Draft:Spear
| ) | |
| Base damage rating | 10 |
|---|---|
| Base hit bonus | +10 |
| Normal attack type | Thrusting |
| Hands | 1 |
| Julie's price (Au) | 100 |
| Weight | 50 |
The spear is a one-handed thrusting weapon and the Order of Paladins' first gift. The Order's blessed +1 spear arrives with a horse, making that opening much stronger than buying a plain spear on its own.
The Order's opening gift
A new applicant needs positive alignment and no Legion or Arena membership. From a neutral start, donating 1 Au at the Rampart Orphanage and Hospice for the Needy supplies the required alignment point. Accept membership at the Order's headquarters to receive a fully identified spear with +1 enchantment and blessing strength +9, and to become mounted immediately.
The +1 enchantment contributes one hit point and one damage point. The blessing is not a +9 attack bonus. Being mounted contributes another +10 hit and +10 damage rating, with any weapon. Keep these benefits separate when comparing a found weapon to the spear: dismounting weakens your attacks even if your equipment is unchanged.
Eligible return visits give food, healing, treatment for poison and disease, and a replacement mount if needed. They do not uncurse a weapon. The Order also expects continued lawful behavior; the spear is part of a career choice, not a reason to ignore membership restrictions.
Buying and fighting
Julie's sells a fully identified, uncursed +0 spear for 100 Au. Compared with a 10 Au dagger, it adds four damage points but loses two hit points and weighs five times as much. A Dexterity-heavy character can use the normal thrust's extra accuracy to support this damage trade. At the same price, an epee favors accuracy instead: +15 hit and damage rating 6, against the spear's +10 and 10.
The spear leaves Ready hand available. It can select a riposte as well as a thrust; a lunge is available too, but costs two maneuvers and is not restricted to spears. A new character's saved cut remains a cut after equipping the spear, so decide whether to keep its Strength damage or explicitly choose the normal thrust in F. Enter actions individually rather than using the broken ! shortcut.
The Order reward is an ordinary spear with exceptional starting enchantment and blessing, not a separate named artifact. A random spear may instead be cursed; do not assume every copy is as predictable as the guild gift or shop stock.
See Your first weapon for the complete opening choice and Melee attacks for tactics.