Weapon Skill

You can purchase Weapon Skill in any of five categories or styles: Weapons, Shields, Armor, Throw Weapon, and Florentine Weapons (as detailed on the Cost of Weapon Skills table). Points spent are cumulative within the categories. Thus, if you pay 9 points in Weapon Skill, you may use a long sword, a plain sword, or a short sword. You may also use a short or plain flail, a spear or pike, a glaive, or a crossbow or bow, provided that both your weapons and your use of the weapons have passed a safety inspection by a Weapons Marshal. Once you have spent 24 character points on Weapon Skill (of any type), you are a Weapons Master and may use any weapon or ability on the list for which you have been approved.

Weapon Skill points represent your overall ability to use weapons and armor more than they represent your knowledge of any specific style. Thus, you may switch the styles in which you are proficient between games by trading in one Weapon Skill for another Weapon Skill (or combination of skills) that costs the same total number of points in Weapon Skill. At no point, however, may you trade points in Weapon Skill for Character Points to be used on some other ability.

Weapons

Special Weapons

Special Weapons applies to any basically unclassifiable weapons form, such as mahdu, shotel, bolas, left-handed can-openers, etc. The cost of a special weapon will be determined by the Weapons Manager.

Stabbing Tips

A stabbing tip may add to the cost of a weapon. Weapon costs (in character points) increase as the weapon length increases. A stabbing tip increases the effective length of a weapon by four inches (except for spears). For example, a 36" sword is ordinarily considered a plain sword, but if it has a stabbing tip, it is considered a 40" weapon (a long sword) for purposes of cost, and therefore costs 9 character points rather than 6.

Shields

A shield must be held in the hand by a handle or strap (thus restricting weapons use in that arm). A bracer or wrist-guard is not considered a small shield; it is considered armor.

Blocking Staff (3 points)

Blocking Staff is a defensive Weapon Skill treated as a shield skill. It allows you to use a padded boffer staff, but not to attack—only to parry blows. Its only permissible use is to plant one end of the staff on the ground and swing the staff back and forth to block shots. For rules purposes, it is considered a shield, and it may be combined with another weapon without the Florentine skill. Also, because mages are attuned to staves, they may use this skill without the Battlecast skill and suffer no penalty. This skill costs only 3 points, so it is ideal for mages and/or pacifists who wish to increase their defensibility in melee.

Armor

Armor must be a reasonable facsimile to qualify as valid. A cleverly spray-painted T-shirt does not qualify as plate mail or chain mail.

Throw Weapon (4 points)

Throw Weapon gives you the ability to throw weapons. You may throw any weapon that you have purchased the Weapon Skill for and that has been approved for throwing safety (all approved throwing weapons will be labeled with yellow tape).

Florentine Weapons (3 or 5 points)

"Florentine" is the term for using two weapons at the same time, one in each hand. "Short Florentine Weapon" grants you the ability to use a second weapon that costs 3 points or less, while "Long Florentine Weapon" grants you the ability to use a second weapon that costs 6 points or more.

Restrictions: the primary weapon must be no longer than 52" (bastard sword length), and the second weapon must be no longer than 38" (plain sword length). The second weapon may be of any type that you can use as a primary weapon. Florentine requires approval by a Weapons officer to be used.

Example: you buy the "Plain Sword" ability (for 6 points) and the "Short Florentine" ability (for 3 points). You may use anything up to a plain sword as your primary weapon and anything up to a short sword as your secondary weapon.