The Rules Upgrade is the latest version of Jeff Dee and Jack Herman's classic superhero RPG Villains and Vigilantes. It incorporates much of the classic architecture that has made Villains and Vigilantes a cult favorite, but introduces a new combat system, skill system, and a system for purchasing powers and abilities using CPs. In addition to spending CPs to purchase superpowers you also need to use CPs purchase weapons. There is a good selection of weapons included in the Upgrade rules, but a number of popular weapons have not been included. All of these weapons can be used without modification using the Villains and Vigilantes rules as well, simply ignore CP cost.

• Bagh Nakh: Indian weapon that simulates a tiger's claw. It consists of two rings that the pinky and forefinger go through, a bar across the back of the hand that connects them, and four to five curved blades that extend out past the knuckles.
• Baton: A short club ,truncheon, billy club, or cudgel.
• Flail: A european weapon that started as a farm implement for threshing grain. It consists of a long wooden handle or staff and a shorter free-swinging stick or ball attatched on one end. As with most weapons there are a number of cosmetic variations.
• Flamberge: European two-handed sword over five feet long. It was made famous by German Landsknecht mercenaries called Doppelsoldners. They recieved double pay for the hazardous duty of chopping the heads off enemy pikes.
• Halberd: A european weapon with an axe-like blade and a steel spike mounted on the end of a long shaft or pole.
• Jitte / Sai: Japanese weapons used to parry swords. They consist of an iron bar, sometimes sharpened to a blade, with a hook attatched on one side in the case of jitte - or both sides in the case of sai.
• Katana: A Japanese long sword, often used in a set with a wakizashi - a Japanese short sword - and tanto - a Japanese dagger.
• Katar: Indian punch-dagger. The handle is composed of two bars that run parallel to the blade, connected by one or two crossbars that serve as a grip.
• Mace: A heavy european club. Often a metal head mounted on a wooden handle.
• Mace, Spiked: A heavy european club with a spiked or flanged metal head, used to pierce and crush armor. often a metal head mounted on a wooden handle.
• Ninjato: A medium length Japanese sword made especially for use by Ninja assassins.
• Nunchaku: An extremely versatile oriental weapon that started out as a grain thresher. It consists of two short handles conected by a chain, or rope.
• Rante: An oriental chain whip with a star shaped blade on one end. It can be used as an effective ranged slashing weapon.
• Rapier: A long, light, sharp-pointed european sword often lacking a cutting edge, with a cup-like hilt and usually used only for thrusting and parrying.
• Shuriken: Star-shaped Japanese throwing blades.
• Whip: Either a flexible rod or a flexible thong or lash attached to a handle.

To create stats for your own weapons in the Rules Upgrade you can follow this formula:

1. Bonus to hit is simple. For every +1 to hit the weapon has add one to the CP cost.
2. Average damage is calculated by taking the maximum roll for each dice, dividing each by two and adding one. Then add any other damage bonuses the same way you add the bonus to hit. There is no cost for adding HTH damage to the weapon damage. See the table below for the most common damage rolls and their respective costs.

   Weapon Damage	CP Cost
   HTH+1	1
   HTH+d2	2
   HTH+d4	3
   HTH+d6	4
   HTH+d8	5
   HTH+2d4	6
   HTH+d10	6
   HTH+2d6	8

3. How many attributes worth of range is also simple, as illustrated in the table below. A weapon is normally based on Agility, but any attribute can be used with GM approval.

   Weapon Range	CP Cost
   A"	1
   (Ax2)"	2
   (Ax3)"	3

When generating the stats for new weapons it is best to compare the weapon you want to make to the stats for a weapon already covered. For example, to make the stats for a wakizashi - a Japanese short sword usually worn with a katana - compare it to the stats of other Japanese swords. A katana is +2 to hit, HTH+d6 damage. A katana is longer and heavier than a wakizashi, so the katana should do more damage. A ninjato is +3 to hit and HTH+d4 damage. The ninjato is specially designed for quick and effective use, so the wakizashi should not get the same bonus to hit. By comparing the wakizashi to these weapons then we give it the following stats, +2 to hit and HTH+d4 damage.

The same process will work with any other weapons as well, whether it is a real weapon, or one you are inventing yourself. Aliens and lost civilizations may use very different weapons, but the basic principles will always be the same.

Some weapons have magic or high-tech abilities not covered in the normal rules. Some of these abilities are included below. CP costs are included for use with the Rules Upgrade. General rules for CP cost are about 5 CP for moderately useful abilities, 10 CP for very useful, and 15 CP for extremely useful. Weapons can have standard powers, these are purchased the same way other devices are.

• Indestructable: CP=5 The weapon can survive almost any extreme - though the GM may still force a player to specify at least one way the weapon can be destroyed - it can not be destroyed as detailed under the Weaponsmith skill, and does not wear with age. The player may come up for other special uses for the weapon from time to time as well, jamming the gears of a massive machine, use it as a lever to lift a very heavy object, etc.
• "Dancing": CP=15 The weapon can fight independent of the owner. It stays in one place (a 1"x1" square for game purposes) and hovers about swinging at opponents. It cannot move from that area on it's own unless the character purchases flight for the weapon as well. The weapon attacks on the same phases as the character who owns it, and attacks with a fighting skill equal to the character's INT save. The character must spend at least one phase every turn to control the weapon, and another every time the character wants to change the weapons instructions. The weapon can only be given simple instructions like "attack Devil Dude!", or "attack everyone who tries to go through the door!" given simple instructions.
• Automatic Return: CP=5 The weapon automatically returns to the owners hand when thrown, up to the range purchased for that specific weapon. If the weapon exceeds that range it cannot return on its own. PR=1 per use.

• Weaponsmith: Unique/Intelligence
  Specify a weapon type from the listing under the Fighting skill when this skill is purchased. This skill allows the user to build and repair weapons of whatever type they have selected.
  A weapon becomes damaged when its HP are depleted. Normal weapons have HP that equal the CP cost of the weapon. To damage the weapon though attacks must still get through the Structural Rating of the weapon first. Once a weapons HP are completely depleted the weapon is destroyed. A weapon that is damaged but not destroyed may have its effectiveness reduced if the GM decides.
• Inventing: Unique/Intelligence
  The character can rolls against this skill when attempting to create new devices. Depending on the device the GM may have the character roll on another skill in addition to this. For example, if a character wishes to create a new magic wand the GM should have him make a successful Occult skill roll before using the Inventing skill. The character must still pay the CP cost for any devices that they wish to build, but they don't lose any points if they fail their rolls. Players can only attempt to invent a particular device once per session.
  An optional ability the GM can allow to use with this is an Invention Pool. The player must assign CP to a permanent pool for this, they cannot simply use unspent points. This ability allows the character to create one-shot inventions with a successful Inventing roll. After that session is over the invention is gone and the points spent on the invention return to the characters Invention Pool. This is to compensate for the lack of one shot inventions in the Rules Upgrade.

by Craig "Pandemonium" Griswold, pandemonium(at)elpasotel.net
Copyright 1997 by Craig Griswold
Villains and Vigilantes copyright 1982 Jeff Dee and Jack Herman