EQUIPMENT
Economics
Let us begin with the foundation of civilized society: money.
In the game, money is usually in the form of precious metals such as copper, silver, and gold. Such metals are scarce, durable, portable, divisible, and homogeneous; this gives them significant advantages over things like grain or cattle.
The price of a good or service differs from time to time, from place to place, and from person to person. This price depends upon the relative value of both goods, values which derive from individual desires and relative scarcity.
The prices in this chapter, therefore, should be taken as a reasonable estimate for an average town at a junction of trade routes. The Master should feel free to adjust prices to reflect the relative scarcity of goods as the players travel to different places. On the wild frontier, for example, gold and silver may be worthless compared to the necessities of survival. This will mean that the price of everything (as measured in gold or silver) will be much higher than in a safer place.
The prices also assume that the quality of the item is good. Poor items can be found for half the cost; items of excellent quality can cost far more.
Though not perfectly realistic, it is useful (for game purposes) to consider copper, silver, and gold as trading at fixed rates of ten to one: 1 gold coin (gc) = 10 silver coins (sc) = 100 copper coins (cc).
Prices are listed in terms of copper coins (cc) - the common man's metal.
Food
| quality | cost |
|---|---|
| peasant grub | 5 per meal |
| decent meal | 10 per meal |
| fine dining | 50 per meal |
| drink | 4 per serving |
Clothing
| type | weight | cost (per change of clothes) |
|---|---|---|
| peasant garb | 2 | 10 |
| travelling clothes | 5 | 100 |
| noble attire | 10 | 1000 |
Shelter
| type | cost (per person, per night) |
|---|---|
| inn - common room | 10 |
| inn - private room | 30 |
| inn - high quality | 100+ |
Gear
| gear | weight | cost (cc) |
|---|---|---|
| backpack | 1 | 40 |
| bedroll | 5 | 20 |
| blanket | 3 | 60 |
| caltrops (10) | 1 | 100 |
| candle | - | 1 |
| chest | 25 | 200 |
| flint and steel | - | 10 |
| grappling hook | 4 | 50 |
| lamp | 1 | 10 |
| lantern | 2 | 120 |
| lock | 1 | 200 |
| lockpicking kit | 2 | 300 |
| mirror (steel) | * | 20 per square inch |
| musical instrument | 3 | 400 |
| oil flask | 1 | 10 |
| parchment | - | 20 per sheet |
| pouch | 1 | 10 |
| rope | 1 per 2 yards | 10 per yard |
| sack | 1 | 10 |
| spike (5) | 1 | 50 |
| torch | 1 | 1 |
| trail rations (1 day) | 1 | 50 |
| waterskin | 4 | 90 |
| whetstone | 1 | 2 |
Weapons
Weapons are used to slay enemies. They can add to defense or damage.
The details of a weapon are not important for game purposes. An axe, sword, or flail can all do the same amount of damage provided that they have the same disadvantages. Players are free to call their characters' weapons whatever suits them.
Melee Weapons
Melee weapons are constructed with a number of weapon points (wp) based on their size. Larger weapons do more harm than smaller ones, but are heavier and more difficult to conceal.
Small weapons have four points.
Medium weapons have six points and are difficult to conceal (+6 to any Perception check).
Large weapons have ten points, require two hands, and cannot be concealed.
A character who uses a single one-handed weapon may add +2 damage or +1 defense.
A character who uses two one-handed weapons will get the defense bonus of both, but only the larger damage bonus.
| Size | Length (ft) | Weight (lbs) | Points | Concealment | Hands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| small | less than 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| medium | 2 to 4 | 5 | 6 | -6 | 1 |
| large | greater than 4 | 10 | 10 | NA | 2 |
Options
| Option | wp cost |
|---|---|
| Throwable | 2 |
| +1 Defense | 2 |
| +1 Damage | 1 |
Throwable
A weapon with this option is designed to be thrown. A weapon without this option has a -6 penalty to hit a target when thrown; a weapon with this option has no penalty.
Defense
Weapon defense bonuses are added directly to a character's Defense score (based on Athlete or Warrior). Small weapons cannot add more than +1. Medium weapons are limited to +2. Large weapons have a maximum of +3.
Damage
Weapon damage bonuses add directly to a character's Strength to determine the damage inflicted on a successful hit.
This table gives examples of weapons created with the above options:
| Name | Size | Throwable | Defense | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dagger | Small | |
|
4 |
| Buckler | Small | |
1 | 2 |
| Knife | Small | X | |
2 |
| Sword | Medium | |
|
6 |
| Rapier | Medium | |
1 | 4 |
| Shield | Medium | |
2 | 2 |
| Hatchet | Medium | X | |
4 |
| Battle Axe | Large | |
|
10 |
| Halberd | Large | |
1 | 8 |
| Glaive | Large | |
2 | 6 |
| Staff | Large | |
3 | 4 |
| Spear | Large | X | 1 | 6 |
These are only suggestions. Use whatever combinations and names that you like. If you want to make the halberd Throwable and call it a Giant Flying Axe, have fun.
Missile Weapons
Missile weapons use leverage to launch projectiles. The benefit is range: 30 spaces per point of damage. The drawback is the need for ammunition - a missile weapon is usually limited to around twenty shots per battle. It is assumed that ammunition can be recovered or recreated between battles, given sufficient time.
Missile weapons add damage to Strength as melee weapons do. Small weapons add +4; medium weapons add +6; large weapons add +8.
It is assumed that characters have weapons appropriate to their power - bows with a strong enough pull to take advantage of it or crossbows with enhanced heft. This means that characters may be unable to use a missile weapon built for a stronger person or unable to take full advantage of their strength when using one built for someone weaker.
Missile weapons require two hands regardless of size.
| Name | Size | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Sling | Small | 4 |
| Bow | Medium | 6 |
| Longbow | Large | 8 |
| Crossbow | Large | 8 |
Cost
Another important aspect of weaponry is cost. Cost is based partially on the mechanics used above, but not entirely - there is a roleplaying element as well. Weapons that are used in farming or hunting - bows, spears, axes, flails - are much easier to get than those designed exclusively for war. Swords and crossbows should be ten times more expensive than weapons of similar attributes because they are rare and difficult to create. Owning a sword is a sign of wealth or prestige.
Here is an idea of what to charge:
So, a large crossbow would cost 400cc for size, x10 for being a missile weapon, and x10 for being mechanical, for a total of 40000cc (400gc). A medium sword would cost 200cc for size and x10 for being noble, for a total of 2000cc (20gc).
Armor
Armor protects the wearer from physical harm in combat.
Armor can be a lifesaver, but is heavy and uncomfortable. The encumbrance will slow a character down and make many actions difficult (running, climbing, jumping, sneaking) or even impossible (swimming). The value of the armor should be subtracted from any trait checks that require movement, agility, or quiet. This does not include evading attacks; armor is designed for fighting.
The mass and material of the armor determines the protection. The type of the armor is not important for game purposes. Players may call their characters' armor plate, chain, or boiled hide, so long as the weight and discomfort are the same.
The Master has the final say on this. A player should expect to explain how his character wears fifty pounds of pigskins in order to get the best protection possible.
The list below is a general guideline. Each point of protection requires ten pounds of material.
| type | endurance | penalty | weight | cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| quilted cloth | 1 | -1 | 10 | 100 |
| soft hide | 2 | -2 | 20 | 200 |
| boiled hide | 3 | -3 | 30 | 400 |
| 4 | -4 | 40 | 8000 | |
| plate | 5 | -5 | 50 | 16000 |
Note: mail and plate are given such high prices for the same reason as swords - they are rare and difficult to make.
Foci
A focus allows a sorcerer to channel more energy.
The power of the focus determines how much energy he can channel per action. This energy can be added to Command to increase the power of spells or to Willpower to improve resistance to them. The sorcerer must decide how to divide the power at the beginning of his turn.
A focus can be anything - a simple staff, an elaborate scepter, or even a sword. The larger the focus, the greater the power. Some magicians create massive foci out of temples or towers. A three-foot long focus has a power of 4; each doubling of length or width gives +2.
A focus must be inscribed with numerous magical runes. These runes flare when the focus is in use. Being touched with sorcery gives one instinctive knowledge of how to carve the mystical sigils in the proper order.
| type | size | weight | power |
|---|---|---|---|
| wand | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| scepter | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| cane | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| staff | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| tower | 100 | immobile | 14 |
| temple | 400 | immobile | 18 |
Foci should not double as weapons - the impacts of strikes and parries will damage a focus beyond repair.
Encumbrance
There are limits to the amount of gear and loot one can carry.
The strength score of a character determines the maximum amount of weight that person can lift. A large haul gives penalties to movement and to any traits requiring agility. The penalty is based on the ratio of weight carried to maximum lift:
| Weight : Max Lift (%) | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 50% | -4 |
| 75% | -8 |
| 100% | -12 |
Encumbrance penalties stack with armor penalties.
Example: Bob has a strength of 2. He can lift 200 pounds. When carrying one hundred pounds worth of gear or treasure, he has -4 to his movement and to any traits requiring agility.
For purposes of simplicity, this rule should only be used if a character is carrying at least 50% of maximum heft. Rough estimates are better than detailed accounting.