Weapon Types

Some weapons were historically designed to penetrate armor, like the crossbow, so you’ll see an entry for “DR Pen” (Damage Reduction Penetration). This removes some DR bonus, and if the DR Pen places the target into negative territory for protection, apply that as + to damage.

For example, if you wear leather armor with a DR 1 (non-magical) and are hit with a Lucern Hammer that has a DR Pen value of -2, it does an extra +1 of damage – it not only negated your Leather DR on a hit, but its kinetic energy is amplified.

Note: for split DR Pen values, use the first value at Effective Range and the second value at Max Range. A * marks a two-handed weapon (no shield allowed).

Historical Trivia: The Crossbow

The crossbow’s main advantage over regular bows was its ability to generate much higher draw weights – often 200–1200+ pounds compared to a longbow’s typical 80–150 pounds. This massive force, combined with heavy steel bolts (often called quarrels), made crossbows devastatingly effective against mail armor and later plate armor.

Medieval armorers and crossbow makers were essentially locked in an arms race. As armor got better, crossbow technology evolved to counter it: specialized armor-piercing bolts with needle-sharp bodkin points, reinforced prods, and mechanical aids like windlasses and goat’s-foot levers to cock these incredibly powerful weapons.

The crossbow was so effective against armored knights that it was banned by the Pope in 1139 for use against Christians (though this was largely ignored). It democratized warfare – a relatively untrained crossbowman could take down an expensively equipped knight who’d trained for years.