I think throwing rocks are the only blunt ranged damage... that said I wouldn't throw rocks and instead focus on the Iron Hand or Custom Knight hood orders.

Custom knight was nice IIRC. But its late tier. So im kind of boned early game?

Early game the best you might hope for is to equip your companions with blunt weapons and tell them not to drop them along with some sheriffs and whatever else you find. No faction troops have all blunt weapons in any of their trees. (probably intentional to prevent abusing the Noldor too much)

Yeah IIRC correctly the reason there is lack of blunt is a balance of meta. Alot of high tier units are high armor dependant and blunt is a hard counter. Ill have to think about it. I am almost certain I edited a troop tree to make it happen last time I played. I gave blunt throwing weapons and blunt weapons. I do that a lot, many mods use heavy armor as a crutch and reduce the blunt weapon pool.

Thanks for confirming my observation.

Not sure 3.8, but in 3.6 and prior I would search shops for a jousting lance. It is not super common but once you find it you will be in excellent shape to farm prisoners.

There are some low tier options as well. I'm a little unclear if this is POP specific or if this is true for vanilla as well, but it seems to me that when I click the "blunt weapons" only command that any troop with a blunt weapon will fight (and those without stand still) but then my troops with blunt weapons will also randomly use either their edged or blunt weapons. So for example, the entire sellsword to mercenary sergeant tree has blunt weapons but often those troops will also get kills even when I choose blunt only. Even still, there are low tier troops that can fill a 50 capacity prisoner stack for you in a couple or a few fights.

These are the troops I am trying to get. I'm also trying to play as a slaver. I'm trying to eventually build up to getting a hard hitting, fast group of Sarleon Cavalry if I can get a castle and enough training stats on my companions. That upgrade tree is available just from regular village recruits and upgrading, but there are no blunt weapons until the Cavalry. You can also do the same thing for Ravenstern Man at arms, but those aren't too strong.

Pilgrim
Monk
Cleric
War Priest
Inquisitor

Ravenstern Noble
Squire
Knight

Sellsword
Merc Infantry
Merc Warrior
Merc Sergeant

Townsman
(forget what comes next)
Warden
Sheriff

Heretic Minion
Heretic Worshipper (don't upgrade to Magnus)

Doomsguide

Peasant Woman
Maiden Scout
Maiden Warder (stop upgrading)

Ravenstern Man at Arms

Sarleon Man at Arms

Sarleon Cavalry

Mettenheim Avonteurer
" Reg Infantry (don't upgrade further)