Weapons

For baseline rules, refer to System 8.

This document covers Dark Sun specific rules for weapons crafting.

Weapon Philosophy

With true metals being as rare in Athas as mithral and adamantine in the average setting, the entire philosphy of weapons is different. Weapons that rely on the flexibility, ductility, and resilience of iron and steel--most particularly swords and other large blades--are very uncommon, and few train to use them. The overwhelming majority of materials available to common people and adventurers share similar properties: capable of holding an edge, but brittle. Specifics vary, but that describes the majority of common materials.

Much can be done to compensate for this by simply preferring different kinds of weapons. Arrows and spears suit this paradigm well: they are either one-use, or can have their heads swapped. It's far easier to craft and carry 10 spears than one durable sword-like weapon. Similarly, axes (the realistic kind) have relatively small blades compared to a sword (or a fantasy axe). Maces, flails, and the like can rely on a sturdy base material (bone, wood, etc) studded with sharp stones, bone, ceramics, obsidian, etc.

Armor Philosophy

In medieval warfare, steel armor reigned supreme, not just because of the material's hardness, but its ductility--that property which not only allows the armor to survive powerful blows, but allowed it to be crafted in the first place. Stone, ceramics, bone, etc do not have this quality.

Instead of focusing on resilience, armor in Athas focuses on ablation: sacrifice of outer layers to protect the inside. Even a modern hand grenade can be absorbed by overlapping plates of hardened ceramic--let alone a bone-tipped spear.

Materials

"Cost per Unit" is described thus:

• A "unit" is enough to make a small weapon. 2 units can produce a medium weapon, and 4 a large. Light armor costs 10-20 and heavy costs 40+.
• Most weapons and armor require multiple materials, but the dominant material determines the cost.
• A "unit" is roughly equivalent to one pound of metal. This is a guideline, since different materials and uses require different amounts of material, and material density varies widely.
• Unit price is in Ceramic Pieces.

Natural Materials

These materials are freely available across Athas and require minimal processing. They are the foundation of most commoner and slave equipment.

Stone

Knapped or ground stone, typically flint, chert, or quartzite. Stone weapons are heavy and prone to chipping but can hold a serviceable edge. Best suited for clubs, axes, and spear points. Poor for thrusting weapons or anything requiring flexibility.

Strengths: Abundant, easy to work, holds a decent edge.
Weaknesses: Heavy, brittle, cannot be repaired easily.

Clay

Fired clay is used primarily for bludgeoning weapons and armor components. Clay maces and reinforced clubs are common among slaves. Utterly unsuitable for bladed weapons.

Strengths: Extremely cheap, easy to produce in quantity.
Weaknesses: Fragile, shatters on critical failures, limited applications.

Bone

Animal bones from herd beasts, mekillots, and other creatures. Bone can be carved into blades, spear points, and club reinforcements. Light but prone to splintering under heavy use.

Strengths: Lighter than stone, can be shaped into complex forms.
Weaknesses: Splinters under stress, dulls quickly, limited durability.

Chitin

Exoskeletal plates from giant insects—kanks, cilops, and similar creatures. Chitin is naturally curved, making it ideal for bracers, greaves, and shield reinforcement. Less suitable for weapons unless combined with other materials.

Strengths: Naturally shaped for armor, lightweight, readily available.
Weaknesses: Brittle when struck edge-on, difficult to sharpen.

Leather

Tanned hides from various Athasian creatures. Used for armor, weapon grips, slings, and whips. Essential binding material for composite weapons.

Strengths: Flexible, comfortable, excellent for bindings and straps.
Weaknesses: Offers minimal protection, degrades in extreme heat.

Wood

Scarce on Athas, but agafari and other hardwoods can produce excellent weapon hafts and club bodies. Wood is tightly controlled by the templars in most city-states.

Strengths: Strong, shock-absorbing, can be carved precisely.
Weaknesses: Scarce, regulated, vulnerable to fire and defiling.

Common Materials

Processed materials requiring skilled craftsmanship. These represent the standard for professional warriors and mercenaries.

Hardened Chitin

Chitin treated with alchemical resins and heat-tempered to improve rigidity. Significantly tougher than raw chitin and capable of holding a crude edge. The standard material for kank cavalry armor.

Strengths: Durable, maintains shape, can form bladed weapons.
Weaknesses: Still brittle against heavy blows, requires skilled processing.

Hardened Bone

Giant bones (often from mekillots or drakes) treated with oils and fire-hardening techniques. Can produce sword-length blades and heavy armor plates.

Strengths: Can match stone in hardness while being lighter.
Weaknesses: Rare source creatures, complex treatment process.

Obsidian

Volcanic glass prized for its razor edge. Obsidian blades can be sharper than steel but shatter easily. The preferred material for assassins and gladiators who value that first devastating cut.

Strengths: Exceptionally sharp, intimidating appearance.
Weaknesses: Extremely brittle, edges chip with every use, cannot parry.

Glass

Blown or cast glass from the silt sea regions. Similar to obsidian but more workable. Used for decorative weapons and those meant to shatter inside wounds.

Strengths: Can be molded into complex shapes, very sharp.
Weaknesses: Fragile, impractical for sustained combat.

Fused Quartz

Sand melted and reformed under extreme heat, often through psionic or elemental means. Clearer and tougher than glass, fused quartz weapons are status symbols among wealthy warriors.

Strengths: Harder than glass, beautiful appearance, holds edge better. Strong against heat. Weaknesses: Expensive, still brittle compared to metals.

Hardened Leather

Multiple layers of leather boiled in wax and oils, then molded and dried. Creates rigid armor plates while remaining lighter than bone or chitin.

Strengths: Lightweight, comfortable, easy to repair.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to piercing, degrades in wet conditions.

Resin Composites

Combinations of bone, chitin, and plant fibers bound with natural resins and cured. These materials allow for complex weapon construction approaching metal quality.

Strengths: Versatile, can be shaped precisely, good strength-to-weight ratio.
Weaknesses: Time-consuming to produce, requires rare resins.

Advanced Materials

Rare materials requiring specialized knowledge or magical processes. Possession may draw templar attention.

Glass-steel

An ancient technique combining silica with trace metals and psionically-enhanced forging. The result approaches steel in durability while remaining non-magnetic and lighter.

Strengths: Near-metal performance, lighter than steel, holds an edge.
Weaknesses: Secret manufacturing process, rare practitioners.

Metallized Ceramic

Clay infused withite metals and fired at extreme temperatures. Creates a material harder than bone that can be shaped into blades. A specialty of Nibenese crafters.

Strengths: Hard, holds an edge, can be mass-produced with the right facilities.
Weaknesses: Brittle against heavy impacts, requires specialized kilns.

Blackshell

Thick chitin shell infused with shards of obsidian--as much about imposing appearance and punishing unarmed attacks as it is about toughness--but still able to shrug off more damage than chitin alone, and especially effective against thermal energy.

Strengths: Naturally hard, requires less processing, impressive appearance.
Weaknesses: Extremely rare, attracts unwanted attention.

Extraordinary Materials

Legendary materials of immense power. Even possessing these draws immediate suspicion and likely violence.

Dragonbone

Bones harvested from drakes or, legendarily, from the Dragon itself. Dragonbone weapons channel psionic energy and resist defiling magic.

Strengths: Psionic conductivity, magic resistance, extreme durability.
Weaknesses: Acquiring it likely means death, marks the wielder as a target.

Elementium

Certain stones can be found infused with elemental energy. Fire-infused stone is ductile, not unlike iron, and can ignite enemies on contact. Earth-infused stone is heavy and brittle, but shatters only against the most powerful attacks.

Strengths: Elemental damage, beautiful appearance, never dulls.
Weaknesses: Unstable, attracts elementals, difficult to work.

Scoria

Volcanic rock infused with elemental fire, found only in the deepest tunnels beneath the Ring of Fire. Scoria weapons burn with inner heat and can ignite flammable materials.

Strengths: Fire damage, intimidating, cauterizes wounds it inflicts.
Weaknesses: Dangerous to wield, can damage wielder if not properly handled.

Metals

True metals are the rarest materials on Athas. The sorcerer-kings hoard all metal deposits, and possession of significant metal items marks one as either wealthy beyond measure or an enemy of the state.

Copper

The most common metal, still vanishingly rare. Copper weapons are soft but represent enormous wealth. Often used for decoration rather than combat.

Strengths: Workable, impressive status symbol.
Weaknesses: Too soft for effective weapons, bends and dulls quickly.

Bronze

Copper alloyed with tin, significantly harder than pure copper. Bronze weapons are functional and devastating symbols of power.

Strengths: Holds an edge, repairable, effective in combat.
Weaknesses: Still softer than iron, extremely expensive.

Iron

Functional combat metal. An iron sword in the wastes is worth more than most slaves will see in a lifetime. Iron weapons are typically ancient relics or templar equipment.

Strengths: Hard, holds edge well, effective against all materials.
Weaknesses: Rusts in silt, marks wielder as a major target.

Steel

Refined iron of superior quality. Steel weapons are legendary artifacts, often passed down through generations of templars or noble houses.

Strengths: Superior edge retention, durable, the standard for "real" weapons.
Weaknesses: Rarer than gems, possession may be a death sentence.

Mithral

Legendary silver-steel, lighter than aluminum and harder than steel. Mithral items are the treasures of sorcerer-kings, never legitimately owned by common folk.

Strengths: Incredibly light, incredibly strong, never tarnishes.
Weaknesses: Owning mithral is a death sentence outside royal circles.

Darksteel

Steel alloyed with adamantium ore, black as night, extremely hard and dense. Darksteel weapons drain life energy and resist magic.

Strengths: Magical properties, terrifying appearance, extreme durability.
Weaknesses: Corrupting influence, attracts undead attention.

Truesteel

Steel alloyed with mithril, lightweight, resilient, and impossible to corrode. Truesteel is naturally reflective to magic.

Strengths: Psionic enhancement, bonding properties, self-repairing.
Weaknesses: Requires psionic attunement, useless to non-psions.

Adamantium

Pure metallic adamantium is the hardest and most durable material known to exist. Almost impervious to all forms of damage, and cutting through all lesser armors, it is prized above all others. It is not known how such an invulnerable material can possibly be forged. If any still live who know the secret, they are not sharing it. What adamantium weapons and armor exist have done so in spite of the intervening millennia since they were forged.

Strengths: Unbreakable, cuts through anything, ultimate status symbol.
Weaknesses: So rare most believe it mythical, guaranteed death if discovered.