Sunday 19 September 2021

Equipment: Even More Exotic D&D Weapons

Equipment: Even More Exotic D&D Weapons

Let's keep looking at what exotic (and not so much) weapons D&D supplements give us, and see how to represent them in GURPS. This post covers new weapons from the following books: Book of Exalted Deeds, Complete Adventurer, Complete Warrior, Frostburn, Masters of the Wild, Monster Manual II, Monster Manual IV, Monster Manual V, Planar Handbook, Races of Stone, Races of the Wild, Sandstorm.

Ankus
Ankus actually exists in LT, but does not have a statblock in the weapon table. So, let's make one for ease of reference.
Annulat
This exotic ranged weapon, invented by the neraphim, appears as a perfectly circular, nearly paper-thin hoop forged from a dark ironlike metal and sharpened on the outside edge. The annulat’s diameter is a little over 1 foot. The band of metal, while thin, measures some 2 inches in breadth. When thrown, an annulat sails through the air with deadly accuracy, its cross-section so thin that it is almost invisible. It is also possible to make it curve somewhat in flight. This allows the wielder to ignore -2 of the total penalty for cover, intervening figures, and target posture (see Target, p. B548).

Atlatl
Already exists in LT.

Barbed Bolas
This weapon is similar to a normal set of bolas, except that its weighted balls are studded with hooked barbs and thus deal more damage.

Barbed Dagger
Barbed daggers, as their name implies, look like normal daggers with long barbs covering the blade. Barbed daggers get stuck - pulling the weapon out requires a ST roll and inflicts half the injury it caused going in, like a pick (see pp. B405-406).
Battlehorn
A battlehorn is a double weapon that consists of two large horns affixed together, facing in opposite directions.

Bone Bow
This powerful and oversized bow is designed to fire exceptionally large arrows specially made for it. Made of the bones and sinews of huge animals such as woolly mammoths and dire rhinoceroses, these bows were designed by primitive cultures expressly for the hunting of huge creatures that require a lot of damage to take down. The bow has a long, thick spike protruding from both ends; this spike is used to brace against a solid object (either the ground or an overhanging protrusion or ceiling) to aid in pulling the bow’s string. Bracing requires a Ready maneuver and increases the wielder's effective ST by 1 for the purpose of drawing the bow.

Boomerang
Already exists in LT.

Broadblade Short Sword
It seems that this is just a normal shortsword from LT. Complete Adventurer says that it is wider and heavier, helping the wielder when fighting defensively. It seems that this should be closer to the smallsword, which is a fencing weapon, but it makes no sense to make it one. So, I'll just say that it's a normal shortsword.

Caber
Honestly, I have no idea how to convert this, so I'll just skip it.
Chatkcha
A chatkcha is a type of exotic throwing weapon invented by the thri-kreen and unique to them. The chatkcha is a kind of triangular throwing wedge with three piercing points. The thri-kreen carve it from a crystalline material.

Collapsing Crescent Fan
This is the combat fan from LT.

Crescent Scythe
This is the light double-ended axe from GURPS Fantasy-Tech 2: Weapons of Fantasy.

Desert Throwing-Knife
This is the large throwing knife from LT.

Dire Pick
A dire pick resembles a normal pick, but with a longer shaft and a more massive head. Usually it is wielded in two hands, but strong characters may wield it in one hand.

Double Hammer
This is the double-ended mail from GURPS Fantasy-Tech 2: Weapons of Fantasy.

Double Khopesh
This is a double-ended khopesh that can be wielded either with the Staff or Two-Handed Axe/Mace skill.

Dragonsbreath Arrow
This is the same as the alchemist's arrow.
Dragonsplit
Dragonsplits are exotic weapons used in pairs by greenspawn sneaks. A dragonsplit can be used like a shortsword. Alternatively, it can be used in reverse grip for extra damage. In addition, in the reversed grip it can be used to perform a cutting hilt punch.

Dwarven Buckler-Axe
This is a shield with a bladed rim in LT (descibed in more detail on p. 20 of LTC2).

Dwarven Double Spear
This is the Double-Ended Slashing Spear from GURPS Fantasy-Tech 2: Weapons of Fantasy.

Dwarven Warpike
This is the bill from LT.

Eagle's Claw
This is the sickle from LT.

Elven Courtblade
These exotic swords seem impossibly long and thin, tapering to a needlelike point. One edge of the blade is sharpened along its entire length, and the opposite edge is sharpened only for the final quarter near the tip. A courtblade has a basket-shaped hilt (usually made to resemble leaves and vines), a long grip, and a heavy pommel. The hand gets DR 4, cumulative with glove DR – although the hilt is too cramped for metal gauntlets. The guard also gives +1 to punching damage. The change in the weapon’s balance and feel gives the user -2 to skill until he familiarizes himself it (see Familiarity, p. B169). The weapon is intended for thrusting attacks, but the wielder can slash with it as well.

Elven Lightblade
This rapierlike weapon is the size of a short sword, but weighs only as much as a dagger. Dexterous elf fighters and rogues favor it. Its thin, flexible blade slips easily into the seams of armor or between the ribs of a foe. Some elf nobles carry a lightblade - often decorated with intricate filigree and tiny gemstones - as a sign of their station, even if they aren’t proficient in its use.

Elven Thinblade
This rapierlike weapon is the size of a longsword, but much lighter. Dexterous elf fighters and rogues favor it. Its thin, flexible blade slips easily into the seams of armor, or between the ribs of an enemy.

Entangling Pole
This is the sodegarami from LT.

Fingerblade
This is the shortsword from LT.

Foot Bow
Foot bows are described in the Bows, Crossbows, and Rated ST box on p. LT74.

Foot Spike
The raptorans developed this weapon for use in aerial combat. A foot spike resembles a sharp knife blade strapped to the bottom of a sturdy boot. The spike is spring-loaded and folds into the boot for walking, and thus has no effect on movement. When a foot spike is unfolded, the wearer's land speed is reduced to 0.2xMove (minimum 1). Extending or retracting a foot spike is a Ready maneuver. Prices and weights are given for a single foot spike.

Gehennan Lancet
This is the katar from LT.
Glot
The glot is a specially balanced sphere of metal designed to be thrown low to the ground. It then skips and bounces across the ground with little reduction in velocity to strike its target. If the ground between you and your target is solid, flat, and relatively free of obstructions, the glot’s 1/2D range increases to STx4. If the ground is also icy, the glot skips even more readily over the frozen ground and its 1/2D range increases to STx5.

Gnome Swordcatcher
This short, heavy sword resembles a broad-bladed short sword with two heavy prongs extending up from the hilt. These prongs are designed to help catch and disarm opponents’ weapons. Prongs give the wielder +2 in Quick Contests to disarm.

Gnome Quickrazor
The gnome quickrazor is a fast, flashy weapon favored by gnome bards, because it allows them to hold an instrument, attack with a weapon, and still keep one hand free for spellcasting. In addition, many two-weapon-wielding spellcasters find it a perfect off-hand weapon because it allows them to keep their primary weapon in hand and still cast spells with their off hand. The quickrazor features a light, wide knife blade with a very small hilt. The weapon is worn tied to the wielder’s wrist in a specially designed sheath. When you attack with a quickrazor, you flick it out in a quick, slashing circle, catching the hilt in your hand at the end of the arc and then snapping it back into its rest.
Because of this flicking technique, drawing a quickrazor requires a Fast-Draw+2 roll, but at the end of your action, you must stow the quickrazor in order to use it properly again on your next turn. Stowing the weapon after attacking with it in this fashion requires a Fast-Draw+2 roll too. If you draw a quickrazor and simply wield it instead of using its intended attack method, it counts as a dagger, imposing a -2 penalty to hit. Attaching a quickrazor and sheath to your wrist so that it can be wielded properly takes 10 seconds. A character can have only one quickrazor attached to each wrist at a time.

Gnome Tortoise Blade
This is a bladed shield in LT (descibed in more detail on p. 20 of LTC2).
Goad
A goad is a long, thin wooden pole mounted with a heavy stone or metal weight and a large spike at one end. Primarily intended as a tool to direct the movement of large animals, a goad makes an excellent weapon in a pinch. When you attack with a goad, you must decide if you are attacking with the spike to deal impaling damage or the weight to deal crushing damage. The flexibility of the goad’s shaft absorbs much of the force behind blows made with the bludgeoning head.

Goliath Greathammer
That's just a SM+1 maul.

Grasping Pole
This is the sasumata from LT (described under the sodegarami entry).

Great Falchion
This heavy executioner’s sword has the same basic profile as a falchion, albeit with a much greater blade surface. Because it is an executioner’s weapon, it is often crafted as a Fine quality weapon, marked with a royal seal, and created with one or more gems in the hilt.

Great Scimitar
A falchion manageable enough to wield one-handed but with a grip long enough for two. It can be wielded two-handed normally (using Two-Handed Sword skill) or in the Defensive Grip defined in GURPS Martial Arts. Great scimitars are most often the personal weapons of heroes, crafted as Fine weapons and inscribed with the hero’s deeds and the weapon’s name on the blade. Such names commemorate a great event in the hero’s life, such as “The Blade of the Hundred-Day Sandstorm.”

Greatbow
Judging by the listed length, this is the longbow from LT.

Greater Blowgun
This is the large blowgun from "A Killing Breath" (Pyramid #3-33). It's a great article.

Greathammer
This is the maul from LT.

Greatspear
This is the heavy spear from LT. Reminder that there's errata that fixes Reach in the weapon table.

Gythka
This is the lajatang from LT.

Heavy Poleaxe
It seems that this is identical to the pollaxe from LT (not poleaxe).
Heavy Sickle
This sickle, slightly larger than those generally used as weapons, enjoys popularity among the vicious tieflings that make their home in the Abyss.

Ice Axe
This is the hatchet from LT.
Icechucker
The icechucker appears to be a large crossbow at a casual glance. Its launching mechanism is designed to fire large shards of ice (usually icicles) rather than regular crossbow bolts. If icicles aren’t handy to load into an icechucker, it can also be used to fire a javelin at -1 to hit.

Iuak
This is the kukri from LT.
Jovar
Named for the layer of Celestia on which the city of Yetsira sits, the exotic weapon known as a jovar is the preferred weapon of the Heavenly City’s archon guards. The greatswordlike weapon is weighted oddly, but in the hands of a trained wielder, the blows landed with the blade are more likely to deal considerable damage.

Khopesh
Already exists in LT.

Kuo-Toan Harpoon
This is the harpoon from LT.

Kylie
This is the boomerang from LT.

Lasso
This is the lariat from LT.

Layatang
Already exists in LT.

Longaxe
This is the long axe from LT.

Longstaff
This is the long staff from LT.

Lynxpaw
A lynxpaw consists of a length of finely wrought steel chain with a blade similar to a rapier at one end and a spiked weight at the other. The wielder may use the rapier blade normally or swing the chain using the Kusari skill. The kusari makes the weapon two-handed; one hand controls the chain at all times.

Mancatcher
This is the sasumata from LT (described under the sodegarami entry).

Manople
The manople is a gauntlet that has a blade with prongs that extends from the back of the wrist following the line of the forearm. The manople provides DR 4 to the hand and takes 10 seconds to don. Prongs give the wielder +2 in Quick Contests to disarm.

Maquahuitl
Already exists in LT.

Muspelrule
This is the baton from LT.

Nagaika
This is identical to the scourge (see below).

Quickblade Rapier
Quickblade rapiers are longer and thinner than normal rapiers, with specially tapered blades and carefully balanced pommels.

Ramhammer
This is the maul from LT.
Razor Skipdisk
A razor skipdisk is a flat, circular disk of metal with a razor-sharp rim. One surface of the razor skipdisk is slightly convex and smooth, while the other is concave with a small knob protruding from the center. You attack with a razor skipdisk by gripping the knob and then hurling it so the convex surface skips and slides across the ground toward its target. If the ground between you and your target is solid, flat, and relatively free of obstructions, the glot’s 1/2D range increases to STx2.5. If the ground is also icy, the razor skipdisk skips even more readily over the frozen ground and its 1/2D range increases to STx3.
Ripper
A favorite on many levels of the Abyss, a ripper is a short-shafted spear with grooves in its head designed to improve the penetration of the point.

Ritiik
A ritiik is a spearlike weapon with an additional hooklike blade protruding from the base of the spear head. A ritiik cannot be thrown.

Scourge
This multitailed, barbed whip is often dipped in a poison delivered via injury. The barbs give +2 in Quick Contests of ST against entangled victims attempting to break free and increase damage.

Serpentstongue Arrow
That's the cutting arrow from LT.

Stabaxe
This should be identical to the pick from LT.

Straightblade
This is the shortsword from LT.
Sugliin
The infamous sugliin was created by primitive tribes more to strike terror into the hearts of their enemies rather than to be an effective weapon. This massive polearm consists of several sets of sharpened caribou and/or megaloceros antlers affixed to a long wooden shaft. You attack with the sugliin as if it were a massive axe or scythe, slashing and chopping at the targets with great arcs. This weapon is very unwieldy. The sharpened antlers are fragile! On any successful attack or successful parry against an armed attack, roll 1d; on 1-2, the edge breaks, reducing the weapon to a club that does crushing damage. The sugliin is a double-edged model - it can be reversed (a free action) to use the other side until it, too, breaks!

Swiftwing Arrow
This is the flight arrow from LT.

Thrombash
This is the hungamunga from LT.

Throwing Hammer
This is the small mace from LT.
Tigerskull Club
The smilodon’s skull is remarkably sturdy; it would have to be, to absorb the impacts of its terrible bite.
Many primitive tribes have capitalized on this fact of nature and use smilodon skulls to fashion tigerskull clubs. A tigerskull club consists of a smilodon’s skull (sans lower jaw) lashed to a short length of wood. The twin sabers of the skull’s upper jaw then function as a highly effective picklike weapon.

Truncheon
This is the blackjack from LT.

War Sling
Skiprocks already can be used with slings, so why does this weapon exist?

Warmace
This is the gada from LT.

Winch Crossbow
The winch crossbow fires a rope and pulley attached to a special crossbow bolt. The bolt is split down the head and center of the shaft, with the split head bending away from the shaft like a two-headed snake. A thin rope secured to each tip slows the bolt in flight (hence the reduced range). On a successful
hit, the bolt snaps apart like a wishbone, taking the attached ropes past the target to wrap around and entangle it. After that, you may keep the target ensnared as per the Lariat rules (p. B411). The maximum range is limited by the length of the rope attached.

 WEAPON TABLES

TL

Weapon

Damage

Reach

Parry

Cost

Weight

ST

Notes

AXE/MACE (DX-5, Flail-4, or Two-Handed Axe/Mace-3)

0

Tigerskull Club

or

sw+2 cr

sw+1(0.5) imp

1

1

0U

0U

$20

-

5.5

-

12

12

 

[3, 4]

3

Heavy Sickle

or

or

sw+1 cut

sw+1 imp

thr-2 cut

1

1

1

0U

0U

0U

$100

-

-

4

-

-

11

11

11

 

[3]

Hook. [2]

BRAWLING, KARATE, or DX

3

Manople

or

sw-2 cut

thr imp

C

C

0

0

$240

-

3.9

-

8

8

[5, 6]

[5, 6]

BRAWLING or DX

1

Dragonsplit

thr cut

C

0

$420

2

-

Hilt punch. [5, 6]

BRAWLING-2, KARATE-2, or DX-2

2

Foot Spike

thr imp

C, 1

No

$20

0.25

-

[5, 11]

BROADSWORD (DX-5, Force Sword-4, Rapier-4, Saber-4, Shortsword-2, or Two-Handed Sword-4)

3

Great Scimitar

or

sw+2 cut

thr+1 imp

1, 2

2

0U

0U

$950

-

7.5

-

12

12

 

FLAIL (DX-6, Axe/Mace-4, or Two-Handed Flail-3)

2

Barbed Bolas

sw+2 cr

1

-2U

$28

2

7

[7, 9]

KNIFE (DX-4, Force Sword-3, Main-Gauche-3, or Shortsword-3)

1

Barbed Dagger

thr-1 imp

C

-1

$80

0.25

5

[3]

2

Gnome Quickrazor

sw-1 cut

C, 1

-1

$100

0.5

5

 

2

SM-2 Gnome Quickrazor

sw-1 cut

C, 1

-1

$25

0.15

3

 

KUSARI (DX-6, Monowire Whip-3, Two-Handed Flail-4, or Whip-3)

3

Lynxpaw

or

sw+2 cr

thr+2 cr

1, 2*

1, 2*

-2U

-2U

$840

-

5.25

10

10

[7]

[7]

POLEARM (DX-5, Spear-4, Staff-4, or Two-Handed Axe/Mace-4)

0

Goad

or

sw+2 cr

thr+2 imp

1, 2*

1, 2*

0U

0

$60

-

8.5

-

12

12

 

0

Sugliin

sw+4(0.5) cut

2, 3*

0U

$30

11

13

[2]

RAPIER (DX-5, Broadsword-4, Main-Gauche-3, Saber-3, or Smallsword-3)

3

Elven Courtblade

or

sw+1 cut

thr+1 imp

1, 2

1, 2

0F

0F

$1,200

-

6

-

11

11

 

3

Elven Thinblade

thr+1 imp

1, 2

0F

$800

2.75

9

[4]

3

Lynxpaw

thr+1 imp

1, 2

0F

$840

5.25

10

 

3

Quickblade Rapier

or

sw-1 cut

thr+1 imp

1, 2

1, 2

0F

0F

$1,200

-

2.25

-

8

8

 

SMALLSWORD (DX-5, Main-Gauche-3, Rapier-3, Saber-3, or Shortsword-4)

3

Elven Lightblade

thr-1 imp

C, 1

0F

$600

0.25

5

[4]

SHORTSWORD (DX-5, Broadsword-2, Force Sword-4, Jitte/Sai-3, Knife-4, Saber-4, Smallsword-4, or Tonfa-3)

0

Ankus

or

sw cr

thr cr

1

1

0

0

$45

-

1

-

6

6

[2]

[2]

0

Spiked Ankus

or

sw cr

thr imp

1

1

0

0

$45

-

1

-

6

6

[2]

[2]

1

Dragonsplit

sw cut

thr+1 imp

1

1

0

0

$420

-

2

-

8

8

 

1

Gnome Swordcatcher

or

sw cut

thr+1 imp

1

1

0

0

$450

-

2.5

-

8

8

 

1

SM-2 Gnome Swordcatcher

or

sw cut

thr+1 imp

1

1

0

0

$115

-

0.7

-

4

4

 

SPEAR (DX-5, Polearm-4, or Staff-2)

0

Ritiik

or

two hands

or

thr+2 imp

thr-2 cut

thr+3 imp

thr-1 cut

1*

1*

1, 2*

1, 2*

0

0

0

0

$65

-

-

-

4.5

-

-

-

11

11

9

9

 

Hook. [2]

 

Hook. [2]

3

Ripper

thr(2) imp

1

0

$300

2

6

 

STAFF (DX-5, Polearm-4, or Spear-2)

3

Double Khopesh

or

sw+3 cut

thr-1 cut

1, 2

1, 2

0

0

$1,200

-

10

-

12

12

 

Hook. [2]

TWO-HANDED AXE/MACE (DX-5, Axe/Mace-3, Polearm-4, or Two-Handed Flail-4)

0

Battlehorn

sw+4(0.5) imp

1, 2

0

$100

10

12

[3]

0

Tigerskull Club

or

sw+3 cr

sw+2(0.5) imp

1

1

0U

0U

$20

-

5.5

-

11

11

 

[3]

3

Dire Pick

sw+3 imp

2

0U

$105

4.5

10

[3, 4]

3

Double Khopesh

or

sw+3 cut

thr-1 cut

1, 2

1, 2

0

0

$1,200

-

10

-

12

12

 

Hook. [2]

TWO-HANDED SWORD (DX-5, Broadsword-4, or Force Sword-4)

3

Great Falchion

or

sw+4 cut

thr+2 imp

1, 2

2

0U

0U

$1,120

-

10.5

-

12

12

 

3

Great Scimitar

or

sw+3 cut

thr+2 imp

1, 2

2

0

0

$950

-

7.5

-

11

11

 

3

Jovar

or

sw+4 cut

thr+3 imp

1, 2

2

0U

0

$1,500

-

9

-

13

12

 

WHIP (DX-5, Kusari-3, or Monowire Whip-3)

3

Scourge

sw-1(0.5) cr

1-7*

-2U

$80/yd.

2/yd.

var.

[10]

[2] Hook enables the rules under Hook (GURPS Low-Tech, p. 54), and may also damage the victim.

[3] May get stuck; see Picks (p. B405).

[4] Reduce penalty for targeting chinks in armor (p. B400) by -2.

[5] Attack receives damage bonuses for whichever of Boxing (p. B182), Brawling (p. B182), or Karate (p. B203) is used to deliver it – exactly as if it were an unarmed strike. Claws don’t improve damage with such weapon-assisted blows.

[6] Gives the hand (only) DR. A bladed gauntlet or manople provides DR 4 and takes 10 seconds to don. For other weapons, this indicates a metal hilt that provides DR 4, cumulative with glove DR – although the hilt is too cramped to accommodate metal gauntlets. Panther claws don’t enclose the hand completely; DR applies only on a roll of 1-3 on 1d.

[7] Attempts to parry flails and kusaris are at -4; fencing weapons (“F” parry) can’t parry at all! Attempts to block such weapons are at -2. Halve these penalties for the barbed bolas, bola perdida, bolas, nunchaku, thonged club, and weighted scarf.

[9] Can be thrown.

[10] Specify maximum reach (1-7 yards) when bought. Cost and weight are per yard. The whip-dagger requires ST 5, +1 per yard. Many special rules apply; be sure to see Whips (p. B406).

[11] If you miss with a kick, roll vs. DX to avoid falling.

 

TL

Weapon

Damage

Acc

Range

Weight

RoF

Shots

Cost

ST

Bulk

Notes

BOLAS (No default)

2

Barbed Bolas

thr cr

0

x3

2

1

T(1)

$28

7

-2

[2]

BOW (DX-5)

0

Bone Bow

thr+3 imp

1

x15/x20

3.5/0.2

1

1(2)

$400

12

-8

[1]

CROSSBOW (DX-4)

2

Icechucker

or

thr+5(0.2) imp

thr+2 imp

2

2

x20/x25

x4/x8

10/0.1

10/2

1

1

1(4)

1(4)

$1,000

-

10

10

-7

-

[1]

-1 to hit. Javelin.

3

Winch Crossbow

thr-1 cr

3

x7/x10

9/3 per 10 yd.

1

1(8)

$450

10

-7

[1]

THROWING (DX-3 or Dropping-4)

0

Glot

thr cr

0

x3/x6

1

1

T(1)

$5

8

-2

 

1

Razor Skipdisk

thr cut

0

x2/x4

2

1

T(1)

$15

9

-3

 

THROWN WEAPON (DISC) (DX-4 or Throwing-2)

2

Chatkcha

thr+1 imp

1

x3/x5

3

1

T(1)

$50

8

-3

 

3

Annulat

thr cut

1

x5/x8

1

1

T(1)

$70

5

-2

 

 

[1] An arrow or bolt for a bow, crossbow, or spring-loaded gauntlet is $2. An arrow for a bone bow is $4. Icicles for an icechucker are free. A dart for a pistol crossbow or sling is $1. A dart for a slurbow is $0.50. A dart for a blowpipe, a lead pellet for a prodd or sling, a shaped rock for a heavy sling, or a shaped stone for a stone-launching stick, is $0.10. A shaped sling stone is $0.06. Unshaped rocks and stones suitable for slings, heavy slings, and stone-launching sticks can be found for free, but they’re less accurate: -1 to hit.

[2] May entangle or ensnare the target; see Special Ranged Weapons (pp. B410-411) and Cloaks (p. B404).

 


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