MELEE WITH WEAPONS VARIANT
This set of rules is significantly different from Blueholme, and is a adaptation of the Man-to-Man melee weapons ratings from Chainmail.
See weapon notes and Gear Book for additional details and individual weapon stats.
S-R NUMBER: each melee weapon has an S-R number (size-rating) with basically an expression of the weapons effective combat length/reach with some account of its mass too. Smaller numbers (Dagger=1) are short and fast; larger numbers (pike=12) are long and slow.
In the melee attack phase, if it is the first round when combat has been joined by these combatants, then the larger S-R strikes first. In subsequent rounds, the smaller number goes first.
On the second and further rounds of combat, if one combatant has a weapon that is 4-7 lower in S-R, then he may make 2 attacks. If he has a weapon that is 8 or more lower in S-R, then he may make 3 attacks.
If two combatants are using weapons with the same S-R, then DEXTERITY is used to determine order.
If armed combatants are fighting creatures that don’t use weapons, the armed combatants strike first in the first round of contact, and the subsequent turns rely on DEXTERITY.
A combatant who is climbing a ladder or climbing over a rampart or barrier always attacks after a defender at the top or on the other side.
Damage: damage for various weapons is not limited to 1d6. As a general principal, light weapons do 1d4, Normal Weapons used in 1 hand do 1d6, and Heavy Weapons and most 2-handed Normal weapons do 1d8. There are some exceptions to this guideline, see the Gear Book for complete details.
Hands: a one-handed weapon allows the use of a shield in the second hand. Two-handed weapons prevent shield use. A character can have a different one-handed weapon in each hand, allowing choice of which to use in any round. Some weapons can be used in either 1 or 2 hands and might have different S-R and Damage depending on how it is used.
Melee Lunge: anyone 10’ or less away from a combatant is considered in melee range. If you are that close, and not in melee contact, during the melee phase (or the Surprise Attack phase if you are that close and undetected) you may close to melee contact and attack (subtracting your movement from any movement taken in the next movement phase). A melee lunge cannot be taken unless it results in contact and an attack. Reach weapons can attack at 10’ or less without a lunge.
See weapon notes and Gear Book for more specific details.