Gladiator Weapons (CFH)

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Gladiators are trained in a variety of weapons. In addition to the new weapons on the chart above, gladiators can be trained in the following, more commonly-available, weapons: Long bow (any type), Short bow (any type), Dagger, Footman's flail, Knife, Halberd, Scourge, Scimitar, Short sword, Spear, Trident, and Whip.
The short sword used by gladiators, incidentally, is a short, straight-bladed weapon sharpened on both edges; it is called the gladius, and gladiators take their name from it. The gladius has the characteristics of an ordinary short sword.
==Bolas==
The bolas are three balls attached to ropes or cords about a yard in length; the other ends of the cords are tied together in a knot. The wielder of the bolas whirls them by the knot and throws them at a target; if they hit, they wrap around the target, with the balls smashing painfully into the target as they connect. Once they have wrapped themselves around a target, it takes the victim one full round and a successful ability check vs. Strength to get them free. (If the character fails his Strength check, he does not get the bolas free this round.)
This weapon does only a little damage, but it is especially useful if you are using the Hit Locations rules from the Combat Rules chapter.
If the attacker makes a Called Shot to the target's Legs (he doesn't have to specify which; if the attack hits, it hits both), and successfully attacks, the bolas wrap themselves tightly around his legs. He can no longer run or walk until he gets them free. He must make a Dexterity check just to avoid falling down. In fact, if he was moving when the attack was made, he suffers a –3 penalty to his Dexterity check to avoid falling down.
If the attacker makes a Called Shot to the target's Arms (again, he doesn't have to specify; both will be hit) and successfully attacks, the bolas wrap themselves tightly around his arms and torso. He cannot wield his weapon and does not get the AC bonus of his shield until he gets himself free. His roll to free himself is at a –2 penalty to his Strength ability score because he has no leverage.
If the attacker makes a Called Shot to the target's Head, the bolas wrap themselves around the target's neck and begin strangling him. (This does not work if the character was wearing a Close-Faced Helm or a Great Helm, described later this chapter.) The bolas do the listed damage on the round they hit. Thereafter, on each successive round where they begin the round still on the victim's throat, they do 1d3 hp of damage from strangulation. The damage stops when they are removed or when the target is dead.
Weapon proficiency with the Bolas is not related to any other weapon proficiency. Specialization grants the usual benefits. In case of a Called Shot to the target's head, the damage bonus only applies to the initial hit; it is not added to the subsequent rounds of strangulation.
Any leatherworker or weaponsmith can make a set of bolas... but he must have exact measurements for the cords and exact weights for the balls to do it right. Simply hearing such a weapon described, the craftsman can make something like it... but unless he makes his craftsman ability check by 3 or better, the weapon he makes will be proportioned wrong and will be at a –4 to attack rolls.
==Cestus==
The cestus is a glovelike weapon, studded with sharp spikes and edges on the back of the glove and across the knuckles. Gladiators fighting with the cestus usually wear two, one on each hand (the plural is cesti); here, it pays for a gladiator to have Cestus Weapon Specialization, Two-Weapon Style Specialization, and/or Punching Specialization.
Cestus combat is very popular with arena crowds because it is extremely bloody and up-close. Also, because the weapons do comparatively little damage, the fighters tend to last a long time in combat.
When wearing a cestus or two cesti, a character may still make a Grab maneuver with the hand the cestus is on. This attack will be at a –2 to attack rolls for clumsiness, and a –2 to the attacker's Strength (for purposes of holding on) likewise.
Cestus, because it is simply a bonus to punching-type attacks, does not require weapon proficiency; anyone can use cesti with no proficiency penalty. Therefore, Specialization with Cestus costs only weapon proficiency slot.
In a culture where there is gladiatorial combat, cesti are readily available from weaponsmiths, but they are not exported, as they're such a basic weapon the market is not very good. Any foreign weaponsmith who has cesti described to him can make perfectly functional cesti; the first two cesti he makes will be at twice the listed cost, and subsequent ones will be at the listed cost.
==Drusus==
The Drusus is a Gladius (short sword) of Exceptional quality (as per the types of weapon quality described in the Character Creation chapter of this rule book). It looks just like an ordinary gladius; only by testing the sharpness of the blade can someone tell the difference. The Drusus has been forged so that the metal is better-tempered and holds an edge better, and then sharpened until it has a razor-like edge.
Because of this, it does +1 damage and confers a non-magical +1 to attack rolls over the normal gladius. (This means the wielding character gets a +1 to attack rolls when using the weapon, but the weapon does not give him the ability to hit monsters which require magical weapons to affect.)
The Drusus also has a disadvantage. In order to keep its keen edge, it must be regularly sharpened with a lot more attention and time than an ordinary weapon requires. After any day in which the Drusus has been fought with (even one attack!), someone with either the Armorer or Weaponsmith secondary skill, or the Blacksmithing, Armorer, or Weaponsmithing nonweapon proficiency, must sharpen the blade for half an hour... or, on the next day, it will act as an ordinary short sword (losing its to-hit and damage bonus) until it is so sharpened.
Exposure to high heat (a smith's forge, dragon's breath, lava, etc.) will ruin the temper on a Drusus, turning it into an ordinary short sword and forever destroying its bonus on attack and damage rolls.
The Drusus uses the same weapon proficiency as the short sword. If a character can use a short sword, he can use a Drusus with equal proficiency. Weapon specialization with one does transfer to the other.
In cultures where there are gladiators, any weaponsmith with a weaponsmithing ability check of 14 or better can make a Drusus for the cost shown. These weapons are seldom exported, as local demand is high for the few made. A foreign weaponsmith could not make one merely if it were described to him; he would have to study with a local weaponsmith. Having done so, he could make the weapon.
==Lasso==
The lasso, or lariat, is a length of rope with a loop at the end; the wielder holds the slack in his off-hand, twirls the lasso in his other hand, and hurls the loop at his target. On a successful hit, the lariat settles over the target, giving the wielder the chance to dismount him, pull him to the ground, trip him, etc.
In other words, when you attack someone with a lasso, you must declare what you're trying to accomplish with the attack.
If you're trying to trip him, you're trying to make the loop settle about his legs. This requires a Called Shot at the legs as per the Hit Locations section of the Combat Rules chapter.
If you hit, he must make a Dexterity ability roll, with the usual modifiers for the Pull/Trip maneuver; if he fails, he falls, and if he succeeds, he's able to jump out of your loop before it closes.
If you're trying to pin his arms to his sides, you're trying to make the loop settle about his torso and arms. This requires a Called Shot at the arms as per the Hit Locations section of the Combat Rules chapter.
If you hit, he must make a Strength ability roll, again with the usual modifiers for Pull/Trip. If he succeeds, he shrugs the loop off before you can pull it taut. If he fails, you pull the loop taut. Both of his arms are pinned, as in the Pin maneuver. The target gets to struggle each round, also as per the Pin maneuver rules. Each additional lasso that hits the target to pin him gives him a –4 to his Strength ability for purposes of his struggling. When his Strength reaches 0, he has no chance of escaping.
If you're trying to dismount a rider, you're trying to make the loop settle about his torso—and then brace yourself for the impact (when his mount's movement reaches the end of your rope, both you and he are going to be jarred). This doesn't require a Called Shot: You must merely hit your target normally.
If you hit, both you and the unfortunate rider must now make Strength ability rolls. If he rolls his better than you roll yours, the lasso is torn from your hands and you take 1d2 damage. If you roll yours better than he rolls his, you yank him from his saddle and he takes 1d3 from impact with the lasso and the earth. If you both make your roll by the same amount, then both results occur; the lasso is yanked from your hands, doing 1d2 to you, and he's yanked from his horse, taking 1d3. (Incidentally, if you've had time to tie your rope to an absolutely stationary object, like a boulder, you don't have to roll against your Strength ability; you win this contest unless your target rolls a 1, in which case the rope breaks and he can ride off laughing.)
If you're trying to lasso a target's head (for example, when you're up in a tree and your target is an unsuspecting guard walking below), this is a Called Shot to his Head as per the usual rules.
If, after the modifiers, you still hit, you can yank for 1d3 damage (plus your Strength bonus). On subsequent rounds, you can yank for 1 point of damage each (plus your Strength bonus). But if you're in a position to hoist your target up in the air (for instance, if you're up on a tree-branch, lasso your victim, and then drop off the branch on the other side, holding onto the rope to hoist your victim up), you do your victim 1d4 points of strangulation damage per round (Strength bonus does not apply to this). If he can get his knife free and cut himself loose, that's good for him; if not, it's good for you. While strangling, a victim cannot shout or raise the alarm.
If you're trying to drop your loop around the head of a mounted rider... well, it's difficult, but possible. Make it as a standard Called Shot to the head.
If you hit, you must again make your Strength ability check. If he wins it, he takes 1d4 damage from the impact of the lasso around his neck going taut—but the lasso is still yanked from your hand, doing 1d2 to you, and he can ride off. If you win it, he takes 2d6 damage from the impact, another 1d3 from hitting the ground, and he's dismounted. If you both make it by an equal amount, he takes 1d4, is dismounted and takes an additional 1d3, and you take 1d2 from the lasso being yanked out of your hands. (If, in this example, you've had time to tie the other end of your lasso to an absolutely stationary object, your target still gets his roll. On a 1, the rope breaks and he takes 1d4 damage. Otherwise, he's automatically dismounted and takes 3d6 damage.
Such a maneuver, hard as it is to set up, could easily break someone's neck, killing him instantly.)
In the chart above, the lasso was listed as a large weapon because of the amount of space it takes to twirl and wield it.
You cannot perform a Parry or Disarm with the lasso, or use it as a melee weapon for Pin—only at range.
Lasso requires its own weapon proficiency, which is not related to any other weapon proficiency. Weapon specialization gives you the normal +1 to attack rolls with the lasso and +2 damage on all damaging effects of the lasso (strangulation after the initial hit is still only 1d4, not 1d4+2).
Cultures with gladiators are not the only ones which come up with the lasso. Civilizations which depend heavily on herd-beasts often have the lasso as a weapon. In some cultures, the lasso is a favorite weapon of assassins. It's up to the DM to determine if the lasso is a weapon of the player-characters' culture.
If it is not, a PC need only train with someone who has proficiency with the weapon (and the PC must have a free weapon proficiency slot) in order to learn how to make and use the lasso.
==Net==
The gladiators' net consists of a small (8' to 12' diameter) circular net with weights around the edge and a trailing rope used for control. Customarily, it is folded in such a manner that it will twirl open when thrown; the gladiator throws it with one hand, keeping a grip on the trailing rope with the other.
If the gladiator makes his attack roll, he has a Pin maneuver on his target (see the rules for Pin maneuver from the Combat Rules chapter). All the notes on Pin apply here, except one: the netted character may not make any sort of attack on the netter until he's won a Strength ability check and thrown that net off.
On the round after the gladiator has netted his opponent, he has a choice of what he wants to do.
He can hold onto the trailing rope with his off-hand (in order to maintain the Pin), pull out another weapon with his free hand, and attack his prey with that weapon. Eventually, his prey will probably win a Strength ability check and shrug that net off; in the meantime, the gladiator may get several rounds of unreturned attack on him.
Alternatively, he can try to improve his hold on the target. By continuing to loop the trailing rope around his victim, he can improve the capture until the victim has no chance of escape. To do this, he must make an ordinary roll to-hit against his victim's AC each round. On each successful hit, the victim loses 4 points of effective Strength for purposes of breaking free of the net. If the victim wins a Strength ability check against his captor before his Strength drops to 0, he breaks free (and his Strength is normal for all other purposes). If he fails, and his Strength is brought down to 0, he is hopelessly enmeshed in the net and cannot get out until his captor lets him.
When a gladiator throws a net and misses, it is open and unfolded. That doesn't mean he can no longer fight with it... but it is not as accurate, because it's not folded right. Each subsequent attack roll with the unfolded net is at a –3 to attack rolls.
With a properly-folded net, an attacker can perform Disarm, Parry and Pin maneuvers. Once a net is unfolded, such attacks are at a –3 to attack rolls.
Weapon proficiency with the net also give you the ability to fold the net properly, and to make fighting-nets. Weapon Specialization gives you the normal +1 to attack rolls; since it cannot give you a +2 to damage (the net doing no damage), you get that +2 as a bonus to your Strength when you're making Strength ability checks against netted prey.
Cultures with gladiatorial combat do export such weapons, and the knowledge of their use (gladiators do demonstrations and exhibitions in foreign capitals all the time). Also, cultures with no knowledge of gladiatorial combat independently develop the net weapon skill; at the DM's discretion, any character with the Savage warrior kit, the Hunter secondary skill or Hunting nonweapon proficiency, or any good rationale could spend a weapon proficiency slot to learn the use of the net.