Melee Weapons

Melee weapons are grouped under the skills required to use them. Skill names appear in capital letters, with defaults in parentheses; e.g., “AXE/MACE (DX-5, Flail-4, or Two-Handed Axe/Mace-3).” If there is more than one way to use a weapon, each method gets its own line. If multiple skills let you use a weapon, the weapon appears under each skill. For example, both Staff skill and Two-Handed Sword skill let you wield a quarterstaff – and either lets you swing the staff or thrust with it.

These sections describe the various inventive tools man has invented to kill things, organized by category.

• AXE/MACE (DX-5, Flail-4, or Two-Handed Axe/Mace-3)
• BOXING, BRAWLING, KARATE, or DX
• BRAWLING-2, KARATE-2, or DX-2
• BRAWLING or DX
• BROADSWORD (DX-5, Force Sword-4, Rapier-4, Saber-4, Shortsword-2, or Two-Handed Sword-4)
• FLAIL (DX-6, Axe/Mace-4, or Two-Handed Flail-3)
• FORCE SWORD (DX-5 or any sword skill at -3)
• GARROTE (DX-4)
• KNIFE (DX-4, Force Sword-3, Main-Gauche-3, or Shortsword-3)
• KUSARI (DX-6, Monowire Whip-3, Two-Handed Flail-4, or Whip-3)
• LANCE (DX-5 or Spear-3)
• MONOWIRE WHIP (DX-6, Kusari-3, or Whip-3)
• POLEARM (DX-5, Spear-4, Staff-4, or Two-Handed Axe/Mace-4)
• RAPIER (DX-5, Broadsword-4, Main-Gauche-3, Saber-3, or Smallsword-3)
• SABER (DX-5, Broadsword-4, Main-Gauche-3, Rapier-3, Shortsword-4, or Smallsword-3)
• SHIELD (DX-4)
• SHORTSWORD (DX-5, Broadsword-2, Force Sword-4, Jitte/Sai-3, Knife-4, Saber-4, Smallsword-4, or Tonfa-3)
• SMALLSWORD (DX-5, Main-Gauche-3, Rapier-3, Saber-3, or Shortsword-4)
• SPEAR (DX-5, Polearm-4, or Staff-2)
• STAFF (DX-5, Polearm-4, or Spear-2)
• TWO-HANDED AXE/MACE (DX-5, Axe/Mace-3, Polearm-4, or Two-Handed Flail-4)
• TWO-HANDED FLAIL (DX-6, Flail-3, Kusari-4, or Two-Handed Axe/Mace-4)
• TWO-HANDED SWORD (DX-5, Broadsword-4, or Force Sword-4)
• WHIP (DX-5, Kusari-3, or Monowire Whip-3)

Other notes about melee weapons, including quality and materials.

• Melee Weapon Quality
• Melee Weapon Materials
• Melee Weapon Modifications

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

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

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

(DX-5 or any sword skill at -3)

(DX-4)

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

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

(DX-5 or Spear-3)

(DX-6, Kusari-3, or Whip-3)

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

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

(DX-5, Broadsword-4, Main-Gauche-3, Rapier-3, Shortsword-4, or Smallsword-3)

(DX-4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

(DX-5, Broadsword-4, or Force Sword-4)

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

Notes:

• [1] Can be thrown. See Muscle-Powered Ranged Weapons.
• [2] May get stuck; see Picks (p. 405).
• [3] Brawling (p. 182) increases all unarmed damage; Claws (p. 42) and Karate (p. 203) improve damage with punches and kicks (Claws don’t affect damage with brass knuckles or boots); and Boxing (p. 182) improves punching damage.
• [4] If you miss with a kick, roll vs. DX to avoid falling.
• [5] On a failed HT roll, victim is stunned for as long as weapon is in contact plus (20 - HT) seconds longer, and then can roll vs. HT-3 to recover.
• [6] Attempts to parry flails are at -4, and fencing weapons (“F” parry) cannot parry at all! Attempts to block flails are at -2. A nunchaku is small, and gives half these penalties.
• [7] This is an energy blade. Take a Ready maneuver to activate/deactivate. The blade cannot break, and damages any weapon or body part it parries or which parries or blocks it. Extra energy cells cost $100, weigh 0.5 lb., and last 300 seconds.
• [8] A piece of rope used to strangle; see Garrotes (p. 405).
• [9] Damage increases in a mounted charge; see Cavalry Weapons (p. 397).
• [10] Hilt counts as brass knuckles in close combat.
• [11] Noisy! Runs for two hours on half a gallon of gasoline.
• [12] Specify maximum reach (up to 7 yards) when bought. Cost and weight are per yard. ST is 5, +1 per yard. Many special rules apply; be sure to see Whips (p. 406).

Muscle-powered melee and thrown weapons come in several quality grades, described below. Quality influences the odds of breakage when you parry a very heavy weapon; see Parrying Heavy Weapons (p. 376). The prices listed on the weapon tables buy good-quality weapons at TL6 or less, fine-quality ones at TL7+.

Cheap: A cheap weapon is +2 to break – and if it can be thrown, it has -1 Acc. It costs 40% of list price at TL6 or less, or 20% of list price at TL7+. The mass-produced swords issued to ordinary soldiers are often of cheap quality.

Good: A good weapon has no breakage modifier. This is the standard quality through TL6. At TL7+, good-quality weapons cost 40% of list price.

Fine: Any fine weapon is -1 to break. A fine blade (cutting or impaling weapon) also gets +1 to cutting and impaling damage. At TL6 or less, a fine-quality fencing- or sword-class weapon of any type costs 4 times list price. (Katanas are often fine!) Other weapon types cost 3 times list price if they do only crushing or impaling damage (e.g., a mace or spear), or 10 times list price if they can do cutting damage (e.g., an axe or halberd). At TL7+, all weapons are “fine” at no extra cost.

Very Fine: Only fencing weapons and swords can be very fine. A very fine weapon is -2 to break and gets +2 to cutting and impaling damage. At TL6 or less, very fine weapons cost 20 times list price; at TL7+, they cost only 4 times list price.

Presentation weapons (decorated, bejeweled, gilded, etc.) are also available. This will further increase cost (and resale value) by 5-20 times.

The tip or blade of any muscle-powered melee or thrown weapon that inflicts cutting or impaling damage (excluding wooden stakes, and powered weapons such as chainsaws) is assumed to be stone at TL0, bronze at TL1, iron at TL2, and steel at TL3+. For instance, a knife would be stone at TL0 but steel at TL3, while a greatsword would always be steel, as greatswords don’t exist before TL3. Blade composition modifies effective quality when parrying a very heavy weapon.

Weapons made from outdated materials are usually available at cheap-quality prices.

Stone (TL0): A stone blade has an armor divisor of (0.5) on its cutting and impaling damage, and receives no damage bonus for being of fine or better quality. Regardless of actual quality, treat a stone blade as cheap for breakage purposes when parrying a swung weapon made of metal or other high-tech materials.

Obsidian (TL1): A blade made of volcanic glass is very sharp, but easily broken or blunted. Treat as a good-quality stone blade, but with +1 to cutting and impaling damage (as if fine) and +2 to breakage (as if cheap). It loses its damage bonus if used to parry any weapon (but not an unarmed attack) or to strike DR 2+.

Bronze (TL1): A bronze blade receives no damage bonus for being of fine or better quality. Regardless of actual quality, treat a bronze blade as cheap for breakage purposes when parrying a swung weapon made of superior materials (e.g., iron or steel).

Silver Weapons (TL1): Those who must combat demons, werewolves, etc. may desire silver weapons. Silver weapons typically require a special order from an artisan. Solid silver melee weapons or arrowheads cost 20 times list price, and break as if of cheap quality. Silver-coated and -edged weapons cost only three times list price, and use the breakage properties of the underlying material. Silver bullets (TL4+) must be solid, and cost 50 times list price! Silver weapons only inflict extra damage on creatures with Vulnerability (p. 161) to silver. For a silver-coated or -edged weapon, reduce the wounding multiplier: ¥2 becomes ¥1.5, ¥3 becomes ¥2, and ¥4 becomes ¥3.

Iron (TL2): An iron blade receives no damage bonus for being of fine or better quality. Regardless of actual quality, treat an iron blade as cheap for breakage purposes when parrying a swung weapon made of superior materials (e.g., steel).

Steel (TL3): Steel is the “default” material for blades. Use all rules as written.

Plastic (TL7): “Plastic” includes carbon composites and other advanced, nonmetallic materials. Halve weight and double cost. Blades cannot exceed good quality (and are often cheap). Treat them as equivalent to steel for breakage – but their low weight means they’re more likely to encounter a heavier weapon. Weapons that do only crushing damage (clubs, batons, etc.) are also available, in the usual quality grades. The primary benefit of plastic weapons is that metal detectors cannot detect them!

* Modern Melee Weapons

• Battleaxes
• Blades
• Bayonets
• Clubs
• Combination Weapons
• Optional Rule: Sheaths
• Electric Stun Weapons
• Dirty Tech: Improvised Melee Weapons
• Physical Weapons
• Energy Weapons

Below is a glossary of muscle-powered TL0-4 melee weapons. It isn’t exhaustive, but includes both common and especially unusual weapons from around the world. An entry in CAPITALS indicates a weapon that appears in the weapon tables on pp. B271-276 or pp. 64-71. Other entries are functionally similar enough to one of these weapons to use the same statistics, even if they differ radically in appearance. For details, read the entry! A weapon’s name often varies by culture. Many entries below list alternative names.

Several weapons here count as combination weapons, including the martel-de-fer (see PICK), poleaxe, and versions of the kusarigama, kusarijutte, tomahawk, and warhammer. Rules for designing such weapons appear in GURPS Low-Tech Companion 2.

A weapon with a hook or similar projection can be used to snag a foe’s head, limb, weapon, or shield. To hit, roll against weapon skill-5 or the Hook technique (GURPS Martial Arts, p. 74), modified as explained below. Your adversary may defend normally.

When hooking the head or a limb, apply standard hit location penalties. If you succeed, then on subsequent turns you may try to pull your victim off-balance, even to the ground. Roll a Quick Contest of ST. Victory means you drag your opponent into a kneeling posture; if he’s kneeling or crouching, he falls down. If you lose or tie, nothing happens. If you critically fail, you drop your weapon! Your foe may attempt to break free normally.

Hooking a weapon is a disarm attempt (p. B401). Apply the usual penalty to hit that weapon, but ignore the -2 for using a non-fencing weapon. You get +2 in the ensuing Quick Contest, in addition to the usual modifiers. If you lose the Contest, your opponent retains his weapon and escapes your hook.

When hooking a shield, roll to hit at -4 plus its DB. If you succeed, you may attempt to pull it out of line. Again, this is a disarm attempt, but your rival gets +4 in the Quick Contest if his shield is strapped to his arm. You get +2 if hooking with a two-handed weapon. Victory means the shield becomes unready – it’s still on your foe’s arm but he can’t block with it or benefit from its DB until he breaks free and takes a Ready maneuver to reorient it.

Hooking doesn’t usually inflict damage, but if your weapon has an edged hook, it inflicts the listed damage in addition to the above effects. While using a weapon to hook a foe, you can’t use it to attack or parry. You can always drop it as a free action on your turn, however.

As guns became more common on the battlefield, tactics changed to reflect their deployment. Firearms were needed to defeat the enemy, but soldiers armed with them were vulnerable to shock action. To stand and fight, they required protection. The best defense against enemy cavalry was a close formation of pike-armed infantry. Early tactics combined firearms- and pike-armed troops. The pikes provided shelter from enemy cavalry while the guns killed the opposition from afar. This is commonly referred to as pike and shot.

Later, the bayonet was developed. This allowed every soldier to serve as his own pikeman. Instead of a portion of the formation being dedicated to shooting and a portion to melee, every man could do both. This dramatically increased the formation’s lethality at each task, and eliminated the need for specialized melee and fire troops.

Long polearms such as the pike enable a new perk, Two-Man Pike Training (pp. 9-10), and the following new maneuver:

Planting a Spear: This is a variant on a stop thrust (p. B366) wherein a spear or an impaling polearm with Reach 2+ is braced for a charge, butt pressed against the ground to absorb the impact of collision. Planting a weapon requires a Ready action; thereafter, the wielder must Wait until he decides to unbrace his weapon. A planted weapon can’t parry and can only be used to attack someone entering the hex occupied by its tip from one of its front hexes. As with any Wait, this maneuver can be converted into an Attack – or into an All-Out Attack, if the wielder made no active defense on his turn. Make the usual attack roll to hit. On a successful hit, impaling damage is the better of that for a stop thrust or that for a couched lance (p. B397). To find the latter, compute collision damage based on the target’s HP and relative velocity, and add the weapon’s damage bonus.

As noted on p. B270, knives and swords are assumed to come with a good sheath or scabbard. Other edged weapons (axes, spears, etc.) include a cover for the edge. Hafted weapons have a loop of leather or cord for securing them. Optionally, the GM may trade simplicity for realism and treat sheaths as explicit articles of equipment.

Listed sword and knife weights are roughly 2/3 weapon and 1/3 sheath; e.g., a 1-lb. large knife is a 0.7- lb. blade in a 0.3-lb. sheath, and a 3-lb. broadsword is a 2-lb. blade in a 1-lb. sheath. This reduces bare weapon weight, which matters when parrying heavy weapons (p. B376) and calculating HP (pp. B557-558). It’s simplest to leave things alone and regard the listed weapon weights as abstract measures of durability. If the GM finds this unsatisfactory and is willing to do the extra math, though, he can use bare weapon weights with those rules.

The above proportions assume a rigid scabbard of bamboo, wood, metal, or reinforced leather. If such a sheath weighs at least 1 lb., it can serve as a baton. Being hollow, it counts as cheap quality for breakage. Adventurers may carry knives and swords in flexible sheaths of canvas, soft leather, etc. Sheath weight is negligible; thus, carried weapon weight is 2/3 of listed weight. However, such sheaths can’t act as batons, and penalize HT and Fast-Draw rolls (see below). Some sheaths are designed for parrying (treat as good quality), or for use as snorkels, wirecutters, etc, but these options increase cost.

A replacement sheath costs 1/5 the price of a good-quality weapon if rigid or 1/10 good-quality price if flexible.

For other edged weapons, listed weight includes a flexible leather cover with negligible weight. For instance, a 4-lb. axe actually weighs 4 lbs. A replacement sheath costs 1/10 the price of a good-quality weapon. Rigid covers are available but uncommon for spears. They add 25% of good-quality weapon price to cost and 1 lb. to carried weight. They otherwise function as rigid sword scabbards.

A blade with only a flexible sheath has -1 on Fast-Draw rolls, and on HT rolls to avoid corrosion and incidental damage (p. B485). One with no sheath has -2 on HT rolls, and the GM may require DX rolls to avoid self-inflicted injury!

Rigid sheaths can be designed for parrying (count as good, not cheap), or even as snorkels or blowpipes. Double or triple costs for reinforced sheaths or sheaths with built-in tools (GM's option.)

Buyers of weapons can apply several modifiers to adjust weapon appearance, balance, sharpness, and toughness. These are “stackable” except as noted – although some are restricted by weapon type. Each has a cost factor (CF); see Custom-Made Equipment (p. 14) for rules.

Below, a thrown weapon is hurled in its entirety, while a missile weapon is a blowpipe, bow, crossbow, etc. that propels a projectile such as an arrow, bolt, dart, or pellet.

Balanced*: +1 to skill with any melee weapon, thrown weapon, or projectile; +1 Acc for a missile weapon. All weapons but sticks and improvised weapons: +4 CF.

Cheap†: +2 to odds of breakage (see p. B376). All weapons: -0.6 CF.

Fine†: -1 to odds of breakage; also +1 to damage for any cutting or impaling weapon, or +20% to range for a missile weapon. Projectiles, and crushing- or impaling- only melee or thrown weapons: +2 CF. Fencing weapons, knives, swords, and missile weapons: +3 CF. Other cutting melee or thrown weapons: +9 CF.

Ornate: All weapons but improvised weapons, projectiles, and sticks can use Styling (p. 14). Specify details using Decorated Equipment (pp. 37-38). Wavy-bladed weapons often count as ornate due to intrinsic shape and design.

Poorly Balanced*: -1 to skill with any melee weapon, thrown weapon, or projectile, or -1 Acc for a missile weapon: -0.6 CF.

Silver†: Metal melee weapons, thrown weapons, and projectiles can be made of solid silver to exploit supernatural monster Vulnerability, but have +2 to odds of breakage: +19 CF. Silver coating for these weapons doesn’t worsen breakage but isn’t as effective (see p. B275): +2 CF. While valuable, not all silver qualifies as ornate.

Very Fine†: -2 to odds of breakage; also +2 to damage for any cutting or impaling weapon. Crushing-only melee and thrown weapons: +14 CF. Fencing weapons, knives, and swords: +19 CF. Other melee or thrown weapons, and projectiles: +49 CF.

* Balanced and poorly balanced are mutually exclusive.

† Cheap, fine, very fine, and solid silver are mutually exclusive.

Example 1: Prince Boris wants a superb sword. He commissions a thrusting broadsword that’s balanced (+1 skill, +4 CF), very fine (-2 breakage, +2 damage, +19 CF), and ornate (+3 reactions, +9 CF). Total CF is +32, multiplying cost by 1 + 32 = 33. Applying this to the sword’s $600 list price makes final cost $19,800!

Example 2: Leif the Impoverished seeks a bargain blade. The shortsword he finds is cheap (+1 breakage, -0.6 CF) and poorly balanced (-1 skill, -0.6 CF). Total CF is -1.2. As this is below the minimum CF of -0.8, CF is set to -0.8. This multiplies the $400 list cost by 1 - 0.8 = 0.2. The resulting $80 cost buys a truly lousy weapon.

Weapons technology isn’t static. Conquering armies and intrepid explorers often encounter peoples unfamiliar with their weaponry – and who have exotic arms of their own. This can be surprising, even scary, for the unprepared!

Melee Weapon skills are assumed to include the ability to adapt rapidly to new tools and threats. Warriors with such skills can use all weapons listed for them on weapon tables – even completely alien ones – at no penalty. The initial surprise of facing unfamiliar weaponry likewise wears off quickly. The essential nature of combat is unchanged.

The GM who desires extra detail can assess optional modifiers when warriors use or confront unusual weaponry, however. The simplest option is to assess -2 to skill when wielding an unfamiliar weapon. This is a straightforward application of Familiarity (p. B169).

If this is true, then it follows that facing an unfamiliar weapon should also be challenging. Optionally, a fighter has -2 to skill whenever he directly engages a weapon that he has neither seen before nor trained against. This doesn’t affect his attack rolls, but it does penalize him in Quick Contests (to disarm, feint, etc.) and give -1 to parry the unusual weapon. Usually, both fighters will suffer these penalties; in that case, ignore the effect on Quick Contests (it cancels out) and keep only the -1 to parry.

Unfamiliar ranged weapons – especially explosives, guns, and surprisingly long-ranged missiles – can be downright scary. The fear is often disproportionate to the danger. Optionally, the GM can require a Fright Check (p. B360) from those facing such potentially fearsome weapons. GURPS Martial Arts offers other useful rules – notably Fear (Martial Arts, p. 113) and Fear and Martial Artists (Martial Arts, p. 130).

A common myth is that weapons and armor are all about efficiency – that if a weapon or a piece of armor gains prominence, it must be superior to whatever it’s replacing. This is only sometimes true. Politics, economics, and fashion also play important roles.

Politics customarily takes the form of prejudice: Effective foreign weapons – especially those of a hated enemy – are dismissed in favor of less-capable arms of local design or manufacture. Economics works against adoption of weapons that are costly to make or maintain, or that require expensive or lengthy training. And fashion can lead to a perfectly good weapon that the ruling class regards as a tool of the hoi polloi (or vice versa) being cast aside in favor of a “better” one.

For example, in late-16th-century England, the rapier began to overtake the broadsword among the elite. The rapier was fashionable, its use taught to nobles by exotic foreign instructors. While proponents of the broadsword made a good case that it was the more appropriate battlefield weapon, its popularity waned as the rapier’s popularity waxed. Later on, though, when smallswords became the fashion, it wasn’t stylish to wear a rapier – even when it better suited your needs!

If your weapon can thrust for impaling damage, you can swing it so that its tip pierces and rips across the target laterally. This Tip Slash is a cutting attack for all purposes: wounding modifiers, Injury Tolerance, etc. It’s useful when impaling damage doesn’t affect your target much!

Tip Slash is an attack at full skill, distinct from other attacks on the weapon table. Cutting damage equals the weapon’s impaling damage at -2, unless otherwise specified. Weapon quality affects this normally. Where rules distinguish between thrusts and swings (e.g., parrying unarmed), Tip Slash is a swing, despite using thrust damage.

Tip Slash uses the weapon’s current maximum Reach. If holding the weapon in a grip that permits two or more different attacks, use the longest Reach. Parry and ST are unaffected.

Examples: A Tip Slash using a dagger (thrust-1 impaling) inflicts thrust-3 cutting at Reach C. A Tip Slash with a long spear held two-handed (thrust+3 impaling) delivers thrust+1 cutting at Reach 2 or 3, depending on how you hold it.

For more information, see GURPS Martial Arts, p. 113.

A real weapon is preferable to an improvised one – but an improvised one is much better than nothing. Below are some common items that can stand in for actual weapons at skill and/or damage penalties. Required skills or techniques appear in brackets. The Improvised Weapons perk (p. 9) for a skill lets you ignore penalties to that skill but not to damage.

Numerous tools can function as weapons, too; notes on damage, skill, etc. appear in many entries in Low-Tech. Treat an improvised weapon as cheap for all purposes. If it uses an unarmed skill or technique, the user can still parry with his hand. If it uses a weapon skill, it can’t parry. Exceptions are specifically noted. Glass objects break on 1-3 on 1d on any strike or parry; on a 1, you also suffer thrust cutting damage to the hand.

Abacus: Punch at +1 damage [Brawling-2]. Cannot parry.

Arrow or Bolt: Strike as dagger at full damage, maximum 1d-4, but fragile – breaks on 1-3 on 1d on any successful strike or parry. Apply any special features of the arrowhead (see Alternate Arrows, p. 73), such as barbs or damage-type changes, to the attack.

Belt: Choke as rope garrote at -1 damage [Garrote-1]. Strike with buckle as thonged club at -1 damage [Flail- 1]. Strike or entangle as one-yard whip at -1 damage [Whip-2].

Book or Codex: Strike as blackjack at -2 damage [Brawling-2]. Cannot parry – but held two-handed, acts as small shield [Shield-1].

Bootlaces: Choke as rope garrote at -1 damage [Garrote-2].

Boots, Shoes, or Sandals: Held in hand, strike as blackjack at -1 damage [Brawling-2]. Swung by laces, strike as thonged club at -1 damage [Flail-2]. May be thrown by laces as bola perdida at -1 damage and half range [Sling-2].

Bottle, Broken: Strike as small knife at full damage but with armor divisor (0.5) [Knife-2].

Bottle, Intact: Strike as knobbed club at -2 damage [Axe/Mace-2]. If it breaks, treat as “Bottle, Broken.” Can parry.

Caltrop: As fist load, strike for thrust-2 impaling damage [Brawling-2]. Can be thrown as spike shuriken at -1 damage and half range [Thrown Weapon (Shuriken)-2].

Chain, Unweighted: Strike as kusari at -1 damage [Kusari-1] or entangle as kusari [Kusari-4]. Cheap chain is $6, 2 lbs. per yard.

Chair or Stool: Swing as maul at -1 damage [Two-Handed Axe/Mace-2]. Can parry. Held in one hand, acts as medium shield [Shield-1]. Collapsible chairs or stools are flimsier, and do -2 damage.

Chopstick: Punch as yawara [Hammer Fist-1].*

Comb or Brush: Punch as yawara [Hammer Fist-1].*

Key, Skeleton: Punch as yawara [Hammer Fist-1].*

Mug or Stein: Strike as knobbed club at -1 damage [Axe/Mace-2]. A large mug or stein strikes as small mace at -1 damage [Axe/Mace-2].

Musket or Rifle: If swung like a large club while gripping the barrel, strike as maul at -1 damage [Two- Handed Axe/Mace]; TL4 long arms are built for this, unlike high-tech ones. Striking with the end of the butt inflicts thrusting damage as quarterstaff [Staff].

Pan, Iron: Strike as round mace at -1 damage [Axe/Mace-2]. In one hand, can be used as iron small shield [Shield-1]. An unwieldy but solid weapon – breakage is as for good quality!

Pen or Stylus: Stab as dagger at -2 damage (-1 for a huge pen) [Knife-1].

Pistol: Large pistols in this era, such as horse pistols and naval pistols, are often designed for attacks with the butt; strike as small mace at -1 damage [Axe/Mace]. Smaller pistols can reinforce a punch; read Bulk as a positive number and add it to punch damage [Brawling or DX].

Pitchfork: Strike as trident at -1 damage [Spear-2]. Can parry.

Purse, Coin (Filled): Strike as blackjack [Brawling-1]. If it breaks, its contents spill out!

Rake: Strike as warhammer at -1 damage and with armor divisor (0.5) [Two-Handed Axe/Mace-2]. Can parry.

Rim of Bottle, Cup, or Glass: Punch as yawara [Hammer Fist-1].*

Rings, Heavy: Sufficient large and heavy rings worn on the knuckles can reinforce a punch; add +1 to punch damage. Cannot be combined with brass knuckles or gauntlets.

Scarf: Choke as rope garrote at full damage [Garrote-1]. Knotting something heavy into an end creates a weighted scarf that strikes at full damage [Flail-1].

Scroll, Rolled: Strike as baton at -1 damage [Shortsword-2]. Can parry.

Shovel: Strike as maul at -1 damage [Two-Handed Axe/Mace-2]. Can parry.

Spindle, Spike, or Spit: Depending on the size, strike as dagger at -2 damage (small spit), dagger at -1 damage, or large knife at -1 damage (long spit or spindle), all [Knife-2]. Can parry.

Strigil: Punch as yawara [Hammer Fist-1]* or use with Hook (p. 54) [Knife-1]. Can parry.

* See Yawara (p. 64) for more on Hammer Fist. Warriors who know Pressure Secrets may instead use such an item to punch at no penalty beyond the standard -2 for that skill. This gives +1 on the ensuing Pressure Secrets roll. The load still grants the yawara’s +1 to damage. An edged article, like the strigil, enables Pressure Secrets to act as a cutting attack instead of an impaling one, if the attacker prefers.

Tips and blades for melee and thrown weapons, and projectiles, have been made from many materials. Several low-tech options appear below. See Blade Composition (p. B275) for additional possibilities.

A wooden blade or tip changes a cutting attack to crushing; base damage is unaffected. Impaling attacks have -1 to damage and armor divisor (0.5). This assumes fire-hardening; unhardened wood gives another -1 (total -2) to impaling damage. Base cost is 10% of that listed for a good-quality weapon; weight is unchanged.

For wooden training weapons, see GURPS Low-Tech Companion 2.

Horns can be carved into weapons, or used to tip shafts with a killing point. Animal teeth are sometimes used as well. Either changes a cutting attack to crushing; base damage is unaffected. Impaling attacks do normal damage but with armor divisor (0.5).

Tooth-edged clubs are possible; these do cutting damage equal to a steel weapon, but with armor divisor (0.5). 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. Double-edged models can be reversed (a free action) to use the other side until it, too, breaks!

Base cost for either is 20% of that listed for a goodquality weapon; weight is unchanged.

Bone is fragile when dry but can be used for weapons. Damage is -1 for all attack modes. Otherwise, treat it as horn/tooth, but even more breakable: On the 1d roll for breakage, 1-2 means the entire weapon breaks! Base cost is 5% of that listed for a good-quality weapon (or free, for a bone used as an improvised club); weight is unchanged.

Ahlspiess: Germany. A pole weapon that’s roughly equal proportions handle and long metal spike, with a rondel (round handguard) where the halves meet. Used primarily for dueling. Treat as a SPEAR, but it can’t be thrown and is considered a solid-metal (DR 6) sword for breakage; see pp. B483-485.

Ankus: Africa, Asia. An elephant goad (see Elephants, p. 135) used as a weapon. Treat as a BATON with a blunt hook that enables the rules under Hook (above). Some are tipped with a sharp spike, which converts thrusting damage to impaling.

AXE: Universal. A wedge-shaped blade on a wooden handle, for use in one hand and not balanced for throwing. It has a sufficiently long handle that it can be comfortably wielded two-handed; use the stats listed under Two-Handed Axe/Mace, which differ from holding the weapon in the Defensive Grip defined in GURPS Martial Arts. Includes the epsilon axe (Sumer) and masakari (Japan). Axes come in many shapes and sizes, such as the SMALL AXE, which is only slightly larger than a HATCHET, and the LONG AXE.

BACKSWORD: England. A single-edged THRUSTING BROADSWORD with a basket hilt.

BALISONG: Philippines. A tangless folding knife with a pair of hollow handles that pivot forward to sheathe the blade or back to serve as a grip. Sometimes called a butterfly knife. Traditional low-TL balisongs such as described here require a Ready maneuver to open; they can’t be “flipped” open with Fast-Draw (Balisong).

BASTARD SWORD: Universal. A sword 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. A sharp point was standard – use the THRUSTING BASTARD SWORD in historical campaigns. Often called a hand-and-a-half sword, post-TL4. Includes smaller versions of the nodachi (Japan).

BATON: Universal. A short, balanced club, usually wooden or metal. Includes the chung bong (Korea), dhot (Burma), muchan (India), and mutton (Philippines), and the slender metal segu (Indonesia). Some batons are only knife-sized; use the SHORT BATON statistics for these. Short batons include the dan bong (Korea).

Bayonet: Europe. A knife designed to be attached (“fixed”) to a gun, converting it into a spear. Early designs were plug bayonets, inserted into a firearm’s muzzle; TL4 guns were rarely consistent in muzzle size, so each bayonet was fitted to a specific weapon. A fixed plug bayonet prevents successful firing. Late in TL4, socket bayonets appear; these fit into a special socket outside the muzzle, allowing the firearm to be fired with bayonet fixed.

However, a fixed socket bayonet disturbs the gun’s balance and alters barrel vibrations (-1 to Guns), and makes a muzzleloader slower to load (multiply reloading time by 1.1 and round up). Either kind of bayonet adds its weight to the firearm’s weight, making it heavier. Fixing a bayonet takes four Ready maneuvers: one to draw the bayonet, one to change grips, one to mount the blade, and one to ready the firearm as a melee weapon. Fast-Draw (Knife) can reduce this to three seconds. Use Spear skill to stab with a fixed bayonet; damage is thr+3 impaling, and most TL4 long arms afford Reach 1, 2*. Lack of familiarity with a particular gun-bayonet combination gives -2 to hit; see Familiarity (p. B169). People receiving a bayonet charge may need to make a Fright Check, at the GM’s option! For more on bayonet fighting, see GURPS Martial Arts. Treat a bayonet as an unthrowable LARGE KNIFE for cost and weight purposes, and when used by itself with Knife skill.

BILL: Europe. A bladed polearm with a hook on the back that lets the wielder use the rules under Hook (p. 54), typically to unseat a horseman. Initially a battlefield weapon, it was sometimes given a shorter haft for individual combat, resulting in the DUELING BILL, which includes the forest bill (England) and guisarme (France).

BLACKJACK: Universal. A small, weighted truncheon made of cloth or soft leather, designed to deliver a beating without obvious bruising (Diagnosis-2 to notice the injury on a casual examination). Every culture has its own name: cosh, sap, etc.

BLADED HAND: Exotic. A set of joined, nearly parallel blades – of close to equal length – worn on the hand and used to claw like an animal. Some are short and knife-like; others are long and rake-like. Includes the bagh-nakh (Indian; sometimes translated as “tiger claws”) and neko-de (Japan).

BOKKEN: Japan. A katana-sized wooden sword. Usually has a wood or leather handguard, but not always. Also called a bokuto.

BOLAS: Universal. This throwing weapon and the related BOLA PERDIDA can function as improvised one-handed flails in melee combat.

BRASS KNUCKLES: Universal. A fist load that covers the knuckles. As likely to be horn, iron, steel, or lead-reinforced leather as brass. The wearer ignores Hurting Yourself (p. B379) when punching and gets +1 to punching damage, but also suffers from Bad Grip 3 (p. B123). Includes the tekko (Japan, Okinawa).

BROADSWORD: Universal. A term for what medieval European warriors called an arming sword, coined by 17th-century writers to distinguish robust military swords from narrow-bladed civilian ones. Typically 30”-40” long. Traditionally straight-bladed, double-edged, and pointed; use the THRUSTING BROADSWORD (p. B271) statistics. Also use those for slightly curved and/or singleedged versions. Almost every culture has some form of broadsword, often referred to simply as a “sword” in the local language. Includes the longsax (Scandinavia), spatha (Ancient Rome), and larger examples of the katzbalger (Europe) and pedang (Indonesia).

CAESTUS or CESTUS: Ancient Rome. A studded or spiked leather hand covering; treat as a gauntlet (DR 4). Elbow-length versions were common: 2¥ base cost and 4¥ weight; provide DR 4 to the arm on 1-3 on 1d; and add their +1 damage to an Elbow Strike (pp. B230, B404) as well as a punch.

Cane: Universal. The walking stick is an accessory of gentlemen worldwide. Treat as a LIGHT CLUB (pp. 65, B271). Many are topped with a crook (adds no cost or weight), which allows use of the rules under Hook (p. 54). Lighter canes, suitable for use with Rapier or Smallsword skill, are also available; treat as a SHORT STAFF (pp. 69, B273).

CAVALRY SABER: Europe. A curved sword optimized for one-handed use from horseback. Resembles the fencer’s SABER (pp. 61, B273) in profile, but is heavier and wielded more like a BROADSWORD (pp. 55, B271).

CHAIN WHIP: China. A whip made of chain or short metal bars (usually seven or nine of them) joined by chains. Used to lash foes and to entangle like a KUSARI (pp. 58, B272). Also called a kau sin ke (China).

Claymore: Scotland. A term for either a Scottish BACKSWORD (pp. 65, 66) or THRUSTING GREATSWORD (pp. 70, B274), depending on the time period.

COMBAT FAN: China, Japan, Korea. A metal version of the folding fan carried by men and women alike. Folds partially or not at all. Used as a backup weapon and symbol of authority. Called a tessen (“iron fan”) in Japan.

CUTLASS: Europe. A short, single-edged sword with an open-framed basket hilt, favored by sailors and pirates. Some lack the basket hilt; use the SHORTSWORD (pp. 69, B273) stats. The $300 price tag in the Basic Set reflects a mass-produced cutlass made by a large imperial power; use the cost listed here for lesswidely manufactured weapons.

DAGGER: Universal. In GURPS usage, a short, point-only knife. Includes the hishi (Japan). Historically, the term described a double-edged knife with a crosspiece and a pommel – a tiny sword. In casual usage, it might instead mean a RONDEL DAGGER (p. 67), a STILETTO (p. 67), or any knife from SMALL KNIFE (pp. 67, 77, B272, B276) to LONG KNIFE (pp. 67, 69) size.

DAO: – China. A heavy-bladed sword with an extra-long handle, used one-handed for chopping and stabbing. Includes the dha (Burma).

DEER ANTLERS: China. Two interlocked, crescent-shaped blades with a handle in the center of one of the blades, creating a four-pointed cutting weapon capable of trapping weapons between its points. Usually used in pairs.

DUSACK: Europe. A shortsword-sized wooden sword (p. 64).

ESTOC: Europe. An edgeless thrusting sword with a triangular, circular, or diamond cross section, designed to pierce chinks in plate armor. The specialized design removes -2 of the penalty for targeting chinks in armor (p. B400). Also called a tuck (England).

FALCHION: Universal. A medieval European term applied loosely to almost any single-edged sword, but most often to one that’s flared, heavy, and/or curved forward at the tip, which favors cutting over thrusting. Most ironworking cultures developed such a blade; hunters and soldiers worldwide valued it as a tool (for butchering game, cutting brush, opening coconuts, etc.) and a weapon. Normally sharp-tipped, but blunt examples exist; change thrusting damage to crushing. Typically shortsword-sized, falchions include the bolo (Philippines), dan sang gum (Korea), falcata (pre-Roman Iberia), parang (Indonesia), sica (Ancient Rome), sickle sword (Universal), and trombash (Congo) – and the butterfly sword (China), which sports a knuckle guard. The LARGE FALCHION (p. 65) is broad - sword-sized, and includes the largest parangs and the ring sword (China).

FLAIL: Universal. A two-handed weapon – seen almost anywhere grain flails are used – consisting of iron bars, spiked balls, or similar weights attached to a long haft by a chain or a cord. Includes the chigiriki (Japan).

GADA: India. This giant mace symbolizes strength. Wielded two-handed, it can be swung or gripped near the head to “punch.” The listed gada is small; larger versions aren’t uncommon. See GURPS Low-Tech Companion 2 for rules for scaling up weapons.

GARROTE: Universal. Any length of cord, wire, or rope used to strangle.

GLAIVE: Europe. A polearm consisting of a pointed cleaver on a long haft, which evolved from the HEAVY SPEAR (p. 69) in ancient times. A shorter version, the DUELING GLAIVE (p. 68), was used for individual combat in the Middle Ages – and as a combination axe/musket rest, the bardiche, from the mid-1500s in Eastern Europe. Includes the fauchard (France); jedwart or jeddart stave (Scotland), often equipped with a hilt; and Lochaber axe (Scotland), often equipped with a hook. For hooks and hilts, see GURPS Low-Tech Companion 2.

GREAT AXE: Universal. A massive two-handed axe, weaponized from the executioner’s axe. Double-bitted and overly large, it’s uncommon outside fantasy – few if any historical fighting axes used this design! For a realistic two-handed axe, use the GLAIVE (pp. 68, B272), LONG AXE (p. 70), or POLEAXE (pp. 68, B272).

GREATSWORD: Europe. A true two-handed sword. It usually has a sharp tip (a THRUSTING GREATSWORD, pp. 70, B274). A typical European greatsword has a ricasso – an unsharpened, sometimes leather-wrapped length of blade just above the sword’s hilt for the wielder to grasp – that ends in two protruding spikes that protect the user’s hand. Includes largesized nodachi (Japan) and the zweihänder (Germany). Haladie – India, Sudan, Syria. A knife with blades above and below the grip. Treat as a LARGE KNIFE (pp. 67, 77, B272, B276) that lets the user choose freely between the rules for a normal grip and a Reversed Grip (see GURPS Martial Arts), as best suits the task at hand. It cannot pummel and gives -1 to skill. $80, 1.5 lbs.

HALBERD: Europe. A heavy polearm with an axe-like head that sports both a back-spike (used with Hook, p. 54) and an axial spike (used like a spear). The battlefield version may be shortened to a DUELING HALBERD (p. 68) for individual combat. Includes the ji (China) and voulge (Switzerland).

HATCHET: Universal. A light, shorthafted axe suitable for throwing. Also known as a francisca (Norman) and a nata (Japan).

HOOK SWORD: China. A blunt weapon shaped like an inverted “J,” with an edged handguard for punching. The crook enables use of the rules under Hook (p. 54) – and the inside is edged, ostensibly for crippling horses! Usually used in pairs.

HORSE-CUTTER: China. A polearm with a heavy chopping blade similar to that of a DAO (above), intended for use by footmen against horsemen. The HEAVY HORSECUTTER (p. 68) is half again the length and mass of the LIGHT HORSE-CUTTER (p. 68). Also called a pudao (China). The heavy version includes the bisento (Japan, Okinawa).

Iklwa: Zulu. A SHORT SPEAR (p. 69) with a long, broad head, unbalanced for throwing.

JAVELIN: Universal. A slender spear, balanced for throwing but also useful as a light melee weapon. Includes the assegai (Africa), frakka (Viking), pelta (Ancient Greece), spiculum (Ancient Rome), and yarinage (Japan).

JIAN: China. A straight, one-handed sword with a long, narrow blade that’s light enough for fencing but strong enough for cutting. A tassel often decorates the handle.

Jitte: – Japan. A sharp, spearhead-like blade with two side prongs for disarming. Treat as a SAI (pp. 66, 67). The name of this weapon and that of the JUTTE (below) are occasionally exchanged, or used for both weapons – the result of a shift in transliteration practices.

JO: Japan. A 4’-5’ stick normally used with two-handed staff techniques. Similar weapons include the hanbo (Japan) and tapado (Philippines).

JUTTE: Japan. A blunt baton with a single prong for catching parried blades for disarming. Confusingly, some sources swap the name of this weapon and that of the jitte (above), or use the same term for both.

KAKUTE: Japan. A ring with small teeth or “horns,” used to get a firm grip on an opponent and assail pressure points. A pair – one on the ring finger, one on the thumb – gives +1 to rolls to prevent a grappled foe from breaking free and +1 to Pressure Points skill while grappling, but Bad Grip 1 (p. B123) with weapons. Twisting the rings into position for grappling or out of the way for other tasks takes a Ready maneuver.

KATANA: Japan. A slightly curved, single-edged sword designed for one- or two-handed use. It can be used two-handed normally (using the stats under Two-Handed Sword) or in the Defensive Grip defined in GURPS Martial Arts. Includes the jang gum (Korea). The Basic Set describes an early Tokugawa-era weapon in transition from the two-handed nodachi (treat as a GREATSWORD, p. B274) to a blade short enough to wear thrust through a sash. Use the LATE KATANA (pp. 66, 70) statistics for later-era swords.

KATAR: India. A blade with a perpendicular handle equipped with hand or arm guards, awkward for slashing but ideal for thrusting. Grip mechanics permit the use of armed or unarmed combat skills to parry, as with the TONFA (p. 64). Typically knife-sized, but the LARGE KATAR (p. 69) is shortsword-sized, while the PATA (p. 65) is broadsword-sized and features an integrated gauntlet.

KHOPESH: Ancient Egypt. A curved, sickle-like slashing sword with a question mark-shaped blade, sharpened on the outside edge. Although it’s called a “sword,” it functions much like an all-metal axe, used to chop and for the attacks under Hook (p. 54). It can be wielded using either Axe/Mace or Broadsword skill. Similar weapons were known in other cultures, including India.

KNIFE: Universal. Any one-handed blade smaller than a sword, built for effective cutting and stabbing. Lightest is the SMALL KNIFE (pp. 67, 77, B272, B276), which may be balanced well enough to throw; examples include the bhuj (India), kozuka (Japan), and pisau (Indonesia). The next size up is the LARGE KNIFE (pp. 67, 77, B272, B276), which is often purposebuilt for combat but rarely throwable; such weapons include the ballock knife or bollocks dagger (Europe), dan gun (Korea), dirk (Europe), kard (Persia), and chiselpointed tanto (Japan). Largest – at a total length between 15” and 23” – is the LONG KNIFE (p. 69), which is only marginally less substantial than a SHORTSWORD (p. 61, B273) and never throwable. Long knives include the longest versions of the dirk, kard, and tanto. Some terms, like puñal (Philippines), describe a knife of any size. The arrow-like emeici (China) and siangkam (Indonesia) can likewise be of any size, but can only make thrusting attacks. For dedicated thrown weapons, see THROWING KNIFE (p. 77).

KNIFE-WHEEL: China. A SLASHING WHEEL (p. 67) with knife blades protruding from either side. Traditionally used in pairs.

KNOBBED CLUB: Universal. A club with an enlarged striking head. Includes the knobkerrie (Africa), the S-shaped otta (India), and the quauhololii (Aztec).

Kris: Indonesia. A wavy-bladed knife of any size, believed by some to possess magical powers. The blade is slotted loosely into the handle, which is usually curved; quality is often cheap. Treat as a SMALL KNIFE (pp. 67, B272), LARGE KNIFE (pp. 67, B272), or LONG KNIFE (p. 69), as appropriate. Not balanced for throwing.

KUKRI: Nepal. A heavy chopping blade, curved to a 45° angle in the middle. The listed kukri is knife-sized; treat a larger one as a SMALL FALCHION (p. 69) or even a FALCHION (p. 69).

KUSARI: Japan. A chain weighted at both ends, also called a kusarifundo or manrikigusari (“ten-thousandpower chain”). It’s possible to “snap” a kusari at the foe end-first. Damage becomes thrust crushing, but the attack avoids two of the drawbacks on p. B406: It works even at close quarters and has no chance of hitting you in the face on a critical miss. The ROPE DART (p. 61, 67) can also be used as a kusari in melee.

KUSARIGAMA: Japan. A kama (SICKLE, pp. 62, 65) with a two-yard KUSARI (p. B272) attached to the handle’s butt. Requires a hand on the handle and a hand on the chain, and counts as a weapon in either hand. The wielder snares the enemy with the kusari (see p. B406 or the Entangle technique in GURPS Martial Arts) and then finishes him with the kama. Treat these as normal kusari and kama attacks, but use the first line of kusarigama statistics for the two-yard kusari. Cinematic warriors sometimes swing the kama by the chain, like an edged flail – use the third stats line – but the GM may forbid this in a realistic game. Some versions affix a fouryard kusari to the butt or a two-yard kusari atop the handle, opposite the blade (permits one-handed use but counts as only one weapon, either a kusari or a kama – choose each turn); these count as combination weapons.

KUSARIJUTTE: Japan. A JUTTE (p. 66. 67) with a two-yard KUSARI (above; p. B272) attached to the handle. One hand goes on the handle, the other on the chain. Use the standard jutte and kusari rules, except that the short kusari uses the statistics listed for the kusarijutte. Some versions hide the kusari inside the jutte and release it out the tip of the weapon (see Disguised, p. 14).

LAJATANG: Indonesia. A polearm with crescent-shaped blades on both ends.

LANCE: Europe. “Lance” loosely describes any long spear, but the Basic Set weapon is a heavy spear sturdy enough to deliver the energy of a horseman equipped with stirrups and a high-backed saddle. It usually has a grip and a handguard, unlike an infantry spear. Specialized tournament lances are blunt and shatter on impact; see p. B397.

LIGHT CLUB: Universal. Any balanced wooden club, whether a dedicated weapon (good quality or better) or a handy branch, table leg, etc. (cheap). Known by a bewildering array of names, including cudgel (Universal) and shillelagh (Ireland). Every culture has some kind of club, and most languages have a word for the concept.

LONG AXE: Universal. An AXE (p. 54, B271) with a long handle, designed for two-handed use but occasionally wielded one-handed by strong warriors. Includes the Dane-axe or Danish axe (Denmark), English axe (England), largest masakari (Japan), and Viking axe (Scandinavia). Historical weapons called “long axe” were sometimes smaller (treat as an AXE, pp. 65, B271) or almost ceremonially large (treat as a GREAT AXE, pp. 70, B274).

LONGSWORD: Germany. A light THRUSTING BASTARD SWORD (pp. 54, B271, B274) designed for two-handed thrusting. It can be used two-handed normally (use the stats under Two-Handed Sword) or in the Defensive Grip defined in GURPS Martial Arts. To facilitate this tactic, only the tipmost 6” of the blade was customarily sharpened.

MACE: Universal. Any unbalanced, one-handed war club with a massive stone, wooden, or metal crushing head. The smooth-headed ROUND MACE (p. 65, 70) is ancient, but modern martial artists still use “melon head hammers” and similar weapons – sometimes even in pairs. The standard MACE (pp. 65, 70, 77, B271, B276), with flanges or spikes for bashing through plate armor, is a classic weapon of medieval Europe. Both represent large examples of maces, with handles long enough for comfortable twohanded use; use the stats under Two-Handed Axe/Mace, which differ from using the weapon in the Defensive Grip defined in GURPS Martial Arts. However, most historical examples were smaller, lighter weapons: the SMALL ROUND MACE (pp. 65, 77) and SMALL MACE (pp. 65, 77, B271, B276). A thrown mace is a deadly projectile; the attacker lobs it rather than hurling it in a straight line.

Machete: Universal. A chopping blade used to harvest fruit and clear brush. Treat as a KUKRI (p. 67) or a FALCHION (p. 69), depending on size – but it may little resemble either, and is often cheap-quality.

MACUAHUILZOCTLI: Aztec. A shortsword-sized version of the MACUAHUITL (below).

MACUAHUITL: Aztec. A wooden club with pieces of obsidian glued into place to create an edge. It usually has a loop to secure it to the wrist. While capable of cutting blows, its obsidian blades are vulnerable to shattering and loosening. If it parries or is parried by any weapon, or is used to strike DR 2+, it suffers -1 to cutting damage until repaired (see Blade Composition, p. B275). In addition, on any successful attack or successful parry against an armed attack, roll 1d; on 1-2, the edge breaks, reducing the macuahuitl to a club that does swing+1 crushing damage. Fortunately, the weapon has two edges – the user can reverse it (a free action) and use the other side until it, too, breaks! Sizes range from the shortsword- length MACUAHUILZOCTLI (above) to the TWOHANDED MACUAHUITL (p. 70).

MAIN-GAUCHE: France, Italy. A stiff knife with a large basket hilt and broad crosspiece, designed primarily as a parrying weapon. Used alongside a rapier. Not throwable.

MAUL: Universal. A heavy, two-handed hammer.

Miséricorde: France. Translates as “mercy,” either in the sense of “beg for mercy” or the “mercy” shown by finishing a wounded foe. Describes any stabbing-only knife – typically a DAGGER (pp. 67, 77, B272, B276), RONDEL DAGGER (p. 67), or STILETTO (p. 67) – and refers to its use to attack chinks in the armor of fallen knights.

MONK’S SPADE: China. A polearm with a sharp, spade-like head on one end and a crescent-shaped blade on the other.

MORNINGSTAR: Europe. A one-handed flail consisting of a handle linked to a spiked striking head by a chain. Some sources use the term for a MACE (pp. 58, B271) with a spiked striking head.

MYRMEX: Ancient Greece. Leather hand wrapping with sharp edges that inflict shallow cuts when punching. Gives DR 1 to the hand – but also Bad Grip 1 (p. B123). NAGINATA (pp. 68, 70, B272-274) – Japan. A staff-length polearm with a sword-like head. The nagamaki (Japan) and rhomphaia (Ancient Thrace) have a longer blade and a shorter staff, but can use the same stats. Includes bladed versions of the ngao (Thailand).

NET: Ancient Rome. A weighted net designed for combat. The MELEE NET (p. 76) is a one-handed thrown or melee weapon, used by Roman gladiators in conjunction with the TRIDENT (p. 64). It offers a Block defense of (skill/2) + 3, but provides no DB – and as it’s Diffuse (p. B380), it will only stop 1-2 points of damage if used to block a missile. The LARGE NET (p. 76) requires two hands and is only for throwing, but is also harder to escape from; see p. B411 for rules. A fighter with a net can trail it in front of him to trip foes.

The hex containing the net is bad footing. Furthermore, the wielder can try to yank the net out from under the enemy. Roll a Quick Contest of ST. If the user wins, his opponent falls. Otherwise, nothing happens . . . but if his ST roll is a critical failure, he falls instead!

NUNCHAKU: Okinawa. A flail consisting of two lengths of wood linked by a chain or cord, the length of which varies but is usually short. Sometimes wielded in pairs. Includes the sang-jyel-bong (Korea).

OAR: Universal. A large oar, used as a makeshift polearm. Small-craft oars have been used as improvised weapons worldwide. Includes the eku (Okinawa) and taiaha (Maori).

Partisan: Europe. A spear with triangular spikes (“ears”) at the base of a broad head. This prevents impaled foes from running themselves through to close with the wielder (Martial Arts, p. 106). Otherwise, treat as an unthrowable SPEAR (pp. 69, B273). Also known as a Bohemian ear-spoon, ranseur, spetum, or spontoon (Europe), or a magari-yari (Japan). The boar spear (Europe) – used for hunting – has blunt spikes, but is otherwise identical.

PATA: India. A broadsword-sized KATAR (pp. 54, 67), commonly used by horsemen. It has an integrated armored gauntlet to protect the hand. This acts as an enclosed basket hilt, giving the hand DR 4 but making it impossible to wear a metal gauntlet on that hand. The pata is too long for effective parrying using unarmed skills. Treat shorter versions as a KATAR with an enclosed basket hilt (see GURPS Low-Tech Companion 2).

PICK: Universal. A one-handed war club with a beaked head mounted at right angles to the handle. It’s designed to penetrate armor; the narrow tip removes -2 of the penalty for targeting chinks in armor (p. B400). Also known as the zaghnal (India). The martel-de-fer (France) is a pick with a hammer head on the peen.

PIKE: Ancient Greece, Europe. A very long spear, designed for use in formation. The weapon table lists a five-yard pike; shorter and longer ones are available. A four-yard pike: Reach 3, 4*, Weight 10 lbs., ST 11†. A six-yard pike: Reach 5, 6*, Weight 15 lbs., ST 13†. Treat a three-yard or shorter pike as a LONG SPEAR or a SPEAR (pp. 69, B273). Includes the nagae-yari (Japan) and sarissa (Macedon).

POLEAXE: Europe. A large axe head on a long pole, backed by a hammer head. Few, if any, historical weapons resembled this combination – but some fantasy weapons might! For a more elaborate dueling weapon, see the POLLAXE (below); for simpler and shorter large axes, use the GREAT AXE (pp. 70, B274).

POLLAXE: Europe. A dueling polearm with an axe or hammer head, a beaked peen, a top spike, a spiked butt, and a metal-reinforced shaft. Purpose-built for duels between armored knights, the pollaxe is optimized for the Defensive Grip defined in GURPS Martial Arts. Even in games that don’t use that option, the GM with Martial Arts should allow it with this weapon. The weapon on the table has a hammer head; if equipped with an axe head instead, it’s identical to the DUELING HALBERD (p. 68). Not to be confused with the POLEAXE (p. B272). Includes the bec de corbin (France).

QIAN KUN RI YUE DAO: China. The “heaven and earth, sun and moon sword” is a 4’-5’ metal bar with a sickle-like blade at either end. The wielder holds it across his body with his hands inside a pair of handguards – each with another crescent-shaped blade on it. He can cut and thrust with one end, “punch” in close combat, or use both ends at once for a Dual-Weapon Attack against two adjacent foes. Attacks with this complex weapon are at -1.

QUADRENS: Ancient Rome. A very unusual gladiator’s “dagger.” Evidence of its use is sketchy. Instead of a single blade, it has four thin thrusting spikes arranged in a square pattern. Used with Jitte/Sai skill, it can disarm like a jitte (p. 57).

QUARTERSTAFF: Universal. A balanced 5’-7’ wooden pole, wielded two-handed, often in a central grip. It enjoys worldwide praise for its defensive utility and ability to deal combat-winning blows. Includes the bo (Japan), jang bong (Korea), kettukari (India), panthiruchan (India), bamboo plong (Thailand), rokushakubo (Okinawa), and toya (Indonesia). The GM with GURPS Martial Arts should let it benefit from Parrying with Two-Handed Weapons (Martial Arts, p. 123), even if he doesn’t otherwise use that rule. Soldiers regularly learned staff fighting to ensure that they could defend themselves if their polearm lost its head. A broken polearm uses the LONG STAFF (p. 69) stats – as do the traditional 8’-9’ medieval European quarterstaff and the pikestaff (England). Drag limits a long staff’s striking power, and it requires the Defensive Grip defined in Martial Arts to be useful at close range.

RAPIER: Europe. A long, one-handed sword with a stiff, narrow blade built for stabbing (but not for parrying – rapierists often carried a secondary weapon or a cloak for defense). Despite modern misconceptions, the rapier isn’t flimsy or fragile; it’s simply longer and thinner than a military cut-andthrust sword of similar weight, as befits a civilian weapon designed to combat lightly armored foes. There are many variations. The LIGHT RAPIER (p. 68) is a later-era weapon well on its way to becoming a SMALLSWORD (below, p. B273). Early rapiers generally had sharp edges and enough weight for cutting, and later blades sometimes emulated this. These are the EDGED RAPIER (p. 66, 68) and LIGHT EDGED RAPIER (p. 68), respectively.

RONDEL DAGGER: Europe. A heavy dagger with broad discs as its pommel and handguard. The pommel design lets the user drive a blow home with the other hand, erasing -2 of the penalty for targeting chinks in armor (p. B400). If the wielder is wearing gauntlets (any gloves with DR 4+), the discs lock the weapon in place point-down: the user gets +2 to resist disarming (and if using GURPS Martial Arts, must wield the dagger with a Reversed Grip).

ROPE DART (p. 67) – China. A small metal throwing spike on the end of a rope. This lets the user retrieve the projectile after hurling it. The dart is smooth and bullet- shaped – not barbed – and can’t snag and reel in the target. Light, ranged, and retrievable, the rope dart is a useful backup weapon for cavalry. Also known as the sheng biao (China).

SABER: Europe. A light, one-handed cutand- thrust sword built for fencing. Includes the krabi (Thailand).

SAI: Asia. A three-tined metal truncheon with a long central spike and a pair of short side prongs. Both side prongs typically point forward, but sometimes one is reversed (no game effect). Most sais had sharp points, but improvised ones might be blunt. Similar weapons exist throughout Asia; several predate the sai. The tuja (Okinawa) is a small fishing trident, used onehanded. Treat as a sai with a (0.5) armor divisor.

Scimitar: Asia. A blanket term for a curved, one-handed slashing sword from Eastern Europe, Turkey, the Middle East, or South Asia, such as the kiljic (Ottoman Empire), podang (Indonesia), shamshir (Persia), shasqa (Russia), talwar or tulwar (India), or yataghan (Turkey). A light one is a SHORTSWORD (pp. 69, B273); a heavier one is a CAVALRY SABER (pp. 66, B271) if steeply curved, a THRUSTING BROADSWORD (pp. 65, B271) otherwise. A curved chopping sword, also common in these parts, is a FALCHION (p. 69) or a LARGE FALCHION (p. 65).

SCYTHE: Universal. A two-handed cutting implement used to harvest grain and mow grass. Rarely a dedicated weapon, but weaponized versions exist. Includes the ogama (Japan) and two-handed versions of the falx (Dacia).

SHIELD: Universal. Shields of all sizes appear worldwide. Some are designed for offense. For details, see Shields (pp. 113-117) and associated rules in GURPS Low-Tech Companion 2.

SHORT STAFF: Universal. A balanced stick, between 25” and 36” long, made of rattan (often fire-hardened) for training, hardwood for fighting. Often used in pairs. Other names include chung bong (Korea), escrima stick (Philippines), and tongkat (Indonesia).

SHORTSWORD: Universal. A one-handed cut-and-thrust sword between 18” and 24” long. Examples include the cuttoe (Europe), daab (Thailand), gladius (Ancient Rome), hanger (Europe), katzbalger (Europe), pedang (Indonesia), seax (Scandinavia), and wakizashi (Japan). This represents a weapon intended for war. Blades made as tools are cheaper, less-effective weapons; reduce cost to $350 and apply -1 to thrusting damage. For cut-optimized swords of this size, see FALCHION (p. 56).

SHOTEL: Abyssinia. A heavily curved, double-edged sword about 40” in length. Primarily used to stab with the tip around shields or parrying weapons. Its heavy curve makes it tricky to handle (-2 to hit), but parries and blocks against it are at -1. Although edged, it cuts very poorly. Extremely curved examples of the falx (Dacia) and other sickle-shaped swords also use these stats.

SICKLE: Universal. A weaponized farmer’s tool. The blade on a weapon-quality sickle is often straight, not crescent-shaped. This allows hooking and swung impaling attacks. Includes the arit (Indonesia), falx (Dacia), and kama (Japan).

SLASHING WHEEL: China. A semicircular blade, sometimes toothed, gripped by a crossbar and used to cut opponents. Often wielded in pairs. The similar fire wheel (China) has identical stats.

SMALLSWORD: France. This one-handed thrusting sword is speedy on attack and defense, but its light weight and short reach are serious liabilities. The DRESS SMALLSWORD (p. 69) is even lighter and shorter, but can pass as a fashion accessory.

SODEGARAMI: Japan. A metal-reinforced staff with barbs along its length and a barbed head that’s either forked or T-shaped. The design is intended to snag clothing; see Hook (p. 54) for its standard attack. The related sasumata ends in a wide, blunt fork intended to enclose the opponent’s torso. Use the same statistics, but remove the thrust+2 crushing attack. However, a sasumata wielder can shove (p. B372) a standing foe using the Staff skill, or pin (p. B370) him if he’s prone or against a wall – both at Reach 1, 2. This weapon includes the mancatcher (Europe). The pole-lasso, or uurga (Mongolia), has a rope loop at the end of a pole, and is used like a polearm but can entangle like a lasso (p. B411): Reach 2, 3*, Cost $40, Weight 6 lbs.

SPEAR: Universal. A pole with a pointed stabbing head, prized for its versatility: long, useful in one hand or two, often throwable, and uniformly deadly. The spear is a truly universal weapon; examples include the bolg (Ancient Celts), chiang (China), hasta (Ancient Rome), ngao (Thailand), sibat (Philippines), and yari (Japan), to name only a few. Many variants sacrifice some flexibility for special-purpose effectiveness. For instance, the yari sometimes has an L-shaped head; this adds $10 and 0.5 lb, and enables the rules under Hook (p. 54), but renders the spear unthrowable. Other spears have a crescent-shaped or semi-circular head instead of a pointed tip; damage becomes cutting, but other stats are unchanged. The SHORT SPEAR (p. 69) – short, one-handed, and unthrowable – is a poor man’s stabbing sword; an example is the rochin (Japan). The LONG SPEAR (pp. 69, B273) is exclusively a melee weapon, employed with or without a shield for formation fighting. The HEAVY SPEAR (p. 69) is similar, but has an extra-wide head for disemboweling; it’s so massive that it requires two hands. Heavy spears include the dory and kontos (both Ancient Greece).

STILETTO: Italy. A thin, stiff dagger that can penetrate links of mail and the joints of plate armor. The narrow blade removes -2 of the penalty for targeting chinks in armor (p. B400).

Tachi: Japan. Treat this cavalry sword as a CAVALRY SABER (p. 66, B271) or a KATANA (pp. 66, 70, B271, B274), depending on size. The main difference from the katana is that it’s slung, not thrust through a sash.

Tebutje: Polynesia. A wooden club with shark’s teeth affixed using vegetable-fiber thread to create an edge. Treat as a MACUAHUITL (p. 65) made of bone (p. 71), but it can also stab for thrust-1 impaling damage.

Tepoztopilli: A wooden SPEAR (above; pp. B273, B276) with pieces of obsidian inserted around the perimeter of the head. If used to strike DR 2+, it suffers -1 to thrusting damage until repaired; see Blade Composition (p. B275). This doesn’t happen on a parry, which is done using the shaft and not the fragile obsidian head.

TETSUBO: Japan. The name means “iron staff,” but it’s actually a two-handed wooden club with an iron-studded cap. Usually used in the Defensive Grip defined in GURPS Martial Arts. Also known as the kanabo (Japan).

THONGED CLUB: Universal. A small truncheon with an attached cord. Use the listed statistics when swinging it by the cord; otherwise, treat as a cheap-quality BLACKJACK (pp. 65, B271).

THREE-PART STAFF: China. Three short staffs linked by rope or chain, used twohanded – traditionally with the Defensive Grip defined in GURPS Martial Arts. The wielder can grasp it at one end and swing it as an extra-long flail, or employ both ends like clubs or nunchaku for a Dual-Weapon Attack on adjacent foes. A difficult weapon; all attacks are at -1. Also known as the san jie gun (China).

THROWING AXE: Europe. An AXE (pp. 54, B271) balanced for throwing. It comes in many varieties. The full-sized version has a sufficiently long handle that it can be comfortably wielded two-handed; use the stats under Two-Handed Axe/Mace, which differ from holding the weapon in the Defensive Grip defined in GURPS Martial Arts. The SMALL THROWING AXE (pp. 65, 77) is halfway between a full-sized axe and a HATCHET (pp. 65, 77, B271, B276) in size. Cruciform throwing axes (and hatchets) that lack proper handles give -2 to skill as melee weapons but cost $10 less.

Tomahawk: American Indian. A HATCHET (pp. 65, 77, B271, B276), SMALL AXE (p. 65), or SMALL THROWING AXE (pp. 65, 77), depending on size and balance. Often sports a back spike (pick); treat such variants as combination weapons.

TONFA: Okinawa. A side-handled BATON (pp. 54, B273), often used in pairs. Held in a Reversed Grip (see GURPS Martial Arts) to aid Karate parries and enhance punches, or quickly spun to strike as a club. Includes the mae sun-sawk (Thailand).

TRIDENT: Universal. A three-tined fork based on a fishing spear. Used with a NET (pp. 59, B276) by Roman gladiators. Multiple tines make it tip-heavy (-2 to hit) and easy to intercept (+1 to target’s Block or Parry), and distribute the force of impact (armor divisor (0.5)), but are tricky to evade (-1 to enemy’s Dodge). Includes the cha (China), fuscina (Ancient Rome), military fork (Europe), and southern-tiger fork (China), and forked versions of the ngao (Thailand).

Truncheon: Universal. A generic term for a club of BLACKJACK (pp. 55, B271) to BATON (pp. 54, B273) size.

URUMI: India. A one-handed sword with a long, flexible blade, used to whip the target. Cutting damage assumes that one or both edges are sharp. Blunt urumi exist; these can only make crushing attacks. Sharpness doesn’t affect cost or weight. Shorter versions are possible; they’re worn like metal belts and are consequently known as belt swords: Damage sw-2 cr or sw-2(0.5) cut, Reach 1, 2, Cost $300, Weight 2 lbs., ST 7. These get +1 to Holdout, but lack of a useful handguard gives an additional -1 to Parry.

WARHAMMER: Europe. A long, two-handed PICK (pp. 60, B271). Often given a heavy hammer behind the spike; treat as a combination weapon.

WEIGHTED SCARF: India. A scarf with a weight in one or both ends. Famously used as a GARROTE (p. B272) by the Thuggee cult, but also a serviceable light flail.

WHIP: Universal. A length of braided leather that allows the wielder to deliver lashes or snare the enemy (see p. B406 or the Entangle technique in GURPS Martial Arts). At 2 lbs. per yard, it’s both weighted and studded. The LIGHT WHIP (p. 70) lacks such enhancements, and is used primarily for entangling.

WOODEN STAKE: Universal. A pointed stick. Better than nothing. Includes the liangtjat and paku (both Indonesia).

Wooden Sword: Universal. Any sword might have a wooden version. An example is the Japanese BOKKEN (p. 55) or bokuto, a wooden katana. Shortsword-sized weapons include the German DUSACK (p. 56) and the rudis (Ancient Rome). A wooden sword of any size is also known as a waster (England).

Yawara: Japan. A short stick held in the fist with its ends protruding, used as a fist load and a lever. Cost and weight are as BRASS KNUCKLES (pp. 65, B271) – but instead of giving +1 to damage with ordinary punches, it gives +1 to damage with the Hammer Fist technique in GURPS Martial Arts. This punch is at -1 to skill and -1 to damage (the +1 for a yawara cancels this out, giving normal punching damage), but uses 1/10 damage instead of 1/5 damage for Hurting Yourself (p. B379). A yawara also grants +1 to follow-up rolls with Judo holds and locks (to injure, prevent escape, etc.). The similar dokko, kubotan, and tenouchi use identical rules.

Each weapon appears once per skill that can be used to wield it. Weapons capable of several different attacks get one line per basic attack. In all cases, “–” means the statistic doesn’t apply, “var.” means the value varies, and “spec.” indicates that special rules apply; see the footnotes. Other terms and notation are as defined in Weapon Statistics. For quick reference:

TL: The tech level at which the weapon became widespread in the real world.

Weapon: The name of the specific weapon if it’s unique to a particular culture, or of the class of weapon if it’s used in many places (see the appropriate entry on pp. 54-64).

Damage: The ST-based damage that the weapon inflicts. Weapons that are poor at penetrating armor have an armor divisor of (0.5), which multiplies DR by 2.

Reach: The weapon’s reach, in yards. “C” indicates a weapon for close combat (see p. B391). A weapon with multiple reaches (e.g., “1, 2”) can strike at any of those reaches – but an asterisk (*) means that changing reach requires a Ready maneuver.

Parry: The modifier to parry when using the weapon with the indicated skill. “F” means the weapon is a fencing weapon (see p. B404). “U” means it’s unbalanced and can’t parry on the turn it attacks. “No” means it can’t parry!

Cost: The price of a new weapon, in $.

Weight: The weapon’s weight, in lbs. Realistic low-tech weaponry can span a range of weights; the number on the table is for a common example. Weight includes a sheath, carrying loop, and/or cover; for details, see Optional Rule: Sheaths (p. 57).

ST: The minimum ST needed to wield the weapon properly; fighters with lower ST suffer -1 to skill per point of ST deficit. Effective ST for damage purposes can’t exceed triple the listed ST. “†” means the weapon requires two hands; “‡” means it requires two hands and becomes unready after an attack unless you have at least 1.5 times the listed ST.

Notes: Any special notes, including applicable footnotes at the end of the table.

Notes:

• [1] Can be thrown. See Muscle-Powered Ranged Weapon Table (pp. 75-78).
• [2] Hook enables the rules under Hook (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 myrmex offers DR 1 and a cestus affords DR 4; both are gloves of a sort, and mutually exclusive with other gloves. 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. Deer antlers, hook swords, katars, qian kun ri yue dao, and wheels don’t enclose the hand completely; DR applies only on a roll of 1-3 on 1d.
• [7] Target at -1 to Block or Parry.
• [8] Can strike to disarm (p. B401) without -2 to hit for using a non-fencing weapon.
• [9] 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 bola perdida, bolas, nunchaku, thonged club, and weighted scarf.
• [10] Counts as a rope garrote; see Garrotes (p. B405).
• [11] Gets +2 to disarm when wielded with Jitte/Sai skill; see pp. B208, B401.
• [12] Use Brawling or Karate parry if better than usual weapon parry.
• [13] Can only lash the target for damage; none of the special whip rules apply.
• [14] Specify maximum reach (1-4 yards) when bought. Damage is swing, +1 per yard of maximum reach. Cost and weight are per yard. ST is 8, +1 per yard.
• [15] When swinging the kama on the end of the chain, the kusarigama can’t disarm or entangle like a regular kusari (p. B406).
• [16] Damage increases in a mounted charge; see Cavalry Weapons (p. B397). Also review Lance (p. 58) and Riding Gear (p. 134) for important rules.
• [17] Target at -1 to Dodge, +1 to Block or Parry.
• [18] The butt of a two-yard polearm – dueling bill, dueling glaive, dueling halberd, light horse-cutter, naginata, or pollaxe – used as a staff. Cost, weight, and ST are as listed for that weapon under the Polearm skill.
• [19] Use these statistics when using both ends for a Dual-Weapon Attack.
• [20] Specify maximum reach (1-7 yards) when bought. Cost and weight are per yard. The light whip requires ST 3, +1 per yard. The whip requires ST 5, +1 per yard. Many special rules apply; be sure to see Whips (p. B406).

Trench fights, barroom brawls, alleyway holdups, and similar close-combat situations are often settled hand-tohand at TL5-8, despite advances in guns and explosives. High-tech axes, swords, clubs, etc., rarely differ much from their low-tech predecessors, except in terms of materials quality (see Melee Weapon Quality, p. B274). For much more on melee weapons – including detailed rules for using them – see GURPS Martial Arts.

At TL5, the hatchet (p. B271) still serves the world’s navies as a boarding weapon. Some irregulars and infantry forces – such as early 18th-century British and French grenadiers – prefer it to the bayonet (p. 197) as backup for their muskets and rifles. Both Native Americans and white settlers use the tomahawk (from the Algonquian tamahákan, meaning “the thing that cuts”): an iron-bladed war hatchet balanced for throwing (p. B276) and sometimes combined with a tobacco pipe.

At TL6-8, axes see more use as tools than as weapons (see Axes, pp. 24-25). During the Vietnam War, though, the U.S. Army Special Forces and U.S. Marine Corps issued a spiked tomahawk. Treat this as a fine (TL7) hatchet. The spike does -1 damage relative to the weapon’s cutting attack but is impaling, and the rules for picks apply (p. B405).

Swords are still in wide use at TL5: infantry officers, cavalrymen, and police carry sabers, sailors use cutlasses, and combat engineers tote shortswords. The ordinary infantryman has his bayonet (p. 197). Knives of various lengths and descriptions equip irregulars, hunters, criminals, and just about everybody else.

At TL6, swords grow rarer as handguns become more prevalent. Military and police officers who carry them do so primarily for ceremonial purposes. Only bayonets and knives remain in widespread service.

Bayonets are still standard issue at TL7, while swords all but disappear from official combat service. High-quality swords are made for collectors and hobbyists, though, while low-quality ones flood pawnshops and fill the pages of martial-arts catalogs. The most advanced knives in history become available at TL7 (all blades are fine quality at no extra cost; see p. B274), as almost every gunman wants steel for backup.

A bayonet is a blade affixed to a firearm’s muzzle, originally developed at TL4 to enable the single-shot muskets carried by soldiers and hunters to serve as effective melee weapons once discharged. At TL5, the bayonet completely replaces the pike in front-line military service. At TL6- 8, guns can fire multiple shots and reload quickly, but close combat remains a battlefield possibility; a bayonet-tipped rifle is often the last line of defense.

Fixing a bayonet takes four Ready maneuvers: one to draw the bayonet, one to change grips, one to mount the blade, and one to ready the firearm as a melee weapon. Fast-Draw (Knife) can reduce this to three seconds.

Use the Spear skill to stab with a shoulder-arm bayonet (to club with the weapon’s butt, see Clubs, p. 198). Damage is thr+3 impaling. Most TL4-6 long arms qualify for Reach 1, 2*, while TL7-8 weapons usually have Reach 1. Sidearm bayonets require the Knife skill and get the reach and damage of a large knife. Being unfamiliar with a particular gun-bayonet combination gives -2 to hit; see Familiarity (p. B169). Those on the receiving end of a bayonet charge may need to make a Fright Check, at the GM’s discretion. For more on bayonet fighting, see GURPS Martial Arts.

A fixed bayonet changes the firearm’s performance as a gun. It disturbs balance and alters barrel vibrations, degrading accuracy: -1 to Guns skill. It also makes a muzzleloader slower to load – multiply reloading time by 1.1 and round up. Its weight adds to the gun’s weight, making it a heavier load.

For the weight and reach of a particular bayonet, see the description of the weapon that mounts it. Weight figures don’t include a sheath. Indeed, many TL5-6 bayonets don’t even have one!

A TL5 socket bayonet has a sleeve that slides over the muzzle. It locks to the gun via a lug that fits into a slot in the sleeve. Its 15-25” blade is offset to allow firing and loading. Most such bayonets have no cutting edge and can only make thrusting attacks. They usually lack a proper grip and can’t be used without the gun.

A sword bayonet is a shortsword, saber, or large knife, typically 15-25” in length; a knife bayonet is 6-12” long. Either attaches to the muzzle via a bayonet mount. At TL5, such bayonets are rarer than socket bayonets and usually issued to specialists such as combat engineers. At TL6-8, they replace other designs and gradually grow shorter; common lengths are 12” at TL6, 7” at TL7-8.

Many TL7-8 knife bayonets are multi-purpose tools. The back of the blade is serrated for use as a saw (sw-3 cut on rope, wood, or soft metal) and the pommel is a serviceable hammer. A slot in the blade clips to the sheath, turning the combination into wire cutters (p. 25). Some designs have additional built-in tools, such as screwdrivers and bottle-openers! The GM may count these bayonets as improvised tools in certain situations – but they’re wholly inadequate for most routine tasks (-5 to skill at least).

By TL8, some militaries no longer issue bayonets. Multipurpose knives, more tool than weapon, are common. Still, the blade survives – it never misfires or runs out of ammo!

This long knife has a heavy, flared, single-edged blade optimized for chopping. While designed as a tool for cutting sugarcane or clearing a path through jungle, it often serves as a weapon at TL5-8 – such as in the Cuban revolution of the late 19th century, the Chaco War in the 1930s, and the Rwandan civil war in the 1990s. It’s usually cheap quality. A 0.3-lb. sheath is included. LC4.

The hilt of this T-shaped knife is at 90° to the blade, which protrudes from between the fingers of the fist. There are many different sizes and patterns, but those most common at TL6-8 are small. A push knife issued to British secret agents during WWII consisted of a narrow pick mounted on a contoured metal grip. Some commercial push knives at TL7 are disguised as belt buckles (+4 to Holdout). A 0.25-lb. sheath is included. LC3-4.

This is a heavy hunting and fighting knife, often with a serrated section for sawing. Its prototype was the 19th-century Bowie knife. Modern versions often have a hollow hilt to hold a variety of useful or not-so- useful survival items (see Survival Kits, pp. 58-59). This hollow handle might even accept a pole, yielding a makeshift spear; see the film First Blood for a famous specimen that sparked considerable interest among fans. Pouches on the 0.5-lb. sheath may hold further equipment, such as a compass (p. 52) or a whetstone (p. 25). LC4.

This easily concealed small knife springs or slides out of its case handle (Holdout 0). It’s used for quick stabs and slashes. Paratroopers carry it for cutting parachute lines. Switchblades are flimsy, and may snap if used to parry (1-4 on 1d). LC3-4.

This weapon is a 2-3’ blade concealed in a walking stick. Fashionable gentlemen – and those posing as defenseless invalids – carry it in situations where weapons are forbidden or not tolerated. Treat as a smallsword, but due to the thin blade, quality is a level lower than what’s paid for. It completely lacks a guard, which gives -2 to Parry. The 1-lb. sheath doubles as a baton. LC3-4.

Japanese soldiers during WWII were issued machine-made “samurai swords” such as the 99 Shiki Guntou (“type 99 army blade”). Modern cutlery shops sell similar models. Some lack the refinements commonly associated with Japanese swords, and may be of cheap quality; others are of fine or even very fine quality due to better materials. Many are simply good-quality. Modern blades are shorter and lighter than traditional katanas. The 1.25 lb. sheath doubles as a baton. LC4.

This is simply a large knife with a knuckle guard that lets it function as brass knuckles when punching. Most U.S. Marine trench raiders during WWI carried an M1918 trench knife and a Colt M1911 (p. 98), and found both indispensable. It includes a 0.5 lb. sheath. LC4.

This palm-sized folding knife (Holdout 0) unfolds with a flick of the wrist. This is a free action – an improvement over less-advanced folders, which require a Ready maneuver and two hands to open. Has either a 0.25 lb. belt pouch or a belt clip (+1 to Fast-Draw, -2 to DX rolls for incidental damage; see Sheaths for more information). LC3-4.

See p. B275 for basic blade materials as well as some exotic ones. A few additional options appear at TL6-7:

A stainless-steel blade is corrosion-resistant and requires less maintenance than a typical carbon-steel one. The additives involved make it brittle and more likely to snap under pressure, however. Knives, swords, and axes can be stainless at no extra cost. Stainless swords are cheap (not good) at TL6 and good (not fine) at TL7-8. Quality can be improved by up to two levels, but this costs double – 8 and 40 times list price – due to the expensive treatments required to offset the degraded materials properties.

The main advantage of a ceramic blade is that a security metal detector (p. 206) won’t find it. It still shows up clearly in an X-ray baggage screener (pp. 206-207). Damage is unmodified. Treat as cheap quality for breakage purposes, as it chips more easily. Triple cost and halve weight.

Titanium blades, used by underwater demolition teams and salvage divers, are nonmagnetic, corrosion-resistant, and lighter than comparable steel blades. Treat as very fine quality for breakage purposes. Double cost and multiply weight by 0.75.

Clubs are common at TL5-8. Policemen are issued nightsticks and riot-control batons, criminals and security forces carry blackjacks, and anybody might brandish the proverbial “blunt instrument” – tire iron, baseball bat, fence plank, fireplace poker, etc. Both improvised and industrially made clubs, maces, and morningstars were used on a large scale in WWI trench fighting.

Striking end-on with the butt of a shoulder arm uses the Staff skill and inflicts thr+2 crushing. Holding the gun by the barrel and swinging it like a baseball bat requires the Two-Handed Axe/Mace skill, does sw+3 crushing, and is only advisable with TL4-5 single-shot muskets and rifles (which are built for it) – the GM may require a HT roll to avoid breakage for other firearms. In general, TL4-6 long arms have Reach 1, 2*, while TL7-8 models are Reach 1. Sidearms use Pistol Whipping (p. 93).

This steel baton expands using an internal spring or gravity. The latter version takes a Ready maneuver to flick open – or no time at all on a successful Fast-Draw (Sword) roll. Retracting either type requires tapping it on a hard surface. Such batons are about 12” long closed (Holdout -1), 30” long open (Holdout -3). Security forces often use them, and their concealability makes them convenient for personal defense. LC4.

Also known as a “side-handle baton,” this is a modernized plastic version of the TL3 Okinawan club. Introduced to U.S. police forces in 1958, it has become widespread with Western law enforcement. LC4.

It seems as though weapon designers have always had a mad urge to combine. The invention of gunpowder gave further impetus to this proclivity. See Bayonets (p. 197) for a simple combination of gun and melee weapon, Pocketknife Pistol (p. 98) for a more involved one. Further examples appear below. Anything can be built for a price. To combine multiple melee weapons, see GURPS Martial Arts.

This smoothbore pistol, designed by George Elgin, was made to order for the U.S. Navy by Cyrus Allen, and had an integral 11” blade forged by Nathan Ames below the barrel. It holds the twin distinctions of being the U.S. military’s first percussion handgun and its only official combination weapon. The Navy acquired 150 for issue to the 1838 Wilkes Expedition to the South Sea. As well, a few were sold commercially. Treat it as large knife (p. B272) – at -1 to Knife skill – in melee combat. For gun stats, see the Non- Repeating Pistols Table (p. 91). LC3.

Designed for U.S. Naval Intelligence during WWII, the Sedgley Glove Pistol MK 2 probably never saw use in combat. It was a sturdy glove (DR 1) with a metal plate riveted to the back of the hand. This mounted a very short barrel loaded with a single .38 S&W pistol cartridge (Dmg 2d-1 pi). It was fired by punching the target.

Use DX, Boxing, Brawling, or Karate to hit. The bullet’s damage is linked to that of a successful punch; the two automatically hit the same location. The pistol doesn’t go off if the target dodges the punch, but if he parries it, the shot may still hit the parrying arm or weapon – treat as Hitting the Wrong Target (p. B389). Reloading takes six seconds. $50, 0.5 lb. LC2.

The Nozh Razvedchika Strelyayushyi-2 (“shooting scout knife”) is a combat knife with a firing chamber in the handle; the muzzle is at the butt end. It fires a “silent” round that uses the piston principle (see Silent Ammunition, p. 165), making it useful for sentry removal. To shoot, reverse the knife – via a Ready maneuver or a suitable Shtick (p. 250) – and press the trigger bar set into the handle (normally blocked by a safety catch). See the Non-Repeating Pistols Table (p. 91) for gun stats. Treat it as large knife (p. B272) in melee combat. The 0.6-lb. sheath includes a screwdriver, and mates to the knife to function as a wire cutter. LC2.

Batons capable of firing cartridges – typically tear gas loads – have been around since the 1920s. The AM-402 is a rubber-covered aluminum baton consisting of two parts that screw together: the handgrip houses the thumb trigger and firing mechanism, while the forward portion acts as chamber and barrel. It holds a single 12-gauge cartridge. The usual round discharges a tear gas cloud from the muzzle (treat as Tear Gas Spray, p. 180, with Shots 1), but it can fire any type of 12-gauge cartridge (see Exotic Shotgun Ammo, p. 103). See the Non-Repeating Pistols Table (pp. 91) for gun stats, and treat it as baton (p. B273) wielded with the Shortsword skill in melee combat. The similar AM-402T (1999-) is shaped like a tonfa (p. 198): Wt. 1.6. LC2.

Most people – even adventurers – aren’t armed all the time. Ambushed in their kitchen, at a cocktail party, or at the grocery store, they might have to rely on whatever is at hand. See Improvised Weapons (p. B404) for rules, Chapter 3 for tools useful as weapons, and GURPS Martial Arts for more of both.

Electric stun weapons deliver a high-voltage, low-amperage electric current on contact. A hit means the victim must make a HT-3 roll or be stunned. On a failure, he’s incapacitated for as long as the device remains in contact and for (20 - HT) seconds afterward, minimum one second. After that time, he may roll at HT-3 each second to recover. Note that the electric current may start a fire if the target is covered in flammable liquid such as alcohol, gasoline, or many pepper sprays! For other important details, see Nonlethal Electrical Damage (p. B432).

A cattle prod is 3’ long and delivers an electric jolt through contacts on the tip. This is sufficient to burn skin; a successful thrusting attack to an unprotected location does 1d-3 burning damage. While cattle prods aren’t legal antipersonnel weapons in most places, they’re easily acquired across the U.S. and elsewhere. A prod requires 6¥S batteries, which last for thousands of “zaps.” LC4.

A “stun gun” isn’t a gun at all, but a handheld contact device that uses an electric current to disorganize nerve function. Relatively small – just a handgrip with protruding contacts (Holdout -1) – it’s sometimes concealed in such everyday items as cell phones. A stun gun requires 2¥S batteries, which last for thousands of stuns. Legality is a touchy issue: stun guns are legal defensive weapons (LC4) in many jurisdictions, including most of the U.S., but illegal (LC2) in numerous others, such as in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Hawaii, and in Australia, Canada, India, Japan, and the U.K.

A stun baton is a stun gun built into a light baton – mainly to increase reach. It has contacts running along the sides, which allows swung attacks as well as thrusts. A stun baton requires 2¥S batteries, which last for thousands of stuns. For LC, see the discussion for stun guns, above.

See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.

Notes:

• [1] Attack receives Brawling or Karate damage bonuses.
• [2] On a failed HT roll, victim is stunned for as long as weapon is in contact plus (20 - HT) seconds longer, and can then roll vs. HT-3 to recover.
• [3] Use Brawling or Karate parry if better than usual weapon parry.