Weapons

Weapons are often a necessity in the Ninth World. Most people, from the humblest of aneen stable-boys carrying a knife to elegant Xydrake Knights carrying powerful swords to Aeon Priests weilding exotic Numenera, carry some sort of weapon. Even the most peaceable minded people recognize the need to defend ones life from the various vicious fauna of the Ninth World. Should all else fail, one can always rely on fists and feet to get the job done!

Weapons fall into broad categories based upon several factors. These factors include the range of the weapon, how much damage it inflicts, and how light or unwieldy the weapon is to carry. Some weapons fit into multiple categories such as explosives which have both an immediate and long range effect. There are two broad useful categories when describing weapons: Melee weapons and Ranged weapons. Both melee and ranged weapon types have several sub-types based upon the specific type of damage they do.

Melee weapons are any weapon designed to do damage up close and personal. Both a simple wooden stick and a dimensional energy blade are examples of melee weapons. These weapons may be categorized further based upon damage type and how heavy the weapon is. The damage sub-categories are bladed and bashing, and the weight categories are light, medium, and heavy.

Light weapons are light and easy to carry but deal the least damage of all weapon types. Medium weapons are in between light and heavy weapons in both damage done and carry weight. Heavy weapons dish out large amounts of damage but are also very unwieldy to all but the most skilled. Bladed weapons of all types focus on slicing, slashing, and stabbing attacks to penetrate their opponents and cause damage. Bashing weapons rely on blunt force to batter and break their opponents.

Ranged weapons are designed to project damage at range. There are three sub-categories of ranged weapons based upon damage amounts and usability: light, medium, and heavy. Projectiles for ranged weapons are as varied as the weapons themselves, anything from a thrown rock to an energy discharge would class as a ranged weapon.

Light ranged weapons are the easiest to carry and use but deal the least amount of damage. Medium ranged weapons are a bit heavier but also do more damage than light weapons. Heavy ranged weapons can dish out some serious damage but typically require training due to their cumbersome weights. 

Specialized weapon types go beyond mere physical damage into much more esoteric types. Often, a regular weapon can be modified to deal additional damage or a more exotic damage type. Some of the rarer weapon types utilized things such as temperature, energy, mental, gravitational, trans-dimensional etc. in order to deal increased damage with a much higher chance of success or penetrating defenses.