* Restricted: specified cultures only

Sword and Axe

The Anarea Combat System

E1. Restricted Weapons

Index to this Section

1. General
2. Melee Weapons
3. Ranged Weapons
4. Thrown Weapons
5. Blown Weapons
6. Capturing Weapons

1. General

The following are specialist Weapons the availability of which is Restricted to certain cultures as indicated in Bold.  They can only be acquired from those cultures (either by purchase or gift if they are willing) or by defeating them in combat.  Each must be learned as a separate Weapon for Weapon Specialisation purposes, and only those cultures can provide the necessary training.

2. Melee Weapons

2.1 Assegai

The Assegai is a short stabbing and throwing spear.  Its use is Restricted to the Jungle Tribes.

All Black Men get a Species Modifier of +1 on Assegai.

Its Encumbrance is Category III (75 wt pts).

2.2 Nunchucks / Nunchaku

Nunchucks are two sticks joined together with a short chain.  Their use is Restricted to the Kayani and Assassins.

A successful Parry with Nunchucks gives a chance of disarming the opponent of ((%age by which beat result needed to Parry)/2) + (2 * (St of Parryer) - (st of Attacker)) FRD.

Their Encumbrance is Category II (50 wt pts).

2.3 Trident

The Trident is a three-pronged barbed spear.  Its use is Restricted to fishermen, Fish Cultists, the Camari and Sahuagin.

A successful Parry with a Trident against a Stave, Spear or Polearm gives a chance of disarming the opponent of ((%age by which beat result needed to Parry)/5) + (2 * (St of Parryer) - (st of Attacker)) FRD.

Its Encumbrance is Category III (75 wt pts).

3. Ranged Weapons

3.1 Elven Bow

The Elven Bow is a specialist Longbow crafted by and Restricted to the Elves.

All Elves (and Mist Warrior Deer Cultists) get a special Species Modifier of +2 on Elven Bow (instead of their +1 on Longbows).

Its Encumbrance is Category III (75 wt pts).

3.2 Harpoon Crossbow

The Harpoon Crossbow is a large Crossbow which fires a Harpoon.  Its use is Restricted to certain fishermen, Fish Cultists, the Camari and Sahuagin.

The Harpoon Crossbow is usually mounted upon a boat or ship, in which case the StN is ignored.  It is normally loaded by winding the string, which takes 3 MR (not AMR).

A hit with a Harpoon has a 20% chance of Lodging per HP of DAM caused.  It does not then Disembowel, but may be used to reel in the Target (roll as for a Wp Battle, but using the difference in Sts).  If more than one person reels in the ropes, sum their Sts.

Its Encumbrance is Category V (150 wt pts) plus the weight of each Harpoon carried.

4. Thrown Weapons

4.1 Assegai thrown

The Assegai is a short stabbing and throwing spear.  Its use is Restricted to the Jungle Tribes.

All Black Men get a Species Modifier of +1 on Assegai.

Its Encumbrance is Category III (75 wt pts).

4.2 Harpoon

The Harpoon is a barbed spear on a rope, used for catching large marine creatures.  Its use is Restricted to fishermen, Fish Cultists, the Camari and Sahuagin.

A hit with a Harpoon has a 20% chance of Lodging per HP of DAM caused.  It does not then Disembowel, but may be used to reel in the Target (roll as for a Wp Battle, but using the difference in Sts).  If more than one person reels in the ropes, sum their Sts.

Its Encumbrance is Category III (75 wt pts) plus the weight of the rope.  A Harpoon on 50 ft of lightweight strong rope would weigh 75 + (50 * 0.5) = 100 wt pts.

4.3 Throwing Stars / Shuriken

Throwing Stars are Restricted to Assassins.  They are invariably Poisoned with Blade Venom.

They weigh 1 wt pt each.

5. Blown Weapons

Blown Weapons count as Thrown Weapons, but get no StN bonus (or minus) to A.  The StN bonus (or minus) to DAM still applies (representing the strength of the blower's puff).

5.1 Blowpipe

The Blowpipe is a hollow pipe used to launch a dart, which is usually Poisoned with Blade Venom.  Its use was originally Restricted to the Jungle Tribes, but it has spread from them to certain Snake and Spider Cults.

All Black Men (but not Snake and Spider Cultists who are not Black Men) get a Species Modifier of +1 on Blowpipe.

Its Encumbrance is Category I (20 wt pts).  Darts weigh 0.5 wt pts each.

6. Capturing Weapons

Capturing Weapons count as Thrown Weapons, but get no StN bonus (or minus) to DAM.  The StN bonus (or minus) to A still applies.

6.1 Net

A Net is a net of sinew or rope weighted at the corners.  Their use is Restricted to trappers, fishermen, Fish Cultists, the Camari and Sahuagin.  They have a HitLoc Coverage and weight dependent on their size and Net Strength, where a HitLoc Coverage of 2 * Hit Loc is required fully to trap a Being, Net Strengths typically vary from 1 to 10, and weight = ((Net Strength) * (HitLoc Coverage)/10) + 20 (FRU).  So for example a rope Net of Net Strength 6 with HitLoc Coverage of 250 to trap a HitLoc 01-125 person would weigh 170 wt pts, being composed of 150 ft of rope and 4 lead weights of 5 wt pts each.

To trap a Target in a Net, throw it at the Target as per a Thrown Weapon.  The mid point of the Net's HitLoc coverage hits the hitting point (even if outside the Target's body) and the rest of the Net's HitLoc coverage spreads above and below that on the Target's HitLoc.  The Net then wraps around the Target in the following sec, dependent on his and its relative movement, but will generally tend to wrap itself around his body so far as possible due to the effect of the weights.  For example, a Camari throws the Net in the previous example at a HitLoc 01-100 man swimming towards him to engage in combat, and hits in the 01.  The Net spreads from -124 to +126, and the man is totally trapped.  If the Camari hits in the 50, the Net spreads from -75 to +175, and the man is fully trapped from the front but only partially trapped at the rear (as he would need to be covered from -100 to +100 to be fully trapped).

Nets do no DAM.

Net Strength is the amount of DAM that must be done by each Being caught to break free. If the Being is only partly trapped, reduce Net Strength pro rata, FRU (e.g. in the above example Net Strength of 6 is reduced by 12.5% = 0.75 rounded up to 1, giving an effective Net Strength of 5).  The DAM must be done with a cutting weapon or attack mode (e.g. Sword, Axe, Claw, Bite). Other methods (e.g. Mace, Spear, Trident, Butt) do no damage for this purpose. The DAM is done by taking AMR as normal, automatically hitting the Net, and just rolling normal DAM. Ranged Weapons do not damage the Net (but can damage those caught in it).  Those caught in the Net take a minus to both D & RD of current Net Strength less the DAM they have done so far to break free. Doing them DAM with melee weapons is likely to help them break free.  Breaking free clears a path through the Net that may be followed by others caught in it, counting as only half Net Strength for the next to break free, and half again for the next, etc.  Once the Net has taken 2 * Net Strength in DAM, it is destroyed.  Although they use a similar system for breaking free, Nets do not count as Webs (unless made from Spider Webs).

6.2 Lassoo

A Lassoo is a rope with a noose tied on the end and is used to capture by snaring the neck.  Their use is Restricted to trappers and Grasslanders.  Their weight is that of the rope used to make them.  The amount of rope used for the noose depends on the size of the head of the intended Target and some extra rope is needed to provide slack in flight and at the end for the lassooer to hold on to, but at least 50 ft of rope (50 wt pts) is usually sufficient.

To catch a Target with a Lassoo, throw it at the Target as per a Thrown Weapon.  A hit must be scored above the Head, in the 0 or negative HitLoc of the same size as the Head.  For example to lassoo a person of Sz 10 with a Head HitLoc of 01 to 10, a hit must be scored in the -10 to 0.  The lassooer may specify an aiming point in these locations.  In the following sec the lassoer then pulls on the rope (this does not use an AMR, but is one sec's combat action) and must roll <= the range in feet to the Target to lassoo the Target around the neck.

A lassoo is not a garotte, and does not strangle the Target.

6.3 Bolas

A Bolas consists of weighted balls (usually three) on the ends of connected cords and is used to capture by entangling the legs.  Their use is Restricted to Grasslanders.

Any hit on a limb with a Bolas will cause it to wrap round that limb.  It will also wrap round necks, tails and similar.  A hit on a leg causes the Target to make a Dx(Ph) Char Check at -2*(current speed in ft/sec), failing which it will trip and fall.  Four-legged animals are unlikely to be able to get up with a Bolas wrapped around their leg(s).

Its Encumbrance is Category III (75 wt pts).

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