Equipment¶

This section details the rules for equipping and using weapons and armour, then lists the weapons and armour used in this game.

Equipping, Storing, and Switching Equipment¶

You equip weapons and armour to your character by recording them on your character sheet in the "Active Weapons" and "Active Armour" sections. Your character can only attack with weapons, benefit from armour, and gain features from items they have equipped.

Inventory Weapons¶

As your character acquires new equipment throughout their journey, they can carry two additional weapons (primary, secondary, or any combination of the two) in the "Inventory Weapons" area of the character sheet, but there's only so much room in your character's pack. The inventory section holds gear your character doesn't have equipped, therefore your character isn't wielding these items and will not gain their benefits.

Switching Weapons¶

When your character is in a dangerous situation, you can mark a Stress to equip an Inventory Weapon, moving their previous Active Weapon into the Inventory Weapon section. If your character is in a calm situation or preparing during a rest, they can swap weapons with no Stress cost.

Switching Armour¶

Your character can't equip armour while in danger or under pressure. Otherwise, they can swap armour freely, replacing their previous active armour with armour they've purchased or otherwise acquired. Each armour has its own Armour Slots, as recorded in the boxes in that section. If your character switches armour, be sure to keep track of how many Armour Slots you marked on the old armour, especially if you are giving it to a party member. You can't carry additional armour in your inventory.

When your character switches armour, be sure to add their current level to its base damage thresholds and incorporate any bonuses they might have from other features.

Using Weapons¶

The following sections detail the types of weapons found in Daggerheart, then break down their statistics. When you're ready to review the weapon options, see the "Primary Weapon Tables" and "Secondary Weapon Tables" sections, which list available weapons by tier.

Primary and Secondary Weapons¶

Weapons fall into two main categories: primary and secondary.

Primary weapons are the main weapons your character will likely be fighting with during an encounter. A character can only hold one primary weapon at a time, which goes into the "Primary Weapon" area of their character sheet. If you take a two-handed weapon, this is typically the only weapon your character can have active. The list of starting primary weapons, called Tier 1 primary weapons, can be found in the upcoming "Primary Weapon Tables" section on page 115.

Secondary weapons are typically ancillary pieces of equipment that augment your character's fighting, such as shields, daggers, or small wands. If a character's primary weapon is one-handed, we recommend you also take a secondary weapon (but you can't hold your secondary weapon if you want to a primary weapon that requires two hands). Your character can only hold one secondary weapon at a time, which goes in the "Secondary Weapon" area on their character sheet. The list of starting secondary weapons, called Tier 1 secondary weapons, can be found in the upcoming "Secondary Weapon Tables" section on page 124.

You can make an attack roll with either a primary or secondary weapon your character has equipped, allowing for flexibility in the types of attacks you can make. Many secondary weapons have features that augment another aspect of your character's fighting style—for example, a dagger might grant them extra damage to targets they attack with their primary weapon within Melee range, or a shield might add to your character's Armour Score. Most adventurers choose to at least carry a primary weapon, but for guidance on fighting without a weapon, see the "Unarmed Attack Rolls" section on page 96.

Throwing a Weapon¶

When you're using a weapon that you could theoretically throw (such as a dagger or an axe), you can throw it at a target within Very Close range, making an attack roll using Finesse. On a success, deal damage as usual for that weapon. Once thrown, you lose that weapon. Unless you retrieve it, you can't attack with it or benefit from its features.

Weapon Statistics¶

Each weapon in this book includes its name, trait, range, damage die, damage type, and burden. Some weapons also have a feature. For example, the broadsword starting weapon has the following statistics:

Name¶

In your character's early adventures, most weapon names are the same as their type. For starting weapons, this is often something straightforward, such as a battleaxe or hand runes. As characters level up and collect better equipment, this name could become more specific—something like a flaming dragonscale blade, a valiant bow, or even a named weapon like the Wand of Essex.

Trait¶

This tells you what trait is used when making an attack with this weapon. For example, a Strength weapon uses your character's Strength trait whenever they use it to attack a target.

Range¶

Range signifies the maximum distance from which a weapon or effect can hit a target. You can hit something in Melee, Very Close, Close, Far, or Very Far range with an effect or weapon.

Damage¶

The damage represents how deadly your weapon is against the adversaries you face. When a weapon's damage lists a type of die—such as "d8"—you roll that die to determine the damage you deal.

As your character levels up, they'll increase their Proficiency, which starts at 1. Unless otherwise specified, you roll a number of damage dice equal to your character's Proficiency. For example, if your character's Proficiency is 2 and their damage die is a d8, you roll 2d8 and add their values together. If you roll a 4 and an 8 on these dice, you deal a total of 12 damage.

Damage Type¶

A weapon's damage type specifies what kind of damage it does to a target: physical (phy) or magic (mag). Physical damage comes from any wielded weapon that cuts, stabs, or bludgeons (such as swords, longbows, and warhammers). Magic damage is caused or enhanced by magic (such as the "Conjure Swarm," "Midnight Spirit," and "Sonic Lance" spells).

Damage types are important because some creatures might have resistance or immunity to one of the two types. For example, ghosts may not be as affected by physical damage as they are by magic damage.

You typically can't wield weapons that deal magic damage unless you have a Spellcast trait.

Burden¶

A weapon's burden notes how many hands it takes to wield. A Weapons are either one-handed or two-handed. When you take a weapon, you'll also fill up a number of hands equal to its burden on your character sheet. If your character can't bear the burden of a weapon because their hands are already full, you can't equip it.

You're welcome to create a character with any number of hands or have your character wield a weapon using something other than their hands. However, when tracking burden, each character mechanically has two appendages capable of wielding weapons.

Feature¶

A weapon feature describes any special rules that apply only to that particular weapon. For example, some features reduce or increase your character's statistics, while others give them special ways to deal damage. A weapon's features only apply to that weapon; you can't apply its features to a different weapon. Your character can only benefit from a weapon's features while the weapon is equipped. If you put a weapon into your inventory, lose it, or get rid of it, your character no longer gains the benefits of that feature.

Arrows & Ammunition¶

We assume that if your character has a bow, they're well supplied with standard arrows. If you have a gun, they're well supplied with standard bullets of the applicable type. But if they've picked up specialised ammunition at some point, be prepared to keep track of this limited ammo.

Tip: Your party might want to play a campaign that feels grounded or gritty. If so, you can monitor and limit the acquisition of supplies such as food, ammunition, and other sundries. Have a discussion with your GM and table about the cost of goods and the availability of materials in your world.

Using Armour¶

Each armour in this book includes its name, base damage thresholds, and base Armour Score. Some armour also has a feature. For example, the chainmail starting armour has the following statistics:

Name¶

In your character's early adventures, most armour names are the same as their type, such as chainmail armour. As your character levels up, they might acquire special armour, such as vanilla opal armour.

Base Score¶

An armour's base score represents the short-term protection it provides and how many Armour Slots you can mark (before any bonuses from other features). For example, if an armour's base score is 4, you have 4 available Armour Slots you can mark. Your character's Armour Score, with all bonuses included, can never exceed 12. Once you add all other bonuses to an armour's base score, the final total is referred to as your character's Armour Score.

Base Thresholds¶

An armour's base damage thresholds represent the long-term protection your armour provides, and determine your damage thresholds (before any bonuses from other features). When recording your character's damage thresholds in the "Damage & Health" section of your character sheet, you always add your character's level to those values. For example, if your level 1 character has base thresholds of 7/15 with no other bonuses, they would have a Major damage threshold of 8 and a Severe damage threshold of 16.

Feature¶

Armour features describe any special rules that apply only to that particular armour. For example, some reduce or increase your character's statistics, and others give you special ways to use your character's Armour Slots. A set of armour's features apply only to that specific armour; you can't apply its features to different armour. Your character can benefit from a set of armour's features only while armour is equipped.

Reducing Damage¶

When your character takes damage, you can negate some (or all of it) by marking an available Armour Slot next to the Armour field on your character sheet, then reducing the severity of the damage by one threshold (Severe to Major, Major to Minor, Minor to Nothing). Each time your character takes damage, you can only mark 1 Armour Slot (as long as you have one available; slots are marked, your character's armour can't be used again in this way until they repair it, usually as a move during downtime.

Example: Rune has an Armour Score of 3 and Mike, his player, has marked 1 Armour Slot already. If an adversary hits Rune for Major damage, Mike can mark an Armour Slot to reduce that to Minor instead. That puts him at 2 marked Armour Slots, so he can only mark 1 more Armour Slot before needing to repair his armour during downtime.

If your character has an Armour Score of 0, you can't mark Armour Slots. If an effect gives your character a temporary Armour Score (such as the "Taska Spell" spell), you can mark that many additional Armour Slots while the temporary armour is active. When the temporary armour ends, clear a number of Armour Slots equal to the temporary Armour Score.

Example: Mike's wizard Rune gains a +2 bonus to his Armour Score until his next rest. Mike changes Rune's Armour Score to 5. At the start of his next short rest, he changes Rune's Armour Score back to 3 and clears 2 Armour Slots.

Unarmoured¶

Going unarmoured does not give your character any bonuses or penalties, but while unarmoured, they have an Armour Score of 0, their Major threshold is equal to their level, and their Severe threshold is equal to twice their level.

Reflavouring Armour¶

As with weapons, class abilities, and domains, you can reflavour your character's armour to suit them. A wizard using full plate armour might describe their protection as coming from heavily enchanted robes and protective rings, while their penalty to Evasion and Agility is due to the intense focus required to maintain such powerful protective magic.