A major event at Mainecon III last
summer was a demonstration of arms by
the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). <link to the wikipedia, article, here>
They used carpet and foam padding for body armor and actual metal helmets for the head.
Shields are of
wood, as are weapons. Most weapons
are made of rattan (a wood that is pliable
and has some “give” to it) or have foam
rubber heads (like axes and hammers).
Certainly this is not absolutely “realistic,” but it is a good simulation. Weapons
weigh from one half to one quarter of the
same weapon in metal, and armor is just
as encumbering as metal armor would
be, though not as heavy.

The event brought home two very important points, First, a shield is very im
portant to a contestant. Fully 60% of the
blows are caught by the shield. Second,
a trained fighter who normally uses a
broadsword is a much poorer fighter
when using a battle axe for the first time.
To place these facts in terms of AD&D™
rules, some minor rule changes are proposed.
A shield will now give +2 to armor class instead of just +1.

To balance this, one other observation: Shields fall apart <note: see "Repair or Beware" in Best of Dragon IV - prespos>
as they get hit over and over again. There
are a few ways to simulate this in game
terms. One is to say that every hit on a
roll of 20 that could be called a heavy
blow (thus, light weapons like arrows,
hand axes, daggers, etc. are not considered) will require the shield to make a
saving throw of 2. This does not apply to
magical shields. Another method is to
assign a number of points to the shield.
When those points are used up, so is the
shield. An average shield would have between 21 and 60 points.
Every blow does not hit the shield,
naturally. This is simulated as follows:
Say that a 16 is needed to hit a character
when a mace is employed vs. chain and
shield. (The shield will be worth two armor classes, not just one.) If a 14 or 15 is
rolled, then the shield absorbs the blow.
Now roll for the damage done to the
shield by the mace: Say a 5 comes up, so
that the shield is now -5 from its point
total.

A magical shield would have the same
base point total, 21 to 60, and an extra 20
points for each “plus” of the shield.
Blows that hit the points bestowed by the
magical plus of a shield do not harm it.
For example: a shield x2 now would give
+4 to armor class, +2 for magic and +2
(instead of +1) for the fact that a shield is
used at all. Say a mace needs an 18 to hit
chain and shield +2. If a 16 or 17 is rolled,
the magic of the shield is what caught
the blow. If a 14 or 15 is rolled, the actual
metal of the shield catches the blow and
will then be damaged. A 13 or less is
either caught by the chain, or the blow is
a total miss. This method is a bit cumbersome because the DM must keep track of
shield values.

Damaged shields (if one employs the
latter described method) could be fixed
by an armorer. Magical shields would
have to be fixed by an expert armorer. A
magical shield that goes to zero points is
wholly destroyed and cannot be used
again. If a character decided to set his
magical shield aside when it gets down
to a few points, the shield could still lose
its magic if not repaired within a reasonable time (say, one week per “plus” of
the shield).
 

TABLE I: PRIMARY HAND-HELD WEAPONS
 

Weapon  type:	Human  fighter or  assassin	Half-orc  fighter or  assassin	Elf,  half-elf  fighter,  assassin	Dwarf  fighter or  assassin	Gnome  fighter or  assassin	Hallfing  fighter or assassin	Rangers	Paladins	Clerics  (all races)	Druids	MUs,  Illusionists  (all races)	Human,  half-orc  thieves	Elf,  half-elf  thieves	Gnome  thieves	Dwarf  thieves	Halfling  thieves	Monks	Men-  at- arms
Battle axe	01-06	01-04	01	01-17	01-08	01-02	01-07	01-08	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	01-02
Hand axe1	07-10	05-07	02	18-30	09-11	03-27	08-16	09-12	-	-	-	-	-	-	--4	--5	01-07	03-04
Bo stick	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	08-20	-
Club	11	08-13	03	31-33	12-24	28	17	13	01-07	01-05	-	01-04	01-03	01-04	01-04	01-04	21-25	05-13
Dagger1 2	12-24	17-27	04-20	34-37	25-28	29-32	18-27	14-28	--3	06-11	01-75	05-30	04-37	05-28	05-27	05-30	26-33	14-20
Flail, foot	25-30	28-36	21-24	38-42	29-31	33-34	28-33	29-33	08-30	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	21-28
Flail, horse	31-33	37	25-27	43	32	35	34-36	34-38	31-37	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	29
Hammer1	34-40	38-44	28	44-64	33-47	36	37-42	39-45	38-48	12-20	-	-	-	-	--4	-	-	30-35
Jo stick	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	34-50	-
Lance	41-45	45-47	29-33	-	-	-	43-47	46-54	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mace, foot	46-50	48-57	34-35	65-77	48-49	37-40	48-49	55-56	49-70	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	36-42
Mace, horse	51-54	58-60	36-40	78	50	41	50-53	57-61	71-66	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	43
Morning star	55-59	61-70	41	79-83	51-52	42	54-57	62-64	--3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	44-46
Scimitar	60-61	71-73	42-43	-	-	-	58-64	65	-	21-58	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	47
Spear1	62-69	74	44-63	84-89	53-60	43-52	65-76	66-68	-	59-80	-	-	-	-	-	-	51-64	48-58
Quarter staff	70-71	75	64-68	90	61-63	53-54	77-79	69	89-97	81-97	76-00	-	-	-	-	-	65-92	59-67
Bastard sword	72-73	76-77	69	-	-	-	80	70	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Broad sword	74-81	78-80	70-73	91-94	-	-	81-88	71-79	-	-	-	31-70	38-48	-	28-54	-	-	68-73
Long sword	82-95	81-94	74-94	-	-	-	89-96	80-95	-	-	-	71-94	49-97	-	-	-	-	74-75
Short sword	96	95	95	95-98	64-00	55-00	97	96	-	-	-	95-00	98-00	29-00	55-97	31-94	-	76-83
2-handed sword	97-98	96-98	96-99	-	-	-	98	97-98	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Trident	99	99	-	-	-	-	99	-	--3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	84
Pole arm  (roll on table Ia)	00	00	00	99-00	-	-	00	99-00	-	--3	-	-	-	-	-	-	93-00	85-00
Special	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	98-00	98-00	-	-	-	-	98-00	95-00	-	-

Notes:
1 — If this weapon is rolled, an eligible character may elect to have throwing proficiency in it as well as hand-to-hand
proficiency, at a cost of two weapons.
2 — The dagger must be weighted to also be used for throwing, and only a small number (say 20%) are so prepared.
3 — If the DM permits, evil clerics may elect to use the dagger, morning star or trident, and druids may be able to
employ some pole arms. If a result of “Special” is rolled for such a character, one of these weapons may be selected.
4 — Optionally, dwarven thieves may be able to use hand axes or hammers and might even be able to throw them. If a
result of “Special” is rolled, one of these weapons may be selected.
5 — Also optionally, halfling thieves may be able to use and perhaps even throw a hand axe. This weapon, if allowed by
the DM, can be selected when a result of “Special” is rolled for such a character.
See text for further explanations of all annotated material.

Weapon proficiency is the next topic
brought up by the SCA demonstration.
What weapon(s) do I know how to use?
This is a common question from a player, and one that might easily apply to any
non-player character you may design or
who might be encountered at random.
Accompanying this article are two tables and one sub-table to determine
which weapon(s) any character might
know. It can be used to create first-level
characters or pre-first-level ones (see
Leomund’s Tiny Hut in issue #51 of
DRAGON™ magazine).

The chart does not take into account
the particular weapon(s) which might be
known to the instructor of the player
character. But those proficiencies can
be rolled for, just as for a player character, and if you (the DM) use any sort of
training/teaching method for characters,
then it is required that you know what
weapon(s) the teacher can use. After all,
how can a hero teach a veteran the use of
a thrown hand axe if he cannot throw
one himself? Let’s apply the tables to
determine the weapon skills of a Champion whom the party encounters in a small
town.

The party contains a swordswoman
who has gained enough experience to
be trained to become a Heroine (4th level). She would like to learn the use of a
new weapon, since she knows how to
use four but is allowed to use five. We
know she can use the long sword, the
long bow, the mace, and the footman’s
flail.

We do not know what the Champion,
her potential instructor, can use. We go
to Table 1 to determine his weapon
knowledge. We will roll once on Table 1
and then go to Table 2 for a single roll, to
give him one fired or hurled weapon.
Then it’s back to Table 1 for four more
rolls, to finish the list of the six weapons
he knows. Optionally, you might want to
go to Table 2 one additional time, giving
the Champion one more missile weapon
and one less roll on Table 1.

Example:

First roll, Table 1: Result is 77, which
for a human fighter is a broad sword.
Second roll, Table 2: Result is 28,
which for a human fighter is a long composite bow.
Third roll, Table 1: Result is 20,
which for a human fighter is a dagger. A
dagger could be a thrown weapon as
well. If we give the Champion credit for
hand-to-hand and throwing proficiency
with the dagger, then we will charge him
with two weapon proficiencies used, instead of just one, since throwing the
dagger is entirely different from using
the dagger in hand-to-hand combat.
Fourth roll, Table 1: Result is 87,
which for a human fighter is a short
sword. This is a valid result, even though
the Champion is already proficient with
the broad sword, because sword types
are handled very differently from one
another.
Fifth and last roll (we allowed him to
use the dagger both ways), Table 1: Result is 00, which for a human fighter
means an additional roll, this time on
Sub-table la for pole arms: This roll’s
result is 55, which means the Champion
can use a halberd effectively.
Thus, it is determined that the Champion can teach our swordswoman the use
of the dagger (either hand-to-hand or
thrown, but not both), the halberd, the
broad sword or the composite long bow.
Another way of gaining weapon proficiency, aside from learning from an instructor, is to use a weapon unproficiently for an extended period of time. This
trial-and-error method can never make
one proficient with more weapons than
he/she is entitled to. And a character
must gain a high enough level to earn the
right to use a new weapon before the

TABLE la: POLE ARMS
 

Weapon type:	Man-at-arms	Human fighter	Half-orc fighter	Elf, half-elf fighter	Dwarf fighter	Ranger	Paladin	Monk	Druid (optional)
Bardiche	01-02	01-05	01-04	01-03	01-02	01-03	01-03	01-03	-
Bec de corbin	03-04	06-10	05-07	04-07	03	04-07	04-06	04-07	-
Bill guisarme	05-06	11-12	08-09	08	-	08-09	07-08	08-10	-
Fauchard	07-08	13-14	10-11	09	-	10-11	09-10	11-13	-
Fauchard fork	09-10	15-16	12-13	10-11	04-14	12-14	11-13	14-17	-
Fork	11-20	17-18	14-15	12	-	15-16	14-15	18-20	-
Glaive	21-35	19-20	16-17	13	-	17-18	16-17	21-29	01-20
Glaive guisarme	36-40	21	18	14	-	19	18	30-33	21-40
Halberd	41-60	22-48	19-50	15-26	15-30	20-28	19-32	24-40	41-50
Guisarme voulge	61-65	49-57	51-57	27-29	31-34	29-31	33-40	41-47	-
Lucern hammer	66-70	58-70	58-70	29-44	35-44	32-39	41-50	48-54	-
Partisan	71-74	71-77	71-72	45-46	-	40-42	51-55	55-60	51-58
Pick, footman's	75-86	78-84	73-90	47-54	45-90	43-50	52-60	61-80	59-75
Pick, horseman's	87	85-97	91	55-90	91-00	51-80	61-90	81-84	-
Pike (awl)	88-97	98	92-96	-	-	81-90	91-93	85-96	-
Ranseur	98-99	99	97-99	91-94	-	91-95	94-95	97-99	76-00
Voulge	00	00	00	95-00	-	96-00	96-00	00	-

TABLE 2: FIRED OR HURLED WEAPONS
 

Weapon type:	Human  fighter or  assassin	Half-orc  fighter or  assassin	Elf,  half-elf,  fighter,  assassin	Dwarf  fighter or  assassin	Gnome fighter or  assassin	Halfling fighter or  assassin	Rangers	Paladins	Clerics  (all races)	Druids	MU's,  Illusionists  (all races)	Human,  half-orc  thieves	Elf,  half-elf  thieves	Gnome,  dwarf  thieves	Halfling  thieves	Monks	Men- at- arms
Long bow	01-20	01-10	01-50	-	-	-	01-30	01-20	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	01-07
Short bow	21-27	11-14	511	011	01-38	01-18	31-40	21-25	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	08-28
Long comp. bow	28-33	15-38	52-57	-	-	-	41-50	26-36	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	29-30
Short comp.  bow	34-35	39-44	581	21	391	191	51-54	37-40	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	31-32
Light crossbow	36-42	45-48	591	03-35	40-55	201	55-60	41-55	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	01-13	33-50
Heavy crossbow	43-48	49-58	601	36-52	-	-	61-65	56-68	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	14-20	51-58
Sling	49-50	59-60	611	531	56-62	21-70	66-70	69	-	01-30	-	01-35	01-20	01-30	01-70	-	59-60
Hand axe3	51-58	61-68	622	54-68	632	71-82	71-77	70	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	21-35	61-67
Club3	59	69-74	632	692	64-70	832	78	71	01-35	31-38	-	36-50	21-30	31-50	71-80	36-80<40>	68-72
Dagger3	60-75	75-77	642	702	71-73	842	79-85	72-78	-	39-48	01-854	51-83	31-70	51-90	81-85	41-60	73-75
Hammer3 5	76-80	78-96	652	71-90	74-77	852	86	79-83	36-00	49-59	-	-	-	-	-	-	76-77
Spear3 5	82-90	97	66-98	91-98	78-95	86-98	87-95	84-90	-	60-87	-	-	-	-	-	61-84	78-96
Dart	91	98	992	992	96-99	992	96	91	-	88-00	86-00	84-00	71-00	91-00	86-00	-	-
Javelin	92-00	99-00	002	002	002	002	97-00	92-00	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	85-00	97-00

<check right border of the table>

Notes:
1 — This weapon type is very uncommon for the particular race. A different weapon may be chosen when this is the
result of a roll, if the DM so desires.
2 — This weapon type is uncommon for the race in question. Again, a different weapon may be chosen.
3 —These must be able to be used as hand-held weapons before they can be thrown or hurled. Thus, anyone who is
proficient in throwing one also automatically has proficiency with it as a hand-held weapon — and both uses count as
two weapons when determining the number of weapons a character can use. Note that use of a hand-held dagger (for
instance) does not also imply the ability to throw it.
4 — One exception to the note above: Magic-users must be proficient in hand-held use of the dagger before they can
also know how to throw it. Thus, only a 6th-level or higher M-U would know how to use the dagger both ways.
5 — These weapons cannot be hurled or thrown by a character with strength of less than 9.

trial-and-error method will produce proficiency. If you have an opening for a
new weapon, then you must use the unknown weapon through one entire level,
until achieving promotion to a new level,
to gain knowledge of it. The weapon
must be used at every opportunity.
Let’s say our swordswoman finds a
magical flail for a footman. She wants a
magic weapon and, prior to meeting the
Champion, she has the capacity to learn
one new weapon (at 3rd level she can
use four weapons, plus one new weapon
upon becoming 4th level). She elects to
use the flail at every opportunity. If it is a
+1 weapon, she is then -1 to hit with it,
since her non-proficiency penalty is -2

(see Players Handbook, page 37). Yet
she is using a magic weapon, so the
damage is still +1 when it hits — and
there are many monsters that can only
be hit by magic weapons.
Some notes on the accompanying tables and how they were assembled:
Weapon usage is divided by race according to the Monster Manual, taking
into consideration that certain races cannot use certain weapons because the
weapon is too long or too heavy. The
actual percentage distribution is entirely
subjective and reflects my views of various races and classes.
On Table 1, there is a chance for an evil
cleric to use a dagger, morning star, or

trident because I allow these things in
my campaign. In theory, a cleric of a
particular religion might use any weapon if his deity allows it. I allow dwarven
and halfling thieves the use of a hand
axe, and I allow dwarven thieves to use
hammers. Again, these strictures are
part of my campaign and not part of the
official rules. Also, I allow druids the use
of some pole arms. I picture a druid with
a scythe as being perfectly logical.
Table 2 is another subjective categorization, this time of the fired and thrown
weapons. But those missile weapons attributed to a particular race in the Monster Manual are heavily weighted in that
direction.

OUT ON A LIMB 

Weapon Skill

Dear Editor:
The Leomund’s Tiny Hut article concerning
the use of sword and shield (#57) was a commendable
article, and it set me to thinking.
For quite some time, I have been using a weapons
skill system that I others might be interested
in. One of the enormous improvements
between the D&D and AD&D game systems is
the proficiency rules. However, although
these rules provide for the process of learning
to use different weapons, there is no way for a
character to excel in any one weapon. With
the system I devised, an individual may gain 
multiple proficiency in one item. For each
proficiency past the first, the character gains
a bonus: +3 for fighters, paladins, and rangers,
+2 for clerics, druids, thieves, assassins, and
bards, and +1 for magic-users, illusionists,
and monks.

Using this system, I have in one of my campaigns
a 6th-level elven fighter with quadruple
proficiency in the longbow. He has a +9
from special proficiency, +1 from good dexterity,
and +1 from being an elf for a total of
+11, which means, quite simply, that anything
with an armor class of 5 or worse (at short
range) is dead meat as far as he is concerned.
Then again, he can’t tell a mace from a halberd.
In any case, I am hoping that someone
besides myself may profit
from the employment of these points.

Matt Rogers
Deerfield, III.
(Dragon #59)