New blog post on the “Martial Culture in Medieval Towns” academic blog out of Geneva, by yours truly. Short, but intense. Please read it, and if you like it, spread it around. “What happens when a bishop threatens a town with the inquisition in 14th Century Silesia? Violence, that’s what happens.”

A siege in the pre-industrial eras was never fun for the participants. Sieges were often the most bloody, exhausting, and brutal engagements experienced by warriors and civilians of the pre-industrial world, and they haven’t gotten any more fun in modern times. But for a reader, safe in their own home or some comfortable library, the …

Having fun with Siege Warfare Read More »

The sallet is a type of helmet which began to appear in Central Europe in the late 14th Century, considered to be in the ‘Gothic’ style associated with Latin Christendom from the high to late medieval period. The Sallet seems to have originated in German speaking areas initially. By the second quarter of the 15th …

The Gorgeous, multi-purpose Sallet Helmet Read More »

In the 13th Century, the Franciscan Johannes Galensis (aka John of Wales) finished his Tractatus de Penitentia, in which he mentioned a particular pest by the name of Titivillus. This miscreant is a demon or devil who is specifically associated with the persecution of a particular class of people – those who make their living …

That sonofabitch Titivillus Read More »

The following essay is a little gory, so if you are squeamish, skip it. Hit Points vs complex wounds Anyone who has played DnD or a similar role playing game at high levels, knows that hit points can become a little bit ridiculous. When you have so many that you can kind of laugh off …

Hit Points vs Real Life Injuries Read More »

The idea of tough, ass-kicking women is one of the most popular tropes in popular entertainment today. For several generations now, TV shows, films, comics, and more recently computer games heavily emphasize the idea of the lady warrior. Few people probably assume that this trope was also popular in the medieval world. Perhaps the first …

Warrior women in medieval Iconography Read More »

Shields are treated as an off-hand defensive weapon. Anyone with the shield proficiency can make an extra Active Defense die roll for their shield. A success means the shield was hit instead of its owner. Shield Construction All-wood and all-metal shields were very rare historically. Though role playing and computer games often depict shields made …

Shields Read More »

Missile weapons are those weapons which you throw, launch or shoot. They are often where the fight starts, and they are the best way to attack someone when it’s dangerous to get close. Like when you are hunting a bear, or when you are defending a castle from an invading army. Missile weapons range from …

Ranged Weapons Read More »

Swords and shields can help enormously in protecting you} from personal harm in a sticky situation, but you can only parry so many cuts, and your shield can only block so many attacks. Ultimately, the serious warrior also wore body armor. In the Codex Martialis system: armor is not just there to defend against a …

Armor Read More »

Many great battles start with a shower of arrows, javelins and stones.} But most fights big or small end up close in, with weapons held tightly in the hand. These are the melee weapons, and they range from the small utility knife to the mighty halberd. The weapon you choose also affects your fighting strategy …

Melee Weapons Read More »

This is a very short encounter which takes place in historical Central Europe in the 15th Century. The action takes place in a ‘micro-setting’- within and around an isolated inn in the rural countryside. There are six pre-generated characters included for use with this adventure, two PCs, three villain NPCs, and one neutral NPC (the …

Robbery at the Zur Höll Read More »

Armor Swords and shields can help enormously in protecting you} from personal harm in a sticky situation, but you can only parry so many cuts, and your shield can only block so many attacks. Ultimately, the serious warrior also wore body armor. In the Codex Martialis system: armor is not just there to defend against …

Gear Read More »

If the Martial Pool is the core of this system, the Martial Feats are the arms and legs.} These special learned abilities give you extra options in a fight. Which Martial Feats you choose during character development determine where your greatest strengths lie, and what your optimal fighting strategies are likely to be. Many Martial …

Martial Feats Read More »

The Martial Pool The Martial Pool is the core of the Codex Martialis fighting system. Each turn, you literally hold your options in your hand, with your dice. It’s up to you how many you allocate to attack, defense, movement, or other acts of desperation or calculation. You alone determine whether to use single dice …

Combat rules Read More »

Welcome to the Codex Martialis: Quick Start Guide! This Quick Start Guide is an abridged version of the Codex Martilais: Core Rules sourcebook designed to introduce new players to the Codex Martialis combat system and to aid those who are playing adventures without owning a copy of the Core Rules. This document contains everything you …

Introduction Read More »

View Cover Art View Introduction Part 1: Rules Ch. 1: Combat Rules The Martial Pool Basic Combat Deciding How to Attack Determining if an Attack is Successful New Weapons & Armor Characteristics Ch. 2: Martial Feats Part 2: Gear Ch. 3: Armor Partial or Half Armor Medium Armor Full Armor Ch. 4: Melee Weapons Simple …

Quick Start Guide Read More »

Here we have a brief discussion with medieval history professor, HEMA pioneer and professional swordsmith, Dr. Fabrice Cognot, PhD Jean: Can you briefly introduce yourself, your education, experience with antique swords, with HEMA, and experience making swords? Dr Fabrice Cognot, bladesmith. Did my PhD on medieval weapons (Xth-XVth century mostly) and more specifically how to …

A look at the Cinquedea, Part II Read More »

The Cinquedea is a mysterious type of blade weapon which appeared in Italy during the second half of the 15th Century, and was largely gone by the second half of the 16th Century. During this period however, especially in the late 15th Century and early 16th, it was very popular, and thousands of examples were …

A look at the Cinquedea, Pt I Read More »

Kunes fought in the Black Army as a great-swordsman, typically with the Forlorn Hope, and was involved in action twice against Ottoman Janissaries, during which his courage was noted. Ironically, his resulting promotion to feldweibel cost him dearly. He was stationed on one of the towers in Belgrade on the last day of the siege so he missed out on the final battle and looting, much to his chagrin.  Like Jan de Kriek, Kunes often has elaborate plans ready for various situations that come up, but is usually overruled by the older members of the group as being too bold. He and Jan sometimes argue and have had a few heated exchanges over strategy. It doesn’t help that they barely understand each other.

Jan is a journeyman cutler from Bruges, and he loves the craft of making swords and knives and every type of blade, as well as fencing and martial arts. He’s glad to explain these subjects to anyone who will listen. He arrived toward the end of the siege and was stationed on the wall as a gunner so he missed the final battle, and the looting. He also didn’t get paid for his work so once the plague broke out he decided reluctantly to head back to Flanders empty handed, though he’s keen to find new opportunities on the way home if any present themselves.

Enndres joined the Black Army of Janos Hunyadi where he was in charge of a patrol boat operating on the Danube. During the siege his boat was sunk by Ottoman cannon, and he lost a great deal of his personal wealth that he carried with him. Now he hopes to return to Nuremberg and earn his fortune more judiciously, by the practice of his craft: weaving.

A hunter by trade, Nils worked as a Scout for Janos Hunyadi and then as a sutler. But he was cheated out of most of his earnings in a card game when he was very drunk.

Charlotta is a wine merchant from Speyer in the Rhineland, and accompanied a shipment of wine to Belgrade, where she was doing a brisk business selling wine to the soldiers. She did send some money back to her family’s firm, fortunately, because shortly before the siege was lifted her shop was looted by unruly men in the company of Father John of Capistrano. Disgusted with the frontier, she is eager to make her way back home, though she has an eye for wine country and for money making opportunities which may present themselves on her journey.

Gerd is from the town of Konstanz in Swabia, where he has a workshop as a furrier. He joined the Black Army as a mounted marksman in order to make money and pay some debts. He was cautious enough to arrange for most of his earnings to be sent home long before the crescendo of the siege.  Now he just wants to get home to his wife and young child.

Gerd Gleichen Gerd is from the town of Konstanz in Swabia, where he has a workshop as a furrier. He joined the Black Army as a mounted marksman in order to make money and pay some debts. He was cautious enough to arrange for most of his earnings to be sent home long before the …

Characters Read More »

Simon is from a prominent Genoese family (the Ghisolfi) and is of the Jewish faith, though he is not actively religious (but he does adhere to dietary restrictions). His uncle is an important leader in the Genoese community in the Crimea, where Simon spent most of his adult life. After the fall of Constantinople and the near-miss.

Hanno was a silver miner in Switzerland, and worked for Janos Hunyadi as a sapper. He served with Johannes Grant, with whom he often converses indirectly, by making Gerard van Delft act as a translator in Latin. He asks many detailed questions about the architecture of Constantinople, which he has never himself seen, though he continues to insist that Zurich is a greater city than any in the east. Hanno has great knowledge of mining, of the bones of the country, and understands engineering and architecture.

Kalina does not discuss her purpose for being in Hungary, but it is known that she was close to the inner circle of Fra John of Capistrano. And as soon as he died, she had little to say about him.

Wulf is trained as a locksmith though he never joined the guild, as technically he is still a journeyman. He instead spent many years fighting in the militia against robber knights in Alsace and is a good shot with a crossbow, having won prizes in the Schützenfest. He is also clearly a good fencer though he rarely engages in sport matches with Gerd and Jan. At Belgrade he was working as a gunsmith for Hunyadi, adding matchlock serpentine devices to captured firearms. While with the Black Army he got into a dispute with a soldier who was mistreating a woman, and ended up fighting a duel with the man, who he killed. The incident was famous in Belgrade and he was forced to leave town before being paid, lest he suffer the revenge of the other soldiers. He is still brooding a bit over this incident and his lost pay.

Gerard is trained in medicine and was working as a personal physician for one of the nobles in the Black Army, but when plague broke out his patron quickly died.

Johannes Grant served with the Genoese in the defense of Constantinople, successfully intercepting several Ottoman tunneling efforts. He performed the same role with equal success in Belgrade. Since the siege and its aftermath though, he says he’s had enough of looking at impaled corpses and hopes never to hear the Mehter again. He plans to return to his native Edinburgh and contribute to building up his home town into a great city, bringing ideas he learned during his time with the Italians and Byzantines.

Travel back in time to 1452, to find a gang of hardened mercenaries gone very, very bad. They have taken up residence in a hidden valley in the Franconian forest, where their sins have caught up with them at last. But their innocent neighbors are suffering too. War has broken out and blocked your route, …

The Devil’s Pass Read More »

Travel back in time to 1452, to find a gang of hardened mercenaries gone very, very bad. They have taken up residence in a hidden valley in the Franconian forest, where their sins have caught up with them at last. But their innocent neighbors are suffering too. War has broken out and blocked your route, …

The Devil’s Pass: Coming soon! Like – really soon! Read More »

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Jean just had a historical essay on the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg published to Hypotheses.org! The article explores what we know about martial culture in Nuremberg circa the 15th century and dives into the contents of the manuscript Hs 22547: the ‘Feud Book’ (Fehdebuch) of the Imperial City of Nuremberg. Enjoy

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