Learning the ins and outs allows me to not only run things "correctly" but also to tweak things so that I can run it "correctly" the way I want to.
I love player handouts, so I've created this brochure called "The Adventurer's Outfitter" to help with initial equipment during character creation, and to provide info on some of the rules/mechanics during gameplay.
The final product via the link above looks much better than what you'll see below, but I wanted to offer an explanation of what's been done.
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The Adventurer’s Outfitter
Free! Starting Adventurer’s
Kit!
1 Backpack, 3 Pouches, 1 Sack, 1 Set of
Normal Clothes, and 1 Waterskin
Food
Iron Rations 1sp/day
-never
spoil and don’t require preparation
Standard Rations 5cp/day
-will
spoil, must be cooked
Cooking Pots 5cp
Lard 1cp
Light
Tinderbox 1sp
-required
for cooking and light sources
Candle 1cp
-120
mins, 10’ radius
Torch 1cp
-60
mins, 30’ radius
Lantern 3sp
240
mins, 30’ radius, requires oil
Flask of Oil 5cp
Camping
Bedroll 1sp
Soap
1cp
Personal Tent (1) 5sp
Regular Tent (4) 10sp
Grand Tent (10) 25sp
Pavilion Tent (25) 50sp
-it
takes a number of turns equal to capacity to pitch the tent in a suitable area.
First off, I'm giving players some free stuff - the basics that I don't want them to have to worry about and would make sense for any adventurer to have. (The backpacks and 3 pouches were inspired by James Young...I seem to be stealing a lot from him lately...)
My players are inexperienced OSR players and so I feel it's necessary to spell out at least some of the necessities for them. I want to balance creative thinking and discovery with letting them know what I'll be a hard ass about. This front page makes it clear that food, light and camping are important. (I just made up the tent capacity thing based on light research and what seemed reasonable...)
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Mapping
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Blank
Book (5cp)
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Paper
(2cp/sheet)
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Ink
& Quill (1cp)
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Chalk
(1cp)
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Scroll
Case (1cp)
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Local
Map (1cp)
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Kingdom
map (10sp)
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Spyglass
(250sp)
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Paper, ink & quill and chalk are essential for mapping a dungeon.
Ink & Quill are necessary for recording
spells in your Spellbook.
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Survival
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Airbladder
(1sp)
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Fishing
Gear (1sp)
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Lock
(7sp)
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Vial/Bottle
(5cp)
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Winter
Clothing (5sp)
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Garlic
(1cp)
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Wolf’s
Bane (1cp)
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Hourglass
(100sp)
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Caltrop
(5cp)
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Whistle
(1sp)
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Manacles
(10sp)
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Steel
Mirror (1sp)
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Glass
Mirror (10sp)
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Silver
Mirror (30sp)
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Chain
(1sp/ft)
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Manacles
(10sp)
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Caltrop
(5cp)
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Exploration
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Crampons
(5sp)
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10’
Ladder (7sp)
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Grappling
Hook (5sp)
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50’
Rope (3sp)
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Block
& Tackle (2sp)
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Crowbar
(2sp)
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10’
Pole (5cp)
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Miner’s
Pick (6sp)
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Mallet
(3cp)
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Drill
(5sp)
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Iron
Spike (3cp)
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Nails
(1cp)
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Shovel
(3sp)
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Wooden
Spike (1cp)
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Block & Tackle is required to lift large
loads.
Iron Spikes require a mallet
to be of use when climbing.
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Horse
& Cart
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Wagon
(75sp)
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Cart
(25sp)
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Riding
Horse (100sp)
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Pony
(50sp)
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Mule
(25sp)
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Riding
Gear (10sp)
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Saddlebag
(5cp)
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Feed
(5cp/day)
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Entertainment
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Instrument
(>1sp)
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Dog
(1sp)
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Reading
Book (10sp)
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Pipe
(5cp)
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Tobacco
(5cp)
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Fancy
Clothes (>20sp)
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Coffee
(1sp)
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Tea
(1cp)
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Ale
(1/1cp)
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Wine
(5/1sp)
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Liquor
(20/5sp)
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Tobacco, coffee, tea, ale, wine and liquor provide healing.
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Retainers
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Guide
(14sp)
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Linkboy
(4.2sp)
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Laborer
(5.6sp)
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Teamster
(10sp)
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Mercenary
(-)
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Guides reduce chances of getting
lost and can only be paid daily.
Linkboys (lightbearers), Laborers (loadbearers) and Teamsters (manage animals & loads)
can be hired monthly at daily rate times 10.
Mercenaries
can
only be hired monthly for 100-200 sp.
Carousing
You can go out for a night on the
town to gain more XP.
Roll depending on the size of the
town:
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Settlement:
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Die x 100 sp
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sp:XP ratio earned
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Crossroads
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0/1
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10
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Thorp
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1d3
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50
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Hamlet
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1d4
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50
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Village
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1d6
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50
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Small Town
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1d6
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100
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Large Town
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1d8
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100
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Small City
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1d12
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150
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Large City
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1d12
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200
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Save vs Poison: failure means you had a
zany, drunken mishap.
If
you can’t afford the amount of sp you rolled, you are indebted to someone in town.
Here is a list of the other essential items. Note that I didn't include holy symbols, spellbooks, specialist tools, etc. These are items that I give to those characters for free, and if they want to buy them later they'll have to go to the correct source. The equipment above is what you'd find in most towns.
First off, I've organized things by what makes sense rather than alphabetically, along with a few mechanics reminders. I've included rules for alcohol, coffee, tea, and tobacco - all give minor healing boosts (with chances for addiction and dependency if overused). I've condensed the list of retainers to those specifically suited to exploring. Finally, I've incorporated carousing rules (which came from James Young, Zak Smith and Jeff's Gameblog.) The cities list included here matches with my random city generator, which was inspired by D30 Sandbox Companion.
Equipment Quality & Upkeep
Weapons
Low Quality = 5 ½ cost
Standard Quality = 3 at cost
High Quality = 1 x2 cost
Silver = 5 x10 cost
-When
attacking, if you roll equal to or less than the quality, your weapon takes a
notch.
-When
rolling for damage, if the roll is less than the number of notches, the weapon
breaks.
Armor
Low Quality = 16 ½ cost
Standard Quality = 18 at cost
High Quality = 20 x2 cost
-If
an attack against you is equal to or greater than your armor quality, it takes
a notch.
-Your
AC is -1 for each notch.
-You
may sacrifice your armor to reduce all damage from an attack to 1, the armor is
now irreparable.
Ammo
Arrows/Bolts:
Full = 1d12 Refill
Quiver: 10sp
-roll after each attack, at the end of a
battle, and after hunting: on a 1, move to the next lower step die (1d10, 1d8…). After rolling a 1 on a 1d4, you have 1 arrow
left.
100
shots & powder 4sp
-gunpowder is highly flammable.
Repair
Equipment
Town: pay 10%
of total cost per notch removed.
Wilderness: spend
1 hour to remove the first notch received that day.
I'm trying out the weapon repair system with notches (James Young, as above, and Last Gasp). Here's a one page summary for players on how to handle it.
Since it costs 4sp for 100 shots & powder, and most guns only fire once per combat, then I don't bother tracking firearm ammunition - no PC has lived through 100 combats in my campaign. (And I doubt one ever will...)
Melee
Weapons
Small: 1d4
Damage 5sp
One-handed,
easily hidden, allows shanking, first one does not count against encumbrance.
Examples: dagger, knife, club, sap,
stake, cestus, hand axe, hammer, whip, garrote, stiletto, brass knuckles…
Medium: 1d6
Damage 10sp
One-handed,
not easily hidden.
Examples: short sword, rapier, axe,
scimitar, cutlass, sabre, flail, mace…
Medium: 1d8
Damage 20sp
One
or two-handed, only does 1d6 damage
if used one-handed, cannot be hidden.
Examples: battle axe, flail, mace,
javelin, morning star, staff, spear, bastard sword, long sword, falchion, war
hammer…
Large: 1d10
Damage 50sp
Two-handed
weapon, cannot be hidden, must always be carried in hands.
Examples: pick, pole arm, lance,
claymore, long spear, two-handed sword, trident, large battle axe…
Is your weapon
slashing, piercing, bludgeoning,
grappling or a combination?
Can it be thrown (10’/20’30’)? Does it have reach (10’)? Can it receive a charge?
Any
other special qualities?
We have primarily ignored most of the various weapons rules (nobody has ever bought a spear, pole arm, etc.) So just to clear up the noise, I went with basically four choices of melee weapons. If a player wants a particular weapon, they figure out where it falls on this list and they can tell me if it does something like reach or can be thrown. (The shanking rule is, again, taken from James Young.) Also, I like the idea of having the first small weapon not count against encumbrance. I think of this as having the sling wrapped around your arm, the stiletto in your boot, or a throwing dagger up your sleeve.
Missile
Weapons
Small: 1d4
Damage
1sp
Range
of 50’/100’/200’
One-handed,
easily hidden, first one does not count against encumbrance.
Examples: blowgun, sling, dart…
Medium: 1d6
Damage 25sp
Range
of 50’/200’/400’
Short
bow can
fire every round.
Crossbow can fire every other round
and ignores 2 points of armor.
Large: 1d8
Damage
45sp
Range
of 50’/300’/600’
Must
always be carried in hands.
Long
bow can
fire every round and has +300 to medium and long range.
Crossbow can be fired every third
round and ignores 4 points of armor.
Penalties:
medium range is -2, long range is -4.
Pistol: 1d8
(1d4) Damage 25sp
Range
of 25’/50’/100’
1-handed
Arquebus: 1d8
(1d6) Damage 30sp
Range
of 50’/100’/600’
2-handed
Musket: 1d8
(1d6) Damage 40sp
Range
of 50’/100’/600’
Requires
fork rest, 2-handed
-5
armor reduction at all ranges
Can
be fired once per combat.
Causes
a morale check.
Penalties:
medium range is -4, long range is -8.
Can
be used as a melee bludgeoning weapon.
Has a -5 armor reduction when fired at short range.
A similar simplified list for missile weapons. Although, admittedly, not quite as streamlined as the melee weapons, it still clarifies gun rules for players.
Armor
Light: AC = 14 50sp
Non-encumbering
Protects
12-16
Modified: full body +50sp
+1
encumbrance
Examples: leather, hide, banded,
links, padded, studded…
Medium: AC =
16 100sp
+1
encumbrance point
Protects
12-16
Modified: full body +100sp
+1
encumbrance; +2 AC vs small weapons
Examples: pikeman’s armor, chain,
scale, breastplate…
Heavy: AC = 18 1500sp
+2
encumbrance points
Fully
body protection
+4
AC vs small weapons
Examples: full plate, half plate,
banded mail, splint mail…
Buff Coat: +1
AC 15sp
Can
be worn by itself or under armor.
Helmet: +1 AC
25sp
Can
be worn by itself or with armor that doesn’t provide full body protection.
Shield: +1/+2
AC 10sp
+1
vs Melee Attacks / +2 vs Ranged Attacks.
Can
only be used while wielding small or medium weapons one-handed.
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Is there
anything special about the way your armor looks? Does it provide better protection against
certain weapons?
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And here's a similar simplified armor system. These are set specifically for the time period of my campaign (1632).
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As always, I'm always interested in hearing feedback, or being pointed out to similar systems, ideas, counter-ideas, etc.!
