Low magic armor and weapon tables, now with costs (based on the "Mearls Code")

Daniel D. Fox · Nov 26, 2008

Attached is an armor table that can be used for low-level games w/o magic items, based on the attributes Mearls gave for additional bonuses on top of class. I will follow up with a Weapons table here today as well.

The bonuses follow the 1,3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28 model for defense bonuses, tied directly into the armor. Although the classifications some may take issue with (SCA people, I am looking at you), but provides a way to incentivize players with equipment w/ bonuses to defenses without having to consult a table to append bonuses by level.

I have used a cost economic model based on Grain Into Gold, which I recommend any worldbuilder pick up.

Enjoy!

aurance · Nov 26, 2008

This is a little weird.

You've essentially taken magical armor, added it to a magic neck-slot item, and given it a non-magical armor name. This brings up a few questions. How is armor providing a bonus to Will Defense? How does some armor penalize checks while at the same time providing a bonus to Ref Defense? Do they make you clumsy and dextrous at the same time? And if none of this is magic, why is it that someone won't have access to your "brigandine" until epic levels?

I'm also curious why you've chosen to do low magic this way, instead of the more typical approach of giving the character a +1 to attack / damage / all defenses every 5 levels.

invokethehojo · Dec 1, 2008

Buh-Zing!

Daniel D. Fox · Dec 1, 2008

I've chosen to use items, as opposed to flat bonuses by level, due in that I want to continue to support an item-based reward system, along with Milestones and experience points.

Given your feedback, I've changed the bonuses around somewhat to follow the bonus attributes by item type and slot.

Armor provides only bonuses to AC, as stated. Subtypes introduced, with prices built upon the Grain Into Gold suppliment (and reasonable prices for upgrqades armors introduced, which I will address in my PDF release to "fix" the economy in 4E and treasure parcels).

Weapons provide enhancement bonuses as before, with built-in bonuses by material for attack, damage and critical. Full cost for Grain Into Gold economy built into the weapon listings.

I used the 1, 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28 model instead of the 1, 5, 10, et al in order to drop bonuses earlier into player hands. Once again, this will be addressed in the treasure parcel/grand economy PDF I release here in the next week or so.

I am now working on adapting magic items into mundane items that emulate magical powers. More on that later.

Level bonuses beside armor/weapons are for DM use only as a measure of when to introduce them into the game based on the treasure parcel system.