Macuahuitl (3.5e Equipment)

Macuahuitl

Mucuahuitl are ancient Aztec weapons. Because the blades of the macuahuitl are made from Obsidian, a macuahuitl is sharper than a steel blade of equivalent size. As the Spanish Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo (who wrote about his experiences in the late 16th century) confirmed, some of the larger macuahuitl are capable of decapitating a horse (possably even in a single blow);

“	While we were at grips with this great army and their dreadful broadswords (maquahuitl), many of the most powerful among the enemy seem to have decided to capture a horse. They began with a furious attack, and laid hands on a good mare well trained both for sport and battle. Her rider, Pedro de Moron, was a fine horseman; and as he charged with three other horsemen into the enemy ranks--they had been instructed to charge together for mutual support--some of them seized his lance so he could not use it, and others slashed at him with their broadswords (maquahuitl), wounding him severely. Then they slashed at his mare, cutting her head at the neck so that it only hung by the skin. The mare fell dead, and if his mounted comrades had not come to Moron's rescue, he would probably have been killed also.	”
—by Bernal Diaz del Castillo, The Conquest of New Spain

Macuahuitl Variations

Macuahuitl, light

Exotic Melee Critical: 20 Range Increment: — Type: See Text Hardness: 10
Size	Cost1	Damage	Weight1	hp
Fine	*	1	*	1
Diminutive	*	1	*	1
Tiny	*	1d3	*	2
Small	18gp	1d4	3lbs	4
Medium	18gp	1d6	4lbs	8
Large	25gp	1d8	5lbs	16
Huge	*	2d6	*	32
Gargantuan	*	3d6	*	64
Colossal	*	4d6	*	128
The SRD only gives a means to determine costs and weights of weapons for Large and Small versions based on the Medium weapons. Any other supplied values are the author's best determination.

Macuahuitl, One-Handed

Exotic Melee Critical: ×2 Range Increment: — Type: See Text Below Hardness: 10
Size	Cost1	Damage	Weight1	hp
Fine	*	1d4	*	1
Diminutive	*	1d6	*	1
Tiny	*	1d8	*	2
Small	30 gp	1d10	4 lb.	4
Medium	30 gp	1d12	5 lb.	8
Large	45 gp	3d6	6 lb.	16
Huge	*	4d6	*	32
Gargantuan	*	6d6	*	64
Colossal	*	8d6	*	128
The SRD only gives a means to determine costs and weights of weapons for Large and Small versions based on the Medium weapons. Any other supplied values are the author's best determination.

Macuahuitl, two-handed

Exotic Two-Handed Melee Critical: 20 Range Increment: — Type: See Text Hardness: 10
Size	Cost1	Damage	Weight1	hp
Fine	*	—	*	1
Diminutive	*	1d3	*	1
Tiny	*	1d4	*	2
Small	60gp	3d4	4lbs	4
Medium	60gp	4d4	6lbs	8
Large	75g	3d6	2lbs	16
Huge	*	4d6	*	32
Gargantuan	*	6d6	*	64
Colossal	*	8d6	*	128
The SRD only gives a means to determine costs and weights of weapons for Large and Small versions based on the Medium weapons. Any other supplied values are the author's best determination.

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A macuahuitl is a long baton or club (not unlike a cricket bat in appearance) with blades made from obsidian attached at regular intervals. A macuahuitl deals lethal slashing damage or non-lethal bludgeoning damage. A macuahuitl is typically made from obsidian. When this weapon is made from obsidian and used lethally against creatures vulnerable to critical hits, it adds an additional 1/2 Strength bonus to the damage.

The larger macuahuitl are unwieldly, even for proficient users. All attacks with the one-handed macahuitl are at a -2 penalty to the attack roll, and attacks with the two-handed macahuitl are at a -4 penalty to the attack roll. This is in addition to any non-proficiency penalty.

The weapon's hit points shown are per-blade, and the hardness shown is for the blades only. A macuahuitl with one or more broken blades suffers a -2 penalty to attack and damage rolls per broken blade. The weapon's shaft has 15 hit points and hardness 5 (as it is wooden). A macuahuitl with a broken shaft is ineffective in combat.

See Also: Wikipedia:Macuahuitl

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