Sword (weapon)
Swords are bladed melee weapons designed for slashing, thrusting, or both, typically consisting of a long metal blade and a hilt with a protective guard. They vary widely in shape, weight and length, but for game purposes, all swords can be represented by the amount of damage done, the number of hands needed and their resilience. This produces five specified blade "types," described as short swords, long swords, broad swords, bastard swords and two-handed swords. The category doesn't include scimitars. Swords can only be used in melee.
Arguments about the “true” weight, size, naming conventions or battlefield effectiveness of swords in the real world often miss the point when applied to game design, where clarity and balance take precedence over historical fidelity. While scholars and enthusiasts may debate whether a bastard sword is more accurately termed a hand-and-a-half sword, or whether a Roman gladius should be classed as a short sword or a broad sword, such distinctions tend to clutter rather than clarify gameplay. Simplified, discrete categories are needed so that weapons can be compared, chosen and resolved quickly during play. The rules don’t attempt to model the full complexity of metallurgy, grip design, or martial context, but instead offer an abstracted system that preserves tactical flavour without bogging down the game in scholarly nuance. In that sense, the listed sword types are functional terms — not definitive classifications, but gameplay tools.
| Type | Damage | Hands | Breaks | Weight (lbs.) | Length (in.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bastard | 2-8 | two | 1 in 5 | 10 | 45 |
| broad | 2-8 | one | 1 in 4 | 7½ | 24 |
| long | 1-8 | one | 1 in 6 | 6 | 39 |
| short | 1-6 | one | 1 in 6 | 3½ | 27 |
| two-handed | 1-10 | two | 1 in 5 | 25 | 54 |
