Weapons, Implements, and Shields are used to defend yourself and attack your enemies.
Weapons are swords, axes, hammers, flails, daggers, spears, polearms, bows, and crossbows; anything you can use to strike the enemy.
Implements consist of Wands, Rods (which includes maces and clubs), and Staves, and are offensive tools specifically designed to channel magic into your blows.
You can use Techniques through weapons, but cannot cast Spells through them unless they have an enchantment to let you do so.
You can cast Spells through Implements and Daggers, but cannot use Techniques with them unless they are enchanted to allow you to do so.
Bows and crossbows cannot be used to deliver Techniques or Spells; instead, they automatically inflict the Impale effect on any target they hit in a location not covered by Heavy Armor.
All Weapons and Implements deal 1 point of damage when they hit a target. This is in addition to any other effects they deliver, such as a Spell, Technique, or one of the Venomous Oils. Even if an effect is negated, such as a Cleave hitting a piece of Heavy Armor, if the attack struck the target true then it still deals 1 point of damage.
“Shields” as a category encompasses any Buckler or Shield of any size. Attacks that hit your shield deal no damage, and except for the Shatter, Repel, and Crush calls any Spells or Techniques that hit a shield are negated and have no effect.