gp +1 -1 5% 4lbs W 1/8Shield, Small Bronze 5gp +1 -1 5% 5.5lbs M 4/14Shield, Small Copper 4gp +1 -1 5% 5.5lbs M 3/14Shield, Small Early Steel 8gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs M 7/12Shield, Small Hide 1gp +1 -1 5% 3lbs L 1/6 Shield, Small Iron 6gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs M 6/18Shield, Small Late Steel 10gp +1 -1 5% 6lbs M 9/12Shield, Small Leather 3gp +1 -1 5% 4lbs L 3/8Shield, Small Reed 8sp +1 -1 5% 2lbs W 1/4Shield, Small Viking Wooden 5gp +1 -1 5% 5lbs W 3/10Shield, Small Wooden Shield 3gp +1 -1 5% 4lbs W 3/8Shield, Tower Early Steel** 55gp -10 50% 60lbs M 7/120Shield, Tower Hide** 22gp -8 50% 21lbs L 2/42Shield, Tower Late Steel** 65gp -10 50% 60lbs M 9/120Shield, Tower Middle Steel** 60gp -10 50% 60lbs M 8/120Shield, Tower Wooden** 30gp -10 50% 45lbs W 3/90** The tower shields grants you cover. See the description.Special Item Damage Critical Range TypeSword Shield 35gp 1d6/1d6 x2 S 16lbs M 8/32

ArmorBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure

+2 -2 15%


337

Table 11-13: Shields & Accessories

Gladiator Armor CostArmorBonus

Max DexBonus

Armor CheckPenalty

SpellFailure Spd 30'/20' Weight‡ M H/HP

Manica# 25gp +1 20% 6lbs L 5/18Galerus# 45gp +1 15% 7lbs M 6/14Galea# 60gp +1 0% 10lbs M 6/20Girdle# 30gp +1 0% 9lbs LM 5/18Greave# 20gp +0.5 0% 3lbs M 6/6Leather Arm Wrappings# 10gp +0.5 15% 3lbs L 4/6Open Faced Helm# 35gp +1 0% 6lbs M 6/12

Mount's Gear Spd 40'/50'/60'Light

Barding, Bezainted Leather Elephant 600gp +3 +5 -3 N/A 40'/50'/60' 69lbs LM 5/138Barding, Bezainted Leather Horse 300gp +3 +5 -3 N/A 40'/50'/60' 46lbs LM 5/92Barding, Lacquered Leather Horse 180gp +3 +5 -1 N/A 40'/50'/60' 32lbs L 5/64Barding, Leather Elephant 80gp +2 +6 0 N/A 40'/50'/60' 45lbs L 3/90Barding, Studded Leather Elephant 200gp +3 +5 -1 N/A 40'/50'/60' 60lbs LM 4/120

MediumBarding, Chainmail Early Steel Horse 580gp +5 +2 -5 N/A 30'/35'/40' 60lbs M 7/120Barding, Chainmail Late Steel Horse 700gp +5 +2 -5 N/A 30'/35'/40' 60lbs M 9/120Barding, Lamellar Iron Elephant 362gp +4 +3 -5 N/A 30'/35'/40' 93lbs M 6/186Barding, Leather and Bronze Plate 160gp +4 3 -4 N/A 30'/35'/40' 64lbs ML 5/128Barding, Rivetted Chainmail Horse 960gp +6 +1 -6 N/A 30'/35'/40' 68lbs M 8/166

HeavyBarding, Plate Late Steel 4200gp +8 +1 -6 N/A 30'*/35'*/40'* 100lbs M 9/200Barding, Plate Middle Steel 4000gp +8 +1 -6 N/A 30'*/35'*/40'* 100lbs M 8/200Barding, Plated Mail Elephant 1600gp +6 +0 -7 N/A 30'*/35'*/40'* 135lbs M 9/270Barding, Plated Mail Horse 800gp +6 +0 -7 N/A 30'*/35'*/40'* 90lbs M 9/180

ExtrasCloak, Bronze Armored 5gp +1 +6 -1 5% 5lbs LM 3/10

# See text for special rules‡ Armor fitted for small characters weighs half as much.* A mount running in heavy armor moves only triple its speed, not quadruple.


AAborigines 30Adaptive Tactics (Janissaries) 243Adarga 218Advanced Chariot Driving (Charioteer) 50Advanced Dodge 258Advanced Horsemanship (Elite Mongol Horsemen) 154Advanced Maneuvers (Legionairre) 95Advanced Terrain Control (Charioteer) 50Adze, Improved Stone 29Adze, Stone 10African Armor 79African Developments 28Ahlespeiss 235Ailettes 307Akinakes 72Alexander, March of 76Alternate Armor System

Armor as Damage Resistance 305Blunt Force Trauma 305

Alternate Fatigue System 306Ama Goi Ken 167Ancient China 119

A Brief Flourishing 133Warring States Period 122

Animal Resources 7Animals

Auroch 102Bull 103Camel 36Donkey 36Elephant 37, 126, 128Gazelle 103Giraffe 104Hippopotamus 104Horse 36Onager 37Ostrich 105Oxen 37War Dog 102

Ankus 133Arbequis 245Arbequis, Common (Serpentine Lock) 241Archer’s Thumb Ring 121Arit 163Armbands 67Armguards, Tangut 131Armor 233Armor Expertise (Eagle Knight) 21Army Ascendant 111Arrow

Armor Piercing 169Axeblade 148Bronze Fire 58

Bronze Headed 40Copper 40Flight 114Forked 169Iron Fire 69Shark Tooth 27Sheaf 114Whistling 130

Arrows Versus Armor 11Artifacts

AmericaAtlaua’s Atlatl 279Itzlacoliuhque Obsidian Knife 280Itzli’s Stone Sacrificial Knife 280Nayanezgani’s Armor and Arrows 280Tezcatlipoca’s Smoking Mirror 280

AsiaCai-shen’s Cap and Mace 282Men-shen Arrows, Sabers, Spears 282Monkey King’s Compliant Staff, Golden Armor, CloudRiding Shoes, Iron Crown 282Shen Yi’s Bow 282Southern Tian-wang Sword 282Zhong-kui’s Sword 282

AustraliaBobbi-bobbi’s Rib 280Wati-kutjara’s Boomerang 280

Celtic MythCuchulainn’s Notched Spear 285Lugh’s Rainbow Sling 285Manannan mac Lir’s Sword 285Tuatha Dé Lances and Shields 285

EgyptAtum’s Sunbeams 281Bes’s Weapons 281Horus’s Sword 281Neith’s Arrows 281Sakhmet’s Arrows 281Set’s Spear 281

GreeceAegis, Cloak-Shield of Zeus and Athena 286Apollo’s Plague Arrows 286Ares’s Sword 286Arrow of Abaris 285Artemis’s Bow 286Charon’s Hammer 286Cronus’s Sickle 286Eros’s Arrows 286Europa’s Javelin 286Melpomene Knife 286Nemean Lion Skin 287Poseidon’s Trident 287Zeus’s Lightning Bolts 287

India

338

IInnddeexx

Devi’s Sword 283Kalki Avatara’s Scimitar 283Shiva’s Flaming Discus 283Vajra, Indra’s Bolt 283

JapanSusanowo’s Grass Cutting Sword 283

MedievalDolorous Stroke 287Durandal 287Excalibur and Scabbard 288

MesopotamiaNergal’s Club and Sickle 283

Quiver of Recall 279Rome

Saturn’s Sickle 285Veiovis’s Arrows 285

Sub-Sahara AfricaKhonvoum’s Bow 280Shango’s Double Headed Axe 281

Teutonic/Nordic MythBalmung 284Fenrir’s Muzzle 284Freyr’s Sword 284Odin’s Gungnir 284Thor’s Hammer Mjolnir and Glove 284Valkyrie’s Spears and Armor 284

Assizes of Jerusalem 214Assyria 63

Assyrian War Machine 64Chariot Upgrades 64

Athens 71Atlatl 15Auroch 102Awl Pike 235Axe

African Sickle Style 78Bearded 202Bullova 133Executioner’s 250Footman’s 206Head 162Horseman’s 206Improved Stone 29Jeddart 247Khond 133Kritant 133Lochaber 247Miner’s 200Naga War 133Pick 200Stone 10Thrusting 248Woodcutter’s 198

Aztec 19

Aztec Cotton Armor 26

BBabylon 44Backsword 246Bagh Nakh 159Ballam, Early Steel 147Bamboo 26Banded Armor 146

Bronze 46Damascened 148

Barbarians and the Remnants of Rome 188Barbs on Weapons 15Barding 307

Bronze Plate 67Chainmail Barding 191Elephant 127Leather 67Plate Barding 239Riveted Chainmail 214

Bastard Sword 235Battle Cry (Elite Mongol Horsemen) 154Battle Wagons/Onager 44Battleaxe

Early Steel 188Early Steel Double Winged 197Egyptian Bronze 45Iron Double Headed 109Stone 29

Bayonet 264Bec-de-Corbin 246Ben Hur 108Berdiche 246Bestiarii as Rangers 105Bibliography 308Bilbo 256Bill 205Binnol 158Blowgun 15Bodkin 256Bokken 169Bola 16

Copper War 55Bone Plate 18Boomerang

Fighting 30Returning 30

Boss 307Bow

Arab 194Composite

Medium 30Short 30

Cordage Backed 16Double Recurve 67

339


Horn 30Hunnic Horse 114Light War 40Long Hinged 131Mongol Recurve 151Primitive

Hunting 10Medium 10

Short Hinged 131Steel 159

Bows vs. Crossbows 227Brace Javelin (Charioteer) 50Branding Iron 106Breast Plate

Bone Hair Pipe 19Tortoise 28

Breastplate 307Byzantine Early Steel 191Minoan Bronze 57Mycenaen Bronze 58Segmented 251

Breastplate Armor 146Brigandine Coats 233Brigandine, Chinese 146British Isles 196

Arthur 196Saxon invasion 196

BroadswordChinese 135Early Steel 188Two Handed Chinese Sword 157

Bronze 39Brutal Attack (Elite Mongol Horsemen) 154Brutal Flurry (Elite Mongol Horsemen) 154Buckler 233Buckskin 18Buhj 159Bull 103Bullet

Bronze Sling 58Clay Sling 99Lead Sling 69

Byrnie, Chainmail 202Byzantium 190

Belisarius 191Narsis 192

CCanaanite sword 41Canes 136

Fakir 148Catchpole 262Celt (Stone Axe) 29Celtic Weapons 56Celts 56

Celts of Britain 98Auxiliaries 99Consolidation 99Hands on Chariot Driving 98Wode 98

Cestrosphendone 74Cestus 108Chain Sword 139Chain, Segmented 129Chainmail 85

Reinforced 214Rivetted 214Russian Double 250Steel Plated 213

Chainmail Shirt 85Chainshirt, Byzantine Early Steel 191Chakram 161Chamfron 307Charioteer 49Charioteer Armor, Persian 73Charioteer’s Balance (Charioteer) 50Chariots and Chariot Combat 47

Hazards 48Mishaps 48

Accelerate/Decelerate 48Crash 49Jolt 48Major Jolt 48Possible Break 49Skid 48

Terrain 48Turning 48

Charlemagne 200Chauves-Souris 237Chekan 229Chijiriki 169Chimali. See Small Reed ShieldChin Dynasty 132Chinese Enchantment 144Chivalry 209Chou dynasty 54Christianity 190Chu Ko Nu 125Chu Ko Nu, Improved 130Class

Yeoman 237Claymore 254Claymore, Middle Steel 230Cloak Fighting 258Cloak, Bronze 43Cloth Armor

Heavy 147Studded 147

Cloth, European Padded 200

340

IInnddeexx

Club 7, 41, 64Bone 7Early Steel Throwing 188Paddle 78Shark Tooth 27Stone Throwing 17Wooden 188

Coat of Plates 214Coif 307Colichemarde 256Comitatus 191Compound Bows and Crossbows 234Conflict 194Converting Range Increments 305Copper 38

Copper—Arsenic Alloy 38Corded Armor 125Coronal 307Courboille 307Crinet 307Crossbow

Heavy (Early Arbalest) 209Light 122Light (Middle Steel) 205Modern Chinese

Heavy 130Light 130

Reload Mechanisms 234Croziers 199Cruel Wounding 259Crusades 204

First Crusade 207Second Crusade 208Third Crusade 210Fourth Crusade 212Fifth Crusade 216Sixth Crusade 217

Eagle’s Nest 218Seventh Crusade 218

Crushing Impact (Charioteer) 51Cudgel, Monk’s 124Cuirass 307

Linen 58Plated Linen 58

Cuirbouille Leather 213Cult of Kali 134Cut Lashings (Charioteer) 50Cutlass 253Czekan 251

DDagger 246

Iron 64Kidney 230Punching 126

Dai-Kyu 169Damascus Steel 148Dao 121Dart

Bone 15Bronze 96Byzantine 194Chinese ThrowingIron 96

Days of Decline 112Days of Glory 101Deception in Combat 88Defensive Driving (Charioteer) 51Deflect Missiles (Charioteer) 51Dirk 230Divine Items 273Divine Mandate 54Divine Property

Death 273Famine 273Inner Reflection 273

Armor 274Weapons 274

Missiles Without Limit 274Pestilence 273Plague 273Unerring 274Weightless 275

Dog, War 102Doloire. See Axe, ThrustingDo-Maru 171Domestication 36Double Mace 121Duelist 256Dung 131Durability and Material

Misses and what happens 292Break DC and Weapons 294Break DC, calculating for weapon or shield 294Creating a Strike Table 292Deterioration 293Item Damage 293

Dusack 255

EEagle Knights 20Eagle Shield (Eagle Knight) 21Eagle Visage (Eagle Knight) 21Early Iron Weapons

Axe 46Spear 46Sword 46

Edged Weapons 41Egypt 44Eku 162

341

Elephants 77Emi Piercers 138Epee 256Escrima 162European Colonialism 161Executioner’s Sword 250Extended Shot (Charioteer) 51

FFakir’s Horns 148Fakirs 148Falcastra 235Falcata 75Falchion 213Fall of Rome 114Falx 236Falx, Dacian 96Fang, Steel 124Fans 137Far East 52

China 53Farm Implements

Grain FlailHayfork 43, 199Pitchfork 199Pruning Hook 41Scythe 43Sickle 43Thresher 43

Faster Movement I (German Combined Cavalryman) 97Faster Movement II (German Combined Cavalryman) 97Fated Items 165Feather Staff 255Feats

Advanced Dodge 258Advanced Maneuvers 95Cloak Fighting 258Combat Advantage 111Cruel Wounding 259Deflect Missiles 51Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Firearms) 152Faster Movement I 97Faster Movement II 97Fire from Under Cover 51Fleet Footed 98Formation Tactics 43Greater Impaling Shot 241Heroic Demeanor 95Impaling Shot 240Improved Formation Tactics 44Improved Penetration 95Improved Shield Guard 51Improvised Weapon Training 144Lantern Fighting 258

342


Move Through Punch 258Moving Mount/Dismount 52Off-Hand Parry 259Preferred Opponent 111Punch Using Hilt 258Reputation 111Rope Arrows 52Running Evasively 97Second Wind 95Shield Disarm 56Shield Guard 52Superior Gunnery 240Swift Reload 240

Feruzue 167Feudal Europe 197Field Plate 239Fighter, Customizing your 76Fire from Under Cover (Charioteer) 51Firearms 239First Aid & Healing 13Flagellum 106Flail

GrainPlain 199Studded 199

Great 141Horseman’s (Goupillon) 216Long bar 135Military 206

Flail Mechanics, Optional 207Backlash 207Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Flail) 207Multiattack 207

Flamberge 245Flaming Clothing 210Fleet Footed (German Combined Cavalryman) 98Flights 10, 307Flute 136Flying Weight 138Fokosok 254Fork, Two Teeth 142Formation Tactics 43Francisca, Early Steel 188Franks 190French Fighting 254Fu 121Fu, Bronze 54Fukidake 172Full Membership (Guang Hu Adventurer) 156Full Moon 143Fuller 308Fumiki Bari (Ninja) 174Furs and Hides 8

IInnddeexx

GGadha 133Galea 108Galerus 108Garrote 172Gastrophetes 75Gauls, Trouble with the 87Gauntlet 308Gazelle 103Ge 120

Bronze 54Generate Stats for Items 302

Armor Statistics 302Hit Points 303Weapon Statistics 302

German Combined Cavalryman 96Germans 96Ghargaz 158Giraffe 104Girdle 108Gladiator 109Gladiator Armor 106

Partial Armor 107Gladiatoral Weapons 108Gladiators 101Gladius 91glaive 215, 229Glossary of Terms 307Glue 30Golden Fleece, Order of 239Gorget 308Goths 189

Goth Wagons 189Grain Sword 121Grain Sword, Bronze 54Great Axe 245Great Leap (Ninja) 174Greater Impaling Shot 241Greave 108Greaves 308Greek Fire 69, 194Greek Response 86Greek-Persian Wars 72Greeks 68Grip 308Ground Glass (Ninja) 174Guang Hu Martial Techniques 156

Body at Peace 157Body Like Fire 157Body Like Water 156Body Like Wind 156Combat Calm 157Refined Defense 157

Guang Hu Setting 155

343

Guard 308Gun Damage and Armor 151Gun, Primitive Chinese 151Guns and Reliability 151, 269Gupta Empire 132, 148

Gupta, Fall of the 133

HHaft 308Halab. See Tulwar, Early IronHalberd 205

Chinese 128Double 135Incan Copper 56

Half Moon, European 236Hammer 200Hammer, Chinese 137Han Dynasty 128

Red Eyebrows, The 131Han Expansion 130Hand Mortar 263Handaxe, Incan Copper 56Han-Kyu 172Hannibal 88

Hannibal’s Downfall 89Haramaki Do 171Harpoon, Stone 14Hatchet, Early Steel 197Hauberks 233Hayforks 199Heaven and Earth Blade 139Heavy Hides 96Hellenization 89Helmets and Helms 233Heroic Demeanor 95Heroic Resolve (Eagle Knight) 21Hidden Knife 143Hide Armor, Rhino 125Hides, Alternate 126Hilts

Basket 253Swept 253

Hippopotamus 104Historical Racial Items 288

Mythic Dwarves 288Mythic Elves 288Other Racial Items 288

Hittites 45Honor (Samurai) 177Hook, Nine Teeth 139Hoolurge 158Hora 126Horse Brother (Elite Mongol Horsemen) 154Horse Chopping Blade 140Horse Head Sword, Bronze 54

Horse Headcovering, Bronze 58Hostage Taking 92Huns 114Hurlbat 247Hussar Wings 251Hwa-Kek 163

IImpaling Shot 240Impaling Shot (Charioteer) 51Improved Critical (Macahuitl) (Eagle Knight) 21Improved Formation Tactics 44Improved Penetration (Legionairre) 95Improved Shield Guard 51Improvised Weapons 64Inca 54Incan Cotton Armor 55India 126

Spread of Buddhism 127Indian Contributions 158Indonesia 162Invisibility (Jaguar Knight) 23Iron 63

Faeries 63Rust 63Steel 63

Iron and the Late Bronze AgeIron Claw 139Iron Cuirass 73Iron Scaled Linen Cuirass 69Iron Sleeve Proficiency (Ninja) 174Iron Sleeves 143Islam, Fragmentation of 204Item Crafting and Quality 307

JJaguar Knights 22Jaguar’s Touch (Jaguar Knight) 23Janissaries 242Japan 166

Edo Shogunate 174Ninja 171Outside Influences 167Samurai System, The 167

Javelin 41Heavy Iron-tipped 86Iron Headed 69Primitive Wooden 8Primitive Wooden Hardened 9Rope 137

Jazerainted scale for infantry. See KaracenaJian 120Jigap Armor 130Ji-Kuwa 162Jitte 169

344


Jo 167Julius Caesar 92Jumonki-Yari 167

KKama 162Kama-Yari 167Kapak 164Karabela 264Karacena 264Karambit 164Katana 171Katar 126

Closed Hilted Early Steel 147Dual Bladed 159Three Bladed Early Steel 147Tri-Bladed 159

Kawanaga 173Keiko, Iron 166Ken 167Ken, Japanese Early Folded 168Kestros 74Kinzhal 244Knife

African Throwing 79Bamboo 27Butterfly 162Chinese 120Chinese Curved 67Deer Antler 139Early Steel 198Golden Coin Long 141Iron 64Rock 8Swallow Trident Long 142Triple 256Yeung Guen Long 142

Kongo-Zue 167Kopesh 41Kopis 67Kora 161Kris 165Kris Blades 165Kuanto 163Kujungi 163Kukri 162Kumade 169Kusari-gama 175Kwandao, Iron 123Kylie 30Kyoketsu-Shogi 172

LLading 165Laingtjat 163

IInnddeexx

Lamellar ArmorBone 67Bronze 56Bronze-Bound Leather 54Iron 67Late Steel 250

Lames 308Laminate 308Lance

Byzantine Early Steel 191Chinese 128Couched 234Fong Ting 142Lances on Foot 192Light Iron 101North American Stone 17Rest 241South American Wooden

Forked 25Standard 25

w/ Coronel 242Landsknecht Fashion 246Landsknecht Matchlock 245Lantern Fighting 258Lariat 114Last Ditch Strike (Elite Mongol Horsemen) 154Leaded Cane 254Leather 31

Arm Wrappings 108Armor, Tanned 31Bezainted 126Lacquered 151Shield Skirt 69Steel Plated 113

Leather Armor, Plate Reinforced 264Li Kwei- Double Axes 124Living off the land 67Longbow

Composite 73English 227North American Indian 15Welsh 210

LongswordBronze 57Chay Yang 137Early Steel 113Great 159

Lorica Hamata 112Lorica Segmentata 112Lorica Squamata 112Lost Civilizations 52Low Justice (Samurai) 177Lucerne Hammer 247Luris. See Pedang

345

MMacahuitl 25Mace 41, 158

Damascened Ox 148Early Steel Heavy 197Early Steel Light 197Fist 246Footman’s 205Horseman’s 205Stone 10Toothed Stone 31

Mace And Chain 216Mace Staff 121Macedonia, Rise of 73Maces 64Magical Item Abilities

Aura 275Banishing 275Blurred 275Corrosion 275Darkness-Bearing 276Finding 276Heart Seeking 277Impervious 277Light-Bearing 277Material Cutting 278Potent 278Quaking 278Renewing 278Sundering 278Warding 278

MailByzantine Early Steel 191

Main Gauche 248Maintenance and Repair 302Majra 193Malaysia 162Mancatcher 165

Spiked 165Mandarin Coin Blade 139Man-eaters 105Manica 108Manople 218Manriki-gusari 170Marathon 73

Second Invasion 73Martel de Fer, Middle Steel 206Maru 148Masakari 170Masamune’s revolution 171Matchlock Handgun, Early 239Material: Lacquer 130

MaterialsBone and Teeth 294Cord 295Dragon Hide, Scale, and Tooth 295Fabric 296Gemstone 296Glass 297Leather 297Metal

Adamantine 298Bronze 299Copper 299Gold 299Iron 299Mithril 300Silver 299

Stone 301Wood 301

Maul 200Meditation (Guang Hu Adventurer) 156Melee Weapons with Guns 252Meso American Armor 26Meso American Weapons 24Metal Tinting 198Meteor Hammer 137Metsubishi (Ninja) 174Ming Dynasty 154

Developments in Armor & Weapons 157Guang Hu School, Creating your 157

Minimum Strength 306Minoans 56Mirror Plated Armor, Chinese 146Misericorde 248Moghuls 161Mongols

Mongol Conquest 220Successors 154The Great Ride 149

Ghengis Khan 149Khwarazm 150Russia 150Tartars 150Temujin 150Toghrul 150

Monk’s Spade, Iron 123Morale 77Move Through Punch 258Moving Mount/Dismount (Charioteer) 52Musket

Flintlock 261Snaphaunce 253Wheel Lock 248

Mycenaens 57

346


NNadziak 251Nagegama 170Nageteppo 175Nageyari 167Nagimaki 170Naginata 167Naming of Swords and Axes 203Native American Developments 14Native American Armor 17Nekode 173Nepal 161Net

Grass 9Retiarii 108

New SpellsDurance 288Protection from Bludgeoning 289Protection from Piercing 289Protection from Slashing 289Renew 289Resonate 289Spell Bind 290

Ninja-to 171Nock 308No-Dachi 170Nomadic Plains Indians 17Nunchuku 162Nunti-Sai 175

OObsidian 25Odysseus’s Armor and Bow 287Offensive Whip Use (Charioteer) 51Off-Hand Parry 259Okinawa 162O-No 170Open Faced Helm 108Optimati 191Oslopi 229Ostrich 105Other Aztec Orders 23Oubuch 251O-yoroi 168

PPack Mentality 11Padded Armor

Byzantine 191Silk 132

Paku 163Paladins 208Paper Armor, Chinese Pirate 125Pappenheimer 262

IInnddeexx

Paralyser 165Parang 165

Gina 165Latok 165

Partisan, Middle Steel 215Pass In the Shadows (Ninja) 174Pata 159Patisa, Sapola 160Pattern Welded Steel 201Pattern Welded Viking Swords 202Pauldron 308Pedang 164Pellet

Bow 130Crossbow 130

Pendjepit 164Pentjak 163Pepper (Ninja) 174Perform Subskills

Calligraphy 175Flower Arraigning 175Gardening 175Tea Ceremony 175

Persia 71Persians 148

End of an Era 148Personal Weaponry 253Phalanx tactics 43Phurbu 131Phyrric Victories 86Piau 166Pick

Footman’s 205Horseman’s 205

Picts 196Pike

Middle Steel 215Morris 254

Pilum, Light & Heavy 90Pistol

Matchlock 244Serpentine Lock 244

Pitchforks 199Plague 234Plate Armor

Half 261Maximillian 248Tournament 241

Plate Mail 112Three Quarter 262

Plated MailBakhteretz 160Kolontar 152Sikkim 160

347

Sind 160Platemail

Half 232Light 232

Play Dead (Ninja) 174Poison (Ninja) 174Poisoning (Ninja) 174Polearm 308Pole-mounted sling 75Pommel 308Preferred Opponent (Gladiator) 111Prehistory 6Prestige Classes

Charioteer 49Duelist 256Eagle Knights 20Elite Mongol Horsemen 153German Combined Cavalryman 96Gladiator 109

Gladiators as PC’s 111Guang Hu Adventurer 155Jaguar Knights 22Janissaries 242Ninja 173Roman Legionnaire 93

Playing a Legionnaire 95Samurai 176

Privateers 253Progress of War 237Pruning Hook 41Psychological Warfare 65Pugio 91Punch Using Hilt 258Punic War, The First 87

QQiang 121Qin Rule & the Steel Era 124Quarterstaff 7, 200Quillion 308Quoit 158

RRabbit Stick 17Rake, Nine Teeth 142Ram Da’o 162Ranseur 237Rante 166Rapier

Early 246Long 253Short 256

Rate of Fire 269, 332Razor, Yuen Yang 139Refthi 202

Reloading guns 240Renaissance 245Reputation (Gladiator) 111Reputation (Guang Hu Adventurer) 156Resin 30Ringmail

Greek Bronze 67Greek Iron 69

Rings, Iron 139Rise of Islam 192

Abu Bakr 192Battle of the Trench 192Muhammad 192

Road to Empire 89Provinces 91

Robin Hood 227Rock, Throwing 7Rockets, Chinese 151Roman Legionnaire 93Roman Monarchy 84

Nascent Republic 85Roman Weapons & Armor 90Romance of the Three Kingdoms 133Rope Arrows (Charioteer) 52Runic Inscription 203Running Evasively (German Combined Cavalryman) 97Russian Double Chainshirt 250

SSa Tjat Koen 164Sabar 158Sabaton 308Saber

Chinese Long 157Hunnic Early Steel 114Short 255

Saber Halberd 248Sabit. See KarambitSabu 141Sai 162Santie 159Sap 255Sarissa 75Scale and Chain Mail, Iron 101Scale Armor

Chinese Mountain Pattern 144Damascened 148Scale and Plate Armor Damascened 148

Scale Mail 112Bronze 64Iron 64

Scaled Jack 152Scalemail, Chinese Steel 146Scaling Fork 236

348


Schiavona 254Schnepfer 254Science of Warfare 31Scimitar

Iron Indian 133Late Steel 250

Scourge, Metal 106scramsax, Early Steel 188Scutum 91Scythe, Early Steel 198Scythians 67Second Wind

Elite Mongol Warrior 154Janissary 243Legionnaire 95

Sekir 229Sgain Dubh 230Shamshir, Early 207Shaolin 135Shark Tooth Mail Shirt 27Shark Tooth Sword 27Shield 40

Aboriginal Fire 30Egyptian 45Grass 28Great Wood 79Iron 64Lantern 254Leather

Large 31Small 31

Small Reed 26Small Wooden 18Tower 28Viking Wooden

Large 202Small 202

Wooden 28Shield Blades 214Shield Combat 143Shield Disarm 56Shield Guard (Charioteer) 52Shield Spikes 42Shield Trapping 42Shields 11Shirt, Bronze 43Shoot on the Move (Elite Mongol Horsemen) 154Short Staff 121Shortsword 160

Early Steel 197Flint 29

ShovelGolden Coin 137Moonteeth 137

IInnddeexx

Shuriken 171Siangkam 164Sica 108Sickle 158, 163Sickle Sword 41Sickle, Early Steel 198Sieges 195Sinew 308Sjang Sutai 163Skills

Fencing 259Balestra 259Beat 259Bind 259Ceding Parry 259Corps-a-Corps 260Croisé 260Feint 260Fleche 260Lunge 260Pattinando 260Press 260Remise 261Riposte 261Thrust 261

Knowledge (Military Engineering) 94Riding 38

Skin Armor 8Slashing Weapons 64Slat Armor 18Sling 17

Bullets 17Double string 74

Snicker-Snee 256Sode Garami 170Solenarion 193Sovna 229Sparta 70Spartacus 91Sparte, Early Steel 197Spatha 91Spathion, Early Steel 191Spear 41

Bamboo 27Double Headed 136Early Steel Long 197Iron 64

Long 64Short 64

Iron Half 73Krokaspjót 202Primitive Wooden 9Primitive Wooden Hardened 9Snake 137

349

Stingray Spine 27Stone Head 10

Spear Gun 151Spear Thrower 28Spetum 237Spike, Bone 7Spiked Cestus 108Splint Mail 204Staff, Wolf’s Teeth 139Steel Crossbows 234Stick

Long 7Short 7

Sticks and Stones 7Stiletto 256Streaking Shot (Charioteer) 51Studded Cuir-bouille Leather 213Studded Leather Block Armor, Bronze 54Studded Leather, Bronze 56Sub-Saharan Africa 78Sufi Islam 148Sulitsa 229Sumeria 39

Sumerian Tactics 40Sumerian battleaxes 41Sun and Moon Spear Blade 139Sun’s Aura (Eagle Knight) 21Sun’s Flame (Eagle Knight) 21Superior Gunnery 240Swashbuckling 261Sway (Charioteer) 51Swift Reload 240Sword

African Sickle Style 78Beheading 144Executioner 142Iron Pudao 123Kopesh 45Long-Handle Nine Ring 135Seven Star 122Steel Fish Spine 158Tigerhead Hook 137Unicorn Horn 140Ying Yang Dagger 140

Sword Breaker 256Sword Breaking 121Sword Canes 254Sword Shield 213

TTabar 148Tables

Table 1-1: Amputation 13Table 1-2: Eagle Knight 21Table 1-3: Jaguar Knight 23

Table 1-4: Stone Age Weapons 32–33Table 1-5: Stone Age Armor 34Table 2-1: Riding Modifiers 38Table 2-2: Terrain 48Table 2-3 Terrain Changes 48Table 2-4: Driver Mishap 48Table 2-5: Breakage 49Table 2-6: Charioteer 50Table 2-7: Bronze Age Weapons 59–60Table 2-8: Bronze Age Armor 60Table 3-1: Iron Age Weapons 80–81Table 3-2: Iron Age Armor 81Table 4-1: Legionairre 94Table 4-2:German Combined Cavalryman 97Table 4-3: Open Faced Helm 108Table 4-4: Gladiator 110Table 4-5: Roman Weapons 115Table 4-6: Roman Armor 116Table 5-1: Elite Mongol Horsemen 153Table 5-2: Guang Hu Adventurer 156Table 5-3: Ninja 173Table 5-4: Samurai 176Table 5-5: Far East Weapons 178–184Table 5-6: Far East Armor 184, 185Table 6-1: Dark Age Weapons 221–223Table 6-2: Dark Age Armor 224Table 7-1: The Yeoman 239Table 7-2: Janissary 244Table 7-3: Duelist 258Table 7-4: Pagentry Weapons 265–268Table 7-5: Material Updates Weapons 269–270Table 7-6: Pagentry Armor 271Table 9-1: Weight 302Table 9-2: Hit Points 303Table 9-3: Hardness 303Table 10-1: Weapon Size and Damage 305Table 10-2: Blunt Force Trauma 305Table 10-3: Fatigue 306Table 10-4: Item Crafting and Quality 307Table 10-5: Traditional d20 Armor. Chart 312Table 10-5: Traditional d20 Weapons. Chart 310–312Table 11-1: Simple Melee Weapons 314–317Table 11-2: Simple Ranged Weapons 318Table 11-3: Martial Weapons-Melee 319–325Table 11-4: Martial Weapons-Ranged 326Table 11-5: Exotic Weapons-Melee 327–329Table 11-6: Exotic Weapons-Ranged 330Table 11-7: Weapons Ranged-Ammunition 331Table 11-8: Special Items 331Table 11-9: Firearms-Ranged 332Table 11-10: Light Armor 333Table 11-11: Medium Armor 334Table 11-12: Heavy Armor 335Table 11-13: Shields & Accessories 336–337

350


TachiImitation Chinese 157Japanese Early Folded 168

Tamo, Iron 124Tang 308Tang Period 144

Chinese Steel 148Conquest 145Tang as Campaign Setting 145

Tan-Kiev 142Tanko, Iron 166Tarch 264Targe, Scottish 230Target 254Tassels on Weapons 143Technology, Diffusion of 78Tepoztopilli 25Teppo 175Throwing Axe

Bronze 96Early Steel 114Iron 96

Tian-chi Fay Short 141Tibet 130Tiger Fork, Iron 124Tight Turning (Charioteer) 51Tjaluk 163Toledo Steel 228Tomahawk 17Tombak 163Tonfa 162Tonto 170Tôsei gusoku 175Tournament Culture 242Tournaments 210Trackless Running (Ninja) 174Training (Duelist) 257Traps of War 99Trident, Iron Headed 87Tschehouta, Early Steel 147Tuck 254Tulwar, Early Iron 133Turks 132Tusk 7

UUichi-ne 167Ulu 15Unseating a Rider 237Urumi 160

VVambrace 308Vandals 190Veecharoval 126

IInnddeexx

Verdun 254Vikings 201Voulge 237

WWakazashi 171Wall of Air (Jaguar Knight) 23War and Consolidation 230

Serfdom vs. Peasantry 231Vassalage 231

War, Infection, and the Dead 12Gangrene 13Neural Necrosis 13Septicemia 12Tetanus 13

WarhammerFootman’s 206Horseman’s 206

Wax 30Weapons Training (Janissaries) 243What’s in a name 201Wheel, Wind and Fire 137Whip 37

Bone Scourge 65Bull 198Hard 140Horse Hair Tassel 143Leather 65Maori 27Steel Barbed Chinese 129

351

Wicks and Powder 241Apostles 241

Wind’s Key (Jaguar Knight) 23Woman’s Place in War 209Wood and Hide Armor 19Works Cited 308Wudan Movement 135

XXiphos

Double Edged Early Steel 191Single Edged Early Steel 191

YYari 167Yeoman 237Yoroi, Iron 166

ZZen Awareness (Samurai)

Advanced Alertness 177Blind Fight 177Body Awareness 177Combat Calm 177Eagle’s Vision 177Envisioned Shot 177Tracking 177

Zhou as Campaign Setting 122Zhuge Nu 158Zwiehander 245

OOppeenn GGaammiinngg LLiicceennssee aanndd NNoottiicceessThis printing of From Stone to Steel is done under version 1.0a of the OpenGame License, the D20 System Trademark License, D20 System TrademarkLogo Guide, and System Reference Document by permission from Wizards ofthe Coast. Subsequent printings of this book will incorporate final versions ofthe license.Designation of Product Identity: The following items are hereby designatedas Product Identity in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game Licenseversion 1.0a. Any and all MonkeyGod Enterprises logos and identifyingmarks; all artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps and car-tography, likenesses, poses, logos, symbols, or graphic design, except such ele-ments that already appear in the D20 System Reference Document and arealready OGC by virtue of appearing there. The above Product Identity is notOpen Game Content.Designation of Open Game Content: Subject to the Product Identity designa-tion above, the following portions of From Stone to Steel are designated asOpen Game Content: all creatures, skills, feats, prestige classes; all Weapons;all Armor; anything else contained herein which is already Open Game Con-tent by virtue of appearing in the System Reference Document or some otherOGC source; and all text contained herein that is already public domain.All contents of this book, regardless of designation, are copyrighted year2003 by MonkeyGod Enterprises LP.OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0aThe following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copy-right 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or trademark ownerswho have contributed Open Game Content; (b)"Derivative Material" meanscopyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including intoother computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, exten-sion, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which anexisting work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) "Distribute" means toreproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or other-wise distribute; (d)"Open Game Content" means the game mechanic andincludes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such con-tent does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the priorart and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by theContributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translationsand derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes ProductIdentity. (e) "Product Identity" means product and product line names, logos andidentifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories,storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, sym-bols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes andgraphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names anddescriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas,likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equip-ment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphicdesigns; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified asProduct identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specificallyexcludes the Open Game Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names,mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or itsproducts or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by theContributor (g) "Use", "Used" or "Using" means to use, Distribute, copy, edit,format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open GameContent. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this agreement.2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that containsa notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under andin terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Con-tent that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this Licenseexcept as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may beapplied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Youracceptance of the terms of this License.

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