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Weapon & Armour Features

 

 

            Weapons with the 'Reach' feature get first-strike capability over someone without a 'reach' or ranged weapon unless the opponent (who would otherwise have initiative) successfully in-fights.  The opponent must declare that he or she will in-fight, and then successfully dodging or parrying to get past the business-end of the weapon in order to strike.  This uses up an action as a normal parry or dodge.  Unless otherwise noted, a weapon with reach cannot strike an opponent unless you back-up to keep them at a distance.

 

            Crushing or Blow-through; apply shock before reductions for damage resistance

 

            Damages Armour; lowers Damage Resistance &/or Armour Class when it hits, doesn't need to penetrate Damage Resistance to damage armour—just because you didn't feel it doesn't mean your armour didn't

 

            Spiked: This allows shields, particularly small shields and bucklers to be used as weapons. Adding a spike this way adds 10 guilder to the cost, or 12 guilder if retrofitted. The spike is usually in the center of a buckler, but spikes may be added to the edge. In either case, the damage is 1D4 + Strength. Spikes may be added to weapons in the same manner--with the same cost and damage. This gives weapons an additional combat option; that is, you can either hack (with the blade, such as with a polearm) or stab with the spiked tip. Spikes may also be added to the bases of most handles.

            Armour may be spiked as well. This typically involves many smaller spikes rather than a single large one. These cost 10-50 guilder, and add 1-10 pounds to the weight of the armour, depending on the exact work done. Armour spikes cause 2 points of damage to an opponent in grappling attacks per round, and can be used as a melee attack, such as a blow from the shoulder, forearm, shin, etc.

            Sacrifice: Armour or shields that have this feature can be 'sacrificed' to guarantee that an attack can be completely avoided. This is effectively 100% resistance to hacking, stabbing, and piercing attacks, plus all damaging energy-related attacks (fire, lightning, etc.). When the character chooses to sacrifice the item, he or she takes no damage, but the shield or armour is destroyed. Shields are only effective against a single attack when they are sacrificed; armour is unaffected until the end of the round. This feature is typically only found in wooden, ceramic, bone, and ablative armours and shields.

            Shieldbreaker weapons are able to destroy a shield if its wielder chooses to do so.  When this feature is utilized, make an attack roll as normal.  If the shieldbreaker weapon is successfully blocked, then the shield is destroyed (defender still takes no damage).  If the attack is not successfully parried, then the opponent is not harmed, as your goal was to destroy the shield.  If you miss, then of course none of this applies.  Loser.