How much equipment can a fantasy adventurer actually carry (before finding a bag of holding), specifically in regards to arms and armour? Most would say simply say a sword, buckler, and dagger, while wearing gambeson and a helmet. Here are a few possibilities of maximum armament.
Weapons:
Worn: sword, buckler or wicker shield, dagger, short sword or knife, pistol or "assassin" crossbow
Carried (only 1): quarterstaff, cane, or shepherd's axe
Armour: helmet, gambeson, gorget, dueling gauntlets, maille, or leather armour (see post about leather).
Special cases of carried weapons:
Mercenary: great axe, bow, crossbow, musket, great sword, spear
Meet group during a hunt: projectile, spear
For horse owners (paladins and nobles) mount on the saddle: a mace, war hammer, cavalry sword, bow, musketoon.
As for the history behind these options...
English 16-17th century: backsword, ale dagger, bollock dagger, quarterstaff, and buckler
Scots 16-17th century: claidheamh da laimh, targe, bow, dirk
18th century: claymore, dirk, targe, sgian dubh, pistols, quarterstaff
Vikings 8-11th century: sword, seax, axe, spear, shield
Gallowglass 13-16th century: sparth axe or great sword, sword, dagger, bow
Winged Hussars 17th century: lance, sabre, pallashe, koncerz, mace, bow or up to 6 pistols
Do with this what you will, I'm here to point out that new myths come out of debunking old myths.
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