Maul

Game Stats

• Range: melee
• Base damage: 2d8 (crushing
• Secondary: none
• Concealable: no
• Civilian Carry: no

Description

A maul (also called a two-handed warhammer or a footman's warhammer) is a larger version of the warhammer or cavalry hammer with a haft long enough to demand use with two hands.

Use and Characteristics 

The defining characteristic of a maul as opposed to a warhammer is the length of its haft.  A typical maul is three and a half to four feet in total length with a hammer face for striking blows and a back spike with which to hook enemies.  The actual hammer head of a maul may or may not be heavier than that of a one-handed warhammer; the majority of a maul's striking power comes from the increased length of haft rather than mass.  Nevertheless the extra material of the haft makes mauls generally quite heavy, weighing up to four pounds.

As with most bludgeoning weapons, many mauls make use of "spikes" or flanges to focus the force of the blow on a smaller area less easily diffused by an opponent's armor, and thus more damaging to the opponent's body.  The spike or spikes of a maul are not generally intended to pierce armor, although this sometimes happens in battle (particularly against lighter armors).  The virtue of a maul is that it can deliver powerful killing or wounding blows without needing to pierce armor.

As with most two-handed weapons, the maul is light enough to be wielded in one hand by a reasonably fit man, and ambitious students of the weapon occasionally try to devise fighting systems based on this approach.  These attempts are all failures to a greater or lesser degree for two reasons.  The first is that simple principles of leverage mean that even the strongest men take a very long time to recover from a one-handed maul strike.  The second, and more significant, is that the length of a maul's haft when wielded with two hands allows techniques that a shorter hammer simply cannot perform.  The maul is not only more powerful than a warhammer; it is more versatile as well.  Its longer haft can be used to strike or thrust with the butt end (often shod with an iron cap or spike), to hook an enemy's legs, or to parry blows in the manner of a quarterstaff - all in addition to hooking or striking techniques that can be performed with the back spike.  The leverage of two hands also means that the maul is actually quicker to recover than the one-handed warhammer.  As a result, consensus among masters of the weapon is unanimous that efficient use of the maul demands a two-handed technique whether the user is strong or weak.

Advantages

The main advantages of a maul are its great striking power, long reach, and versatile technique.  It is the smallest of the bludgeoning weapons that can be used as a complete defense by an unarmored man.

Disadvantages

The primary disadvantage of a maul is the space needed to deliver its most powerful blows.  While a maul can defend and debilitate using techniques that emphasize the haft, a killing blow can usually only be struck with a powerful swing of the head, which requires more distance from one's opponent than do other warhammers and maces.

Variants

Mauls are made by many cultures in a wide variety of forms and styles.  The essence of the weapon is simple enough that it can be constructed with a wooden staff and some spikes, but its battlefield effectiveness is such that it is also forged of elaborately ornamented steel for the wealthy.  Warhammers are relatively simple weapons and are made of bronze, high-quality steel (referred to as "steel" colloquially), and low-quality steel (referred to as "iron" colloquially) in a variety of forms.  They have no edges, so they are not produced in either crystal or Dolotai steel.

Party Associations

None

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