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Melee Weapon - Any hand-to-hand weapon can be used in Call of Cthulhu. The possibilities are so numerous and often so strange that it is pointless to write them up as skills. Most hand-to-hand weapons can perform one attack and one parry per combat round. Knives without crossguards cannot parry. Add full damage bonuses to these weapons' attacks except when being thrown: thrown weapons get halved damage bonuses. Five general classes of melee weapons are discussed below.
-Clubs, Blunt Instruments (varies) - Clubs include policeman's nightstick, the criminal's blackjack, handy branches and rocks, and fireplace pokers. These weapons are too dissimilar in size, weight, and material to share in a general skill increase, and so are individual skills, such as Large Club, Small Club, and Blackjack.
Things like blackjacks and rocks cannot be used to parry. A thundering big club might do 1D10 damage, but would require a wielder of at least STR 13. Clubs never impale(Keeper's Note - striking a vital area, can only be done with bullets or pointed weapons). The base chance for Small Club or Large Club could be extended to barroom chairs, hall trees, and other small furniture, if the keeper prefers. Clubs and other blunt instruments can be used to make knock-out attacks.
-Foils, Rapiers (Varies) - Foil and rapier are similar skills, and a skill increase in one increases the rest. Treat most sword-canes as sharpened foils. Foils and rapiers can impale.
-Knives (Varies) - Bowie knives, butcher knives, hunting knives, dirks, daggers, and kitchen knives have a big enough blade to be significant weapons. An increase in skill with one increases most of the others. Knives can impale.
-Swords, Sabers (Varies) - A great variety of such weapons exist, some one-handed and some requiring two hands. A skill increase with one does not increase the rest. Some of these weapons can impale, but others were designed as slashing weapons for cavalry use and parrying, and are relatively blunt-tipped - these latter cannot impale.
If you are interested in adding skill familiarity with a melee weapon, ask your keeper for further information on the specific weapon. On average, the starting skill with most melee weapons is 25%, so don't be afraid of trying out an unfamiliar weapon in a bad situation.
-Clubs, Blunt Instruments (varies) - Clubs include policeman's nightstick, the criminal's blackjack, handy branches and rocks, and fireplace pokers. These weapons are too dissimilar in size, weight, and material to share in a general skill increase, and so are individual skills, such as Large Club, Small Club, and Blackjack.
Things like blackjacks and rocks cannot be used to parry. A thundering big club might do 1D10 damage, but would require a wielder of at least STR 13. Clubs never impale(Keeper's Note - striking a vital area, can only be done with bullets or pointed weapons). The base chance for Small Club or Large Club could be extended to barroom chairs, hall trees, and other small furniture, if the keeper prefers. Clubs and other blunt instruments can be used to make knock-out attacks.
-Foils, Rapiers (Varies) - Foil and rapier are similar skills, and a skill increase in one increases the rest. Treat most sword-canes as sharpened foils. Foils and rapiers can impale.
-Knives (Varies) - Bowie knives, butcher knives, hunting knives, dirks, daggers, and kitchen knives have a big enough blade to be significant weapons. An increase in skill with one increases most of the others. Knives can impale.
-Swords, Sabers (Varies) - A great variety of such weapons exist, some one-handed and some requiring two hands. A skill increase with one does not increase the rest. Some of these weapons can impale, but others were designed as slashing weapons for cavalry use and parrying, and are relatively blunt-tipped - these latter cannot impale.
If you are interested in adding skill familiarity with a melee weapon, ask your keeper for further information on the specific weapon. On average, the starting skill with most melee weapons is 25%, so don't be afraid of trying out an unfamiliar weapon in a bad situation.
