Arms and Equipment Changes

The Dark Ages setting is less technically advanced than the fantastical High Middle Ages assumptions made by the Dungeons & Dragons core rule books. The most obvious difference is in iron working. During the High Middle Ages, crucible steel was developed and widely distributed. However during the Dark Ages, almost all steel is forge-welded, meaning that several pieces of steel of varying quality are heated and hammered together again and again to create a single piece. (This is the same technique used throughout medieval Japan to produce their blades.) Pattern-welded steel is just as sharp, but more prone to bending or breaking due to the inconsistent qualities of the various pieces of steel. Thus, blades cannot be made as long or as thin and steel plates are heavier and more brittle. This affects what arms and armor are available to adventurers.

Weapons

The following weapons do not exist in Britannia. These weapons are either culturally inappropriate to the setting, or were not yet developed by the time of this campaign.

• Crossbows
• Longbows
• Greatsword
• Halberd
• Lance
• Longsword
• Rapier
• Scimitar
• Trident
• War pick
• Blowgun

The following new weapons have been added.

Arming Sword

Weapon

Common Requires Attunement

The arming sword is the basic sword used by everyone in Britannia. It is a simple slashing blade with limited thrusting capability. The grip is only large enough to accommodate a single hand. The guard and pommel are of similar dimensions, enabling a warrior to easily brace his shield with the weapon during defensive maneuvers.

Type	Damage	Damage	Range
Martial Melee	1d8	Slashing

Cost: 15 shillings
Weight: 3 lb

Warseax

Weapon

Common

Finesse, Light

The Seax is the traditional tool and weapon of the Anglo-Saxon people. (The name Saxon derives from the word Seax.) It is a single-edged weapon, but shape and construction vary widely. The literal translation of "seax" is "knife". Most seaxes were dagger-sized, though some reached the size of arming blades. The warseax depicted here is typical of the side-arms carried by Saxon warriors and is analogous to the generic short-sword. Possession of such a seax was a sign of the bearer's status as a freeman through Angland.

Type	Damage	Damage	Range
Martial Melee	1d6	Piercing

Cost: 10 shillings
Weight: 2 lb

Armor

The armor listed in the Player's Handbook is generally not fitting with a Dark Ages setting. Therefor, all of the armor listed there is hereby replaced with the following:

Light Armor - Heavy Tunics

A tunic is the standard item of clothing worn by both men and women of all races. Tunics vary in length with the shortest stopping above the knees and the longest reaching the ankles. For men they typically include a pair of breeches or leggings. Tunics are typically worn with a belt. Some include a cape which opens at either the front or at the sword-arm. Hats and hoods are also commonly included. Heavy tunics are thicker and offer some degree of protection not afforded by standard clothes. Anyone wearing a heavy tunic need not also wear clothing.

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Rawhide Tunic

Armor (Light)

Varies

A simple rawhide tunic containing a skirt, typically of knee length.

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Light	11 + Dex modifier		Yes

Cost: 1 shilling 5 pence
Weight: 8 lb

Thick Woolen Tunic

Armor (Light)

Varies

Particularly common in colder, northern climes, the thick woolen tunic includes a pair of ankle-length breeches.

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Light	11 + Dex modifier		No

Cost: 3 shillings
Weight: 10 lbs

Mastercrafted Woolen Tunic

Armor (Light)

Varies

Woolen tunics worn by the nobility are of higher quality with better protection both from weapons and from the cold.

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Light	12 + Dex modifier		No

Cost: 20 shillings
Weight: 13 lbs

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Medium Armor - Warrior Jackets

Warrior jackets are a new trend that offers some protection to soldiers not clad in full mail. Many are made of leather, but thick linen is also common. The leather may be boiled to make it harder (and more brittle) as well as reinforced with iron rivets. Jackets are waist length and may or may not include sleeves. Most of them have a broad protective collar as well.

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Padded Jacket

Armor (Medium)

Common

The forerunner to the medieval gambeson, the padded jacket is made of several layers of thick linen stitched together to form a cloth that cushions blows and resists cutting and tearing.

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Medium	12 + Dex modifier (max: +2)		No

Cost: 10 shillings
Weight: 12 lb

Leather Jacket

Armor (Medium)

Uncommon

A jacket made of thick, but supple leather (typically horse-hide).

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Medium	13 + Dex modifier (max: +2)		No

Cost: 40 shillings
Weight: 20 lb

Boiled-leather Jacket

Armor (Medium)

Uncommon

A jacket made of thick leather, boiled to stiffen it. This increases its protective power, but makes maneuvering in it more difficult.

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Medium	14 + Dex modifier (max: +2)		Yes

Cost: 50 shillings
Weight: 45 lbs

Mastercrafted Leather Jacket

Armor (Medium)

Rare

Similar to the leather jacket, this armor has been reinforced with thin iron plates riveted between two layers of supple leather. A precursor to later brigandine armor. Favored by nobles who prefer maneuverability over greater protection.

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Medium	14 + Dex modifier (max: +2)		No

Cost: 300 shillings
Weight: 20 lbs

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Heavy Armor - Mail Coats

The primary type of true body armor is the mail coat. These are constructed of tiny, interlocking iron rings (though some examples are made of bronze). Mail coats offers significantly more protection to warriors wearing them, at the cost of significant weight.

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Byrnie

Armor (Heavy)

Uncommon

A byrnie is a mail coat that protects the torso and upper arms of its wearer. Most do not have a reinforced collar and none offer protection below the waist.

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Heavy	14		Yes

Cost: 30 shillings
Weight: 40 lbs

Lorica hamata

Armor (Heavy)

Very Rare

Lorica hamata is the chain mail armor of the Roman legions. As such, it is extremely rare. It is similar to the byrnie, but contains a short skirt to offer some protection to the waist and groin.

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Heavy	16	13+	Yes

Cost: 75 shillings
Weight: 55 lbs

Full Mail Coat

Armor (Heavy)

Rare

A full coat of mail the includes protection for the arms all the way to the wrists, a reinforced collar, and mail leggings that protect to the ankles.

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Heavy	17	15+	Yes

Cost: 200 shillings
Weight: 60 lbs

Mastercrafted Full Mail Coat

Armor (Heavy)

Very Rare

Available only to the wealthiest of nobility, this mail coat is made of stronger rings and includes a set of supple leather gloves reinforced with small metal bands.

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Heavy	18	15+	Yes

Cost: 1,500 shillings
Weight: 65 lbs

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Shields

Shields used by all peoples are almost uniformly round shields. Smaller metal bucklers and tear-drop shaped kite shields have not yet been invented.

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Round Shield

Armor (Shield)

Common

The round shield is about three feet in diameter and feature an iron boss in the center. The shield is made of thin wood planks glued together. The perimeter is wrapped in hardened rawhide to stiffen the shield and protect against splitting. Most shields are painted to help protect against rot and display the owner's allegiance.

Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Shield	+2		No

Cost: 10 shillings
Weight: 6 lbs

Items

There are no major changes to what items are available, though their scarcity may vary. Some materials are much rarer or nonexistent. Silk is unknown in Britannia except for a few small pieces remaining for the Romans. These are hoarded by the nobility. Therefor any items made of silk are unavailable. Furthermore, paper is extremely rare, so books and parchments as well are writing utensils are unavailable outside of the largest cities or monasteries.