User blog:Takeshi kun21/TK's Guide to a Decent Weapon

Hi everyone, Takeshi here just giving my input on a weapon guide. I've been working on this for a few weeks and I think that I have marked down all the basic points. I figured I should give this a shot and try my best to tell you all what I think is important when making a weapon for your OCs here for the RWBY-verse. Enjoy reading and if you want please do give some feedback on it.

Intro
When making your character for the RWBY-verse, most of you would think of a combat related person seeing of what’s been going on in the show so far. We have gun scythes, javelin rifles, rapiers that cast spells, and even the classic sword and shield; by that logic there’s a plethora of weapons to think of when you use your imagination. Just remember some things when thinking of your character’s weapon of choice. Here are some things in my opinion help when it comes to crafting a perfect weapon.

Just what is a weapon?
We all know that they are tools used in battle to either kill and destroy as well as defend, but there is much more to that. These items are not only an extension of your hand, but also of your own personal traits. A weapon is another way of showing what kind of person your character is.

Personality, Appearance, and Background tie into selecting the perfect match for a weapon. For example looking and our RWBY-verse heiress, Weiss Schnee, she was brought up in a rich family and acts in a proper manner, so giving her a rapier compliments her high-class status.

Think back to your character: their likes and dislikes, etc. If they have a destructive nature, give them a nice war hammer or big heavy bazooka. If your character looks like a cowboy, then give him a set of pistols. Think logically on what weapon fits more compared to another.

Originality
The most fun yet hard part when making a weapon. You see many people using swords, guns, spears, etc. and think, “I wanna be different,” but how much do you think your weapon will stand out? Let me tell you this: anything can be used as a weapon as long as you can make it work: a flute, a belt, deck of cards, and even a yo-yo. It all depends on who your character is and what they do best. Go ahead and use a sword all you want (you can’t beat the classics), but try to own it. Maybe your Swordsman OC wields his weapon differently compared to a standard fighter, slashes a certain way, etc.

 Battle Style : Since this also ties into originality, it’s good to figure out what your character is like in an actual fight. First ask yourself: will they be a close-ranged or a distant combatant? It can be one or the other, and sometimes even both depending on the weapon they use.



 Ranged Fighters : Mainly I think of archers in this example when coming to the RWBY-verse. Since they need time to prepare an arrow to fire, it would be best for them to mainly stay at a distance. If a bow is all they use, then it would be pretty hard to go fight with a swordsman up close (A good tip for an archer would be to give them a way to counter against close combat opponents: give them a knife as a Sub weapon so they can defend if the enemy gets too close, make the bow out of a study material, etc.).

 Close Combat Fighters : This counts mostly for swordsmen, brawlers, tanks, etc. because they’re the ones who normally dive right into the action. Opposite of archers, they’re usually the guys who are built to take number of attacks before falling. Since some are all attack, it’s good to have a way for them to defend themselves with a shield.

Not Size, but Efficiency!
Having the biggest and baddest weapon can be cool, but doesn’t have to be done all the time. To be honest, when I think of some characters with huge weapons, they might be trying to make up for something else. Imagine your character’s stats like it were an RPG (Attack, Defense, Speed); are they stronger than average people, faster, slower, or well-balanced in all areas? If they’re fast, a light weapon would be best advised so they can utilize their speed to its full extent in combat. If they’re strong, maybe they can deal out devastating powerful attacks with a more heavier weapon.

Keep in mind that their physical appearance (in muscle mass, weight, and height) also helps determine what your character should use. You don’t want to give an abnormally skinny male a heavy war hammer, because he’ll most likely break his arms lifting it. If your character is a girl with a small body, but is strong enough to carry a war ax, keep in mind her swings might be a bit uncontrollable.

Coming to Dust
We all know what Dust is, so an explanation is not necessary. However, it is best to remember that not every character has to use it. Some of our canon cast members like Pyrrha Nikos and Blake Belladonna don’t rely on it and manage to fight just fine. In my honest opinion, it’s just something that could be an extra asset to your own character’s abilities.

Because we know little of what Dust can do, it is advised to limit yourself to what is already known. Currently the only powers we have heard of are Fire, Water (probably counts as Ice), and Lightning (as more is learned, there may be more elements for use). I don’t advise branching out and saying that your character has a Dust ability that hasn’t been seen within the series yet (maybe a healing property or a wind attribute), but if the effect seems plausible then I don’t think it would hurt.

Balance is Key
I know you’re thinking about having the best weapon ever invented on this wiki, but don’t go too crazy with the idea. Using a spear that can teleport you anywhere you want, a bazooka with ammo that always has accurate aim, and swords that can cut through diamonds sound awesome, but completely OP just by itself. You don’t have to take out the teleportation ability (well you might if the RWBY-verse doesn’t have a Dust ability that allows teleportation), but you can tone it down a bit. I know you want your character to go nuts and mess with your opponents, however during an RP that doesn’t sound too fun for the other person.

Every person has their limitations, so it’s best not to “Mary Sue”/”Gary Stu” your character up. Do your best to keep things simple and only add in something that makes your weapon different from the others.

Maybe 1 or 2
“Mary Sue mastered the art of a sword, has perfect accuracy with a bow and a sniper rifle, can smash your head with a war hammer in one blow, and-“

<p class="MsoNormal">Stop right there. If that’s what you’re thinking for your character please do reconsider that idea. Our cast in the RWBY-verse doesn’t work like that at all; you clearly see they only specialize in one weapon at least (a second one working mostly as a twin weapon, shield, or back-up). A good character normally specializes with one weapon at the most. You don’t want to give them a sword, bow, staff, sniper rifle, and a bazooka because nobody is skilled enough to master all of those in a short time/at a young age; in fact how would they carry all that without being a nuisance to their teammates and themselves? A coat of arms would work best with an actual Military Mercenary type OC in my opinion, and that would only consist of different guns, explosives, and a combat knife; they wouldn’t carry them all either, just bring whatever suits the mission (so technically it’s kind of an exception.)

<p class="MsoNormal">If you want to add another weapon the best ways to go about doing so in my opinion would be one of two things:

<p class="MsoNormal"> Twin weapons-  With twin weapons, you basically have two of the same weapon, which revolves around pistols, swords, gauntlets/bracers, etc. The both of them would need to have equal strengths and weaknesses to be an actual pair of twins. With the example of Yang Xiao Long, you can see from her weapons Ember Celica that she utilizes both of them in combat, not one arm more than the other. Both gauntlets are at equal strength and have the same abilities. *Because human twins don’t have to be perfectly identical, your twin weapons don’t have to fully be as well. They could have a similar design, but differ in color or one uses Fire abilities while the other uses Frost.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Main and a Sub- The second way revolves around more of a Main weapon, Sub weapon way of thinking. The main is the one you choose to fight with in normal everyday combat, while the sub can be either a back-up or defensive weapon. A common example would be a Sword and Shield, like Jaune Arc’s weapons of choice. A character’s main is the one they are most experienced using, so you can pretty much use most weapons for that (commonly swords, war hammers). A Sub, however, should be limited to weapons weaker in power compared to your Main (like a standard pistol, knives, throwing daggers, etc.) and shouldn’t take much expertise to use. Don’t have a sword for a main weapon and then a war hammer for your secondary, because your character would have to master two forms of fighting and normally one is better. In the case of a shield, a Sub can also be used as a means of defense only tactics. The Main/Sub combo is a good idea to consider just in case your OC’s main weapon is knocked across the room. The Sub weapon is really helpful when you need to make a quick comeback in a battle.''' '''

<p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes your OC might not even need a Sub weapon because the main works just fine when it comes to attacking and defense.

Wrap-Up
So those are my ideas on what to consider when making a weapon for your character. Hopefully it was explained well, but if not feel free to ask questions. If there is something you think I have missed or should touch up on, then please do tell me. Thanks for reading and have fun crafting a fun weapon!

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