Weapon Attributes

The choice of weapons used by your character might be circumscribed by the class of your character, but selection is otherwise a matter of your preferences based on various factors presented hereafter.

Of course, the initial cost of the weapon might affect your selection at the beginning. Beyond this consideration, there are factors of size and weight. The damage inflicted by the weapon is important, as is the amount of space required to wield it. These details are given hereafter.

The weapon a character uses says something about who he or she is. You probably want to equip your character with both a melee weapon and a ranged weapon. If you can’t afford both your melee weapon of choice and your ranged weapon of choice, decide which is more important to the character.

What size of weapon you choose determines how your character can choose to wield it (with one hand or two), whether it can be used as a Primary weapon or Secondary, and how much damage he or she can deal with it.

A larger weapon generally deals more damage than a one-handed weapon, but wielding a weapon in two hands prevents the wielder from using a shield, so that’s a trade-off. The number of weapons your character is proficient with depends on his or her class. A better weapon is usually more expensive than an inferior one, but more expensive doesn’t always mean better.

Notes Related to the Weapon Tables

Cost. This value is the weapon’s cost in gold pieces (g.p.), silver pieces (s.p.) or copper pieces (c.p.). The cost includes miscellaneous gear that goes with the weapon, such as a scabbard for a sword or a quiver for arrows if purchasing one dozen.

Weight. This column gives the Encumbrance weight of a typical version of the weapon in gold pieces. (See Encumbrance below.)

Length. This is the length of the weapon. Length is particularly important when combat begins because the longer weapon strikes first during a charge. Characters under 5 ft. height cannot use any weapon over 12 ft. in length and cannot employ the longbow.

Dmg (S/M). This means the amount of damage a weapon does before modifiers against Small or Man-sized opponents.

Dmg (L+). This means the amount of damage a weapon does before modifiers against Large opponents.

Armor Rating Adjustment. If the opponent is wearing armor granting an Armor Rating, the adjustment modifies the wielders “to hit” roll when attempting an attack with the weapon. Normal unarmored humanoids are Armor Class Rating 10. Monsters not wearing armor are generally assumed to grant no adjustments against Armor Class, however the Dungeon Master may choose to modify this on a case by case basis (e.g. a heavily scaled dragon may be considered to have an Armor Rating of 2, equal to a human wearing plate mail and employing a shield).

[Campaign Rules: Any negative modifiers "to-hit" due to Weapon Type vs. Armor Rating will be added to the Armor Class of the defender. Thus, a veteran (fighter 1, THAC0 20) wielding a quarter staff against an opponent wearing plate mail and shield (AC 2; Base Armor Rating 2) would normally need a 18 to-hit but, with a -7 on the roll due to weapon type vs. armor rating (See Melee Weapons II), any roll would miss other than a Natural 20 (which is an automatic hit). This campaign rule causes the weapon type vs. armor rating negative modifier to instead change the defender's AC from AC 2 to AC -5 which means any adjusted to-hit result of 20 or higher will hit. For example, the veteran, if charging would gain a +2 to-hit for the charge and will hit an AC -5 with a roll of 18 or higher.]

Fire Rate (or Rate of Fire or ROF). This is the number of attacks per round allowed when using the missile weapon. All attacks are considered a single attack routine and must target the same creature*. No matter the rate of fire, all attacks come on the same segment*. As can be discerned from the Missile Weapon tables, those with a rate of fire (or "ROF") above 1 are generally slower to use than single fire weapons. However, a wielder of a weapon with a ROF over 1 can choose to take a "snap-shot" with their weapon (a single shot/attack) to fire/throw it sooner. In any case, missile weapons allowing a fire rate above 1 per round generally assumes the wielder is using two hands to load (or retrieve) and strike with the weapon. See Direct Fire Missile Weapons. (2)

* Normally, a fighter's whirlwind attacks and iterative attacks have no bearing on missile weapon rates of fire. A special exception exists for those with iterative attacks that allow the wielder to fire at different targets. See Direct Fire Missile Weapons.

Range. This value is listed in 1” increments. (See Distance.) At medium range (between short and medium range), the “to hit” roll is adjusted by -2 and at long range, the “to hit” roll is adjusted by -5. A missile weapon cannot hit an opponent past long range. (3, 4)

Number of hands required to use by race. This notes which melee weapons may be used in one hand, two hands, and whether the weapon may be used for two-weapon fighting. A number denotes the number of hand required for use (“1” vs. “2”). A weapon used in two hands means the wielder cannot also use a shield or hold other things in their “off” hand. In some cases, the weapon length will determine how the individual must operate (or the wielder has a choice, such as the case with the bastard sword). e.g. “1 or 2”. A dash means the character cannot use the weapon due to size. Lances may be used in one hand while mounted. (5, 6, 7)

A “P” indicates the weapon may be used as the Primary weapon in a two-weapon combat scenario and a “S” indicates the possible use of a weapon in the Secondary, or off-hand in two-weapon fighting. Two secondary weapons may be used, one in each hand as well. (See Combat, Combat Actions, Melee.)

Speed Factor. This weapon quality defines how “fast” a weapon is to ready, aim, use and recover. The number is equal to the number of segments required before an attack may be made. For missile weapons, the number after the "/" indicates the weapon speed for a crossbow that must be reloaded.

Space Required. This indicates the amount of open space around the wielder necessary to use the weapon. Tight formations or narrow spaces will limit the usage of certain weapons. (8)

Bard, Cleric, Druid, Thief, Monk. This character class may become proficient with this weapon.

Brace. If a defender is wielding a weapon with the brace quality and they are granted an immediate attack due to having the longer weapon against a charging attacker, the damage for the attack will be doubled. A “L” indicates the weapon can only do this additional damage against charging Larger than Man-sized creatures.

Dismount. If a mounted attacker is hit by an immediate attack for Entering Melee with a defender wielding a weapon with the dismount quality, the rider must make a Dexterity save vs. Breath or be dismounted.

Disarm. This weapon is capable of disarming opponent using the rules found in the section, Combat, Combat Actions, Melee, Special Attacks. Certain weapons (as indicated by an asterisk) can only be employed by fighters or a member of their sub-class to execute this maneuver.

Large. This weapon may only be used by creatures Larger than Man-sized.

Mounted Charge. These weapons do twice indicated damage against creatures of any size when employed by an attacker riding a charging mount.

Polearm. This weapon is a member of the polearm family of weapons.

Two-handed. These weapons must be used with at least two hands/limbs by all creatures unless otherwise indicated in the creature's statistics.

Character Size Limitations

Characters under 100 pounds of body weight cannot use pole arms in excess of 200 gold piece weight equivalent, including two-handed swords. Characters under 5 ft. height cannot any weapon over 12 ft. in length. Characters under 100 pounds of body weight cannot use the heavy crossbow. Characters under 5 ft. height cannot employ the longbow. The DM may impose other penalties or restrictions based on size.

Special weapons

Cold-wrought iron is iron which is shaped without heat, generally by pounding and filing. Sources of cold-wrought weapons vary from one campaign to another, and it is up to the referee to decide where such weapons might be found. They are generally rare (and expensive), as they take more time and effort to make than forged weapons, and are not as durable (saving as soft metal). Certain weapon forms could also be impractical (sharp, bladed weapons). (9)

Heavy Missile Weapons. The Strength bonus for hitting and damage does not apply to missiles unless the weapon is specially constructed to take advantage of high Strength. This will result in the weapon having an additional chance to hit and do the additional damage as well. In no event will it add to the effective range of the character’s weapon. Thus, the character will employ a heavier missile or a more powerful bow and heavier arrows or larger sling missiles to gain the advantage of Strength. When employing such special weapons, Strength bonuses “to hit” and damage are cumulative with Dexterity bonuses to hit and apply at any range. These weapons are normally made of rare materials utilizing secret techniques by a master specializing in the type of weapon, and each must be made for a specific Strength rating. Expense and availability are up to the DM. (10)

Magic arrows which miss their target are 50% likely to be broken or otherwise rendered useless. All which hit are destroyed.

Magic Daggers and Swords. All magic swords and daggers receive their stated bonus both for purposes of hitting (as a bonus to the “to hit” die) and for damage (as +1, +2, +3, etc. addition to hit points of damage scored). Most swords (and all daggers) of magical nature shed light when drawn from their scabbard. A sword will glow only when it is in the hands of its wielder. The glow is not under the wielder’s control, however, unless the weapon’s description says it is. The size of the blade, not the swords combat bonuses, determines how much light it sheds. Daggers shed a 10 ft. radius light, short swords, 15 ft. radius, and longswords (or larger) shed light in a 20 ft. radius.

Silver weapons are likewise expensive and rare costing upwards of 10x the cost of the item (such as a silver-tipped arrow). These weapons are fragile, saving as soft metal and only certain weapon forms may be constructed due to the nature of the metal (arrows, bolts, bullets, spear-type, daggers, maces, flails, and sliver tipped sticks or staves; minimum expense for non-ammunition types would be 50 g.p.).