Introduction

Dungeon Masters of the world, relax!

Until now, you've all had to duck or dodge questions about armor, lengths of swords, and the blades (or lack of them) on pole arms. At best, you've said, "It kinda looks like a . . . " At worst, you've had to go to the library to look up such information.

A few of you are fortunate to be scholars of history and already know the answers to such questions. But for the rest of you, this book contains the information you've been waiting for.

The Arms and Equipment Guide is the most complete compilation of information about armor, weapons, and equipment for the AD&D® game to date. It is intended to help both DMs and players to understand and better use the wide variety of equipment available. We've included a plethora of illustrations to make this volume as user-friendly as possible.

For DMs: Be aware that the information in this work encompasses a wide variety of equipment suitable for many campaign styles. Don't be afraid to veto certain weapons or armor to suit your own campaign world. The intention of this book is not to provide adventurers with every weapon known to man; it is merely to expand the choices available. Feel free to disallow any items that don't fit the grand scheme of your campaign.

Historical Accuracy: Every attempt has been made to ensure that the information presented here is historically accurate. However, scholars of history often disagree among themselves, resulting in conflicting opinions among resources. If you find that the information in this volume disagrees with what you know of history, consider checking one of the resources listed below. Or chalk it up to to a different historian. (If you're convinced we've blundered, we're always happy to hear about it in a letter. Any documentation you can provide would be appreciated.)

Weapons: As the longest section in this book, the weapons chapter has some unique features. You'll find comments from seasoned adventurers in italicized type. These are intended to offer new ideas for role-playing. You'll also find numerous boxed entries. These boxes contain interesting historical tidbits that might provide role-playing ideas and are just plain fun to read.

With these things in mind, you're ready to go forth and conquer. Here's hoping that the Arms and Equipment Guide will help you do it!

Table of Contents