AlternateMechanics/GMWeaponCreation

GordonMichael's Melee Weapon Generation System

This system is designed to create stats for mundane melee weapons roughly on par with those in the Exalted core book.

Melee weapons start out with +0 speed, +0 accuracy, +0L damage, +0 defense, 10 points and no special traits.

1. Devise a basic weapon concept, such as 'pike', 'katana', 'Klingon bat'leth' or 'huge double-bladed sword like that rock dude from Ninja Scroll had'.
2. Assign negative traits for additional bonus points. After totalling negative traits, round up fractions.
3. Assign positive traits.
4. Assign attributes. Reducing traits provides as many points as raising them would cost.
5. Eyeball the Resources cost, write a description and discard unassigned bonus points.

Attribute Costs

Attribute    Points  Minimum  Maximum
Speed        1/3     -6       +3
Accuracy     2       -2       +2
Damage       2       +0       +5L/+7B*
Defense -    1       -2       +3
* - two-handed weapons have a damage limit of +10L/+13B

Positive Traits

Brawling Aid (6 points)

The weapon is a brawling aid.

Clinch / Hold (3 points)

The weapon can be used to make clinches and holds.

Concealable (3 points)

The weapon can be concealed in a sheath underneath a buff jacket or heavy cloak, while remaining easily accessible. Depending on its size, the weapon may also be concealed in a satchel or even be strapped to a limb if it is sufficiently thin and small.

Improved Disarm (1 point)

The difficulty for disarming attempts with this weapon are reduced by one.

Long Reach (1 point)

The weapon is long enough that it can be used by a character on foot to attack a mounted opponent without penalty.

Martial Arts Weapon (5 points)

The weapon is a martial arts weapon.

Mounted Charge Weapon (7 points)

The weapon is designed for mounted charges like a lance. When used in a mounted charge, the weapon gains a +10 bonus to speed and a +6 bonus to damage. This merit can only be taken with one-handed spears. Otherwise, use the standard rules for a lance.

One or Two Handed (1 point)

The weapon can be freely wielded with either one or two hands, like a katana or bastard sword, however it is still considered a one-handed weapon for purposes of how many bonus points it can get for strength requirements. When wielded two-handed, the weapon receives a +1 bonus to Accuracy and a +2 bonus to damage, base (one-handed) traits are still subject to one-handed limits, while modified (two-handed) traits are subject to two-handed limits, so a weapon that has +2 accuracy one-handed still only has +2 accuracy two-handed. Weapons with One or Two Handed (this really needs a better name) usually also have Long Reach.

Variable Damage (2 points)

The weapon can be used to inflict lethal or bashing damage without penalty, bashing damage is equal to lethal damage + 2 for one-handed weapons and lethal damage +3 for two-handed weapons.

Negative Traits

Ability Requirement, Martial Arts (0.5-1.5 points)

Every level of Martial Arts requirement above 1 provides half a bonus point, up to 1.5 bonus points for a Martial Arts requirement of 4. This flaw can only be taken for martial arts weapons.

Attribute Requirement, Dexterity (0.5-1.5 points)

Every level of dexterity requirement above 1 provides half a bonus point, up to 1.5 bonus points for a dexterity requirement of 4.

Attribute Requirement, Strength (1-3 points)

Every level of strength requirement above 1 provides 1 bonus point, however one-handed weapons cannot get additional bonus points for strength requirements above 2, and two-handed weapons cannot gain bonus points for strength requirements above 4.

Bashing Damage (4 points)

The weapon inflicts bashing damage.

No Lethal Parry (2 points)

The weapon cannot be used to parry lethal damage without a stunt.

Two-Handed (4 points)

The weapon requires both hands to be used properly, using it one-handed is awkward, providing appropriate penalties. Two-handed weapons have higher damage limits. Two-handed weapons generally have the Long Reach trait.

Warstrider Weapon (10 points)

The weapon is gigantic, and is likely designed either for use with a warstrider, or for a gigantic wielder such as a wyld giant or a powerful spirit or demon. The strength requirement is increased by 10, the maximum speed bonus is reduced to +0, the minimum damage is increased to 3, the maximum damage is increased by 5 and the weapon's resources cost is increased by 2. The bonus points for Warstrider Weapon are calculated after the points for Strength Requirement. Warstrider Weapon cannot be taken in conjunction with Bashing Damage, Variable Damage, No Lethal Parry, Long Reach or Concealable. Except as noted above, warstrider weapons function according to the rules from The Book of Three Circles, including the penalty for being less than 15 feet tall.

Weapon Point Values and Special Traits

Blades               Points  Traits
Chopping Sword       9       none
Great Sword          10      Long Reach, Two Handed
Knife                4       Concealable
Short Sword          10      Concealable
Slashing Sword       10      none
Straight Sword       8       none

Impact Weapons       Points  Traits
Axe                  9       none
Club / Staff         3       none
Great Axe            9       Long Reach, Two Handed
Hammer               9       none
Mace                 10      none
Poleaxe              9       Long Reach, Two Handed
Sledge               9       Long Reach, Two Handed

Spears               Points  Traits
Short Spear          9 1/3   Long Reach
Spear                9       Long Reach

Brawling Aids        Points  Traits
Cestus               6       Brawl Aid, No Lethal Parry
Fighting Gauntlet    10      Brawl Aid
Khatar               9       Brawl Aid, No Lethal Parry
Tiger Claws          9       Brawl Aid

Martial Arts         Points  Traits
Fighting Chain       10      MA Weapon, Clinch / Hold
Hook Sword           9       MA Weapon
Sai                  9       MA Weapon, Improved Disarm, Concealable
Seven-Section Staff  8       MA Weapon, Concealable
Short Tiger Fork     10 1/3  MA Weapon, Improved Disarm 
Tiger Fork           9       MA Weapon, Improved Disarm
Wind-Fire Wheel      10      Brawl Aid, MA Weapon, Concealable

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Methodology

Initial Inspiration

I was reading through DariusSolluman's artifact creation rules AlternateMechanics/DSAlternateArtifactCreation) when I decided to test them out on mundane weapons, and it worked pretty well.

Blades and Impact Weapons

Okay, first of all, of the five best (by point value) one-handed weapons (slashing and chopping swords, maces, axes and hammers), all but one work out to 10 points, and all but one have a strength requirement of two. Assuming each level of attribute or ability requirements above one is worth one point, these weapons all work out to 9 or 10 points before flaws. This means that after its strength requirement, a greatsword 13 points, and sledgehammers, greate axes and poleaxes are 12 points, making 2-handed a three point flaw. This would mean all the good blades and impact weapons can be replicated with the system, give or take one point. What's left are straight swords, short swords, knives, clubs and staves.

Straight Swords

Straight swords are only 8 points, i'll just leave it like that.

Clubs and Staves

These weapons are mechanically identical, and are described in the core book as basic, primative and basically inferior weapons, they're also made out of wood, the core book even says that a high-quality metal-shod club uses the stats of a mace.

Shord Swords and Knives

In the WoD games, weapons have concealability ratings (pocket, jacket, trenchcoat and none). I gave short swords the 3 point version of concealable, bringing it into line with the other weapons, while knives get the 7 point version and still come off as a point under.

Spears

Spears work out to 8 points and short spears work out to 8 1/3 points, making the ability to attack mounted opponents without penalty a 1 point merit brings them into the 9-10 range. Lances are a special case that I'm not messing with.

Brawling Aids

Tiger Claws and Fighting Gauntlets are 0 and 1 points respectively, adding the 5 point version of concealably, that works out to 5 and 6 points, so making Brawling Aid a 4 point merit puts them in the same range as standard weapons. Giving khatars the 5 point version of concealable and making the inability to parry lethal damage a 2 point flaw puts the khatar in line with standard weapons. Cesti are still only at 7 points with Concealably (7) and No Lethal Parry, but it can be written off as cesti being inferior weapons like clubs.

Martial Arts Weapons

First of all, I'm making dexterity and martial arts requirements worth half as much as strength requirements. Using only their requirements, hook swords are 4 points, seven-section staves are 0 points ande wind-fire wheels are -4 points. Making Martial Arts Weapon a 5 point merit makes Hook Swords 9 points, Seven-Section Staves 5 points and Wind-Fire Wheels 1 point. Factoring in Concealable (5) brings Seven-Section Staves up to 10 points and Wind-Fire Wheels up to 6 points. Finally, making Wind-Fire Wheels also count as Brawl Aids makes them 10 point weapons.

Caste Book Night MA Weapons

Based on stats, and the merits and flaws that have already been created, Fighting Chains are 7 points (5 for stats, -4 for requirements, +5 for being a martial arts weapon, +1 for long reach), Sai are 13 points (3 far stats, -2 for requirements, +5 for being martial arts weapons and +7 for concealability), Short Tiger Forks are 9 1/3 points (5 1/3 for stats, -2 for requirements, +5 for being martial arts weapons, +1 for long reach) and tiger forks are 8 points (6 for stats, -4 for requirements, +5 for being a martial arts weapon, +1 for long reach). Fighting chains are clinch and hold enhancers, which I'll make a 3 point merit, bringing them up to 10 points. Sai and tiger forks are disarming enhancers, which I'll make a 1 point merit, bringing sai up to 14 points, short tiger forks up to 10 1/3 points and tiger forks up to 9 points, short tiger forks aren't that big of a deal, but still, we have a problem.

Concealability

Concealability really screws up sai, so i decided to give it a flat cost of 3 points, bringing Sai down to 9 points. This makes knives only 4 points, but knives aren't exactly the deadliest weapons known to man, so it's no big deal, unfortunately, it also screws up brawling aids and martial arts weapons.

Brawling Aids Revisited

This makes cesti 4 points, fighting gauntlets 8 points, khatars 7 points and tiger claws 7 points. Increasing Brawling Aid to 6 points makes cesti 6 points, fighting gauntlets 10 points, khatars 9 points and tiger claws 9 points.

Martial Arts Weapons Revisited

With the altered costs of Concealable and Brawling Aid, Seven-Section Staves are 8 points and Wind-Fire Wheels are 10 points. Straight swords are already 8 points, so it's no big deal.

Notes

Bashing Damage and Variable Damage are pretty much eyeballed from the Implosion Bow stats, Warstrider Weapon is approximated from the stats in The Book of Three Circles. Weapons with the One or Two Handed trait are designed to be slightly worse than exclusively one-handed or two-handed weapons.

For anyone interested, here's the old version of Concealability.

Concealability (old) (3/5/7 points)

The weapon is relatively easy to conceal. For 3 points, the weapon can be concealed in a sheath underneath a buff jacket or heavy cloak. For 5 points, the weapon can be fit into a pocket or satchel, however in a pocket it will create an obvious bulge unless the pocket is in baggy pants, on the inside of a jacket or covered by a loose shirt or cloak. For 7 points, the weapon can be hidden in a pocket or strapped against an arm or leg as long as the character isn't wearing thin or tight clothing.

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