Weapons & Armor - Shadow & Fae 2e

There's a lot of options when it comes to modeling weapons and combat with dice games.

I'm of the bent that combat should be just as interesting as the rest of the game. Some like to bypass it by making it as fast as possible, others basically turn combat into the whole game.

When the rubber hits the road, I want to see players make interesting choices each turn, so that when combat occurs, it is just as interesting as exploration and roleplay.

The trouble with this in traditional dungeon games is you only get one action each round, and if it's anything other than "attack" the rules sometimes punish you for doing something "sub-optimal".

My attempt at a solution to this is to give everyone two actions in combat, one of which can be an attack or spell. Fighters get an extra action which can be an attack at 3rd level, but everyone can try various "maneuvers" if they're in a situation where they might be able to do so.

Weapon Types

On top of the creative possibilities of maneuvers and rulings, I wanted each weapon to feel a little different. more than just dividing damage into "types" and making sure everything has resistances/vulnerabilities, I wanted to think about why you might pick one weapon over another.

Swords always struck me as very versatile. If the enemy has a weak point, it can be abused. I gave them Precision (a slightly expanded Crit Range).

Hammers break things, and a clock to the head will really slow you down, thus a critical with one can actually break a foe's appendage or if directed at the head give them a more universal penalty to rolls.

And Axes swing in wide arcs, cleaving through one foe and carrying momentum straight into the next.

All of these are situations that allow a little more interest, a little more diversity, and hopefully a little more fun in your goblin-slaying.

Project Update:

The player's handbook of S&F 2e is almost done. You can pick up a community copy of the rough draft for free, but if you want to support the game, feel free to leave a tip!

The first round of edits is happening on the player's book now, and I'm hoping to get a polished edition in my hands (and then yours) soon.

After that, it's on to the Referee's handbook, and finally a playable setting with adventures.