Weapons
Overview
You can only wield one weapon that is not a natural weapon at a time, and the GM may want to limit characters to carrying a maximum number of weapons that are not natural weapons equal to their KOM on their person. You may, however, decide that one weapon represents a pair of weapons in the game world, or even twenty weapons. You can spend a swift action or part of a move action to draw a weapon, stow a weapon, or switch weapons, and a free action to drop a weapon. There is no action required to reload or reacquire any ranged or thrown weapon.
A weapon has three weapon properties and starts with 1d6 base damage. Weapons deal all damage as physical damage unless otherwise specified.
Base Damage
Every weapon and natural weapon deals 1d6 damage in addition to its wielder's KOM on a hit. This is called the weapon's or natural weapon's base damage.
Natural Weapons
You are always wielding a natural weapon you possess. All creatures possess the Unarmed Strike natural weapon which has no weapon properties.
- Unarmed Strike - Melee, range [Melee]
Improvised Weapons
Sometimes an unarmed strike just isn't enough, but by some misfortune, a character is without a weapon. The character might pick up a chair, a bottle, or even a small building if the GM allows it, and use it as an improvised weapon. A typical improvised weapon should have only two weapon properties, though suitably awesome ones may have three. The GM and player should work together to determine the weapon properties of an improvised weapon.
Creating Weapons
Creating a weapon follows 3 simple steps:
- Choose melee ([Melee] range) or ranged ([Close] range). The weapon gains that type and range.
- Choose three weapon properties. The weapon gains those weapon properties. Some weapon properties may require a specific type (melee or ranged). Unless otherwise specified, a weapon property can only be chosen once.
- Name the weapon: e.g. "trident."
Sample Weapons
See Sample Weapons for examples of mundane weapons that can be created with these rules.
Weapon Properties
The following weapon properties appear on weapons in Legend. Some properties may be added multiple times to a single weapon. If a weapon has such a property, the property name is followed by the number of times it has been chosen (e.g. [Brutal 1], [Distant 2]).
Whenever you choose a weapon property for any reason, it follows the rules for creating a weapon, including the number of times a weapon property can be chosen. Unless otherwise noted, a character may only benefit from one instance of each weapon property at any given time.
Arcane
[Arcane] weapons range from mystic tomes and staves to the swords of war-wizards, empowering the magical abilities of their wielders. If an [Arcane] weapon has an item bonus to attack rolls, that bonus applies to attack rolls made for spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities, but not to attack rolls made using the weapon.
Additionally, if an [Arcane] weapon has any enchantments that trigger when the wielder hits with an attack made using a weapon, they trigger when the wielder hits with an attack made for a spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability instead.
This property never counts towards the number of weapon properties chosen for a weapon.
Barbed
[Barbed] weapons can be made to stick in a target on a hit, inflicting a -1 penalty to all saves against combat maneuvers. You cease to wield a weapon stuck in a target this way. The creature hit, or an adjacent creature, may spend a move action to remove the weapon, eliminating this penalty. Doing so inflicts 3 points of damage, plus 2 damage per ten levels of the original attacker, to the creature from which the weapon is removed. This damage ignores [Resistance] and [Damage reduction]. The creature that removes the weapon may choose to drop the weapon or to hold it, but must switch to the weapon in order to wield it if it is already wielding a weapon.
Brutal
[Brutal] weapons deal 1 extra damage, plus 1 damage per six levels of the wielder. This property can be chosen up to three times. The second time it is chosen, the damage increases to 2 extra damage, plus 1 damage per three levels of the wielder. The third time it is chosen, the damage increases to 3 extra damage, plus 1 damage per two levels of the wielder. If a [Brutal] weapon also has the [Arcane] weapon property, the extra damage instead applies to spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities that deal damage.
Deft
[Deft] weapons increase the initiative results of their wielders by 2 (if a creature ceases to wield a [Deft] weapon, that creature's initiative result decreases by 2, but that creature does not act again on its new initiative until the next [Round]).
Devastating
[Devastating] weapons double the distance of any successful push made by their wielders as a result of the Bull Rush combat maneuver. Only melee weapons can gain the [Devastating] weapon property.
Disarming
[Disarming] weapons grant their wielders a +1 bonus to the DC of any Disarm combat maneuver they activate. Only melee weapons can gain the [Disarming] weapon property.
Distant
[Distant] weapons increase their range by 1 category when used as ranged weapons. This property can be chosen multiple times. Only ranged weapons or weapons with the [Thrown] weapon property can gain the [Distant] weapon property.
Elemental
[Elemental] weapons deal all damage (including additional damage) as energy damage with the [Acid], [Cold], [Fire], or [Electricity] descriptor, determined when the weapon is created.
Guardian
[Guardian] weapons provide a +1 deflection bonus to AC while they are wielded, which stacks with other deflection bonuses to AC.
Hold-out
[Hold-out] weapons are automatically concealed on your person from anything but a hand search, and you can make a Larceny check at no penalty to conceal them from a hand search.
Magnum
[Magnum] weapons allow their wielders to treat an opponent's [Damage reduction] or [Resistance] to damage of the type or types this weapon deals as being 2 lower than it is when making attacks using these weapons, or against damage dealt by spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities if the [Magnum] weapon also has the [Arcane] property. This increases by 1 per four levels of the wielder.
Parrying
[Parrying] weapons can be used as an immediate action to reduce the damage taken from a single attack by their wielders' KDM.
Point-blank
[Point-blank] weapons deal 1d4 extra damage, plus 1d4 damage per seven levels of the wielder, at [Close] range. Only weapons with at least [Close] range can gain the [Point-blank] weapon property.
Reach
[Reach] weapons increase their wielders' [Melee] range by 5 ft.
Reacting
[Reacting] weapons allow you to make a 5 ft step even during a turn when you use your move action to move.
Quick-draw
[Quick-draw] weapons can be drawn or stowed as a free action instead of as a swift action or part of a move action. You may also switch to a [Quick-draw] weapon from another [Quick-draw] weapon as a free action. This does not affect switching to weapons without the [Quick-draw] weapon property.
Scything
[Scything] weapons allow their wielders to strike at two opponents instead of one with each swing, at the cost of accuracy. If a creature would make an attack with a [Scything] weapon, they may take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If they do so, they add the [Volley] descriptor to that attack; this attack with the [Volley] descriptor is applied against two target opponents within range who are also within 5 ft + 5 ft per 5 levels of each other.
Thrown
[Thrown] weapons can alternatively be used as ranged weapons with [Close] range. Only melee weapons can gain the [Thrown] weapon property.
Traumatizing
[Traumatizing] weapons inflict the [Bleeding] condition on a critical hit, then inflict [HP reduction] equal to twice your level.
Tripping
[Tripping] weapons grant their wielders a +1 bonus to the DC of any Trip combat maneuver they activate. Only melee weapons can gain the [Tripping] weapon property.
Unbalancing
[Unbalancing] weapons inflict [Flat-footed] on a critical hit.