Weapon

Melee Weapons

Simple Weapons

Simple melee weapons are either tools from common trades, like woodworking, smithing or cooking, or weapons crafted for hunting, like spears. Additionally, tools repurposed as weapons also fall under the simple category, like warscythes or swordstaffs.

Martial Weapons

Martial Weapons are weapons explicitly made for warfare. These are more specialized, granting the proficient wielder more damage and maneuvers for use in combat.

However, certain martial weapons may impose hardships while trying to socialize if the martial weapons are visible. This depends on the region, but some people may not appreciate a halberd in their face.

Martial weapons gain the maneuvers and properties of their simple counterpart.
Light martial weapons can be made as thrown weapons. This reduces their damage to the simple damage category, but allows it to be thrown more effectively.

Weapon Damage

→ Weapon Damage
The damage a melee-weapon can do is dependent on several factors.

Which kind of attack you make with the weapon, each corresponding to the five types of physical damage; Slashing, Cleaving, Piercing, Splitting, Bludgeoning. Cleaving and Splitting are combinations of the other damage types.
Your modifier for Dexterity or Strength, depending on which kind of attack you make.
The quality of the weapon; Simple, Martial or Exotic.
Any enchantments on the weapon.

High

Quality Type	Great	Two-Handed	One-Handed	Light
Simple	D10	D10	D6	D4
Martial	D12	D12	D8	D6
Exotic	Exotic weapons are rare and all have specific stats

Medium

Quality Type	Great	Two-Handed	One-Handed	Light
Simple	D8	D8	D4	D2
Martial	D10	D10	D6	D4
Exotic	Exotic weapons are rare and all have specific stats

Low

Quality Type	Great	Two-Handed	One-Handed	Light
Simple	D6	D6	D2	1
Martial	D8	D8	D4	D2
Exotic	Exotic weapons are rare and all have specific stats

Armor Penetration

The five different physical damage types have a varying degree of effectiveness against armor, each having an armor penetration value from 0 to 3. Slashing is the least effective against armor but great against flesh, like a sabre wielded against lightly armored or unarmored foes is almost useless against heavily armored ones. Bludgeoning however is the most effective against armor, like a warhammer wielded against a plated knight. It will however be less useful against an unarmored foe.

Damage Type	Armor Penetration
Slashing	0
Cleaving	1
Piercing	1
Splitting	2
Bludgeoning	3

Armor Penetration Calculations

Armor penetration ignores the AL calculated from your AL bonus from armor.

For example, if a creature has an Armor Level (AL) of 15, with a Dexterity modifier equal to 3 and an AL bonus from armor equal to 2, a bludgeoning weapon, which has an armor penetration of 3, will reduce the effective Armor Level down to 13 when determining a hit from an attack.

Noting ALs On Your Sheet

An easy way to keep track of your ALs during combat is to write down your base AL, your AL with the added Dexterity modifier and your AL with Dexterity and armor.

With the example described above, it could look something like this:

Base AL: 10
Base + Dexterity AL: 13
Base + Dexterity + Armor AL: 15

Weapon Categories

Axes

Simple Axes are axes primarily used for woodworking, felling trees and butchery. Examples include Handaxes, Felling Axes, Broad Axes, Hatchets.

Martial Axes are either made to cleave through limbs and light armor, or split through, bend and bash armor. Examples include Battleaxes, Tomahawks, Long Axes.

Damage Types

Simple	Martial
Cleaving or Splitting	Slashing Cleaving Piercing

Range

Melee

Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Goading Attack Menacing Attack Tripping Attack	Disarming Attack Positioning Strike Restraining Attack Arresting Strike

2h Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Power Attack Pushing Attack	Commander's Strike Sweeping Attack Seize and Conquer

Blades

Simple Blades are blades primarily used for farming, skinning and cooking. Examples include Scythes, Sickles, Knives, Machetes

Martial Blades include all kinds of swords and special daggers. Blades can be double-edged or single edged, curved or straight, straight and thin, or short and heavy.

Martial Variations

Curved

→ Curved Blade
Curved Blades are swords with a back-bending blade. These are heavily favored for lightly armored combat and often in the hands of cavalry. They favor slicing, cutting and slashing. Examples are Scimitars, Falchions and Sabres.

As a Bonus Action, while mounted, when you attack with a Curved Blade, you may make an extra attack with the same weapon.

Straight

→ Straight Blade
Straight blades are the weapons of choice for those who require versatility. They give like most swords a good balance of offense and defense, but their double-edged blade yields the possibility of either hacking and cleaving, finding gaps and piercing the opponent, but also half-swording to split and swapping the grip to bash with the pommel. Examples are Daggers, Shortswords (Arming Swords), Longswords, Bastard Longswords, Greatswords (Zweihanders).

Thrusting

→ Thrusting Blade

Thrusting Swords are either made for civilian life and personal protection, which are weapons designed to pierce lightly armored opponents, or made for warfare with heavier blades made to pierce and split thick armor. Examples are Rapiers, Estocs and Stilettos.

Statistics Table

Damage Types

Simple

Martial

Slashing
Cleaving
Piercing

Curved Blade	Slashing Cleaving
Straight Blade	Slashing Cleaving Piercing Splitting Bludgeoning
Thrusting Blade	Slashing Piercing Splitting

Range

Melee

Maneuvers

Simple

Martial

Curved Blade	Commander's Strike Parry Riposte Sweeping Attack
Straight Blade	Parry Patient Defense Riposte
Thrusting Blade	Disarming Attack Lunging Attack Parry Riposte

2h Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Tripping Attack Sweeping Attack	Menacing Attack Power Attack Positioning Strike

Bludgeons

Simple Bludgeons are tools usually used for carpentry, masonry and hunting. Examples include Hammers, Sledgehammers, Clubs. Also includes equipment for mining or climbing, like Pickaxes and Ice-picks.

Martial Bludgeons are weapons specially made for enemies with strong armor. Either with a splitting edge or a lump of steel, bludgeons can cause concussions, broken ribs and a whole variety of bodily harm. Bludgeons however, are not as effective against unarmored opponents.

Damage Types

Simple	Martial
Bludgeoning or Splitting	Bludgeoning and/or Splitting

Range

Melee

Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Goading Attack Menacing Attack Power Attack	Avert Blow Bait and Switch Brace Maneuvering Attack

2h Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Tripping Attack Pushing Attack	Arresting Strike Commander's Strike Seize and Conquer

Spears

Simple Spears includes farming tools and fishing tools, or simple weapons for hunting. Examples include Tridents and Hunting Spears.

Simple spears can only be of the versatile size or smaller. Two-Handed or great sizes spears must instead be polearms.

Martial Spears are spears made for warfare rather than hunting. These range from javelins to longspears and pikes, and are generally the weapon of choice for large cohorts and armies. Even in one on one are they favored if the terrain is open and allows for longer weaponry.

Damage Types

Simple	Martial
Piercing or Splitting	Piercing and/or Splitting

Range

Melee, Thrown

Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Distracting Strike Feinting Attack Lunging Attack	Arresting Strike Impale Precise Attack Riposte

2h Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Maneuvering Attack Tripping Attack	Parry Patient Defense Vigilance

Polearms

Simple Polearm examples includes most improvisational weaponry made from farming tools, or simple weapons like longer spears. Examples include Warscythes, Pitchforks, Quarterstaffs and Swordstaffs.

Martial Polearms are a combination of several weapons put on a stick. Often times seen as a pure battlefield weapon and made for large scale combat. Examples include Halberds, Poleaxes, Pikes.

Polearms must always be great sized weapons.
Martial polearms can choose to forego one of the chosen weapon categories for a hook. This grants the wielder advantage on checks when trying to unmount a mounted creature.

Damage Types

Simple	Martial
Bludgeoning plus the Damage Types from one simple melee weapon category of your choice.	Bludgeoning plus the Damage Types of two martial melee weapon categories of your choice.

Range

Melee

2h Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Pushing Attack Brace plus the maneuvers of the chosen weapon category.	Menacing Attack Lunging Attack plus the maneuvers of one of your chosen weapon categories.

Melee Weapon Examples

Show Examples TableShow Examples Table

→ Melee Weapon Examples

Melee Weapon/Examples

Ranged Weapons

Simple ranged weapons are weapons and tools that are used at range and primarily used for hunting and fishing.

Simple ranged weapons always requires both hands to reload, regardless of size.
Simple ranged weapons can not be of the versatile weapon size.

Martial ranged weapons are usually heavier and unwieldier compared to simple ranged weapons, and are specifically made for war. The bows in this category is not only made to penetrate hide and flesh like with a hunting bow, but also, pack a massive punch, enough to dent, break or even penetrate heavy armor. The ranges for these weapons are also further, allowing better accuracy at more distant targets.

Draw Strength

Draw strength is the amount of strength a ranged weapon requires and maintains to be shot. This determines both the possible size of a ranged weapon, as well as the distance it can travel when shot.

Simple drawn weapons are ranged weapons that use the wielders strength in each shot. These are mainly weapons used for hunting, where examples include Slings, Hunting Bows, Self Bows, Simple Bows.

Simple drawn ranged weapons have a strength requirement equal to its Draw Strength. This requirement explains the draw weight of the weapon and the required strength of the wielder to draw and hold it while shooting.

Martial drawn weapons, like with simple drawn weapons, utilize the strength of the wielder to maintain a draw weight. However, the martial drawn weapons often have a much higher draw weight. Examples includes a variation of Longbows and Warbows.

Damage Types

Ammunition Dependent

Range

Ranged

Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Distracting Strike Precise Attack Rapid Fire	Maneuvering Attack Power Attack Distant Shot Volley

2h Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Menacing Attack Point Blank	Pushing Attack Pierce Snipe

Size

Modifier

Draw
Strength

Range

Load Time
(Loaded Weapons)

Examples

Light

Simple	Martial
0.5x	1x

Simple

Martial

Small Sling

7

25 ft

50 ft

0

8

30 ft

65 ft

0

9

40 ft

80 ft

0

10

50 ft

100 ft

1

One-handed

Simple	Martial
1x	1.5x

9

80 ft

120 ft

1

Large Sling

10

100 ft

150 ft

2

11

125 ft

185 ft

2

12

150 ft

225 ft

3

Two-handed

Simple	Martial
1.5x	2x

11

180 ft

250 ft

3

Simple Bow

12

225 ft

300 ft

4

13

270 ft

360 ft

4

14

320 ft

430 ft

5

Great

Simple	Martial
2x	2.5x

13

360 ft

450 ft

5

Hunting Bow

14

430 ft

535 ft

6

15

520 ft

650 ft

6

16

620 ft

775 ft

7

Loaded Weapons

Simple loaded weapons are ranged weapons that unlike all the other simple weapons, are nearly always made for warfare. Because of the simplicity of crossbows and the lack or need of expertise, almost any fool can pick one up to shoot. Simple loaded weapons are almost exclusively crossbows of different variations and sizes.

Simple loaded weapons do not have disadvantage while prone or within 5 ft. of an enemy.
Simple loaded weapons are treated as if they were a martial weapon when calculating for damage and range.
Attacking with a simple loaded weapon requires loading it beforehand.

Martial loaded weapons, like the simple loaded weapons, are made mainly for war. However, unlike the simple kind, the martial type is often made for a trained combatant. Examples include heavy crossbows or firearms.

Martial loaded weapons are treated as if they were an exotic weapon when calculating for damage and range, i.e. one damage die tier higher.

Damage Types

Ammunition Dependent

Range

Ranged

Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Maneuvering Attack Precise Attack Point Blank	Disarming Attack Distracting Strike Menacing Attack Pierce

2h Maneuvers

Simple	Martial
Snipe Sneak Attack	Goading Attack Rapid Fire Volley

Load Time

The loading time for a loaded weapon is one attack action, plus one more attack action for each size larger than light. Additionally, the ability score modifier of the draw strength increases or reduces the loading time respectively.

Added Damage

A loaded weapon can be made to have its loading time increased by two attack actions to increase its damage with one extra damage die. A martial loaded weapon can utilize this feature twice.

Examples of this include simpler guns like flintlock rifles and muskets or more powerful crossbows that require increased time to wind up.

Magazine (Attacks before reload)

A loaded weapon can be made with a magazine, increasing the amount of attacks it can make before having to reload it at the cost of increased loading time.

For each time the magazine size is increased by 1, the loading time is also increased by 1, up to a maximum magazine size of 12. When adding a magazine, the damage is reduced to the simple weapon damage category. Martial loaded weapons increases their loading time by half, rounded down, when increasing their magazine size.

Speciality Weapons

Simple Specialty Weapons

Specialty simple weapons includes a wide variety of tools used for different work and trades, but when used in combat are not effective in the same way a blade is. Their primary use is usually not for the physical damage they cause. Lassos and Bolos are the obvious examples.

Blowgun

Blowguns are a type of simple loaded weapon that lack the punch that most weapons have, instead they are often made to deliver a powerful toxin. These generally come in small disguisable sizes, or large two-handed long range versions.

Blowguns do not deal any physical damage when they hit, instead they deliver a poison.
Blowguns have a set range depending on their size, as seen in the Range row below, from light to great.
Attacking does not automatically reveal you when using a blowgun. If you hit, the target must succeed a contested Wisdom (Perception) check against your Dexterity (Stealth) to determine where you are. This do not stop intelligent creatures from investigating the scene, even if they haven't directly seen you.

Damage Types	—
Range	Ranged (75 ft., 150 ft., 225 ft., 300 ft.)
Maneuvers	Point Blank, Volley
2h Maneuvers	Distant Shot

Lasso

Lassos are a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when pulled. The lasso is usually used in animal husbandry, but with a skillful user, it can be used to restrain a dangerous opponent.

Lassos are always two-handed with a 15 ft. melee range (without being a great weapon).
A grappled creature from restraining attack still has the ability to move in the area within 3 meters of you.

Damage Types	—
Range	Melee
2h Maneuvers	Restraining Attack, Disarming Attack, Tripping Attack

Bola

Bolas are a type of throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, used to capture animals by entangling their legs.

Can use the Restraining Attack maneuver even when thrown.
The Bola's weapon maneuvers are free maneuvers, allowing other maneuvers to also be used.

Range	Ranged
Maneuvers	Tripping Attack, Restraining Attack