Chapter 8: Equipment

As adventurers, you'll soon find yourselves in possession of various treasures and tools to aid you on your journeys. From sturdy blades to enchanted relics, equipment plays a crucial role in determining your success or failure. Whether you're battling fearsome foes or navigating treacherous landscapes, the right gear can mean the difference between triumph and disaster.

Currency

Commonly minted coins are made from valuable metals like gold, silver, platinum, and copper, which hold their worth almost everywhere. The four most frequently used denominations are the copper piece (cp), the silver piece (sp), the gold piece (gp), and the platinum piece (pp). While adventurers often rely on gold pieces for transactions, everyday commerce typically employs silver and copper coins. On average, a single coin weighs less than half an ounce, with a pouch of 50 coins weighing about one pound.

While different cities and countries may mint their own unique coins, these variations hold the same monetary worth regardless of where they're from. In most cases, a coin from one place can be used as if it were from another, allowing for seamless exchange between currencies. This is because the value of a coin is tied to its metal content, not its country of origin - so long as you're exchanging with someone who accepts that type of currency.

Currency conversion

The standard currency system is divided into four types: copper, silver, gold, and platinum. A copper coin is the most basic unit, commonly used for small transactions and everyday purchases. A silver coin is worth 10 copper coins and is the currency for most daily trade and services. A gold coin, valued at 10 silver coins, is used for larger transactions and more valuable goods. At the top of the scale, a platinum coin is worth 10 gold coins and represents immense wealth, typically reserved for high-value exchanges and significant transactions. This straightforward 10:1 ratio between each coin type ensures easy and consistent conversions in trade.

Selling nonmagical items

Nonmagical items in good condition can typically be sold for about half their original value. However, gear scavenged from monsters or fallen foes is often too damaged which makes than worth on average a fifth of it's value. Nonmagical valuables such as cut gemstones, art, or fine jewelry, can generally fetch their full value when sold. In isolated or coinless communities, trade goods may replace currency. A sack of grain or a filled waterskin can be exchanged as if they were coins of equivalent worth.

Armor

This section details the various types of armor available to player characters, along with special rules for their use. The Armor table provides information on the cost, AC bonus, weight, special properties, and any proficiency requirements for each type of armor.

Calculating armor class (AC)

Wearing armor boosts your Armor Class (AC), which improves your ability to avoid enemy attacks. To successfully hit you, an enemy's attack roll must meet or exceed your AC, so the higher your AC, the better your chances of evading damage!

Without armor, a typical character's AC is 10 + their Dexterity modifier. When wearing armor, however, use the AC value provided by the armor type instead of the base 10 + DEX modifier. Refer to the Armor table for the AC values and any bonuses or restrictions that apply to each type of armor.

Armor types & proficiencies

Armor is divided into three categories: light, medium, and heavy. To use armor effectively, your character needs proficiency in the appropriate armor weight. For example, a character proficient in light armor can wear any armor classified as light without issue.

While your character can technically wear any armor, lacking proficiency comes with drawbacks. Without the necessary proficiency, you have disadvantage on all checks, attacks and saves while wearing the armor. A character can't use class feature, feat abilities or spellcasting while wearing a armor that aren't proficient.

• Light armor: Light armor offers minimal protection but allows for greater freedom of movement.
• Medium armor: Medium armor provides balanced protection but limits mobility more than light armor.
• Heavy armor: Heavy armor provides the highest level of protection but requires physical strength to wear effectively.
• Shields: A shield is a handheld piece of armor that provides protection, but unlike worn armor, its AC bonus can be lost if the shield is broken or disarmed. Using a shield requires one hand, preventing the use of two-handed weapons while it's equipped. You can only benefit from one shield's AC bonus at a time, even if wielding more than one.

Donning and doffing armor

The time required to put on or take off armor depends on its weight.

• Don: The time it takes to fully equip armor. You only gain the armor's AC benefit after it is fully donned.
• Doff: The time required to remove armor. If you have assistance, this time is halved, except for shields, which always take 1 action to equip or remove.

Donning and doffing times

Armor List

Light Armors

Medium Armors

Heavy Armors

Shield

Armor Properties

Armor Materials

Armor can be crafted from special materials that grant it additional properties, though these are not considered magical enhancements. Armor made from these materials often costs more than its standard counterpart. Availability is determined by your GM.

Weapons

The Weapons table provides comprehensive details on common arms, including their cost, combat effectiveness, weight, customization options, and unique characteristics. It also categorizes these weapons by the type of proficiency required to handle them with expertise: simple or martial.

Weapon types & proficiencies

Weapons are divided into categories based on the proficiency required to use them. For example, a character proficient in martial weapons adds their proficiency bonus to attack rolls when using any weapon listed under the martial weapons category in the Weapons table.

While any character can wield any weapon, only those proficient with a weapon type can apply their proficiency bonus to attack rolls made with that weapon.

Melee weapons

Melee weapons are used to strike targets within close range. Unless the weapon has the Reach property, melee weapons have a standard range of 1 square (1.5m).

Ranged weapons

Ranged weapons are designed for attacking from a distance.

Simple weapons

Simple weapons are easy to use and require minimal training.

Martial weapons

Martial weapons, such as swords, axes, and polearms, require more specialized training to wield effectively.

Weapon List

Simple Melee

Simple Ranged

Martial Melee

Martial Ranged

Weapon Properties

Weapons often have special properties that influence how they are used, as noted in the Properties column of the Weapons table.

Improvised Weapons

When your weapon is out of reach, anything can become a weapon in a pinch. Improvised weapons include any object you can grab, such as a broken bottle, a chair leg, a frying pan, a wagon wheel, or even a fallen enemy.

To determine how much damage an improvised weapon deals, compare it to a similar weapon on the Weapons table and use the closest match. For example, a chair leg could be treated like a club. At the GM's discretion, if you're proficient with a similar weapon, you can add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll.

Using a ranged weapon for a melee attack, or throwing a melee weapon without the Thrown property, also counts as an improvised weapon. These usually deal 1d4 damage of the appropriate type, with a range of 4 sqr. (6m) and a long range of 12 sqr. (18m) when thrown.

Weapon materials

Weapons can be crafted from special materials that grant them unique properties, though these are not considered magical. Weapons made from such materials are typically more expensive to purchase or sell than their standard counterparts. The availability of these materials is at the discretion of your GM. Below are some notable examples:

Adventuring Gear

Alchemical's Concotions

Herbal Concotion

Ammunition

Containers and Pouches

Spellcasting

General

Container capacity

You'll find the container capacity information for each type listed on the Adventuring Gear table in the Container Capacity table.

Equipment packs

The equipment you start with includes a pack containing essential adventuring gear tailored to your class. These packs are listed below, and buying a pack may be more cost-effective than purchasing individual items.

• Burglar's Pack (16 gp): Contains a backpack, bag of 1.000 ball bearings, 2 sqr. (3m) of string, bell, 5 candles, crowbar, hammer, 10 pitons, hooded lantern, 2 flasks of oil, 5 days of rations, tinderbox, and waterskin. Additionally, 10 sqr. (15m) of rope is secured to the side.

• Diplomat's Pack (39 gp): Includes a chest, 2 map or scroll cases, fine clothes, bottle of ink, ink pen, lamp, 2 flasks of oil, 5 sheets of paper, vial of perfume, sealing wax, and soap.

• Dungeoneer's Pack (12 gp): Comes with a backpack, crowbar, hammer, 10 pitons, 10 torches, tinderbox, 10 days of rations, and waterskin, plus 10 sqr. (15m) of rope attached to the side.

• Entertainer's Pack (40 gp): Contains a backpack, bedroll, 2 costumes, 5 candles, 5 days of rations, waterskin, and a selection of cosmetics.

• Explorer's Pack (10 gp): Includes a backpack, bedroll, mess kit, tinderbox, 10 torches, 10 days of rations, and waterskin. Also features 10 sqr. (15m) of rope secured to the side.

• Priest's Pack (19 gp): Contains a backpack, blanket, 10 candles, tinderbox, alms box, 2 blocks of incense, censer, vestments, 2 days of rations, and waterskin.

• Scholar's Pack (40 gp): Comes with a backpack, book of lore, bottle of ink, ink pen, 10 sheets of parchment, small bag of sand, and a small knife.

Using poison

Poisons are often illegal to produce and sell due to their lethal nature, but they remain popular among assassins and criminal groups. If allowed by the GM, PCs with the right skills and materials can craft poisons through the Crafting downtime activity. This option is specifically available to PCs with the Noxious Apothecary talent. There are four types of poison that can be crafted or bought:

Contact. Applied to an object, contact poison remains effective until touched or washed off, very often the poison remaing active for a full day, some poisons may vary. A creature exposed to contact poison through skin contact suffers its effects.

Ingested. A creature must consume a full dose of ingested poison to experience its effects, which can be hidden in food or drink. A partial dose might reduce its potency, such as granting advantage on the saving throw or dealing half damage.

Inhaled. These poisons are powders or gases that take effect when breathed in, affecting creatures within a 1 sqr. (1.5m) cube. The cloud dissipates immediately. Holding your breath doesn't prevent inhaled poisons from affecting you, as they target areas like nasal membranes and tear ducts.

Injury. Applied to weapons, ammunition, or objects that deal piercing or slashing damage, injury poison stays potent for 1 minute or until used. When a creature takes piercing or slashing damage from a coated object, it suffers the poison's effects.

Object and structure statistics

Players will inevitably attempt to break or destroy objects. In these moments, the GM determines what's realistically possible. For example, it's safe to say that a fighter cannot slice through a stone wall with a sword.

However, when time is limited, like cutting a rope bridge before a horde of goblins rushes across, assigning objects statistics helps clarify what's achievable for everyone.

Armor Class: An object's AC represents how hard it is to damage by striking it. While objects don't dodge, their material resilience determines their AC. The following table provides suggested AC values for various materials:

Hit Points: An object's hit points (HP) reflect how much damage it can take before breaking. Objects have hit points based on their size and durability. Larger objects generally have more HP than smaller ones. Fragile objects have fewer hit points than resilient ones. The following table offers suggested HP values for objects of different sizes:

Huge and Gargantuan Objects: Standard weapons may be ineffective against Huge and Gargantuan objects, such as massive statues or boulders. However, items like a torch can still burn down a Huge tapestry, or an earthquake spell could bring down a colossal structure. Destroying key parts of a Gargantuan object (e.g., one leg of a statue) may cause the entire object to collapse.

If the player wants to destroy a castle for example, given the right tools (siege weapon, or mining tools), you can treat parts of the building as isolated smaller sections, like a cart-sized part of the castle wall, so you can only focus on the player attempt to create a pathway or looking to make a bigger destruction one "block" at the time.

Damage Threshold: Large structures or key sections of objects (such as castle walls) might have a damage threshold. This means they ignore any attack that deals damage equal to or below the threshold. For instance, a wall with a damage threshold of 10 ignores any damage of 9 or lower.

Objects, Structures, and Damage Types: Objects and structures are immune to poison and psychic damage. Your GM may also rule that certain damage types are more or less effective based on the material. For example, bludgeoning might smash objects but struggle to cut rope or cloth, while fire may be particularly effective against paper or fabric.

Mounts

A reliable mount can transport you swiftly over long distances, though its main role is often to carry your gear. The Mounts table outlines the speed and base carrying capacity of common mounts.

Magical mounts

Fantasy worlds offer mounts beyond the ordinary, though they aren't typically for sale. These include flying creatures like pegasi, griffons, and hippogriffs, as well as aquatic mounts like giant sea horses and hippocampi. Acquiring such a mount usually involves raising one from an egg, making a pact with a powerful being, or negotiating directly with the creature.

Mount items, gear and expenses

The table below shows the costs and weights of items designed specifically for mounts. Some items may have unique rules that require further explanation.

Barding: This is armor made to protect a mount's body. Barding costs four times as much as armor for Humanoids and weighs twice as much.

Drawn Objects: Mounts pulling vehicles like carts or wagons can haul up to five times their base carrying capacity, including the object's weight. If multiple animals are pulling, their capacities combine.

Saddle: A saddle helps stabilize the rider in battle, giving advantage on checks or saves to remain mounted. Saddles for uniquely sized mounts may cost more.

* Barding cost and weight are calculated based on the base armor values.

Services

Adventurers often rely on NPCs for assistance. Some hirelings possess everyday skills, others are artisans or masters of their craft, and a few are experts with unique adventuring talents.

The Common Services table shows typical hirelings available for various tasks, but you can hire nearly any service. For instance, a wizard might pay a carpenter to construct a chest for use in a magical ritual, or a bard might hire a tailor to make clothing for a performance.

More specialized hirelings, such as mercenaries or scholars, are also available for adventurers. These experts may assist in combat or research rare knowledge. High-level adventurers who establish strongholds often hire a full staff to manage the place, providing food, lodging, and other benefits as part of the arrangement.

Skilled hirelings

Skilled hirelings are proficient in areas like weaponry, tools, or specific trades. Their pay is based on their expertise, with true masters possibly requiring higher wages.

Untrained hirelings

Untrained hirelings are hired for basic physical tasks that don't require special skills, such as laborers or messengers.

Common services

Spellcasting services

Hiring spellcasters is possible but not always easy. Low-level spells like cure wounds or identify are available in most towns or small cities. However, casting higher-level spells requires traveling to larger cities, universities, or temples. For rare spells (7th-circle or higher), finding a caster becomes a narrative challenge, as these powerful spellcasters often require more than just money as payment.

The Spellcasting Services table provides a rough pricing guide, but availability and costs may vary depending on the GM's discretion.

Spellcasting services table

Food, drink, and lodging

This table lists prices for food, drink, and lodging across different types of settlements. Prices may vary, but this provides a standard guide.

Vehicles

Vehicles act independently in initiative, and they are distinct from equipment, objects, or structures.

A vehicle is composed of various items forming a whole, much like a structure, but unlike structures, vehicles can move and perform actions if they have a crew. Vehicles are more complex than simple carts or objects operated by unskilled hands. A cart, for instance, is more like an object than a vehicle.

Vehicle proficiency

Vehicle proficiency works similarly to tool proficiency (see Tools). When proficient with a vehicle, you choose one type: land or water. You can spend skill points in vehicles like you would with a skill or tool.

Elements of a vehicle

Each vehicle has the following characteristics:

Size: Every vehicle is categorized by size, just like creatures.

Type: Vehicles are designed for specific terrains, represented by the vehicle's type, which can be one or more of the following:

• Land. These vehicles traverse solid surfaces and terrain, such as war wagons or sand skimmers. Some may have a climbing or burrowing speed for travel on vertical surfaces or underground.
• Water. Water vehicles travel on or under liquid surfaces, like ships or submersibles. Those with submerged capabilities have a swimming speed.
• Air. Air vehicles travel on the sky, they rarely needs to recharge and often can hover over a specific position.

Armor Class & Damage Threshold: Vehicles have an armor class (AC) that determines how difficult they are to hit. Vehicles also have a damage threshold, meaning that any damage below this threshold is ignored. The damage threshold appears in parentheses next to the vehicle's AC.

Hit Points: Vehicles have hit points similar to creatures. When a vehicle reaches 0 HP, it is destroyed and beyond repair (see Vehicle Repairs below).

Speed: A vehicle's movement speed is measured in both squares (for combat or initiative) and kilometers per hour (for long-distance travel).

Vulnerabilities, Resistances, and Immunities: Like creatures, vehicles can have vulnerabilities, resistances, and immunities. All vehicles are immune to poison and psychic damage, as well as the following conditions: blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, and unconscious. Vehicles fitting these traits are noted as having "Vehicle Resilience" in their stat block.

Initiative: Vehicles have a fixed initiative count and lose ties to non-vehicles. If multiple vehicles tie, the GM decides their order.

Crew: A vehicle requires a certain number of crew members to operate. Without the required crew, the vehicle cannot move or take actions. Crew members do not roll their own initiative since they are dedicated to operating the vehicle. While there are no fixed roles, the GM determines whether a creature can qualify as crew, taking into account their abilities.

Passengers: Some vehicles can transport passengers in addition to the crew. This typically refers to Small or Medium creatures.

Cargo Capacity: Cargo capacity refers to the weight of goods or materials a vehicle can carry. It's measured in kilograms or tons, but the GM can decide if the vehicle's design limits its cargo in specific ways.

Actions

Vehicles with a full crew can move up to their speed and take one action on each turn, similar to PCs or monsters.

Vehicle movement

In initiative, at the start of a vehicle's turn, the crew can choose its direction. Most vehicles, due to their size, can only move in one direction per turn. Vehicles with fewer than half their required crew can only move up to half their speed. A vehicle without any crew has a speed of 0 square. Some vehicles may have the Maneuverable trait, allowing them to turn mid-movement.

Outside of initiative, the crew can change the vehicle's direction at will.

Vehicle repairs

Vehicles can be repaired in two ways: a patch job or part replacement. Repairs cannot usually be made while the vehicle is in motion.

Patch job

If the vehicle has more than half its hit points, a creature can spend 1 hour patching damage, granting temporary hit points equal to the vehicle's AC. These temporary hit points last until they're depleted, and this can only be done once per day.

Replace parts

If the vehicle has less than half its hit points, repairs require spare parts and time. Each hour of repairs restores hit points equal to the vehicle's AC and requires parts costing 10% of the vehicle's base price.

Vehicle descriptions

This section contains a selection of vehicles, including their descriptions and stat blocks.

Airship, elemental

Airships are magical vessels that glide through the skies, powered by bound elementals. These flying marvels are often the pride of wealthy merchants, noble houses, and militaries. The elemental is anchored to the ship by a ring of arcane runes that controls its power, allowing the ship to travel great distances across land and sea, soaring above obstacles that might hinder traditional vehicles. The ship's crew includes navigators and elemental binders who ensure safe passage and handle the ship's arcane systems.

Airship, zeppelin

The Zeppelin is a slower but reliable form of airborne travel, combining a traditional watercraft design with a massive gas-filled balloon that keeps it aloft. These airships are often used for long, leisurely voyages across vast distances or for transporting goods in safety above dangerous terrain. The Zeppelin is far slower than more advanced airships, but it is renowned for its stability and cargo capacity.

Arcane train

The Arcane Train is a land vehicle powered by bound elementals, designed to travel on enchanted rails over vast distances. Unlike traditional steam-powered locomotives, the Arcane Train relies on magical energy to move at incredible speeds, making it a fast and efficient method of transportation for both passengers and cargo. The train is adorned with arcane symbols and runes, glowing faintly as it travels. While it lacks the limitations of coal or steam, it requires skilled arcanists to maintain control over the bound elemental forces.

Galley

Galleys are large ships designed for transporting cargo, commonly used by merchants for hauling trade goods. While they have sails, they often rely on the strength of dozens of rowers beneath the deck for movement. Due to the valuable cargo they carry, galleys are typically armed and protected by hired guards or mercenaries.

Keelboat

Keelboats are small sailing vessels that operate with minimal crew. They are ideal for short trips or transporting smaller amounts of cargo or passengers. The stat block for the keelboat below includes a ballista, but less expensive versions without weaponry are often available.

Magitek walker

The Magitek Walker is a towering bipedal vehicle powered by a combination of intricate clockwork mechanisms and arcane crystals. These walkers are used for various purposes, from construction and exploration to combat. Standing several meters tall, they are versatile and can traverse rugged terrain with ease, making them invaluable in both military and civilian applications. These machines are slow but powerful, capable of carrying heavy loads or acting as mobile artillery platforms on the battlefield.

Rowboat

Rowboats are powered by rowing and currents. They cannot be rowed against strong currents but can be pulled upstream by draft animals along the shore. For portage, a rowboat weighs 50kg.

Steam train

The Steam Train is an iconic land vehicle powered by coal and steam, designed to transport large amounts of cargo or passengers across long distances on rails. It consists of a locomotive and a series of carriages, each capable of carrying cargo or passengers. Though limited to railways, it offers reliable, heavy-duty transport through a variety of terrain.

Sand skimmer

This wooden land vehicle glides over loose or slick surfaces, driven by a single sail. The skimmer cannot traverse rocky or uneven terrain but can easily move across sand, ice, or similar terrain. Weighing 25kg, it features a foldable mast, making it portable by cart or easy to drag. Depending on the wind, sand skimmers can achieve speeds of up to 13 km/h.

War wagon

Designed for carrying armored troops across battlefields, this large wooden wagon is reinforced with metal and can be customized with spikes or armored plating. The war wagon in this version is powered by an arcane engine, but cheaper versions pulled by beasts are more common in low-fantasy worlds.