Anyone remember the old DSML Arms and Equipment project? Eventually it half-withered with Richard Black picking up the Weapons portion and compiling some submitions from the DSML. The original submissions were mostly in 2nd ed format, but Richard converted them all to 3e. I tried looking for it online somewhere, didn't find it. Then I searched high and low on my computer and email archives.
I just found it recently.
I figured it would be worth while for others to see some of what was done, and maybe others here could post their own Athasian weapons.
I'll begin reposting the list alphabetically. I'll try to format it as well.
[Addendum] I'm not sure how well Richard's conversion from 2nd ed went. Everyone was still a little bit unfamiliar with the expected standards. Looking back now, I might recommended some changes to bring it into line with how more WotC weapons are done today. Maybe some of you can offer opinions on what could be done to some of these.
Cost 50gp + 1cp/dok
Damage 1d8
Critical X3
Range 30 ft.
Type P
Category Exotic/Ranged/Small
Weight 3 lb. +1/dok
Hardness —
Hit Points —
AHGUDA (as club)
Cost 50gp
Damage 1d4
Critical X2
Range —
Type B
Category Simple/Melee/Small
Weight 3 lb.
Hardness 5
Hit Points 10
DOK (thrown as rock)
Cost 1cp
Damage 1d3
Critical X2
Range 10 ft.
Type P
Category Simple/Ranged/Tiny
Weight 1 lb.
Hardness 4
Hit Points 4
The ahguda dok is a combination of two weapons seen frequently in the arena of Gulg, often used in matches where all contestants wield them. The ahguda is a club-sized weapon used to hurl the dok projectile. In Gulg, ahguda are specially crafted for these matches and are restricted to Gulg nobility, used by family gladiators or to sponsor events for allied families looking for recognition. Each is unique in design and easily recognized by rival families. Should one be lost, stolen or recognized during illicit activity it would bring shame on all parties involved.
Ahguda are made from the forelimb of a dune reaper crafted into a two and a half-foot long rod, which curves slightly towards the end. The inside of this curve is kept perfectly smooth and thin enough to fit the groove along the middle of the round projectile. When used as a melee weapon an ahguda functions essentially as a light club. Its primary function is to hurl the small round dok at high rates of speed along the smooth inside edge. This edge must be kept smooth, and is therefore never used to inflict damage.
The dok is made of two circular bowl-shaped pieces, about 3 inches across, which are attached face to face. Between the two pieces is a razor-edged flared groove made to fit the inside curve of the Ahguda. The Dok can also be thrown by hand but function very poorly. In an Ahguda Dok match, a trained user balances the Dok on the inside of the Ahguda and uses the Ahguda to fling the Dok, which gives it superior range and velocity.
In an ahguda dok match, a supply of dok are hung from the trees of the arboreal Gulg arena. The rules are then negotiated between the gladiator's sponsors but are rarely to the death. Some examples include; each dok may only be flung from an ahguda once (but hand thrown has no limits) or the winner could be the one with the best hit to miss ratio. In all cases, the winning condition highlights some favored quality of Glug's hunter-noble culture.
An ahguda's high cost comes from the fee artisans charge to decorate the weapon. An undecorated ahguda would cost one tenth the listed price. In the eyes of Gulgan nobility such a weapon is unsuitable for arena use and if recognized they would endeavor to have it destroyed.
Characters merely proficient with the exotic ahguda dok are still penalized by -2 on initiative and -4 on attack rolls. Specialization removes all such penalties.
[Comment] As you can see, clumsy 3e rules, IMO. The concept was similar to the Dejada, but specialized for a particular arena match between the stables of nobel families of Gulg.
Cost 4cp, [1]
Damage 1d4 [see below]
Critical X2
Range [2]
Type P
Category Martial/Ranged/Small
Weight 10 lb.
Hardness 2
Hit Points 4
The Silt Stalkers Elven tribe has this particularly unpleasant
type of arrow they use when their purpose is as much to terrify and incapacitate, as it is to kill. It requires the careful attachment of many slender barbs to the tip of the arrow, forming a hollow conical cage as the arrow's point. These barbs are usually jaaroc thorns or specially carved bone. Inside the cage is placed a particularly nasty beetle, known as the sa'rikka. Although this beetle is only the size of a child's small pebble, has a voracious appetite for flesh. Between making and usage, these arrows are generally stored point-down in special quivers that hold some meat scraps for the beetles to feed upon. Before going on the attack, the beetles are starved for a whole day.
When the arrow is shot into flesh, the barbs hold the arrow in place, while the sa'rikka inside immediately starts feeding on the victim's flesh. Frenzied with hunger, they quickly burrow deep inside, causing excruciating pain, and becoming very difficult to extract. The pain of a single sa'rikka incapacitates most victims; few can stand more than four or five. The beauty—from the Silt Stalker's point of view—is that this arrow will incapacitate not only the victim, but those around them who try and help them.
[1] The listed cost of an arrow of life is for the arrow itself. The beetle will have to be found in the wild or purchased by a vendor dealing in exotic pests. The cost of a sa'rikka beetle could vary greatly depending on the seller.
[2] The range increment for an arrow of life is half that of the bow that fires it. The careful manipulation necessary for this weapon limits its rate of fire to one per round regardless of the actual number a character would normally be entitled to.
[SIDEBAR]
Arrow of life
"Our tribe has slept too long! Even on good days our warriors are little better than vermin scurrying for scraps. From the moment our chief made me his choice to help arm our people, I promised myself I would return our tribe to the days when the short-legged races were truly terrified of us. We used to be able to sack a caravan, just by showing up. To this end, I have begun an exercise in weapons innovation that will once again strike fear into our enemy's hearts. The first I have to share, I call "Arrow of Life". I have taken our flight-arrow, made it heavier along the shaft, longer flights on the tail, and at the head a particularly crafty enclosure holding a sa'rikka beetle. While range has been reduced the impact of the little beetle into the ranks of our enemies is astounding.
"By now some of the more sinister of you have thought of this weapon armed with another beetle - the agony beetle. In truth, this too was my original plan for the weapon, but after extensive testing I have determined an agony beetle too fragile a creature. They die, either from the launch from our bows or the impact on the target. Either way, the agony beetle is ill suited for this weapon. The sa'rikka is perfect, however. She survives the bow-shot, is easy to feed, and the bite is quite effective against typical rank-and-file soldiers.
"With innovations like these, I pledge to chief and tribe, we will be the terror of the sand once again!"
Contributed by Michael Cugley on September 12, 1997
Cost 8
Damage 1d8
Critical X3
Range 30 ft.
Type P
Category Simple/Ranged/Large
Weight 5 lb.
Hardness 1 [1]
Hit Points 0
The balican javelin is a spear most used by the army of Balic, and now adopted by the three ruling merchant houses of the city. The weapon is a typical javelin with a fragile flint tip 18 to 24 inches long. If the weapon hits the flint tip breaks off in the wound leaving painful flint shards imbedded. Until a healer can attend to the wound the target suffers a –2 penalty to hit and initiative because of the pain and discomfort caused by the lodged pieces of stone.
To remove flint shards a Healing skill checks must be made at –6, and the surgery requires 2 days of rest. Cure critical wounds or stronger healing spells will also remove the shards. If the wound goes untreated for 4d4 days it begins to fester and the DM should inflict significant disability.
Attack rolls for this weapon are penalized by –2 vs. plate or chitinous armors owing to the fragile flint. If the weapon hits however, broken flint shards remain deep in the wound where only a surgeon is likely to remove it.
The silt fleets of Balic will often use these coated with a substance made to cause additional irritation and pain to the giants of the region. The wound itches and the when the giant scratches will inadvertently rub the shard deeper, causing another 1d4 points of damage. Ignoring the urge to scratch the itch requires a Wisdom check at –2 for the giant for an entire day.
[1]The hardness rating of 1 reflects the weapon's design to break on impact, on a hit the weapon will break and no further checks are needed.
Contributed by Eric Anondson on January 17, 2000
Cost 8cp
Damage 1d8
Critical 19-20x3
Range —
Type P
Category Martial/Melee/Medium
Weight 6 lb.
Hardness 8
Hit Points 10
The betnebbi, or the gulgan fork as it is known outside the city-state is a forked pole about six feet long. The fork's outside tines curve inward in a rough U-shape sized small, medium or large, to fit the neck of an opponent. Between these is there is a much shorter tine to pierce while the opponent of caught by the larger ones.
Betnebbi can be wielded against any opponent, but it can trap the small, medium or large-sized neck according to its design. On any critical hit the opponents neck is trapped between the larger tines. The wielder can then use any attack to automatically impale the victim's head or neck with the central tine, for double damage. Escaping the tines is a move-equivalent action and requires an Escape Artist or Break check with a DC of 14. A successful escape has a 50% chance to break one of the tines
Contributed by Peter (Brax) Nuttall on September 13, 1997
Cost 6
Damage 1d4
Critical X2
Range
Type B/S
Category Martial/Melee/Medium
Weight 4 lb.
Hardness 4
Hit Points 7
Half-Giant Bragnoggen
Cost 10
Damage 1d6
Critical X2
Range
Type B/S
Category Martial/Melee/Medium
Weight 8 lb.
Hardness 6
Hit Points 9
The bragnoggen is a Nibenese rider's club that is made for human-sized crodlu riders or half-giant inix riders. At the end of the neck, the flat head of the club is given a thin obsidian edge letting the weapon inflict bludgeoning and slashing damage. Its 5' to 6' length (human-sized version) would normally put the weapon into a larger category but its unique properties make it behave differently. In the hands of a mounted wielder its lightness and balance make it perform surprisingly quick and agile. Unfortunately this lightness results in a much higher probability of breakage.
The bragnoggen's main advantage of is its ability to be wielded as a secondary rider's weapon used in the off hand. Proficient wielders can ready the bragnoggen as a free action. Nibenese riders may use a Medium-sized lance (or Large lance in a 1/2-giant's case) in one arm, and hang a bragnoggen to his opposite wrist, that is steering the mount. It can then be swung into hand and used in combat effectively, while only briefly interrupting control of the mounted. When used in the off hand a bragnoggen is always considered a light weapon and the character is effectively ambidextrous with this weapon. See table 8-2, page 125 of the PHB for the two-weapon fighting adjustments this entails.
Contributed by Peter (Brax) Nuttall on September 13, 1997
[comment] As you can see, this was a 3e conversion, not a 3.5 conversion with new weapon size rules. Not sure how well the "free action ready" and "off-hand ambidexterity" would go over with 3.5
Anyone care to comment on the above, whether on the mechanics, concept, or flavor of the weapons?
Anyone want to offer their take on an updated mechanic based on the 3.5 assumptions we know now?
Anyone care to submit their own weapons for this? It couldn't hurt to get new folks submitting their ideas.
Regards,
Eric Anondson
Anyone got some thoughts on this old project resurrected from the void?
:heehee
That arrow of life idea is....umm... frieghtening
. Good Job!Not to discourage you, because by all means create, but I'm not to interested in creating more unique weapons for Athas when there are already so many good one on the table. Honestly most settings don't even have unique weapons like Dark Sun does.
That arrow of life idea is....umm... frieghtening
I believe it was a netbook project. And look at it this way - several of us don't believe that "normal" D&D arms & equipment should really be around in Dark Sun (except for really, really rare 'artifacts', frequently of metal), due to the lack of materials necessary for making many of the steriotypical fantasy weapons. So, the more unique, Athasian weapons there are, the less we have to eventually turn and look at the regular D&D ones.
But like I said before by all means create, nothing but good can come from it. I was merely responding to Eric Anondson wonder at the lack of response to his thread.
That arrow of life idea is....umm... frieghtening
Thank you
I was quite proud of that one...