Weapons
in Equipment and ItemsEach weapon has a number of important Traits to consider.
Type: This is the name of the weapon. Some entries in the text have descriptions of other versions with altered Traits. These do not appear on the chart.
Damage: Less about the weapon’s actual damage and more about its overall utility in combat, this number is a bonus (or in some cases, a penalty) indicating just how easy the item is to wield and how much injury it might cause if an attack is successful. These numbers are added to or subtracted from any dice pools used during the attack roll. Also noted here is whether the weapon uses the 9 again or 8 again rules (see p. 134, the World of Darkness Rulebook), and if it inflicts fire damage, which is aggravated to vampires.
Ranges: These numbers are the weapon’s short/medium/long ranges in yards. Attacks at medium range suffer a –2 penalty, while those at long range suffer a –4. A weapon with a notation of “Thrown” is a thrown weapon (see p. 67, the World of Darkness Rulebook). “Aero” indicates an aerodynamic thrown weapon. “Thrown” with a multiplier indicates that the weapon’s range is calculated as for a thrown weapon, then multiplied accordingly.
Capacity: The amount of ammunition a gun can hold. A “+1” notation indicates that in addition to the gun’s magazine capacity, the gun can be loaded with one additional round in the chamber, ready to fire (see “Topping Off,” p. 96).
Strength: The minimum Strength required to use the weapon effectively. For ranged weapons, this factors in both the weapon’s recoil and its physical bulk. If a character’s Strength is lower than this requirement, she suffers the difference as a penalty to her attack rolls. For example, a character with Strength 1 trying to fire a gun with a minimum Strength 4 suffers a –3 penalty. Some guns are capable of automatic fire, which is harder to control than single shots. For such a weapon, a parenthetical set of three additional values indicates the weapon’s Strength requirements for short, medium and long bursts — for example, 2 (2/3/4).
Size: This indicates how concealable (or not) a weapon is. Size 1 can be hidden in hand, Size 2 can be hidden in a large coat, Size 3 or more cannot be hidden. Alternate concealment rules are available: P (Palm/Pocket), S (Shirt), J (Jacket), L (Long coat) or N (Not concealable). See Weapon Concealment (p. 198) for more information on these categories.
Unless otherwise noted, each weapon listed has a Strength requirement to be used in combat. Much as how a weapon’s Damage is more about total damage potential than just the keenness of an edge, so the Strength requirement is more about leverage and balance than just weight. Generally, the Strength requirement is equal to the item’s Size. If a character’s Strength is below this requirement, his attacks with that weapon suffer a –1 penalty. (At the Storyteller’s discretion, using a weapon below the Strength requirement might invoke –1 per dot of difference between a character’s Strength and a weapon’s Size. For example, a character with Strength 1 attempting to wield a long sword of Size 3 would suffer a –2 penalty, as the weapon is simply too large.)
Durability: This is how many successes are subtracted from attacks targeted at that weapon before damage is applied. This is the average of the Durabilities of whatever materials make up the weapon, favoring whichever material makes up the largest or most vital components. A weapon’s Structure is equal to its Durability + Size. (For weapons with alterable Size, use the smallest Size to calculate Structure.) See p. 138, the World of Darkness Rulebook, for details on targeting items.
Cost: A weapon’s price is an abstract representation of the Resources Merit score required to purchase the item. (See p. 13 for how this corresponds to real dollar values.) Note that not all items are widely available for purchase. Some weapons can be found at Wal-Mart, but the majority of them are strange, antique or otherwise exotic tools that require diligence on the part of the character to find and purchase. A rapier, for instance, can be purchased, but not without some scrutiny on the part of the character. Such items might be sold on the Internet, at gun shows or Renaissance fairs, by collectors or historians or even by legitimate blacksmiths. Some items also have no Cost associated with them. This means they are particularly cheap or free, must be handmade or are simply not for sale anywhere in the public sector. Refer to the item descriptions for more information.
Notes: This is a brief summary of any other special rules that apply to the weapon. See the individual weapon descriptions for full explanations.
Type: This is the name of the weapon. Some entries in the text have descriptions of other versions with altered Traits. These do not appear on the chart.
Damage: Less about the weapon’s actual damage and more about its overall utility in combat, this number is a bonus (or in some cases, a penalty) indicating just how easy the item is to wield and how much injury it might cause if an attack is successful. These numbers are added to or subtracted from any dice pools used during the attack roll. Also noted here is whether the weapon uses the 9 again or 8 again rules (see p. 134, the World of Darkness Rulebook), and if it inflicts fire damage, which is aggravated to vampires.
Ranges: These numbers are the weapon’s short/medium/long ranges in yards. Attacks at medium range suffer a –2 penalty, while those at long range suffer a –4. A weapon with a notation of “Thrown” is a thrown weapon (see p. 67, the World of Darkness Rulebook). “Aero” indicates an aerodynamic thrown weapon. “Thrown” with a multiplier indicates that the weapon’s range is calculated as for a thrown weapon, then multiplied accordingly.
Capacity: The amount of ammunition a gun can hold. A “+1” notation indicates that in addition to the gun’s magazine capacity, the gun can be loaded with one additional round in the chamber, ready to fire (see “Topping Off,” p. 96).
Strength: The minimum Strength required to use the weapon effectively. For ranged weapons, this factors in both the weapon’s recoil and its physical bulk. If a character’s Strength is lower than this requirement, she suffers the difference as a penalty to her attack rolls. For example, a character with Strength 1 trying to fire a gun with a minimum Strength 4 suffers a –3 penalty. Some guns are capable of automatic fire, which is harder to control than single shots. For such a weapon, a parenthetical set of three additional values indicates the weapon’s Strength requirements for short, medium and long bursts — for example, 2 (2/3/4).
Size: This indicates how concealable (or not) a weapon is. Size 1 can be hidden in hand, Size 2 can be hidden in a large coat, Size 3 or more cannot be hidden. Alternate concealment rules are available: P (Palm/Pocket), S (Shirt), J (Jacket), L (Long coat) or N (Not concealable). See Weapon Concealment (p. 198) for more information on these categories.
Unless otherwise noted, each weapon listed has a Strength requirement to be used in combat. Much as how a weapon’s Damage is more about total damage potential than just the keenness of an edge, so the Strength requirement is more about leverage and balance than just weight. Generally, the Strength requirement is equal to the item’s Size. If a character’s Strength is below this requirement, his attacks with that weapon suffer a –1 penalty. (At the Storyteller’s discretion, using a weapon below the Strength requirement might invoke –1 per dot of difference between a character’s Strength and a weapon’s Size. For example, a character with Strength 1 attempting to wield a long sword of Size 3 would suffer a –2 penalty, as the weapon is simply too large.)
Durability: This is how many successes are subtracted from attacks targeted at that weapon before damage is applied. This is the average of the Durabilities of whatever materials make up the weapon, favoring whichever material makes up the largest or most vital components. A weapon’s Structure is equal to its Durability + Size. (For weapons with alterable Size, use the smallest Size to calculate Structure.) See p. 138, the World of Darkness Rulebook, for details on targeting items.
Cost: A weapon’s price is an abstract representation of the Resources Merit score required to purchase the item. (See p. 13 for how this corresponds to real dollar values.) Note that not all items are widely available for purchase. Some weapons can be found at Wal-Mart, but the majority of them are strange, antique or otherwise exotic tools that require diligence on the part of the character to find and purchase. A rapier, for instance, can be purchased, but not without some scrutiny on the part of the character. Such items might be sold on the Internet, at gun shows or Renaissance fairs, by collectors or historians or even by legitimate blacksmiths. Some items also have no Cost associated with them. This means they are particularly cheap or free, must be handmade or are simply not for sale anywhere in the public sector. Refer to the item descriptions for more information.
Notes: This is a brief summary of any other special rules that apply to the weapon. See the individual weapon descriptions for full explanations.
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