Maybe a simplified version should be put in the main book, with an expanded section on it's own. Though, part of the charm of Kalarsys is its simplicity... It's up to you. You're the boss. Oh.... A free preview of what I've worked on... The section on swords!!!
Hello Gamers, I know that there are some of you out there who grabbed the basic rulebook and said “Hey, wait a second… isn’t there something missing???” Indeed, there was. There is a lot missing. There are reasons for this. First of all, Kalarsys is meant to be a bit more free-form than other “pen and paper” role-playing games. Second, and probably most accurately, we just haven’t developed them yet. Not because of being lazy, or that we are not being paid quite enough, but the fact that when creating an all new game, it takes time to develop. I mean, come on! Look at that version number up there. Third, and even most most accurately, we’re cheap.
This additional book is mean to take a look at the weapons that can be used in Kalarsys. This will fill in and hopefully aid any dilemma that may have resulted from an encounter of having to hold off a herd of ogres, (Do ogres travel in herds?) with only your characters sheer will, sharp wits, sharper teeth, and sharpest fingernails.
So weapons will most likely aid your characters in this way. Weapons can indeed become a nice accessory to your character, and for those of you that are highly creative may even help enrich the character even further, and enhance the story only as far as the imagination can reach. (Which is hella-far, might I add!) A weapon can have magical powers, like to heal, or set things on fire, or it may even have a long backstory behind it. The weapon could be passed down from generation to generation, noble warrior to noble warrior, from kingdom to kingdom. Whatever you wish, it can be done.
For help on how a weapon works, you may want to refresh yourself with the rules of combat outlined in the basic rulebook. If you don’t have a copy, simply go to kalarsys.cogia.net to download and print a copy. It’s free!
Remember, that Kalarsys has a system that exclusively uses standard six-sided dice. The reason being that just about everyone has these. If not, they are extremely cheap. Much cheaper than going somewhere and spending ten bucks on a few hunks of plastic with numbers all over them. That, and again, we’re cheap.
MELEE WEAPONS:
Melee attacks are the ones that you actually go up to the person you want to fight an thwack them a good one. Common types of melee weapons include swords, axes, lances, clubs, among others.
Swords & Knives:
Swords and Knives are weapons that can be used to slice, cut, or puncture an enemy. They come in all different shapes and sizes. While presently, there is not much in the way of concern about shapes of swords in Kalarsys, there are stipulations abut the sizes of different swords. As you can imagine, a knife would be a lot easier and quicker to pull out and wield than a huge great sword. So your opponents would have more time to adjust if you were swinging the great sword than if you were going to stab them with the knife. The morale of this story is that, in general, the smaller the weapon, the easier to wield it accurately.
However, as it comes to the damage a particular weapon does. The great sword can cleave a man in half if it strikes, or at the least maim him if it makes contact, where the knife makes a much smaller cut. Thus, the broadsword will do more damage then the dagger. In short, there is a trade-off between damage and accuracy when selecting your type of blade. There are no positive natural adjustments to your accuracy, as you can really only move as fluid as you naturally would.
| Type: | Damage: | Adjustment to Accuracy: |
| Knife | Str - 2 | None |
| Short sword | Str + 1 | None |
| Long sword | Str + 2 | Acc - 1 |
| Great sword | Str + 3 | Acc - 2 |
| Giant sword* | Str + 5 | Acc - 4 |
* Only used at TS’s discretion, and to only be used by very large creatures, like… oh, I don’t know… giants perhaps?
These are just starting points, though. If you want to go with more exotic types of swords like claymores or katanas, then by all means do it. Use the size of the weapon to see what it should roll up as damage. Consult your TaleSpinner, especially to get his/her approval on what weapon should do what kind of damage, and how much.
Remember, what the TS says is really final, and if you can’t work together, then the game won’t be much fun. Be creative, but not a cheat. It’s cool if you want your customized sword to be made from the finest mined ore, or made from the obsidian from a holy volcano. Or when you swing it makes a noise that sounds like a choir of angels. But unless it’s magical or something (and you give the TS a good reason for it being so) don’t be cheap and say it should do +3 damage because it is “special” and it weighs nothing so you take no penalties. That, my friends, is called bullshit.
In addition, anything that can be dually-wielded should not go beyond the level of long sword. Anything larger would need two hands to use with any effectiveness.
As for the question of ‘Why the hell would anyone use a dagger?’, stay tuned for when we cover missile or ranged weapons.
