Advanced Bludgeons for Waste World

This is first follow–up to Advanced Close Combat Blades for Waste World, dealing with a variety of swung weapons which rely on brute weight. In other words, if it's heavy and it hurts, it's in.

Blunt Instruments 101

Designing a bludgeon is like designing a blade. There are four steps:

Decide on the basic layout of the weapon
Decide how heavy it will be
Select any power options you want it to have
Add finishing touches

All modifications which affect the ratings of the weapon are expressed as either a bonus ("+ something"), a penalty ("– something") or a multiplier ("´ something"). Bonuses and penalties are cumulative, so a +4 bonus and a –2 penalty would have a net result of +2. Multipliers are applied in sequence, so the net result of a ´ 2 multiplier and a ´ 4 multiplier would be ´ 8.

1. Basic Layout

Bludgeons come in many imaginative shapes and sizes, but for our purposes there are four basic shapes: the mace, the hammer, the ball–and–chain and the staff. Each one is available in one or two–handed models, the one–handed staff being, of course, a baton.

The Mace

A simple weapon, consisting of weighted end and a handle. This sort of weapon has evolved from simple tree–branch clubs. The weighted end may be spherical, cylindrical or teardrop–shaped. The feature common to all maces is that they have no specific angle of attack, unlike a hammer, which has a clear line along which it must be swung. This means that maces are relatively easy to wield in a fight, but their impact is often spread over an area, reducing the damage done.

The Hammer

Built like a mace, but with a head designed to strike on one or two surfaces only. This means that it is harder to hit with a hammer than with a mace, but the weight is more focused on one point.

The Ball–and–Chain

In an effort to increase the impact delivered, the weighted head of a bludgeon can be mounted on a flexible link, creating the infamous ball–and–chain model. These weapons are typically unwieldy but deliver fantastic results when used right.

The Staff

The weight of the staff is spread out over it's entire length, which may be anything from a couple of feet to a couple of yards. For this reason they tend to be less effective in combat, but provide better than average defensive capabilities, so they're a good bet for less combat–oriented characters.

All of these shapes can be made one or two–handed, and it is assumed that they all have studs or spikes where appropriate. The shape determines the basic values for the weapon:
 

	Damage	Parry	Hit	Type	Weight	Min. ST	Cost	Av'lity
I–H Mace	1M–2	––	––	C	4	–2	15	9
2–H Mace	1M	––	––	C	8	0	45	6
I–H Hammer	1M–1	––	–1	C	4	–2	20	7
2–H Hammer	1M+1	––	–1	C	8	0	60	4
1–H Ball–and–Chain	1M	–1	–1	C	4	0	20	5
2–H Ball–and–Chain	1M+2	–1	–1	C	8	+1	60	3
1–H Staff (Baton)	1M–2	+2	––	C	3	–3	5	9
2–H Staff	1M	+3	––	C	6	–2	10	9

All of the values mean the same things as in the Waste World core book, with the exception of "parry", which is a reflection of the fact that some weapons have better defensive properties than others, and "hit", which reflects that the weighting of certain bludgeons affects how easy they are to use in combat.

Hit and parry modifiers are applied to attack and defence rolls respectively.

2. Weight

The statistics given above for each weapon type assume a typical weight: 4 or 8 kilos for maces, hammers and ball-and-chains, and 3 or 6 kilos for batons and staves. Weapons can be made extra–heavy or light, with the following changes ("––" means the original value is used):
 

	Damage	Cost	Availability	Weight	Min. ST
Light	–1	––	–1	–2	–1
Normal	––	––	––	––	––
Extra–heavy	+1	´ 2	–1	+2	+1

The material from which a bludgeon is fashioned is not as important as it is for bladed weapons. Most are made from ferrostene, a dense, hard alloy. Lighter weapons may be made from duralloy, to keep the weight down, or heavier weapons may have ferrocrete inserts to increase the weight without making the weapon too large.

3. Power Options

These are power options which can be added to bludgeons. These both require a DPC in the weapon, but it will last indefinitely. None of these can be used with staves or batons except the inline rams, which can only be used with staves and batons.

Hydraulic Rams

The hitting surface of the weapon is covered in pressure–sensitive studs. When the weapon impacts, the studs jump outwards by a few centimetres, increasing the force of the blow. On the down side, this makes the weapon more unwieldy and so it can only be used by stronger people.

Disrupter Surfaces

This is the blunt equivalent of oscillator blades. The molecules of the impact surface vibrate cyclically, increasing the penetration of the blow. Yes, this is cartoon physics, and no, you're not getting a deeper explanation.

Bolt Capacitor

The DPC is used to charge up a capacitor in the head of the weapon which is connected to conducting plates on the striking surface. When the weapon hits, it releases the charge. The target must make a ST–based saving throw or be stunned for one round (no attack or defence).

Drill Heads

This modification is like the hydraulic rams, except that the studs are grained and rotate like drill heads. This increases the damage inflicted on flesh targets but does not have any more effect against armour unless the weapon is held against the target. So if you'd rendered somebody unconscious and wanted to trash their armour, it would work, but a brief moment of exposure from a hit in combat wouldn't.

Inline Rams

This is the only modification which can be applied to staves and batons. The ends of the weapon are built to telescope out with great force when it is swung a certain way. To use this modification, the player must announce his intention before making the attack roll. The attack is then made at a –2 penalty, but the damage rating is increased by 1M. The ram takes a while to re-power so this attack can only be used once per combat.

Point Charges

The typical modification of the Megamace, a popular weapon in Janus and the wastes. Like the hydraulic rams modification, studs on the head of the weapon are built to jump out when the weapon hits. The difference is that point charges are built with a magnetic detonator beneath them, adding greatly to the impact they deliver. This means that the DPC can only power three such attacks before running out. This is the only modification which can discharge the DPC.
 

	Damage	Cost	Availability	Min. ST
Hydraulic Rams	+1	´ 2	–1	+1
Disrupter Surfaces	+2	´ 4	–3	––
Bolt Capacitor	ST save or stunned	´ 4	–4
Drill Heads	Vs. Armour: ––  Vs. Flesh: +2	´ 2	–5
Inline Rams	See description	´ 4	–3
Point Charges	+1M, see description	´ 10	–6

 

Custom Features

A few further modifications can be incorporated into a weapon.

Paint work

Commonly used to make a weapon match its bearer's armour. Custom paintjobs can be done for 50 credits.

Styling

The handle and head of a bludgeon can make it appear exotic and frightening, and improve the wielder's appearance. Styling costs 50 credits.

Intelligence

Incorporated in some weapons in the form of AI chips or stolen karmachips. Both are highly illegal in most metrozones. The intelligence may be tied into a voice system and any number of arcane systems, such as lev fields, to improve the owner's chances in combat. This not something which can be shopped for, and should only be found in rare circumstances.

Oversizing

Characters with the Giant special power or Growth at initiate level or better may want weapons which are built larger than normal. These cost ten times as much as normal and double the damage rating. They can only be used by oversized characters.

Supersizing

Weapons of this category should never ever find their way into the hands of PCs. they are monstrous, titanic versions of the normal types and can only be used by similarly enormous NCs. Cost and damage are left to the narrator's imagination, but they should ridiculously huge.

Note to Narrators

Bludgeons tend be less evil weapons than blades, as reflected in these rules, so you will have to worry less about players walking around with insane artifacts of lethality tucked into their belts. Remember that hammers and maces can look a lot more frightening than swords and axes, even though they may inflict less damage. This can work to the player's advantage. Also, staves and batons are commonly perceived as "emergency" weapons, and will often not be taken as a sign of hostility.

Till next time,

Waste 'em.

Neil de Carteret

Neil.deC@btinternet.com