Chapter Seven:
Weapons & Armor
Characters are defined not only by their abilities and alignment, but also by their possessions and equipment. With the proper preparation and gear, there’s almost nothing a daring hero can’t accomplish.
This chapter presents a comprehensive listing of just about any kind of weapon or armor a character would ever want to use. The list is divided into nine different semi-historical groupings to help preserve consistency and accuracy. For example, the most sophisticated armor available during Western Europe’s Dark Ages was chain mail; plate mail hadn’t been invented yet. If a particular nation or culture in your campaign has a Dark Ages flavor to it, armor heavier than chain mail shouldn’t be available there.
The equipment categories are Stone Age, Bronze Age, Roman, Dark Ages, Crusades, Renaissance, English Civil War, Middle Eastern, and Oriental.
The second purpose of this chapter is to update weapon and armor statistics for the Player’s Option combat system. In addition to the standard size, type, and damage listings, a new number has been introduced: the knockdown die. Speed factors are printed as both a number and a category, for use in a standard AD&D game or with the Player’s Option initiative rules. Partial armor tables are included, so that players can re-create historical or fantastic styles such as back-and-breast plate with greaves, chainmail shirts, and so on.
Last but not least, a complete explanation of special weapon properties and encumbrance is included at the end of this chapter.