African Weapons & Armor (AEG)

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*From Dragon Magazine 189*

## Major African Weapons

Assegai: This short stabbing spear was unique to the Zulu people of southern Africa. Known to them as an iXwa, this weapon was kept so sharp that it was used for shaving. The assegai was about 4 long, with a swordlike blade about 18 long. It was more fearsome in melee than a nor- mal spear, inflicting 1-8/1-10 hp damage in AD&D games. It was not really a throwing weapon, however, and could be hurled only half as far as a normal spear. The assegai was usually used in conjunction with a shield, but if used two-handed in games it adds + 1 to damage rolls.

Bolas: Used more in hunting than in warfare, bolas consisted of three hide cords joined together with weights at the cords ends. The weights were usually stones held in leather pockets. Damage from the bolas was incidental, as the weapons main function was to entangle.

If a successful roll to hit is made using a bola in campaign play, the target takes damage and must make a saving throw vs. paralyzation. Small creatures save at -2, and large creatures at +2. If this save isfailed, the bolas wrap around the targets legs and stop it, causing it to fall down if it was moving when struck. Normally, creatures without legs cannot become entan gled by bolas, though long arms make good targets. Entangled but standing creatures attack at - 1 to hit, are themselves attacked at +2, and must make a Dexterity check on 5d6 every round they move or else fall over. Prone creatures attack at -2 and are attacked at +4.

Removal of entangling bolas can be undertaken automatically if a full round can be devoted to the attempt. Entangled creatures who are attacking or defending, or who are bound or without hands, must make a successful Dexterity check on 3d6 to disentangle themselves from bolas. This may be attempted once per round.

Bolas were a Stone Age weapon and are usually used only by the most primitive peoples in an African campaign. The Complete Fighters Handbook describes bolas that allow for somewhat more dramatic effects than this simple hunting weapon.

Knife, throwing: These weapons were not really knives as commonly envisioned; they had complex blades with two or more edged or pointed protrusions. Because of their size and extravagant shapes, they might just as well be called throwing axes. Such weapons were used throughout Africa, notably in the Sudan, the Congo, and by several peoples of central Africa.

Unlike most hurled weapons, throwing knives were often thrown along a horizon- tal plane as well as a vertical one. Because of their size and form, these weapons inflicted more damage than most hurled weapons. Their multiple-edged branches increased their chances of hitting an oppo- nent, and they were even known to bounce over or around shields to strike an enemy. Thus, they have a nonmagical + 1 bonus to hit when hurled.

Knobkerrie: Also known as an iWisa, this weapon is a club fashioned of hard-wood with a long, straight haft and a head hat typically looks like a slightly flattened ball. This knob is sometimes faceted and can vary in size from that of a fist to much larger. The knobkerrie is often associated with the Zulu people, who use it to this day, or the neighboring Xhosa and Basotho folk. However, it was also used else where in Africa as far north as the Sudan. In addition to its use as a melee weapon, the knobkerrie can also be thrown. Some oversized varieties of knobkerrie are thought to have been used either for executions or ceremonies.

Longbow, Kenyan: The Kenyan long- bow was one of the strongest simple bows, far more powerful than the famed English longbow. The average English bow had a draw weight of 80 lbs., whereas the aver- age Kenyan bow had a draw weight of 130 lbs. An arrow from it inflicted impressive damage. However, because it had such a heavy draw weight, the Kenyan longbow had a slower rate of fire than a normal bow.

Nyek-ple-nen-toh: Nothing more than a huge straight razor, this weapon had a very broad, 30-long blade projecting from a short handle. The nyek-ple-nen-toh was wielded by razor-women, a company of female warriors maintained by the king of Dahomey. It was a two-handed weapon whose sharp steel blade was engraved with symbols and often richly embellished. These fearsome weapons were used for executing enemies of the king. (For ease of reference, these can be called razor swords.)

Paddle spear: A multipurpose weapon, the paddle spear was primarily a paddle used by river tribes to propel their boats. A paddle spear had a long, broad, spearlike head with sharpened edges, and was made entirely of wood. The head was often half the length of the weapon, and it was sometimes considered to represent a step in the evolution of the sword. The paddle spear was better suited for melee than for throwing; it could be hurled as a normal spear but at - 1 to hit.

Shoka: This is a variety of battle axe about 2½ long. The weapon typically had a hardwood haft and a triangular iron head; the head was attached to the haft by a spike on its back, driven into the wood. The shoka was the weapon of the Basuto people, who inhabit the area around Lake Tanganyika in central Africa. Other tribes, including the Basotho of southern Africa, used similar axes. If this heavy weapon is wielded with two hands rather than one, it gains + 1 to damage. The shoka is not a throwing weapon.

Shotel: A descendant of the khopesh, this double-edged weapon looked like a large sickle. Also called an Abyssinian sword, it was used by peoples in what is now Ethiopia. The shotel was awkward to use, having a small hilt, and was slow to draw from its scabbard because of its wide curve. Its only advantage was that, because of its curve, it could be swung so as to strike behind an opponents shield. Thus, shields in AD&D games are one step less effective against this weapon (i.e., normal shields are wholly ineffective, and magical shields or those used by warriors with shield proficiency are less effective; shield proficiency is described later). Smaller versions of this weapon also existed; such dagger-sickles function just like normal shotels but inflict damage like daggers.

Spear, heavy: Some African peoples, such as the Masai, favored spears that were slightly longer and had broader heads than normal spears. These heavy weapons were primarily intended for melee rather than as missile weapons. They were designed for two-handed use and inflicted less damage if used one- handed, so they inflicted greater damage than normal or throwing spears. If thrown, heavy spears are - 1 to hit and inflict damage as if wielded with one hand.

Spear, throwing: The throwing spear was the most common weapon of Africa and was generally superior to spears used elsewhere in the world. Such spears in- flicted the full damage of normal spears, but could be thrown as effectively as if they were javelins.

Swordlet: The swordlet was a short swordlike weapon used by some of the forest dwellers of central Africa. It was generally as broad and nearly as heavy as a short sword, but not quite as long. Fur- thermore, such weapons usually had a round, broad, axelike tip, making them more effective at slashing than thrusting. Some were of impressive quality. Various knife-swords and cleaver-knives appeared as tribal weapons throughout Africa, and these usually conformed to the characteristics of the swordlet.

Trombash: This distinctive weapon, a type of throwing stick, was used by the Sudanese. About 2 long and made of hardwood, the trombash had an acute striking edge and a sharply upturned end. Its evolution and use can be compared with the more familiar boomerang. This weapon inflicted damage from the way it flew into a target, so it inflicted more damage when thrown than when used as a melee weapon. It was better suited to hurling than a normal club, and had a better range. Various other types of throwing sticks were used throughout Africa, but most had the same general appearance as the trombash and con- formed to the same characteristics.

## Other African weapons

Some weapons popular in typical AD&D campaigns were used in Africa. However, these have almost always been modified to some extent or decorated in accordance with the customs of the users.

The weapons of an African campaign will often be of materials familiar to players. Iron, often tempered into steel in small clay forges, was used to forge weap- ons by African smiths. Indeed, a high level of metallurgical and weapon-smithing ability existed among many of the peoples of the African continent. Quite often, skillful and artistic metalwork represented the highest form of technology possessed by an African people. Iron nuggets were collected and cold-forged into spear heads and other weapons. Weapons were made of copper where it was available, or even bronze if tin could be procured. Some weapons, like swordlike clubs, were made of wood covered with sheets of copper. Arrows, bows, and the shafts of weapons such as spears or axes were almost always of hardwood.

Listed in parentheses after each weapon are the names of similar weapons that conform to the same basic characteristics.

Arquebus: Matchlock gunpowder weapons were not indigenous to Africa and appeared only in the hands of Europe- an or Arab adventurers. These weapons were envied and sought by many African rulers who learned of them. Ultimately, however, firearms heralded an age of darkness for African cultures, and DMs may wish to omit them from African adventures.

Battle axe: Axes were used in many parts of Africa and ranked second only to spears in popularity as melee weapons. Several different types were produced. Axes were common in the Congo, in what is now Zaire. Most of these axes have a heavy wooden handle with a large bulb at the top of the haft, from which projects the head.

Ceremonial axes may have complex heads or hafts embellished with cop- per foil, or be decorated with the images of heads or other motifs.

Bill hook: The use of this weapon by a tribe of the Congo River is a reminder of the great variety of weapons that were used throughout Africa.

Bow: Long and short recurve bows are the most likely kinds to be encountered in an African milieu. Many peoples used bows, from the Pygmies with their short bows to the Kenyans with their powerful longbows (q.v.). Other bow-users included the Hadza, a nomadic people of Tanzania, who used normal longbows.

Club: Many forms of clubs and sticks could be found in an African adventure, both for use as melee and as thrown weapons. Most of them conform to the characteristics of normal clubs, but some thrown varieties are more akin to the trombash (q.v.).

Crossbow: Light crossbows were used in the Congo and other parts of Africa, but more for hunting than for warfare. These weapons were simple affairs, triggered by squeezing a long spine that ran perpendicular to the bottom of the weapon.

Dagger: Daggers of many descriptions were used by virtually all the peoples of Africa. For example, the telek was a long fighting knife used by the Tuaregs of northern Africa. It was worn on the inside of the left forearm with the hilt pointing downward, and drawn with the right hand. Teleks were long and slim, and had a large, cross-shaped pommel. Another arm knife was used in the Sudan and worn on the upper left arm. This sort of dagger typically had a broad, T-shaped pommel, and sometimes has a wide cross guard.

Hand axe: Hand axes were used by several African peoples, particularly in the central and southern parts of the continent. Sometimes there is a fine line in distinguishing African battle axes from hand axes. Many hand axes had narrow, V-shaped iron heads, the point of the V being the striking portion of the axe. A straight spine typically extended from the crotch of the V and was embedded into the haft of the weapon. These were almost always used in melee, rather than for hurling.

Javelin: Javelins and throwing spears will be encountered throughout an Afri- can milieu. The intshuntshe was the light throwing spear of the Xhosa, who would carry seven or eight into battle. When closing for melee, a warrior often broke the shaft on the last javelin, reducing its speed factor to 3 as a hand-to-hand weapon. Another javelin, also used by the Xho- sa, had a sharpened spike for a head, rather than a blade.

Knife: As with daggers, many sorts of knives were used in hunting and warfare in Africa.

Lance: Spears are often referred to as lances, but true lances weapons used by mounted warriors who have stirrups were almost unknown in Africa. One exception were the light lances used by Bornu cavalry in northern Nigeria.

Spear: No other weapon is more univer- sal to hunting and warfare in Africa than is the spear. Because it is such a staple weapon, several varieties of spear, in many forms and sizes, will be found throughout an African milieu.

The long spear described in The Complete Fighter’s Handbook was not common, as most spears were intended for throwing as well as melee. The most com- mon variety of spear is the throwing spear, described earlier. Some tribes, such as the Masai of eastern Africa, used spears with long, wide blades; these are the heavy spears also described previously. The Dervishes of the Sudan used a spear with a bamboo haft and a broad, leaf- shaped blade. It should be treated as a normal spear, as should any other normal- sized spear that is not intended primarily for throwing.

Barbed spears were used by some tribes, such as the Mobati of Zaire. On a roll attack of 20 or better, a barbed spear sticks in its victims. The spears wielder must then roll his Strength or less on 1d20 to wrench it out. If successful, the victim takes an additional 1-3 hp damage. If the attacker fails to pull the spear free, the victim can make a saving throw vs. paralyzation to try to remove it without taking additional damage. If this save is failed but the number rolled is also less than his own Strength, the victim takes 1-3 hp damage while tearing the spear from his wound.

Sword: Swords were far more rare in Africa than in a medieval milieu. They were used predominantly in northern Africa and by several tribes of western Africa. However, it is certainly possible that swords of ancient or foreign manufac- ture could have found their way into the hands of certain tribes.

Broad sword: In western Africa, heavy curved broad swords were symbols, rath- er than weapons, of the Ashanti state. They were carried by their blades, hilt upward. Swords such as these were some- times carried by envoys as symbols of their authority. The blades of Ashanti swords were pierced with geometric pat- terns and had hilts and round guards and pommels of worked gold. Swords such as these could very well be magical, but would probably not have any combat bonuses. Instead, they might bestow some power or benefit to a ruler or envoy. Similar swords were used by the peoples of the Gold Coast and Dahomey, usually for ritual sacrifices or executions.

Long sword: Only a few true long swords appeared in Africa. Of note was the kaskara, a variety of Sudanese long sword also used by the Baghirmi people of the Sahara. This sword might easily be at first mistaken for one of medieval Europe- an manufacture, as it was straight and had a cruciform shape. The kaskara was used for slashing and thrusting, and was car- ried in a leather scabbard distinguished by its coffin- or lozenge-shaped end. Many kaskara had blades etched with mystical- looking sigils and letters, and there were several of ancient manufacture that were considered to have magical properties. Some legends have it that kaskara were relics of the Crusades. The flyssa, used by the Kabyles of Morocco, was about 3½ long, single-edged, and straight-backed. The blade bowed out somewhat about midway up the weapons edge, doubling the width of this slim sword, then tapered again toward the tip.

Scimitar: Wherever the scimitar appeared in Africa, it was brought there by the Arabs.

Short sword: Short swords were used in northern Africa but appeared in other areas as well. For example, various short swords were used by central African tribes in the vicinity of the Congo. The takouba was a thin short sword used by the Tuaregs. It looked much like a large telek (q.v.), the Tuaregs dagger. Babanga were produced by natives who lived along the Gaboon River. These swords had leaf- shaped blades and squared tips. The peo- ple of Gabon used wide, thin, double- edged, steel short swords, with hilts bound with copper and brass wire. In East Africa, the Masai used a short sword with a diamond-shaped cross-section, leaf- shaped blade, wire-wrapped hilt, and no guard.

## Shields and armor

Shields were used by nearly all the peoples of Africa, and many distinct varieties existed. However, whereas shields were common in Africa, body armor was virtually nonexistent, with a few exceptions. Some of those exceptions are examined here.

African shields were light, well made, and well suited to parrying the blows of melee weapons. Most were medium or large in size, although bucklers and small shields were all used by various African peoples. All, however, conformed to the general characteristics of shields as described in the AD&D game.

Most shields were of hide or basket work. Such shields were quite durable, but weighed only half as much as normal shields of the same size.

Hide shields generally consisted of a frame of bent sticks, with a stick running from top to bottom in the middle of the shield, projecting a few inches above and below it. The hide was stretched over this frame, and the central stick was used as the shields grip. Many tribes deliberately left the hair on the hide, which gave the shields distinctive appearances. Indeed, some peoples or war bands used hide only from certain kinds of cattle to give their shields a uniform look.

In southern Africa, the Zulus used a cowhide shield that they called isiHlangu. The isiHlangu is oval shaped, about 2½ wide and 4½-6 long, depending on the height of the warrior it was made for. The bottom end of the stick was used when resting the shield, and the top end was adorned with a pompon of feathers or hair. A wide, double row of binding laces ran down the middle of the shield. The color and patterns of these shields were quite significant to the Zulu. For example, new regiments of Zulu warriors carried shields that were black. As they gained experience, they would be allowed white spots on their shields. The most experienced veterans might have white shields, with few or no black spots.

Other tribes also preferred shields of hide, and these often had distinct appear- ances. Those of the Masai, for example, were highly convex and decorated with paint.

Basketwork shields were typically woven from palm fronds. The soldiers of Benin used shields of such material, basically rectangular in shape but wider at the top than at the bottom.

Basotho warriors, in southern Africa, used small hide shields that each had a pair of winglike projections at their top and a smaller pair at the bottom. These shields were used for parrying hurled weapons. In game terms, such winged shields function as medium shields against hurled weapons but as bucklers in melee.

Large, round shields of hippopotamus hide distinguished the Sudanese. Wealthy or successful warriors embellished these shields with worked strips of brass or silver, and some decorated theirs withpieces of lion skin, indicating that they had killed one of these beasts.

The Ashanti, a fierce West African tribe, used large rectangular shields consisting of a wicker framework over which hide was stretched. Ashanti commanders also used a lightweight form of armor: the war smock, or batakari. The batakari was covered with leather pouches that held magical talismans, reputed to protect their wearer from harm. The batakari in the AD&D game bestows only AC 9 and is treated as leather armor in all ways. How- ever, it should be considered magical ar- mor and may have potent magical properties.

The Bornu of northern Nigeria used a form of quilted cotton armor for protecting both mounted warriors and their horses. The armor covered the warrior from his shoulders to his ankles, and a set included a quilted cotton helmet. It was typically dyed into patterns of large blue, red, and white checks or diamonds. Such armor should be treated as padded armor in all ways, and the horse armor has the characteristics of half-padded or padded barding, as appropriate (Player’s Hand- book, pages 67 and 71).

Helmets were more common than body armor, but still far more rare than in a European milieu. These were usually constructed from the same materials that shields were. For example, in Benin, round helmets were constructed of leather or basketwork. These helmets had a round crest or comb on top of them, and earflaps.

Most helmets in an African milieu will be the cap or open-faced helmets described in The Complete Fighter’s Handbook (page 108), which also describes the benefits of. helmets in some depth. Warriors wearing helmets and no other armor will not be subjected to called shots against their heads (called shots are also described in The Complete Fighter’s Handbook, pages 65 +, and the Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 58).

## Shield proficiency

Because armor is all but unknown in an African milieu and warriors depend so much on their shields, it is appropriate to allow warriors to become proficient with the shield. Characters who do this devote one weapon-proficiency slot to shield use, receiving the following benefits. These benefits apply regardless of the size or type of shield being used. In a proficient warriors hand, a shield reduces armor class by two places, rather than one. Thus, a proficient warrior pro- tected by nothing but a shield would have a base AC 8, rather than 9.

Furthermore, the shield of the proficient user is effective against one more attack than it otherwise would be. Whereas a medium shield can normally be used to defend against two attacks in a melee round, the proficient user can use it against three.

A warrior proficient in shield will also receive + 1 on saving throws that would be affected by magical armor (e.g., breath weapon attacks). This sort of proficiency in no way grants the ability to attack with a shield, which light-weight African shields are ill-suited for in any case.

## An African adventure

An exhaustive cataloguing of African weapons, shields, and armor is beyond the scope of this article. Indeed, inclusion of a description of every variation of weapon or stylistic difference of shield would be tedious to all but the most resolute gamers. Besides, simply knowing the arms or armor of African people does little more than hint at the appearances of those people, much less all the other as- pects of life and adventure on what to the gaming world is still a dark continent.

However, specific examples of arms and their variations and uses has been provided here to give the framework and first colors of a picture of an African adventure. It is up to individual DMs to create the rest of that picture, building upon what has been presented here.