Weapon Familiarities

[tancred]

Steve, I'm putting together weapon prefabs for a Fantasy Hero game, and seeing an apparent contradiction between the Hero System Equipment Guide and Hero Designer.

 

For example, HSEG lists Nets (Toami) under Miscellaneous Ranged Weapons on page 39. Hero Designer, however, shows Nets under Uncommon Melee Weapons.

 

Another example is the Spread-The-Water Knife, HSEG page 41. There it's listed as part of the Blades group. Hero Designer, however, also lists it as an Uncommon Melee Weapon.

 

Which is correct, HSEG or Hero Designer?

And is there a general rule for other such possible contradictions?

 

Thank you.

[Steve Long]

Re: Weapon Familiarities

 

First, you're confusing the table headers in the HSEG (and UMA, for that matter) with Weapon Familiarity categories. There is no such WF as "Miscellaneous Ranged Weapons." A weapon's entry in a table is not necessarily dispositive of the WF required to wield it. They might be the same, they might not -- the headers are organizational tools, and WF is a game rule, so they serve different functions and may thus operate on different principles.

 

Second, the WF Table on 5ER 76 lists both as Uncommon Melee Weapons. To the extent a net can be thrown it would be an Uncommon Missile Weapon.

 

Third, Hero Designer should not be regarded as an official rules interpretation of anything. It implements the rules, it does not interpret them or provide "official" statements regarding them. In this case, HD is implementing the rules correctly.