Weapons

Weapons include any form of equipment used to attack another character in combat.

Physical Representation

In-play melee weapons are represented by replica props constructed of PVC and pipe or latex foam. These can be purchased from specialty vendors or constructed at home. Recommended construction materials include 0.5" or 0.75" PVC pipe and 5/8"-thick pipe foam. The PVC should be 400 psi/schedule 40, especially on large weapons. Other construction materials may be considered but are not highly recommended.

Note that projectile weapons such as bows and crossbows are not permitted by park regulations. Players who wish to use these must use prop versions and packets attached to streamers instead.

All weapons, regardless of their construction type, must be approved by a prop marshal at every event before they are allowed to be used in play.

Damage

The primary use of an in-play weapon is to inflict damage. The amount of damage inflicted, as well as skill and construction requirements, depends on the weapon's type, as detailed on the chart below. Measurements listed are for the total length of the weapon.

Damage Type

By default, weapon attacks use either the blunt or sharp damage taglines, depending on the type of injury the weapon would inflict in real life. If it would pierce or slash, like a spear, dagger, or sword, it inflicts sharp damage. If it would bludgeon, like a club, staff, or mace, it inflicts blunt damage. Ambiguous cases are decided by the prop marshal who inspects the prop.

Non-Proficiency

The chart above indicates the skill and rank required to use a weapon of a particular type. A character who attempts to use a weapon without the requisite skill calls half damage (rounded down, to a minimum of one), cannot use the weapon to deliver actions, and treats the weapon as his or her body for the purposes of blocking. Thus, a character with one rank in Armed Combat who tries to wield a long sword calls two sharp and cannot use the sword to deliver actions or effectively block.

Off-Hand Weapons

A character without the requisite rank in Two-Weapon Combat who attempts to simultaneously wield two weapons suffers the same penalty for the off-hand weapon as if he or she were non-proficient.