Weapons
With very few exceptions, everyone has something they can use as a weapon. Some weapons may be more 'typical', consisting of things like knives, bows or even one's bare hands. Others may be more unusual, such as coins, flowers and fans. Regardless of the type, everyone who has a weapon has the ability to switch between the weapons they may have available to them. This is reflected through PersonaMUSH's weapon system.
Overview
Everyone receives three weapon slots, although only one can be activated at a time. As a rule, you switch to your equipped weapon before combat begins; carrying many additional weapons on your person is not encouraged. Your list of weapons can be viewed by typing +weapon/list and activated by typing +weapon #, where # refers to which weapon slot is being equipped. Weapons generally reflect one of the three physical elements, but there are some exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
Your weapon list can be changed through +weapon/acquire or +weapon/set. Further information as to the mechanics can be found in +help +weapon. When setting weapon names, please use common decency. Also, please don't set firearms as weapons unless they are your weapon class or you have received permission to do so from admin.
Weapons generally share the same basic power level, with variances depending on their added effects, if any. Some weapons have powers that only Persona-users or the Shadow-Possessed can notice. Such a weapon could have the ability to inflict a status ailment on an enemy, even if there is no obvious 'natural' reason for this to be the case--a perfectly dry sword inflicting poison, for instance.
Typically, a weapon is acquired through relatively mundane means. It may be a collector's item owned by the character, or they may purchase it from a helpful police officer (SEES), from an ccentric artist (Daidara Metalworks), or even a restaurant (Sumaru is weird). It's bought, and generally kept hidden in 'normal' circumstances one way or another, but works just fine in the hands of the character. However, some weapons can be earned. Going on a quest can end up with someone receiving a weapon beyond what can be set by +weapon/acquire alone, but achieving this requires sufficient effort.
Weapon Tags
See +help +weapon for how to set weapons and their tags, if any.
The default weapon is normal melee; this means no special tags will appear in the attack display. This is a balanced weapon that works without much complication.
Heavy weapons reflect unwieldy or large weapons, used with great force. Accordingly, while they are a bit less accurate, and return slightly less SP, they do greater damage than comparable weapons on a hit. Shinjiro Aragaki's axes and maces would count as Heavy.
Doublehit weapons reflect paired weapons or similar situations; because you're wielding two, you get two chances to hit, each of which is lower in power than an individual hit from a larger weapon. The added focus required means a slightly reduced SP return, however. Yosuke Hanamura's wrenches would count as Doublehit.
Light weapons reflect the opposite of heavy weapons: rather than large and unwieldy, these are deft and quick. They do slightly less damage than other weapons, but are more accurate and return slightly more SP. Daggers or fist-based weapons could easily be Light weapons: Akihiko Sanada's punches would count as Light... though it's not advisable to say this to him unless you want to get punched.
Ranged weapons are those that can be used at a distance. While they can have any of the other tags save melee as well, this removal from the target means that they are slightly less damaging and slightly less accurate than other weapons. However, it also grants them a greater amount of SP regained per hit to balance this fact. Naoto Shirogane's pistol would be classified as ranged.
Weapons in the hands of Persona-users and Shadow-possessed may also possess special qualities that normal users can neither detect nor use: the ability to inflict ailments on the target. These may also be selected, chosen from illusion, panic, fear, rage, charm, enervation, exhaustion, poison, or even random, to represent a chance of any ailment. The ailment will be set on the weapon at odds1, with no reduction in accuracy or attack power. However, this supernatural boost requires a bit more of the wielder's focus, and accordingly the SP regained per hit for these weapons is significantly dropped.
Special Weapons
Some weapons' elements don't fall under the normal categories of Slash, Strike, or Pierce. Others might have a special tag not typically found on weapons. These weapons can only be set by staff, and are typically the result of a weapon quest, undertaken through +request.
These types of weapons may also be temporarily obtained with the +request command to represent an opponent with an unusual weapon in a 'boss fight'. These may also be requested for the duration of a TP. However, these will only last until the fight or TP have concluded, and will be removed from the character at that time.
Weapons received from the result of a quest are permanent unless willingly given up or destroyed by the character who controls them.
Weapons of this type may possess any element or tag, within reason. Some tags, such as Dark DOT, are not available to use. Judgment of suitable tags and their odds is up to admin discretion. Heal element weapons are not allowed. Thus, a weapon may be Slash with the effect of Freeze1, or a weapon may be Gravity element. These are subject to resistances and weaknesses as normal. Nonstandard weapon elements will return less SP than normal, while tags have no effect on SP regeneration.
Almighty weapons are also possible. These will ignore all elemental defenses, but cannot strike a weakness hit. Furthermore, their ability to restore SP is drastically reduced. These are particularly rare weapons to receive, since their damage cannot be guarded against.
Weapon Quests
Special weapons must be earned through quests, which are completed through +request.
Weapons with a special tag or element require some effort on the part of the character who is seeking to obtain that weapon. They might, for example, befriend a demon with the ability to craft ice into a blade as hard as steel. Or they might spend weeks spreading rumors about a legendary gun (and jumping through the requisite hoops to get the gun into their hands). Whatever the means, it must reflect their own hard work and must be justified in the +request.
Almighty weapons, due to their particular strength, will require some additional justification on the part of the character requesting a weapon of this type for themselves. It may not be unusual for a +request of this nature to take several steps to complete. Power, after all, must be earned.
