Melee Weapon Archetypes
As with ranged weapons, there are archetypes for melee weapons to provide a general idea of its attributes. Individual weapons will likely deviate slightly from these archetypes. Modifiers granted by melee weapons are only applicable to melee combat.
Completely Unarmed: No modifiers
Gauntlets: +1 Agility
Spiked Guantlets: +1 Agility, +1 Force
Improvised Weapons: +1 Finesse, +1 Agility
Simple, Light: +1 Finesse, +1 Agility, +1 Force
Simple, One-Handed: +2 Finesse, +1 Agility, +1 Force
Simple, Two-Handed: +2 Finesse, +2 Agility, +1 Force
Martial, Light: +2 Finesse, +2 Agility, +2 Force
Martial, One-Handed: +3 Finesse, +2 Agility, +3 Force
Martial, Two-Handed: +3 Finesse, +2 Agility, +4 Force
Melee Weapon Skill
There are five Melee Weapon Skill Levels (MWSL), which dictate which classes of melee weapon can be used without penalty, as well as which classes can be fabricated and repaired.
Unskilled – Can use Improvised melee weapons without penalty
Beginner – Can use Improvised and Simple melee weapons without penalty
Trainee – Can fabricate and repair Simple melee weapons
Adept – Can use Improvised, Simple, and Martial melee weapons without penalty
Master – Can fabricate and repair Simple, Martial, and Exotic melee weapons
Reach Weapons
In Close Combat, melee weapons either operate in the 0-5ft range (Close), in the 5-10ft range (Reach), or both. Weapons that operate only in the 5-10ft range are referred to as Reach Weapons. Weapons that can operate in both ranges are referred to as Reach+ Weapons. Using a Reach Weapon at Close Range eliminates its Finesse and Force modifiers. A character with sufficient skill may be able to use a Reach weapon at Close Range without penalty.
Whenever a character enters or exits the range of another character, a special, free Engagement or Disengagement Attack is made by the stationary character. Reach+ weapons only allow for these attacks when the outside boundary of Reach Range is crossed.
Shoving
A character engaged in Close Combat can attempt to shove their opponent away from them. This Shove is done before any other action, and is handled via a Force Check (Shover Force +1d6 vs Shovee Force + 1d6). Shoving pushes a character from Close Range to Reach Range. If a shove attempt fails, the shover’s turn ends and the shove gets a free attack against the shover.