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WH40K: Exotic Melee Weapons

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Exotic Melee Weapons

Even among the wide range of melee weapons available to Heretics fighting the Long War, there are those weapons that stand out from the rest due to their unusual nature, singular construction, or rare availability. Exotic weapons are those outside the normal bounds of access and to carry one marks the Heretic as a personage of note even among the remarkable comrades in his fight.

Armor Penetration: Reflects how good the weapon is at cutting through armor. When a shot or blow from this weapon hits a target, reduce the target’s Armor by the weapon’s Armor Penetration, with results of less than 0 counting as 0 (i.e., the armor provides no protection at all). Then calculate Damage as normal. For example, if a weapon with an Armor Penetration of 1D hits a target with 2D Armor, the target will only count as having 1D Armor against any Damage the hit causes. Note that Armor Penetration has no effect on energy shields, but it does affect cover.

Name Type Scale Skill Availability Difficulty Weight Armor Penetration Damage
Axon Razor Melee Weapon Character Melee Combat 6 Moderate 1kg 1D STR+1D+1
Bone Maul Melee Weapon Character Melee Combat 6 Moderate 7kg 0D+1 STR+4D
Fang Dagger Melee Weapon Character Melee Combat 6 Moderate 2kg 0D+1 STR+2D+1
Flensing Blade Melee Weapon Character Melee Combat 5 Moderate 2kg 0D+2 STR+3D+2
Q’sal Glass Dagger Melee Weapon Character Melee Combat 5 Moderate 1kg 1D+1 STR+3D
Hellblade Melee Weapon Character Melee Combat 5 Moderate 3kg 2D+1 STR+4D
Frozen Shard Melee Weapon Character Melee Combat 6+ Moderate 2kg 2D+1 STR+4D
Velklir Rapier Melee Weapon Character Melee Combat 5 Moderate 1kg 1D+2 STR+4D+1
Plague Sword Melee Weapon Character Melee Combat 6+ Moderate 2kg 1D STR+3D+1
Searing Blade Melee Combat Character Melee Combat 6 Moderate 3kg 1D+2 STR+4D
Fractal Blade Melee Combat Character Melee Combat 5 Moderate 1kg 1D+2 STR+2D+2
Ghost Sword Melee Combat Character Melee Combat 5 Moderate 1kg 1D+1 STR+3D+1
Harlequin’s Kiss Missile Weapon Character Missile Weapon 5 Moderate 1kg 2D+1 4D+1
Ork Choppa Melee Combat Character Melee Combat 4 Moderate 8kg 0D+1 STR+2D+2

Axon Razor

Believed to originate from archeotech scavenged from the charred ruins of Kurse, this particularly sadistic relic has seen increased reproduction in the Screaming Vortex in recent centuries. Each appears to be a paper thin blade upwards of half a meter in length and seemingly too fragile to be of any harm. It slices through flesh with little or no actual tissue damage, instead tearing into nerve ganglions and causing agonizing pain that can drop a foe as if they had been disemboweled. Those who delight more in suffering than in the actual kill find it a wonderful weapon, as it can be used over and over without permanent damage to the subject.

Axon Razors never cause any actual Damage but always count as doing Damage when they hit for the purposes of the weapon’s Crippling Quality. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

  • Crippling: When a target suffers at least one wound from this weapon they count as being “crippled” for the remainder of the encounter or until healed of all Damage. If a crippled character takes more than a Half Action on their turn, they suffer 1D+1 Damage. This Damage is not reduced by armor or Strength.
  • Razor Sharp: If the wielder scores 10 or more when rolling to hit with this weapon over the required amount, it does has an additional armor penetration of 2D+1 for a total of 3D+1.

Bone Maul

A common weapon of the feral tribes on The Writhing World, each dull grey bone maul is covered with runic etchings from the world’s biomancers and stains of ancient flesh and blood. Each is also much heavier and stronger than any normal bone. With each bloody impact the maul becomes cleaner and brighter than when the battle began, until its foe is dead and it appears as gleaming ivory. After the battle it slowly tarnishes again, until it returns to its original dull grey. This is a two-handed melee weapon.

  • Unbalanced: Melee Parry -1D
  • Tainted: These weapons are infused with the power of Chaos, and manifest the corruption in their bearer. These weapons add 1D damage fro every Dark Side point the user possesses.

Fang Dagger

Taken from some great unknown beast in the Vortex, these daggers are roughly 30cm in length with a slight arc to their smooth dark grey shape. The tips of these daggers are near adamantium sharp, making many wonder what predator they may have come from, and what prey they must have hunted that demanded such powerful teeth. Some have noted that each is also imbued with faint Warp energies and at microscopic examination the tip appears indistinct as if it were blurred, making them wonder if they even came from this reality. These rare weapons are often possessed as signs of power and coveted by the warlords and Chaos pirates that prowl the Vortex.

  • Fang Daggers inflict one Dark Side Point on the wielder and target each time they inflict critical damage. This is a one-handed melee weapon.
  • Warp Weapon: Warp weapons ignore Armor and the Armor generated from cover. Force fields and armor specifically warded work normally against them.

Flensing Blade

The refined version of the more common meatworking knife, a flensing blade is designed for actual combat where its wide and thin surface can slide to the bone, removing flesh in long strips of raw meat. Most are perhaps a meter long and made of special ceramics that can hold the edge despite their thinness. All are a product of underground cults of carnivores commonly found among the crews of vessels that frequent the Screaming Vortex. These sadistic cults take special delight in making their foes part of their ceremonial feasts. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

  • Razor Sharp: If the wielder scores 10 or more when rolling to hit with this weapon over the required amount, it does has an additional armor penetration of 2D+1 for a total of 3D.
  • Balanced: Melee Parry +1D

Q’sal Glass Dagger

Glass daggers are crystalline blades, beloved by the sorceror technocrats of Q’sal and a common tool of assassination among their glass-towered cities. The entire dagger is made from a single crystal length, including the hilt which is wrapped in leather or plastic so it can be gripped effectively. Despite the name each is almost indestructible until they pierce flesh and are bathed in blood, at which point a small part sheers away and shatters into tiny fragments. The resulting wound becomes badly infected as the pieces rot into black ooze, necrotizing the surrounding tissue. Many Death Cultists literally kill for the chance to use such a blade, as the lingering death that results if not quickly treated gains them much status with their peers. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

  • Toxic: Anyone that takes Damage from a Toxic weapon after reduction for Armor and Strength must make a Difficult Strength Test with a –5 Penalty for every Point of Damage suffered. Success indicates no further effect from the weapon. Failure, however, deals an immediate 2D+1 points of Damage to the target with no reduction from Armor or Strength.

Hellblade

The feared Bloodletters, warrior-daemons of Khorne, wield these powerful Warp-forged blades. On very rare occasions a mortal has bested one of these Daemons and claimed this potent weapon. A jagged metal sword, blackened but edged with glowing red embers, a hellblade is the physical manifestation of the sheer bloodlust of the user. Few mortals have the strength of will to wield such a weapon. However, the more blood it sheds the more powerful it becomes, glowing with ever-stronger crimson hues as blood flows.

Hellblades inflict more Damage with every kill, and add +1 to their base Damage for every death caused during a combat (this resets after every combat encounter). The sword is infested with a malign spirit, however, and never wishes to be put away. The user must take a Very Difficult Willpower Test in order to remove it from his hand or place it in a scabbard. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

  • Balanced: Melee Parry +1D

Frozen Shard

Legend says that these blades are tiny shards of the Frozen Heart of the Screaming Vortex, gifted by the Runic Powers themselves to their champion in ancient millennia. Passed from owner to owner over many centuries, the clean clear blades are impossible to disguise as no paint or masking can adhere to their friction-less surface. Their points slide across armor to find the smallest joint or defect, and can pierce through flesh in a whisper-like strike that is almost unrealized until arterial blood shoots out as the blade is withdrawn. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

  • Balanced: Melee Parry +1D

Velklir Rapier

Many of the sorcerers of Velklir on Q’sal are accompanied by elite bodyguards as they make their deals with warbands and pirates. These bodyguards are expertly trained and carry a unique pattern of sword that sends chills down the spine of even the most seasoned slaver. Any Heretic who fancies himself a swordsman would sell his soul for this weapon, or preferably someone else’s. Impossibly thin, the blade seems more a ray of light than metal and shimmers with an iridescent milky-white color. It is also seemingly unbreakable no matter what massive weapons it might act to parry. In combat the blade twists and bends towards its target as if it was guiding its tip itself, when removed blood drips off as if the weapon was disdainful of such an easy kill. Users often feel overly tired after these combats, but this seems a very small price to pay.

  • Balanced: Melee Parry +1D
  • Flexible: This weapon's attacks cannot be parried.
  • Razor Sharp: If the wielder scores 10 or more when rolling to hit with this weapon over the required amount, it does has an additional armor penetration of 2D+1 for a total of 4D.
  • Special: After the rapier is used to kill an opponent, the user must take a Difficult Strength Test or suffer 1D penalty to all action due to Fatigue as the rapier literally drains them of their life force, the better to make further kills. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

Plague Sword

Each of these corroded iron blades is coated with rust and numerous diseases, the better to spread Father Nurgle’s blessing across the galaxy. Only those pure in his sight such as his Plague Marines are granted such a weapon, and any lesser being suffering even the slightest wound is gifted with one of his innumerable creations such as Nurgle’s Rot or the Weeping Pox. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

  • Balanced: Melee Parry +1D
  • Toxic: Anyone that takes Damage from a Toxic weapon after reduction for Armor and Strength must make a Difficult Strength Test with a –10 Penalty for every Point of Damage suffered. Success indicates no further effect from the weapon. Failure, however, deals an immediate 2D+1 points of Damage and a penalty of 1D+1 to Strength to the target with no reduction from Armor or Strength.

Searing Blade

A golden sickle-shaped sword somewhat akin to an elongated axe in appearance, this blade uses only its single wide cutting edge in combat. Its singular appearance makes it a favored weapon for many of the cults that reside in the Screaming Vortex, where they claim inspiration from mighty empires of ages before the False Emperor took power. The metal of archeotech or xenos origin is what makes it truly unique though, for each bloody slice instantly ignites with intense heat strong enough to cook flesh into blackened ruin. The blade itself remains cool however, merely awaiting the opportunity to burn its next victim. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

  • Balanced: Melee Parry +1D

Fractal Blade

These rare swords are made from a diamond-like living crystal, each blade harvested from an unknown planet in the Koronus Expanse, its location a carefully kept secret by the Rogue Trader who sells them. When struck (such as in a Parry action) small slivers flake off, and the blade emits a shrieking sound akin to nails on chalkboard. The crystal constantly grows and replaces shards as they are struck off, keeping the edge sharp at all times but also meaning it must be frequently used lest it become dull and blunt. Each sliver is a fractal seed, a replica in miniature of the full sized blade. Indeed, if planted back on its home world it would grow into a new sword. Balanced: Melee Parry +1D

Ghost Sword

Most races have some sort of long bladed item in their armory and many Explorers make good use of those they find that take their fancy, either as trophies or for more practical reasons. Many have been linked to known alien cultures, but some resist clear identification. “Ghost Sword” is the name given to a common style found on many newly explored worlds in the Calixis Sector and beyond, often among the remains of ancient battles. This deadly sword is clearly of fine but alien craftsmanship, lightweight but stronger than any Imperial steel. Despite warnings from the Adeptus Mechanicus and Inquisition, some bold Rogue Traders wear these weapons in open scabbards to show off their independence and prowess as explorers. Balanced: Melee Parry +1D+1

Harlequin’s Kiss

Among the deadliest of all Eldar weapons, the harlequin’s kiss resembles a long tube attached to the back of the forearm. The rear of the tube is filled with highly compressed coiled loops of monomolecular wire, nearly a hundred meters worth. When the weapon’s spiked tip strikes the target, the wire is released and instantly bursts through even the smallest puncture to fill the interior of a body or vehicle. In seconds flesh is turned into liquid as the wire races through the enclosed space and then retracts back into the device for its next use. Most victims are dead before knowing they were even struck.

  • Unlike other melee weapons, do not add the wielder’s Strength to the damage inflicted by a Harlequin’s Kiss.
  • Tearing: These weapons roll one extra die for Damage, discarding the lowest die rolled.

Ork Choppa

Orks prefer these huge and heavy bladed, oversized weapons, sometimes edged with jagged teeth to make them even more deadly. Anyone strong enough to lift one will find their crude design effective for cutting tough armor.

  • Unbalanced: Melee Parry -1D

Sources

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