Stormblade

Game Stats

• Range: melee
• Base damage: 1d4+1 (slashing/impaling)
• Secondary: counts as wielding two weapons
• Concealable: no
• Civilian Carry: no

Description

The stormblade (sometimes referred to as a double glaive) is an exotic Sevillan weapon consisting of a wooden shaft capped by a single-edged blade at each end.

Use and Characteristics 

The stormblade was originally a form of glaive that replaced the butt-spike with a second blade.  The stormblade proper, however, differs from its parent weapon in a number of important ways.  The fact that the two ends of the weapon are symmetrical means that a stormblade's balance point is in the very center of the shaft.  The shaft of a stormblade is shorter than that of a typical glaive, averaging only four to five feet in length.  The shaft is also usually oval, to assist the user in placing his edge properly.  The blades of a stormblade are also typically affixed to the shaft with tangs rather than sockets, for which reason this weapon is sometimes classified as a type of sword.  Stormblade blades are also usually somewhat longer than those found on glaives, with an average length of about 24 inches.

A stormblade's use, however, owes more to polearm fighting than to fencing.  In fact, in battle, the stormblade is often used no differently than a short glaive.  Like a glaive, it can use its reach for long thrusts or cuts.  When used in formation, the stormblade heavily emphasizes thrusts and overhead cuts to avoid striking friendly troops.  In more open combat, the stormblade's balanced center makes it capable of very quick variations in the distance and angles of attack.  It is also short enough to be used much like a staff, although unlike a staff it can easily slice a man's shins or ankles.

Advantages

The stormblade's principal advantage is the large number of attacks it can perform.  It can cut and thrust from distance like a glaive.  It can keep one blade presented to the enemy while the other is hidden, so that there is very little recovery time between attacks.

Disadvantages

Sevillan fencing masters consider the stormblade a fast but weak weapon.  Because its center of balance is in the center of the shaft, strokes from a stormblade are more easily parried than most.  It is also shorter than most polearms - despite an overall length of eight or nine feet, the user's hand must stop two feet from the butt end of the weapon, at the guard of the second blade.

Variants

Like most blades in Harkania and Sevilla, arming swords are produced in high-quality steel (referred to as "steel" colloquially) and low-quality steel (referred to as "iron" colloquially).  They may have crystal edges.  Dolotai steel stormblades are rare, but not unheard of.  Stormblades are occasionally produced with bronze blades, although this is usually for show.  The weapon is distinctively Sevillan in character, and virtually unknown in bronze-working cultures.

Party Associations

None.

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