Swords slash, clubs bludgeon. A killer grapples with their prey in an oily, abandoned garage and draws a hunting knife across their throat. An enraged ex-employee walks into their old boss’ office and beats them to death with a golf club. Two monsters, each older than the First World War, stand in an opulent ballroom while thrusting and parrying with pointed foils. In each case, a weapon makes the difference. It’s kill or be killed, and if a melee weapon is what’s needed for a character to walk away from a fight while their adversary lies in a puddle of their own fluids, so be it.
Who Uses These Things?
Melee weaponry seems a bit — outmoded. In this day and age, guns rule the day and have for hundreds of years. Why run headlong at an opponent with a battle-ax when he’s going to cut you in half with a .50 caliber machine gun? And so, the question persists, why use melee weaponry at all when somebody out there probably has something bigger and meaner?
First, remember that melee weapons don’t necessarily mean swords and daggers. A gang might rough up a convenience store clerk with bats and crowbars, one whore might slash another’s face with a switchblade and a parent might hunt their frightened spouse and child through an abandoned hotel with a fire ax.
Second, don’t discount improvised weapons. The majority of weapons found are for close quarters combat. A burgled homeowner might bludgeon the intruder with a Tiffany lamp, and a serial killer might attack their victims with a hacksaw. When a character is caught in a sudden and unexpected fight for their life, they might not have a gun handy but might have a brick or a steak knife within reach.
Third, consider that this is a game about terrible beasts, bloodsucking fiends and enchanted madmen. Vampires cannot be easily hurt by bullets, so they often resort to melee weapons to settle disputes. Also, some Kindred are older than firearms, and still prefer to answer matters with iron and steel as opposed to hot lead. Vampires are creatures of antiquity, and even the younger fiends learn to eschew guns. Werewolves shrug off bullet wounds as if they were flea bites, and while werewolves have the natural weapons of tooth and claw, the Uratha also make use of mystically endowed knives and swords. Mages, too, follow ancient traditions, and with old magic comes old things such as enchanted daggers or cursed swords.
