One-handed Weapons
These are the weapons most abundantly used in the lands. As the name implies they are wielded one handed and therefore leave your other hand open to hold other things like a shield, or perhaps a glass of ouzo. This also allows for the use of multiple weapons. These weapons are lighter than their two-handed counterparts and therefore do less damage, but it also takes less time to swing them, often getting in three swings to a two-hander's one.
Broadsword - With a blade rarely wider than two inches, the broadsword seems quite narrow compared to longswords and warswords. The “broad” in broadsword came from the width of the blade compared to shortsword and rapier blades. While the broadsword is significantly more narrow-bladed than a kopis or longsword, it is broad bladed compared to the rapiers that preceded it.
A broadsword - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith, Armed to the Hilt, Theo's Weaponry, Audric's Armory
A burnished broadsword - Available at Fine Dorian Weaponry
A patinaed broadsword - Can be acquired from Brigands and Thieves (patina refers to the green film formed on bronze after long exposure to elements)
Club - Styles of clubs range from simple sticks to elaborately carved works of art. They are bashing weapons made to inflict crushing blows rather than piercing ones and are therefore effective against any opponents, whether they wear armor or not. The mace is simply a fancy club with a metal head sometimes decorated or carved. Generally, clubs are made from certain types of heavy wood, but they can also be made from bone, metal, and stone.
A club - Available at Theo's Weaponry
A sturdy club - Areus' Weapons
A thorn-spiked club - Found on various critters.
Cutlass - The cutlass was made to be a purely cutting and slashing weapon. The cutlass consists of a broad blade, very similar to the scimitar except it lacks the upturned point. Cutlasses are the preferred weapon among militiamen and among many of the sailors and pirates that hang out around the docks of Piraeus.
A bone-handled cutlass - Can be acquired from centaur zombies.
Dagger - One of the simplest ways to kill or wound an opponent is to stab or cut them. Daggers are the simplest weapons in history that ultimately did this. Short bladed, one handed, and relatively light, most daggers are designed for thrusting but many are also capable of slicing. Daggers are rarely used as a primary weapon except among brigands, assassins and thieves, but are universally used as a secondary weapon in combat.
Note: Daggers can be thrown as well as wielded one-handed
A dagger - Available at Armed to the Hilt, Romando's Gladiatoral Imports, Fine Dorian Weaponry
An iron dagger - Available at Theo's Weaponry
An ivory-handled dagger - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith
Nicked dagger - Can be acquired from Skeletons and Cutthroats
A simple dagger - Areus' Weapons
A rose-etched onyx hilted dagger - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
A bronze kris dagger - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
A rose-etched dagger - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Gladius - The gladius is a single edged hacking sword used by the Romans. The straight blade is just under 2 feet in length, one inch longer than the Greek kopis. The handle and pommel are usually made of hardwood with a brass rod protruding at the base of the pommel used both for design and combat as it would allow pommel strikes to inflict more damage.
An awl-punched gladius - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral Imports
An ornate gladius - Areus' Weapons
Handaxe - The hand axe is a variation of the axe which was first used as a hatchet for splitting logs to put on the fire. Normally carried as a secondary weapon, the hand axe is a good and fast weapon which requires no real skill or strength to wield effectively. Because of its lighter weight handaxes aren't very effective against armor, but they are nice to have in any case.
A handaxe - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith, Fine Dorian Weaponry
An acid-etched handaxe - Available at Aether's Weapons
A mariner's handaxe - Available at Theo's Weaponry
An iron handaxe - Kjetil's Weapons and Armor
A skjegg axe - Available at Audric's Armory
Knife - Knives are basically daggers with a single edge. They are used mostly as a tool by sailors for cutting rigging, or by hunters for skinning animals, or in the house for making and eating dinner along with several other implementations. Cutthroats, thieves, and cutrpurses often use these as weapons of choice because they are small, easily hidden, light, and fast to strike. While small they can deal lethal blows in the right hands.
Note: Knives can be thrown as well as wielded one-handed
A knife - Available at Theo's Weaponry
A slender bronze knife - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Kopis - A single edge hacking sword used by the Greeks. The downward curve blade is just under 2 feet in length. The brass guard extends on the lower part for better hand protection. The handle is usually made of a hardwood while the brass pommel hooks downward to protect the hands and allow for more effective pommel strikes.
A kopis - Available at Theo's Weaponry
Longsword - The longsword is the common name used in reference to long bladed, double edged, and straight hilted swords. The longsword is the sword most commonly used by militiamen. They are designed to be wielded by those with strength and could be thrust, used to slash, and even crush armor. Larger than a common or short sword, the longsword proves to be a very effective weapon.
A longsword - Available at Armed to the Hilt
A broken longsword - Can be found either in boxes and sacks or on the actual foe when searched
Mace - Simple maces consist of a handle, usually wooden, with a hard striking object socketed to the top of the handle. Flanges, spikes, and similar pointed protrusions were added to combat plate and mail armor. The force of a blow, concentrated on the tip of a flange or spike, was very effective at denting and piercing armor. The scepter, a form of mace, was extremely common through the ages as a ceremonial weapon, symbolizing power and authority.
A mace - Available at Fine Dorian Weaponry, Theo's Weaponry
A clenched fist mace - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith
A dark mace - Available at Aether's Weapons
Machete - Machetes are large, heavy knives, the blade usually at leat 18 inches in length. They are used mostly by people that tend to find themselves lost in forests a lot for they make quick work of annoying vines and underbrush, not to mention any tigers or panthers they may run into. Also used in fields to cut sugar cane, these overgrown steak knives are very deadly when used in combat. These guys are the closest thing to a sword you can wield without actually having a one in your hands.
A dull machete - Can be Acquired from Bandits
Morning star - The morning star is virtually identical to the mace except that a morning star always has a spiked ball on the end for striking. Like the mace, the morning star consists of a metal striking weight attached to a wooden or metal handle. By extending the weapon’s center of gravity far from the hand, the wielder creates a great deal of momentum in a swing. The increased force of impact upon the target is devastatingly effective against armored and unarmored opponents alike.
A morning star - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith, Fine Dorian Weaponry, Theo's Weaponry
A bronze-tipped morning star - Available at Aether's Weapons
Rapier - Rapiers are a small hilted, one handed weapon with a very thin blade sometimes called a foil. They are used primarily as a weapon in duels or contests rather than in actual battle since the advent of metal armor caused them to become obsolete. Since the rapiers blades are so thin they are near useless against an armored foe and are thusly being seen used less and less except in formal combat.
A rapier - Available at Armed to the Hilt
Sap - The sap is basically a specialized club used as an instrument of punishment or as a weapon. Saps are generally shorter than quarter staffs with a weighted, rounded end usually bound with metal for weight or even spiked with nails to inflict more viscous wounds. Thugs and bandits, thieves and bodyguards, and others in similar positions usually carry a sap with them to make people think twice about trying to mess with them.
A sap - Available at Theo's Weaponry
A thick leather sap - Available at Rita's Leather Raiment
Scimitar - The scimitar is characterized by a broad, curved blade ending in a sharply upturned point. While many people think of scimitars as being rather broad-bladed, many are actually narrow-bladed weapons, narrower than broadswords but not quite so narrow as rapiers. They are generally heavy and slow to swing and do little damage for the weight of the blade.
Dull Scimitar - Can be acquired from skeletons
A bone-handled scimitar - Can be Acquired from zombies
A burnished wire-hilted scimitar - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Scramasax - The all purpose knife used by the vikings who raided and settled coasts of Britain and Western Europe in the 8th and 10th Century was the Scramax. In fact this knife did not originate in Scandinavia but had been used by the ancient French and Germans, nevertheless it was the vikings who made this knife their own. The word Scramasax means "Wound making implement". The blade of the knife can be anywhere from 10 to 50 cm long, but all are single edged and triangular in cross-section. The back of the blade runs parallell to the edge, usually tapering only at the end to meet the tip. The handles are broad and riveted just below the pommel, which is round or onion shaped, while the grips are made of leather or wood.
A scramasax - Available at Audric's Armory
Short Sword - A short sword is pretty much any bladed weapon longer than a dagger but shorter than a longsword. Warriors not quite strong enough to wield a large sword carry shortswords, the lighter weight of the weapon make it very effective in close quarter combat. Spearmen and archers often carry short swords also, but as a secondary weapon in case they have to fight their opponents close range.
A short sword - Available at Armed to the Hilt, Fine Dorian Weaponry, Audric's Armory, Areus' Weapons
Spear - Spears are basically any weapon with a wooden shaft and pointed tip used exclusively for thrusting and throwing. Throwing spears are generally very long while thrusting spears tended to be shorter. The basic spear, when used for thrusting, was the first polearm weapon made, someone had the bright idea that fighting their enemy from a greater distance might prove to be less fatal. The throwing spear's main disadvantage is it takes a while to recover it after being thrown, soldiers using them in this way often carried another weapon as backup.
Note: Spears can be thrown as well as wielded one-handed
A spear - Available at Fine Dorian Weaponry, Audric's Armory
A wide-bladed spear - Areus' Weapons
An iron-tipped spear - Available at Kjetil's Weapons and Armor
Trident - Tridents are polearm weapons based on the pitchfork. Used very much like a spear, even being thrown in dire situations before turning tail and running, the trident provides a broader surface area upon which to skewer an opponent than did a spear (three spear tips are better than one). The trident is most known for its use in the Roman gladiatorial arenas. When not skewering folks, the trident is great at moving hay and can double as a nice gift for Poseidon.
Note: Tridents can be thrown as well as wielded one-handed
A trident - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral Imports, Theo's Weaponry
An iron trident - Available at Theo's Weaponry
A polished brass trident - Available at Aether's Weapons
A long trident - Areus' Weapons
A bronze tipped trident - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Whip - Most whips used in battle were very well built and heavy, they could almost be classified as flails. They usually have metal or stone tips on the end of long chains or metal links instead of simple cowhide or leather. Whips can also be used to control herding animals and other various household chores that we'll leave to the imagination. In the right hands a whip can tear the flesh off bodies, pull weapons out of opponents' hands, and even break bones.
A swivel-handled whip - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral Imports
A braided leather whip - Available at Rita's Leather Raiment
A rose-etched braided leather whip - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Two-handed Weapons
These are those huge and heavy weapons that require two hands to wield correctly unlike their one-handed counterparts. These weapons, being as big as they are, can hit almost as hard as Hercules (on a bad day), but there's always a drawback, this one being it takes forever to swing them, not to mention the fact that you have to run around shieldless.
Ball and Chain - Ball and chains consist of a heavy, usually spiked, metal ball attached to a wooden handle by a length of chain. They use the force of the swing to deal more crushing blows when they finally strike the target, often tripling the force of a normal swing. They are also very good at wrapping themselves around targets and pulling away objects, or even knocking the target to the ground, not to mention crushing and piercing their armor.
Note: Ball and chains can be thrown as well as wielded two-handed
A ball and chain - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral Imports
Battle axe - Battle axe is a generic term for a fighting axe. They are essentially larger versions of simple axes and are usually two-handed and double-headed. The increased weight and blade size of the battle axe make it even more effective for slashing, chopping, and crushing armor than a simple logging axe; however, greater skill and strength are required to use a battle axe effectively and thus it is not a very common weapon.
A battle axe - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith, fine Dorian Weaponry
A two-fisted battle axe - Available at Aether's Weapons
An iron battle axe - Kjetil's Weapons and Armor
A warped battle axe - Found on various critters.
Flail - The flail was very similar to the mace, except that the weight on the end of the weapon was seperated by a chain instead of just stuck on the end of a pole. This flexibility increased the impact force of the strike and made parrying the attack much more difficult. While it was similar in concept to a morningstar or ball and chain, the flail usually has multiple chains and balls attached to the haft, making it much harder to parry. The earliest flails were merely adaptations of agricultural tools, grain threshers for example, but served well also as weapons of war.
A corroded flail - Found on various critters.
Greatsword - Great in size and weight (some weighed as much as 15-20 pounds), greatswords require two hands to use and great strength to wield. Most two-handed swords have long straight blades and a long hilt for grasping with two hands. Despite their straight blades, two-handed swords are designed for swinging rather than just thrusting. It is one of the few swords designed to crush through heavy armor.
A greatsword - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith, Armed to the Hilt, Fine Dorian Weaponry
An old greatsword - Can be aquired from brigands in Tiamat Vineyard
A wavy-edged greatsword - Areus' Weapons
Halberd - The halberd incorporates an axe blade, a spear point, and a pick/hammer beak all into one fearsome weapon. It can be used to hook an enemy to the ground, even off horseback or could be thrust or used for chopping as well. The use of halberds is fairly extensive as they can be used lethally or non-lethally to trip, knock down, or otherwise subdue an opponent.
A halberd - Available at fine Dorian Weaponry
A double-spiked halberd - Available at Myron's Weaponsmith
An oak-hafted iron halberd - Available at Aether's Weapons
Mattock - The mattock is a domestic agricultural tool used for digging and mining. When people saw how effective they were against hard clay and stone, they figured mattocks would be just as good against skin and bones, which they were. Mattocks can crush and pierce most anything they hit, including but not limited to armor, people, and stubborn locked doors. Mattocks are generally used by poorer class citizens who happened to have one laying in the barn when they went out to battle.
A brass studded war mattock - Available at Aether's Weapons
Quarter Staff - The quarter staff is the simplest form of the polearm weapon. It is simply a long wooden pole. Staffs are not very effective in a fight against an opponent in armor or wielding anything other than a wooden weapon. The quarter staff is an excellent weapon for travelers as it doubled both as a walking staff and as a deterrent against brigands. The quarter staff is used more in fencing and brawling than melee combat.
A polished quarter staff - Available at Aether's Weapons
An oaken quarter staff - Available at Fine Dorian Weaponry, Areus' Weapons
War Hammer - The war hammer is one of the few weapons with an edge that can both tear open armor plate as well as inflict devastating concussion blows. The war hammer usually has a beak-like blade opposite of the hammer head, making it a combination mace and pick. The weight of the metal hammer head put behind the sharp point of the beak after a full swing easily pierces both chain and plate mail.
A war hammer - Available at Theo's Weaponry
Ranged and Thrown Weapons
Thrown weapons offer many advantages over other weapons as they can, well, be thrown as well as swung. Before you even advance on the critter, or they on you, you can have one of these things in the air flying at them to get in the first hit. The main disadvantages with these is the time it takes to recover the item once thrown and the risk of losing it. Ranged weapons are also nice for the reason that you can use them from a distance without actually being engaged, plus it is a lot easier to hit your target with an arrow or bolt than with any other weapon in Greece (so far). The main disadvantages are that you can't use a shield with them and it costs dinars to keep your ammunition stocked.
Bola - Consisting of stone balls, usually in a group of three the bola is attached to long, slender ropes. It is thrown by grasping the nexus where the cords come together and whirling it like a sling. The whole assembly is often swung over the head in a horizontal plane and released, thrown parallel with the ground. As they fly through the air, the weights will separate giving the bola a configuration something like a flattened and open net. On striking a target, usually the legs of an animal, the weights will cause the cords to wrap themselves about it tripping the target to the ground. The bola is not a friendly weapon as it often damages the target by breaking bones and causing other severe trauma.
A three-stringed bola - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral Imports
A braided chain bola - Available at Aziza's Weapon Imports
Crossbow - The main advantage crossbows have over bows is that they can be loaded before battle and the archer does not have to worry about creating the tension on the string while aiming. With the advantages come disadvantages, namely slow reloading, inaccuracy, and weight. A soldier with a bow can let 6six arrows fly in the same amount of time it takes a soldier with a crossbow to fire one bolt. As if this weren't enough, crossbows fire only at very short ranges and are rendered all but useless in damp weather.
A light crossbow - Available at Flights of Fancy, Eathar's Bow Shop, Robinarche's Fine Bows and Arrows
A heavy crossbow - Available at Eathar's Bow Shop, Robinarche's Fine Bows and Arrows
Dart - A dart is a small, never much longer than 6 inches and usually metal, missile with a pointed shaft on one end and feathers at the other for more aerodynamic flight. They are sometimes poisoned and can be launched with some mechanical device or even blown out of a small tube to achieve faster speeds and greater accuracy. The term dart can also refer to any small light-weight spear that is thrown rather than used to stab or slash.
A brass dart - Available at Theo's Weaponry
Javelin - The javelin is a short, light weight spear designed to be thrown only. Some are constructed entirely of metal but most are metal spear tips mounted on a lighter wooden shaft. Often some mechanical device will be used to increase the range and force of the javelin. Any short spear used for throwing can be called a javelin so they aren't really a weapon that stand by themselves. They were used throughout history, most effectively by the Greeks.
Note: Javelins can be wielded one-handed as well as thrown
A javelin - Available at Fine Dorian Weaponry, Areus' Weapons
Longbow - As the name implies, the longbow is generally longer in length than a regular bow. The bow length is usually the height of the archer with an arrow at least half that length. Because of the greater length of the bow and string, the long bow made more powerful arrows capable of farther flight. Like the shortbows these are generally made of a single piece of high quality wood, yew or elm are most sought after.
A longbow - Available at Hyla's Fletcher Shop, Flights of Fancy
A longbow - Available at Eathar's Bow Shop, Robinarche's Fine Bows and Arrows
Marlinspike - Descriptively, a marlinspike is a round tool with a claw-like curve that tapers towards a pointed end. It is commonly contained within a folding knife's body among traditional blades and other tools such as a fish scaler, and often, a shackle key. By inserting the marlinspike point into the key area of a too tight knot and pushing it through to its widest base even the worst knot can be easily undone. This tool works as effectively on blood vessels and bone joints as it does on knots, often opening them up on even the most annoying enemy.
Note: Marlinspikes can be wielded one-handed as well as thrown
A marlinspike - Available at Theo's Weaponry
Shortbow - Simple bows are generally made of a single piece of wood. The materials used for the bow string vary, but the most common ones are flax, hemp, silk, and cotton.. The string bends the bow back on itself creating tension, the archer then creates more tension by nocking an arrow, and drawing the string back. When the archer releases the arrow the tension is released and the arrow propelled with much more force than could be gained by simply throwing it.
A shortbow - Available at Hyla's Fletcher Shop, Flights of Fancy, Eathar's Bow Shop, Robinarche's Fine Bows and Arrows
Sling - Slings consist of a small strap or socket of leather to which two cords are attached. The soldier holds the ends of the cords in one hand, places the missile snugly in the strap, and whirls the socket and missile rapidly around their head. When released the sling acts as a compound action of the arm and when the missile hits its mark the sling can prove to be a very deadly weapon in skilled hands. Slings were the basis for the design of the Roman's catapults.
A wide leather sling - Available at Rita's Leather Raiment
A tanned leather sling - Available at Audric's Armory
Spoon - Yes, spoons are classified as ranged weapons, believe it or not. They can be thrown and end up in the ranged weapons bin at Tyche's Shrine, therefore one can only conclude that they are in fact ranged weapons. Now for those of you who've been living in a cave all your life, or just using forks, spoons are eating utensils similair to forks except they have a shallow scooping end instead of the tines. In Egypt, Greece, and Rome knives and spoons of the aristocracy were made of precious materials, including silver and gold, and were sometimes decorated. The Romans also possessed one- and two-tined skewers that were forerunners of the fork. Since everyone has seen a spoon, this picture features some famous Egyptian spoon, it's a young gil holding a duck or some such.
A dull-edged spoon - Found on various critters.
Throwing net - A device that is made of an open meshed fabric often knotted, twisted, or woven together at regular intervals. Some throwing nets are made of metal cable or chain rather than fabric and most have weights on the ends that cause the net to fall faster and encapture the target better by weighing the net down. Usually as the target struggles to get free they will become entangled even worse and end up falling to the ground, leaving them open for the death blow.
A light throwing net - Available at Romando's Gladiatoral Imports