Weapons

The main kinds of weapons are melee and missile. These weapons differ in concept: melee weapons can be used to parry as well as attack, while missile weapons are normally used only beyond weapon-length range and have no designed capacity for parry.

Melee Weapons

A melee weapon is meant for close combat, with the combatants no more than a weapon length apart.

Weapon Categories

The melee weapon table lists melee weapons by categories (such as 1H Sword). A hero can use any other melee weapon in the same weapon category (such as 1H Axe, Fist, 1H Sword, etc.) at ½ the skill rating of the best skill the hero has in that category.

Explanation of Headings

Heading	Explanation
Category	These are classified as either one-handed (1H), fully controlled with one hand, or two-handed (2H), used with both hands, usually using one hand as a stabilizer and support and one hand for control. A shield may be used with a one-handed weapon but cannot normally be used with a two-handed weapon.
Base	This is the base chance for using the weapon. Add to that the hero’s Manipulation skills category modifier. If the hero’s homeland or occupation gives the hero an additional percentage with that weapon, add that percentage to the total.
STR/DEX	The minimum necessary STR and DEX required to handle the weapon. An excess of STR makes up for a lack of DEX on a 2 for 1 basis.
Damage	Expressed as a die roll (such as 2D6, often plus a few additional damage points).
HP	How many hit points of damage the weapon takes while parrying before it breaks. All damage is cumulative. Better quality weapons may absorb more damage. Weapons can be repaired with a suitable Craft skill.
ENC	The encumbrance (ENC) value of the weapon, measuring how many “things” it weighs. All ENC shown in parentheses indicate the number of items necessary to equal 1 ENC point. Thus, four knives equal 1 ENC. These fractional ENCs add to one another.
Length	The approximate metric length of a weapon, used in determining DEX rank.
Type	There are five types of weapons, rough categories that describe the type of damage each each does. See Weapon Types for more information.

Weapon Types

A broadsword inflicts a different type of injury than a quarterstaff, and an arrow damages someone differently than a kick or punch. Weapons are categorized into five weapon types, which determine the effects when a special or critical success is rolled.

The five weapon types are:

Weapon Type	Code	Type Description
Crushing	C	Weapons with blunt edges used for crushing with the weight at the end of the weapon. These weapons do crushing damage.
Cut-and-thrust	CT	Weapons capable of use for slashing or thrusting. The player must state whether the weapon is being used to cut or thrust, as it may do slashing or impaling damage depending on the success.
Hand-to-hand	H	Basic unarmed attacks, including fists, kicks, and grapples. These do crushing damage.
Impaling	I	Long weapons used with a thrust or lunge. These weapons do impaling damage.
Slashing	S	Weapons used for hacking or slashing. These weapons do slashing damage.

See Summary of Special Damage Results for the effects of special damage types.

Melee Weapons

Weapon	Weapon Description
Atgeir	A hewing spear (atgeir) is a type of polearm with a blade fitted at the end of a long wooden shaft. It can be used as a thrusting or cutting weapon.
Axe or Battle Axe	Light, fast, and well-balanced, a battle axe is often the weapon of choice for the poorest warriors. Axe heads are made of iron and are single-edged. The blade is crescentshaped and measures from 22–45 cm (9–18 inches). The axe haft is made of wood and can be as long as 1.5 m (60 inches). One advantage of the shorter battle axes over the long axe is that they can be easily hidden behind a shield to surprise an opponent, a trick sometimes used by famous warriors.
Broadsword	These long swords are double-edged, designed to be used single-handed, and with blades carefully balanced for maximum slashing effect. The blade is typically 4–6 cm wide (2–3 inches) and 60–90 cm (24–36 inches) long. The grips are made with a variety of materials, ranging from wood wrapped with leather to elaborately decorated grips wound with wire made from precious metals. Swords are rare and expensive, costing as much as 1200 vaðmál, or 15 cows. A sword is likel to be the single most expensive item a person owns, after their farm. Swords are often heirlooms, given names and passed from parent to child for generations. The loss of one is regarded as a catastrophe.
Knife	These resemble saxes in many regards, with the 20 cm (8 inches) or less length of the blade being the distinguishing feature.
Long Axe	A two-handed version of the battle axe with a haft around 140 cm (55 inches) long.
Long Spear	The long spear is often the weapon of choice for someone who cannot afford a sword. These are 2–3 meters (7–10 feet) long with a blade 20–50 cm (8–20 inches) long. A spear can be thrown at the enemy or used as a two-handed thrusting weapon. The fiercest warriors are known for their accuracy when throwing two spears at the same time, one with each hand, killing two enemies in one move. Such a maneuver can be attempted by splitting the Spear weapon skill and making two separate attack rolls.
Quarterstaff	A long wooden stick, often used as a walking staff.
Sax	A sax is a one-handed, single-edged knife-like weapon with a blade length ranging from 30–60 cm (12–24 inches). Compared to long swords, saxes typically are crudely made, with heavier and thicker blades. The hilt is usually made of wood, bone, or horn, and there is no cross-guard. A sax is carried in a sheath suspended horizontally from the belt and is a very common weapon. Some people favor the sax over a broadsword for fighting.
Shield, Medium Round	The main means of defense for a warrior is their shield, and most fighters carry one. By redistributing the shock over its larger area, the shield makes it possible for the warrior’s body to absorb the force of the blow with a reduced risk of injury. The large round shield consists of a circular wooden board between 80 and 100 cm (31 and 39 inches) in diameter and is bound around the edges with iron with a central iron boss (a large raised disk or dome) to protect the hand. They are generally painted but may also be decorated with designs of mythic creatures, such as dragons. Elaborately decorated shields are given as gifts and are often proudly displayed in farmhouses. Another use for shields is as stretchers to carry away those wounded in combat.

Melee Weapons Table

Category	Name	Base %	STR/DEX	Damage	HP	ENC	Length	Cost	Type
Axe, One-handed (1H)	Battle Axe	10	13/7	1D8+2	8	1	0.7	140 ells	S
Axe, Two-handed (2H)	Long Axe	5	11/7	2D6+2	10	2	1.4	240 ells	S
Knife	Knife	15	—/—	1D4+1	6	(4)	0.3	30 ells	CT
Pole Weapon, Two-handed (2H)	Atgeir	5	13/9	3D6	7	3	2.2	800 ells	CT
Quarterstaff	Quarterstaff	15	9/9	1D8	8	2	2	6 ells	C
Spear, Two-handed (2H)	Long Spear	15	9/7	1D10+1	10	3	2–3	40 ells	I
Sword, One-handed (1H)	Sax	10	—/—	1D6+1	12	1	0.3–0.6	120 ells	CT
Sword, One-handed (1H)	Broadsword	10	9/7	1D8+1	12	1	1	1,200 ells	CT
Shield	Shield, Medium Round	15	12/—	1D6	16	2	—	200 ells	C

Unarmed Attacks Table

Category	Name	Base %	STR/DEX	Damage	HP	ENC	Length	Type
Fist	Fist	25	—/—	1D3	Arm	0	0	H
Grapple	Grapple	25	—/—	Special	Arm	0	0	H
Kick	Kick	15	—/—	1D6	Leg	0	0	H

Missile Weapons

Missile weapons are weapons that leave the grasp or possession of the user to reach their target, usually traveling through the air. There are two types of missile weapons: thrown and projectile.

• Thrown weapons are typically melee weapons that are balanced for throwing. This category includes throwing axes, spears, and rocks.

• Projectile weapons are weapons that project a missile at a target. This category includes bows and slings. A hero can use any other missile weapons in the same weapon category at ½ their skill rating of the best skill the hero has in that category.

Explanation of Headings

Heading	Explanation
Base	This is the base chance for using the weapon. Add to it the hero’s Manipulation skills category modifier. If one’s homeland gives the hero an additional modifier with that weapon, add that to the total.
Range	At these ranges and less, the hero can be expected to hit at the percentage for which they have been trained.
HP	Represents the weapon’s hit points, though most heroes are not trained to parry with missile weapons such as bows or slings. Thrown weapons, such as spears, include parrying in their training. If in doubt, the chance of parrying using a missile weapon should be based on the basic chance with a quarterstaff.

Range

The ranges shown on the following tables are effective ranges. Atthe ranges shown and less, the hero can be expected to hit at the percentage for which they have trained.

• Thrown Weapons: Thrown weapons have no effective value beyond 20 meters (66 feet).

• Projectile Weapons: Projectile weapons can reach further than their effective range but at the cost of accuracy. Medium range is about ½ again as many meters as the effective range. A hero shooting in this range has ½ the normal chance of hitting. Long range is between the limit of medium range and roughly twice the effective range. A hero shooting at long range has ¼ the normal chance of hitting.

Missile Weapons

Weapon	Missile Weapon Description
Bow, Self	Although the Icelanders and Norse warriors generally favor close combat, the use of bows is common on land and at sea. The most common is called the self bow, made from a single piece of the wood of a yew, although ash or elm is also used. Arrowheads are made from iron in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Sling	A simple leather thong with a cup to hold a rock. A sling stone can reach incredible velocity in the hands of an expert. The minimum range a sling can be used in is 5 meters.

Thrown Weapons

Weapon	Thrown Weapon Description
Axe, Throwing	A light axe balanced for throwing or melee. Dagger, Throwing: A slender dagger balanced for throwing.
Rock	A fist-sized rock. Iceland is a volcanic island with an abundance of lava rocks in most areas.

Thrown Weapon Damage Modifier

If a hero using a thrown weapon has a damage modifier due to STR and SIZ, their thrown weapon gains only ½ the normal effect of the damage modifier.

Missile Weapons Table

Category	Name	Base %	STR/DEX	Damage	HP	ENC	Range	Cost	Type
Bow	Bow, Self	05	9/9	1D6+1	5	2	100	200 ells	I
Sling	Sling	10	—/9	1D8	8	2	80	20 ells	C

Thrown Weapons Table

Category	Name	Base %	STR/DEX	Damage	HP	ENC	Range	Cost	Type
Axe, One-handed (1H)	Battle Axe, Thrown	10	13/7	1D6	8	1	15	140 ells	I
Knife, Thrown (1H)	Knife, Thrown	15	—/—	1D4+1	6	(4)	20	30 ells	I
Rock	Rock, Thrown	15	—/—	1D4	—	(4)	20	—	C
Spear, Two-handed (2H)	Long Spear	15	9/7	1D8+1	10	2	15	40 ells	I

Shooting While Moving

A hero cannot shoot while moving or dodging. The only exception to this is mounted archery, which is performed at the same ability chance as regular archery, assuming the Ride skill of the archer is equal to the skill with the missile weapon. If the Ride skill is lower, the attacker’s skill is reduced to the level of the Ride skill.

Shooting at Protected Targets

The chance of hitting a foe behind some form of protection, such as an arrow slit in a wall, is the same as normal. However, if the hit location rolled is not visible to the archer, the arrow or other missile hits the protection, not the target.

A critical hit hits in any case. Reroll the hit location until it matches an exposed area. The above applies also to combat over barriers, fences, castle walls, etc.

Shooting at Moving Targets

Movement of a target directly toward or away from an attacker using a missile weapon has no effect on the probability of hitting it.

• If a target is moving at an angle from the archer, the archer’s chance of hitting is reduced by –20%.

• If the target specified it was evading as it moves, the archer’s chance of hitting is reduced by –40%.

• An evading target may only move ½ their normal movement and may do nothing else but move and evade.

These effects are cumulative.

Shooting into Melee

When shooting into a melee, the attacker cannot be sure that they will not hit an ally. The chance of hitting a specific target in a melee is reduced to a value equal to the attacker’s skill rating divided by the number of combatants in the melee.

If the player rolls a number between the normal chance to hit and the adjusted chance of hitting the intended target, the gamemaster should randomly determine which of the potential targets was struck (the random determination can still result in the intended target being hit).

The chance of a special or critical success is based on the modified chance to hit.

If the hero is using a missile weapon on a mass of targets and doesn’t care who gets hit, the chance of hitting someone is increased by +5% for every extra body shot at—if the bodies are packed closely together. The gamemaster rolls to determine which body actually gets hit. If enemies are grouped into a shield wall formation (see page 118), the missile user may fire at the shield wall; if the attackers are approaching in a loose skirmish line, they must be targeted individually, as normal.

Any special or critical chance is based on the original unmodified chance to hit.

Weapon Damage and Repair

Often, weapons can be damaged during combat. Even blades can be damaged or broken by striking metallic or other hard objects. That damage is reflected by a loss of hit points. See the Combat chapter for situations when weapons may get damaged.

If a weapon’s hit points are reduced to 0, it is unusable until it is repaired.

Repairing a Weapon

Bladed weapons can be repaired with Craft (ironsmithing), provided the necessary equipment and supplies are available. After a few hours of work by the hero, a success restores the weapon to full hit points. A fumble on this roll means the weapon loses one more hit point. A new attempt after a failure on the same day incurs a –20% cumulative penalty.

Shields can be repaired with Craft (carpentry), and bows can be repaired with Craft (bowmaking).

At the gamemaster’s discretion, a broken weapon (with no hit points remaining) that has been named (see Named War-gear (opens new window)) may be repaired or reforged with a Craft skill at –40% penalty.

Named War-Gear

Icelandic warriors often name their favorite weapon or even piece of armor. A named weapon can become famous on its own and be so strongly associated with the person who carries it that the reputation of the warrior is boosted for as long as they carry that weapon.

A hero gains +4 to Status as a direct result of owning a named weapon. That weapon must have earned its name in battle.

*For example, a sword that scored a critical hit that severed an opponent’s leg in a single blow could be named Leg Cutter.

It is very shameful for an Icelandic warrior to lose their weapon. In addition to losing the 4 points of Status that were granted by owning the weapon, the hero also loses an additional 6 points of Status due to the shame of losing it. If the named weapon is subsequently recovered, the hero recovers all lost Status points. There is no loss of status if the weapon is broken in honorable combat, however.

Below is a list of weapon names found in the Icelandic sagas that can be used for inspiration.

Weapon Names

Swords
Bastard (Bastarður)
Mail Biter (Brynjubítur)
Foot Broad (Fetbreiður)
Foot Biter (Fótbítur)
Gamli’s Gift (Gamlanautur)
Grey Side (Grásíða)
Grettir’s Gift (Grettisnautur)
War Flame (Gunnlogi)
White One (Hvítingur)
Kárr’s Gift (Kársnautur)
Long (Lang)
Leaf (Laufi)
Leg Biter (Leggbítur)
Adder (Naður)
Villain (Níðingur)
Pruning Knife (Sniðill)
Peace Breaker (Sættarspillir)

Axes
Drip Water (Droplaugar)
Hel (Name of the goddess of death)
Heaven Scraper (Himintelgja)
Pommel (Hjalti)
Steinn’s Gift (Steinsnautur)
Star (Stjarna)
Black Leg (Svartleggja)
Cutting Blade (Sveðja)
Tent Spar (Tjald-sperra)

Mail Coats
Old Faithful (Full-trúi)
Sigfúss’s Gift (Sigfússnautur)

Staves
Chastiser (Hegnuður)
Land Explorer (Landkönnuður)