Weaponsmith Template
To create a new weapon, copy the following onto a new page:
Subjects and Objects
Every weapon object is built around a gradual refinement of the subject which is being defined by this particular pattern. Each subject is defined by the smith's skill, which is based on an exemplar or standard. Each successive balance defines the previous balance's skill as a new standard.
In other words, over time the craftsman learns that he previously thought of as his skill has become the basis from which he now must work. What was previously the essence of the skill has now become something outside the skill, the basis from which the real skill works.
| Balance | Object Category | Subject | Object | |
| Prenatal | Lump | |||
| Incorporative | Toy weapon | No Skill | ||
| Impulsive | Crude weapon | Novice Skill | has | No Standard |
| Imperial | Amateur weapon | Cultural Skill | has | New Standard |
| Interpersonal | Normal weapon | Apprentice Skill | has | Culture's Standard |
| Institutional | Guild weapon | Guild's Skill | has | Apprentice's Standard |
| Interindividual | Master weapon | Personal Skill | has | Guild's Standard |
Good and Bad
Not nearly as important are how values are defined in this particular pattern. If you can't think of any other values, just leave it as "quality" and "mediocre" as a default. Perhaps later you will think of something when you see how they are used. Or maybe the god of the forge will intervene.
| Good | Bad | |
| is defined as | Effective | Ineffective |
Periods
Each new weapon table will have levels equivalent to Robert Kegan's developmental stages. Give them their names here, then replace their equivalents under subjects and objects above.
| Balance | # | Kegan equivalent | Object Description |
| No skill | -1 | Prenatal | Unable to forge anything but lump of materials |
| Toy weapon | 0 | Incorporative | Mimicking form without function |
| Crude weapon | +1 | Impulsive | Produces mistakes, substituting for higher skill |
| Novice weapon | +2 | Imperial | Novicework Task Inhibition, and Novicework Task Protection |
| Normal weapon | +3 | Interpersonal | Apprenticework Task Enhancement or Apprenticework Trait Enhancement |
| Guild weapon | +4 | Institutional | {Journey-Piece Skill Enhancement}, or {Journey-Piece Enchantment Enablement} |
| Master weapon | +5 | Interindividual | Artifact Personality, Masterpiece Skill Imbuement, Masterpiece Statistic Enhancement, Masterpiece Task Imbuement |
Groups or Eco-Relations
Groups and Eco-Relations correspond to emotions or ways different things react to one another. They usually remain the same for most periodic tables.
| Group | Relation | Name | Description |
| Zero | (-,-) | Synnecrotic Conflict | Failure of old exemplar, old innovation |
| I | (0,-) | Sacrificial Satisfaction | Trying new things shortchanges standard |
| II | (+,-) | Evangelical Predation | Innovation's success begins at a price |
| III | (+,0) | Commensal Laudation | True success is praised for meeting older standard |
| IV | (+,+) | Symbiotic Cooperation | Innovation can actually improve standard |
| V | (0,+) | Benign Warding | Preventing problems can inhibit innovation |
| VI | (-,+) | Depressed Parasitism | Beating the dead horse of past innovations is counterproductive |
| VII | (-,0) | Angry Sadism | Stubborn persistence can backfire |
| VIII | (-,-) | Same as Group Zero | Point of diminishing returns |
Minor Conflicts
In the middle of most periods, during Group VIIIB, the smith comes to realize his or her own sense of perfection is inadequate and must reject its definition of perfection, understanding that the earlier view of quality was preventing any further improvement. Then try to insert a reason why each balance's concept of perfection ultimately fails, forcing an internal reassessment of the skill which must be independent of the master teaching the skill.
| Period | Rejection | Reason |
| +2 | There is no perfection | I can abstract tasks as subskills |
| +3 | There is no perfection | guilds have arbitrary rules affecting traits |
| +4 | There is no perfection | different cultures have their own standards affecting magic |
| +5 | There is no perfection | my own arbitrary standards affect statistics |
Major Conflicts
At the end of each period, in the final Group Zero, the skilled individual comes to realize his or her own weakness and must reject the previous definition of the skill, understanding that that definition represents something it has, not what it is. Replace the word "quality" in the chart below with its equivalent from the good and bad section above. Then try to insert a reason why each balance's subject ultimately fails, forcing it to become the next balance's object.
| Period | Rejection | Reason |
| -1 | There is no quality | I've got a shapeless lump |
| 0 | There is no quality | toys are useless |
| +1 | There is no quality | survivors think they can complain |
| +2 | There is no quality | working for cost, I risk lives |
| +3 | There is no quality | piecework can never be the best |
| +4 | There is no quality | I haven't achieved the ideal |
| +5 | There is no quality | too many seek my wares to satisfy |
Internal Distinctions
Group VIIIB and the Rare Earths
Genius Trees
Little binary choice-quest trees which define the methods by which people can draw the boxes which thinking-outside-of can make you a genius. Directly related to the minor crises described above.
Weaponmaker Imperial Minor Quest - type in here the misconception of most societies about weaponmaking. The first quest allows the weaponsmith to accept or reject the preconceptions of those around him.
Weaponmaker Interpersonal Minor Quest - type in here the misconception of most guilds about weaponmaking. The first quest allows the guild member to accept or reject the preconceptions of others in the guild.
Weaponmaker Institutional Minor Quest - type in here the misconception of most weaponsmiths about this particular skill. The first quest allows the smith to accept or reject the preconceptions of others.
Weaponmaker Interindividual Minor Quest - type in here the misconception of the weaponsmith himself about this particular skill. The first quest allows the smith to accept or reject his own preconceptions.
Weaponmaker Incorporative Major Quest? - .
Weaponmaker Impulsive Major Quest? - .
Weaponmaker Imperial Major Quest? - .
Weaponmaker Interpersonal Major Quest? - .
Weaponmaker Institutional Major Quest? - .
Weaponmaker Interindividual Major Quest? - .
The Elements
The effects of different elements on skill, enchantments, traits, statistics and tasks are the same for all weapons (and, indeed, all artifacts). They are explained in detail under artifacts as elements.
- Physical Damage - Ged argues that all physical damage should be applied only to the body (with effects on the mind and soul being indirect), while Scotus feels the mind and possibly even the soul should be affected by physical damage as well (for instance, he argues that blunt weapons should divide their damage evenly between body and mind, while cutting weapons should do 80 percent body damage with 20 percent mind damage and piercing weapons doing 90 body and 10 percent soul damage). At any rate, each weapon should be rated for blunt, cutting and piercing damage and those ratings should be inserted here. - each period uses a different formula for producing damage:
- Lumps (Period -1) produces no damage
- Toys (Period 0) all produce a damage of 1 to secondary statistics, no matter how many successes
- Crude Works (Period 1) produce damage of 1 per success to secondary statistics
- Amateur Works (Period 2) produce damage of strength/8 per success to secondary statistics
- Apprenticeworks (Period 3) produce damage of strength/6 per success to energy and strength/10 per critical success to vitality
- Journey-pieces (Period 4) produce damage of strength/4 per success to energy, dexterity/6 per success to energy, and strength/8 per critical success to vitality
- Masterpieces (Period 5) produce damage of strength/2 per success to energy, dexterity/4 per success to energy, strength/6 per critical success to vitality, and dexterity/8 per critical success to primary statistics
Note that each of the divisors in these calculations should be considered to be "sliders" which can be changed in the course of playtesting and balancing the combat system. Also note that different weapons will vary in these calculations and that the person using this template should make appropriate adjustments. And, finally, note that specific tasks may change the blunt-to-piercing-to-cutting ratios as well as the dexterity-and-strength effects of success.
- Requirements - each period uses a different formula for determining who can use the weapon:
- Lumps (Period -1) no one can use a lump to perform the tasks which require an artifact
- Toys (Period 0) anyone can use a toy
- Crude Works (Period 1) Crude weapons require the maximum strength requirement, plus the maximum dexterity requirement, plus a specific minimum in one other trait (like grace, creativity or perception)
- Amateur Works (Period 2) Amateur weapons require the maximum strength requirement, plus the maximum dexterity requirement
- Apprenticeworks (Period 3) Apprentice weapons require the maximum strength requirement, plus the maximum dexterity requirement reduced by 5
- Journey-pieces (Period 4) Journeymen's weapons require the maximum strength requirement reduced by 5, plus the maximum dexterity requirement reduced by 10
- Masterpieces (Period 5) Master weapons require the maximum strength requirement reduced by 10
Note that, after copying this template into a specfic weaponsmith page, you should replace the requirements listed above with specific values. In other words, if you decide the sword you a templating has a maximum strength requirement of 45, you should replace all the instances of "the maximum strength requirement" with "a strength requirement of 45" and all the instances of "the maximum strength requirement reduced by 10" with "a strength requirement of 35".
- Parries - each period uses a different formula for determining how well the weapon can parry blunt, cutting or piercing damage
- Parries 00% of blunt damage
- Parries 00% of cutting damage
- Parries 00% of piercing damage (reduced to 00% for arrows and quarrels)
- Lumps (Period -1) no one can use a lump to parry
- Toys (Period 0) using a toy to parry will break it
- Crude Works (Period 1) Crude weapons parry
- Amateur Works (Period 2) Amateur weapons parry
- Apprenticeworks (Period 3) Apprentice weapons parry
- Journey-pieces (Period 4) Journeymen's weapons parry
- Masterpieces (Period 5) Master weapons parry
Note that, after copying this template into a specfic weaponsmith page, you should replace.
See also Weapons and Statistics.
See also The Forge and Swords.
— Scotus - 17 Dec 2000
— Ged The Greys Hain - 19 Dec 2000 [Replaced lines of '#' with <hr>s]
— Scotus - 30 Dec 2000
