Weapons & Weapon Properties

In the 24-System, weapons are defined less by abstract damage types and more by how they apply pressure in combat.

All weapons follow the same base rules for attacking, wounds, armor, stamina, and range.
Weapons feel different because of their properties, especially what happens on a Partial Critical.

Weapon Categories (Baseline)

Weapons are broadly categorized by how many hands they require and how many wounds they deal.

One-Handed Weapons
- Require: L
- Deal: 1 wound
Two-Handed Weapons
- Require: L(R)
- Deal: 2 wounds

This establishes the baseline risk–reward tradeoff: greater commitment produces greater harm, but is harder to sustain when injured or fatigued.

Weapon Properties

Each weapon has at most one Primary Property and may have additional Qualities.

Primary Properties

Primary properties define what a weapon does on a Partial Critical.
A weapon may only have one primary property.

Precision

Daggers, rapiers, stilettos, bayonets

Partial Critical Effect

Inflict Bleed 1
Bleed is resolved as immediate stamina loss
This stamina loss ignores armor conversion
Armor does not lose integrity from this effect

Fiction

Weak points
Gaps in armor
Shock, blood loss, or disrupted breathing

Precision weapons excel at exhausting or destabilizing opponents rather than breaking armor.

Chopping

Axes, cleavers, heavy blades

Partial Critical Effect

Target armor loses +2 integrity instead of the normal +1

Fiction

Edge bites
Structural damage
Repeated stress fractures in armor

Chopping weapons are excellent at destroying protection, but less subtle than precision weapons.

Crushing

Maces, hammers, mauls

Partial Critical Effect

Ignore one level of mitigation
- Armor converts one fewer wound to stamina
- Or cannot fully absorb the blow

Fiction

Concussive force
Broken bones beneath armor
Internal trauma

Crushing weapons punish heavy armor without needing to destroy it.

Weapon Qualities

Qualities modify how a weapon behaves, but do not change its Partial Critical effect.

A weapon may have multiple qualities.

Reach

Weapon may ward advances from Separated → Melee
Weapon may also ward Melee → Grappling and Move-By attempts
Reach increases the difficulty of advancing past the wielder
Reach weapons lose most advantages once grappling occurs

Typical reach weapons:

Spears
Polearms
Pikes

Parry

Weapon may attack while maintaining a prepared defense
Represents binding, redirection, and controlled engagement
Common on swords and well-balanced polearms

Parry weapons favor control and survivability over raw damage.

Brace

Weapon gains benefits when set against a charge or advance
Often increases warding effectiveness
Common on spears, polearms, and bayonets

Improvised

Weapon is usable in unfavorable ranges or conditions
Loses primary property
Deals reduced damage
Examples:
- Haft strikes
- Pommel strikes
- Butt-end shoves

Lit

Weapon or projectile carries active Flame from damage-types.md.
Direct threat may increase Fear by 1.
May trigger Light Exposure against creatures adapted to darkness.
May ignite Flammable material.
Does not add wound damage by default.
Reveals the wielder’s position.

Melee weapons with Lit lose 1 Integrity at the end of the scene.

Projectiles with Lit take +2 Pressure beyond close range unless specially prepared.

Lit may be lost in water, heavy rain, strong wind, or hard impact.

Range Interaction Summary

Weapons interact with range through warding, not abstract distances.

Reach Weapons
- Ward Separated → Melee
- Ward Melee → Grappling
Non-Reach Melee Weapons
- Ward Melee → Grappling only
Unarmed / Improvised
- Cannot ward advances

Backing away from an opponent is generally safe unless surrounded or restrained.

Design Notes

Weapons differ by pressure profile, not damage type
Partial Critical effects create identity without added bookkeeping
Armor remains meaningful without becoming absolute
Injury, fatigue, and positioning naturally reshape weapon effectiveness over time

Weapon choice is tactical, situational, and narrative—not merely numeric.

Specific weapon examples and stat blocks are provided in later sections.

Example Weapons

Weapon	Hands	Wounds	Primary Property	Qualities	Notes
Dagger	L	1	Precision	—	Excels at grappling range
Rapier	L	1	Precision	Parry	Dueling weapon
Sword	L	1	—	Parry	Balanced, defensive
Greatsword	L(R)	2	—	Parry	High commitment
Axe	L	1	Chopping	—	Destroys armor
Greataxe	L(R)	2	Chopping	—	Anti-armor brute
Mace	L	1	Crushing	—	Punishes heavy armor
Maul	L(R)	2	Crushing	—	Breaks through mitigation
Spear	L(R)	1–2	—	Reach, Brace	Superior space control
Pike	L(R)	2	—	Reach, Brace	Formation weapon
Bow	L(R)	1	Precision	—	Separated range only
Firearm	L(R)	1–2	Precision	—	Wards space, ammo-limited

Ranged Weapons – Action Economy & Tactical Role (24-System)

This table summarizes how each ranged weapon interacts with the limb-based action economy, followed by short design notes explaining why each weapon exists in play.

Ranged Weapon Action Economy

Weapon	Fire Limbs Used	Reload Limbs Used	Preloaded?	Indoor Use	Noise	Notes
Sling	1 Arm	Other Arm	No	Yes	Silent	Most flexible ranged weapon
Short Bow	2 Arms	Included in attack	No	Yes	Silent	Compact, mobile
Long Bow	2 Arms	Included in attack	No	Poor	Silent	Requires space
Crossbow (Light)	1 Arm	2 Arms (+legs optional)	Yes	Yes	Quiet	Ambush-focused
Crossbow (Heavy)	2 Arms	2 Arms + Legs	Yes	Poor	Quiet	High setup cost
Pistol	1 Arm	2 Arms	Yes	Yes	Loud	Emergency lethality
Rifle	2 Arms	2 Arms	Yes	Poor	Loud	Decisive, high commitment

Weapon Explanations

Torch

A torch has the Lit quality and uses the Flame rules in damage-types.md.
A torch is usually a fear, light, and control tool, not a wound weapon.
Against armor: usually no wound, but may increase Fear by 1.
Against exposed flesh, face, hair, Flammable material, oil, or dry gear: may burn or ignite.
Against a creature adapted to darkness: may trigger Light Exposure if aimed at the eyes or face.
Against a grabbed, pinned, or restrained target: sustained contact may escalate to Location On Fire if fiction supports it.

Design Role:
The torch forces flinching, reveals darkness, and threatens ignition without being a reliable killing weapon.

Molotov Cocktail

A Molotov cocktail uses the Burning Fuel rules in damage-types.md.
Requires a lit bottle of flammable fuel and enough space to throw safely.
On a hit, the target is splashed with burning fuel and gains the Flammable quality where soaked.
Roll on the Random Hit Location table in combat.md, then keep rolling for additional affected locations until a roll repeats.
Each unique body location affected becomes Location On Fire.
A Pack / Gear result means worn or carried equipment is soaked, ignited, damaged, or becomes Item On Fire.
If several locations are affected, the Guide may treat the result as Body On Fire.
Whether it hits or misses, a Molotov usually creates a Burning Surface where it breaks.

Design Role:
The Molotov is an area-denial and panic weapon. It is unreliable as precision damage, but it can rapidly turn position, gear, and fear against a target.

Sling

Fired with one arm, reloaded with the other.
Can be used while injured, climbing, or defending.
Lowest lethality, but highest flexibility.
Ideal for harassment, hunting, and sustained skirmishing.
Silent and cheap, but weak against armor unless crits occur.

Design Role:
The sling is the most ergonomic ranged weapon, not the most deadly.

Short Bow

Requires both arms to fire.
Drawing an arrow is part of the attack action.
Compact enough for indoor or tight environments.
Quiet, sustainable, and reliable.

Design Role:
A balanced, mobile ranged weapon for scouts and skirmishers.

Long Bow

Requires both arms and space to operate.
Awkward or disadvantaged indoors.
Excellent at warding space at Separated range.
Strong sustained pressure, but vulnerable to injury or crowding.

Design Role:
The long bow rewards preparation and positioning.

Crossbow (Light)

May be carried cocked and loaded.
Can be fired one-handed, but reload requires both arms.
Reloading under pressure is difficult.
Quiet, accurate, and lethal on the opening shot.

Design Role:
An ambush weapon, not a sustained combat tool.

Crossbow (Heavy)

Requires both arms to fire.
Reloading requires full-body commitment (arms + legs).
Very slow under combat conditions.
Often unusable once enemies close.

Design Role:
A pre-planned, high-risk opening weapon.

Pistol

Fired with one arm.
Reloading requires both arms and time.
Loud, ammo-limited, but usable while moving or wounded.
Crits can be immediately decisive.

Design Role:
A panic button and finisher, not a primary solution.

Rifle

Requires both arms to fire and reload.
Awkward in confined spaces.
Loud and attention-drawing.
Crits cause catastrophic outcomes.

Design Role:
A fight-ending weapon used only when escalation is acceptable.

Design Summary

Bows and guns are parity weapons until crits.
Crits unlock armor bypass and trauma.
Reload friction and limb commitment are the real balancing factors.
Melee dominates chaos; ranged dominates preparation.

This keeps firearms rare, terrifying, and never casually optimal.

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