Bone

World of Darkness - Armory

Bone (and similarly ivory) is not used in weapon-making very often — and hasn’t been for about the last 8,000 years. However, some native populations in the last few centuries still make weapons (knives, ax heads, clubs) from bone. Some Aboriginal artists from Australia craft clubs from old bones, and the Inuit make traditional ceremonial weapons from narwhale ivory. Of course, some lesser-known groups use bone when crafting weapons as well. A few cults adhering to strange, hidden faiths use such weapons as sacrificial tools, reportedly using these implements in ritual murders: bone knives to slit throats and remove parts, bone clubs to crush heads, bone spear-tips to puncture hearts. Once in a while, one of these weapons is left behind (either as a mistake or a taunt) by such grisly ritualists. In such cases, the bone, while bloody, is often painted or etched in designs that do not match with any extant or known civilization. For the authorities and the public, such clues remain puzzles.
Regardless of who uses them, bone weapons provide some advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, bone is tough. It’s difficult to break, and should be considered to have a Durability on par with iron (i.e., Durability 3). On the other hand, bone is awkward to use. In cutting weapons, it doesn’t hold an edge and cannot easily be sharpened. In blunt weapons, bone tends to be difficult to shape into effective damage-bringing configurations, and the hilts can be awkward. As such, bone weapons are at a constant –1 penalty to use.

Type

Biomaterial