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Message: <blockquote data-quote="aramis erak" data-source="post: 7909583" data-attributes="member: 6779310">The panoply of weapons, especially the lists in AD&D, are generally done from ignorance... attributing regional names for multiple weapons that are considered the same thing both in the period of use and in informed history. For example, naginata and glaive - they are functionally the same weapon: A meat-cleaver on a stick with a thrusting point. The minor differences in appearance hide the unity of use.The basic concepts: all melee weapon use boils down to putting energy into a target for effect.Penetration of armor relies upon maximum force on minimum area.Damage to tissue requires dumping force into the target.Swing of arms, and twist of hips, allows using the principle of the lever to amplify generated force.Push and pull are weak, with their strongest being a forward thrust into the center of the target; most of the time, they're attacks of opportunity a miss. Armor works by preventing penetration via skip-off or spreading the force, and by absorbing some energy.Axes put a heavy mass at the end of the lever, and the swing accelerates it, and concentrates all that mass onto the very narrow contact patch along the blade edge. Good for denting plate armor, and can rend muscles through soft armors. Only does blunt force to chain, unless it manages to pop the links.Maces put a heavy mass at the end of the lever. Less damage than an axe, but does more painful bruising. Not good versus plate, and weak vs chain.Knives, awls, forks, thrusting tip swords, spear-tipped polearms, and thrusting spears concentrate force of a thrust, rather than a swing.  Great for popping even riveted ring. If not dead on, can be deflected easily. The classic thrust sword is the rapier, and the knife is the dagger. Can get stuck in plate or ribs.Bows use leverage and tension to time compress the energy of the draw to make a very fast acceleration of a light projectile. Very similar to knives. late medieval breastplates can be nearly impossible to penetrateMaces and hammers: Larger contact patches than axes, but similar lever force. Larger contact patch, often causes VERY painful bruising. Can trigger compartment syndrome, break bones. Dumps more energy into the target, but at a penetration penalty.Military hammers: some hammers are customized for war... they often have prongs on the corners of a square head in order to penetrate metal. Versus soft armors, can do a bunch of bruise and open 1-4 small punctures, too.Spears: Dagger on a stick. Not great for slashing, but can thrust well. Functionally, a dagger you wield from 3-5 feet (1-1.5m) back.Bec, pick: a dagger awl thrusting to the side on a stick, allowing a HUGE energy to dump. Bec's are curved, picks aren'tPolearm with a hook: The hook is for pulling on the target... including pulling passing knights off-horse, and footmen's legs.Polearms, general: two handed axes, picks, forks, and/or cleavers on a stick. If it's got an axe head, it's an axe. If it's got a pick, it's a pick. If theres a thrusting tip, it is a spear.Swords: good at chops, pushes, pulls, and slices, but not best at any.</blockquote>

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