Star*Drive Saturday: Melee Weapons

Last week was the last of the player options, Mutations. Starting this week I will cover several different types of weapons and technology available in the Star*Drive setting. From here on, I will try to do shorter posts about smaller subjects. I've done plenty of LONG articles. Today it is:

MELEE WEAPONS

Through Earth's history as the firearm developed, research into melee weapons went to their all-time lowest. Mostly finding its use as utility or ceremony, rather than first choice for assault. But you could never deny the simple stealthy effectiveness of a hidden blade. As powered weapons appear in increasing variety and power, the personal melee weapon is reborn as more and more combat occurs between units and small groups, and confined spaces on starships where a stray bullet can mean danger for everyone. As technology advanced, many nations ramped up their ability to ban firearms, but find it increasingly difficult to discern combat knife from kitchen knife, so for illegal activity, the melee weapon became easier to smuggle.

Below are several examples of common melee weapons you can find for adventurers in the Verge. The Special line describes any rules unique to the weapon. The Hide line tells whether the weapon is concealable or not for purposes of hiding it. Powered weapons mean they have charge clips. To keep it simple, the referee should declare each clip has a set number of charges (usually about 10 charges), as in after 10 uses of the weapon the clip must be replaced or recharged, or the weapon loses its special rules and its damage is one grade less (i.e. a V weapon becomes a M weapon).

Pulse Baton
Cost: 80 cr
Damage: M (non-lethal)
Hide: Yes
Powered: Yes
Effective for incapacitating targets, it delivers a non-lethal electric shock on contact, which makes it extremely useful against unarmored targets.

Chainsword
Cost: 150 cr
Damage: V
Hide: No
Powered: Yes
It's heavy and unwieldy, but extremely effective against heavier armored targets. A chain with serrated microengineered teeth run along it and spin at really high speeds, providing amazing cutting action against almost any normal material.

Gravmace
Cost: 60 cr
Damage: M
Hide: No
Powered: Yes
Special: +1 bonus to use
Consisting of a meter long handle with a gravitonic capacitor inside a striking head. Powerful capacitors manipulate the weapon's mass, making it strike like a sledgehammer while being swung like a willow switch.

Power Cestus
Cost: 80 cr
Damage: M
Hide: Yes
Powered: Yes
Special: Wielded as though you are unarmed.
Consists of an elbow length gauntlet of carbonite fiber weave, ending in a heavy fighting glove that covers the user's hand. Gravity technology allows the wielder to strike blows of astonishing power with a gloved hand.

Tri-Staff
Cost: 1000 cr
Damage: V
Hide: No
Powered: Yes
Special: +1 to action tests vs. range and melee attacks
An impressive looking weapon that is the Concord Administrator's badge of office and an effective means of self defense. It consists of a massive 3-pronged blade at the end of a 2 meter long staff. When the device is activated, it is capable of dealing out large amounts of energy damage-and it exudes a force field that grants the wielder a +1 to action tests vs range and melee attacks.

Ion Blade
Cost: 100 cr
Damage: L
Hide: Yes
Powered: Yes
Special: On a successful hit, roll a die. On a roll of 5 or 6, the target electronics are disabled.
The ion blade delivers a charge of electromagnetic energy on contact. While it's moderately effective against unarmored targets, its primary purpose is to neutralize powered body armor, robots, and cybernetics.

Zero-G Axe
Cost: 110 cr
Damage: M
Hide: No
Powered: Yes
Special: In zero gravity or microgravity environments it deals V damage.
The zero-g axe is a powered weapon specialized for use in boarding actions and microgravity situations. At the bottom of its haft, a counterweight compensates perfectly for the variable mass of its deadly carbonite blade.

TN Blade
Cost: 60 cr
Damage: M
Hide: Yes
Powered: No
TN stands for tungsten-neutronite. It's the toughest conventional alloy known, capable of punching through cerametal or vanadium steel like an iron crowbar through tinfoil. It's a large combat knife but far denser and heavier than a conventional blade, keeping it a one-handed weapon.

Chuurkhna
Cost: 150 cr
Damage: M
Hide: No
Powered: No
Special: When wielded by a weren, it deals V damage.
An ancient weren design and still favored by members of that race. Its a glaive or halberd with a haft about a meter and a half long. Its large and heavy, intended for chopping rather than thrusting. A weren can wield it one or 2 handed, but most humans need to use it 2 handed. Weren have been known to drive chuurkhnas through the heaviest of body armors.

Dait'sya
Cost: 60 cr
Damage: L
Hide: Yes
Powered: No
Special: When a t'sa wields 2, can attack twice in a turn with no penalties.
The dait'sya is a traditional t'sa weapon, a double-bladed dagger held in the wielders closed fist. They're always used in pairs. Combined with the lightning speed of most t'sa, the dait'sya is especially dangerous in close-quarters combat.

Tong Fe
Cost: 50 cr
Damage: L
Hide: Yes
Powered: No
Special: +1 to action tests vs. melee attacks (+2 if dual wielded)
The tong fe is a martial arts weapon that has become the fighting stick of choice for many police and security forces. Designed specifically for parrying, experts often wield two of these weapons at once.