You can equip a weapon in your main hand, your off hand, or both hands simultaneously. You’ll need to meet certain requirements to use a weapon in Battle. Most weapons have a Stat requirement of some kind, though some weapons are usable by anyone. You can’t attack properly with a weapon if you don’t meet the Stat requirements. Your damage is halved if you try to.
In addition, weapons require training to use effectively. You can’t add your Strength or Agility to the damage with weapons you aren’t trained with, and you don’t benefit from Weapon Perks. Weapon Perks are unlocked when the associated Core Stat raises to the appropriate value. These Weapon Perks stack with each other and apply to all attacks made with that weapon.
As mentioned, you’ll add your Strength or Agility value to the damage roll when you attack with any weapon that you are trained with. For most weapons, you’ll add your Strength. For ranged weapons, add your Agility instead, and for Light weapons, you’ll have the option to add either your Strength or your Agility. Also, when a weapon is wielded in two hands, you add twice your Strength or Agility to the damage. To properly wield a weapon in two hands, it must have either the Two Handed quality or the Versatile quality.
Weapon damage types will occasionally come into play. Most weapons deal either sharp or blunt damage. Some weapons and Weapon Perks will allow you to choose the most beneficial damage type in a given situation.
Natural weapons are considered always equipped despite never taking up an equipment slot. You may always choose them when you make an attack. They have the same set of qualities available to them as equipped weapons, except that they always have the Natural quality.
Like other pieces of equipment, weapons have weight. Light weapons weigh nothing. Two-handed weapons have a weight of 2. All other weapons have a weight of 1. Weight includes factors such as size, bulk, and mass. See the Adventuring section for more information.
Weapon Qualities
Weapons have several properties that will change the way they’re used. Some properties, such as light, have already been mentioned. There are several others.
- Light – This weapon is lighter than usual. You have the option to add your Agility to the damage with this weapon in place of your Strength.
- Natural – Weapons of this type are always considered equipped. Natural weapons are gained through traits, narrative events, or in other wondrous ways.
- Piercing – The weapon ignores half of the target’s Armor when it deals damage.
- Projectile – The weapon fires a projectile, usually an arrow or bolt. Special types of ammunition exist that have additional effects. You draw your ammunition as part of each attack with Projectile weapons.
- Thrown – The weapon can be thrown at the specified range. You draw a Thrown weapon as part of each attack you make. Weapons without this quality deal half damage when thrown and have a range of 2 (or 3 if Light).
- Two-handed – The weapon must be wielded in two hands to attack. It can still be carried in one hand as long as you’re not attacking with it. Attacking with a weapon in two hands allows you to add your Strength or Agility to the damage again instead of just once, as normal.
- Versatile – A versatile weapon may be wielded in either one hand or two hands. If wielded in two hands, roll an additional damage die for each die of base damage the weapon deals, but the size of the damage and critical dice are reduced by 2 (from d8 to d4, d10 to d6, etc). As with Two-Handed weapons, add your Strength or Agility to the weapon twice when wielding it in two hands, as appropriate. A weapon wielded in two hands without the versatile property gains no special benefit.
NOTE: Weapons will have some artifacts from previous alpha versions of this game. I’m gonna do a pass soon for updates and balance.