How would you write up a normal spear?

By azato, in Game Masters

Just like the title says. I have no idea. I am thinking:

Damage +2, Crit 3 and no special

I am thinking of making it such that one movement has to be used to throw.

Spears as mediaeval weapons were rarely thrown, but rather used to set against an incoming charge. If they are primarily a throwing weapon, officially, that's a javelin, which is balanced and weighted in order to throw. In either case, your damage looks okay. I'd give a thrown javelin crit 4 personally.

If anything, I'd suggest you're describing two different weapons here. What was your intended use for it?

Primitives carrying 2. One to throw, one for melee. Yeah...you are right about the javelin aspect.

Spears made for throwing = +1 crit level, possibly -1 damage?

Spears made for melee = +1 Setback if you decide to throw it.

Assuming the spear/jav is fairly sharp, wouldn't you give it a pierce 1 at the least?

Assuming the spear/jav is fairly sharp, wouldn't you give it a pierce 1 at the least?

I think that's more of a function of the ultrasonic vibrations of vibro weapons literally sawing through armor than just a function of sharpness.

Although you could make an argument for either Vicious or Pierce if the material was similar to obsidian. They still use it for scalpels in the medical field.

Assuming the spear/jav is fairly sharp, wouldn't you give it a pierce 1 at the least?

I think that would considerably lower the standard. In a game with only primitive weapons, perhaps spears would get the "Pierce" trait. This game includes futuristic and modern firearms (slugthrowers) that don't have the pierce quality. Would a spear or a modern rifle pierce armor better?

Would a pistol or a knife pierce kevlar better?

Kevlar can stop handguns, but not high powered rifles. Interestingly enough, sharp pocket knife will pierce the kevlar easier than the high powered rifle however.

Yes, I know that Star Wars doesn't use kevlar so to speak, but you get the point. If the armor is designed to stop blaster/laser bolts, it may not be all that effective against pointy sticks.

Even when considering things like medium or heavier star wars armor, you have gaps between armored plates. A good thrust with a heavy spear that has a sharp point will likely get deflected by a ceramic armored plate, but if it found a gap, or was deflected into a gap, it's going to pierce whatever under armor you are wearing.

If we really are talking pointy stick, then no. But if the spear has any sort of sharpened stone point, I'd consider a pierce 1.

Would a pistol or a knife pierce kevlar better?

You are right about kevlar. This is Star Wars, so we don't have something as specific as kevlar that is resistant to bullets but not to knife attacks. If kevlar were in the list of armors, then it should be considered. It's not.

While I agree with your real-world considerations, I don't agree the spear should get Pierce 1. The "Combat Knife" of this game does NOT have Pierce 1. A Spear is just a Combat Knife with a longer reach. If you make your Spear have Pierce 1, then you need to make some errata for the Combat Knife. I would prefer not to do that.