While technically the medieval era refers to a very specific period of history, for the purposes of categorization, we have chosen to sort everything from the Bronze Age to the Renaissance into this nice container for your outfitting pleasure.

Used by warriors and woodsmen to split things. Long-handled axes can be wielded two-handed (add +1 to the effective Strength of the character). Does base damage of 5 x Strength points (Slash type). This drops to 4 x Strength points of base damage when the axe is thrown, and the Throw Weapon maneuver suffers the usual -1 penalty to skill. Most axes are Unbalanced Medium Weapons.

Hatchets, hand axes, small axes, call them what you will - these axes are small enough to receive no useful benefit from being held in two hands, and inflict less damage than normal (4 x Strength Slash damage when used in melee, 3 x Strength Slash damage when thrown.) They are not especially weighted for throwing; a Throw Weapon maneuver suffers the usual -1 penalty to skill. These are Unbalanced Short Weapons.

Throwing axes are carefully balanced for throwing purposes. They are smaller than normal axes (4 x Strength points of base damage when used in melee, or 3 x Strength damage when thrown), but are designed for throwing; add a +1 to any Aim roll used when hurling one of these axes, and ignore the usual -1 penalty for Throw Weapon when using this maneuver. However, any use of these as a Melee Weapon is at -1, due to their undersized hafts. These are Unbalanced Short Weapons.

These axes are made in pairs, and traditionally wielded by stylish combatants; they inflict 4 x Strength points of base damage, or 3 x Strength damage when thrown. However, they are weighted for melee combat; a wielder can use these axes for the Whirling Sword maneuver (with the noted benefits for using two weapons), and receives a +1 bonus to hit if they use Full Offense. These are Balanced Short Weapons.

A long axe is effectively a form of Pole Arm, and is described further under that section. It inflicts 5 x (Strength + 1) Slash damage, and can only be used two-handed; it counts as an Unbalanced Large Weapon.

Blunt objects as weapons have been around since the first time someone decided that a tree branch was a much more useful tool to hit someone with than his bare fist.

A large club or heavy-duty mace, for when you need to show them what getting medieval is really about. Typically used two-handed (add +1 to the effective Strength of the character). Does 4 x Strength points of base damage (Bash type). These are Medium Weapons.

This is a heavy-duty mace that made its appearance early in the tenth century, but did not become popular until the twelfth century as a weapon to smash through armor. Made of heavy metal, cheap, easy to make and easy to use, these maces are damnably effective tools against anyone, armored or not. Does 5 x Strength points of damage (Bash).

Any generic improvised large blunt object (chairs, tables, dead bodies…) that serves as a heavy weapon in a pinch. Requires two hands, and inflicts 4 x (Strength + 1) damage upon impact. These are Unbalanced Medium Weapons.

This covers any small stick - a belaying pin, a table leg, a truncheon, or similar blunt object. Good for smacking people around and making them respect your authority. Base damage is 3 x Strength points (Bash type). Also used for any improvised small blunt object.

This nasty piece of work sports a number of spiked heads attached to chains strung from a heavy wooden handle. Flails do 4 x Strength Bash damage. Because the chains wrap around, flail attacks cannot be parried. They're a bit unwieldy, though; on a roll of 1, roll again. If the second roll fails to hit (or is also a 1), the wielder damages himself. A flail can be used to entangle a weapon and grants +2 on Disarm maneuvers. If the Disarm works, the flail wielder must make a Dexterity (doubled) roll to separate the weapons (or just toss the flail and grab something else.)

Gauntlets come standard with plate mail; other warriors may wear gauntlets to protect their hands, challenge others to duels, or just because they like to punch people in the face with heavy iron gloves. Big iron hands might not do much for your love life, but they're certainly much more entertaining to punch someone with than your bare fist. Gauntlets do 2 x (Strength + 2) Bash damage when punching.

These innovative gauntlets are designed with a ratcheting device (takes one Turn to prepare) to hold them in place around a weapon once gripped so that the user effectively cannot be Disarmed without either removing the gauntlet-wearing limb or taking three Turns (and cooperation or restraint) to unratchet the gauntlet.

This covers any of a variety of short blades, typically no longer than a foot. The largest wander into the territory of short swords (which gets us into another section of bladed instruments of death.) Damage depends on size:

This is a short blade that is usable for cutting and thrusting - though most combatants focus on the stabbing aspects. Base damage is 2 x Strength points (Slash/stab type). This drops to 2 x (Strength -1) points when the knife is thrown.

This is a particularly long knife, with a blade length of at least one foot. Typically known as a short sword in medieval times, this weapon inflicts 3 x Strength points of base damage (Slash/stab type).

A small knife, easily concealed and typically used by survivalists (included in those Swiss Army tools) and street gangs. Base damage 2 x (Strength - 1) points of damage (Slash/stab type). This drops to (Strength -1) points when the pigsticker is thrown.

This large knife has a serrated blade for easier sawing. Due to this, it is possible for it to perform cutting maneuvers that usually require a larger blade (such as Decapitation or limb severing), if the target is successfully grappled or otherwise incapable of movement. Inflicts base damage of 2 x Strength points (Slash/Stab) normally.

A balanced knife designed for throwing. This blade inflicts 2 x (Strength -1) points of damage whether thrown or used in melee, and receives no penalty when thrown (instead of the usual -1). However, it suffers a -1 when used in melee combat.

A lance is a long pointy stick used to take people out from the back of a horse (if you don't have a horse, treat the weapon as a spear for combat purposes.) If you're playing fair, your opponent has a mount and a lance as well. Joust, anyone?

Lances are used one-handed (the other holds the mount's reins) and do 3 x (Strength + 1) Slash/Stab damage. Use the rider's or the mount's Strength, whichever is greater. If you have at least ten yards to get your horse up to speed, lance damage is doubled. If the damage suffered from a lance charge, after modifications for armor and shield but before Stab doubling, is greater than three times the defender's Strength, he winds up on his butt (prone). If he happened to be on a horse, the defender can substitute the Riding skill for Strength. If the rider gets knocked down, he takes an extra five points of Bash falling damage (it's an insult to injury type thing.)

Jousting lances are meant for tournaments and sport, not for killing folks. They are considered Bash damage weapons. Also, if they inflict over 20 points of damage, they break and the damage is nullified. Jousting is not without risk, however. If the attacker rolls a ten, the jousting lance malfunctions - it does not break and it inflicts regular Stab damage. Knights, like modern-day soldiers, occasionally died in practices, displays, and training exercises.

While the concept of 'hitting a man with a club' is timeless, the concept of adding spikes to that club so it'll hurt more is slightly newer. Nevertheless, the morning star, spiked club, or spiked mace was a weapon of war common both to professional soldiers and peasant militias - townsfolk could hand-cut hafts and have nails driven into them by the town's blacksmith, while knights would have theirs forged of solid steel and decorated with etchings of great battles. Regardless, the overall result is the same. Inflicts 5 x Strength damage, and inflicts Bash/Stab damage, whichever is more effective against the target armor.

Whether you're talking pike, long spear, halberd, bardiche, or the ever-silly glaive-guisarm, these are very long sticks with pointy or bladed things stuck at the end. Pole arms must be used two-handed (damage bonus is already factored in) and cannot be thrown. Base damage is 5 x (Strength + 1) points (Slash/Stab type). A pole-armed fighter can reach out and touch from a good distance and thus gets initiative automatically against any other type of weapon. Indeed, without a Resisted Dodge roll to get in close, shorter-armed combatants can't attack at all. On the flip side, if the opponent does get in close, the pole-armer can't attack (dropping the weapon in favor of another or backing away with another Resisted Dodge roll is recommended).

The end of a pole arm may be rammed into the ground and the tip lowered to point at a charging attacker (mounted or not). This is called 'setting the weapon for a charge.' In that case, the pole-arm wielder gets initiative against the charger, and if he hits, the charger takes double damage.

Basically a long stick, very nifty for attack and defense. A pool cue can double as a quarterstaff, and the narrow end makes a decent stake substitute (use Stake damage for the “sharp” end). Used with both hands (damage bonus already factored in). Base damage is 3 x (Strength + 1) points (Bash type).

Pointy thing at the end of long stick. Fairly common in ancient times, the middle ages, and post-apocalyptic futures. Used two-handed (damage bonus already factored in). Base damage is 3 x (Strength + 1) points (Stab type). This drops to 3 x Strength points when the spear is thrown. (Note that this entry is for relatively short spears. Long ones are treated as pole arms and cannot be thrown.)

A specially weighted and constructed spear is a javelin. This does 2 x Strength Slash/Stab damage and suffers no attack penalty or damage reduction when thrown.

Usually wood. Usually homemade. Often improvised. A universal tool of vampire slayers. Does base 2 x Strength Slash/stab damage. This drops to 2 x (Strength - 1) points when the stake is thrown.

Stakes are traditionally used to kill vampires – then again, tradition also indicates that the ideal way is to drive the stake into the vampire's heart using a hammer. For those who subscribe to this philosophy, the “Through The Heart” maneuver house rule variant inflicts the first eight points of damage normally, and the rest is multiplied as per Through The Heart. Using a hammer and stake requires a sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise restrained and immobile subject, and inflicts 2 x Strength Stab damage per Turn (as the weapon is traditionally pounded into the victim's heart); as the weapon is being methodically hammered into position, you only need to use an attack roll once, and further damage is automatic (unless the vampire, say, wakes up and starts fighting back…)

Large stakes used for impalement Transylvania-style inflict up to 5 x Strength Stab damage per Turn if someone is physically forced onto one, and typically inflict 1 point of Stab damage per minute of impalement - a particularly gruesome method of execution. Notably, creatures that suffer no extra damage from such attacks may ignore any ill effects from impalement.

Rapiers, broadswords and other large pieces of cutlery. This also covers katanas and other fancy weapons. Some of these weapons can be used two-handed; in that case, add +1 to the effective Strength of the wielder. They all do base 4 x Strength points of Slash/stab damage. The sword’s daddy is called a Big Ass Sword (a Greatsword if you want to get technical). This heavy metal must be used two-handed (the +1 to Strength is already built-in). Base damage is 5 x (Strength + 1) points (Slash/stab type). Short swords do 3 x Strength points of base damage (Slash/Stab type). Throwing a shortsword requires Strength 4 and does 3 x (Strength - 1) damage.

The war hammer is basically a large-surfaced hammer meant to smash into armor and deliver a full-force impact to knock people down and crush them; one end was often equipped with a hardened spike for punching through helmets and into skulls. It is used two-handed, and delivers 5 x (Strength + 1) points of Bash or Stab damage, depending on which way it is swung. It is an Unbalanced Medium weapon.

Favored tool of lion tamers, masked vigilantes of the Spanish Old West, adventurer/archaeologists, and professional dominatrixes (dominatrices?), whips do not inflict a lot of damage, but they are loud, painful, and can entangle and trip victims. Your typical bullwhip also has a lot of reach, so it works more like a ranged weapon out to five to seven yards. Like lassos, they need space to work, and the minimum distance of two yards to be effective.

Whips use a Dexterity and Getting Medieval -2 roll, or Dexterity and Wild Card (Whip) roll, or the Combat Score -2. The damage is not spectacular (2 x Strength Bash), but it really, really smarts. No matter what, the victim loses her next action due to the ouch factor. Worse, if she fails to make a Willpower (doubled) roll minus half the Strength of the attacker (round up), she is paralyzed by pain for an entire Turn.

Whips can also be used to entangle or grab stuff (like guns, cigarettes and, if you're really good, full glasses without spilling a drop). Targeting a limb incurs a -2 penalty. A small object (gun, stake, knife) is at -4, and something small and fragile (cigarette) is at -6. These attacks do no damage – if the limbs are entangled, use the lasso rules.

The most basic use of black powder is to simply load a cloth sack or other container with powder, add a fuse, light it, and throw it at the enemy; when the fire reaches the gunpowder, the grenade explodes. To throw a 'grenade' in this manner, use a Dexterity and Getting Medieval roll (or Sports if your field of expertise involves throwing) or the Combat Score. With three or more successes, the grenade goes exactly where you want (usually at the feet of an unsuspecting victim). Any less, and it goes a little astray (possibly causing collateral damage). On a failure, the grenade doesn't land close enough to the target to do any damage to them, although it may still be a threat to others. If the target is capable of Diving to Cover, their success levels can subtract from your throw for purposes of dodging.

Fuses on homemade explosives are finicky; on an attack roll of 1, they blow up in the user's face (inflicting point-of-impact damage on the user.) Black powder 'grenades' inflict 20 points of damage at 'ground zero', 12 points within five yards and 5 points within ten yards.

The blunderbuss was a muzzle-loading flintlock with a funnel-shaped barrel designed to fire shot or extremely large-caliber ammo, making it an early form of shotgun. At some point, an irate demon-hunter decided to use it to fire long wooden bullets reinforced at the back with lead to deal with a nasty vampire infestation, creating the first of the mythical “wooden bullets” feared by vampires worldwide.

The Blunderbuss requires a Dexterity and Gun Fu roll to use. With wooden bullets, it may be used with the Through the Heart Combat Maneuver, suffering the usual -3 penalty. The wooden bullet does 15 points of Stab damage, and gains the x5 bonus vs. Vampires if their hearts are successfully targeted (no doubling if the dusting fails). Normal ammo does 25 points of Bullet damage. The gun takes a Turn to reload after each shot.

Neat old-fangled weapon for killing people at various ranges. The maximum effective Strength when using a bow is five. That means if the user’s Strength is greater than five, the base damage tops out at 20. Otherwise, a bow does 4 x Strength points of base damage (Stab type), and uses pistol ranges.

Composite bows are designed expressly to amplify the strength of a drawn shot, and as such, can make a normal mortal seem much tougher in comparison. A Composite Bow inflicts 4 x (Strength + 1) points of base damage, to a maximum of 24 points. The archer still uses pistol ranges when determining accuracy, though.

Not as fast as a bow, a crossbow takes a full Turn to reload, but is easier to use and much cooler-looking. Base damage is a fixed 16 points (Slash/stab type). It requires reloading after each shot, and in a pinch can be used as a club (although this tends to impair its future use as a crossbow.)

The gadgeteer's solution to slow reload times, an auto-crossbow is as heavy as a normal crossbow, and fires bolts the size of a pistol crossbow (10 points of Slash/Stab damage.) What it lacks in damage it makes up for in the ability to fire like a pistol (in short, multiple times in rapid succession) until its loader is empty. It holds five shots; reloading with a prepared bolt-brace takes one Turn, while reloading individual bolts takes one Turn per bolt.

Every now and then, a problem comes along that requires the ultimate in medieval solutions - the ballista, the biggest crossbow ever made. While ballistas are not practical for modern warfare, in ancient Roman warfare, they were the equivalent of the cruise missle, able to wipe out anything they hit in a shot, and they were fairly accurate and reasonably predictable in their firing arcs, at least enough that they could fire a bolt into the air and be reasonably certain it would land on target (as long as the target stayed reasonably still, anyhow.)

Ballistas are aimed and fired using the Wildcard: Seige Engines skill, and typically require a two or three man crew to operate effectively, as well as a full minute to line up an effective shot. As such, most ballistas are set to target a particular 'area' in advance, and fired when they think a target is in the landing zone. Dodging an incoming ballista bolt requires a Dodge roll at -2 versus the attack roll of the ballista shot; it's hard to avoid a giant and very fast moving spear flying in your direction, if it's aimed properly. Being struck by a ballista bolt is a one-way trip to pain; most ballistas generate between 40 (for reasonably small two-man-crew ballista) to 60 (Leonardo Da Vinci sized elaborate giant ballistas of doom) Slash/Stab damage to the unfortunate struck by them. Note that ballistas may also be armed as traps, making life very unpleasant for whoever is in the target zone if they don't notice in time…

This heavy crossbow inflicts massive damage - 22 points of Slash/Stab damage per bolt, enough to convince most vampires (and most other things, for that matter) that you mean business. The down side, however, is that the weapon must be cranked to reload, taking (8 - Strength, minimum 1) Turns to draw back the string, plus one Turn to load and lock the bolt. Furthermore, all shots are at -2 to hit unless the user has at least a Strength of 4, as the recoil is severe. Larger weapons are typically more the province of medieval battlements - ballistas and the like.

This miniscule crossbow is more an assassin's tool than a real weapon; meant to be concealable in the palm of the hand if necessary, the dart crossbow fires a flechette (ideally covered in poison) that inflicts 6 points of Slash/Stab damage in addition to whatever it might be coated in. Due to its small size, it grants a +2 bonus to attempts to conceal it from searches, but a -2 penalty to be used as a weapon.

This high-end crossbow combines a number of factors to make it more efficient than the ones old-school knights used to use. It is designed with a folding composite stock, lightweight titanium parts for added strength, modern aiming sights, and a draw-assist lever to aid in speedloading. This crossbow inflicts 16 points of damage (Slash/Stab), but receives a +1 to Aim rolls and a +2 to Fast-Draw rolls used to load the crossbow.

A smaller version of the crossbow that includes a pistol grip and folding stock, allowing it to fit in a normal gun holster, and inflicts 10 points of base damage (Slash/stab type). The bolts it fires are also smaller, roughly half the size of an ordinary bolt, allowing more of them to be carried.

Just in case the heroes ever get hold of one of these tripod-mounted giant crossbows from ancient Roman days, we present the scorpio - a winch-operated mechanism that can be loaded and fired by a single person, and which is still reasonably man-portable. Assembly and disassembly of the scorpio at a particular location takes a full minute; preparing the weapon to fire takes a full three Turns of cranking; and it effectively fires at Rifle ranges. Aiming is allowed, and even in ancient times the weapon was surprisingly accurate - and deadly - at long distances. Unfortunately, its slow reload time means that it is most effectively used against enemies at a significant distance; angry vampires and other demons seldom politely wait for you to reload. Assuming a successful hit, however, this weapon inflicts 30 points of Slash/Stab damage before armor, enough to ruin almost any foot-soldier's day.

A classic example of an incendiary sprayer from the ancient world, the Greek Fire projector was used between the 7th and 12th century AD, and sprayed Greek Fire from a siphon projector - essentially the ancient equivalent of the flamethrower. Two versions of this ancient weapon of war exist – a man-portable version and a structure-mounted version. Both are described below – aren't we charitable?

Burning Greek Fire was essentially equivalent to modern napalm; it inflicts six points of Fire damage when initially sprayed on a target, plus three points of Fire damage per Turn thereafter until entirely smothered. It burns on water, and is only known to be extinguished by burying or by strong vinegar.

The portable version of the Greek Fire Projector is essentially a long syringe that is designed to hold and spray a single 'jet' of Greek Fire at an enemy. It has a candle wick on the end that can be lit in order to ignite the sprayed fluid, or can be simply used to hose down the target with incendiaries that can be ignited through other means. It can only hold one spray at a time, and the spray travels up to five yards; typically it is used for quick fire attacks in areas where the large projectors cannot be used.

This large projector is an example of the version mounted on ships or fortifications, or utilized in siege engines – it utilizes a bellows mechanism to spray Greek fire over an ignition source towards a target at high pressure, with sprays extending out to fifteen yards and an ammunition capacity effectively only limited by the size of the fuel container attached to it.

Your classic old-timey muzzle-loading handgun, for those who didn't want to be troubled with a big heavy gun. Unfortunately, it is also terribly short on range - halve pistol ranges for those who worry about these things. They were mostly used in duels of honor or in close combat; most pirates and others of the era carried a brace of several of them to effectively increase their rate of fire. Does 15 points of Bullet damage. Like the musket, this takes 12 Turns, minus the Success Levels of a Dexterity and Gun Fu roll, to reload. A shot from a flintlock wouldn't necessarily kill someone immediately (unless it hit a particularly deadly spot); many deaths by flintlock were caused by the infections that set in after.

This functional length of wire is fixed between two handles, and is used to strangle people to death efficiently and silently. A garrote is used with the Choke maneuver, but on a successful Choke, (Strength + 1) points of Slash/stab damage is inflicted, in addition to the usual problems related to suffocation.

This is a great non-lethal weapon, perfect for capturing hostages or villains your character needs to take alive. Or, if she lassoes someone around the neck, she gets to be her own lynch mob. Lassos need some room to work – indoors is not good, unless you're in a cathedral or huge warehouse. They need a minimum distance of three yards between Lasso Gal and the chosen victim; maximum is the throw range for the user.

Lassoing uses a Dexterity and Getting Medieval -4 roll, or the Combat Score -4. On a successful “hit”, the victim's arms are roped to her sides. This weapon usually does no damage unless the neck is targeted, in which case it does (2 x Strength) base damage (Bash; tripled against living, breathing beings after Success Levels and armor are accounted for).

Figuring out who is in control requires Resisted Action rolls – use Strength (doubled) or the Muscle Score. The winner gets to pull the loser around or knock her to the ground. If the legs are targeted (impose a -2 penalty), the victim resists at -4 to her Strength roll (or -8 to the Muscle Score). Lasso is a tough maneuver to learn, but it can also be taken as a Wild Card Skill.

Can't be a musketeer without a musket, y'know. These big guns are not very accurate (use pistol ranges) and reloading is a bear. Way back then, most people carried a sword or knife or bayonet around, just in case. This puppy is available from the Renaissance era all the way to the end of the Civil War (and still available in the hands of collectors or war-reenactment fans even after that). Damage is 17 points (Bullet type). Reloading a musket takes 12 Turns, minus the Success Levels of a Dexterity and Gun Fu roll.

Nets are pretty much the throw-and-forget weapons of their era. They entangle most any foe for at least a few seconds, which is usually long enough to run over and beat them with sticks if that's what you're into. Casting a net uses a Dexterity and Getting Medieval -2 roll, or the Combat Score -2. With a success, the victim is entangled but takes no damage. All his actions suffer a -4 penalty, and a Dexterity + Acrobatics -4 roll, or Combat Score -4, is necessary to stay on his feet. Prone, netted characters are in a world of hurt (-8 to all actions.)

Getting untangled is far from easy. A Dexterity and Acrobatics roll, or the Combat Score, may be tried, but is the only action that may be taken that turn. Breaking the net is even tougher, usually requiring five or more Success Levels from a Strength (not doubled) roll. (Really flimsy or makeshift nets are much weaker.) A hero with a small weapon - such as a knife - can also cut himself free by making a Strength (doubled) roll and getting five cumulative Success Levels.

Armor is popular in fantasy and medieval realms, but cautious characters in any world may decide to avail themselves of it, and the occasional demon or secret society uses archaic armor even in modern times. Armor works by absorbing or deflecting some of the force of an attack, keeping sharp stuff away from the character’s vitals and cushioning against impacts. Armor has, not surprisingly, an Armor Value. This number subtracts damage from an attack. Depending on when it was made, it might be more suitable against Bullet than Slash/Stab and Bash attacks. Some creatures may have natural armor in the form of scaly skins or bony plates. Many types of armor (padded, chain, and leather, in particular) can also be found in horse versions, called barding. It works the same but protects the horse, of course. Horses don't like to be in barding for too long - it chaffs and makes them grumpy (not good for battle readiness.)

Armor has its disadvantages too: it can be cumbersome and it can attract unwanted attention. Walking around in a full knight’s suit of armor is going to make heads turn. Not to mention, it’s illegal to wander around in body armor in most modern countries unless you have proper authority to do so. In addition to the armor described below, some creatures may have natural armor in the form of scaly skin or bony plates.

Chain Mail: These finely woven metal links are heavy, but they provide 8 Armor Value. This value is halved against firearm attacks.

Leather Armor: This could be a mutant's X-coveralls or a suit for a man without fear. It could be just a leather breastplate, helmet, and greaves. Armor Value is 3 or 4 (for hardened leather).

Leather Jacket: Looks cool and may have plenty of zippers or metal attachments. Provides two points of armor protection.

Metal Helmet: Only covers the head but it covers it well. Grants 16 Armor Value (assuming the attack is a Head Shot). Other types of helmets exist; use the particular armor for the specifics.

Padded or Quilted Armor: This stuff looks pretty silly (imagine yourself surrounded by thin pillows) but it's better than being bare-assed. Its Armor Value is 1.

Plate Armor: This is the fancy stuff you see in museums around the country. Covers the entire body and is a bear to get around in (can't move much more than a slow walk). It provides 20 Armor Value, halved against Bullet damage.

Plate Mail: This is chain mail reinforced by solid metal plates. It provides 16 points of Armor Value. This value is halved against bullet attacks.

Shields: Shields make it easier to block strikes. An Off-Hand Block maneuver by a combatant equipped with a small shield gains +1 (such as a buckler), a medium shield (such as a Viking's round shield or kite shield) gains +2, and a tower shield (such as a scutum) gains +4. If the Parry would have succeeded without the shield's bonus, it's a clean deflect and no damage is taken. Otherwise, damage is calculated as normal but the shield provides additional Armor Value protection of 15 for a small shield, 20 for a medium shield, and 30 for a tower shield. A shield can also be used offensively with a Dexterity and Getting Medieval roll. It does 2 x Strength Bash damage and allows a Strength (doubled) Resisted Action to knock the target prone.

Gunpowder was first known to have existed in China in the 9th century AD by Taoist monks searching for an elixir of immortality who discovered instead a powerful incendiary and explosive. The first gunpowder recipes (and in fact the only chemical explosives known until the 1800s) used sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). These were developed into a variety of weapons, including mines and grenades to cause catastrophic damage to an enemy. The basic recipe is 75% saltpeter, 15% charcoal (willow or other softwood), and 10% sulfur, all of which needs to be very finely ground; the recipe tends to vary in historical contexts.

To prepare black powder from memory, a character needs Intelligence plus Science (or Alchemy), as well as sufficient quantities of the aforementioned ingredients and proper equipment (mortar and pestle or other grinding and mixing materials) in order to make it without starting fires, blowing themselves up, or suffering some other disastrous misfortune. One day's work will generate a number of pounds of gunpowder equal to the success levels; others can choose to assist. Attempting to rush production will double the amount of gunpowder produced, in exchange for a -3 to the roll. Roll daily. Failure results in the equivalent of a black powder grenade (see below) exploding directly on the maker's location (which can be particularly bad if surrounded by other workers…)

Once you have black powder, you can use it to prime weapons - one pound of black powder will provide enough powder for about 40 shots - or to make improvised grenades or explosives.

Pretty straightforward stuff here — a rope and grappling hook. While not as advanced as a full set of climbing equipment, these basic tools will provide a +2 bonus to any roll associated with climbing, assuming you have time to secure the line properly. (Wise climbers always test the line before climbing, just in case the hook slips.)

Ever since the first man developed a device to keep people out of a room, there were people working to bypass this device. The precise tools in a lockpick set may vary by time period - probably including a skeleton key or two for common locks of the time, tools to take advantage of specific mechanical weaknesses, and in the case of more elaborate kits, actual locksmithing tools for mechanically forcing stuck locks, creating new keys from existing keys and blanks, and so forth.

Glass mirrors were once rare and expensive - but they could be acquired with the proper connections, and became increasingly more common as time went on. A small mirror is a nice, low-tech way to quickly scope out a scene from around a corner, look out for vampires, avoid the gaze of Medusas, and so forth. A pocket-watch with a mirrored lid or a makeup kit can be used with a Perception and Crime roll to surreptitiously check the people around for reflections (Perception and Notice is used if the viewer isn’t trying to hide their actions).