The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a +5 Vorpal Sword is a good guy with a +5 Vorpal Sword.

Cormyr has had arms control since the gray box.

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;621331The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a +5 Vorpal Sword is a good guy with a +5 Vorpal Sword.

That, sir, is hilarious.  Well played!


-TGA

Quote from: smiorgan;621262Follow historical logic, and tune it to the level of weapon control.

3 classes of armaments:

1/ Military. These include polearms, lances, double handed swords, shields (maybe excepting bucklers) and any form of metal armour.
2/ Civillian. A dagger or poniard, ballock knife, side sword, rapier, basket hilt or arming sword. Something that doesn't look out of place at court. Leather or cloth armour*
3/ Tools. Billhooks, threshals, sickles etc.

Forbid #1 and ask questions of anyone carrying, exercise control over #2, don't bother #3 unless they look out of place. Tune according to city's ability (or economic drivers) to control, the century you emulate, local fashion.

Works for pseudo-European, same principles can no doubt be applied to other cultures.

* good luck walking into anywhere in your stinky, never-been-washed cloth under-armour.

This is a great rule of thumb.  My only minor nitpick is that it is my understanding that *everybody* carried a knife, so I would include daggers in category 3.  Particularly if the system (like D&D) doesn't really differentiate between the various forms of knife/dagger.  I figure that the exact weapon might draw attention - ie a peasant wouldn't get a second look with a large utility knife on his belt, but might face some questions if carrying an ornate dagger more befitting a nobleman, even though they are functionally the same.


-TGA

Quote from: Doctor Jest;621255Depends on the setting, and the city in that setting. Each is going to have it's own particular laws.

This.

In Eclipse Phase, there might not even be laws for entire jurisdictions, or the laws might ban the entire body you came in on before they touch what weapons you're allowed to carry.  Even areas that strictly regulate what species you started out as, such as the Jovian Republic, the game's generic fascist state, don't necessarily find every weapon equally distasteful -- a sufficiently smart iPod would be more objectionable than a gun.  The folk of Locus, on the more anarchist side, do little more than coat-check WMDs.  One of Saturn's moons would be more surprised if visitors lacked rifles.

In the Realm in Exalted, it can be even more ridiculous.  The Dragon-blooded rule the land as a military caste: they're expected to have weapons.  In most of the realm, someone attuned to a jade daiklaive is someone that you respect, regardless of local laws about carrying surfboard-sized weapons, as long as the owner acts like a Dragon-blooded.  Orichalcum, soulsteel, and starmetal don't have that cultural attachment, and even if the local peasants don't know what the material is they're going to be rather scared by it.
((On the other hand, while all the magical materials attract or piss off spirits, Jade weapons and armor are basically made of money in most of Creation.  You're asking to be robbed blind carrying a cash stick around that openly.

And if you aren't a Dragon-blood, and especially if you're a Celestial Exalt, you're also asking to find the full force of the law come down if you use your powers heavily, such as if you get in a hard fight.))

Quote from: The Good Assyrian;621361My only minor nitpick is that it is my understanding that *everybody* carried a knife, so I would include daggers in category 3.

Fair comment, but the question was about arms control, rather than defining "tool". Category 2 is for weapons that a civillian might carry anywhere, without reason. A knife might be used for eating, or work, or self-defence; the bearer shouldn't need to explain themselves in a culture where everyone carries a knife.

Category 3 is for tools which make for really nasty weapons. You can make a reason for carrying your threshal to the mill but maybe not to the town hall, and certainly not to breakfast ("I hear they're serving oats au naturel").

It's a semantic argument. Depending on period and circumstances different weapons will move into different categories.

Quote from: The Good Assyrian;621361This is a great rule of thumb.  My only minor nitpick is that it is my understanding that *everybody* carried a knife, so I would include daggers in category 3.  Particularly if the system (like D&D) doesn't really differentiate between the various forms of knife/dagger.  I figure that the exact weapon might draw attention - ie a peasant wouldn't get a second look with a large utility knife on his belt, but might face some questions if carrying an ornate dagger more befitting a nobleman, even though they are functionally the same.

Good point. Everyone might be permitted a blade under six inches just so they can cut their meat.

Some specialized "guild approved" tool kits might require a badge from the local guild.

Likewise, any culturally accepted farm tools too.

It isn't all that strange to allow weapons only by class or by allowance - only nobles allowed to wear plate and carry swords, for example.

Quote from: smiorgan;621402Fair comment, but the question was about arms control, rather than defining "tool". Category 2 is for weapons that a civillian might carry anywhere, without reason. A knife might be used for eating, or work, or self-defence; the bearer shouldn't need to explain themselves in a culture where everyone carries a knife.

Category 3 is for tools which make for really nasty weapons. You can make a reason for carrying your threshal to the mill but maybe not to the town hall, and certainly not to breakfast ("I hear they're serving oats au naturel").

It's a semantic argument. Depending on period and circumstances different weapons will move into different categories.

All true, but I read category #2 to be weapons that *most* civilians in *most* medieval-esque societies would be allowed to carry and category #3 to be things that nobody would be restricted from having and would pass without notice.  Some of the weapons in #2 could be/were restricted by class - even if you didn't have to be a noble to carry a rapier in town, a typical peasant couldn't get away with that.  Hence my point about the ubiquity of knives/daggers.

But you are right about it being semantics.  


-TGA

This is for fantasy games, not other types ...

In big towns/cities, people can register as a Weapon Master if they are masters of a particular weapon. This means that the person can wear that weapon on the streets of the city but has an obligation to teach the weapon. Of course, it costs money and highlights the fact that they are skilled in combat. Bodyguards can also buy a permit to carry weapons.

In small towns and villages, the militia or its equivalent is in charge of weapons policing. Where they have enough tasty heavies they can enforce the policy. Where they are weak, people generally keep their own weapons.

On the King's Highway, or its equivalent, people can carry weapons if they are guards or a running a caravan. Lone travellers, or those in small groups, can carry personal weapons for self-defence.

On minor roads or in the wilderness, people can generally carry weapons for self-defence.

There are exceptions, though. In areas with high levels of banditry or insurgency, long weapons might be banned. Some cultural bans may also be in force - peasants cannot carry swords, for example.

Quote from: RPGPundit;621239Seriously, though, how do you handle the notion of "arms control" in urban areas in your fantasy world/games?  Can PCs just waltz through the cities of your setting armed to the teeth and dressed in full plate? What about the populated rural regions?
Or are they stuck having to hand over their weapons at the city gate, or something in between?

RPGPundit

Really depends on the setting.  Glorantha, of all places, has a good examination of this in Lunar occupied Pavis.  While the Lunars did not disarm people, they required licenses of anyone going into The Big Rubble (the world's best megadungeon, IMO), as well as a short form that required Adventurers to state where they were heading and to report what they had found, with random spot checks to make sure everything was in order.  As Pavis is a major mercenary mustering place, armed adventurers are everywhere, which also meant that Lunar Patrols and the Pavis City Watch were well armed, well trained and omnipresent. Finally, Orlanthi, rebels, criminals and other ne'er do wells were publicly flogged and crucified outside the city walls.

I have normally handled my fantasy cities with adventurers being confined to a mercenary or trade district that has well armed patrols on every corner and that requires adventurers to register upon entering the city proper.  Here, adventurers can shop, carouse and do whatever else mercenaries do, but they are restricted to this district.  If they want to move into the residential or other parts of the city, then they have to hand over their weapons and aren't permitted their armor (there are usually money lender services that will also hold an adventurer's gear in a well secured vault for a fee.)  Adventurers need an invitation to do business and must report to the Watch where they are going and for how long they will be conducting business in other districts, and can carry no more than a dagger, unless they are residents of a district,in which case they can carry their possessions in a chest to and fro.  Under no circumstances will The Watch allow fully armored and armed people outside of the mercenary district unless they are local soldierly in service to the city's rulers and part of the garrison, bonded bodyguards, and the like. While spellcasters won't have spell component pouches taken from them and the like, any spellcasters will have to identify themselves at a district gate.  The local Wizard's guild or association can provided associate memberships to adventurers to vet for them.  Adventurers who reside in a city will have identification papers, and if citizens in good standing, will be allowed free reign of the city while being allowed to carry a dagger or maybe a sword, but no armor.

As they proceed deeper into the city, checkpoints will check them for things like active spells and magic items, the closer they come to the city's rulers.

I tend to vary things by region, in any given (faux-Europe D&D-type) setting, with the "three categories" listed above as a guide.  One caveat is that, in many areas, someone in clerical rainment will have many of the same exemptions that someone wearing noble livery will enjoy.  (Assuming it's a faith that's well-received in town, of course.)

I actually tend to crack down on armor more than weapons - for example, adventurers arriving at the South gate in my version of Waterdeep in plate mail will be directed to the Copper Cup inn (just inside the gate), where they can store their gear.  If they don't, they'll be assured of plenty of attention from the city watch.  This is where leather and (to a lesser degree) chain have their applications, being that much easier to hide.  (Makes the "thieves' guild" game that much easier to run, too, when the fighters can't just walk around with AC2.)

As an aside, I've been picking away at prepping for an Oriental Adventures/Kara-tur game, and it definitely gets into the societal restrictions on weapons vs. caste.  For example, the daisho (katana/wakizashi combo) being restricted to samurai, the prohibition against peasants owning weapons (and falling back on things like flails, forks and staves), and the dishonor of being seen using ninja weapons when you're not a ninja.

Quote from: DestroyYouAlot;621487As an aside, I've been picking away at prepping for an Oriental Adventures/Kara-tur game, and it definitely gets into the societal restrictions on weapons vs. caste.  For example, the daisho (katana/wakizashi combo) being restricted to samurai, the prohibition against peasants owning weapons (and falling back on things like flails, forks and staves), and the dishonor of being seen using ninja weapons when you're not a ninja.

I'd also advise checking out some articles on how samurai castle towns worked. One of the reasons that modern japanese cities are so hard to navigate is because these evolved from castle towns which were designed to be difficult to navigate, so as to frustrate would be besiegers.

Most 'ninja weapons' are simply farm implements used as weapons.  Kusari-Gama is a grain flail, kamas are scythes used to cut wheat, etc.

I advise anyone who is running a samurai/chanbarra campaign to check out Koryu.com, it's a great clearinghouse of info on real world traditional japanese martial practice.

Quote from: Kaiu Keiichi;621492I advise anyone who is running a samurai/chanbarra campaign to check out Koryu.com, it's a great clearinghouse of info on real world traditional japanese martial practice.

Great link, thanks!  (I do tend to agonize over the details, in a setting like this - I waffle between the side of myself that wants to research everything to death, and the side that remembers we're playing D&D, and that the setting is very much "pseudo-Asia" for a reason.)

Quote from: Opaopajr;621271Some civilized areas are comprised of strong centralization and representative authorities. These authorities have a monopoly on the use of force/violence. Those who contest this first face the civil "peace officers." Then the heavy guns of the military are brought to put down any menace.

I'm not too sure how much of a civilian police force would normally exist to be honest,the difference between those and men at arms was fairly academic until relatively recently. The scale might go military -> more military.