Weapons and Equipment
Item Rarity
Some items are more easily procured than others, with specialty items sometimes requiring a trip to a city or other major population center. Buying some items requires a Charisma-based skill check known as a rarity check. The threshold for the check is determined by where the marketplace is located:
City: Threshold of 7.
Town: Threshold of 9.
Village: Threshold of 11.
Camp: Threshold of 13.
Items have five tiers of scarcity, which may add to a penalty to the rarity check:
Common: The item can always be bought even in the humblest of villages, and requires no check.
Uncommon: This item can usually be found, but requires a successful rarity check.
Scarce: This item is hard to find or create, or else in high demand, and takes a -2 penalty to its rarity check.
Rare: This item is vanishingly rare, and rarity checks take a -4 penalty.
Not for Sale: Magic items of all types are assumed too dangerous or valuable to be sold. Any item in a specific location can be ruled not for sale by the GM, depending on in-game market forces.
Melee Weapons
Though firearms have proliferated on battlefields over the last century, swords and spears still see frequent use as part of desperate charges, ambushes, or occasions when ammunition grows scarce. Widely available and easily manufactured with modern tools, melee weapons of all types are always of common rarity.
Unarmed Attack - 1d2 Damage / - Pierce. Free. No weight. Unarmed attacks require at least one free hand to be effective. They do either 1 or 2 damage on a successful hit, determined by rolling even (1) or odd (2) on a die of the player's choice.
Dagger - 1d4 Damage / 1d4 Pierce. 2 GP. 1 lb. Daggers use the higher of the wielder's Strength or Dexterity modifier for attacks when wielded in melee. If thrown, they always use Dexterity, and have an effective range 15', but can be thrown up to 30 ' with a -2 penalty to the attack roll. Thrown daggers are one of the few ranged weapons to have no recoil; you can throw a dagger and then move.
Light Weapon - 1d6 Damage / 1d4 Pierce. 5 GP. 2 lb. Any one-handed weapon that relies more on finesse than brute strength, or is designed to be comfortably wielded in one's off-hand, counts as a light weapon. Like daggers, light weapons use the higher of the wielder's Strength or Dexterity modifier. Some light weapons, such as hatchets or short spears, can be thrown at targets up to 60' away, but take a -2 penalty if being thrown farther than 30'.
One-Handed Weapon - 1d8 Damage / 1d6 Pierce. 10 GP. 5 lb. Encompassing most swords, battleaxes, infantry spears, and the like, one-handed weapons always use the wielder's Strength modifier and cannot be comfortably thrown. They can be easily wielded in one hand even by an individual of average strength, however.
Great Weapon - 1d12 Damage / 1d10 Pierce. 30 GP. 15 lb. Two-handed swords, mauls, and other mighty weapons of war that require both hands are considered great weapons. They always use the wielder's Strength modifier and cannot be used from horseback.
Lance - 1d8 Damage / 1d12 or - Pierce. 15 GP. 10 lb. Enormous, conical spears designed to be used from horseback, a charge with lances at a formation's flank is the signature coup de grace of the feared Gilded Hussars. Lances can be used one-handed from horseback, but require two hands to have any prayer of hitting when the wielder is on foot. Using a lance on foot will also degrade its Pierce die, reducing it to 1d10.
Polearm - 1d10 Damage / 1d8 Pierce. 15 GP. 10 lb. Like great weapons, polearms need to be wielded in two hands and cannot be used from horseback. When making an attack, polearm-wielders can choose to forgo their Pierce die, rolling damage and attack rolls only. If an attack from a polearm with no Pierce die hits, the target of the attack must immediately save versus being unhorsed.
Silvered Weapon - Silvered weapons are edged, weighted, or somehow at least partially composed of silver and inscribed with daemonological symbols. This grants them the ability to harm certain magical or insubstantial creatures that are immune or resistant to normal weapons. Silvered weapons cost triple, and the soft metals necessary in their construction make for generally poor weapons. Silvering a weapon degrades it Pierce die by a die,so a silvered two-handed battleaxe would have a Pierce die of only 1d8, instead of 1d10, for example. Weapons that already have the lowest possible Pierce die, 1d4, instead lose their Pierce die entirely.
Ranged Weapons
Muscle-powered missile weapons are in their twilight years on the Grand Continent. Proud martial traditions have kept the longbow and composite bow alive in Aventaine and the Baboti Khanate, respectively, and some Krastavan mercenary companies prefer crossbows as inexpensive, low-overhead alternative to firearms. And, of course, in a wightstorm, a good archer is worth their weight in gold.
Ranged weapons are relatively easy to construct, but there isn't much a market for them these days. All ranged weapons and their ammunition should be treated as uncommon unless otherwise noted.
Bow - 1d8 / 1d4 Pierce. 50 GP. 2 lb. 150', or 300' with a -2 penalty. Bows are one of the few ranged weapons to have no recoil; you can fire a bow and then move. Popular the world over before the advent of the musket, bows are still popular among the Baboti, certain adventurers, and many Islander cultures.
Longbow - 1d12 / 1d6 Pierce. 100 GP. 3 lb. 300', or 600' with a -2 penalty. Though they have a superior range to current gunpowder-based firearms, longbows famously require almost twenty years of experience to wield expertly. They are the signature weapon of the Aventinian Mounted Rangers.
Crossbow - 1d10 / 1d8 Pierce. 75 GP. 8 lb. 100', or '150 with a -2 penalty. Before muskets saw wide production, crossbows were the weapon of choice for turning a group of untrained peasants into a lethal fusillade.
Riding Crossbow - 1d8 / 1d6 Pierce. 150 GP. 4 lb. 50', or 100' with a -2 penalty. A scaled down version of the full crossbow, the riding crossbow can be fired from horseback (at a -4 penalty) and reloaded from horseback in a manner similar to a pistol. Used primarily used a tool for hunting among the upper classes, some spies and assassins favor them for their light weight and relative concealability. Difficult to manufacture due to their scaled down size, riding crossbows are scarce for rarity check purposes.
Repeating Crossbow - 1d10 / 1d6 Pierce. 300 GP. 10 lb. An expensive luxury weapon imported from Baboti lands, repeating crossbows have a range of 30', or 60' with a -2 penalty. They are roughly the size of standard crossbows and also require two free hands to operate. Repeating crossbows are the closest thing Zardow has to true repeating weapons, and can fire up to three bolts in a single round. Firing more than one bolt does not afford you extra attacks or additional damage dice, but if the crossbowman chooses to discharge three bolts in one attack, they gain +1 to the attack and damage rolls. Repeating crossbows have a magazine of five bolts, and take a combat round to reload. Repeating crossbows are one of the few ranged weapons to have no recoil; you can fire a repeating crossbow and then move. Repeating crossbows are rare items.
Gunpowder Weapons
Gunpowder has been used in combat for centuries, but recent advancements in firearm design and production have made them increasingly deadly and pragmatic alternatives to the crossbow. Explosives are also reshaping the battlefield as well, rendering traditional fortifications irrelevant and encouraging new tactics. The pike line and shield wall are not the gold standard they used to be.
While gunpowder weapons are widely available now, they are still expensive to manufacture and not available everywhere. Gunpowder weapons are always scarce to find for sale.
Grenade - 1d8 / - Pierce. 25 GP. 1 lb. Grenades can't Pierce, but always attack versus AC 9. Those within 10' feet of the target of the grenade take damage as though hit. Even if the attack misses, all those within the area of effect take half damage, rounded down. All targets can make a Dexterity-based Physical saving throw to either take half damage on a hit, or negate the damage entirely on a miss. Grenades need to be lit by a torch or other source of open flame before being thrown; the process is a bit too cumbersome for horseback.
Petard - 1d12 / - Pierce. 50 GP. 10 lb. A device used to breach fortifications in heavy siege combat, petards, when detonated, deal 1d12 damage in both a 10' radius and a 30' cone. They must be braced against a wall or other solid surface for the cone to be directed: otherwise the cone will fire directly upward or downward, possibly digging a small 10' pit in the latter case. Petards don't have Pierce die, but they intrinsically deal double damage against inanimate structures like doors and walls.
Powder Keg - 1d6 / - Pierce. 50 GP. 20 lb. Used to enhance a petard's breach or create some type of gunpowder-based trap, powder kegs are also an important commodity traded throughout the Grand Continent. A single keg of powder will last a small regiment of musketeers a month, but adventurers are usually more interested in powder kegs for the purposes of blasting past trapped and cursed doors in daemon-haunted Golish ruins. If a torch is tossed onto a powder keg, it will detonate in 1d4 combat rounds with an explosion doing 1d6 damage in a 10' radius. Powder keg explosions, like petards, deal double damage versus structures. Powder kegs will detonate spontaneously if within range of the explosion from a grenade, petard or another powder kegs. DMs should expect player to create elaborate traps with explosive weapons and powder kegs... and players should expect dungeon denizens to do the very same.
Fuse - Fuses allow you to add 1 to 10 rounds of delay to any explosive weapon (including powder kegs). Powder kegs detonating due to sympathetic explosion do not enjoy the fuse's delay. The price of the fuse determines the length of the delay; a short 1 silver fuse provides 1 round of delay before the explosion, while a particularly lengthy fuse would cast an entire gold piece and last for 10 rounds. Fuses have negligible weight.
Pistol - 1d6 / 1d8 Pierce. 50 GP. 3 lb. Pistols can be wielded one-handed and easily fired from horseback, even that of a moving horse (though they must take the normal -4 penalty). They can be reloaded from horseback, as well. They are effective to a range of 30', or 60' with a -2 penalty.
Carbine - 1d8 / 1d10 Pierce. 75 GP. 7 lb. Short rifles designed to be used by cavalry, carbines are the only two-handed weapons that can be fired from horseback. This must be done from a stationary horse, however, and takes the normal -4 penalty for firing from horseback. Anyone attempting to ride a horse and fire a carbine in the same turn will cause the shot to invariably miss, with no attack roll necessary. Most cavalry forces choose to dismount before opening fire with their carbines. Carbines can fire up to 50' with no penalty, and can hit targets within 100' with a -2 penalty.
Musket - 1d10 / 1d12 Pierce. 100 GP. 10 lb. Muskets cannot be fired from horseback. Like the carbine, the careful aiming required for firing a musket immediately ends the user's combat turn as soon as the weapon is fired. Muskets are effective to a range of 100' meters. They can fire up to 150'at a -2 penalty. Muskets are heavy enough to be used as a melee weapon. Treat this as a Strength-based, two-handed melee weapon that deals 1d4 damage on a hit with no chance of Piercing.
Blunderbuss - 1d10 / 1d12 Pierce. 100 GP. 10 lb. Particularly prized by adventurers plungering Golish ruins for their legendary room-clearing ability, the blunderbuss is an up close and personal two-handed firearm with an effective range of 30', or up to 60' feet with a -2 penalty. On a successful Piercing blow, you can choose to divide your doubled damage between targets in a 30' cone instead of applying it to only one. All targets within the cone must take at least 1 damage.
Dragon - 1d6 / 1d10 Pierce. 75 GP. 5 lb. Dragons are decidedly close-range weapons, having an effective range of 20', or 40' with a -2 penalty. On a successful Piercing blow, you can choose divide your doubled damage between targets in a 20' cone instead of applying it to only one. All targets within the cone must take at least 1 damage.
Silvered Ranged Weapons - Silvered bolts and arrowheads work much the same as silvered melee weapons. They are triple the cost of standard ammunition, and degrade the Pierce die of the weapon when used.
Firearms cannot generally make use of silver ammunition, but it is possible to carve down ordinary silver coins to fit into a gun barrel. This requires about a dungeon turn of work to fashion one usable round, and blunderbusses and dragons actually require five silver pieces per shot. Once created, they can be loaded like ordinary round. Silvered arrows, bolts and bullets degrade the Pierce die as normal for silvered weapons, but also lose half their effective and maximum ranges.
Daemonlock Firearms - First developed by the Krastavans, daemonlock weapons use magically-imbued parts in lieu of gunpowder charges to fire bullets or shot. Though the fundamental gunsmithing technology hasn't changed much, the semi-magical firing system greatly increases the speed at which daemonlock weapons can be reloaded, putting them on par with crossbows. Daemonlock firearms cost triple the listed GP and are considered rare for rarity checks. They confer the following benefits:
- They are only weapons able fire in a wightstorm.
- They never discharge due to being exposed to an explosion.
- Can reload in a single round, and be fired more than once per combat.
- Count as magical weapons for the purposes of overcoming monster resistances (but do not add any bonus to attack or damage rolls)
Armor
Thick clothes, leather and laemallar are always common. Other types of armor, including shields, are uncommon, as armor heavier than leather has fallen out of everyday use.
Thick Clothes - 8 AC. Clothes only weigh 1 lb. for encumbrance purposes when worn, but spare clothes folded up are 5 lb. Clothes cost anywhere from 5 SP to 50 GP, depending on the quality of the clothing. Beautiful and elegant 50 GP clothing also confers a +1 bonus to Charisma-based skill checks where obvious wealth might be beneficial. It is, however, a -1 penalty in such situations where such flagrant displays may be a liability.
Leather Clothing - 7 AC. 10 GP. 15 lb. Encompassing a wide variety of leather jacks, leather jackets, riding leathers, and hosen. Stands up much better to minor scrapes than fur or linen, but still falls short of actual armor. Popular with brigands and adventurers for its light weight, affordability, and inconspicuousness.
Leather Armor - 6 AC. 25 GP. 20 lb. Finely-cured leather armor commonly used to armor footmen and musketmen, it is the most impressive armor most of the lower classes will ever wear. Unlike leather clothing it is unmistakably armor, but flexible enough to not be too uncomfortable or uncouth to wear for everyday patrols.
Chain - 5 AC. 50 GP. 30 lb. Lighter metal armors waned in popularity with the advent of gunpowder weaponry, but chain is still used by some companies of heavy footmen or anti-undead special squadrons.
Scale - 4 AC. 100 GP. 40 lb. Encompassing armor composed of layered cloth or leather and metal, whether it be a coat of brigandine or a thicker, stiffer "coat of plate." It is popular among the Baboti, particularly heavy footmen or noblemen overseeing battle.
Plate - 3 AC. 500 GP. 50 lb. Firearms have rendered most rigid metal armors obsolete, but plate armor can still block bullets at range. Largely a luxury item specifically fitted for noblemen and landed gentry wading into war, heavy armors are used by some dungeon delvers as they descend into the dark.
Shield - Holding a shield in one hand provides a -1 AC bonus. 10 GP. 10 lb. While shields have fallen into disfavor over the last couple of centuries, the practice of plundering Golish ruins has led to something of a resurgence in their use. Shields range in size, but small bucklers are favored by most modern-day warriors. A soldier can wear a buckler and grip the reins of the horse in the same hand, though they will forgo the shield bonus to AC for as long as they're mounted. You need to either be dismounted or not wielding a weapon to fully benefit from a shield.
Horses
Donkey or Mule - 100 GP. 50' a round, 2 HD. Morale 9. Can carry a single rider and 200 lbs. Common.
Riding Horse - 250 GP. 60' a round, 2 HD. Morale 7. Can carry a single rider and 200 lbs. Uncommon.
Draft Horse - 200 GP. 50' a round, 3 HD. Morale 7. Can carry a single rider 300 lbs. Uncommon.
Warhorse - 300 GP. 60' a round, 3 HD. Morale 5. Can carry a single rider and 300 lbs. Scarce.
Pierce Die: All weapon attacks are rolled with a Pierce die, which varies depending on the type of weapon used. If the result of the Pierce die is equal to or less than the weapon's damage die, the Pierce die has no effect.
If the Pierce Die is higher than the damage die, the weapon's damage becomes either the face value of Pierce Die or double the damage die (whichever is higher). The target's AC is also treated as 9 for this attack, meaning a high Pierce roll can sometimes transform misses into hits.
For this reason, damage, Pierce and attack rolls should be rolled together at once.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:14, Wed 02 Feb 2022.