WEAPONS

(?.0) WEAPONS
Any non-explosive, non-chemical weapon that might have been in existence before 1650 AD is allowed.

(?.1) Weapon Terminology

 * (?.1.1) Strike-Legal
 * This refers to a portion of the weapon that will not leave marks, bruises, or broken bones when used to hit your opponent and is at least 2.5 inches in diameter. Flat blades require 1.5 inches of foam on a striking surface and may not pass their tip through a 2.25 inch ring. This is the only area of a weapon that may strike a legal hit. Stab-only weapons are still required to have six inches of Strike-legal surface on any stabbing end for safety. This must be covered in a durable, opaque cloth.
 * (?.1.2) Padding
 * This refers to the portion of the weapon that is designed to limit the injuries done from accidental contact with that part of the weapon and has at least half an inch of foam over the weapon core.
 * (?.1.3) Handle
 * Refers to the unpadded part of the weapon where it is held.
 * (?.1.4) Total Length
 * Refers to the distance from the bottom of the pommel to the furthest point from the bottom of the pommel in a straight line. Example: You measure a scimitar from the bottom of the pommel to the tip of the weapon, not “along the curve.”

(?.2) Weapon Types and Construction Requirements
See the Equipment Construction section for additional information. Projectiles May not be used to parry, block, or melee and may be carried in any number. Weapons not listed here may not be thrown (i.e. you may not throw your sword). Projectiles not bearing enchantments or class abilities are indestructible. Projectiles that are affected by enchantments or class abilities (not to be confused with class Traits) may only be destroyed by spells or magic balls. Note: Magic components thrown in combat (magic balls, etc) must follow the same safety rules as projectiles but must remain spherical and are not considered ‘projectiles’ for other purposes.

(?.2.1.1) Throwing Weapons
Throwing knives and axes, shuriken, etc.

(?.2.1.2) Rocks
Must be at least 1 foot in diameter.

(?.2.2) Ammunition
(?.2.2.0) Not explicitly granted to anybody, ammunition is a class of projectiles used in conjunction with other types of weapons.

(?.2.2.1) Arrows, bolts, etc
See Bow. Are considered wooden.

(?.2.2.2) Siege Projectiles
See Siege Weapons for more information.

(?.2.3.1) Javelins
Are between 36 and 72 inches long and padded along their entire length. May be thrown (counts as a projectile when in flight) and used to melee (including blocking and parrying). Must strike point first with a Strike-legal end to count as a hit and cannot be used to slash.

(?.2.3.2) Bow
Arrows from a bow deal three points of damage. Bows, crossbows, and arrows are considered wooden. See the Archery section for more complete descriptions.

(?.2.3.3) Dagger
A slashing or piercing weapon up to 18 inches long. Only ten inches of its total length must be Strike-legal.

(?.2.3.4) Short
Slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning weapon more than 18 inches up to 36 inches in total length. At least 2/3 of its length must be Strike-legal.

(?.2.3.5) Long
Slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning weapons more than 36 inches up to a maximum of 48 inches. The pommel and handle of the weapon can be no longer than 1/3 of the weapon’s total length. If used to slash or bludgeon, at least 2/3 of its length must be Strike-legal.

(?.2.3.6) Reach
Slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning weapons more than 48 inches up to a maximum of 60 inches. The pommel and handle of the weapon can be no longer than 1/3 of the weapon’s total length. If used to slash or bludgeon, at least 2/3 of its length must be Strike-legal.

(?.2.3.7) Spear
Piercing-only weapon at least 60 inches in length, must have padding on upper 1/3 of length, and should not be confused with the javelin, which may be thrown. Is considered wooden.

(?.2.3.8) Staff
Bludgeoning weapon (ends may be used to thrust, but it is a bludgeon attack) of 5 ft to 8 ft, must have 12 inches of strike-legal surface on both ends. Each end must be padded at least 1/3rd the total length of the staff. Is considered wooden.

(?.2.3.9) Polearm
At least 60 inches in length. Includes spears but may also have slashing edges. (Minimum 1 foot in length for a striking edge.) Must have padding on upper 1/3 of length. Is considered wooden.

(?.2.3.10) Madu
A shield joined to a polearm. The polearm portion of the madu may be shorter than the normal five feet. Only usable if a class can use both a polearm and a shield. If any portion of the weapon is broken, or otherwise rendered unusable, all of it is disabled. Is considered wooden. Magic and abilities that affect any part of the madu, affect its entirety. Madus may never be considered Great Weapons. If a madu is built to slash at least 1/3rd of its length (excluding the shield portion) must be Strike-legal (including the 12 inch minimum for a slashing surface) and the rest must be courtesy padded. Any shield with weapons affixed to it in any form is considered a madu and must conform to these rules.

(?.2.3.11) Hinged
Weapon with a single articulating head. The chain of a hinged weapon is not a legal striking edge. Chains on these weapons must be wrapped in foam with less than half an inch of the rope exposed at any point. The combined rope and striking edge may not exceed 18 inches in length and the total length of the weapon may not exceed 36 inches. The top half of the non-rope and Strike-legal portion of the weapon must be padded.

(?.2.4) Archery
The maximum limit for a bow’s pull is 35 pounds with a maximum 28-inch draw length. Crossbows are limited to no more than 450 inch-pounds. No compound bows are allowed. Broken or mended arrows are not to be used. All wooden arrows must be taped on the entire shaft. At close range (20 feet or less) bows must be no more than half drawn. Arrows from bows deal two points of damage to armor, which may be modified by class traits in games where classes are used. A weapon in hand that is hit by an arrow is destroyed. If a bow is hit by a weapon, it is destroyed.

(?.2.5) Siege Weapons
Siege weapons are extremely powerful engines of destruction that, historically, were used for everything from antipersonnel to tearing down walls from a great distance. The abilities and limitations of siege weapons are as follows:
 * (?.2.5.1) A melee siege weapon will kill any person or destroy any object it strikes regardless of armor. Is considered engulfing. Counts as one hit against invulnerability.
 * (?.2.5.2) A projectile siege weapon that fires a single projectile at a time, such as a single boulder or bolt, strikes exactly like a melee siege weapon except that it is also stopped by the enchantment Protection from Projectiles.
 * (?.2.5.3) A projectile siege weapon that fires multiple projectiles at a time, such as a grapeshot catapult, counts as firing Red projectiles. A Monk may block these projectiles as normal. Protection from Projectiles stops these.
 * (?.2.5.4) A siege weapon that fires projectiles may not be used within 20 feet unless its operators have the ability to “half-draw” the weapon.
 * (?.2.5.5) A siege weapon is a large, tough object that is hardened from casual attack. They are considered to have ten points of armor and are destroyed when all armor is lost (i.e. ten hits from a one point weapon, five hits from a two point weapon, etc). Melee siege weapons and single shot projectile siege weapons will destroy another siege weapon on a single hit. Multiple projectile siege weapons deal damage to siege weapons as per normal. A siege weapon operates as long as it has at least one point of armor remaining. A Mend will repair one point of armor (siege weapons do not have sectional armor). Destroyed siege weapons may not be retrieved from base.
 * (?.2.5.6) Siege weapons require at least three people to operate. Those people may be involved in any operation of the engine but may not be fighting, be Berserk, casting magic, using activated class abilities, or move more than ten feet away. A siege weapon with less than three people crewing it may not be used. Some monsters are exempt from this rule. Members of the siege crew may leave at any time and continue playing as normal.
 * (?.2.5.7) You may only have one siege engine per twenty people on a team.
 * (?.2.5.8) Siege weapons should have a historical or fantasy counterpart that they mimic in form and function. Siege engines may only be direct impact weapons such as catapults, ballistae, etc. You may not use siege engines that mimic area of effect attacks such as firebombs or Greek Fire. You may not use siege weapons that mimic gunpowder effects such as cannons.

(?.3) Shields
All shield measurements are the exterior surface area on a flat plane. Shields are considered to be wooden.
 * (?.3.1) A small shield may be strapped to a forearm instead of wielded in a hand. Note: This does not allow use of more than a single shield.
 * (?.3.2) All shields (except for small shields as noted above) must be gripped in a hand in order to be considered wielded. A shield that is gripped in a hand may also have a support strap around the arm. A blow that strikes a non-wielded shield strapped to a player, such as a shield slung across a back, is considered to strike the shield. A player may only wield one shield at a time.
 * (?.3.3) Shields struck by effects that break shields retain this damage until repaired, therefore receiving two such strikes from one player and one such strike from another player ten minutes later is sufficient to destroy the shield.
 * (?.3.4) A shield may be tossed only if it has been constructed to fit every construction rule of throwing weapons.