Weapon construction questions

von Gryphon

von Gryphon

Adept
Hey all,

Being new, but somewhat used to being self-reliant, I was hoping to construct a sword for the upcoming event. I was searching the forums for some weapon guidelines but coming up short. If there are any forums specifically focused on sword or weapon construction guidelines please point me at them if possible. I have been researching You Tube videos that have been extremely helpful, but I don't want to show up with something that is ruled illegal because it is out of specifications with our local rules.

With that in mind here are a few questions I hope to figure out:

1) How long can a one-handed sword be? How about a two-handed sword?

2) Are there any rules about flail weapons - say like using string instead of chain?

3) Can I make a cool sword or do all swords need to look exactly alike unless thay are magical?

4) What other tips, tricks, and recommendations can you give me for attempting to make my own weapons?

5) Who is the weapons marshall that I should take my weapon(s) to for approval?

~Matt
 
1) All the weapon guidelines are in the rulebook on page 82. There's more to keep in mind than just length, so check it out. That said, short swords go up to 33", long swords go up to 45", and two handed swords go up to 62".
2) No flails. Period.
3) Decorate it however you want. The only rule is don't make it red - red weapons are claws.
4) Get someone with a little more experience to help you make a couple boffers. It can help a lot to have someone who really knows what they're doing help you out. Here are a couple things I'll point out, though:
When taping up the blade, tape one edge of the duct tape along its entire length and roll across horizontally with the duct tape roll to flatten it down. You'll get a lot fewer wrinkles this way and your weapons will look much better.
If you use double-sided duct tape to connect the foam to the core, it'l stay on much better than if you're just taping it at the ends.
If you want really light short weapons but don't want to spend extra money on ultralight cores, you can use SDR-11 CPVC. It'll seem way too bendy if you have a long section of it, but when you cut it down to size, it works just fine. Don't use it for anything bigger than a short sword, though.
5) I'm not actually sure who the weapons marshals are, but you'll get pointed in their direction when you check in.

If you're worried about your weapon passing inspection or don't want to put one together before the event, I have some extra reps I can bring with me. I have a couple short swords and a long sword I'd be willing to loan out, and an ultralight long sword I'd rather not loan out, but I can still bring if you want to check it out.
 
In short, while I know this isn't terribly helpful, go buy the rulebook. The PDF version's about $5, and will answer all these questions and more for you. There are quite a lot of rules regarding how a boffer weapon has to be made in order to be game-legal, and the book does a good job of explaining them in detail.
 
I want to add that your weapons cannot primarily be colored red or white (red are claws, white is magic).

This is the best YouTube video I have found for creating a boffer. There are a couple of differences though.

1) You don't NEED to use glue, just make sure that the foam is fully secured. It can twist a LITTLE bit once taped but a firm tug on it shouldn't move the foam off of the core at all. The same is true for the soft tips, just remember that the tips it should be able to stay on if you end up swinging and hitting with only the tip.

2) You don't need to add any harder foam on the ends, just put your two inches of soft open celled foam right on the main foam.

3) Don't use any cloth tape on the weapon. You can use cloth tape on the handle (or electric tape).

4) Before you wrap your handle, you will cover ALL the foam with duct tape. You will want to apply it lengthwise (NOT wrapping it around). You will start a bit over the handle, run the tape up one side of the blade, over the tip, then down the other side and finishing a little over the handle. This is to keep the amount of tape used low while totally covering the blade for safety.

If you have a copy of the rulebook, there is a chapter on weapon creation and length rules. Remember that when you cut your cores to allow for room for the tip and to cap off the core.

If you have any other questions just let us know. If your making it to the next game someone will be able to take a look at what you have.
 
matrim1985 said:
I want to add that your weapons cannot primarily be colored red or white (red are claws, white is magical).
Click to expand...
That is incorrect; in the current edition of the rulebook, the "white for Damage Aura" rule was scrapped. You can make a white weapon if you want.

2) You don't need to add any harder foam on the ends, just put your two inches of soft open celled foam right on the main foam.
Click to expand...
I'm assuming that you still mean that you must have a 1" piece of closed-cell foam beyond your core. Without it, your weapon shouldn't pass inspection.

Also, I know my way around weapons A LOT, so if you need more advice, let me know.
 
I'm also a weapons marshal, feel free to ask me. I think the previous posts have it covered, but I'll add: BRING EXTRA SUPPLIES/TOOLS TO MAKE ANY NEEDED CHANGES WITH YOU. That way, if it fails, you could fix it onsite and get it rechecked right then and there.

See you on Saturday!
 
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