City-States and Favorerd Weapons? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

City-States and Favorerd Weapons?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Sysane
May 18, 2007 7:49:45 Need some input. I’m working on something which got me thinking about city-states and their armies.

Would each city-state’s army favor one particular weapon over all others? Meaning, would you find a specific weapon to be more common in a Raamite army than you would in a Drajian one and visa-versa?
#2
Cynewulf
May 18, 2007 8:28:32 I remember reading something about this in an old Dragon... from 1992 or something. I'll take a look.

June 1993 - Dark Sun character kits "Slave Hunters and Silt Sailors"

The sychopant kit lists the fashionable noble weapons for the cities as:

short sword (Balic), javelin (Draj), bow (Gulg), club (Nibenay), flail (Raam), steel long sword (!) (Tyr), and lance (Urik)

Don't know if that helps at all, but you can see that they're based on the sterotypical real-world equivalents of the cities ie Balic is Classical Greece/Rome so the short sword seems culturally apt.
#3
kalthandrix
May 18, 2007 8:44:46
Need some input. I’m working on something which got me thinking about city-states and their armies.

Would each city-state’s armry favor one particular weapon over all others? Meaning, would you find a specific weapon to be more common in a Raamite army than you would in a Drajian one and visa-versa?

Here are some ideas I had about this

Urik - spear or javelin and obsidian short sword
Tyr - halberd
Draj- macahuitl and spear
Raam- footman's mace and crossbow
Balic- longspear and long bow - they fight giants
Nibany- gouge and crossbow
Gulg- blow gun and slodak
New Gustinal- longsword
Eldirich (sp?)- (?)
Kurn- (?)
#4
j0lt
May 18, 2007 8:52:48 Several books city the Draji warrior's weaponry, which consists of the Macahuitl and a barbed javelin or spear with a rope (basically a light harpoon)
Tyr definetly would have a higher ratio of steel weapons.
Those are the only two city states that I really know - weaponry wise.

On a side note, one thing I've had a lot of trouble with is the seeming abundance of large swords made of inferior materials. The ancient Greeks/Romans/whoever before the advent of quality steel used short swords because a longer blade would simply break.
#5
Sysane
May 18, 2007 9:06:45 Two good points have been brought up. Cultural and Geographical considerations would sway a city-state into using a said weapon. Logical to think that Balic would use distance weapons to fight off giants, and its equally logical to base the city’s weapon on the real-world culture that each city-state is themed after.

A third element to base a city-state’s chosen weapon could be to base it off its Champion/SK’s past racial enemy. Its been theorized that the first templars were more than likely the SK’s former soldiers from the Cleansing Wars. Certain weapons would be more effective against a specific race. This could have been passed down to future generations of templars.

Thoughts?
#6
kalthandrix
May 18, 2007 9:16:55 Agreed, but only to a point. Metal has become rarer, so many city-states would have turned to weapons that would have functioned just as well when made from inferior materials - so in some cases, non-metal versions of weapons would have been swapped out for weapons of a slightly different design, but just as effective - like using a slodak instead of a short sword for instance.

Oh - and I would change the longbow to a heavy crossbow for Balic - it takes less skill for a crossbow and they have a greater range and do more damage.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Sysane May 18, 2007 7:49:45	Need some input. I’m working on something which got me thinking about city-states and their armies. Would each city-state’s army favor one particular weapon over all others? Meaning, would you find a specific weapon to be more common in a Raamite army than you would in a Drajian one and visa-versa?
#2 Cynewulf May 18, 2007 8:28:32	I remember reading something about this in an old Dragon... from 1992 or something. I'll take a look. June 1993 - Dark Sun character kits "Slave Hunters and Silt Sailors" The sychopant kit lists the fashionable noble weapons for the cities as: short sword (Balic), javelin (Draj), bow (Gulg), club (Nibenay), flail (Raam), steel long sword (!) (Tyr), and lance (Urik) Don't know if that helps at all, but you can see that they're based on the sterotypical real-world equivalents of the cities ie Balic is Classical Greece/Rome so the short sword seems culturally apt.
#3 kalthandrix May 18, 2007 8:44:46	Need some input. I’m working on something which got me thinking about city-states and their armies. Would each city-state’s armry favor one particular weapon over all others? Meaning, would you find a specific weapon to be more common in a Raamite army than you would in a Drajian one and visa-versa? Here are some ideas I had about this Urik - spear or javelin and obsidian short sword Tyr - halberd Draj- macahuitl and spear Raam- footman's mace and crossbow Balic- longspear and long bow - they fight giants Nibany- gouge and crossbow Gulg- blow gun and slodak New Gustinal- longsword Eldirich (sp?)- (?) Kurn- (?)
#4 j0lt May 18, 2007 8:52:48	Several books city the Draji warrior's weaponry, which consists of the Macahuitl and a barbed javelin or spear with a rope (basically a light harpoon) Tyr definetly would have a higher ratio of steel weapons. Those are the only two city states that I really know - weaponry wise. On a side note, one thing I've had a lot of trouble with is the seeming abundance of large swords made of inferior materials. The ancient Greeks/Romans/whoever before the advent of quality steel used short swords because a longer blade would simply break.
#5 Sysane May 18, 2007 9:06:45	Two good points have been brought up. Cultural and Geographical considerations would sway a city-state into using a said weapon. Logical to think that Balic would use distance weapons to fight off giants, and its equally logical to base the city’s weapon on the real-world culture that each city-state is themed after. A third element to base a city-state’s chosen weapon could be to base it off its Champion/SK’s past racial enemy. Its been theorized that the first templars were more than likely the SK’s former soldiers from the Cleansing Wars. Certain weapons would be more effective against a specific race. This could have been passed down to future generations of templars. Thoughts?
#6 kalthandrix May 18, 2007 9:16:55	Agreed, but only to a point. Metal has become rarer, so many city-states would have turned to weapons that would have functioned just as well when made from inferior materials - so in some cases, non-metal versions of weapons would have been swapped out for weapons of a slightly different design, but just as effective - like using a slodak instead of a short sword for instance. Oh - and I would change the longbow to a heavy crossbow for Balic - it takes less skill for a crossbow and they have a greater range and do more damage.