Weapons and Armor (Again)

After sleeping on yesterday's post, I find that I don't think I really like the way the Aspect approach changes the game of Five By Five. What I really want is a way to make the different categories of weapons and armor equally viable options, without really changing anything else.

 

 

Here is an idea that replaces the default descriptions for each category of weapon and armor without changing Five By Five's base rules too much. It doesn't add new Aspects or increase the complexity of character creation. It does add "counter attacks" to combat, but that might be a good thing. (By default Five By Five combat is really basic.)

Weapon Options:

Light Weapons

• Weapon Bonus +1
• Penetrating (Armor Bonus of target is always 0)

Medium Weapons

• Weapon Bonus +3

Heavy Weapons

• Weapon Bonus +1
• Deadly (roll H5 for damage twice and keep the better roll)
• Two-Handed (cannot equip an off-hand weapon or shield)
  
  

Off-Hand Options:

Off-Hand Weapon

• Dual Wield (if initial attack roll is doubles, make a free attack using off-hand weapon)

Off-Hand Shield

• Parry (gain an additional Dodge roll each round)
  
  

Armor Options:

Light Armor

• Armor Bonus +0
• Improved Counter Attack (free attack following any successful Dodge roll*)

Medium Armor

• Armor Bonus +2
• Counter Attack (free attack if Dodge roll is doubles*)
  

Heavy Armor

• Armor Bonus +4
• Diminished Counter Attack (free attack if Dodge roll is double zeroes (box cars)*)
  

*A counter attack is a free attack taken during the enemy turn that must target the enemy who triggered the dodge roll.

Close Vs. Distant Targets

By default a weapon is assumed to be designed for close combat. In order to target enemies at a distance, a weapon or attack must be Ranged.

Ranged Weapons

A weapon with the Ranged keyword can target both close targets as well as distant targets, but when used against a close target the attack suffers a -2 rank shift penalty to the trait used to make the attack.

Why Use These Rules?

These weapon and armor descriptions include new combat options that make every type of weapon or armor a viable choice. Players just choose which type of weapon (light, medium, or heavy) and which type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) that their character has equipped during character creation and each choice carries with it different strengths and weaknesses.

  

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FIVE BY FIVE OG (2024) OPTIONAL RULE: WEAPONS AND ARMOR AS ASPECTS

The weapons and armor listed on page 13 of the Five By Five core rules don't include pricing or guidance with regard to their distribution. The examples were included so that a GM could substitute these values when using an established setting. Such settings usually contain lists of weapons and armor and provide relative pricing.

 

This approach is fine in the hands of an experienced GM and if the game being played is patterned after popular fantasy RPGs. However, this accumulation of gear is generally a trope exclusive to those settings. Five by Five is meant to be more freeform. Below is a method for assigning Weapons and Armor values that is better suited to the spirit of Five by Five.

COMBAT STYLE

Using this method every player starts with a Weapon Value and Armor Value that is equal to their Level. Then, each player chooses from one of three combat styles:

• Barbarian - Your character's style focuses on dealing damage. +2 Weapon Value

• Knight - Your character's style focuses on resisting damage. +2 Armor Value

• Adventurer - Your character's style favors a balanced approach. +1 Weapon Value, +1 Armor Value

SIGNATURE WEAPON

Players should choose a signature weapon. This is the weapon that your character is always assumed to carry with them into combat. All signature weapons have two keywords.

• MELEE OR RANGED

Weapons with the MELEE keyword have no special bonus or penalty, but they are limited in the narrative to melee targets.

Weapons with the RANGED keyword suffer a -1 to Weapon Value but can be used without restriction in both melee combat and ranged combat.

• LIGHT OR HEAVY

LIGHT weapons allow the player to either use a defensive weapon or shield in their off-hand, (page 13 of the Five By Five core rules) or grant a +1 bonus the player's Armor Value. To represent this choice the player should record either: "Light: Extra Dodge" or "Light: +1 AV" on their character sheet. (If the player chooses the "Extra Dodge" option they should describe their off-hand weapon or shield along with their signature weapon.)

HEAVY Weapons provide an additional +1 to the Player's Weapon Value.

With these rules, weapons and armor are defined as "Aspects" (page 10 of the Five By Five core rules) of each character and will level up as the character grows in experience just like any other Aspect.

WHY USE THESE RULES?

While these optional rules may be less desirable in a traditional high fantasy "treasure for treasure's sake" sort of campaign, these rules work much better in science fiction and superhero themed games. (In a superhero themed game consider changing SIGNATURE WEAPON to SIGNATURE ATTACK to better represent the inherent nature of super-powered attacks.)

What do you think of these optional rules for the OG (2024) version of Five By Five? Have you read Five By Five? You can download it here.

  

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