BisectedBrioche
2007-11-30, 04:18 PM
The basic idea are that these are mundane weapons that are designed for a more defensive style of combat. I decided to offset the bonuses they grant with a penalty for dealing lethal damage and the need to learn a feat to use them.
Anyway, first here's the feat;
Defensive Combatant [Defense]
You have studied the art of fighting mercifully, disarming opponents and rendering them unable to fight rather than killing them outright.
Prerequisites: None
Benefits: All defensive weapons are treated as martial weapons
Normal: Defensive weapons are treated as exotic
And here are the weapons. When using them the player deals non-lethal damage by default and takes their normal penalty for dealing non-lethal damage to deal lethal damage. Each one grants +1 to AC when its weilded and the user isn't caught flat footed. If the attacker rolls a 1 then the player scores a "critical block". The effects of this vary from weapon to weapon but usually involve granting a free sunder attempt;
Jitte (AKA Jutte)
A small metal club, resembling a bar with a smaller prong coming off from the hilt. It can be used to block or even snap an enemies blade.
Damage Type: Non-lethal/Bludgeon
Base damage: 1d6
Critical: The player catches the opponent's weapon in between the bars and get's a free disarm attempt with a +1 bonus.
Notes: The jitte is a weapon that originates from feudal Japan and is (I think) commonly assosiated with law enforcement.
Sunderer's Sword
A standard longsword with a crucial difference, there is a gap in the the flat of the blade allowing the user to easily catch and sunder an opponent's sword.
Damage Type: Non-lethal/slashing
Base damage: 1d8
Critical: The player catches the opponent's weapon in the gao and may make a free sunder attempt. This attempt gains a +2 bonus if the target is a sword, dagger or similar weapon.
Notes: I think there's a proper name for a sword like this (or at least the gap) but I can't remember it.
Combat File
A blade derived from a bastard file. Its hard, rough edges dull other blades.
Damage Type: Non-lethal/slashing
Base damage: 1d8
Critical: The player scrapes the file along the opponent's weapon, damageing it and causeing the targetted weapon to take -1 to attach and damage rolls.
Notes: This juts popped into my head, it might have been "done" though.
Flammenzeiger
A gauntlet with a characteristic wavy surface. This strange pattern can be used to know opponents off balance for a moment.
Damage Type: Non-lethal/Bludgeon
Base damage: 1d3
Critical: The player parrys the strike. The vibrations created as the weapon jumps up and down the gauntlets' surface cause the weilder to lose their composure. Anyone who is within striking distance may make an attack of oppertunity against them.
Notes: I wanted to include a gauntlet of some sort and this is what I came up with. Its basically another take on the Flame-bladed sword (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame-bladed_sword).
Magical Defensive Weapons
Defensive weapons which have had some sort of magical enhancement have it function as it would on any weapon. However you should note the following;
The most common enchantment on a defensive weapon is the "Merciful (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#merciful)" quality.
Any effects on the weapons critical range also affect the range for a "critical block".
Actual damage created by magic effects causes its own non-letal damage in addition to the weapon's base lethal damage.
Defensive weapons are rarely evil aligned, although it is not unheard of.
Anyway, first here's the feat;
Defensive Combatant [Defense]
You have studied the art of fighting mercifully, disarming opponents and rendering them unable to fight rather than killing them outright.
Prerequisites: None
Benefits: All defensive weapons are treated as martial weapons
Normal: Defensive weapons are treated as exotic
And here are the weapons. When using them the player deals non-lethal damage by default and takes their normal penalty for dealing non-lethal damage to deal lethal damage. Each one grants +1 to AC when its weilded and the user isn't caught flat footed. If the attacker rolls a 1 then the player scores a "critical block". The effects of this vary from weapon to weapon but usually involve granting a free sunder attempt;
Jitte (AKA Jutte)
A small metal club, resembling a bar with a smaller prong coming off from the hilt. It can be used to block or even snap an enemies blade.
Damage Type: Non-lethal/Bludgeon
Base damage: 1d6
Critical: The player catches the opponent's weapon in between the bars and get's a free disarm attempt with a +1 bonus.
Notes: The jitte is a weapon that originates from feudal Japan and is (I think) commonly assosiated with law enforcement.
Sunderer's Sword
A standard longsword with a crucial difference, there is a gap in the the flat of the blade allowing the user to easily catch and sunder an opponent's sword.
Damage Type: Non-lethal/slashing
Base damage: 1d8
Critical: The player catches the opponent's weapon in the gao and may make a free sunder attempt. This attempt gains a +2 bonus if the target is a sword, dagger or similar weapon.
Notes: I think there's a proper name for a sword like this (or at least the gap) but I can't remember it.
Combat File
A blade derived from a bastard file. Its hard, rough edges dull other blades.
Damage Type: Non-lethal/slashing
Base damage: 1d8
Critical: The player scrapes the file along the opponent's weapon, damageing it and causeing the targetted weapon to take -1 to attach and damage rolls.
Notes: This juts popped into my head, it might have been "done" though.
Flammenzeiger
A gauntlet with a characteristic wavy surface. This strange pattern can be used to know opponents off balance for a moment.
Damage Type: Non-lethal/Bludgeon
Base damage: 1d3
Critical: The player parrys the strike. The vibrations created as the weapon jumps up and down the gauntlets' surface cause the weilder to lose their composure. Anyone who is within striking distance may make an attack of oppertunity against them.
Notes: I wanted to include a gauntlet of some sort and this is what I came up with. Its basically another take on the Flame-bladed sword (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame-bladed_sword).
Magical Defensive Weapons
Defensive weapons which have had some sort of magical enhancement have it function as it would on any weapon. However you should note the following;
The most common enchantment on a defensive weapon is the "Merciful (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#merciful)" quality.
Any effects on the weapons critical range also affect the range for a "critical block".
Actual damage created by magic effects causes its own non-letal damage in addition to the weapon's base lethal damage.
Defensive weapons are rarely evil aligned, although it is not unheard of.