Weapons

A weapon is any held equipment that deals damage when used directly or with ammunition in The Domains of Dread. Every weapon belongs to a species and family. From species the weapon inherits most of its values: base damage die, damage types(s) and weight. A weapon’s family conversely determines which weapon focus feat is required to specialize with that species. For example, a character who chooses weapon focus: piercing (short) will be as effective with daggers as they would spears, since those are both piercing (short) weapon species. A weapon’s type determines whether a character would be proficient with that weapon based off of proficiencies awarded due to class archetype or feat selection: either Exotic, Martial or Simple.

Characters who attempt to wield weapons they are not proficient in suffer -2 to AB before any other modifiers.

Melee Weapons

Heavy Weapons

Heavy weapons are two-handed for all races and incur -2 to AB before any other modifiers if wielded for races of Small size regardless of proficiency. They use STR to determine the attack and damage matrices at a rate 1.25x and 1.5x base values respectively (min +0).

Medium Weapons

Medium weapons may be one or two-handed for races of Medium size, but are always two-handed for races of Small size. They use STR to determine the attack and damage matrices at 1.0x base values unless the finesse weapon modifier is present, where they will use DEX in place of STR instead. Dual wielding medium weapons incurs a penalty of -6 AB to the main hand and -10 AB to the offhand before any other modifiers.

Light Weapons

Light weapons are one-handed for all races. They use DEX to determine the attack and damage matrices at 1.0x base values. Dual wielding light weapons incurs an attack penalty of -2 AB to the main hand and -6 AB to the offhand before any other modifiers.

Tiny Weapons

Tiny weapons are one-handed for all races. They use DEX to determine the attack and damage matrices at 1.0x base values. Securing critical hits with tiny weapons adds an explosion damage die, listed with their threat range that is additive, not multiplicative, in the final damage calculation. Dual wielding tiny weapons incurs an attack penalty of -2 AB to the main hand and -2 AB to the offhand before any other modifiers.

Ranged Weapons

Ranged weapons’ weight only controls their base ER when held or in the inventory. All bows are single slot to allow for the equip of quivers in the offhand, an equipment slot new to The Domains of Dread and required for bows to operate. Quivers may have additional modifiers they add to the bow as arrows might, combining both modifiers additively if present.

Ranged weapons use DEX to determine the attack and damage matrices at 1.0x base values unless the mighty weapon modifier is present, where they will use STR in place of DEX instead.

By default, equipping a shield with a crossbow of any kind incurs an attack penalty of -2 AB before any other modifiers.

Weapon Species and Families

Weapon	Family	Type	Weight	Handedness	Base Damage	Threat Range	Favored Classes	Additional Notes
Dagger	Piercing (Short)	Simple	Tiny	One-handed	1d4 piercing	19-20 / x3 + 1d8 piercing
Spear	Piercing (Short)	Simple	Medium	One-handed	1d6 piercing	20 / x2
Katar	Piercing (Short)	Exotic	Medium	One-handed	1d6 piercing	20 / x2
Pick, Hand	Piercing (Short)	Simple	Light	One-handed	1d4 piercing	19-20 / x2	Ascetic
Rapier	Piercing (Short)	Martial	Medium	One-handed	1d6 piercing	18-20 / x2	Bard	Always has finesse as a weapon modifier.
Sword, Short	Piercing (Short)	Martial	Medium	One-handed	1d6 piercing	19-20 / x2
Pike	Piercing (Long)	Simple	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 piercing	20 / x3
Trident	Piercing (Long)	Martial	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 piercing	20 / x3
Pick, War	Piercing (Long)	Martial	Medium	One-handed	1d6 piercing	20 / x3
Halberd	Piercing (Long)	Exotic	Heavy	Two-handed	1d4 piercing, 1d4 slashing	20 / x3		Only the piercing weapon die is upgraded by feats or other features.
Rope Dart	Piercing (Long)	Exotic	Medium	One-handed	1d6 piercing	20 / x2	Ascetic
Ravensbeak	Piercing (Long)	Exotic	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 piercing	20 / x3
Club	Bludgeoning (Short)	Simple	Medium	One-handed	1d6 bludgeoning	20 / x2
Mace	Bludgeoning (Short)	Simple	Light	One-handed	1d4 bludgeoning	19-20 / x2
Mace, War	Bludgeoning (Short)	Martial	Medium	Two-handed	1d6 bludgeoning	20 / x3
Flail, Light	Bludgeoning (Short)	Simple	Medium	One-handed	1d6 bludgeoning	20 / x2
Hammer, Light	Bludgeoning (Short)	Simple	Light	One-handed	1d4 bludgeoning	19-20 / x2
Hammer, War	Bludgeoning (Short)	Martial	Medium	One-handed	1d6 bludgeoning	20 / x2
Unarmed	Bludgeoning (Short)	Simple	Medium	One-handed	1d4 bludgeoning	20 / x2	Ascetic	Cannot receive spell or spell-like abilities which target held weapons, but may receive those which target natural weapons.
Cestus	Bludgeoning (Short)	Simple	Medium	One-handed	1d6 bludgeoning	20 / x2	Ascetic	Counts as being unarmed.
Greatclub	Bludgeoning (Long)	Simple	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 bludgeoning	20 / x3
Quarterstaff	Bludgeoning (Long)	Simple	Medium	Two-handed	1d8 bludgeoning	19-20 / x2
Battle Staff	Bludgeoning (Long)	Exotic*	Medium	Two-handed	1d6 bludgeoning	18-20 / x2	Ascetic	Requires favored class to be proficient. Counts as dual wielding.
Flail, Heavy	Bludgeoning (Long)	Simple	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 bludgeoning	19-20 / x2	Ascetic
Hammer, Sledge	Bludgeoning (Long)	Simple	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 bludgeoning	20 / x3
Mace, Great	Bludgeoning (Long)	Martial	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 bludgeoning	20 / x3
Meteor Hammer	Bludgeoning (Long)	Exotic	Medium	Two-handed	1d8 bludgeoning	19-20 / x2	Ascetic
Catchpole	Bludgeoning (Long)	Exotic	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 subdual	20 / x3		Cannot deal lethal damage.
Sickle	Slashing (Short)	Simple	Medium	One-handed	1d6 slashing	20 / x2
Axe, Hand	Slashing (Short)	Simple	Light	One-handed	1d4 slashing	19-20 / x2
Axe, War	Slashing (Short)	Martial	Medium	One-handed	1d6 slashing	20 / x2
Scimitar	Slashing (Short)	Martial	Medium	One-handed	1d6 slashing	20 / x2
Sword, Long	Slashing (Short)	Martial	Medium	One-handed	1d6 slashing	20 / x2
Sword, Bastard	Slashing (Short)	Exotic	Medium	One/Two-handed	1d6/1d8 slashing	20 / x2 or 20 / x3		May be wielded one-handedly or two-handedly.
Whip	Slashing (Short)	Exotic	Light	One-handed	1d4 slashing	20 / x2	Inquisitor	Applies +2 to checks made to disarm.
Kukri	Slashing (Short)	Exotic	Light	One-handed	1d4 slashing	19-20 / x2
War Cleaver	Slashing (Long)	Martial	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 slashing	19-20 / x2
Greataxe	Slashing (Long)	Martial	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 slashing	20 / x3
Greatsword	Slashing (Long)	Martial	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 slashing	20 / x3
Scythe	Slashing (Long)	Simple	Heavy	Two-handed	1d6 slashing	19-20 / x3	Ascetic
Glaive	Slashing (Long)	Martial	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 slashing	20 / x3
Maul Axe	Slashing (Long)	Exotic	Heavy	Two-handed	1d4 slashing, 1d4 piercing	20 / x3		Only the slashing weapon die is upgraded by feats or other features.
Claws	Slashing (Long)	Exotic	Medium	One-handed	1d6 slashing	20 / x3	Ascetic
Rock	Thrown (Light)	Simple	Light	One-handed	1d4 bludgeoning	19-20 / x2
Shuriken	Thrown (Light)	Exotic	Tiny	One-handed	1d2 piercing	19-20 / x3 + 1d4 piercing	Ascetic	Adds extra attack per flurry.
Dart	Thrown (Light)	Simple	Light	One-handed	1d4 piercing	19-20 / x2
Chakram	Thrown (Light)	Martial	Light	One-handed	1d4 slashing	19-20 / x2	Ascetic
Bola	Thrown (Light)	Exotic	Light	One-handed	1d4 subdual	19-20 / x2	Inquisitor	Slows target by 15% movement speed for 1d3 rounds. Cannot deal lethal damage.
Axe, Throwing	Thrown (Heavy)	Martial	Medium	One-handed	1d6 slashing	20 / x2		May be used as a melee weapon.
Javelin	Thrown (Heavy)	Martial	Medium	One-handed	1d6 piercing	20 / x2		May be used as a melee weapon.
Harpoon	Thrown (Heavy)	Martial	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 piercing	20 / x2
Shot	Thrown (Heavy)	Exotic	Medium	One-handed	1d6 bludgeoning	20 / x2
Boulder	Thrown (Heavy)	Exotic*	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 bludgeoning	19-20 / x3	Berserker	Requires favored class to be proficient. Always has mighty as a weapon modifier.
Bow, Short	Ranged (Light)	Martial	Medium	Two-handed	1d6 piercing	20 / x2		Uses arrows for ammunition. Requires quiver in off-hand.
Crossbow, Light	Ranged (Light)	Martial	Medium	One-handed	1d6 piercing	20 / x2		Uses bolts for ammunition.
Sling	Ranged (Light)	Simple	Light	One-handed	1d4 bludgeoning	19-20 / x2		Uses sling bullets for ammunition.
Bow, Long	Ranged (Heavy)	Martial	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 piercing	20 / x3		Uses arrows for ammunition. Requires quiver in off-hand. Always has mighty as a weapon modifier.
Crossbow, Heavy	Ranged (Heavy)	Martial	Heavy	Two-handed	1d8 piercing	20 / x3		Uses bolts for ammunition. Always has mighty as a weapon modifier.
Gonne	Ranged (Heavy)	Exotic	Heavy	Two-handed	4d4 bludgeoning, 2d4 fire	19-20 / x2	Artificer	Uses firearm bullets for ammunition.