A halberd (pronounced: /ˈhɑːlbɛrd/ HAL-berd[9]) was a widely used member of the poleaxe family of polearms, that could best be described as somewhat of a cross between an axe and a spear.[1]
Description[]
The business end of a halberd consisted of three parts: the axe-head, the back spike or "fluke", and the spear tip that surmounted it. While many polearms had a similar structure, halberds had a few distinguishing features. Their axe-heads were concave (curving inward) to nearly straight, instead of convex like most axes. And were set at an angle to the shaft, instead of being mounted perpendicular.[10]
The fluke of a halberd, which was fairly short and angled slightly downward,[10] helped to balance the weapon. It was sometimes replaced by a hook for dismounting cavalry. The sharp spear-like spike that surmounted the fluke was usually of quadrangular design,[1] but varied in length and size. Some were long and slender, while others were broader and of a medium length.[10]
The average halberd measured 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) in length,[1][10] or longer with their spear tips.[10]
Weaponology[]
Halberds were extremely versatile against a wide range of opponents due to ability to unleash slashing, thrusting, tripping, or dismounting attacks.[11] Dismounting in particular was a main function of the weapon.[1] And were quite effective against plate armor.[11] However, due to their size halberds were rather slow,[1] unwieldy,[10] and often considered detrimental in close quarters combat.[11]
Halberdiers could attack the flanks of a pike formation with great effect, due to pikemen being unable to bring their much longer weapons to bear in close combat.[12]
Availability[]
Business and merchants in the Realms where one could purchase halberds from included:
- A number of merchants in Athkatla's market Waukeen's Promenade commonly sold halberds, including the fruit merchant Enge and Ribald Barterman from his store Adventurer Mart. In the Bridge district, one could find them for sale from the innkeeper of Delosar's Inn and at the street-side stall of Bel Dalemark.[13]
- Aunsible Durn, a smithy in the town of Ghars, Cormyr, produced halberds that outfitted a number of local farmhands.[14][15]
- A number of general stores in the southern districts of Baldur's Gate sold halberds.[16]
- The inn within the hamlet of Friendly Arm sold halberds alongside a variety of armor and weapons.[16]
- Maheer el Saddith, a traveling merchant.[13]
- A small armaments store in Nashkel was known to sell halberds.[16]
- The Tankard Tree, a tavern in Saradush, sold both mundane and generically enchanted halberds.[17]
- Ulgoth's Beard inn owner sold halberds on the side, alongside a variety of general adventuring equipment.[18]
- Weapon merchants in the city of Ust Natha's bazaar sold halberds.[13]
- The Weaponers of Cormyr.[19]
- In many of the bazaars found across Zakhara, one could find a halberd for around 8 to 15 gold pieces depending upon how good they were at haggling.[20]
- The Zephir's owner Zakee Rafeha sold halberds in his inn on the side, alongside a variety of general adventuring equipment.[17]
History[]
Halberds first became available in the Netheril Empire in 2584 NY (−1275 DR).[21]
Around 1372 DR, the Zhentarim were smuggling halberds into Daggerford with the frigate Barracuda.[22]
Prior to 1371 DR, the average halberd cost 10 gp and weighed 15 lb (6,800 g).[4] After 1371 DR, and up to the Spellplague, the price of halberds remained the same, but weighed 12 lb (5,400 g).[5]
Notable Halberds[]
- Arc Asunder
- Blackmist
- Chesley Crusher
- Chieftain Halberd
- Daggerford Blade
- Dredging claw
- Duskblade, an enchanted halberd that belonged to the shadow Patrick.[23]
- Fayr's halberd, an enchanted halberd that belonged to Bedwyn Fayr.[24]
- Gloomgate, an enchanted sentient halberd that belonged to Gamaliel.[25]
- Halberd of sparks
- Halberd of swift admonition
- Halberd of vigilance
- The Icon of Power, an enchanted halberd that was issued to the garrison of the Black Spires of the Maiden.[26]
- Long Cleaver, an enchanted halberd that was custom-ordered by the nobleman Pelp Cadari.[24]
- The Ravager, a powerful enchanted halberd that was wielded by Imix as they guarded the lair of Yaga-Shura.[27]
- The Wave
Notable Users of Halberds[]
Groups[]
- The Company of the Black Snake.[26]
- The Harmonium outfitted a select few of their patrol captains with enchanted halberds that bolstered their strength, but weakened their intellect.[23]
- The Trading Company outfitted a majority of its mercenaries with halberds.[28]
- The Marsember Watch majority favored the halberd or sword as a martial weapon.[29]
Individuals[]
- Arganon, an adventurer from Long Reach that once wielded the Wave.[23]
- The Ravenian merchant Bendekar had multiple halberds in his home's expansive weapons collection.[30]
- Bort, a barbarian gnoll.[31]
- Eagus, a mercenary.[32]
- Ingot, a gnoll bandit that once wielded the Chesley Crusher.[16]
- Kane, a monk of the Monastery of the Yellow Rose, was proficient in the use of halberds.[33]
- Nayeli Goldflower, a paladin of Tyr that wielded a mundane halberd, the Daggerford Blade, and later the halberd of swift admonition.[34]
- Redtoe, a verbeeg guardsman.[24]
- Seker's avatars often wielded +3 halberds.[35]
- Vax, an Amnian criminal.[16]
- Yuan ti, an officer in Shou Lung's army.[36]
A gnoll wielding a halberd, a common sight in the Sword Coast.
Races & Sentient Species[]
- Black abishai sometimes fought with halberds.[37]
- Dracon were often fond of using halberds.[38]
- Hadozee often favored the use of halberds.[39]
- Halberds were common among gnolls in the Sword Coast[16] and more rarely among gnolls in Amn.[13]
- Among the oni, go-zu oni and me-zu oni were often skilled in the use of halberds.[40]
- Among the rilmani, halberds were a favored weapon of many aurumachs and ferrumachs.[41]
- Among the tanar'ri, halberds were sometimes used by armanites.[42]
Regions & Settlements[]
A Tempuran priest stands ready with his halberd.
- Castle Hartwick outfitted some members of the Giant Guard with halberds.[43]
- The Ginger Palace's soldiers were outfitted with halberds.[44]
- On the Rock of Bral, the ruler Prince Andru was followed around by bodyguards wielding halberds.[45]
- The guards of the Royal Court of Myth Drannor were outfitted with halberds of vigilance.[46]
- Halberds were a common weapon among the armed forces of Shadowdale.[47]
- Halberds were a common weapon among the armed forces of the Sembian cities Ordulin and Yhaunn.[48]
- The city of Zazesspur outfitted its guardmen with halberds made of bronze during the Tethyrian Interregnum.[49]
Religions[]
- The Shrine of Swords, a shrine dedicated to Tempus, typically had a minimum of twenty halberds in its cache of weapons during peacetime.[50]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
Ruins of Adventure • Tantras • Waterdeep • Dungeon #20, "The Ship of Night" • Halls of the High King • Keys from the Golden Vault: "Prisoner 13"
Novels & Short Stories
The Ogre's Pact • The Veiled Dragon • The Council of Blades • War in Tethyr • Star of Cursrah • Lady of Poison • The Rite • Master of Chains • Crypt of the Moaning Diamond
Video Games
Pool of Radiance series (Pool of Radiance • Curse of the Azure Bonds • Secret of the Silver Blades • Pools of Darkness) • Eye of the Beholder series (Eye of the Beholder • The Legend of Darkmoon • Assault on Myth Drannor) • Gateway to the Savage Frontier • Treasures of the Savage Frontier • Menzoberranzan • Ravenloft: Stone Prophet • Icewind Dale series (Icewind Dale • Heart of Winter) • Baldur's Gate series (Baldur's Gate • II: Shadows of Amn • II: Throne of Bhaal • The Black Pits) • Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance • Sword Coast Legends • Neverwinter Nights series (Neverwinter Nights • Darkness over Daggerford) • Warriors of Waterdeep
Miniatures
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
Gallery[]
The head of a ceremonial halberd belonging to Karl Eusebius.
Five halberds alongside a voulge, two pole axes, two bec de corbins, a lucerne hammer, and a partisan.
Not to be outdone by the Tempuran, this Flandalian priest wields her own halberd.
A firbolg wields a halberd against an adventurer.
A lizardman stands guard with his trusty halberd.
A simple halberd from Northwest Faerûn.
External Links[]
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the following links do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki, nor does any lore presented necessarily adhere to established canon.
Halberds article at the Baldur's Gate 3 Community Wiki, a community wiki for Baldur's Gate 3.- Halberd article at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Grant Boucher, Troy Christensen, Jon Pickens, John Terra and Scott Davis (1991). Arms and Equipment Guide. (TSR, Inc.), p. 86. ISBN 1-56076-109-1.
- ↑ Gary Gygax (1978). Players Handbook 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 35, 37. ISBN 0-9356-9601-6.
- ↑ Gary Gygax, David Cook, and François Marcela-Froideval (1985). Oriental Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 39. ISBN 0-8803-8099-3.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 David "Zeb" Cook (August 1989). Player's Handbook (2nd edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 69. ISBN 0-88038-716-5.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 117. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
- ↑ Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, James Wyatt (June 2008). Player's Handbook 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 218. ISBN 0-7869-4867-1.
- ↑ Jeremy Crawford, Stephen Schubert, et al. (September 2011). Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium. Edited by Cal Moore, Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 21. ISBN 978-0-7869-5744-6.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 149. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
- ↑ Dungeons & Dragons FAQ (HTML). Wizards of the Coast. (2003). Archived from the original on 2017-07-09. Retrieved on 2018-05-22.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Gary Gygax (August, 1985). Unearthed Arcana (1st edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 125. ISBN 0880380845.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 118. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
- ↑ David "Zeb" Cook (August 1989). Player's Handbook (2nd edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 74. ISBN 0-88038-716-5.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 BioWare (September 2000). Designed by James Ohlen, Kevin Martens. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Black Isle Studios.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (July 1995). Volo's Guide to Cormyr. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 183. ISBN 0-7869-0151-9.
- ↑ Chet Williamson (July 1998). Murder in Cormyr. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 5, pp. 26–27. ISBN 0-7869-0486-0.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 BioWare (December 1998). Designed by James Ohlen. Baldur's Gate. Black Isle Studios.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 BioWare (June 2001). Designed by Kevin Martens. Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal. Black Isle Studios.
- ↑ BioWare (May 1999). Designed by James Ohlen. Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast. Black Isle Studios.
- ↑ Strategic Simulations, Inc. (1989). Designed by George MacDonald. Curse of the Azure Bonds. Strategic Simulations, Inc.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb and Andria Hayday (April 1992). Arabian Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 91. ISBN 978-1560763581.
- ↑ slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 31. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
- ↑ Ossian Studios (June 2018). Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford. Beamdog.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 BioWare (September 2000). Designed by James Ohlen, Kevin Martens. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Black Isle Studios.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Black Isle Studios (June 2000). Designed by Matt Norton. Icewind Dale. Interplay.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (July 2004). Lady of Poison. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 15, pp. 155–156. ISBN 978-0786931613.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Black Isle Studios (February 2001). Designed by Chris Avellone, Steve Bokkes, John Deiley, J.E. Sawyer. Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter. Interplay.
- ↑ BioWare (June 2001). Designed by Kevin Martens. Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal. Black Isle Studios.
- ↑ Richard Baker (1992). Rock of Bral. (TSR, Inc), p. 37. ISBN 1-56076-345-0.
- ↑ Troy Denning (April 2014). The Sentinel. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 48. ISBN 0786964596.
- ↑ John D. Rateliff (August 1993). A Handful of Dust. Living City (RPGA), p. 37.
- ↑ Beamdog (November 2012). Designed by Philip Daigle, et al. Baldur's Gate: The Black Pits. Beamdog.
- ↑ Philip Athans (July 1999). Baldur's Gate. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 4. ISBN 0-7869-1525-0.
- ↑ Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson (1985). Bloodstone Pass. (TSR, Inc), p. 16. ISBN 978-0394548562.
- ↑ Ludia (May 2019). Designed by Stephen David Wark, et al. Warriors of Waterdeep. Ludia.
- ↑ James Ward, Robert J. Kuntz (August 1980). Deities & Demigods. Edited by Lawrence Schick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 53. ISBN 0-935696-22-9.
- ↑ Troy Denning (April 1996). The Veiled Dragon (Paperback, 1996). (TSR, Inc), pp. 55–58. ISBN 0-7869-0482-8.
- ↑ Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 45. ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb (August 1989). “Lorebook of the Void”. Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space (TSR, Inc.), pp. 71–72. ISBN 0-88038-762-9.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb (1990). Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix 1. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 0-88038-871-4.
- ↑ Rick Swan (July 1990). Monstrous Compendium Kara-Tur Appendix. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 46–47. ISBN 0-88038-851-X.
- ↑ Richard Baker (October 1995). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 88, 90. ISBN 0-7869-0173-X.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “Monstrous Supplement”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), pp. 24–25. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ Ray Winninger (September 1995). Giantcraft. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 78. ISBN 0-7869-0163-2.
- ↑ Troy Denning (April 1996). The Veiled Dragon (Paperback, 1996). (TSR, Inc), p. 55. ISBN 0-7869-0482-8.
- ↑ Richard Baker (1992). Rock of Bral. (TSR, Inc), p. 21. ISBN 1-56076-345-0.
- ↑ Stormfront Studios (2001). Designed by Mark Buchignani, Ken Eklund, Sarah W. Stocker. Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor. Ubisoft Entertainment.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 106. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), pp. 96, 118. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
- ↑ Victor Milán (October 1995). War in Tethyr. (TSR, Inc), p. 82. ISBN 0-7869-0184-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (July 2001). “Elminster's Guide to the Realms: The Shrine of Swords”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #285 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 88.