Trip? Disarm? Sunder? Gone forever?

[Blackeagle]

-Handaxe can be thrown or meleed, but most importantly it's *useful*, especially with a hammer back, for cutting logs, freeign trapped friends, hammering in pitons or whatever.

-Quarterstaff is seriously one of the best weapons around, most folk don't realize this though. It's useful for many things, opening trpaped doors, a tent pole, lever, checkign water or mud depth, walking aid (do you know how many folk break their legs or ankles just walking on rough ground?!) etc.

-Dagger, utility tool, close up dirty fights (grappling tight tunnels etc), also good for bartering, before paper currency, a fine dagger could be easily traded.

One of my favorite character concepts was a Ranger armed with a staff, hatchet, knife, and bow. All weapons that were also useful for wilderness survival. Twin scimitars may look cool, but they make lousy walking sticks and aren't going to help you catch some game, skin a deer, make a fire, or build a shelter.

 

[SDOgre]

As far as not having decent steel, again, I point to Damascus steel which was extremely high quality and available in Europe after about 1000 CE.

It seems an interesting debate whether Damascus steel was of the same quality as Japanese used in Samurai weapons. I don't know if that one's been answered anywhere. Damascus was certainly the finest steel available in the West by far.

But by today's standards of steel, even Damascus steel is weak. History must always be kept in context.

Good point though.

 

[SDOgre]

As a novice DM, were I put on the spot for a sand-in-the-face attack, I'd say: "Standard action, make a, hm, Cha attack versus Reflex, hit and he's blinded until the end of your next turn. Sound good? Roll it. Nineteen? Awesome. He reels back in surprise and pain, staggering blindly. Better make the most of it while you can; I don't think he'll fall for that trick again."

For actions that you really don't want characters repeating over and over and take some weird non-normal movement like throwing sand in someone's face, I would have it cause an opportunity action. That generally keeps players from repeating the action unless absolutely necessary.