Pickaxe tool damage value
 

One of my players wishes to use a pickaxe as a weapon. Whilst it could be considered akin to a warhammer, I am concerned that as a melee weapon a pickaxe is rather unbalanced, as well as blunt.

I am after some damage values etc. Thanks in advance.

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

Call it a cheap pick, based on what Wikipedia's telling me about the difference between a pickaxe and a pick, and assuming we're just taking one into battle without modifying it beyond it being a tool. I'll be interested to see what Low Tech has to say on the topic, though.

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

I think Low Tech has stats for a mining pick as an improvised weapon. I'd treat as a Warhammer (p. B274) with a penalty to hit, since most picks meant as tools are too large for one-handed use. A pick light enough to count as a Pick would be something like an ice axe.

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

Unless Greenneck pipes up and states something other than the following...

Tis basically a pick, as per pg271 in GURPS Characters, but with a horizontal axe like blade ( aka a large flattened adze) on the front. Should give the cutting damage of a twohanded axe, but the imp damage of a pick, as well as the later's unreadiness status when swung.

Post script. Greenneck has just pointed out to me that the pick entry on pg271 is onehanded. I am going with a Warhammer with a Great Axe combo.

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

For making the weapon's complete stats (weight, ST, etc), you might want to consider taking a look at the Combination Weapons guidelines in Martial Arts. I think adding a pick is covered there.

Marking the adze/mattock head as an axe is probably the way to go, statwise. I think the only real difference between the two is the kinds of jobs they can be used for as a tool - an axe is good for chopping down trees, a mattock is good for loosening dirt and cutting through roots. I'd expect the mattock head to be a bit duller, however - maybe a -1 to cutting damage (at least until the character sharpens it to axe standards). I remember using a two-handed cutting mattock (axe head on one side, mattock head on the other) when I was helping my dad with a house he was fixing up. I remember the axe head was kept a good deal sharper than the mattock head, as the latter was used to move through dirt and cut roots (although there was one particularly thick root that I ended up using the axe head on).

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

It would be a lot harder to chop off limbs with the adze blade than with an axe blade, due to it being prone to strike so the cut will go lengthwise on the limb. It would also have a problem of getting stuck, much like a pick. Finally, many pickaxes have relatively long and thin picks and would be poorly suited to weapons (due to being prone to break), though you could find one that's as solid as a military pick (anything intended mostly for breaking up stone, rather than breaking up dirt).

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

By pickaxe I'm assuming you're referring to this. Treat it as an Axe, swinging pierce/thrust damage, with Crushing for hitting with the blunt sides.

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

A pickaxe doesn't really have a blunt side. The part closest to the camera in that picture is what we've been referring to as the adze/mattock, and is functionally basically a sideways axe blade.

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

There is no way that a mattock has a sharp enough edge to do cutting damage. Treat it as an axe that does crushing damage only.

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

Ta muchly Dan. The nearest I have come to modeling the damage from one of these beasties in real life is hitting myself in the foot, whilst wearing steel capped boots.

Tis it fair to treat it as a two handed Great Axe, but changing the damage to crushing?

Still give it a reach of 1/2* ?

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

Yep, but Greenneck is offering this as his reference image.

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

It does if you sharpen it. Most wood axes aren't terribly sharp either.

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

A well-maintained wood axe is much sharper than a mattock

A whetstone is no where enough to sharpen a mattock. You'd need a grinding stone. When you are finished you'd be able to do cutting damage but it would only serve as a digging tool once. After that the edge will be severely damaged.

Re: Pickaxe tool damage value
 

-2 sort of damaged?