Armor, Weapons, and Scale

One of the design goals that I had in mind for Van Gogh was that weapons would essentially do the same damage but they would be used in different ways. A warrior armed with a big two-handed sword should still have a reason to draw his dagger once in a while because sometimes the smaller weapon is the better choice.

Armor

Armor has a rating that represents its protective value, both resistance to damage and amount of area covered. By default, this armor rating is added to a character's Toughness rating because it makes them harder to hurt. If an attacker chooses to try to strike an unarmored location, the Armor rating is instead added to the target's Defense to represent the extra difficulty of striking only those uncovered areas or weak points. Typical armor ratings are Light (+1), Medium (+2), and Heavy (+3). What constitutes a given level of armor will vary from setting to setting. In a far future sci-fi setting, Medium Armor might be a head to toe suit of metal impregnated ceramic anti-ballistic plates with a reflective anti-laser coating and power assist servo motors. In a swashbuckling "sword & planet" setting, a warrior in the jungles of Venus might have Medium Armor that consists of nothing but extensive jewelry and a loincloth. In some settings, Armor may also impose penalties on characters who wear it. For example, a fantasy setting might penalize armored wizards by adding their Armor rating to the difficulty of using magic. A Victorian setting might add the Armor rating of a suit of "white harness" plate armor to the difficulty of Stealth or Athletics rolls because the armor is “a noisy and cumbersome relic from a more brutish age”, while in a more authentic late medieval or renaissance setting that same armor would be comfortable and whisper quiet (if it is correctly fitted).

Weapon Damage

Most melee weapons and some ranged weapons do damage based on the user's strength (Might +1D for using a weapon). Some weapons, notably ranged weapons like guns or crossbows, that are independent of the user's strength have their own damage die code: Light weapons do 3D damage, Standard weapons do 4D damage, and Powerful weapons do 5D damage.

Weapon Ranges

Melee weapons can be used against targets in the same Area as the user. Ranged weapons are divided into Short Range, Medium Range, and Long Range which can shoot targets up to 3, 5, or 7 Areas away respectively.

***Sidebar: Areas, Area Weapons, and Range: Because Areas are an arbitrary size, a Long Range weapon such as a longbow that shoots 7 Areas could be shooting dozens of meters in one fight scene and hundreds of meters in another. That makes sense when you consider that the first battle with smaller Areas is likely a small-scale skirmish between individuals: each arrow shot is being aimed at a single particular enemy warrior. In the larger scale battle, the Areas cover a much greater distance, but the target is more likely to be “the unit of spearmen on the left flank” rather than “that soldier with the spear and the crescent-shaped scar on his left cheek”. If our archer hero wanted to target a particular enemy, such as the leader of that unit of spearmen, he would need to approach closer and engage in a more localized combat measured in smaller Areas. A special note on Area weapons and Areas. Some weapons, like grenades, are Area weapons that do damage to every target in one Area. These weapons typically can't be controlled. A character who uses one in their own area will be affected by it as well. The area that these weapons cover will vary according to their scale. A hand grenade is an Area weapon in individual combat: in a battle that rages through a building, it will hit everyone in the same room with it. On a larger scale, such as on a battlefield, its area of effect might be an infantry squad or only one large target such as a vehicle.***

Weapon Qualities

Although most weapons do essentially the same damage, different weapons possess different qualities that make them more desirable than others in certain situations. These qualities function like a character's Talents or Drawbacks. Some examples of Weapon Qualities:

• Short: +1D to use when fighting in restricted spaces or while grappling.
• Armor Piercing: +1D to damage rolls when striking through armor.
• Reach: +1 bonus to Defense and Initiative against attackers without Reach or Ranged weapons.
• Ranged: +1 bonus to Initiative against attackers without Reach or Ranged weapons.
• Precise: +1D to attack rolls. These weapons are preferred by characters who like to wager extra difficulty for extra damage rather than using a more powerful weapon.
• Brutal: +1D to damage rolls. These weapons hit hard and are preferred by characters who simply like to swing and destroy their targets.
• Parrying: +1 to Defense while being wielded in melee. These weapons are designed for easier parrying but can still be used for attack like any other weapon.
• Shielding: +1 to Toughness when targeted with ranged weapons.
• Status Symbol: +1D to Command actions to inspire or rally allies in battle. These weapons are usually expensive and have a lot of social cachet attached to them.
• Sweeping: +1D to offset the multiple action penalty when used against multiple targets.
• Intimidating: +1D to Duels of Wits with Intimidation. These weapons look scary or powerful and make it easier to impress your seriousness on others.
• Tricky: +1D to Duels of Wits with Bluff. These weapons have extra hooks or edges that can take opponents unawares if they focus only on the most dangerous looking bits; or, the weapon may have some flashy decorations or tassels attached to distract the opponent from the dangerous bits. For whatever reason, it is easier than normal to feint or otherwise slip an attack past a foe's defenses with this weapon.
• Thrown: +1D to throw the weapon as a ranged attack with the Athletics skill.
• Quick: +1 to Initiative value when compared to an opposed attack

Example Weapons

Medieval/Renaissance Fantasy

• Daggers are Short and Precise. Some are also Thrown.
• Arming swords are Precise and Status Symbols.
• Two-handed swords are Brutal Intimidating weapons.
• Battle axes are Brutal and Intimidating.
• Spears and lances are Precise Reach weapons. Spears are also Thrown.
• War hammers are Armor Piercing.
• Halberds are Brutal Reach weapons.
• Quarterstaves are Reach weapons.
• Maces are Brutal and some are also Status Symbols.
• Whips and chains are both Reach (they are long) and Short (they can be used as a garotte while grappling).
• Rapiers are Precise, Parrying, and Tricky.
• A knight's shield is Parrying and Shielding. If it bears the right arms, it can also be a Status Symbol.
• A buckler or main-gauche is Parrying and Short.
• A sling is a Short-range weapon.
• A short bow is a Medium-range weapon.
• A long bow is a Long-range weapon.
• A light crossbow is a Standard (4D) Medium-range weapon.
• A heavy crossbow is a Powerful (5D) Long-range weapon.
• A matchlock is a Standard (4D) Medium-range, Intimidating weapon.

Space Opera/Science-Fantasy

• Blaster Pistols are Standard (4D), Medium-ranged, Armor-piercing weapons.
• Holdout Blasters are Light (3D), Short-ranged, Armor-piercing weapons.
• Blaster Rifles are Powerful (5D), Medium-ranged, Armor-piercing weapons.
• Dueling Blasters are Light (3D), Short-ranged, Armor-piercing, Precise weapons.
• Laser Swords are Precise, Brutal, Armor-piercing, Status Symbols.
• Electro-pikes are Armor-piercing, Parrying Reach weapons.

***Sidebar: Where's the armor? As you can see, Armor-piercing is very popular in the set of Space Opera/Science-fantasy example weapons. This means that Light armor is practically useless outside of aesthetic reasons (at least until you come across some nasty alien beasts who want to chew on you next time you land on a strange planet). For this reason, it makes sense for the characters in such a setting to wear serious armor or none at all. If the handsome prince of the planet Alduine wants to run around in a silk doublet instead of a blast-proof breastplate while his roguish bodyguard just wears a leather flight jacket over her work shirt, they won't be sacrificing any safety for their fashion sense. Armor that would actually protect them from the weapons they are likely to encounter would be too inconvenient in their daily lives. Professional soldiers on the other hand will probably want to wear shiny blast-proof armor-plated uniforms all the time (possibly with face concealing helmets so infiltrators can steal their suits and go undetected with no need for disguise skills).***

Wuxia/Kung Fu Epic

• Unarmed attacks count as Short weapons.
• Daggers are Short and Precise.
• Swords (Jian) are Precise, Tricky, Status Symbols.
• Broadswords (Dao) are Brutal and some may be Tricky or Intimidating.
• Hammers are Brutal and Intimidating.
• Spears are Precise Reach weapons.
• Halberds are Brutal Reach weapons.
• Staves are Parrying Reach weapons and may be Status Symbols in the hands of a monk.
• Rope darts are both Reach and Short (they can be used as a stabbing dagger or garotte while grappling).
• 9-ring swords are Parrying and Brutal.
• Throwing knives are Light (3D), Short-ranged weapons.
• Bows are Long-range weapons.
• Repeating crossbows are Standard (4D) Medium-range weapons.
• Heavy crossbows would be Powerful (5D) Long-range weapons.

Two-fisted Nazi-Smashing Pulp Action

• Brass knuckles are Short and Intimidating.
• Knives are Short and Thrown (even the ones that really aren't balanced for it).
• Derringers are Light (3D), Short, Reach weapons. (Note that they don't have a Range. They are essentially melee weapons that don't need muscle power to use and can be used from across the room but are more likely used at arm's reach.)
• Revolvers and Automatics are Standard (4D), Short-ranged, Short weapons.
• Double-barreled shotguns are Powerful (5D), Short-ranged weapons. If you fire both barrels, they're also Brutal.
• Pump-action shotguns are Powerful (5D), Short-ranged weapons. If you rack the slide with a loud “K'CHAK!” sound, then they are also Intimidating.
• Tommy guns are Standard (4D) Medium-range weapons. When fired with a longer burst, they are Brutal and Sweeping (it hits harder but it's harder to keep it on one target, which is good if you want to clear a room). When emptying the drum, it can be used as an Area weapon. When fired with wild abandon, it might not hit much but it's very Intimidating and can easily force a whole roomful of people to run away or dive for cover.

Feudal Samurai Chanbara Action

• Knives are Short and Precise.
• Katana are Precise and Brutal.
• Wakizashi are Short and Precise.
• No-dachi are Brutal Reach weapons.
• Spears are Precise Reach weapons.
• Bows are Long-range weapons.
• Naginata are Tricky Reach weapons.
• Bo staves are Reach and Parrying weapons.
• Tetsubo are Brutal and Intimidating.
• Most ninja weapons are Tricky.
• War fans are Parrying Status Symbols.
• A matchlock would be a Standard (4D) Medium-range, Intimidating weapon.
• Shuriken are Light (3D), Reach, Thrown weapons. They do not have a range because they can only be used within one Area, but are considered “Reach” because they have longer range than most melee weapons.
• Chain weapons like Kusari-gama and Manrikigusari are both Reach and Short (they can be used to stab or choke while grappling).

Survival Horror in an Abandoned Fog-shrouded Resort Town

• A 2x4 with a nail in it is a weapon. Congratulations. You are now no longer completely unarmed in a dangerous nightmare world. Treasure this board for it is your only friend.
• A kitchen knife would be a Light (3D) Quick Short weapon. It's better than nothing but you will desperately hope that you never need to use the Short quality.
• A length of metal pipe cut off at a sharp angle would be a Reach weapon.
• A fire ax would be Brutal.
• A pistol would be a Light (3D), Short, Reach weapon. If you knew what you were doing, you could probably shoot beyond the immediate area, but you aren't really trained in using firearms well and your hands won't stop shaking.
• A shotgun would be a Standard (4D), Short-range weapon. If it is a double-barreled shotgun, then it is Brutal when you give them both barrels. If it is a pump-action shotgun, then racking the slide with a satisfying K'CHAK serves as a reassuring Status Symbol.
• A hunting rifle would be a Powerful (5D), Medium-range weapon. In more expert hands, it could probably shoot much farther, but your heart is pounding like a jackammer, you have no idea how long it's been since you last slept, you're running on adrenaline and caffeine, and you never touched a gun before you got lost in this town. A firearms expert might say that it's a rather lackluster old weapon, but as far as you're concerned it might as well be Zeus' thunderbolt.

Pirates in the Age of Sail

• An officer's side sword is a Precise Status Symbol.
• A knife is a Short weapon.
• A belaying pin or cheap cutlass is a weapon with no special qualities. A better quality cutlass with a solid basket hilt would be Parrying.
• A flintlock pistol is a Standard (4D), Short-range, Intimidating weapon.
• A flintlock musket is a Powerful (5D), Medium-range, Intimidating weapon.
• A ducksfoot pistol is a Standard (4D) weapon with Reach (It hits hard but only within its Area). It can be used against a crowd with Sweeping or against one close target with Brutal.
• A swivel gun is a Powerful (5D), Brutal, Medium-range, Intimidating weapon.

Scale

When combatants at the same scale interact (spearmen skewering swordsmen, tanks shooting tanks, elephants headbutting and goring each other, etc.) everything functions normally. When combatants of different scales interact, their dice pools are altered. At adjacent scales, the smaller characters get a +1D bonus to attack or perception rolls against larger characters and a +1 bonus to their Defense rating; larger characters get a +1D bonus to damage rolls and +1 Toughness rating. At greater differences in scale, there is no point in rolling: the smaller character can't miss the larger one but can't hurt it either and the larger one can generally obliterate the smaller one even with a near miss. For example, a person might be able to take out a light vehicle with anti-infantry weapons, but they can't scratch a tank without using weapons of a larger scale (such as a “Tank” scale gun like a missile launcher). If the battleship even notices the individual shooting at it, it can't effectively target the single individual when it retaliates but it only has to strike the general area to annihilate them. So how does a squadron of one-man starfighters attack a city-sized carrier? In such a mismatched battle, the large ship is essentially terrain rather than an opponent. The carrier vehicle would be represented by several “starfighter-scale” targets occupying adjacent Areas. Scales are best represented by typical targets that are orders of magnitude apart in each setting. Some examples:

• Military Sci-Fi: Infantry, Light Vehicles (trucks and transports), Heavy Vehicles (tanks and aerospace fighters), Escort Ships (destroyers), Capital Ships (carriers, large battleships), Artificial Moons (really big space stations), Planets (for actual moons and other things with their own gravity).
• Medieval Fantasy: Wee Folk, Men, Giants, Dragons.
• Pulp Space Opera: Character, Flyer, Rocket, Star Fortress.
• Age of Sail: Character, Boat (carriages, launches, large beasts), Ship (ships, whales), Fort (walled compounds, kraken)