Dagger

Game Stats

• Range: melee
• Maximum Range (thrown): 10 yds.
• Aimed Range (thrown): 3 yds.
• Base damage: 1d4 (slashing/impaling)
• Secondary: may be thrown
• Concealable:  yes

• Civilian Carry:  yes

Description

The term "dagger" is used in the Circle to describe a knife intended for fighting but stouter than a parrying dagger.  It is a ubiquitous weapon throughout the disparate cultures of the Circle.

Use and Characteristics

A dagger may have one or two edges.  Its blade is generally somewhat thicker than that of a parrying dagger, and anywhere from 8 to 12 inches in length.  When made of metal, a dagger is more than simply a miniature sword.  Though good iron or steel daggers are heat-treated in the same way as a sword blade, daggers can be treated to a much greater hardness than can swords before the blade is in danger of snapping from a blow towards the tip.  This makes daggers an ideal tool for fighting men in heavy armor, as the stout stiff blade can more easily be maneuvered into the gaps between armor plates.

In combat, a dagger's principal distinction is its size compared to other weapons.  It is easily outranged by almost every other melee weapon.  On the other hand, it is small enough that it can be wielded effectively even in the very midst of grappling.  Unlike a sword, a dagger is not designed to cleave but to lacerate, and many effective knife fighting techniques utilize cuts from the wrist rather than from the elbow or shoulder.  This makes it extraordinarily difficult for an unarmed man to neutralize an opponent's dagger.

Advantages

The dagger's principal advantage in combat is its small size.  It is a weapon that can be used even when pressed body to body with an opponent.

Disadvantages

The dagger's principal disadvantage in combat is its small size.  It is easily outranged by larger weapons.

Variants

"Dagger" encompasses a wide variety of forms and materials, from bone and stone to Dolotai steel.

Party Associations

None (I think?)

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