Melee Weapon Creator

REFEREE: “The alien soldiers are coming to arrest you. There looks to be a dozen of them.”

PLAYER 1: “What are they armed with?”

REFEREE: “Well…um…they have polearms. They look kind of like…er, halberds.”

PLAYER 2 (snarkily): “Are they dressed like the Swiss Guard?”

PLAYER 3: How did these guys get halberds when they’ve never heard of Earth?”

REFEREE: …

The Cepheus Engine (CE) and Original Science Fiction Roleplaying Game (OSFRPG) rules have a good selection of low-tech weaponry for use on low-tech worlds. It makes sense that such weaponry would exist; it doesn’t make sense that the forms of these weapons would follow the Northern European configurations presented in the books. In many ways, this is good for the Referee, who can simply say “they’re carrying weapons that look like halberds”; 90% of Players will immediately get the proper mental image. And it’s easy to apply the combat stats to the weapon. But what’s lost is the cultural flavor of the weapon. Instead of envisioning an alien race carrying an unusual weapon, they’re locked into the familiar image of a Earth-type weapon.

Melee Weapon Creator is a supplement for 2D6 science fiction RPGs such as CE and the OSFRPG, although it’s usable with other systems with a little work. It’s designed to capture that alien flavor, while giving the Referee a tool to build an out-of-the-ordinary armament and giving the Players the chance to immerse themselves deeper into the scenario by giving them a unique point of reference.

Includes instructions for melee weapon construction, a worksheet, and a sketching grid. Note that this product does not get into the nitty-gritty of weapon balance, materials, and other grognardia. It's merely a way to provide some exotica to the canon weapons.