Spear

Game Stats

• Range: melee
• Base damage: 1d6 (impaling)
• Secondary: +5 melee avoidance
• Concealable: no
• Civilian Carry: no

Description

The term "spear" can refer to any polearm used exclusively for thrusting and light enough to be wielded with one hand.  When used as a term of art, it refers more specifically to a long, thrusting weapon too heavy to be thrown effectively.  It is distinguished in such contexts from the javelin on the one hand (a spear suitable or specialized for throwing) and the pike (a spear long enough that it must be wielded with two hands) on the other.

Use and Characteristics 

Spears proper are simple weapons, with a warhead about 12 inches long atop a slim hardwood shaft.  Short spear shafts are cut to the height of the wielder, while long spear shafts (more common for warfare) are 50% again as long.  This results in a weapon anywhere from about six to nine feet in total length.  The butt end of a spear is usually balanced by a spike-shaped counterweight that places the weapon's balance point a third of the way up the shaft from the butt.  This results in two-thirds of a spear's length extending in front of the spearman when the weapon is held in a neutral lowered position (this length is referred to as the spear's "projection").

To keep the weight of the weapon down, a spear shaft is usually only about an inch in diameter.  Nevertheless, a long spear can weigh up to four pounds, a very heavy weight for a one-handed weapon.  Spears of such weight can be wielded effectively in one hand only because they are weighted to place the weapon's center of balance directly within the user's fist.

Spears are normally meant to be used on foot, although they are light enough that they can be (and sometimes are) pressed into service as improvised light lances.  When used on foot, spears are unusual in that they are commonly wielded both with one hand and with two.  One-handed spear use is most common among soldiers, who pair the spear with a large shield and use the spear's reach to thrust overhand or underhand beyond the guard of their shield (long spears are most common for this type of use owing to their longer projections).  The spear in this method of use is almost exclusively an offensive weapon.  Because the weapon is actually gripped at its balance point, its thrusts are particularly easy to turn aside with even minimal force.  The strength of this method of spear use lies in its ability to threaten the enemy without exposing the wielder to harm, and when fighting in close order it is difficult to parry at all.

Two-handed spear use is practiced with both short and long spears without a shield.  When used with two hands, the spear becomes a long range, quick-striking weapon capable of deceptive feints and quick changes of direction.  The weapon can also be used in the manner of a staff for fighting at close quarters.  This method of spear usage is generally considered the more skillful (though not necessarily the more useful for warfare).  Most weapon masters believe that a spearman trained in the two-handed use of the spear has a considerable advantage over a man armed with a sword, axe, or warhammer.

Advantages

The spear's principal advantage is its reach and versatility.  It can be used as a powerful and deceptive fencing weapon, or in conjunction with a shield to form a offensive power to a defensive stance.

Disadvantages

The spear's main disadvantage is its inability to kill at close range.  Its shaft can be used to defend the wielder at close quarters, but a spearman must open the distance to strike a killing blow with his weapon against an oponent who manages to get inside his guard.

In addition, the shaft of a spear is fragile enough that it can be broken in combat.  The slim shaft is necessary to keep the weapon's weight manageable enough to use with one hand.  While broken spearheads are often recovered after a battle, most spearmen treat their weapons as expendable.  Fortunately the spear is a relatively cheap weapon to produce.

Variants

Spears are produced with high-quality steel (referred to as "steel" colloquially) and low-quality steel (referred to as "iron" colloquially) warheads.  Their butt-spikes are most often bronze, as bronze is denser than steel (and thus makes a more compact counterweight) and more resistant to corrosion (and thus can be used to stand the spear upright by thrusting it into the potentially damp ground).  Because of the risk of losing a spearhead in battle, few are produced with crystal edges or from Dolotai steel.  The spear is a high-status weapon in many cultures, however, so such variants are not unknown.  Spears with such expensive warheads are sometimes fitted with steel reinforcements along their shafts.  This imbalances the weapon, however, so not all spears feature this equipment even with expensive warheads.

Spears are conceptually simple but highly effective weapons, produced by many cultures in the Circle with many variations.  One common variant is to add a crossguard to the warhead to assist in parrying.  Hand guards on the shaft itself (with or without a crossguard) can serve to protect the spearman's hands.  The blade itself may also be widened to create a larger wound.  This type of spear is known as a partisan, and is often considered its own discrete weapon.

Party Associations

None

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