By Colin Chapman

A collection of melee weapons

Halberd by Colin Chapman

Halberds are good, general-purpose pole-arms used among some regiments of guards in the employ of noble houses. Halberds are essentially 6' long spears, with a single axe-head attached, opposite which is a curved spike or hook. Similar weapons include the jedburg axe and voulge. A halberd could be used to chop, thrust, or hook and forcibly dismount rival cavalry.

Weapon Roll DMG STR SIZ Cost

Halberd** Dx+Melee 7 6 XL 0

Tech Level: 1

Firebird Cost: 30 firebirds

** +1 Initiative

To hook a mounted opponent, the character must make an attack with a -2 penalty. If successful, the rider must make a Ride skill roll or be forcibly dismounted.

Glaive by Colin Chapman

Glaives are pole-arms that feature a slicing blade set atop a 6' pole, and include the medieval weapon of the same name, as well as other sword-staffs such as the Japanese naginata. The peasant scythe is somewhat similar, if more unwieldy (-2 penalty on attack rolls).

Weapon Roll DMG STR SIZ Cost

Glaive** Dx+Melee 6 6 XL 0

Tech Level: 1

Firebird Cost: 20 firebirds

** +1 Initiative

Trident by Colin Chapman

Tridents are the two or three pronged spears used by some primitive fishermen, that can be used to stab or thrown short distances. Peasant's pitchforks are similar, although they are less suitable for throwing (-2 attack penalty).

Weapon Roll DMG STR RNG Rate SIZ Cost

Trident** Dx+Melee 5 3 - - XL

0 or Dx+Throwing 5 3 10/20 1 XL 0

Tech Level: 0

Firebird Cost: 3 firebirds

** +1 Initiative

Two-handed Hammer by Colin Chapman

Weapon Roll DMG STR SIZ Cost

Two-handed hammer** Dx+Melee 7 6 XL 0

Tech Level: 1

Firebird Cost: 20 firebirds

** +1 Initiative

Polar Blade by Paul Monteleoni

TL: 5

Cost: 1

Firebird Cost: +15

A favored Decados dueling weapon, this rapier is built around a high-powered electromagnet which can be activated by a contact pad on the handgrip. This magnet, which can be activated 20 times on its power-cell, can give a +2 goal (cumulative) to the Disarm maneuver, as the Polar Blade sticks to the opponent's weapon, helping to yank it from his grip. Usually built into a normal-looking rapier, this device can also be incorporated into a main-gauche. It has the same stats as whichever weapon it appears as.

Quicksaber by Paul Monteleoni

TL: 7

Cost: 4

Firebird Cost: 1500

A rare weapon cherished by those Hazat who can get their hands on one, the Quicksaber is a dueling saber with a Second Republic inertial damper built into the basket hilt, making the saber unnaturally fast and easy to swing. It may be used for the same action up to three times in a turn, like a firearm.

Initiative: +3,* Goal -, DMG 6, STR 2, SIZ L

Crucible Sword by Paul Monteleoni

TL: 5

Cost: 4

Firebird Cost: 500

A weapon actually developed after the fall of the Second Republic, the Crucible Sword was developed by a Li Halan weaponsmith, incorporating leftover Second Republic temperature-resistant polymers and heating cores, producing a broadsword with a milky, translucent blade. Although the polymer plastic which forms the blade is too blunt to hold a good edge, when the heating core in the hilt is activated, the blade quickly heats up, glowing a fiery yellow-white and searing anything it touches. It takes 3 turns for the core to fully heat up the blade, but once it does, the blade delivers +2 DMG, and those two extra dice can leak through armor and shields like a flamegun. The heating core can last for 20 turns on a fusion cell. Still used by the Li Halan, the Crucible Sword has also found popularity amongst Brother Battle monks, Avestites, and the occasional Hawkwood.

Initiative: +1,* Goal -, DMG 5 (+2), STR 4, SIZ L.

Trick Blade by Paul Monteleoni

TL: 5

Cost: 2

Firebird Cost: 40

The Trick Blade, also used gleefully by Decados across the Known Worlds, appears to be a normal rapier, but servo-motors can rotate the blade in its housing at the flick of a switch, causing the entire blade to whip around into a new position. This gives a +2 goal to any Feint or Counter Parry maneuver, but will only work twice on any particular opponent in any particular engagement, in addition to his two regular feints.

Initiative: +2,* Goal -, DMG 5, STR 3, SIZ L.