RuneQuest Weapons

Here is a comprehensive list of weapons for RuneQuest. The list includes all basic information given in the main rulebook, in addition to weapons from supplements, weapons I've added myself and details of the house rules that I use in relation to various weapons (and combat in general). Many of the house rules here came from Simon Phipps or the Cry Havoc! Rule variants, or scuppered from AD&D: Arms and Equipment Guide and Players Option: Combat and Tactics for AD&D. I've also normalised all of the base weapon chances for each weapon category, as this makes much more sense according to the rules.

Melee Weapon Statistics

*Lance cannot parry when used form horseback
** Base percentage is for parry only. Attack percentage is 05%
*** Impaling damage with a Rapier is 3d6+3
**** The Naginata and Nagamaki do not impale
@ This weapon can be used as either a cutting or slashing weapon. Mode of attack should be declared before use, otherwise it is immediately defaulted to an impale.
@@ All special hits with these weapons are impales.
$ Impales with a Halberd is 4d6 damage not 6d6.
¹ Generally have straightened blades for war
² Unlike the other categories, expertise with one tool does not increase your expertise in another. Attack and parries in the tools must advance separately.
³ These weapons act as Flails. They have special rules concerning missing, parrying and fumbles. See below for information.
⁴ This weapon, called a manrikigusari in Vormain, is basically a chain with a small weight on one or both ends. It is a flexible weapon and can be used to either entangle like a lasso or whip (causing no damage) or to strike with the weight for the given damage. It cannot be used to parry. It may be rope (ap 2) or chain (ap 8). Some chains have a second weapon attached to one end, this weapon requires normal skill to use. The user gains the benefits of two weapons in either hand. The most common weapon on the other end is a dagger, sickle, sai or jitte.
⁵ This weapon possess a swordbreaker function.
⁶ May be used as a club, or to augment users fist attack and parry. If so, then it acts as a Fist weapon, adding one to damage.
⁷ This is a long pole with many barbs at one end for entangling the clothes of the target. A successful attack may used to either damage or to entangle a clothed (only) target.
⁸ These weapons gain the riposte benefit of being a staff.
⁹ These weapons have special effects against soft armours. See below.
¹⁰ Refer below for details on Nets.
¹¹ These weapons are polarms, and inflict polearm damage for severing limbs when used in their slashing modes. When polearms are used, they may attack only once per round at maximum. See below.
¹² An ankus is also a goad and can be used to control elephants and other pachyderms. Add 1/10th of the character's skill with an ankus to their Ride Elephant skill. An ankus can be used as either an impaling or bludgeoning weapon - the attack form must be declared before the attack is made otherwise it defaults to impale.
¹³ A chijikiri is a weapon consisting of a spear with a length of chain attatched to the butt. Damage listed is for the weapon used as an impaling spear, but it can equally be used as a chain using the character's Chain attack skill not 2H Spear attack skill. The chain inflicts 1d6 damage and is an SR 2 weapon.
¹⁴ A katar is a knife attatched to a H-shaped hilt. It can be used by enclosing your fist around the weapon. If desired, a character can substitute their Fist Attack skill for their Dagger Attack skill when using a Katar.
¹⁵ A stiletto knife is specially designed to punch through armour or find the weak links in chainmail. When a successful attack is made, roll again. If the roll is not under your attack chance then apply damage as per usual. If the roll is under your attack chance it penetrates all soft armour and hard armour is only half effective.
¹⁶ The Kawanage is a piece of weighted rope with a grapple attatched. See below for more details.
¹⁷ A military pick is specially designed to punch through armour. All hard armour protects at half effectiveness from a military pick.
¹⁸ A pick is an impaling weapon, but the pick is not long enough to gain the special effects of an impale.
¹⁹ A sang-kauw is a double ended spear with a buckler shield set into the middle. A sang-kauw has 8 ap's for the haft and 8 ap's for the shield. A proficient user gains the benefit of using a buckler whilst using a sang-kauw, and may use their 2H Spear Parry skill to parry with the attatched buckler.
²⁰ The sap has two damages. The first is if used as a normal weapon whereas the second is the effective damage rolled when a sap is used in an attempt to render someone unconscious.
²¹ A gladius can be made into a drusus shortsword by being sharpened by a skilled armourer. It inflicts 1 point extra of damage, but will only last one fight before the sharpened edge is lost.

Shrapnel can be fired by catapults. It inflicts 1/6 the normal damage of a comparable solid, but to an area of metres equal to the number of d6's used in damage.

Natural Weapon Statistics

Special Weapons

Arablest: Heroic individuals can carry arablests as if they were crossbows. They require a STR of 30 to use on their own. They weigh 10.2 ENC.

Arrows: Certain cultures can create sheaf arrows for war. These arrows cost four times as much as normal arrows, require a skilled craftsman and soft armour protect half against them.

Barbed Weapons: Add .5 ENC to the weapon, except in the cases of arrows. A barbed weapon only applies in cases of impales. Most elven arrows are barbed. Removing an impaled barbed weapon causes 2 hit points if unsuccessful and full weapon damage once again (minus any bladesharps, boost damages and damage bonuses) if successful.

Bowling Balls and Disorder Kegs: Dwarf weapons. These are used strictly in defence of the Mostali caverns. Can travel 40m/round and explode precisely when the Mostali user desires. They contain a large amount of powder in a light casting, and most of the damage is done by the explosion. Unless a target is standing within a meter when the bomb goes off, he will take little physical damage, but may well be stunned and knocked down. These side effects of the explosion can be deadly in combat. Within one meter the victim must make a CONx5 or be knocked unconscious for 25-CON MR, and suffer 6d6 dmg. Within 6, the target suffers 1d6 dmg and must make a DEXx5 or fall down. In both cases damage is to general hit points and lowest armour protects.

Similar in basic nature to bowling balls , but of varying sizes and no fuses, are Disorder Kegs. Multiply damage and/or range according to the whim of the gamesmaster.

Flails: Flails are dangerous weapons. When they parry they do not, in fact, parry but move in a figure of eight to keep people away. Parrying flails can be a dangerous idea. All SR 3 weapons are useless, all other weapons are at -25% to parry. However, flails are deadly to use. If a 96-00 is ever rolled it not only misses but hits the wielder for normal damage unless the attacker rolls 1d100 under their attack skill again (that is, their skill, not their chance to hit including things like Bludgeon). If the roll is also a fumble you suffer both effects! Soft armour only protects for half normal armour points (rounded up) against flails. Soft armour underneath hard armour counts as hard armour and is not affected by this rule.

Flanged, Spiked, Pointed etc... Bludgeoning Weapons: Add .5 ENC to the weapon. The weapon can now Impale at half normal special chance. The person using such a weapon can elect whether to Crush or Impale.

Harpoon: Specialised javelins can be created with barbs and a mechanism to hold a cord to turn them into harpoons. When a harpoon impales, the character can stop the creature from moving and use slack on the cord to compensate. This involves a STR versus STR roll every time the creature tries to escape the cord. If the roll fails, the creature can move that SR, although the creature is still caught until the character runs out of the rope, and it can run free. Usually this is used against dumb animals to allow them to bleed to death without fleeing. Sentient creatures usually remove the harpoon. With a STR versus STRx1.5 the creature can reeled in like a fish on a hook at STR/5 m/SR.

Kawanaga: The Kawanage is a piece of weighted rope with a grapple attatched. It can entangle foe's weapons, and can be used to trip up an opponent. In the later case, if the strike is successful match the character's STR vs. the opponents DEX. If successful, the opponent finds themselves prone on the floor.

Lances: When a lance is used as a mounted weapon do not use normal charging damage. Instead, use the damage bonus of the mount which replaces the character's normal damage bonus. A lance hits as it arrives, not on a predefined SR.

When it hits, the character takes jarring damage as it impacts. Upon impact the character must make an unmodified Lance attack roll to see how well they take the jarring damage, if they succeed they take 5 points less, and on a special or more they take no damage. Jarring damage is equal to the number of dice in the damage bonus of the steed.

Mancatchers: These devices are useful only if they strike the head with an aimed blow. Upon hitting, the character is captured. They must make a DEXx3 roll to avoid falling to the ground, and to escape must either break the mancatcher or make a STR versus STRx1.5 of the foe to wrench it out of their arms. Any attempt to escape causes 1d3 points of damage through all armour to the head. A character cannot act without taking damage whilst in a Mancatcher.

Mauls and Maces: These common weapons have a special effect against foes wearing soft armour. Soft armour only protects for half normal armour points (rounded up) against maces or mauls. Soft armour underneath hard armour counts as hard armour and is not affected by this rule.

Polearms: When a polearm is used with the polearm attack skill (i.e. a halberd using 2H Axe skill does not count for these special bonuses) it gains benefits. Firstly, the chance to sever limbs is better. Secondly, a polearm can be used to attack over second rank troops at half percentage. However, polearms used in almost anywhere but the wide open space of outdoors are instantly at half percentage. No polearm can attack more than once per round due to its size.

Powered Weapons: Powered weapons are magical weapons of awesome power. They increase the success level by one level, so a miss becomes a hit, a hit becomes a special, a special becomes a critical etc...

Quarterstaves: A staff user can, with a special, have a free riposte attack with the weapon every time they parry or attack. If a special is caused with the riposte attack another attack is not made.

Serrated Weapons: Only bladed slashing weapons can be serrated. Reduces weapon's armour points by one quarter. Adds one damage, two on a special and three on a critical or better.

Shields: Not only can shields parry missile weapons (see main combat rules) but they other additional effects. They always protect certain locations, adding 1/3rd (rounded down) of their armour points to certain locations i.e. a buckler will add 2 armour points, whereas a hoplite will add 6 armour points. A buckler protects just the shield arm, a target/heater shield protects the shield arm plus the chest, whilst a larger Hoplite/Kite/Viking shield protects the shield arm plus both the chest and abdomen. Plus, a normal success with a shield parry will have an effect upon a special attack - it reduces the damage by the total armour points of the shield instead of just halve.

Strengthened Bows: Excellent weaponsmiths, especially from bow orientated cultures such as Pent, or the Aldryami elven bows, can make strengthened bows. These weapons are wonderfully crafted, unique and very expensive (at least five or six times normal cost if you can find somebody to make one for you). They are individually crafted for every individual person. When that bow is used by that person they can add half of their damage bonus to the arrow damage! All elf bows are strengthened. If a persons damage bonus is negative, the modifier is zero.

Swordbiters: A weapon, such as a mace or a sword, can be converted into a swordbiter, while all sais and viking shields are such by their nature. They are built to snap an opponents weapon. If they parry with a special success, there is a chance they can snap the attacking weapon. The defender resists their STR against the ap's of the weapon, and if successful it breaks. Adding swordbiters is difficult, and costs at least double the normal cost.

Nets

Netmaking is a craft, and can be learned in most Gloranthan cultures. All nets have two attributes, SIZ and STR/hp. SIZ is the area of the net, and measures what volume the net can cover. Combat nets are rarely any larger than SIZ 20, the maximum SIZ that can wielded by a normal one-handed man. Fishing and trapping nets can be of any size, but require one man per 20 SIZ to use properly. Any net must have a larger SIZ than its target or it cannot fully entrap the victim.

Nets commonly have a STR of 2d6+14 (average of 21). The STR also counts as the nets hit points. A net has armour points form between 3 and 8 depending upon its construction. Combat nets usually have 6 armour points.

Fighting with nets: Only combat nets are meant to be used in battle. Other nets are too big and weighted differently (to help fulfil their primary function).

A combat net can contain a SIZ of 15. It can be snapped for 1d4 damage, much as children do with wet towels, or it can be used to ensnare an opponent. Fighters normally carry nets on their left arm, and in that position the net can be used as a shield. In absorbing blows from edged weapons its hit points are destroyed before it injures the arm. Trainees in net fighting learn both net attack and net parry.

Attacking to ensnare: An ensnaring attack is made by throwing one end of the weighted net over the targets body, whilst still maintaining a hold on a cord attached to the other end. The cord allows the user to maintain tension and thus keep the target from shrugging off the net.

A successful net attack which is not parried allows the attacker two rolls on the melee hit location table. Both areas rolled will be ensnared by the net with the following results; Head Vision obscured (halve attack, parry and dodge skills); Abdomen/Chest Attacker rolls STR vs. STR, if successful the target falls over; Arm Cannot be used; Leg target cannot move without falling, but can fight from current position. Attacker does get to roll a STR vs. STR and, if successful, the target falls over.

If ensnared, dodges can be made at half normal percentage.

Defending against an ensnaring attack: A weapon may parry a net. A parrying shield will be caught, immobilising the shield arm unless the parry roll was a special or a critical success. Any other parrying weapon will be caught unless the player rolls equal to or less than twice his/her parry special chance. If a parrying weapon is caught by a net, the weapon arm is also immobilised unless the character lets go of the weapon.

Chances of dodging a net are reduced by 10% because of its large size.

A fishing or trapping net dropped from above cannot be parried, but can be dodged at minus 20%.

Escaping a Net: A STR vs. STR roll will rip a hole in the net large enough to escape through. Only edged weapons can be used to cut through it. Cumulative damage equal to the victims SIZ means a hole big enough to climb out of it made. Nets are often flammable, but unless excessively dry they are difficult to catch fire.

Garrote

A garrote is a thin, strong wire which is put around an enemy's throat to choke him and, if used with sufficient force, to sever the head. Use of the garrote is a Stealth skill with a base chance of 05%. It is not a combat weapon, and must be used from behind. A successful skill roll enables the user to place the garrote correctly around an unsuspecting target's neck. Normally Sneak and/or Hide are needed to get into a position to use the garrote. A victim being garroted takes 1d6 to his total hit points per round until dead. Normal armour does not count - specially made neck armour might work, though such would also limit the user's head mobility. The victim can only fight back with attacks that can strike to the rear (such as a wyvern's sting). He cannot speak, though he can move if he overcomes the garroter's STR with his own (the garroter still remains in place, doing damage, but the victim could try to reach an alarm gong to sleeping companion).

Sometimes a character may wish to use the garrote in normal combat, through desperation, because the user has failed to surprise his victim, or in an attack against a non-humanoid creature. In melee, the weapon's attack and parry remain the same as in the Garrote skill. However, a STR of 12 and DEX of 9 are needed to use it. It has 3 armour points. A garrote used in melee does no damage unless it hits a head or limb, in which case it does damage equal to the damage bonus of the user. Once it hits, the user can keep it in place on subsequent rounds, automatically striking the same location and rolling for damage again. Armour is effective against the garrote when used in melee.

Striking to the Rear Whilst Being Garroted

This is difficult. If, and only if, the STR roll succeeds to allow movement, the victim may attack behind him with the following restrictions. With natural weapons and small SR 3 weapons such as daggers, they are at 3/4 their attack percentage. With impaling SR 2 weapons they are at 1/2 their attack percentage. With non-impaling SR 2 weapons they are at 1/4 their attack percentage. SR 1 or SR 0 weapons such as pikes or greatswords cannot be used, they are simply too large. One action per round is used in making the STR roll to move, so most characters are limited to one rear attack a round.

Grappling

A grapple natural weapon attack costs one action as per usual. A parry or a dodge avoids it. If a character is grappled they have several options of what to do with their next action:

• They can immobilise their target indefinitely. Requires no further grapple roll, but does require a successful STR versus STR. If this succeeds, then the target is indefinitely immobilised until the attacker stops holding them.

• Throw their foe. They match the attackers STR+DEX versus the DEX+SIZ of the foe. If successful the foe is thrown (knocked to the floor) and must make a Jump roll or take 1d6 falling damage. Failure means the target is still held onto, but the character is not thrown.

• Disarm their foe or otherwise remove something from their grip. Requires a further grapple roll followed by a resistance of the grapplers STRx1.5 against the targets STR.

• Snap bones and cause damage. Requires a further grapple roll, and inflicts 1d6+db to a random melee location. In this case the victim can spend an action to make a STR versus STR roll to break free.

• Strangle the victim. Requires a successful grapple roll. The victim begins to asphyxiate. He can spend an action to get a STR vs. STR to break free.

Whilst grappling, the victim can act normally, and can continue to attack. They can also spend an action to have a STR versus STR to break the hold the character has upon them. The attacker cannot parry, but can dodge at half whilst grappling. However, they cannot dodge whilst immobilising someone without them breaking free.