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Thick as Thieves and other “Avenues and Alleyways” system RPs/RPGs in general are primarily focused on stealth, exploration and diplomacy, so active fighting doesn't come up that often. However, this does not mean that combat is non-existent within the game. Furthermore, player characters are encouraged to defend themselves as best as they can, and as they see fit, whenever it is truly needed.

Though wholly unarmed combat is fully possible within the game, the players will soon realise that they'll need at least some forms of actual weaponry to last longer in the unpredictable world of being a professional thief. This page provides an overview of some common weaponry available to the thieves of Melza and of Aporue as a whole. Weapons and armaments listed here are sorted into ten basic categories, which include items for active combat use, as well as items for defensive combat or more passive protection. In a few particular cases, the line between a thieving tool and a defensive weapon even overlaps to a surprising degree, with the differences becoming blurred…

Due to the nature of the gameplay and the context of the setting, a lot of the weaponry presented here betrays its improvised and non-military roots. Nevertheless, players will also be able encounter some of the finest, most modern and most expensive arms that exist within the world of the setting.

Each overview of a weapon or armour type offers a basic description, notes on its drawbacks, notes on its degree of stealthiness, notes on its availability (to thieves) and last but not least, a recommendation of the best types of attack (or uses) for that particular weapon.

Availability of these items is scored according to the following scale: Widespread, Common, Uncommon, Rare

A rough grading system for the overall stealthiness of most weapon and armour types listed in these overviews. The grade depends on how a weapon performs while sneaking around, with its concealability and ease of carrying being the key scrutinised properties.

At the dawn of civilisation, the first fights were waged by trying to beat each other up with fists, rocks, wood and whatever else was at hand. Much has changed since then, but the least elegant weapons continue to be some of the simplest and cheapest, which counts doubly in present day of Aporue. Bludgeoning weapons used by thieves and criminals include purpose-built pieces, but one should not be surprised that many of them amount to little more than household or workplace items (or even garbage) repurposed into improvised weaponry. This list offers a look into some of the most common or most effective. As with many other weapons used by thieves, the rule of thumb points primarily to the use of weapons of smaller size, greater concealability and simpler wielding.

Brass knuckles (Knuckledusters)
Description: A fairly inexpensive and easily concealable old favourite of the criminal underworld. They serve to enhance the impact power of punches and similar bare-handed fighting moves.
Best attacks: punching
Drawbacks: Unfortunately, even on the hands of a good unarmed fighter, they are much less powerful than any other type of melee weapons. They are useless against armoured opponents, have a very small striking surface and their main weakness lies in the need to get really close to an opponent in order to hit him. Unless one can fight an opponent up-close with fists, the brass knuckles' best use ends up carrying them in your pockets just for show.
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Common

Wooden club
Description: A simple wooden club. Sometimes a properly carved or poleturned piece of wood, but often something as simple as a thicker branch or bough that one finds lying around.
Best attacks: bludgeoning (including knockouts)
Drawbacks: Unsurprisingly, it's a rubbish weapon in any actual fight, even against a single ruffian on the street, making its offensive use against adversaries really limited. In self-defence, it can be used to deliver counter-blows or to even (weakly) parry, but it's true specialty lies in being a potential knockout tool. Its lack of better outside processing and differing sizes make it less stealthy than a blackjack.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Widespread

Blackjack
Description: Not particularly impressive at first glance, the humble blackjack is one of the commonest club-like weapons in the criminal underworld as well as law enforcement. Fashioned from a usual wooden club basis augmented with cheap leather padding, it is not really a combat weapon in the true sense of the word, but more of a tool for pacifying adversaries, or even knocking them out from behind while they're not looking. To compensate for their weaker impact power, some blackjacks are equipped with leaden balls on the inside of their leather “upholstery”, in order to increase the hardiness of a blow.
Best attacks: bludgeoning (including knockouts)
Drawbacks: Like the simple wooden club or the brass knuckles, the blackjack has only limited use in actual fighting. In self-defence, it can be used to deliver counter-blows or to even (weakly) parry, but it's true specialty lies in being a sneakie knockout tool. (The outside padding usually helps avoid loud knockouts or overly deadly blows, something favoured by both thieves and city guards.)
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Common

Planson
Description: A spike-headed impact weapon, usually on a slightly longer woonden shaft. Can be described as a longer-handed relative of both the mace and the morning star. Particularly popular for military purposes, especially while fighting heavily armoured opponents. Not commonly seen among most criminals or law enforcement members, though they do occassionally occur.
Best attacks: bludgeoning, thrusting, hooking
Drawbacks: The planson is not that common, is a bit heavier than the average club and is hard to conceal, especially a specimen with a longer shaft or haft. While a planson has the merit of being usable even against armoured opponents, it is far too deadly to be used for knockouts.
Stealthiness: Weak / Average (depending on concealment)
Availability: Uncommon / Rare

Mace
Description: A metal impact weapon with a flanged or knobbed head. Particularly popular for military purposes, especially while fighting heavily armoured opponents. Not commonly seen among most criminals or law enforcement members, though they do occassionally occur.
Best attacks: bludgeoning
Drawbacks: Being a military-grade weapon and one arguably specialised against heavier armours, the mace is hard to come by in the first place. It is also a bit heavier than the average club and much more unstealthy, which tends to put even many of the more boisterous thieves off. Its great striking power makes it generally far too deadly for knockouts. Also, unlike the morning star or planson, it comes with much less options for hooking an opponent or making a thrusting attack against him.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability: Uncommon

Morning star
Description: A spike-headed metal impact weapon. Particularly popular for military purposes, especially while fighting heavily armoured opponents. Not commonly seen among most criminals or law enforcement members.
Best attacks: bludgeoning, thrusting
Drawbacks: Being a military-grade weapon and one arguably specialised against heavier armours, the morning star is hard to come by in the first place. It is also a bit heavier than the average club and much harder to conceal, which tends to put even many of the more boisterous thieves off. The morning star is also simply too deadly to be used for knockouts.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Uncommon

Hammer
Description: A simple hammer, as used in workshops, factories and in construction. The humble hammer is a good all-around improvised melee weapon, and can be seen as a bit of an “poor man's mace”. Due to their assymentrical head shapes, hammers are one of the smallest bludgeoning weapons that can be used for a hooking move at an unsuspecting opponent.
Best attacks: bludgeoning (including knockouts), hooking
Drawbacks: Though good in emergency self-defence or the occassional rougher knockouts, hammers are hardly perfect even for someone undemanding… They are too small and weak to really have any effective use in a real fight, against deadlier weaponry or people wearing armour. Though they can be used for stealthy knockouts, they are less well-suited to these than simpler clubs (especially if one wants to avoid a deadly head concussion).
Stealthiness: Good / Average (depending on the size)
Availability: Widespread

Mallet
Description: A large and heavy two-handed hammer, of the sort used for beating stakes into the ground, and so on.
Best attacks: bludgeoning
Drawbacks: Though the mallet can deal truly devastating blows to unarmoured and armoured opponents alike, its big size and huge weight make it a slow and ineffective weapon in any fight, even against relatively few opponents. It is also disadvantaged by its overspecialisation on just one type of attack.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability: Common

Metal piping club
Description: One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced into a tricky situation. It's just what it sounds like, no-frills - a piece of metal pipe which you can use as a club. The general use and performance is similar to wooden clubs, but the hardness and weight of the material can make the humble metal pipe almost as devastating as a proper metal mace.
Best attacks: bludgeoning, thrusting
Drawbacks: It's a fairly versatile improvised weapon, but it's main weakness lies in it ultimately being not much more than a short shaft of metal. Due to its metal nature, it is also nowhere near as nimble than wooden bludgeoning weapons, especially smaller ones.
Stealthiness: Average (while sneaking) / Average (while disguised as a worker)
Availability: Widespread

Cane
Description: One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced into a tricky situation. Not much to say really, it's just your usual fancier walking stick.
Best attacks: bludgeoning, thrusting, swinging
Drawbacks: The cane offers a fairly good variety of attacks, but the material it's usually constructed from makes it too frail a tool or weapon to last in any meaningful fight. Needless to say, while the cane can undoubtably prove nasty in a good thrusting attack against someone, its weaker structure makes it useless against anyone in armour, and its shorter lenghth compromises it for use in defensive parrying or swinging attacks from a distance.
Stealthiness: Weak (while sneaking) / Average to Good (while disguised as a civilian, particularly an upper-class one)
Availability: Common

Broom
Description: One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced into a tricky situation. The longer shaft of the broom offers some degree of polearm-like improvised self-defence, but not much. Other than that, the broom is almost useless in a fight, though one can attempt to swiftly strike an opponent with the straw part of the broom to distract him for a few moments.
Best attacks: Using the shaft similarly to a staff. Also, possibly trying to distract with the straw end.
Drawbacks: Like the staff, but usually less nimble, due to the thickness or irregularity of the shaft (this depends on the exact typr of broom). Another downside is the imbalance of the broom due to its straw end, setting this potential weapon's balance off.
Stealthiness: Terrible (while sneaking) / Average (while disguised as a worker)
Availability: Widespread

Staff
Description: One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced into a tricky situation. One can generally think of the staff as a longer variation on the cane. Their use is very similar, the only factor making a difference being the different thickness and lenghth. A staff is usually thicker and sometimes harder than a cane, making it a fairly good wooden club of larger size.
Best attacks: bludgeoning, thrusting, swinging
Drawbacks: While a versatile weapon in a lightly-armed fight, it is not particularly useful in a fight against much sturdier and deadlier weaponry, or against people in armour. It is much better at swinging attacks from a distance than a cane, and is usually thicker enough to last longer, but face-to-face with tough metal weapons, the staff eventually loses.
Stealthiness: Weak (while sneaking) / Average to Good (while disguised as almost any civilian)
Availability: Widespread

Shovel
Description: One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced into a tricky situation. The longer shaft of the shovel offers some degree of polearm-like improvised self-defence.
Best attacks: Bludgeoning with the flat part of the blade, bludgeoning with the edges of the blade, using the shaft similarly to a staff.
Drawbacks: The blade of the shovel makes it a good impromptu metal club on a long handle, but as most shovel blades aren't particularly sharp, it has limited use in chopping or thrusting attacks against an adversary.
Stealthiness: Terrible (while sneaking) / Average (while disguised as a worker) Availability: Common

Spade
Description: One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced into a tricky situation. Spades generally have a shorter shaft than a shovel, making them less useful for polearm-like improvised self-defence. However, they are much better for impromptu thrusting or chopping attacks than a shovel.
Best attacks: Bludgeoning with the flat part of the blade, chopping with the sharp part of the blade, thrusting with the tip of the blade.
Drawbacks: They are generally better than a shovel for improvised melee combat, but their shorter shafts put them at a disadvantage if one wants to use them in the vein of a polearm.
Stealthiness: Terrible (while sneaking) / Average (while disguised as a worker)
Availability: Common

Paddle or Oar
Description: One of the many makeshift bludgeoning weapons one can use if forced into a tricky situation. Purely in terms of use, paddles and oars are largely the same as the shovel, making them something of a “wet version” of that improvised weapon.
Best attacks: Bludgeoning with the blade of the paddle, using the shaft similarly to a staff.
Drawbacks: As paddles and oars in Aporue are manufactured only from wood, their blade simply aren't sharp enough to be used for an effective chopping or thrusting attack, making them little more than glorified huge wooden clubs with a long shaft.
Stealthiness: Terrible (while sneaking) / Average (while disguised as a sailor or bargee)
Availability: Uncommon

Knobkierie
Description: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability: Rare

Shillelagh
Description: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Average
Availability: Uncommon

Taiaha
Description: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Rare

Along with bludgeoning weapons, bladed weapons are some of the commonest in the personal arsenals of professional thieves. This list offers a look into some of the most common and most effective, some of them improvised, some purpose-built. As with many other weapons used by thieves, the rule of thumb points primarily to the use of weapons of smaller size, greater concealability and simpler wielding.

Training dagger
Type: Training weapon. Double-edged unsharpened/blunted dagger.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Stealthiness: Not used outside of guild grounds.
Availability: Not used outside of guild grounds.

Shiv
Type: A primitive, simple bladed weapon, constructed from improvised materials and focused on stabbing attacks.
Best attacks: stabbing
Drawbacks: A well-made shiv can be better than nothing, but all shivs share the drawback of generally being made from inferior materials (usually by prisoners or the lowest of criminals). Some shivs can be rather brittle, and they are all are useless in a swordfight and in knife fights where stabbing isn't a preferrable attack style.
Stealthiness: Average / Good (depending on size)
Availability: Common

Knife
Type: A simple, single-edged kitchen-style knife, used for cutting ingredients (e.g. meats, vegetables) for cooking.
Best attacks: stabbing, slashing, cutting
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: Widespread

Hunting knife
Type: TBA
Best attacks: cutting, stabbing
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Common

Penny knife
Type: A very small (and cheap) single-edged personal knife, easily concealable in a pocket, often with a folding blade.
Best attacks: stabbing, slashing
Drawbacks: A sneaky bladed weapon or bladed tool at best. Useless in a swordfight or even a real knife fight, given its very small size. Lacks a proper hilt due to its construction. It also needs to be folded out first before attempting combat.
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Common

Pocket knife
Type: A medium-sized (and fairly cheap) singl-edged personal knife, easily concealable in a pocket, often with a folding blade.
Best attacks: stabbing, cutting
Drawbacks: A sneaky bladed weapon or bladed tool that, unlike the penny knife, is somewhat sturdier and more powerful, making it more useful in a real knife fight. However, it's still useless in a swordfight. Some types might lack a proper hilt due to their construction. They also need to be folded out first before attempting combat.
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Common

Stiletto
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Uncommon

Dirk
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Uncommon

Dagger
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Widespread

Push dagger
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Rare

Hunting dagger
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Common

Fascine knife
Type: A dougle-edged defensive sidearm and sapper/woodsman tool carried by plenty of men in modern Aporuean ground forces and gendarmeries, including the Melzan army and the Frontiersmen Corps. Fascine knives are either oversized daggers that can be used as smallish shortswords, or smallish shortswords that can be used as oversized daggers. Take your pick…
Best attacks: thrusting, cutting, chopping
Drawbacks: Being military-issue multipurpose utility daggers, fascine knives are actually quite balanced weapons. Their biggest downside is their generally very limited availability. This is because they're unavailable to the public, and are used almost solely in Melza's armed forces, or in the Frontiersmen Corps (the state's gendarmerie). In those two defence organisations, they are plentiful among infantrymen (including some mounted infantry), but on the Melzan black market, it's not that easy procuring one.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Uncommon

Bayonet
Type: A large knife with a flat and elongated blade focused on thrusting. A unique and crucial feature of bayonets is their attachability under the barrels of military-issue muskets or rifles.
Best attacks: thrusting, slashing
Drawbacks: The bayonet is not very good for cutting (and is weak at slashing), as its blade is specialised almost solely for thrusting attacks. An even bigger drawback is its very limited availability, even worse than with fascine knives. In Melza, they're hard to find even among black market dealers. Good luck getting your hands on one without raiding a guarded military storage…
Stealthiness: Average
Availability: Rare

Poignard
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: Rare

Baselard
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: Rare

Singlestick
Type: Training weapon. Mock single-edged, straight one-handed sword, made of wood and completely blunt.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks: Useless in an actual fight against anyone.
Stealthiness: Not used outside of guild grounds.
Availability: Widespread, Common, Uncommon, Rare

Waster
Type: Training weapon. Mock double-edged, straight one-handed or two-handed sword, made of wood and completely blunt.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks: Useless in an actual fight against anyone.
Stealthiness: Not used outside of guild grounds.

Federschwert
Type: Training weapon. Double-edged, straight two-handed sword with a unsharpened and modified blade.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks: Useless in an actual fight against anyone.
Stealthiness: Not used outside of guild grounds.

Tantō
Type: Single-edged, slightly curved one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Rare

Yatagan
Type: Single-edged, slightly curved one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, chopping
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good (shorter forms) / Average (longer forms)
Availability: Rare

Hunting sword
Type: Small, single-edged, straight or slightly curved one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, thrusting
Drawbacks: Though it's a small and well-concealable cutting sword, this is very much a civilian weapon that's intended more for hunting and woodcraft, rather than any sort of combat, military or otherwise. While it is a cheaply acquirable bladed weapon for a thief, it's not exactly an ideal choice by any means. Average thrusting attack.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Common

Billhook
Type: Single-edged, straight and slightly curved chopping knife.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping, slashing
Drawbacks: Manoeuvrable, but overall not very powerful. The blade offers a hooking attack and limited thrusting attack, but cannot be used for stabbing. Can be quite effective against unarmoured opponents, but is useless against armoured ones. More of an larger knife and tool than a sword. Excellent for kitchenwork and butchering, but not much for fighting.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Common

Machete
Type: Single-edged, straight or slightly curved chopping knife.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping
Drawbacks: Though it can cut very nicely and clearly, it is not that poweful. Mediocre thrusting attack. Can be quite effective against unarmoured opponents, but is useless against armoured ones. More of an larger knife and tool than a sword. Excellent for woodcraft, but not much for fighting.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability: Uncommon

Cleaver
Type: Single-edged, short and robust chopping knife.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping
Drawbacks: Though it can cut very nicely and clearly, it is generally very unwieldy. That makes it more of an emergency blade, and the lack of a thrusting attack also discourages its use. Can be quite effective against unarmoured opponents, but just barely works against armoured ones. More of an larger knife and tool than a sword. Excellent for kitchenwork and butchering, but not much for fighting.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Widespread

Falchion
Type: Single-edged, robust, straight or slightly curved one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping
Drawbacks: Its weight, shorter reach and limited-to-none thrusting attack. However, it is a genuine sword, unlike the more unwieldy cleaver, billhook or machete, and is small enough and cheap enough to serve as a shortsword for a thief.
Stealthiness: Average (heavier forms) / Good (lighter forms)
Availability: Common

Messer
Type: Single-edged, straight one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks: It is not particularly poweful, is useless against armoured opponents and as a military weapon, but otherwise, it's one of the best types of shortsword a thief could hope for.
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Widespread / Common (depending on region)

Cutlass
Type: Single-edged, curved, one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping
Drawbacks: Minimal capability for thrusting attacks, curvature of the blade needs getting used to and rethinking one's style of fencing. Great against unarmoured opponents, but not good against armoured ones. Short reach of the blade.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability: Common

Swordcane
Type: Walking cane with a moderately long concealed double-edged blade.
Best attacks: slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks: Like many novelty weapons (melee arms included), the swordcane is not a particularly poweful or effective form of armament, but it has its use in personal defence or surprise attacks.
Stealthiness: Excellent (while concealed)
Availability: Uncommon

Arming sword
Type: Double-edged, straight one-handed sword.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping, thrusting
Drawbacks: Only moderate lenghth and thus shorter reach. Not as powerful or elegantly usable as a longsword, but otherwise fairly versatile (even when fighting with a shield).
Stealthiness: Average
Availability: Widespread

Katzbalger
Type: Double-edged, straight one-handed shortsword.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping, thrusting
Drawbacks: Short reach, larger and heavier than a messer. Quite expensive and at the top end of practical shortswords for most thieves.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Common

Longsword
Type: Double-edged, straight, hand and a half sword. Can be wielded one-handed, but is usually wielded by both hands.
Best attacks: cutting, chopping, thrusting
Drawbacks: Size/lenghth, weight, low conceilability. Impractical for non-guards and other figures outside of security.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Common / Uncommon (depending on region)

Long Messer
Type: Single-edged, straight, hand and a half sword. Can be wielded one-handed, but is usually wielded by both hands.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, thrusting
Drawbacks: Size/lenghth, weight, low conceilability. Impractical for non-guards and other figures outside of security.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Common / Uncommon (depending on region)

Rapier
Type: Double-edged, straight, narrower-bladed, one-handed sword.
Best attacks: thrusting, slashing
Drawbacks: Weak cutting attack, no chopping attack, somewhat frailer, useless against armoured opponents or in fighting a larger group. Not a bad sword for personal defence and duelling, but not very good for actual fighting.
Stealthiness: Weak (longer forms) / Average (shorter forms)
Availability: Uncommon

Basket-hilted sword
Type: Double-edged, straight, wider-bladed, one-handed sword.
Best attacks: thrusting, slashing
Drawbacks: Weak chopping attack, generally useless against armoured opponents. Not a bad sword for personal defence and duelling, but not very good for actual fighting.
Stealthiness: Weak (longer forms) / Average (shorter forms)
Availability: Common

Sabre
Type: Single-edged, curved, one-handed sword.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing
Drawbacks: Barely any capability for thrusting attacks, curvature of the blade needs getting used to and rethinking one's style of fencing. Great against unarmoured opponents, but not good against armoured ones. Some larger sabres are better suited to cavalry combat. Impractical for non-guards and other figures outside of security.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability: Common / Uncommon

Paloš (Backsword)
Type: Single-edged, straight or only slightly curved one-handed sword.
Best attacks: cutting, slashing, chopping
Drawbacks: Somewhat heavier than a sabre, still lacks a satisfying thrusting attack, better suited for horseback combat than on-foot fighting, largely useless against armoured opponents. Impractical for non-guards and other figures outside of security.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability: Common / Uncommon

Training throwing blade
Type: Bladed throwing weapon for training purposes.
Drawbacks: Not very accurate. Very limited melee use, primarily a ranged weapon. Limited range.
Stealthiness: Not used outside of guild grounds.
Availability: Not used outside of guild grounds.

Throwing star
Type: Bladed throwing weapon, usually in various star-like or cross-like shapes.
Drawbacks: Hard to master the throwing motion. Not very accurate. Very limited melee use, primarily a ranged weapon. Limited range.
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Rare

Throwing knife
Type: Bladed throwing weapon, usually made from a knife or fashioned into a knife-like shape.
Drawbacks: Not very accurate. Very limited melee use, primarily a ranged weapon. Limited range.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Uncommon

A small glossary of bladed weaponry parts and terms:
hilt - the handle of the sword (or a dagger, etc.) in its entirety. Some newer types of swords in Aporue have more elaborate “basket hilts” for added protection of the wielder's hand, while older and more robust types of swords usually have a simpler crossguard.
grip - as the name implies, the section of the sword hilt which is the handle proper, i.e. which one grips the sword with, whether with one hand or two (depending on the type of sword).
guard - the guard serves as a barrier between the grip section of the hilt and the blade of the weapon itself. Though many bladed weapons tend to have an added ricasso in front of the guard, the guard is useful not only from preventing one's hands from slipping forwards onto the blade, but also serves as a key protective measure against an opponent's blade sliding towards a sword-wielder's hilt. The crossguard is the simplest and commonest of guards seen in swords, daggers, etc., but there are also other and more elaborate versions, and some had eventually evolved into the ornate basket guards seen on some newer types of Aporuean swords.
pommel - a fitting at the end of the hilt, to prevent the sword slipping from the hand. Comes in many shapes and sizes, but is usually large enough to provide a comfortable barrier for one's hand(s) while holding the weapon.
fuller - the groove on the blade of many bladed weapons, most commonly double-edged swords, bayonets and certain types of knives and daggers. Very often incorrectly called a “blood groove”, which is a term people probably got out of Aporuean penny dreadfuls rather than any real fencing manual.
ricasso - an unsharpened lenghth of blade just above the guard or handle on a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet.
single-edged - a blade that is sharpened only on one of its edges, giving it something of an asymmetrical look. This is most typical for various curved swords and other curved blades (e.g. sabres, yatagans), but it does occur in straight-shaped blades as well (e.g. messers, backswords).
double-edged - a blade that is sharpened on both of its edges, giving the blade a symmetrical appearance. This type of blade is the one virtually everyone imagines first when the words “sword” and “dagger” are brought up in conversation. All arming swords, most of the regularly shaped daggers and most shortswords and longswords fall under this definition.
cutting - pretty much the commonest form of swinging attack that one can achieve with most types of bladed weapons, swords included (however, certain types of daggers are geared primarily for thrusting/stabbing). While cutting into an opponent can be problematic if he's wearing sturdy enough armour - especially metal armour - the goal of this attack is to cut into the opponent's body and deal him some more serious harm. Cutting through anything up to mail armour is possible, but all armour types above that are virtually invulnerable to classic cutting swings with a blade.
slashing - a swinging attack weaker than a cut, that nevertheless leaves a wound on the opponent or dents his clothing or armour. Slashing is impossible to do on any adversaries clad in metal armour, but is a valid move against unarmoured opponents and can still work against opponents in armour based on cloth or leather.
thrusting - a stabbing attack with the tip of a weapon, usually referred to by this name in the case of swords. Stabbing with knives and daggers is simply stabbing, though it is still technically thrusting. One wielding tactic that can help increase the effectiveness of thrusting is half-swording.
chopping - an attack similar in basic motion to an attack with an axe, but with a bladed weapon. Instead of a more refined cutting or slashing attack, one uses his sword as one would use an axe - the blow or swing is delivered from a certain height, with great power, and with gravity and the weight of the sword providing the conditions for a chop. Only larger and heavier blades can really attempt this attack effectivelly.
half-swording - a particular type of semi-improvised attack possible with more robust swords, where the wielder grabs the blade of the sword with at least one hand and uses it to add precision to his thrusts, swings or blocks. A ricasso on the blade makes this easier, but even a sharp blade can be held by a hand without getting cut. A rarer and even more impromptu form of half-swording is when one grabs the blade with both hands and tries to hit his opponent with the sword hilt, in the manner of a club or mace.
shortsword - some people speak of shortswords as if they were one standardised type of weapon, but they are actually just an umbrella term for a whole family of smaller one-handed swords with shorter blades. These swords run the typological gamut from single-edged to double-edged, and differ in weight, blade shape, hilt construction, attack specialisation, etc. A katzbalger, falchion and yatagan are definitely not the same type of weapon. Due to the size, practicality and general inexpensiveness of most shortswords, they are the most favoured sword family among thieves and other criminals in Aporue (including Melza).
arming sword - always one-handed and always double-edged sword. Something of a size, lenghth and wielding compromise between shortswords and longswords, but a very good compromise nonetheless. Arming swords are common throughout Aporue, and in Melza and elsewhere, you can see them being used by security forces as well as thieves and other criminals.
longsword - slightly less of an umbrella term than “shortsword”, the longsword nevertheless comes in several notable varieties. However, the most common form is still the longer double-edged sword that is capable of being wielded by both hands, as well as just one hand, and which comes equipped with a simple crossguard at the root of the hilt. In the thieving world, longswords generally have little use outside of guild guards and the like, but in the world of law enforcement and the military, they are common.
curved swords - umbrella term for various swords with a curved blade from around the world. These include the Aporuean sabre, cutlass, paloš, yatagan, etc., but also some more exotic weapons from more distant parts of the world, such as the tantō. Curved swords can often fall into both shortsword and longsword categories, depending on their sizes and styles of wielding.

Polearms are among the cheapest and most easy to manufacture weapons in the proper sense of the word. However, as one might expect, the vast majority of polearms are too big or long in size to be in any way stealthy, and therefore are not really practical to the average thief. Especially not in an urban environment. Only some of the very smallest polearms form something of an exception to this, but even these are used only sparringly. Polearms are more useful while adventuring in the wilderness, but even there, it depends on the choice of weapon (as some of the bigger polearm types are very defensively focused and not easy to wield). Generally, the commonest users of polearms in the thieving community are those who specialise in securit - usually Guards and Brigands. Outside of thieves, polearms are popular among the guarding duty elements of the City Watch, and to an extent, among some members of the Frontiersmen Corps.

Hatchet
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Average

Fokos (longer handle)
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Average

Axe
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Battleaxe
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Bardiche
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Poleaxe
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Halberd
Type: A polearm combining an axe head balanced with a spike and a hook-like fluke. Carried and used exclusively by infantry, whether military or law enforcement. Related to bills and voulges.
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Glaive (and Glaive-guisarme)
Type: A polearm with a long cleaver-like, or more rarely, scythe-shaped blade. Related to warscythes, bills and sovnyas. Glaives with added implements (usually spike-like ones) represent glaive-guisarme variations.
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Bill (and Bill-guisarme)
Type: A polearm with an asymmetrical head usually fashioned into a curved cutting hook in front, balanced with a short spike in back. Originally derived from an agricultural instrument, the bill is related to glaives and warscythes, and more distantly to halberds and voulges. Inclusion of additional spikes is typical of the bill-guisarme variations.
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Voulge (and Voulge-guisarme)
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Wooden rod
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Metal rod
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Hunting spear
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Harpoon
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Rohatina (bear spear)
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Boar spear
Type: A simple spear with a broad, leaf-shaped blade and a cross-toggle below. Originally used in boar hunting, it later gained a military role as well.
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Warspear
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Partisan (and here)
Type: A polearm with a symmetrical double-edged central blade, often highly decorated. Though usable as a spear, it is mostly carried as a ceremonial arm by officers and bodyguards.
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Pitchfork
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Military fork
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Warscythe (Fauchard)
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Sovnya
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Goedendag
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Polehammer (Bec de corbin)
Type: TBA
Best attacks: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Mechanical projectile weapons have existed since the earliest periods of more advanced weaponry, ever since people realised there is a more effective way of ranged fighting than just using throwing weaponry. They come in many forms, shapes and sizes, but they all share the basic trait of firing a projectile (often ball-shaped or arrow-shaped) that targets an enemy or some other objects that needs hitting from afar. Even with the scientific and industrial revolution progressing throughout Aporue nowadays, mechanical ranged weapons still have a long way to completely go out of fashion. While the usage and accessibility of firearms is gradually increasing and older projectile weapon types are slowly losing their military importance, bows, crossbows and related weaponry remain popular in particular areas of the continent and among particular social groups. In the thieving community, bows, crossbows and so on continue to be favoured for two-reasons: They're overall cheaper to make and repair, and they are much more quiet than even the best built gun. Nevertheless, it's true that not all projectile weapons are equally stealthy, as different specific types of weapons emit differing amounts of sound (in terms of both volume and sharpness). .

These are some of the most primitive ranged weapons available. They don't use bowstrings or any other sophisticated mechanisms, and rely on human strength only. All of them are very easily concealable and ammo for them is usually not hard to find or make, but some of them can emit quite a loud sound while being used.

Sling
Type: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent

Slingshot
Type: A somewhat more accurate and rather more modern cousin of the humble sling. Slingshots come with a usually Y-shaped wooden or metal handle, the sling cord itself attached to it, and a short band of either leather or
Reloading time: At least 3-4 seconds.
Drawbacks: Though in the hands of an excellent shot it can prove even fairly deadly, the slingshot is nevertheless a very weak weapon. The accuracy, while in some ways greatly increased over that of a sling, is
Stealthiness: Excellent

Blowpipe
Type: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Excellent

Bows are the go-to choice for most thieves looking for a more powerful but at the same time quiet enough ranged weapon. Unfortunately, they take a longer while to learn and can be a bit sensitive to bad conditions or rougher use.

Wooden short bow
Type: A short wooden selfbow, with a round, semi-circular or oval profile. General purpose shooting weapon, very widespread, possibly even the commonest bow one can come across.
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Widespread

Wooden hunting bow
Type: A short or medium-length wooden selfbow, with a round, semi-circular or oval profile. Functionally and capability-wise, it is very similar to the usual wooden short bow, but with properties slightly more specialised for its main purpose as a hunting weapon.
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA
Availability: Common

Wooden longbow
Type: A long wooden selfbow, with a round, semi-circular or oval profile.
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Common

Wooden flatbow
Type: A wooden selfbow with a flat profile. The size of a flatbow can range quite a bit, from short to even long, but most examples found in Melza and elsewhere in central Aporue are of a medium length. The main distinguishing feature of flatbows is the flatness of their selfbow's profile. Whereas many traditional bows keep an oval, round or semi-circular profile, the flatbow generally has a more rectangular shape. Bows of this type are used in a variety of roles, including some degree of popularity among law enforcement or hired security, but they're primarily civilian bows used for hunting, practice and even recreation.
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability: Common

Composite short bow
Type: TBA
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Average
Availability: Uncommon

Composite hunting bow
Type: TBA
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Average
Availability: Uncommon

Composite cavalry bow
Type: TBA
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability: Rare

Composite reflex bow
Type: TBA
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Average / Weak
Availability: Rare

Crossbows, especially the larger and more complex ones, take longer to reload and tend to be noisier than any bow. But they are easy to master, shoot with less of ballistic arc and have only slightly lesser range than bows.

Hunting crossbow (manually loaded)
Type: A smaller and fairly light type of civilian crossbow, generally weaker than larger military crossbows, but plenty accurate given its specialisation on hunting. Its prods (forming the bow) are wooden, usually made from either a single type of wood, or several types combined together in layers. This particular subtype of the hunting crossbow is reloaded the old-fashioned way, by hand - which is reasonably quick, but more tiring than if one were to use a reloading tool.
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Good / Average
Availability: Common

Hunting crossbow (with goat's foot lever)
Type: A smaller and fairly light type of civilian crossbow, generally weaker than larger military crossbows, but plenty accurate given its specialisation on hunting. Its prods (forming the bow) are wooden, usually made from either a single type of wood, or several types combined together in layers. This particular subtype of the hunting crossbow comes with a “goat's foot” lever for easier reloading.
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Good / Average
Availability: Common

Composite crossbow (with goat's foot lever)
Type: Medium-sized and slightly heavier, composite crossbows are at home both in the civilian and military/mercenary sphere of society. As their name implies, their prods are constructed from combined layers of horn, wood and sinew. The nature of the bow gives the bolts some additional impact power, making the composite crossbow more powerful (and in a fight, potentially deadlier) than their hunting-oriented cousins with simpler bows. This particular subtype of the composite crossbow comes with a “goat's foot” lever for easier reloading.
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Average / Weak
Availability: Common

Composite crossbow (with windlass winch)
Type: Medium-sized and slightly heavier, composite crossbows are at home both in the civilian and military/mercenary sphere of society. As their name implies, their prods are constructed from combined layers of horn, wood and sinew. The nature of the bow gives the bolts some additional impact power, making the composite crossbow more powerful (and in a fight, potentially deadlier) than their hunting-oriented cousins with simpler bows. This particular subtype of the composite crossbow comes with a windlass winch for easier reloading.
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Average / Weak
Availability: Uncommon

Composite crossbow (with cranequin winch)
Type: Medium-sized and slightly heavier, composite crossbows are at home both in the civilian and military/mercenary sphere of society. As their name implies, their prods are constructed from combined layers of horn, wood and sinew. The nature of the bow gives the bolts some additional impact power, making the composite crossbow more powerful (and in a fight, potentially deadlier) than their hunting-oriented cousins with simpler bows. This particular subtype of the composite crossbow comes with a cranequin winch for easier reloading.
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: Average / Weak
Availability: Uncommon

Steel crossbow (with windlass winch)
Type: Robust and heavy crossbow type, popular particularly among soldiers, mercenaries and fortification guards. Unlike its more traditional cousins, it uses steel laths for its bow, instead of wooden or composite prods. The steel crossbow has very good range and has impressive impact power, capable of piercing even plate armour with a little luck. This particular subtype of the steel crossbow uses a windlass winch to reload bolts.
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: Compared to most crossbows, it is fairly large, heavy and unwieldy. Designed as an infantryman's weapon, using it on horseback is out of the question. These size and movement issues, along with it being fairly noisy while shooting and reloading, don't make it very stealthy. Its firepower makes it a quality ranged weapon though.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Uncommon

Steel crossbow (with cranequin winch)
Type: Robust and heavy crossbow type, popular particularly among soldiers, mercenaries and fortification guards. Unlike its more traditional cousins, it uses steel laths for its bow, instead of wooden or composite prods. The steel crossbow has very good range and has impressive impact power, capable of piercing even plate armour with a little luck. This particular subtype of the steel crossbow uses a cranequin winch to reload bolts.
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: Compared to most crossbows, it is fairly large, heavy and unwieldy. Designed as an infantryman's weapon, using it on horseback is out of the question. These size and movement issues, along with it being fairly noisy while shooting and reloading, don't make it very stealthy. Its firepower makes it a quality ranged weapon though.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Uncommon

Latchet crossbow (with built-in loading lever)
Type: A smaller and fairly light type of crossbow. Popular among civilians and law enforcement alike, it can be shot one-handed from both foot and horseback. Quite powerful, though perhaps not as much as a conventional hunting crossbow or other light crossbow. Most examples utilise a steel bow (often recurved, in addition to the typical D shape). The latchet crossbow's main advantage (along with size) is its unique combination of the trigger mechanism with an integrated reloading lever, roughly similar to a built-in goat's foot reloader. This allows the crossbow a fairly swift reloading time, making it a good hit-and-run weapon for anyone who needs to reload and shoot frequently at a short distance, while on the move.
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: Despite being fairly small in size, offering quick reloading and ease of use on both foot and horseback - making it a fairly ideal weapon for many an adventurer or criminal - it doesn't pack much of a punch compared to other crossbows. When it comes to range, it also can't reliably cover larger distances, despite fairly good poundage. Finally, though it can be shot one-handed if needed, it requires both hands for reloading, just like all crossbows.
Stealthiness: Good / Average
Availability: Common

Horseman's crossbow (with cranequin winch)
Type: A smaller and fairly light type of military-grade crossbow, specialised size-wise for cavalrymen and mounted infantrymen/policemen. To no one's surprise, this makes it a popular crossbow for mounted gendarmes operating in the countryside, such as Melza's Frontiersmen Corps. (Another favourite is the aforementioned latchet crossbow.) This crossbow had a steel bow and uses a (smaller size) cranequin winch to reload bolts. Some examples even include the winch as an integrated device, foldable to the side of the stock when not in use.
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: Though the cranequin reloading mechanism makes it a comfortable crossbow to reload, at one's own leisure, it also greatly increases the reload time. Reloading on horseback is also a bit finicky, especially to the untrained hands. Even an integrated cranequin takes time to fold into position, set and then wind, despite its advantage of not having to be put away and then pulled out again from one's belt. A further issue is the slightly greater weight when compared with a latchet crossbow. Finally, there's the relative rarity of the crossbow - good luck finding it among anyone else than law enforcement members (e.g. the Frontiersmen Corps) or the occassional aristocrat.
Stealthiness: Good / Average
Availability: Uncommon

These are more unusual projectile weapons, utilising either a crossbow basis or a clockwork mechanism basis. Virtually all of them are rare pieces of technology, and aside from one or two examples, they are used only by civilians (including criminals), not by law enforcement.

Balestrino (“Pocket crossbow”)
Type: A special type of tiny all-metal crossbow, scaled down and simplified enough to be easily concealable even under clothes. Darts are shot by manipulating a screw-operated spring trigger. Originally a novelty toy, some criminals have bought these and modified them for clandestine operations.
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: One of the better concealable ranged weapons in general, its low power and high degree of specialisation doesn't make for a good performance beyond short, near ranges. Due to originally being manufactured as a toy, it is both less effective and more expensive a weapon to acquire than a proper dartgun. Even slingshots prove better projectile weapons ! The balestrino should only be used if there is nothing better at hand for shooting darts.
Stealthiness: Excellent
Availability: Rare

Stingbow (“Forearm crossbow”)
Type: The popular imagination sees stingbows simply as very small crossbows strapped to one's wrist, often hyperbolically praising their novelty value. In actuality, stingbows have some significant differences to a usual crossbow in terms of shape. They function more like wrist-mounted slingshots that shoot small darts.
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: Useless beyond a very close range. Not practical for situations when one does not have enough time and cover to reload, as it takes too long. One has to reload the snapbow with a new dart purely by hand, which is difficult, given that only hand can be used for this. The snapbow also shoots with understandably low power, not making dart impacts particularly strong.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Rare

Pistol crossbow
Type: Along with the stingbow, a common fixture in the popular imagination about the criminal underworld. In reality, both stingbows and pistol crossbows are not the best of ranged weapons. As a hybrid of a wheel-lock or flintlock pistol frame and a small crossbow, the pistol crossbow is more about looks than any particular effectiveness. Depending on the specific model, the pistol crossbow can either shoot darts or small crossbow quarrels.
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: Due to the construction, it has to be carried in a pistol holster, but the presence of the bow at the front of the weapon also requires modifications to a holster and limits the concealability and holstering/unholstering of the weapon.
Stealthiness: Average
Availability: Uncommon

Pelletbow
Type: A special type of light crossbow, largely similar in size to a hunting crossbow, but with a doubled bowstring that includes a tab in the middle. In essence, it is a hybrid of a manually-loaded light crossbow and a slingshot. The pelletbow doesn't use bolts at all, eliminating the need to constantly prepare new ones or search for already shot ones. Instead, its slingshot-like specialised bowstring shoots small stones, pebbles, or pellets moulded out of clay.
Draw weight: TBA
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: Even though it basically does away with the problem of finding ammunition for it, its construction also completely disallows it to use crossbow bolts. Given that its incapable of using trick bolts, the pelletbow can only work as a pure weapon, not as a thieving gadget. It is also weaker in terms of potential impact damage, though a pebble shot accurately from a short distance can still deal plenty of harm.
Stealthiness: Average / Weak (depending on size)
Availability: Rare

Dartgun
Type: Mechanical ranged weapon somewhat similar to a small pistol or a derringer. A spring-loaded device, it shoots dart projectiles.
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: Underpowered weapon, the impact of the darts its shoots isn't anything to write home about.
Stealthiness: Good
Availability: Rare

Speargun
Type:A rifle-like weapon that fires spearbolts, a large type of projectile wholly unique to it. Unlike a rifle, the speargun is a mechanical, spring-loaded device, making it something of a larger, two-handed relative to the dartgun.
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: It is reasonably quick to reload and a well-aimed spearbolt can prove deadly even to formiddable and strong foes (person or animal), but its rareness and limited availability prohibit its usefulness. Most spearguns can be found at naval workshops and naval armories.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Rare

Bulbuous container air rifle
Type:A weaker, but fairly multi-purpose rifle, that doesn’t need gunpowder, and is thus technically not a firearm in the true sense. It uses compressed air, stored in a bulbous container housed underneath and in front of the chamber and trigger area. (Note: Based on the real world's Pritchard air rifle from the 1850s and 1860s.)
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: It is reasonably quick to reload and a well-aimed spearbolt can prove deadly even to formiddable and strong foes (person or animal), but its rareness and limited availability prohibit its usefulness. Most spearguns can be found at naval workshops and naval armories.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Rare

Radirgioni air rifle
Type:Invented by a Montoverdin engineer, this is a multi-purpose rifle that doesn’t need gunpowder, and is thus technically not a firearm in the true sense. It uses compressed air, stored in containers housed within the stock area. Surprisingly, it is also a repeater, and arguably one of the most technologically advanced projectile weapons in Aporue, other than the latest experimental types of firearms. Though a rare and expensive rifle, it is excellent for sniping and even hunting and can use calibers available to other muskets and rifles. (Note: Based on the real world's Girardoni air rifle from the late 18th century.)
Reloading time: TBA
Drawbacks: Once it runs out of compressed air, it needs to have its containers detached and repumped with air, before it can shoot again. Its rareness, limited availability and high expense of manufacturing and maintaining its parts can prohibit its wider use. In terms of aural stealth, while it is not as loud as gunpowder firearms, it is still at least as loud as some of the louder crossbows.
Stealthiness: Weak
Availability: Rare

A small glossary of projectile weaponry parts and terms:
selfbow - material typology. Any (usually non-recurved) bow made from a single piece of wood. However, some of them can be seen utilising horn nocks on the ends or built-up handles as smaller additions.
composite bow - material typology. Any bow, recurved or non-recurved, made from more one than one type of material (usually horn and/or sinew in addition to wood).
flatbow - shape typology. A non-recurved, flat-shaped bow, with relatively wide limbs that are approximately rectangular in cross-section. Because the limbs are relatively wide, flatbows will usually narrow and become deeper at the handle, with a rounded, non-bending handle for easier grip.
recurved bow - shape typology. A bow with tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is strung. The difference between recurve and other bows is that the string touches a section of the limb when the bow is strung. A recurve bow stores more energy and delivers energy more efficiently than an equivalent straight-limbed bow, giving a greater amount of energy and speed to the arrow.
shortbow - size typology. A small, short bow. Shape-wise, it can be a non-recurved selfbow or flatbow, or a recurved selfbow or composite bow. Many types of shortbows (especially shortbows) are often specialised for effective cavalry combat. Due to their fairly small size, shortbows can often be easily carried on the belt, like a common belt-holstered weapon. For this, they use a tailor-made bowcase.
longbow - size typology. A big, tall bow. Per tradition, it is a wooden selfbow, and shape-wise, it is not significantly recurved. A longbow's limbs are relatively narrow, so that they are circular or D-shaped in cross section, unlike the more rectangular shapes of flatbow cross sections. Size-wise, a longbow is roughly equal to the height of the person who uses it, allowing its user a fairly long draw, at least to the jaw. However, the size of the weapon also prohibits carrying it holstered on the belt or on the back, so it has to be carried by hand. Its also a lot less practical and effective on horseback than a shortbow.
stirrup - most crossbows come equipped with metal stirrups in front of the bow, to increase the ease of reloading. This is achieved by the user sticking his foot into the stirrup while pulling back the bowstring to ready the crossbow for fire. Some light crossbows that are reloaded by hand might lack stirrups.
goat's foot - a type of crossbow-spanning device in the form of a specially shaped wooden-metal lever that helps reload the bowstring more quickly and effectively (especially on higher-powered crossbows that are much more difficult to reload by hand). Depending on how the crossbow is constructed, one can use a goat's foot that works as either a pull lever or a push lever.
windlass - a type of crossbow-spanning device, in the form of two collinear crank handles attached to the back end of a crossbow
cranequin - a type of crossbow-spanning device, in the form of a rack and pinion winch with a single crank
quiver - arrow or bolt case, made from various light and flexible materials. Depending on its size and design, it can be worn on the belt (like a holster) or on the back, diagonally (slightly like a backpack).
arrow - projectile fired by a bow. The most common combat-suited arrowheads are broadheads (general purpose, also useful for hunting) and bodkins (cheaper, potentially capable of penetrating mail, but not plate armour). Criminals and explorers also use special types of gadget arrowheads.
bolt - projectile fired by a crossbow. Shorter than an arrow, with some structural differences. The most common combat-suited arrowheads are broadheads (general purpose, also useful for hunting) and bodkins (cheaper, potentially capable of penetrating mail, but not plate armour). Criminals and explorers also use special types of gadget arrowheads.
dart - projectile fired by a blowpipe, dartgun or pistol crossbow.
spearbolt - projectile fired by a speargun.
bracer - clothing accessory for bow archery. Usually made from leather, the bracer is worn on the inside of the wrist and forearm, acting as a protection against injury by the bowstring or the fletching of a released arrow. While historically more of a military man's choice, the bracer has practical value even for non-soldier, civilian archers.
thumb ring, finger tab, etc. - clothing accessories for bow archery. The ring or the tab is worn on one's thumb or one's fingers used for drawing the bowstring. This is done in order to prevent wear and injury to said digits. While historically more of a military man's choice, these accessories have practical value even for non-soldier, civilian archers. A popular alternative to them among many civilians (professional thieves included) are slightly modified gloves that allow the user protection during bow shooting as well as other manual tasks (e.g. climbing, carrying, etc.).

Firearms and thieves. A controversial topic to some, but one worth adressing. Technological progress cannot be stopped dead in its tracks. Over the last few centuries, firearms have been becoming increasingly widespread and sophisticated throughout Aporue. However, the continent is not uniformly swamped with guns, and though some breakthroughs have been made in firearm design in recent history, the vast majority of firearms existing in Aporue are not much more advanced than those from the real world's 18th and early 19th century. Let's get one thing out of the way right now: No gun is particularly stealthy. In that regard, they are virtually all rather rubbish - even the most easily concealed, most underpowered and least loud. You'll hardly be a king of stealth with a battered old pepperbox in your belt holster. On the brighter side of things, guns are still useful as generally powerful and effective ranged weapons, take about as long to master as crossbows, and can be particularly great during lenghthy adventuring in the wilderness, far away from an urban context. They are also very effective in ranged naval combat, where they have already displaced most older ranged weaponry.

a.) Long guns

Matchlock arquebus (muzzleloader)
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible

Matchlock musket (muzzle-loader)
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible

Wheel-lock musket
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible

Wheel-lock carbine
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible

Snaphance musket
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible

Flintlock musket
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible

Flintlock carbine (muzzle-loader)
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible

Flintlock rifle
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Uncommon

Fusil
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Rare

Caplock musket
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Rare

Caplock rifle
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Rare

Fowling piece
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Common

Blunderbuss
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Common

Scattergun
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Uncommon

Pepperbox rifle
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Rare

Revolver carbine
Description: Breechloader, cylinder magazine.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible

Lever-action volcanic rifle
Description: Breechloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible

Lever-action hunting rifle
Description: Breechloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Rare

Lever-action army rifle
Description: Breechloader, magazine.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Rare

Lever-action carbine
Description: Breechloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Rare

"Needle gun" bolt-action rifle
Description: Breechloader, single-shot.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Availability: Rare

b.) Handguns

Matchlock pistol
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good (when concealed) / Terrible (when fired)
Availability: Common

Wheel-lock pistol
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good (when concealed) / Terrible (when fired)
Availability: Common

Flintlock pistol
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good (when concealed) / Terrible (when fired)
Availability: Uncommon

Pepperbox pistol
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good (when concealed) / Terrible (when fired)
Availability: Uncommon

Volcanic pistol
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good (when concealed) / Terrible (when fired)
Availability: Rare

Matchlock revolver
Description: Breechloader, cylinder magazine.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good (when concealed) / Terrible (when fired)
Availability: Rare

Derringer / Palm pistol
Description: Muzzleloader.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good (when concealed) / Terrible (when fired)
Availability: Rare

Pocket revolver
Description: Breechloader, cylinder magazine.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good (when concealed) / Terrible (when fired)
Availability: Rare

Six-shot revolver
Description: Breechloader, cylinder magazine.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good (when concealed) / Terrible (when fired)
Availability: Rare

Seven-shot revolver
Description: Breechloader, cylinder magazine.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: Good (when concealed) / Terrible (when fired)
Availability: Rare

c.) Light artillery and stationary guns

These cannot be owned, but can be used by a player character.

Wall gun
Description: Muzzleloader, single-shot large arquebus or musket.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: N/A
Availability: Common

Fauconneau
Description: Muzzleloader, single-shot light artillery. Also known as a “Falcongun” or “Talongun”.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: N/A
Availability: Common

Perrier
Description: Breechloader, single-shot light artillery. Also known as a “Fastgun”.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: N/A
Availability: Common

Rotogun
Description: Breechloader, revolving cylinder magazine.
Advantages: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: N/A
Availability: Rare

Various gadgets or contraptions that create small explosions or spread substances that confuse or knock out adversaries. Individual thieves can receive or purchase these devices either within the home compound of their guild, or in one of the secret thieving gear shops throughout the City. Player characters with the Bombmaker, Gadgeteer and Alchemist specialisations can even learn to manufacture explosives, but this requires a fairly long learning curve and access to specialised tools and materials in a secure workshop.

Smokebomb
Description: A type of hand-deployed mechanical “trick bomb”. Once activated, it releases a cloud of thick, dense, nearly fog-like smoke that obscures an adversary's vision. A smokebomb is the easiest to manufacture and cheapest explosive one can buy. To create the smoke, the bomb utilises dried ice that reacts with water from a (trigger-operated) vial, poured into the ice compartment of the bomb. (Even small amounts of dried ice are effective, as they can produce a lot of smoke.)
Advantages: A smokebomb has the advantage of being reusable - it can be picked up once depleted, and then refilled after returning from a heist.
Drawbacks: Its main disadvantage is that it's a very passive form of defence and can only distract an opponent for a few tens of seconds at the longest, without stunning him.
Stealthiness: Excellent (in interiors without transparent windows) / Good (in interiors with transparent windows during daylight and outside during night time) / Average (outside spaces in daylight)
(Note: This device is generally similar to the real world's smoke bombs or smoke grenades.)

Flashbomb
Description: A type of hand-deployed mechanical “trick bomb”. Once activated, it releases an extremely bright, blinding flash that robs an adversary of his vision for a certain amount of time. To create the flash, the bomb's trigger operates a firesteel, which develops a spark that lights a special chemical powder of Lokytian origin, known as blitzpulver. The flash from the detonating powder is enhanced by the flashbomb's surface being embedded with larger lenses of hardened glass, making the flash more abrupt and painful to the eyes than if it was escaping just through regular holes in the bomb.
Advantages: A flashbomb has the advantage of being reusable - it can be picked up once depleted, and then refilled after returning from a heist. The major benefit of the flashbomb is that it's an actual stun weapon, capable of temporarily dazing an opponent (instead of just confusing him).
Drawbacks: The gadget does have the potentially dangerous disadvantage of… blinding yourself. Quickly turning away after throwing the bomb is therefore highly recommended as a preventive measure to such a mishap. A flashbomb requires more complex manufacturing techniques and is generally pricier, but is still rather affordable to a moderately well-off thief.
Stealthiness: Excellent (in interiors without transparent windows) / Good (in interiors with transparent windows) / Average (outside)
(Note: This device is generally similar to the real world's “flashbangs”.)

Gasbomb
Description: A type of hand-deployed mechanical “trick bomb”. Once activated, it releases a cloud of quickly spreading gas that incapacitates adversaries. Depending on the type of filling and the amount of dosage, the gas can cause anything from extreme tear-letting and unbearable coughing to outright setting the victim to sleep.
Advantages: A gasbomb has the advantage of being reusable - it can be picked up once depleted, and then refilled after returning from a heist. The major benefit of the gasbomb is that it's an actual stun weapon, capable of temporarily dazing an opponent or even putting him to sleep (depending on what gas is chosen for the filling).
Drawbacks: A gasbomb is generally quite pricy, though still affordable to a well-off thief. While it actually doesn't require much more complex manufacturing techniques than a smokebomb, certain parts of its internal mechanism and the chemically developed gases it's filled with are nevertheless not easy to acquire even for hard cash. As a rule of thumb, sleep gas is generally more expensive than tear-inducing gas. Also, the gadget does have the potentially dangerous disadvantage of… gasing yourself. Avoiding the gas clouds created by the bomb is therefore highly recommended as a preventive measure to such a mishap.
Stealthiness: Excellent (in interiors without transparent windows) / Good (in interiors with transparent windows during daylight and outside during night time) / Average (outside spaces in daylight)
(Note: This device is generally similar to the real world's gas grenades, including tear gas grenades.)

Grenade
Description: A simpler, non-mechanical type of hand-deployed explosive bomb. Once lit and initiated, it causes a small explosion that can harm adversaries. Something of a home-made explosive, it's virtually just a ceramic container with a wick, filled with an explosive compound.
Advantages: Though it can be used against sapient adversaries, its recommended use is for dealing with various dangerous beasts, creatures and monsters, and even with man-made patrol and guard automatons.
Drawbacks: Outside of its high price and high manufacturing costs, its main obvious disadvantage is its unstealthiness, so it should only be used in places that are out of sight and out of immediate earshot. Another disadvantage is its zero reusability, since it gets completely destroyed in the detonation.
Stealthiness: Terrible (out in an open space) / Weak (if the explosion is muffled by interiors)
(Note: Like a real world period hand grenade, though not as powerful as military grade ones.)

Smokemine
Description: A type of hand-deployed “trick mine”. Activates when the surface on its top has pressure contact with a moving object. Once activated, it releases a cloud of thick, dense, nearly fog-like smoke that obscures an adversary's vision. A smokemine is the easiest to manufacture and cheapest mine one can buy. To create the smoke, the mine utilises dried ice that reacts with water from a (trigger-operated) vial, poured into the ice compartment of the bomb. (Even small amounts of dried ice are effective, as they can produce a lot of smoke.)
Advantages: Unlike the Smokebomb, it comes equipped with an adjustable timer, offering its user the opportunity to plan ahead and set up static or timed traps if needed. A smokemine has the advantage of being reusable - it can be picked up once depleted, and then refilled after returning from a heist.
Drawbacks: Its main disadvantage is that it's a very passive form of defence and can only distract an opponent for a few tens of seconds at the longest, without stunning him.
Stealthiness: Excellent (in interiors without transparent windows) / Good (in interiors with transparent windows during daylight and outside during night time) / Average (outside spaces in daylight)
(Note: This device is generally similar to the real world's smoke bombs or smoke grenades. It just comes in a landmine-like shape.)

Flashmine
Description: A type of hand-deployed “trick mine”. Activates when the surface on its top has pressure contact with a moving object. Once activated, it releases an extremely bright, blinding flash that robs an adversary of his vision for a certain amount of time. To create the flash, the mine's trigger operates a firesteel, which develops a spark that lights a special chemical powder of Lokytian origin, known as blitzpulver. The flash from the detonating powder is enhanced by the flashmine's upper surface being embedded with larger lenses of hardened glass, making the flash more abrupt and painful to the eyes than if it was escaping just through regular holes in the mine.
Advantages: Unlike the Flashbomb, it comes equipped with an adjustable timer, offering its user the opportunity to plan ahead and set up static or timed traps if needed. A flashmine has the advantage of being reusable - it can be picked up once depleted, and then refilled after returning from a heist. The major benefit of the flashmine is that it's an actual stun weapon, capable of temporarily dazing an opponent (instead of just confusing him).
Drawbacks: The gadget does have the potentially dangerous disadvantage of… blinding yourself. Quickly turning away after the mine triggers is therefore highly recommended as a preventive measure to such a mishap. A flashmine requires more complex manufacturing techniques and is generally pricier, but is still rather affordable to a moderately well-off thief.
Stealthiness: Excellent (in interiors without transparent windows) / Good (in interiors with transparent windows) / Average (outside)
(Note: Like the Flashbomb, this device is generally similar to the real world's “flashbangs”. It just comes in a landmine-like shape.)

Gasmine
Description: A type of hand-deployed “trick mine”. Activates when the surface on its top has pressure contact with a moving object. Once activated, it releases a cloud of quickly spreading gas that incapacitates adversaries. Depending on the type of filling and the amount of dosage, the gas can cause anything from extreme tear-letting and unbearable coughing to outright setting the victim to sleep.
Advantages: Unlike the Gasbomb, it comes equipped with an adjustable timer, offering its user the opportunity to plan ahead and set up static or timed traps if needed. A gasmine has the advantage of being reusable - it can be picked up once depleted, and then refilled after returning from a heist. The major benefit of the gasmine is that it's an actual stun weapon, capable of temporarily dazing an opponent or even putting him to sleep (depending on what gas is chosen for the filling).
Drawbacks: A gasmine is generally quite pricy, though still affordable to a well-off thief. While it actually doesn't require much more complex manufacturing techniques than a smokemine, certain parts of its internal mechanism and the chemically developed gases it's filled with are nevertheless not easy to acquire even for hard cash. As a rule of thumb, sleep gas is generally more expensive than tear-inducing gas. Also, the gadget does have the potentially dangerous disadvantage of… gasing yourself. Avoiding the gas clouds created by the bomb is therefore highly recommended as a preventive measure to such a mishap.
Stealthiness: Excellent (in interiors without transparent windows) / Good (in interiors with transparent windows during daylight and outside during night time) / Average (outside spaces in daylight)
(Note: Like the Gasbomb, this device is generally similar to the real world's gas grenades, including tear gas grenades. It just comes in a landmine-like shape.)

Mine
Advantages: A type of hand-deployed standard explosive mine. Activates when the surface on its top has pressure contact with a moving object. Once activated, it causes a small-to-medium explosion that can harm adversaries.
Advantages: Unlike the Grenade, it comes equipped with an adjustable timer, offering its user the opportunity to plan ahead and set up static or timed traps if needed. Though it can be used against sapient adversaries, its recommended use is for dealing with various dangerous beasts, creatures and monsters, and even with man-made patrol and guard automatons.
Drawbacks: Outside of its high price and high manufacturing costs, its main obvious disadvantage is its unstealthiness, so it should only be used in places that are out of sight and out of immediate earshot. Another disadvantage is its zero reusability, since it gets completely destroyed in the detonation.
Stealthiness: Terrible (out in an open space) / Weak (if the explosion is muffled by interiors)
(Note: Like a real world anti-personnel mine, though not as powerful as military grade ones.)

(Disarming bombs and mines ?
Trick bombs: Cannot be disarmed after being activated. They need to conclude their action.
Trick mines: Can be disarmed both in waiting mode and timed mode. In the case of the latter, the disarming needs to occur within the time limit, otherwise they'll activate either way.)

Oil flask / Oilbomb
Description: A simpler, non-mechanical type of hand-deployed “trick bomb”. Something of a home-made, non-lethal defensive explosive. It's virtually just a ceramic or glass container filled with oil.
Advantages: Can be thrown to the ground, and upon shattering, creates oil slicks that cause any pursuers to slip and thus worsen their efforts to pursue you and capture you. This works best on flat and already smooth surfaces. The oil container can also be used to pour oil on an adequate surface, in order to set up such slicks as actual static traps. In addition, the oil used in the container is similar to a weaker form of lamp or lantern oil. It can be ignited in order to create a defensive fire barrier, or serve as an extra source of fuel for an empty oil lamp or oil lantern. Perhaps the greatest advantage is the cheapness and ease of manufacture - you can pretty much build it from any glassware or pottery container of an appropriate size.
Drawbacks: A purely non-lethal defensive measure that can slow down or occassionally slightly injure an adversary, but is otherwise harmless. Aside from being able to be lit by portable fire sources or by Igniting arrows, the Oil flask or Oilbomb is also not particularly powerful as either an impromptu or planned trap. Though certainly better than nothing, don't expect miracles from it.
Stealthiness: Excellent / Good (depending on the size and concealability of the overall container)

Glue flask / Gluebomb
Description: A simpler, non-mechanical type of hand-deployed “trick bomb”. Something of a home-made, non-lethal defensive explosive. It's virtually just a ceramic or glass container filled with glue.
Advantages: Can be thrown to the ground, and upon shattering, creates glue puddles. These cause any pursuers' footwear to get sticky, forcing them to stop or trip, and thus worsen their efforts to pursue you and capture you. The glue container can also be used to pour or spread the glue on an adequate surface, in order to set up such glue puddles as actual static traps. Unlike the Oil flask or Oilbomb, the Glue bomb or Glue flask has the advantage that its contents can also be spread onto vertical surfaces, creating traps that are more unavoidably three-dimensional than the horizontal-only oil slicks. Perhaps the greatest advantage is the cheapness and ease of manufacture - you can pretty much build it from any glassware or pottery container of an appropriate size.
Drawbacks: A purely non-lethal defensive measure that can slow down or occassionally slightly injure an adversary, but is otherwise harmless. Less multifunctional than the Oil flask or Oilbomb device, though often more effective for short-term impeding of enemies. If one accidentally damages the container, he or she could get inadvertently covered in the sticky glue, causing physical unpleasantness and even some less coordinated movement.
Stealthiness: Excellent / Good (depending on the size and concealability of the overall container)

Manual detonator
Description: A mechanical device that allows one to set off the detonation of an industrial-grade or military-grade explosive from a safe enough distance. It needs to be connected to the explosives themselves in order to work properly.
Advantages: Allows you to set off an explosion from a safe distance.
Drawbacks: Loudness. Relative rarity of manual detonators and the added difficulty of acquiring them (along with stronger explosives). And obviously, even though you are setting off explosives from a safe distance, you still need to do it yourself. If the cables leading from the detonator to the charges get damaged, the detonator becomes worthless.
Stealthiness: If you're using explosives as powerful and loud as this in the first place, you aren't exactly being stealthy in any sense of the word. Though you might have the occassional justification for using explosives and detonators, such as for clearing a rockslide, the probability and necessity of you using them is overall low (though all the more concerning if one wants to avoid drawing attention to himself).

Timed detonator
Description: A mechanical device that allows one to time the detonation of an industrial-grade or military-grade explosive. It fulfills the same basic function as the timers of the trick mines, but is larger and needs to be connected to the explosives themselves in order to work properly.
Advantages: Allows you to time an explosion and leave the promises completely after that.
Drawbacks: Loudness. Rarity of timed detonators and the added difficulty of acquiring them (along with stronger explosives).
Stealthiness: If you're using explosives as powerful and loud as this in the first place, you aren't exactly being stealthy in any sense of the word. Though you might have the occassional justification for using explosives and detonators, such as for clearing a rockslide, the probability and necessity of you using them is overall low (though all the more concerning if one wants to avoid drawing attention to himself).

These are simple, basic, easy to don and often inexpensive armours. They virtually always consist purely of torso armour, or at most, torso armour with some small additions for limb protection. One-piece armours are particularly popular in civilian security applications, and many law enforcement members and hired guards will be wearing these types of armour (if they're not among the minority that wear the more complex, multiple-piece armours).

Buffcoat
Description: A type of very light defensive coat made of buff leather thick enough to resist a sword cut. Popular primarily among scout cavalrymen and mounted infantrymen in recent history, given the decline in the usage of heavier armour.
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Gambeson
Description: A gambeson (also known under names such as aketon, padded jack, arming doublet, etc.) is a padded defensive jacket, worn as armour separately, or combined with mail or plate armour. Gambesons are usually made of of linen or wool, stuffed with scrap wool, scrap cloth or horse hair, and sewn together with a quilting technique. While putting them on, gambesons are often laced up or buttoned up in front.
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Jack of plates
Description: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Coat of plates
Description: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Brigandine
Description: A type of armoured sleeveless jacket, used principally by infantry, consisting of numerous small overlapping plates of metal attached with rivets to the back of a cloth support. Fine examples are often faced with colorful velvet.
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Pauncer
Description: The pauncer is an armour similar to a lighter form of cuirass. It usually consists of a breastplate worn together with a backplate (the former for protection of the chest and abdomen, the latter for protection of the back), the two pieces of armour being attached to each other by the usual straps or hinges. Breastplates are frequently fitted with flexible plates (lames) below to protect the lower abdomen, and backplates frequently come with additional plates (lames) attached to protect the lower back region. “Present day” Aporuean pauncers are metallic.
Drawbacks: TBA
Stealthiness: TBA

Effectivelly, suits of armour in the true sense. They take longer to don, but they often offer stronger and more comprehensive defensive advantages.

Unlike one-piece armours, these can be “constructed” from multiple pieces of armour gradually attached to the body of the wearer. This means you can partly mix-and-match pieces of these armour types, such as wearing a piece from a certain armour type on the torso, while wearing a piece from another armour type on the upper limbs or the lower limbs, etc. Of course, some logic needs to be applied to these combinations, as certain combos of armour pieces are not practically viable (i.e. they don't work well together for either movement or combat).

Lamellar armour
Description: Armour historically associated with cultures of western Aporue or to the west of Aporue, lamellar armour is in many ways a type of its own, with regional and construction variations. The basics of it are the same, though: It consists of small platelets, which are punched and laced together, typically in horizontal rows. This makes it a fairly flexible and comfortable to wear armour, and generally also lighter than mail.
Possible parts: lamellar shirt + lamellar pauldrons + lamellar rerebraces + lamellar couters + lamellar vambraces + lamellar gauntlets + lamellar faulds + lamellar cuisses + lamellar greaves
Drawbacks: In the professional thieving world, lamellar armor has limited use outside of guarding tasks or as a source of protection during adventuring. Parts of the armour can be worn for added protection in burglary, but wearing a full suit is not advised (unless one wants to engage only in combat).
Stealthiness: Weak

Mail
Description: Mail (also ring armour, chain armour, etc.) has existed in Aporue and elsewhere for many millennia and remains the most long-lived and successful type of metallic armour. Despite its greater weight, it is actually not all that unwieldy or tough to wear. The simple but practical ring-based structure gives the armour the qualities of a surprisingly flexible mesh, and the steel material makes the armour even hardier than its more lightly built counterparts.
Possible parts: haubergeon (for footmen) / hauberk (for riders) + mail coif + mail mittens + mail chausses + mail greaves
Drawbacks: In the professional thieving world, mail has limited use outside of guarding tasks or as a source of protection during adventuring. It is obviously quite a loud armour type, making it very ineffective for any sort of sneaking.
Stealthiness: Terrible

Light plate armour
Description: Not that long ago, plate armour was at the apex of its development in Aporue, for both infantry and cavalry combatants alike. However, with the slow but steady decline of heavy cavalry and the rise of firearms on the battlefields of the continent, plate armour has become less prevalent again, and has also started changing to reflect the newer developments. Emphasis was once placed on covering as much of the body as possible, now emphasis is more on the thickness of just the most important parts of the armour. Armouring of the feet is currently going out of fashion, so even plate-wearers are wearing boots virtually everywhere.
Possible parts: cuirass + plate pauldrons + plate rerebraces + plate couters + plate vambraces + plate gauntlets + plate faulds + plate cuisses + mail chausses + plate poleyns + plate greaves
Drawbacks: In the professional thieving world, mail has limited use outside of guarding tasks or as a source of protection during adventuring. It is obviously the least stealthy armour type one can wear, and though it protects well, it is useless for any sort of sneaking.
Stealthiness: Terrible
Note: Unlike other armour types, plate armour is often worn over mail armour (at least in the torso area, if nowhere else).

A small glossary of body armour parts/segments:
pauldron - shoulder guard, covers the shoulder and surrounding spaces
spaulder - shoulder guard, covers the shoulder, but more lightly, requiring additional pieces (i.e. the besagew)
rerebrace - arm guard, covers the upper arm, from the elbow to the shoulder
couter - elbow guard, covers the elbow (sometimes can be built into a vambrace, depending on the properties)
vambrace - arm guard, covers the lower arm, from the forearm to the elbow
mitten - lightly armoured glove, usually made from leather, mail or lamellar material
gauntlet - fully armoured glove, usually made from lamellar or plate material, can be worn with or without armoured mittens (depending on the properties)
jack of plates -
haubergeon - mail-only torso armour, a mail shirt for infantrymen
hauberk - mail-only torso armour, a mail shirt for riders/cavalrymen
cuirass - metal plated (more rarely lamellar) torso armour
faulds - cover the hips and waist, they attach to the lower part of a torso armour, worn over chausses
chausses - basic leg guards, cover the thighs and sometimes lower parts of the leg
cuisse - lamellar or plate leg guard, covers the thighs externally, usually worn over chausses
poleyn - knee guard, covers the knee (sometimes can be built into a cuisse or greave, depending on the properties)
greave - leg guard, covers the lower leg, including the shins
schynbald - leg guard of a more archaic type (now very rare), it only covers the shins
sabaton - plate-only foot guards, nowadays becoming a rarity in Aporue, even among heavy armours

(For further info, visit here.)

Skullcap (Cervelliere)
Description: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Kettle helmet
Description: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Conical enclosed helmet
Description: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Bascinet
Description: A light helmet in use since the early heydays of plate armour use in Aporue. The headpiece is generally ogival or egg-shaped, often (though not always) fitted with a pointed or barred type of visor and a mail neckpiece (camail) for defense of the throat and neck area.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Armet
Description: A helmet completely encasing the head, with hinged, movable cheekpieces overlapping on the chin, and a visor. The close helm is regarded as a more modern successor to the armet.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Close helm
Description: A helmet fitted with a visor and bevor completely encasing the head. It has no cheekpieces and all elements function from a common set of pivots at the temples.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Sallet
Description: A light, semi-open helmet. Sometimes fitted with a visor, sometimes open-faced, and sometimes with a vision slit cut in its front, it features a rounded skullpiece with a long, drawn-out tail.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Zischagge
Description: TBA.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Burgonet
Description: A light, open helmet characterized by a peak, a fall over the eyes, and hinged earpieces. One of the newer designs popular in Aporue, particularly among cavalrymen. Something of a relative of the humbler zischagge. Sometimes worn with a buffe (a separate, usually detachable element of plate armor worn with an open helmet to protect the face and throat).
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Cabasset
Description: A light, open headpiece with a conical or almond- shaped apex and a small brim. One of the newer designs popular in Aporue. Generally used by infantry.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Morion
Description: A relative of the cabasset, this is an open helmet with a tall comb and a curved brim peaking before and behind. One of the newer designs popular in Aporue. Generally used by infantry.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

At this point in Aporuean history, shields are a piece of weaponry that is on its way out. To add to that, shields aren't a major bit of armament among thieves at all. The rare exception to this are occassionally guards of thief guilds, or swordfighters that like to fight with a smaller shield for parrying in one hand and a bladed weapon in the other.

Wooden buckler
Description: A small shield, useful for basic self-defence and sparring/duelling. This is the more traditional variant of the buckler, essentially a small wooden shield with a cupola-shaped shield boss at its centre.
Drawbacks: Not large enough to provide easier coverage of the body, including against archery projectiles.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Steel buckler
Description: A small shield, useful for basic self-defence and sparring/duelling. This is the newer but now ever more popular variant of the buckler, made entirely of steel. It is the only Aporuean shield made entirely of metal (purely due to its smaller size and resulting smaller weight than larger shields).
Drawbacks: Not large enough to provide easier coverage of the body, including against archery projectiles.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Targe
Description: A larger shield, this one is most popular for recreational sparring and tournaments, rather than serious combat.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Hide-covered round shield
Description: A round shield with a sheet of hardy rawhide applied to its outer side.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Hide-covered heater shield
Description: A heater shield with a sheet of hardy rawhide applied to its outer side.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Steel-covered round shield
Description: A round shield with a thin sheet of steel applied to its outer side.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

Steel-covered heater shield
Description: A heater shield with a thin sheet of steel applied to its outer side.
Drawbacks: TBA.
Stealthiness: TBA.

A rough grading system for the overall current state of a weapon and armour item's wear and tear.

Arrows and bolts without broken shafts can be picked up and reused at any time. Broadhead and bodkin arrows and bolts can stick into softer surfaces, such as wood, soil or flesh, and are fully reusable if a player can extract them safely. Blunthead, knockout and ruckus arrows and bolts do not stick into surfaces, but are also fully reusable (though knockout arrowheads need refilling and ruckus arrowheads need rewinding). Trick arrows and trick bolts with single-use types of arrowheads (e.g. dousing arrows and bolts) are reusable, but need to be fitted with a new arrowhead in place of the destroyed one, in order to be fully functional again. (Otherwise, when shot without an arrowhead, they deal no damage and perform no function.) If explosive trick arrows and bolts are successfully triggered on impact and explode, they are completely destroyed. This makes them the only type of trick arrows and bolts that are not fully or partly reusable. They can only be recovered by players if they failed to explode.

When an item is completely destroyed rather than merely broken, it is no longer repairable. Some of its raw materials might be collectable for later reuse, but direct repairs restoring it into the item it used to be are impossible. For example, if an explosive mine goes off, its only remaining bits will be the shards of the metal plates it was built from. It is possible to collect these shards, smelt them down, make new metal plates, etc., but it is not possible to create a brand new mine out of these metal shards.

“Dented”, “damaged”, “shabby” and “falling apart” weapons and armour all have a descending degree of effectiveness. If a player is using an archery weapon, firearm, an explosive device (e.g. grenade, mine) or projectile (e.g. explosive arrowhead) that currently have “shabby” and “falling apart”, a bit of bad luck could cause the weapon to malfunction and wound the player. In extreme cases, such a malfunction could even harm any other individuals standing nearby, including the player's companions.

Equipment and Weaponry

(Last modified 30th September 2014 1:42 AM.)

Gameplay: Combat

Overviews: Player Character Skillsets

Thick as Thieves RP Overviews

Thick as Thieves