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Sticks,
stones and bones:
Weapons
to use when the enemy swipes your sword
by Stephen Innis
The Players Handbook lists more than
forty different weapon types, covering
nearly every combat weapon invented before
the gun. Doubtless, those that haven?t
yet been detailed will be added as the
scope
of the AD&D®
game system increases, but a
whole area of armed combat has yet to be
touched on: the game has no rules for the
combat use of items which aren?t designed
to be weapons. In fact, so great has been
the concentration on designed weapons that
even the commonplace rock has been ignored
in the official tables.
Rules that deal with improvised and
impromptu weapons can greatly benefit an
AD&D
campaign. One of the most exciting
scenarios a DM can devise is one which
the
player characters are somehow separated
from their weapons and must make do with
the materials at hand. The drama of these
situations may explain why they are so
common in the myths, legends, and heroic
fiction that inspire AD&D
players: somehow
it is more heroic to fell enemies with
a
branch or the jawbone of an ass than it
is to
dispatch them by more conventional means.
Aside from these dramatic benefits, the
inclusion of these new rules favors game
balance, since characters (player or nonplayer)
who aren?t ?officially? armed are
more likely to survive melee. This allows
the DM to add another touch of realism
to
the campaign, since characters needn?t
be
walking armories when they step out onto
the street, and non-player characters are
less vulnerable to the aggressions of armed
player characters. Also, a campaign that
allows for unconventional tactics in melee
favors the more imaginative and resourceful
players. Last but not least, barroom brawls
are much more interesting (in fiction)
if the
action isn?t restricted to mere grappling
and
pummeling.
In refereeing such action, though, the
DM must be prepared to deal with a broad
range of possibilities. What if a combatant
snatches up a meat cleaver? A burning
branch? A shovel? A chair? Burning coals
from a brazier? What if some rogue pelts
his enemies with rocks, or casts sand in
their eyes? What happens when a character
tosses a pot of boiling stew at an oncoming
ogre, or smashes and lights a keg of brandy
in a tavern brawl? As a further complication,
players are likely to be familiar with
the objects and substances involved (though
not, it is to be hoped, with their use
in
lethal combat). They are therefore more
likely to notice and object to ?unrealistic?
rules than they might be with such arcane
things as medieval arms and armor or with
wholly imaginary things such as magic.
Below is a set of rules which allows the
DM to deal with the use of improvised
weapons. An attempt has been made to
make these rules as broadly applicable
as
possible, and to keep the addition of new
procedures to a minimum. Though an
effort is made to keep up the facade of
realism, plausibility is sacrificed to
playability
where the two come into conflict. This
last is a well-established tradition within
the
AD&D
game, and one that has been followed
with evident success; it is not one to
be lightly broken.
The field of available emergency weapons
has here been divided into two broad categories:
dangerous objects, which are harmful
because of their size or shape and may
be compared to more conventional weapons,
and dangerous materials, substances
which are in themselves harmful.
Weapon equivalents
There are many items which may be
equated with actual weapons, if the fact
that
they are not designed to be used as such
is
taken into account. A heavy stick or an
iron
bar may not be a war-club, but it can certainly
serve as one. For game purposes,
such objects can be divided into three
classes, according to how useful they are
in
combat. Those which closely resemble a
weapon in size and shape are assigned to
class 1 (a hatchet, say, compared to a
handaxe).
Those of less similar form but which
are still more or less suited to the motions
used in combat are assigned to class 2
(a
small splitting maul or a heavy meat cleaver
might be compared to a handaxe). Finally,
items which are not all that well suited
to
combat use and aren?t much like their
equivalent weapons are assigned to class
3 if
they are useful at all (a small adze might
be
a class 3 handaxe). Each class carries
different
penalties to hit probability and weapon
speed, as shown in Table A.,
For the sake of simplicity, items which
are
too small or too light are assigned the
same
penalties ?to hit? and to weapon speed
as
those which are too heavy or too bulky.
The
larger weapons are considered to be slow
because of the long recovery time following
a swing or jab, and less likely to hit
because
of their tendency to strike glancing (nonlethal)
blows. The smaller weapons are slow
because it takes more concentration to
use
one of them effectively, and are less likely
to
hit opponents because they lack the necessary
weight and reach. In either case, it
might be logical to assign penalties ?
except
that a penalty of as little as -1 to damage
(the smallest such penalty possible)
drastically reduces the effectiveness of
a
weapon, and has an especially large effect
on weapons that don?t do much damage to
begin with. Relatively inefficient weapons
are therefore accounted for with a ?to
hit?
penalty.
Objects that are used as weapons are
usually compared to the simplest and least
lethal true weapons they resemble, and
shape is usually considered to be more
important than composition in making such
comparisons. Thus, a stick of wood or a
bar
of metal is compared to a club or staff
(depending
on its length) rather than to a bo
stick, a mace, or some more specialized
weapon. For simplicity, weapon types (particularly
?club? and ?knife?) are used in
the broadest sense. This is not unprecedented,
however; consider the range of
weapons included under the official classification
?short sword.?
Various items which resemble the weapons
described in the Players Handbook are
listed in Table B1. Also listed are objects
which may be compared to the new
weapon
types detailed
by Gary Gygax in
DRAGON® Magazine #64. (Editor?s note:
These new weapons will be fully described
in Unearthed Arcana, the AD&D game
rules supplement scheduled for release
this
summer.) Mingled with these are things
which have no equivalents among the official
weapon types, even by the liberal standards
used here. The statistics for these last
are to be found in Tables C1 and C2. Table
B2 is a separate list of rock-like items;
the
statistics for rocks are found in Tables
C1
and C2 as well.
Tables B1 and B2 are only suggestive, or
for use as quick references. Though they
include a number of things that adventurers
are likely to find lying about, they are
not
intended to be exhaustive. Note that some
common items have not been included
because they are unlikely to be lethal
in a
combat situation. A rasp, or a saw, or
a
thorny vine might deal out a nasty cut
or
scrape, but not a fatal wound.
The weapon classifications in Table B1
assume melee combat, and those in Table
B2 assume missile combat. In most cases,
items meant for hand-held use should be
considered one class lower if used in missile
combat, and vice versa, making ones that
were class 3 in their primary function useless
in the other capacity. (For instance, an
adze may be a very inefficient substitute
for
a hand axe, but it is utterly useless as
a
throwing axe.) There are inevitably exceptions
to this general rule, so DMs must use
common sense in applying it, adjusting
the
penalty as required. It is suggested that
this
rule be applied to true weapons as well;
that
is, a club made for melee would be class
1
as a hurled weapon, and a club made for
throwing would be class 1 as a hand-held
weapon. Similarly, a dagger not balanced
for flight would be class 1 (at best) as
a
missile. Some weapons will be dualpurpose,
of course, but chances are that
most will be specialized for either hand-tohand
or missile combat.
Additional weapon
types
As mentioned above, some items are not
easily equated with official weapon types.
Statistics for these are found in Tables
C1
and C2, and the terms used there are explained
below:
Framework:
This is a catch-all category,
used to describe any open construction
of
several parts which is made of some reasonably
hard and dense material; a chair or a
ladder, for instance. Nothing will correspond
exactly to the statistics given in Tables
C1 and C2,
since there is no such thing as a
chair designed for combat. Most frameworks
will be class 3, a few will be class 2,
and those of the handiest shape and heaviest
material will be class 1 ?weapons.? Very
large pieces of furniture (tables, couches)
are not included in this class because
they
are too big to be useful, and neither are
those which consist primarily of a single
board such as benches. The latter are
treated as lumber (see below) if they can
be
used at all. Only characters who are 5?
or
more in height may use large frameworks
in
combat.
Lumber: This
term covers any heavy,
solid piece of wood which is too big to
be
classified as a staff or a club but is
not so
large that it is useless in combat.
As with
frameworks, no item will correspond exactly
to the statistics given. The most useful
pieces will be class 1, and class 3 lumber
will be much more common than class 1.
A
character must be at least 5' tall and
weigh
at least 100 pounds to use such a large
"weapon" effectively.
Rock: As described
in Tables C1 and C2,
rocks are either metal pellets or specially
selected stones. Those used as missiles
are
ovoid or spherical in shape, while those
used as hand-held weapons can be of any
shape and size that fits comfortably into
the
hand. As noted, only large or very large
rocks can be used in hand-to-hand combat.
Characters weighing less than 100 pounds
cannot use very large rocks at all. The
sizes
and weights given in Table C2 are for
spherical rocks made of natural stone;
metal
?rocks? will be smaller.
There is a limit to how much damage a
rock can do beyond the basic figures given.
Otherwise, rock-throwing monks or fighters
might be unreasonably formidable. The
maximum allowable damage bonus is +1
for small rocks, +2 for medium-sized rocks,
+3 for large rocks, and +4 for
rocks, whether the bonus is due
very large
to strength,
skill, magic, or a combination of these
factors. However, ?to hit? figures are
not
subject to any such restrictions.
Ordinary rocks which are chosen from
good material but not carefully sorted
will
be class 1 weapons, those chosen in greater
haste or from less desirable material-are
class 2, and those that are snatched up
quickly or chosen from
material will be class 3.
very poorly shaped
Almost any other
hard, heavy object may be equated with
a
rock if it isn?t
thick and if it
too much
is not too
longer than it is
bulky. Weight,
rather than volume, is used as a basis
for
comparison; a filled container is considered
to be a larger-sized rock than an empty
one
of the same size.
Sling stones and sling bullets count as
true weapon-quality rocks, with no ?to
hit?
penalty at all. The stones or bullets used
in
an ordinary sling are small rocks, and
the
missiles used in staff slings are mediumsized
rocks. Missiles which might otherwise
be hand-hurled may also be used as ammunition
in slings if they are not too large.
Treat them as sling stones, and use the
weapon classifications given in Table C1.
Sickle, war:
A sickle-like true weapon is
rather rare since, by the time the sickle
has
been fully adapted to cutting people rather
than plants, it looks and performs basically
like a knife,
a dagger, or a short sword.
However, some peoples have used sickle-like
weapons in war or personal combat, and
(more importantly for this purpose) there
are a number of tools of sickle-like form,
so
statistics for the weapon have been introduced
here.
Hot
weapons
A burning wooden
weapon or a red-hot
metal one gains no
bonus ?to hit,? but does
score an extra point
of damage on ordinary
opponents (those
not especially vulnerable
to or protected from
fire). Even a creature
which was not harmed
by the force of the
blow may possibly
take heat damage. Coldusing
or inflammable creatures
will take
even more damage
from a hot weapon,
typically 1-3 points
(cf. the mummy in the
Monster Manual).
Wooden weapons which
have been burning
for any length of time
are likely to break,
as described in the following
section.
Weak weapons
Many items which might be pressed into
service as weapons are not really strong
enough to stand up to combat use. The
weakest of these will fall apart at the
first
effective blow (a successful hit), and
others
may be allowed saving throws versus either
a normal blow
or a crushing blow, depending
on the strength of the item in question.
Such saving throws should be made at a
penalty of -1 for each bonus point of damage
scored due to strength. An item which
fails its saving throw or which is deemed
to
have fallen apart or broken automatically
on the first hit has been rendered useless
and must be discarded as a weapon, or
possibly used in another mode (a bottle
that
had been used as a club or rock might be
used as a knife after it shattered, for
instance).
Whether or not an item is likely to
break and, if so, how likely such a break
would be are up to the DM and must be
decided on the basis of common sense.
A weapon which has a point or blade of
some brittle material (stone, bone, or
glass)
counts as a weak weapon if it is used against
metal armor, since it is likely to be shattered
or blunted. A saving throw must be made,
as described above (typically versus a
crushing
blow). This applies to any such weapon,
whether it is a broken bottle or a highly
crafted stone spearpoint.
Dangerous materials
Harmful materials that might be used in
combat may be put into three general
classes according to their mode of use:
broadcast weapons, which are scattered
or
sprayed from an open-ended container with
intent to do lethal damage; irritants,
those
which are broadcast in small amounts with
the primary purpose of blinding an opponent;
and grenade-like missiles, materials
hurled in a container that bursts on impact.
Although grenade-like
missiles are discussed
in the DMG, the rules there are limited
(reasonably enough) to what PCs
might bring along for the express purpose
of monster-burning. The primary
focus here is on things that might be used
on the spur of the moment.
Broadcast weapons
Table D lists damage values
for various
liquids that might be found simmering over
the campfire or in the kitchen. Factors
in
the amount of damage done include how
well the liquid sticks to its target, how
much
of it there is, and how hot it is. The
damage
figures in Table D assume that the liquid
has been heated to boiling or near-boiling
temperature; ordinary water boils at a
lower
temperature than briny or sugary water
(such as found in soup), and that in turn
has a lower boiling temperature than oil
or
syrup. Additionally, syrup sticks more
readily
to a target and thus has a greater potential
for damage than oil or fat.
A broadcast attack is made against a
single opponent at melee range ? the liquid
cannot be used as a missile weapon, but
the
container may be able to be thrown when
it
is emptied (see below). A broadcast attack
replaces any and all regular weapon attacks
that the wielder would otherwise have been
entitled to in the round; a high-level
fighter,
although permitted more than one attack
per round normally, cannot make a broadcast
attack and follow it up with some other
attack in the same round. (A broadcast
attack is essentially a ?two in one? attack
anyway; see below.) The attacker must be
able to handle the container comfortably
if
it is hot, using gloves or a handle or
possibly
some form of magical protection. A
broadcast attack at melee range has a very
high chance of affecting the target, but
often
fails to realize its full damage potential.
The
attacker must roll a successful hit against
armor class 10, modified by the attacker?s
strength adjustment, the defender?s dexterity
adjustment, or magical protection (if
applicable). If a hit is scored, the target
is
allowed a saving throw vs. breath weapon,
success indicating half damage (round
fractions down; 0 result possible). If
the
emptied container is hard and heavy
enough to count as a rock, the attacker
is
allowed a separate ?to hit? roll against
the
target (using its normal armor class, as
if
the rock were being wielded in melee) to
see
if the container itself did damage. The
rock
can be considered a melee weapon or a
missile weapon, at the user?s option, if
either kind of usage is possible.
Player characters and most other humanoids
cannot use larger volumes of liquid
than indicated on Table D. The weight and
bulk of the container, and the liquid itself,
combine to make any larger container (and
its contents) an ineffective weapon. In
addition,
no character weighing less than 100
pounds can employ a container with a large
volume of liquid. At the other extreme,
creatures of ogre size/strength or greater
would be able to ?wield? volumes of up
to
twice the amount shown for ?large,? with
a
commensurate increase in potential damage.
(This can be achieved by either stepping
up the damage figures for ?large?.
volumes, or by penalizing or eliminating
the target?s saving throw.) Creatures of
greater than stone giant size/strength
might
be able to use volumes of up to three times
?large? size
The procedure is the same for liquids
other than those listed on Table D -- the
sort that might be thrown as grenade-like
weapons (see Tables F1
and F2). If the
attacker makes a successful hit against
armor class 10, the target is allowed a
saving
throw versus breath weapon for half
damage. Materials such as hot tar or molten
metal are not considered, since they are
too
heavy and too viscous to be useful in handto-
hand combat ? even assuming that the
attacker could handle the material safely.
Cold or cold-using
monsters may take
extra damage from hot liquids. Particulars
will vary, but the amount is typically
an
extra point per die of damage, with a penalty
of -1 on the saving throw. Fire-using or
hot creatures, on the other hand, may take
damage from room-temperature water
because of its quenching effect; treat
such
liquid as if it were boiling water used
against a normal opponent. Very cold water
will do +1 damage per die and boiling
water -1 per die against hot creatures,
boiling
soup or brine is treated as boiling water,
and oil or syrup is not effective at all
against
such creatures.
Table E1 lists some substances
which
might be used with the primary intent of
impairing an opponent?s vision. As with
the
broadcast weapons mentioned previously,
such an assault is effective only at melee
range against a single opponent. However,
since the volume of material is small (a
cupful or handful), the use of an irritant
does not preclude other attacks that the
wielder may be entitled to in that round.
A
character with high dexterity may opt to
throw the irritant with one hand and strike
with a weapon in the other. In such cases,
the usual penalties for using
two weapons at
once apply (see DMG, p.70).
When attempting to blind an opponent,
the attacker must roll "to hit" armor class
5. If this succeeds, the defender must
save
versus breath weapon or get an eyeful of
whatever material was cast. A successful
save indicates that the defender?s vision
is
unimpaired and that hit-point damage (if
any) is halved. Failure indicates that
full
effects will be felt, as follows.
Someone whose eyes have been affected
by an irritant is nearly blind (penalty
of 3 to
saving throws, armor class rating, and
"to
hit" score for the duration of the effect)
and
will not be able to cast any spells or
attack
psionically during that time because of
the
pain of the injury. If the irritant is
a very
strong one (lye, powerful acid, hot pepper,
etc.), then the impairment of vision will
persist beyond the normal duration unless
a
second saving throw (versus poison) is
made
at the end of the indicated time, although
the pain will fade enough to permit spell
casting and the use of psionics. Failure
to
make this second saving throw indicates
that the victim?s eyes have suffered lasting
damage, and visual impairment will be
permanent unless cure blindness or heal
is
used to clear up the problem.
In a number of cases, irritants will be
useless. Only wet-eyed creatures are vulnerable
to such blinding; insects, reptiles such
as snakes whose eyes are protected by clear
scales, and other ?unblinking? opponents
are immune. Neither can an attacker blind
an opponent who is more than 3 feet taller
or who is facing away during that round.
A
visored helmet makes the wearer immune
to
this attack form ? and note that character
classes prohibited from using poisons also
cannot use very strong irritants.
Increasing the volume of material used
in
an irritant attack does not increase the
chance of blinding an opponent, though
it
will affect the amount of hit-point damage
done (if any). See Tables F1
and F2 for this
information. Irritants used in grenade-like
missiles have no effective chance of blinding
opponents, since the target area is small
and
the defender has more time to react.
Some of the materials in Table E1 might
do lethal damage to slimes, jellies, giant
slugs, leeches, oozes, and other wet-skinned
monsters. If the creature is vulnerable,
it
will take damage as if hot liquid has been
splashed on it. Use Table D for damage
determination, treating mild irritants
as hot
water, strong ones as hot stew or brine,
and
very strong ones as hot oil, and adjust
as
necessary for the amount of irritant. If
the
irritant in question also does lethal damage
to dry-skinned opponents, it will do that
damage in addition. These attacks may be
made by broadcast (roll "to hit" armor
class 10, etc.) or by grenade-like missile.
TABLE A: Classification of weapon-like objects
| Class | Description | Hit
probability |
Speed
adjustment |
| 1 | Same form, different purpose | -1 | +1 |
| 2 | Similar form | -2 | +2 |
| 3 | Poor design for combat use | -3 | +3 |
TABLE B1: Weapon class and type of assorted objects
| Object | Class, type |
| adze | 3, battle axe or hand axe |
| awl | 3, knife |
| axe, woodcutting | 1, battle axe |
| bar, metal | 2, club or staff |
| bench, 6'-8' | 3, lumber |
| bill hook | 2, hand axe |
| boat hook | 1, hook fauchard |
| bottle, broken | 1, knife |
| brazier | 1, small framework |
| cart wheel | 3, large framework |
| chain | 2-3, horseman's flail |
| chair, small | 2, small framework |
| chair, large | 2, large framework |
| chisel | 3, knife |
| cleaver | 2, hand axe |
| crowbar | 2, club |
| fencepost | 2, lumber |
| figurine | 2-3, club |
| firewood | 2-3, club |
| fish hook, heavy (4 + inches) | 3, sickle |
| flail, threshing | 2, horseman's flail |
| gimlet | 3, knife |
| grapnel | 3, sickle |
| hammer, smith's | 2, hammer |
| hammer, sledge | 2, hammer |
| hatchet | 1, hand axe |
| hay hook/bag hook | 2, sickle |
| hoe, garden | 3, staff |
| knife, butcher's | 1, dagger |
| knife, carving | 1, knife |
| knife, paring | 1, knife |
| ladder (6' - 8') | 2, large framework |
| machete | 1, short sword |
| mallet, wooden | 2, club |
| mattock | 2, footman's military pick |
| maul | 2, hammer |
| maul, splitting | 2, battleaxe or hand axe |
| nightstand | 3, small framework |
| oar | 2, staff |
| paddle | 2, club |
| pick | 2, footman's military pick |
| pikestaff | 2, spear or 1, staff (by use) |
| pitchfork, metal-tined | 2, military fork |
| pitchfork, wood-tined | 3, military fork |
| razor | 2, knife |
| scissors/shears | 3, knife |
| scythe | 3, fauchard |
| scroll case, bone | 3, club |
| sickle | 1, war sickle |
| shackles, metal | 3, horseman's flail |
| shovel/spade | 2, staff |
| spading fork | 3, trident |
| stake, sharp, 5' + | 2-3, spear |
| stool, 3-legged | 2, small framework |
| table leg | 2, club |
| thighbone | 2, club |
| torch | 3, club |
| trident, fishing | 1, trident |
| walking stick, stout | 1, club |
| weapon, ceremonial | 1, variable |
| 1x6, 6'-9' long | 3, lumber |
| 4x4, 6'-8' long | 3, lumber |
TABLE B2: Class and type of rock-like items
| Object | Class, Type |
| bottle | 1, small to medium |
| box, small iron | 2, medium to v. large |
| box, small wooden | 3, medium to large |
| brick | 1, large |
| chamberpot | 2, medium |
| cobblestone | 1, medium to large |
| firewood | 3, medium to large |
| goblet, metal or ceramic | 2, medium |
| kettle, small | 2, very large |
| lantern | 2, medium |
| lamp, terracotta | 2, medium |
| mirror, large metal | 1, medium |
| plate | 3, medium |
| saucepan | 2, medium |
| skillet | 1, medium |
| skull, human | 3, medium |
| whetstone | 1, medium to large |
TABLE C1:
Melee Weight and damage for unofficial weapon types
TABLE C2: Melee General data for unofficial
weapon types
| Weapon Type | Encumbrance | Damage,
Size S-M |
Damage,
Size L |
Length | Space
required |
Speed
factor |
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Framework, small | c. 500 | 1-3 | 1-2 | 2'-4' | 2'-4' | 5 | -13 | -11 | -9 | -7 | -5 | -3 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Framework, large | c. 1000 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 5' + | 5' + | 7 | -12 | -10 | -8 | -6 | -4 | -2 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lumber | c. 500 | 1-8 | 1-6 | 5' + | 5' + | 10 | -10 | -8 | -6 | -4 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rock, large | 3.5 | 1-3 | 1-2 | c. 4" | - | 3 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rock, very large | 150+ | 1-4 | 1-3 | c. 8" | - | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -2 |
| Sickle, war | 15 | 1-3 | 1-2 | 1 1/2' | 2' | 3 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 0 | 0 | +1 | +1 | +3 |
TABLE D: Hot liquids
as broadcast weapons
Potential damage inflicted by:
| Amount and container | Boiling water | Boiling soup* | Hot oil
or fat |
Syrup |
| Small (skillet, or c. 1½ pints) | 1 | 1-2 | 1-3 | 1-4 |
| Medium (saucepan, or c. 3 pints) | 1-3 | 1-6 | 2-8 | 3-9 |
| Large (kettle, or c. 6 pints) | 1-6 | 2-12 | 3-12 | 4-16 |
Saving throw versus breath weapon allowed for half damage (round fractions down).
* Or brine, or other solution
TABLE E1: Classification
of irritants
Potency of given substance
| Composition | Mild | Strong | Very Strong |
| Liquid: | brine
soapy water vinegar |
brandy
perfume |
acid
holy/unholy water* lye |
| Granular: | dirt | ashes
chaff salt sand street filth |
ash, hot
pepper, strong |
* Effective only against certain creatures; see DMG. <make link>
TABLE E2: Effects of irritants
| Substance | Duration of effect | Substance | Duration of Effect |
| Liquid, mild | 1-4 rounds | Granular, mild | 1-3 rounds |
| Liquid, strong | 1-8 rounds | Granular, strong | 1-6 rounds |
| Liquid, very strong | 2-12 rounds | Granular, very strong* | 2-8 rounds |
Effects are as follows: Pain and impairment
of vision causes -3 penalty to armor class, "to hit" rolls, and saving
throws;
no spell casting or psionics use possible.
Targets who save vs. breath weapon escape
these effects.
* Vision will be permanently affected in
individuals beset by this substance unless a second saving throw (versus
poison) is made.
Hit-point damage may also occur.
TABLE F1: General
information for grenade-like weapons
Damage caused by:
| Liquid contents | Standard volume | Area of effect | Splash | Direct hit |
| Alcohol, alight | 1 pint | 3' diam. | nil | 1d4+1 hp |
| Corrosive, weak | 1/2 pint | 1' diam. | nil | 1-2 hp |
| Corrosive, strong | 1/2 pint | 1' diam. | nil | 1-4 hp |
| Corrosive, very strong | 1/2 pint | 1' diam. | 1 hp | 2-8 hp |
| Oil, ordinary, alight | 1 pint | 3' diam. | nil | 1-6 + 1-2 hp |
| Pitch, alight | 1 pint | target | nil | 1-4 + 1-4 hp |
Corrosives are strong acidic or alkaline
substances. The acid described in the DMG is a
very strong corrosive, and lye is considered
a very strong corrosive of the alkaline sort.
TABLE F2: Splash area and missile type for grenade-like weapons
| Volume | Area of effect* | "Rock" type * * |
| ¼-½ pint | 1' diameter | medium |
| 1-2 pints | 3' diameter | medium |
| 3-4 pints | 4' diameter | large |
| 5-6 pints | 5' diameter | very large |
* Assumes that the liquid is not too viscous
to splash.
** Prepared grenade-like missiles are not
thrown at any penalty, but others may be
treated as ?rocks? of appropriate class
(1, 2, or 3).
Grenade-like weapons
Table F1 is an extension of the table of
grenade-like missiles
included in the DMG
(p. 64). For the most part, it lists materials
that aren?t likely to be brought along
for use
as weapons. (Nobody in his right mind
would plan to burn a whole keg of brandy!)
As with the table in the DMG, these materials
cause burns, either chemical or thermal
(the holy/unholy water listed in the
DMG causes magical burns).
The most serious burns are caused by the
burning oil described in the DMG. To
judge by the damage it does (even a splash
can kill an ordinary-human) and by the
way
it lights so easily (a thrown torch will
do),
the fuel involved must be some sort of
distillate,
like the petroleum fraction that was
probably used in Byzantium's "Greek fire."
This would account for the fact that it
is so
expensive, too -- a single pint is worth
as
much as a good pair of boots or several
days'worth of food, according to the PH.
The other fluids that might be used in
grenade-like missiles are less harmful.
Standard lamp-oil of ancient times was
less
volatile and expensive than that described
in the DMG; the former was fish
oil or
vegetable oil, having the properties of
modern
cooking oil. Such oil is harder to light,
and easier to put out. If it is to burn
an
enemy, it must be burning well before it
is
thrown, or it will only make the target
slippery. PCs may be able to
get around this limitation, however, by
using such spells as produce flame. Burning
alcohol won't do much damage either,
though it can be lit with a thrown torch
if
the non-alcohol content (assuming a beverage)
is low enough for it to burn in the first
place. Alcohol doesn't stick like oil does,
and this reduces the amount of damage it
can do. Finally, only the most powerful
corrosives (acids and alkalines) will do
as
much damage as the acid described in the
DMG. Others, not chosen for their lethality,
will do damage as indicated in Table Fl.
For determining range, the number of
prepared missiles which may be fired per
round, and container damage (if the container
is hard), grenade-like missiles are
treated as rocks, as indicated in Table
F2.
For containers of non-standard size, increase
or decrease the amount of damage
done by a factor of two for each change
in
size class (fractions rounded down). Use
the
figures in Table F1 and
the DMG as the <>
basis for this calculation. Any extra damage
is spread over the rounds following contact:
a monster hit with a two-pint volume of
the
oil described in the DMG will take 2-12
points of damage on each of the first and
second rounds, and 1-6 points of damage
on
each of the third and fourth rounds. Note
that the amount of damage taken from a
splash does not increase with the volume
of
the container, although the splash radius
does. Individuals who weigh less than 100
pounds may not use very large grenade-like
weapons, any more than they can use the
largest rocks.
A character who has been hit by flaming
or corrosive liquid may take countermeasures
to reduce the damage. If the liquid is
on fire, damage may be halved for the
round, and any further damage prevented,
if the flames are smothered in a cloak
or
blanket. For any of the liquids in Table
F1
or in the table in the DMG, damage for
the
round may be reduced to that for a splash
hit if the affected individual enters a
sufficiently
large body of water (naturally, this
will also prevent further damage). Such
action precludes any others for the round
on
which they are attempted.
Leaping across an area of burning liquid
will have the results described on page
65 of
the DMG. The amount of damage taken by
someone who walks through or stands in
the
burning material is the same as that of
the
second-round damage from a thrown container
of liquid (1-6 for highly flammable
oil, 1-2 for ordinary oil; 1 for alcohol,
and
1-4 for pitch).
Availability
of materials
The availability of emergency weapons
will vary considerably with the locale.
In
settled areas, the possibilities are nearly
endless, and the DM who has not carefully
detailed an encounter area beforehand will
have to make some snap decisions. Such
places as kitchens, barns, smithies, alchemists'
laboratories, and construction sites
are particularly fertile grounds for characters
seeking emergency weapons, and even
in the street various items might be
snatched from passersby or from nearby
buildings, and cobblestones might be pried
up if the area is paved and there is sufficient
time. The city watch is likely to take
a dim
view of such foraging, however.
It would be impractical to try to set up
detailed rules on the availability of various
items, but a few general guidelines may
be
applied. One thing to keep in mind is that
the abundance of certain materials and
of
certain classes of artifacts is different
in a
medieval-style culture than in our own.
Glass and metal will be less common, for
instance. Bottles, buckets, and other containers
are likely to be made of wood,
leather, clay, or horn instead, glass windows
will be rare (and valuable), and tools
will be
less likely to have blades or points of
metal.
Sweeteners of all sorts will be less common,
and the hot syrup listed in Table D is
likely
to be found only in the richer kitchens.
Many of the irritants listed in Table El
will
only be available at an alchemist?s or
a spice
merchant?s place of work rather than being
encountered as common household items.
Salt may be rare in some places, and is
likely to be found in cakes or coarse grains
rather than as a powder, since the vaporproof
containers and dessicants we are
accustomed to will be missing. Even such
things as lumber sizes will be affected:
the
2x4 is used extensively in modern house
construction, but it was not always so.
As for the availability of weapons in
wilderness areas, really useful ones will
be
hard to come by. A rock is perhaps the
first
thing that comes to mind, but finding one
might not be so easy. There are some environments
(tropical rain forests, marshes,
floodplains, or rich prairie lands, for
instance)
in which it may be impossible to
find one at all without a long search,
and
even where they can be found rocks may
not be of the desired size or shape. In
general,
good rocks will seem scarce when they
are needed in a hurry.
The same might be said of natural clubs
and staves. In scrubland, in marsh and
grassland, or in barren areas, little or
no
materials will be available, and even in
a
forest
there isn?t likely to be a lot of wood
just lying about. Windfallen wood will
only
be common in relatively cool or dry climes
(the floor of a tropical rain forest, for
instance,
is kept free of such debris by a high
rate of decay), and even if unrotted wood
is
found, it is likely to be a large branch
or a
fallen tree ? not the sort of thing one
can
pick up and swing. If the forest is adjacent
to a settled area, the potential clubs
and
staves may have been gathered up and used
to cook someone?s dinner. As for live wood,
even the strongest individuals will have
some difficulty in gathering and preparing
it. Most of it will be out of easy reach,
all of
it will be difficult to remove from its
source
(green wood tends to bend rather than
break), and of course the excess bark and
foliage must be trimmed away. Finally,
the
character who wishes to imitate Little
John
and convert a sapling into a staff at a
single
yank is likely to be disappointed. Saplings
are only common where the forest is regrowing,
and most of them refuse to simply
pop out of the ground.
The time required to find and secure a
weapon will vary considerably with the
circumstances, but whatever time the DM
sets it is recommended that some characters
be allowed to complete the task in half
the
usual period. Rangers and druids should
have this advantage in wilderness areas,
and thieves and assassins should have the
same edge in urban settings.
Fabrication
of weapons
Given suitable materials and a reasonable
amount of spare time, a character may
manufacture a weapon with which he is
proficient. A knife blade might be lashed
to
a pole to make a spear,
for instance, or nails
might be driven through a large, stout
piece
of wood (lashings would be required to
keep
it from splitting) to make a crude morningstar.
Such weapons will usually be class 2
types, but if the character making one
has
secondary skills appropriate to the task,
then class 1 weapons are possible.
Stone implements may be ?primitive,?
but they are not easy to make. No character
will be able to fashion a decent stone
blade
or point unless he has the unlikely secondary
skill of flint-knapping.
Some spells may allow the creation of
weapons from available materials. The
particulars of this will vary, but no weapon
thus constructed will be better than class
1.
Weapon proficiency
It is recommended that the restrictions
as
to which character classes can use which
weapons be relaxed when it comes to emergency
weapons, so long as the standard
non-proficiency penalties are observed:
a
magic-user may certainly choose to pick
up
a crowbar and flail away with it, but he
isn?t likely to have much success with
a total
penalty of -7 ?to hit.?
Of course, some restrictions must remain.
If the DM has ruled that the prohibition
against clerics using slashing or poking
weapons is absolute, then they will have
to
use other strategies. Members of the cavalier
class (as originally described by Gary
Gygax in DRAGON Magazine #72) might
not use any of the items and materials
discussed
here, rejecting them as too ignoble.
A cavalier would probably resort to the
use
of the vulgar list rather than be caught
using a kitchen utensil, and no cavalier
would stoop to pick up a rock.
As noted earlier, no character who is a
member of a class prohibited from using
poisons will use an irritant that can cause
permanent blindness. However, a character
should not be penalized for expressing
an
intention to use such a substance, since
characters would not necessarily know
which irritants can cause permanent blindness.
If the character throws the acid
abruptly, without considering the possible
consequences, the DM should apply an
appropriate penalty (such as an automatic
failure to hit) and then inform the player
that this action is not allowed.
Non-proficiency penalties should apply
to
all of the attack forms described here.
PCs of all classes and subclasses
(except the cavalier) might be allowed
to become proficient in the weapons
and attack forms detailed in this article.
Many characters will wish to become proficient
with rocks, since such skill would
apply to grenade-like missiles as well.
Melee
and missile uses, and skills with the different
sizes of rocks, might be treated separately,
but this is not recommended. After
all, the official weapon proficiency system
does not distinguish between the easy-tolearn
crossbow and the difficult longbow, or
between the club and the long sword, so
it is
obviously somewhat flexible. The rock is
such a simple weapon that proficiency
might apply to all sizes and uses.
Halflings,
proficient or otherwise, should
be allowed a +3 bonus "to hit" with rocks,
an innate advantage just as they have with
bows and slings. There is plenty of precedent
for this, and it makes the unarmed
village halfling a bit less vulnerable.
Cadmus Sowing the Dragon's Teeth, Maxfield
Parrish
LETTERS
Mystery guest
-
Dear Dragon:
This question is for artist Robin Wood concerning
her cover painting for issue #97. Who is
the shy individual reflected in the large scales in
the lower right corner? Please don't tell me that
the lovely young woman with the harp plays only
as a diversion, while someone else pilfers coin in
the shadows! What a rude trick that would be to
play on a kindly old dragon.
Brian Murphy
Kent, Ohio
(Dragon #98)
If we handed out prizes for observation skills,
Brian would certainly be a candidate for this
month’s award. The reflected figure showed up
pretty distinctly in Robin’s original painting,
which is about four times as large in area as the
reproduction on our cover. And we (along with
Robin, of course) could see it in the smaller-sized
artwork, but I honestly didn’t think anyone else
would notice it.
I don’t know who the figure is supposed to be,
and I didn’t think to ask Robin about it after she
turned in the painting. Let’s just assume that the
off-stage individual is just there to enjoy the
music — and, unless she wants to respond to this
letter, let’s allow Robin to keep the secret of the
“shy individual” to herself
— KM
(Dragon #98)