Alternative weapons and armor for Forbidden Lands RPG

The wagon train I joined when leaving the village of Kandra had six caravan guards in their
employ. Their scout was a hafling in a simple leather armor and armed with a composite bow and a
ALTERNATIVE WEAPONS AND ARMOR FOR THE FORBIDDEN LANDS.
Belifar dagger. Three of the guards were clad in brigandine armor and bore swords, round shields
and poleaxes. The last two were a large, bearded man clad in gambeson and a kettle helm, and his
young squire. The large man carried a large two-handed steel axe and a massive windlass crossbow,
while the squire carried for him a selection of crossbow bolts and a long pike. I inquired about his
choice of equipment, and he replied curtly;
“I come prepared for beasts, not for bandits”

-From the diaries of Cidarun the Bard

by G.O. Thorsveen
 The Mist has also put an end to warfare and
INDEX massed combat, and the focus of weapon development
MELEE WEAPONS ............................. 2 has been on small skirmishes, personal defense and de-
RANGED WEAPONS ........................ 10 fense against monsters. Swords are great for fighting
against other armed opponents, but axes and polearms
SHIELDS ............................................. 13
are usually better against oversized monsters. So even
ARMOR & HELMETS ....................... 14 though polearms aren’t deployed in units on the bat-
tlefield, they still have had a role in defending against
WEAPON TABLES............................ 18
monstrous attackers.
FEATURES ......................................... 20
CRAFTING TABLES ......................... 21 It is worth remembering that both the dwarves and
elves seems to have been largely unaffected by the
TALENTS............................................ 23
mist, and that they would have better access to what-
APPENDIX ........................................ 23 ever weapons and armor they would prefer. But for the
other kin we must keep in mind that not everyone is
AFTERWORD .................................... 25
running around with longswords and plate armor.

The following pages describes the different weap-

MELEE WEAPONS ons and variations thereof available in the Forbidden
Lands. These are just my interpretations and ideas,
and I encourage you to alter and add to this for your
The Forbidden Lands have emerged from 260
own campaigns as you see fit
years of isolation which has had an impact on the de-
velopment and availability of weapons. For one, radi-
cal limitations in trade has made the raw materials for
production very scarce in some villages, and those that
have a supply of raw materials have been unable to dis-
BUCKLER
tribute their produced weapons. Another factor is the
survival of the weaponsmiths and armorer traditions The buckler is a small, circular metal shield up to
and skills through nearly ten generations of isolation. about 14 inches in diameter, it has a ball boss with a
central grip in the middle and a metal rim around it.
This usually means that simpler weapons in terms There are many different styles and production meth-
of production and materials, are more widespread af- ods for the buckler. Some are just plain discs with a
ter the Mist. Axes, maces, clubs, daggers and spears are boss in the middle, others have decorations and rein-
more widespread than swords, as an example. Maces forcements in the form of fluting or added metal
and axes are sometimes made from lower quality steel, bands or plates. It is too small to be effective against
iron, or even bronze, while most longer swords require missiles, but it is a good defensive option for close
both higher quality steel and craftsmanship to make combat, and it is widely used, especially among human
them effective. kin.

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ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 DAGGER
Daggers are common weapons that comes in a va-
riety of different shapes and sizes. They usually have
double edged blades between 8-12 inches long. The
BUCKLER AS A WEAPON
Player’s Handbook has illustrations of Elven, Orc and
Although usually considered to Dwarven daggers (PH p.109, 110, 112 “DAGGER”).
be a shield, the buckler is included Some of the other types you can find are:
under melee weapons as it makes
more sense in the context of the
game mechanics.

The buckler does not benefit

from the advantages of a shield
when parrying. It cannot, as an ex-
ample, parry missiles. Talents that
effect shields do not work on the
Buckler, and so on.

KNIFE Quillon daggers have cruciform hilts with a quillon

(cross guard), grip and pommel. A very popular kind of
Knives are tools that every self-respecting adven-
dagger for anyone in need of a light weapon for self-
turer should have in his belt, that can be used as a back-
defense.
up weapon in a pinch. Knives have single edged blades
usually between 3-10 inches in length. The grip is
Bollock daggers have grips made entirely from
made of two halves of wood, bone or horn riveted and
wood, and the guard is simply two round wooden balls,
glued to either side of the tang. There is usually a small
or bollocks, all carved from the same wooden piece and
round guard between blade and grip, just to prevent
capped on the end by a simple brass cap and pin. This
the hand slipping up to the blade. As a tool, a knife is
is the poor man’s or peasant’s dagger, simple yet effec-
made for cutting, but in combat you need to stab with
tive.
it to do any kind of significant damage. All kin and cul-
tures have knives, often of different styles.
Rondel daggers often have slender, but thick,
blades. Both the guard and the cap on the grip are
By-knives are knives that come with another
made as rondels, or flat disks, about 2 inches across.
sword, usually an arming sword, that has its sheath at-
This is a warrior’s back up weapon, and it is designed
tached to the sheath of the weapon. They are very pop-
to punch through armor in clinched combat, when
ular among adventurers, and sometimes also comes
your sword won’t be effective.
with a “pricker”, a short and sharp nail or needle with
a small grip used as a fork, to clean your teeth or as a
tool.

3
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 SHORT SWORD riveted to the metal and rounded to form a comforta-
Short sword is a collective term used to describe a ble grip.
variety of different swords, normally with blades of
between 15-24 inches long. They fall somewhere be- Orcish short swords resembles a shorter cross be-
tween knives, and the arming sword, and are for the tween a Falchion and a Scimitar, usually with a cross-
most part older sword designs that were developed guard. (PH p. 109 “SHORTSWORD”)
from knives. Despite being older designs, they are sub-
stantial weapons and are still popular as a sidearm par- Dwarves and elves also have shorter versions of
ticularly for those that can’t afford an arming sword, arming swords, with characteristically cruciform hilts.
or for whom those swords are too large to wield single- But they are not very common. (PH p. 110, 112
handedly. “SHORTSWORD”)

Fang blades are the traditional swords of goblins.

They have single-edged blades with a distinct fang-like
appearance, making them effective for slashing and
stabbing. They have a short guard sticking up between
the thumb and fingers, and a longer guard that curves
slightly over the fingers.

Belifar daggers, also called cabbage-cutters, are

hafling swords. They have double-edged blades with a
characteristic widening shape. The entire hilt is made
from cast bronze and is pinned to the blade. It has a
short cross-guard in the shape of the crescent moon,
turning up towards the blade, with finer swords often
decorated with iconography relating to Éor.
ARMING SWORD
Hargas are long, straight-bladed, single-edged
Arming swords, or simply swords, are the arche-
knives, with the point being a simple diagonal from
typical one-handed swords, coming to the full length
the edge to the spine, giving them a very characteristic
of what is effective as a single gripped weapon, usually
profile without any curves. They have simple organic
with a blade length of 27-32 inches and a cruciform
grips, usually of wood, antler or bone, and rarely have
hilt. The blade tapers down to a fine point for thrust-
a guard. This is an old Alderland design developed in
ing, usually with a fuller running down the blade to
the Forbidden Lands centuries ago.
lighten it and move the balance point towards the
cross-guard.
Falenards are usually found among Ailanders.
They resemble a shorter version of the cruciform
The superior balance, speed and versatility of the
arming sword, with both the guard and pommel in the
sword make it a very popular sidearm for personal de-
form of a straight crossbar, with the guard being
fense, but it doesn’t have quite the same impact as an
slightly longer than the “pommel”. The crossbars are
axe or warhammer. An arming sword is slightly more
part of the same piece of metal as the blade. The entire
expensive than a short sword or scimitar, and are the
hilt is sandwiched between to pieces of wood which are

4
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
weapons of professional warriors, adventurers and gripping the blade and using it more like a polearm and
lords. giving more power to thrusts and parries. This tech-
nique is called half-swording, and can be used with
The dwarven broadsword is a variant of the arming other swords as well, but the greatswords are often de-
Sword, with straighter edges coming to a more abrupt signed with this technique in mind to compensate for
point, in contrast to the more gradual taper of an arm- its weight and need for space.
ing sword. This makes it more suited for slashing than
stabbing, as the balance point lies closer to the cutting
edge (PH p. 110 “BROADSWORD”).

LONGSWORD
The longsword is designed for fighting in two
hands, so it has a wide grip commonly 3 hand’s widths
wide. The blade is between 35-44 inches long. It is still
slender and well-balanced, meaning it can be gripped
in one hand for extending your reach for single attacks
or lounges, or grabbing and grappling with your off-
hand, but it is not sustainable to wield as a single-
handed weapon over time.

The bastard sword is a variant of the longsword

with a slightly shorter grip and blade, sort of a hybrid
between an arming sword and longsword. The bastard
sword’s grip is made two hand’s widths wide, usually
tapering down towards the pommel. The blade is
shorter but has a lighter taper towards a more defined Orcish greatswords are brutish, curved cleavers
tip, adding some more mass towards the cutting edge, with a lot of weight at the cutting edge. They are usu-
but sacrificing some stabbing efficiency. The choice ally in the shorter end of greatsword lengths, single
between bastard swords and longswords is usually a edged and not designed for thrusting. (PH p. 109
matter of personal preference and fighting style, but “TWO-HANDED SWORD”)
the shorter bastard sword is a bit less cumbersome in
the field, and equally effective when fighting monsters Elven greatswords are also primarily slashing
and beasts. weapons, resembling a large, elegant scimitar, but they
are much better balanced and better suited for thrust-
GREATSWORD ing than the orcish greatsword. (PH p. 112 “TWO-
The Greatsword, or two-handed sword, is too HANDED SWORD”)
heavy to wield in one hand. It resembles the long-
sword, but is longer and heavier, with a blade length of FALCHION

between 45-55 inches, and a grip that is usually 4 The falchion is made with the same basic cruci-
hand’s widths wide. Greatswords also often have a form as other swords, but the blade has one straight,
ricasso, or unsharpened length of blade close to the blunt spine and the sharp edge widens towards the tip.
quillon, usually with a second quillon or guard above The tips may be shaped in a variety of different ways,
it, making it possible to better handle the weapon by
5
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
but in its simplest form the wide edge just curves up to HAND AXE
the straight edge forming a rather short point. The hand axe or hatchet is a tool, often used in a
(PH p. 102 “FALCHION”) pinch as a weapon. Its head is usually a thick wedge-
shape, made to chop wood, not through armor and
Its characteristic form appears to give it a very flesh, but a blow from a hand axe can still be lethal, and
front heavy and unbalanced profile, but the falchion’s is something to be avoided.
secret is that it’s significantly slimmer than an arming
sword, and its longer edge taper makes it razor sharp. Orcs also often bring their meat cleavers as a back-
It is still a bit front heavy, but fairly easy to handle. It up weapon in the field, these heavy, square shaped
is not the brutal cleaver people think it is, but rather blades count as hand axes in combat. (PH p. 110
designed to be a vicious slashing blade against un- “FALCHION”).
armored or lightly armored, opponents. This makes it
a favorite among slavers, raiders and sailors. The elves BATTLE AXE
also have a version of the falchion where the blunt
The battle axe has a handle of around 2 feet and a
edge is also slightly curved forward. (PH p. 112
metal axe head wedged onto the handle. Unlike a
“SCIMITAR #2”.)
woodcutting axe the head is not thick and wedge
shaped, but rather slender, to allow for a broader cut-
SCIMITAR
ting edge without adding to much weight, and for cut-
The word scimitar was first used to describe the ting through armor and flesh. Some heads have a spike
curved light swords of the elves, but other kin have on the back. Double headed axes are usually ceremo-
also adopted a curved sword design over the years, and nial in nature but are sometimes seen in combat as
the word scimitar has been expanded to cover all of well.
them. There are therefore many different designs of
scimitar, but they have in common that they are single The battle axe is top heavy and balanced for impact
edged, usually with a short double edge on the point, force and is usually used with a shield, since it is more
the blade is thinner than an arming sword, and curved difficult to use defensively than a sword. They are
back for better slashing. (PH p. 102 “SCIMITAR”) much cheaper and easier to make than swords and are
therefore widespread among all manner of kin and cul-
The scimitar is widespread among orcs, elves and tures. Dwarves and orcs have a particular preference
Aslene riders. The curved blade offers an advantage for axes.
when attacking with momentum from horseback.
GREAT AXE
TUCK
The great axe, or two-handed axe, has a longer
The tuck is a rare and specialized sword. It is basi- handle than the battle axe, usually 4-5 feet long, and a
cally a longsword, but the blade is slender and thick, larger heavier head, and is designed to be wielded with
usually hexagonal or diamond shaped, with no edges. two hands. Other than that, it resembles the battle axe
In other words, it is a long, rigid steel bar with a point in most aspects. Its head is still lighter and more re-
for piercing armor that is usually used with the half- fined than a tree-felling axe, making it more balanced
swording technique. The tuck is sometimes called a than a tool, but it is still very head-heavy and requires
“rich man’s spear” as it is most often used by men in some strength to wield efficiently.
plate armor, trying to kill other men in plate armor.

6
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 Wolfkin make use of great axes, as do dwarves, orcs MACE
and humans, particularly Ailanders. It is often consid- The mace is an ancient and effective weapon, and a
ered a good choice for fighting monsters and beasts, natural progression from the simple wooden club. It
when damage is more important than defensive prop- consists of a 1 1/2-2 feet hardwood handle with a metal
erties. head. The head is a hollow cylinder and is simply cross
wedged onto the handle. The head is not particularly
POLEAXE
big, usually between 2-4 inches tall, and normally
The poleaxe mounts an axe head, a spearpoint and comes in three general shapes.
a spiked hammerhead on the end of long wooden
shaft, or pole, about 5-6 feet long. It offers the wielder The standard mace head has stubby, pyramidical
options to engage both armored and unarmored tar- protrusions, not long enough to pierce armor, but de-
gets. The shaft is reinforced towards the head with signed to focus the percussive force and gain purchase
metal bands on two or four sides of the shaft (langets) on the target to transfer the force as effectively as pos-
and the bottom end is also capped in metal and may be sible.
used for pommeling (queue).
The flanged head has flanges or ribs surrounding
The poleaxe is a sophisticated weapon, often found the cylinder running in the same direction as the han-
in the hands of knights or professional warriors and is dle. Again, these are not meant for cutting or piercing,
designed for single combat against armored oppo- but to transfer force to the target. (PH p. 102
nents. “MACE”)

The sculpted head is usually cast to look like a de-

mon, monster or animal head, yet like the two other
types is designed to be sufficiently knobby to grip ar-
mor and transfer its force to the target.

Commonly the heads are made of cast bronze,

which is easy to work and relatively cheap. It’s also
very easy to fashion and fit a new handle if the weapon
is damaged, which makes the mace very popular and
inexpensive.

Dwarven Maces are made with a hollow-tube,

CLUBS metal handle, instead of a wooden one, and usually
with a flanged head, or sculpted head, brazed onto the
The humble Wooden Club is just a sturdy piece of
metal tube. This hasn’t really caught on among other
wood, either a well-turned hardwood truncheon, a
kin, since a wooden handle is easy to replace if damaged
peasant’s flail, a roughly formed bludgeon or any type
even with just basic crafting skills. A metal handle is
of improvised blunt weapon. Widespread among more
sturdier, but once it bends or kinks, it is much harder
primitive kin like Saurians, Whiners and Ogres, but
to repair and costlier to replace.
also as a weapon of last resort for peasants and poorer
folk, as well as a less-than-lethal option for town
guards and slavers.

7
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 WARHAMMER
The warhammer is similar to the mace, in that it is
a metal percussive head fitted to a wooden handle. The RUST CENSER
handle is the same length as that of a mace. Unlike a
Rust brothers also like to wield
mace, that has no specific direction to its head, the their ceremonial censers as a
warhammer has a hammerhead on one side and a spike weapon in combat. These counts as
or beak on the opposite side. The head is fastened with flails, but if they do damage to their
metal bands along two sides of the handle, nailed or target, they may start BURNING,
rivetted in place (langets). It is also often made of on a 1 in 6 chance.
hardened iron or steel, to be able to pierce armor with
A burning person takes 1 point
the beak.
of damage at the end of their turn,
until they roll a successful MOVE
As with an axe it is top heavy and not easy to use test (slow action) to put the fire out.
defensively, although the beak can be used to hook and
deflect and opponent’s weapon, it is most often used
with a shield. (PH p. 102 “WARHAMMER”)

MORNING STAR
DWARVEN WARHAMMER
The morning star is again similar to the mace and
What the dwarves call a warhammer differ from
warhammer, it has a wooden handle of about 1 1/2-2
the common warhammer. It has a shorter handle,
feet long, but it has a round and heavy head, set with
about 1-1 1/2 foot long, made from a hollow iron tube
4” spikes in all directions. The heavier head makes it
and the head is a single sledge-like stone block. Dwa-
almost useless as a defensive weapon, and it is usually
rven stone singers shape and create these heads
paired with a shield, but it is as brutal as it looks and
through their rituals, and they hold great spiritual sig-
effective against armor. This makes it a favorite
nificance.
among orcs in particular, and brutes in general. (PH p.
102 “MORNINGSTAR”)
Larger, two-handed versions are also in use. They
are called dwarven mauls. (PH p. 110 “WARHAM-
FLAIL
MER, HEAVY WARHAMMER”)
The flail is made from a wooden handle, about 2
feet long, with a solid metal head affixed to the handle
by a chain slightly shorter than the handle. The head
is usually a ball with short studs, similar to those of a
mace head, to help transferring force to the target. It
is a difficult and tiring weapon to wield, but the mo- STAFF
mentum the chain adds to the weapon makes it very The simple staff, or quarter staff, is a hardwood
powerful. The chain also makes it harder to parry and staff usually 6-7 feet long, sometimes with metal caps
defend against. on the ends. Its use is widespread, and it is surprisingly
effective, often used for non-lethal combat practice
The flail is not very widespread in its use but can be and contests.
found among all kin and cultures. Some Rust Brother
fanatics take a liking to the flail. (PH p. 102 “FLAIL”)

8
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 SPEARS PIKE
Spears are ubiquitous and extremely versatile The pike is a very long spear, at least 9 feet and up
weapons. They are a simple wooden handle, or shaft, to about 12 feet. It is still pointed with a sharp blade or
with a spearhead. It is made for thrusting and using its spike, which usually extends down the shaft with metal
length as an advantage in combat. They are usually di- bands on either side of the shaft (langets). The length
vided into two categories, depending on length, but are makes it very unwieldy and heavy. It is mostly used in
universally referred to as spears. combat by ranked infantry formations, where its
length makes it possible for several ranks to attack at
The short spear is usually about 6-7 feet long. In the same time.
combat it is primarily used with a shield in ranked in-
fantry formations and gripped in one hand. It is also In the Forbidden Lands it is mostly seen used as a
used as a hunting weapon, particularly among Sauri- counter towards giant or flying monsters charging or
ans and Whiners, and it may be thrown up to NEAR swooping down against a defender. It is then normally
distance. used as a “use and drop”, before switching to a more
sensible weapon. Caravans will often carry several
Long spears are primarily designed to be used in pikes lashed to the sides of their wagons.
two hands and usually 7-9 feet long. The added de-
fense that this extended reach provides, makes it suit- BILL
able to use without a shield. It is a very effective The bill is a polearm traditionally found among
weapon in single combat. Long spears usually have peasant militias and used in ranked infantry for-
slightly heavier heads than short spears, and some- mations. It is fashioned on the billhook, a broad sickle-
times with a cross guard below the head. It is too heavy like tool used to cut crops or vegetation, mounted on
to throw, but there are long spears that are designed to a pole, and with an attached spike at the end. They usu-
hunt game, usually boar or bear where they are ally stand 6-9 feet tall, depending on the weight of the
brought to bear against the charging animal. head and strength of the user. As with the pike, the bill
is a popular option for warriors who are expecting to
go up against monsters or mounted opponents, but it
is also often seen among village militias and guards-
men.
THROWN SPEARS

The short spear is not balanced There are other polearms that can fall under the
for throwing like a javelin, but it same category as the bill, like the glaive, voulge or early
can still be used as a fairly effective
forms of halberds, most of which were developed from
missile at closer ranges.
farming tools. The bill is the most common of these,
When throwing the short but all sorts of heads can be found on polearms. These
spear, it has the stats: all counts as bills for the purposes of these rules.
MOD: +1 DAM: 1 RANGE: Short

It loses its features. The SPEAR

FIGHTER talent does not apply to
thrown short spears but THROW-
ING ARM does.

9
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 THROWING AXE
RANGED WEAPONS
Throwing axes have sleek, arched axe heads and are
designed to be hurled overhand at advancing or charg-
The scarcity of resources in the Forbidden Lands ing enemies. This was a tactic often used by Dwarves
have not impacted the manufacture of ranged weap- and Orcs during the Alder wars, but axe throwing has
ons in the same way as melee weapons and armor. since spread all over the Forbidden Lands, most often
Throwing weapons can be made quite easily, and only as a recreational activity, but also for hunting and
the heaviest crossbows require quality steel for the combat.
bow. However, some of the spanning and trigger
mechanisms of the crossbow requires a lot of skill to JAVELIN
manufacture, and therefore the bow is more wide-
Javelins, or throwing spears, have been used for
spread than the crossbow.
hunting and war since times immemorial, and these
spears, specifically designed for throwing, are still in
It seems like the southern Alderlander regions and
widespread use today. The Saurians are particularly
the dwarves tend to use crossbows, and the Aslene,
fond of the javelin. Note that you may also throw a
Ailenders and other kin prefer to use normal bows, but
short spear, but those use different stats.
this is a general trend and not a rule. There seems to
(Box text p. 9).
have been more skilled crossbow-makers among the
Alderlanders and dwarves, but they are found all over SLING
the Forbidden Lands.
Slings are still used for hunting and recreational
target practice among most folk, although its lack of
Be aware that it is not possible to compare the draw
efficiency against armor has made it less used on the
weights of bows and crossbows, as bows are much
battlefield. One may still be able to hurt someone with
more effective mechanically, with a much longer
it, and it is still sometimes used by haflings and goblins
power stroke than a crossbow.
in combat, or by slavers as a less-than-lethal option
against potential merchandise.

ROCK
There are three types of rock; igneous, sedimen- SHORT BOW
tary and metamorphic. If you throw any kind of rock
The short bow is the simplest type of bow. It is a
of a decent size at someone, you might hurt them.
self-bow, meaning made from a single wooden bow
THROWING KNIFE stave, often a natural laminate taken from where the
heartwood meets the sapwood for added strength. The
These are fairly heavy, flat double-edged blades,
notches for the string are often reinforced by horn. It’s
with a wide, blunt tang to balance it. Throwing knives
length and strength would depend on the user it was
are mostly used for recreational or entertainment pur-
made for, the type of wood used and so forth, but it is
poses, but in skilled hands they can do some damage to
usually about 4-5 feet tall. It usually has a draw weight
an unarmored opponent.
of around 50-60 lbs.

10
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 LIGHT CROSSBOW
It is not a very powerful bow, but good enough to The light crossbow is constructed from a wooden
be used in combat, although it is primarily considered stock and a wooden or composite bow that is lashed to
a hunting weapon, especially since it is the quietest of a recess in the front of the stock. It has a simple trigger
all the bows and crossbows. It is quick and relatively underneath the stock and a rotating nut that catches
easy to make, and it is found everywhere. the bowstring when the bow is spanned and releases it
when the trigger is pressed. A composite bow is made
RECURVE BOW
from horn, wood and sinew glued together and cov-
The recurve bow is a short bow whose tips curl ered in waxed, watertight linen fabric. The light cross-
away from the user, giving it additional mechanical bow has a stirrup at the front and is spanned by putting
force and range. This type of bow originally came to your foot in the stirrup and pulling back the string
the Ravenland with the Quards but has been adopted with both hands. The practical limit of the draw
by other kin and cultures since then. It is usually made weight is around 250-300 lbs. You may use a spanning
from composite, a laminate of sinew, wood and horn belt to help span the bow if the draw weight is too
glued together. But the elves have a technique where heavy for the user.
they make the recurve on a self-bow. Composite ma-
terial is not very tolerant to humidity, as the glue will The spanning belt is a broad leather belt that sits
degrade in humid environments. tightly at the waist with a short rope or strap with a
hook on it. You hook the bowstring, so the crossbow is
The recurve bow packs a better punch than the suspended from the belt, then you put your foot in the
short bow, even though it may actually be shorter, an- stirrup and push down with both hands and your foot
ywhere between 3-5 feet. Its draw weight is usually be- as you straighten your back. This way you can use
tween 60-80 lbs. This makes it perfect for shooting more of your large muscle groups to span it. Or you
from horseback, and as a ranged weapon for the can sit down to span it for approximately the same ef-
shorter kin, and they are very popular among Aslene fect.
riders, goblins and elves.
It fires a short bolt, usually with double wood
LONGBOW wanes or sometimes with feathers. The bolts can be
The Longbow, or War Bow, is a large self-bow, fitted with a variety of heads for different purposes.
usually made from yew and about 6-7 feet long. It may
have a draw weight of between 80-120 lbs. depending The light crossbow is most often used for hunting,
on the user, making it effective even against many as it does not pack enough punch to penetrate armor
types of armor. It takes practice and training to be able in any significant way, but they are still seen in the
to draw and loose these weapons effectively, but in able hands of both militia and bandits, as it is the simplest
hands they are formidable weapons, particularly be- crossbow to make, maintain and use.
cause of the higher rate of fire compared to crossbows.

11
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 CROSSBOW spanned without significant mechanical aid in the
The standard, or munitions grade, crossbow is form of a windlass.
larger with a heavier stock and stronger bow, usually
made from composite or in some cases steel. The draw The windlass is a manual winch with cranks on ei-
weight is usually around 400-500 lbs. ther side of the drum. It has a metal socket that the
butt of the stock slots into, attaching it to the weapon
You need either a doubler belt or a goat’s foot lever when preparing to load. There are two ropes running
to effectively span the bow, although some particu- from the drum to a hook assembly, with two hooks
larly strong individuals may feasibly be able to span it that hook the string on either side of the stock, ensur-
manually at the risk of spraining a major muscle or ing an even pull. The ropes run through pulleys on
damaging their backs. both the winch and hook side, increasing the strength
of the action many times. Once the hook assembly is
A doubler belt is similar to the spanning belt but on the string the cranks are turned until the bow is
the hooking mechanism has two pulleys on it, and two spanned, and the string is securely in the nut. Then the
ropes run through the pulleys and are long enough to ropes are slacked, the assembly is unhooked from the
attach to a pin on the butt of the stock. The operation string and the winch is removed from the stock. This
is the same as with the spanning belt, but the rope and has to be repeated for every shot. Although the wind-
pulley system increases the strength of the user with lass is capable of drawing 1500 lbs. or more, the draw
more than 50%. weight of the windlass crossbow is usually limited by
the confidence of the maker in his steel. If the bow
A goat’s foot is an articulated lever where one end snaps under tension, the customer will either be dead
hooks over the string and the other end braces against or very badly hurt and angry. Neither is good for busi-
two studs on either side of the stock. A handle is pulled ness.
back, using mechanical leverage to pull the string back
and span the bow. The goat’s foot is more mechani- Although it is not a practical weapon for engaging
cally advanced and is a rarer system than the doubler at short ranges, adventurers and others often like to
belt. have one at hand to deliver a devastating attack at
range before melee is engaged, or to protect against
The crossbow is mostly used for combat or mili- flying monsters.
tary purposes, and has the advantage over the bow that
it is easy to effectively train soldiers to use it, it can be
loaded and kept ready to fire over long periods of time,
and the wooden bolts can be stored indefinitely while
feathered arrows degrade. Its main drawback is the
lower rate of fire.

WINDLASS CROSSBOW
The windlass crossbow is the most powerful per-
sonal ranged weapon in existence. It has a heavy stock
and a steel bow, attached to the front of the stock with
steel brackets instead of rope. The draw weight of the
steel bow is up to around 1000 lbs. and it cannot be

12
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 SHIELDS
Shields are probably the most inexpensive and ef-
fective way to add survivability in battle and are in
many ways essential when fighting with weapons like
axes, maces, spears or warhammers. The shield and
spear, as an example, is one of the most ubiquitous
combinations on the battlefield throughout history.
And is still very common for guards, militia, raiders
and adventurers.

Shields come in a variety of forms and sizes, as de-

scribed below, and they are in many ways a consumable
item. They will break or become badly damaged The round shield is probably the most common
through use, it is their purpose to take a bad beating, shield form, effective and simple to make. It is per-
and a shield constructed to survive this treatment fectly round as the name implies, with a metal boss in
would be too heavy and cumbersome to use. In some the center, even if the shield is strapped. The simplest
orcish duels, the combatants are allowed to use up to round shields are flat, but more elaborate ones are
three shields because they are expected to break in curved horizontally to follow the body of the user.
these brutal martial contests.
The Aslene shield is similar to a round shield but
with a downward facing point. This offers better pro-
tection for the legs both on foot and horseback. These
SMALL SHIELD
are usually curved to follow the body. As the name
Shields comes in different shapes and sizes, suggests, they are often used by Aslene riders, but
adapted to the size and fighting style of the user and other kin and cultures use them as well.
the function of the shield. The small shield is a shield
for personal defense and are under 24 inches in width The leaf shield resembles a leaf or teardrop, and it
or diameter. Small shields are now almost always fas- is sculpted to follow the arm and body. It does not
tened to the arm by straps, but earlier style shields have a boss. This is a traditional elven shield.
with a hand grip and metal boss may still be found.
Straps are configured differently depending on the The dwarven shield is a round shield, but they are
type of shield and its use, it’s fairly normal to readjust convex, and the front is completely skinned in thin
straps to personal preference. A shield may also be metal sheets and embossed with intricate patterns or
double strapped, meaning it can be carried in two dif- depictions of historical scenes.
ferent ways, for example for horseback and on foot.
The Alder shield is flat-topped with two curving
Shields are made from planks of wood, usually sides meeting at a point at the bottom, like a clothes
covered in fabric or hide, and sometimes edged with a iron or the point of a sword. It doesn’t have a boss, and
hide or metal rim. They are often painted in geomet- the front is usually clad in hide or fabric and painted.
rical shapes in vibrant colors.

13
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 The rust shield is made to look like an outline of armor, but it never saw widespread use before the
the symbol of the god Rust. The wood is left bare and Blood Mist descended on Ravenland. Mail still re-
untreated to honor Rust’s wife Heme, and the symbol main in use during and after the Blood Mist since it is
of Rust is formed by rusted nails hammered into the easier to produce than plate armor.
wood. Rusty chains or pieces of mail may also adorn
the shield as homage to the god. These shields are of- The coat of plates has also developed into brigan-
ten worn by Rust Brothers and The Iron Guard. dine armor, with smaller, overlapping plates, giving
better flexibility and coverage of the torso.
LARGE SHIELD
Large shields come in basically all the forms men-
tioned above, only larger and often sturdier. The main
point of a large shield is that in ranked combat, the
shields of a rank will overlap forming a shield wall, and LEATHER ARMOR
to offer better protection against missiles. It is some- This is a supple leather armor, or jack, that covers
what cumbersome to transport and use in single com- the torso, upper arms and thighs of the wearer. It has
bat, with many adventurers preferring to use a small several layers of leather over critical areas, and it has
shield or buckler out of convenience, even though the padding stitched to the inside. It is also supplemented
large shield offers better protection. with boiled leather bracers and greaves (shin-guards),
or other details covering critical areas.

ARMOR & HELMETS If well maintained, it offers flexibility, low noise

and water-resistance, making it a favorite among out-
doorsmen. The leather jack is more prevalent in hunt-
As with weapons, the availability and development ing communities or communities that has a surplus of
of armor has been impacted by the presence of the leather from livestock.
Blood Mist. For many communities, iron or steel has
been scarce so the reasonably effective alternative of REINFORCED LEATHER ARMOR
padded or leather armor are more common than mail, This leather armor has been reinforced, most often
plate or brigandine. with mail pieces sown to the leather (voiders) but
metal plates and splints and boiled leather is also used
Mail armor was a common armor for knights and as reinforcement. It is often combined with metal
elite soldiers from the first Alder wars and through to guards for the lower arm (vambraces), and greaves.
the third Alder war, when the arrival of more pene-
trating weapons led to the development of armor The leather armor is usually found on soldiers in
plates. The earliest form of plate armor was the coat of communities where both wool, plant fiber and metal
plates, made from overlapping metal plates, riveted to are hard to find, but leather is more abundant.
the inside of a vest of supple leather or heavy fabric,
covering the breast and abdomen, the lower back and
sides and upper shoulder. This was worn over a full suit
of mail armor.

By the end of the fourth Alder war, the mail armor

and coat of plates had developed further into plate

14
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 GAMBESON The hauberk is heavy yet offers a great deal of flex-
Gambeson is a padded armor made from several ibility and mobility. It is very protective, particularly
layers of thick fabric and heavy padding, fitted tightly because it covers the body and limbs well with no gaps
to the body. It covers the torso, arms and thighs. It is between armor parts.
often beige in color but can be dyed or bleached as de-
sired and can also be embroidered. It is deceivingly ef- Its manufacture is straightforward, but it is labor
fective in combat, against most forms of damage. and material intensive. Although it is a bit expensive,
it is available to those who can afford it.
It is fairly flexible, comfortable and doesn’t make
HEAVY BRIGANDINE
much noise. The outer layer is usually made of wool
where available to give it some water resistance, but it Heavy brigandine has an arming doublet with full
will get heavy if water is allowed to soak through the chain sleeves and skirt and is reinforced with plate
armor. It is also very hot, which can be an advantage vambraces, spaulders, greaves, poleyn and sometimes
in colder climates and seasons but may become un- gauntlets (hands) and sabatons (feet). Its weight is
comfortable in heat. It is a common soldier’s armor comparable to mail, but it gives better protection. Alt-
where plant fibers or wool is readily available. hough it is still less effective than a proper plate armor,
the smaller plates are easier to manufacture, and it is
BRIGANDINE therefore more widespread than plate.
Brigandine consists of small plates riveted to the
PLATE ARMOR
inside of a vest of supple leather or heavy fabric, worn
over a padded arming doublet which reaches down to Plate armor consists of larger plates of overlapping
the upper thigh. Brigandine armor commonly in- steel, worn over a padded arming doublet with mail
cludes spaulders (shoulders) and vambraces made in voiders covering the areas where the plates overlap.
the same way, and sometimes plate greaves. The torso is protected by a breast plate of steel, usually
made three overlapping front sections (cuirass,
The brigandine offers good protection to parts of plackart and faulds), and a back plate. The plate armor
the body, while sacrificing just a little mobility and also includes gauntlets, vambraces, rerebracers (upper
stealth. It takes a few minutes to get in and out of with arm), couters (elbow guards), greaves, poleyn, cuisses
training, and because it is laced in the front it is easy to (thighs), sabatons, and spaulders.
do this on your own. It is considered a modern sol-
dier’s armor and is very popular for those that can af- The manufacture of light weight hardened steel
ford it. plates of uniform strength is something few armorers
master. Unlike mail or the smaller brigandine plates,
MAIL ARMOR these are not easy to mass produce. Plate armor is usu-
Mail consists of a sleeved hauberk (long shirt) of ally only available in larger towns with specialized
mail, reaching to the mid-thigh. The lower legs are smithies and access to good quality steel.
protected by mail chausses. The chausses are hoses
that reach up high enough to allow the hauberk to The armor is heavy, and even though that weight
overlap. It is often reinforced with plate vambraces, is well distributed on the body, it is fatiguing to wear
spaulders, greaves and poleyn (knee guards). It is worn over long periods of time, particularly when hiking or
with a padded arming doublet underneath, and with a riding long distances. The wearer also requires assis-
tabard or surcoat over it. tance and quite some time to suit up. It is not a very
practical armor for adventuring.
15
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 The low availability and high price of plate means of a dome-shape rather than a cone, and they do not
that it is mostly worn by military commanders and cover as much as a bascinet. It is often made from two
other leaders, as well as some adventurers of consider- halves of metal riveted together with a central metal
able wealth. strip running front to back.

Kettle hats are open helmets, but with a flared

brim encircling the head, riveted to the brim. This al-
PADDED CAP
lows the wearer to protect against strikes to the neck
The padded cap or coif is made from several layers and the sides by tilting the head in the direction of the
of fabric and padding, and sometimes with an exterior incoming blow and offers protection from missiles
layer of leather. It can be worn under normal hoods or launched from castle walls, or blows made from horse
headwear like bonnets. back. The kettle hat is particularly liked by Alderlander
soldiers.
OPEN HELMET
This is your basic open helmet and it comes in a
variety of different cultural styles. Helmets are usually
slightly cone shaped and sits on the upper part of the
skull above the ears. They do not normally offer a lot MAIL COIF
of protection of the neck and sides of the head. Open The mail coif is a hood of mail. It fits snuggly over
helmets do not impede breathing, vision or hearing in the skull and covers the chin leaving only an opening
any significant way. They are padded or lined with for the mouth, nose and eyes. It also covers the neck,
leather on the inside. parts of the shoulder and upper part of the chest.
There is often lacing in the back and under the chin
They are usually constructed of two or four sepa- and that tightens the fit of the coif, that can be re-
rate pieces of metal that are riveted together with a leased for comfort while eating etc.
cross or band, running over the helmet, and a circlet
around the brim. Variants of the open helmet include: It is always worn over padding and a small steel
skull cap between the padding and the coif. Wolfkin
Nasal helmets, that includes a rigid nose protec- wanting good protection often use coifs since it is eas-
tion extending down from the brow. This is an older ier to adapt the coif and skull cap to their flat skull
style of helmet often found on the undead, but it’s rel- shape, snout and ears.
ative ease of construction means that it is widespread
in communities without a specialist armorer. CLOSED HELMET
Closed helmets cover more of the head, and usu-
Eye-ring helmets that have two loops coming ally parts of the face and neck, in comparison to open
down from the brow protecting the eyes and nose. helmets. Different cultures and kin often have their
These are usually found among dwarves and orcs. The different takes and flavors of closed helmets.
dwarves consider it an older fashion of helmet but are
still using them for tradition’s sake. Bascinets are formed from a single steel plate,
which takes considerable skill on the part of the ar-
Turtle shell helmets are often referred to as a poor morer. The top of the helmet is conical to deflect
man’s bascinet. They extend lower over the ears and blows better, and the helmet sits low over the brow,
neck than a normal open helmet but are usually more covers the temple, upper jaw and ears and the neck.

16
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
The bascinet is fitted with an aventail, a padded mail The bucket helm is an all encasing helmet made
piece that attaches to the helmet and covers the chin, from several riveted metal plates, with a bucket-like
neck and shoulders. Bascinets are particularly popular shape. The top is domed or slightly conical to deflect
among human kin. blows, and it has reinforced vision slits and punched
holes to facilitate breathing and looking down. It has
The Bergand helmet is an older style of closed hel- an adjustable suspended lining and is usually fitted
met, with its design dating from the earlier Alder wars, with an aventail or worn with a mail collar, to protect
but still see some use today among different kin, and it the gap between the torso and helm.
is often found in gravemounds and tombs. It is in its
design an open helmet, with a reinforced brow, and a The orcish great helm is merely a standard orcish
jointed cheek guard on either side of the face that can helmet worn with a bevor* to protect the chin and
be laced together under the chin. throat. The bevor is fastened with a strap around the
neck, and rests on the upper part of the chest. It comes
Orcish helmets are domed shaped and comes all up to above the mouth, so that the helmet and bevor
the way down to the mouth in the front and sweeps overlap when worn together.
back to a wedge-shaped extension that covers the nape
of the neck. They are formed by two halves riveted to- The Iron Guard helmet is a development of the
gether with a metal band running from the front to Bergand helmet which adds a full facemask and re-
the back. They are crudely padded and usually secured places the back brim with a heavy aventail of mail. The
with a chinstrap, as they are often heavy and poorly facemask* is a separate piece of armor that is strapped
fitted. They only have two slits for the eyes, and no on before putting on the helm and fastening the cheek
protection of the chin. guards. It is used by the Iron Guard and some more
prominent Rust Brothers. (RP p. 186 “IRON
Elven helmets have a guard that covers the left side GUARD”).
of the face down to the jawline, leaving the right side
of the face open to able to draw a bowstring unhin- The dwarven war helm is a domed helmet that re-
dered. It has a leather or cloth flap that covers the sembles a bascinet and is equipped with a hinged half-
righthand side of the face. Elven helmets are fairly rare visor. This visor is usually shaped and embossed to re-
and seldom seen on other than elves and elvenspring. semble the stylized face of an ancestor or dwarven
hero. An aventail of mail also covers the throat and
neck. It has integrated padding, and the visor may be
GREAT HELMS
removed by pulling fastening pins on the hinges*.
Great helms are enclosing helmets that offer the
maximum head protection to the wearer. As with open *If the visor, facemask or bevor is missing, the helmet may still
and closed helmets they come in a few different fash- be used with an armor rating of 2.

ions.

17
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
MELEE WEAPONS TABLE

GRIP BONUS DAM RANGE COST FEATURES

Unarmed - - 1 Arm - Blunt

Buckler 1H +1 1 Arm 4 Light, Blunt, Parrying
Knife 1H +1 1 Arm 1 Light, Pointed
Dagger 1H +1 1 Arm 2 Light, Edged, Pointed
Short sword 1H +2 1 Arm 6 Edged, Pointed, Parrying
Arming Sword 1H +2 2 Arm 10 Edged, Pointed, Parrying
Longsword 2H +2 2 Arm 18 Heavy, Edged, Pointed, Parrying
Greatsword 2H +2 3 Arm 40 Heavy, Edged, Pointed, Parrying
Falchion 1H +2 2 Arm 6 Edged, Pointed
Scimitar 1H +1 2 Arm 8 Edged, Pointed, Parrying
Tuck 2H +2 1 Arm 18 Pointed, Piercing, Parrying
Hand Axe 1H +1 2 Arm 2 Edged
Battle Axe 1H +2 2 Arm 6 Heavy, Edged, Shield-breaker
Great Axe 2H +2 3 Arm 18 Heavy, Edged, Shield-breaker, Impact
Poleaxe 2H +2 2 Near 30 Heavy, Edged, Pointed, Hook, Piercing
Wooden Club 1H +1 1 Arm 1 Blunt
Large Wooden Club 2H +1 2 Arm 2 Heavy, Blunt, Impact
Mace 1H +2 1 Arm 4 Blunt
Warhammer 1H +2 2 Arm 7 Blunt, Piercing
Morning Star 1H +2 2 Arm 9 Heavy, Blunt, Piercing
Flail 1H +1 2 Arm 6 Blunt, Chained
Dwarven Warhammer 1H +2 2 Arm 10 Heavy, Blunt
Maul 2H +1 3 Arm 16 Heavy, Blunt, Impact
Dwarven Maul 2H +2 3 Arm 20 Heavy, Blunt, Impact
Staff 2H +1 1 Near 1 Blunt, Parrying
Short Spear 1H +1 1 Near 3 Pointed, Piercing, Polearm
Long Spear 2H +2 1 Near 5 Pointed, Piercing, Polearm
Pike 2H +2 2 Near 10 Heavy, Pointed, Piercing, Polearm, Long
Bill 2H +2 2 Near 24 Heavy, Pointed, Edged, Hook, Polearm

18
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
RANGED WEAPONS TABLE

GRIP BONUS DAM RANGE COST FEATURES

Rock 1H - 1 Near - Light

Throwing Knife 1H +1 1 Near 1 Light
Throwing Axe 1H +1 2 Near 2
Javelin 1H +2 1 Short 2
Sling 1H +1 1 Short 1 Light
Short Bow 2H +2 1 Short 6 Light
Recurve bow 2H +2 1 Long 12 Light
Longbow 2H +2 2 Long 16
Light Crossbow 2H +1 2 Short 12 Load
Crossbow 2H +1 2 Long 24 Load, Piercing, Lever
Windlass Crossbow 2H +1 3 Long 40 Heavy, Load, Piercing, Windlass

SHIELDS TABLE
GRIP BONUS DAM RANGE COST FEATURES

Small Shield 1H +2 - - 6 Shove

Large Shield 1H +2 - - 15 Large, Shove

ARMOR AND HELMETS TABLE

ARMOR COST BODY FEATURES SUPPLY

RATING PART
Leather Armor 2 3 Body Light Common
Reinforced Leather Armor 3 5 Body Uncommon
Gambeson 4 8 Body Uncommon
Brigandine Armor 5 20 Body Uncommon
Mail Armor 6 24 Body Heavy Uncommon
Heavy Brigandine Armor 7 40 Body Heavy Uncommon
Plate Armor 8 80 Body Heavy, Move -2 Rare
Padded Cap 1 3 Head Light Uncommon
Open Helmet 2 8 Head Light Uncommon
Mail Coif 2 8 Head Light Uncommon
Closed Helmet 3 18 Head Uncommon
Great Helm 4 30 Head Scout -2 Rare

19
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
FEATURES:

✥ Light: This item counts as LIGHT.

✥ Heavy: This item counts as HEAVY. If it is a weapon that can SLASH, it can use the action SWING WEAPON.
✥ Pointed: The weapon can be used to STAB.
✥ Edged: The weapon can be used to SLASH.
✥ Blunt: The weapon can be used to SLASH.
✥ Piercing: The weapon is particularly effective at defeating armor. The defender reduces their ARMOR VALUE by the
WEAPON BONUS of the weapon for their ARMOR ROLL, down to a minimum of one die. Note this is not a per-
manent loss of ARMOR VALUE, it applies only an ARMOR ROLL made against a weapon with the PIERCING
feature.
✥ Parrying: The weapon does not get a -2 negative modifier when parrying (PH p. 92)
✥ Shield-breaker: If your opponent parries you with a shield or buckler; you may choose to deal damage to the shield in-
stead of your opponent. The roll, and the PARRY, is resolved as normal, any damage done is done to the shield or
buckler. If the BONUS of the shield or buckler is reduced to zero, it is broken as normal.
✥ Impact: If you make a SLASH attack after a SWING WEAPON action with this weapon, the opponent has -2 to
PARRY
✥ Hook: If you are not holding a shield, you may use the WEAPON BONUS of a weapon with HOOK when using the
action SHOVE.
✥ Shove: You may use a shield to SHOVE an opponent using the EQUIPMENT BONUS of the shield.
✥ Chained: Opponents attempting to PARRY a CHAINED weapon has a -1 modifier on his roll.
✥ Polearm: You ignore the -1 modifier to attacking a mounted opponent. You may use the weapon modifier when at-
tempting to SHOVE a mounted opponent.
✥ Long: This weapon cannot be used at ARM’S LENGTH.
✥ Load: The weapon cannot be READIED, instead it must be LOADED as a SLOW ACTION. It may be carried
loaded indefinitely.
✥ Lever: The draw weight on this weapon means that you need a goat’s foot lever or a pulley belt to LOAD it effectively.
If you try to LOAD it without mechanical assistance you need to make a MIGHT roll and achieve 3 X.
✥ Windlass: The draw weight on this bow means that it is basically impossible to LOAD without using a windlass (a man-
ual winch). The windlass must be removed and reset between each shot. SETTING the windlass is a FAST ACTION.
After SETTING the windlass, you may load it as usual with a LOAD action or leave it on to be loaded later.
✥ Large: This shield offers an additional +1 modifier when PARRYING ranged attacks.

To be frank, these new features would probably need a lot more playtesting before being balanced, especially in terms
of balancing the weapons against all the talents in the Player’s Handbook. These features may open some combina-
tions with talents that would be over-powered or render others obsolete. It might be that some of them should be
conditional on the talents of the wielder, or expenditure of WILLPOWER, as an example. I will test this in my own
campaigns and possibly update this document after evaluation, but for now I will leave it to you to balance this as
necessary for your own campaigns. Make sure to be upfront with your players that features may be house-ruled and
rebalanced during the campaign.

20
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 CRAFTING TABLES

TALENT TOOLS TIME MATS SUPPLY

MELEE WEAPONS
Buckler Smith Forge 1 Day 2I Uncommon
Knife Smith Forge ¼ Day ½I, ½W Common
Dagger Smith Forge 1 Day ½I, ½L Common
Short sword Smith Forge 2 Days 1I, ½L Common
Arming Sword Smith Forge 1 Week 2I, ½L Uncommon
Longsword Smith Forge 1 Week 3I, ½L Uncommon
Greatsword Smith Forge 2 Weeks 4I, 1L Rare
Falchion Smith Forge 1 Week 1½I, ½L Uncommon
Scimitar Smith Forge 1 Week 1½I, ½L Uncommon
Tuck Smith Forge 1 Week 2I, ½L Rare
Hand Axe Smith Forge ¼ Day ½I, 1W Common
Battle Axe Smith Forge 2 Days 1I, 1W Uncommon
Great Axe Smith Forge 1 Week 2I, 2W Uncommon
Poleaxe Smith Forge 1 Week 1½I, 2W Rare
Wooden Club - Woodworking ¼ Day 1W Common
Large Wooden Club - Woodworking ¼ Day 2W Common
Mace Smith Forge 1 Day 1I, 1W Common
Warhammer Smith Forge 2 Days 1I, 1W Uncommon
Morning Star Smith Forge 2 Days 1I, 1W Uncommon
Flail Smith Forge 4 Days 2I, 1W Uncommon
Dwarven Warhammer Smith* Forge 2 Days 1W* Rare
Maul Smith Forge 4 Days ½I, 3W Uncommon
Dwarven Maul Smith* Forge 1 Week 2W* Rare
Staff - Woodworking ¼ Day 2W Common
Short Spear Smith Forge ¼ Day ½I, 1W Common
Long Spear Smith Forge 1 Day ½I, 2W Common
Pike Smith Forge 2 Days ½I, 3W Uncommon
Bill Smith Forge 4 Days 1I, 2W Uncommon
RANGED WEAPONS
Throwing Knife Smith Forge ¼ Day ½I Common
Throwing Axe Smith Forge ¼ Day ½I, ½W Common
Javelin Smith Forge ¼ Day ½I, 1W Common
Sling - - ¼ Day ½L Common
Short Bow Bowyer Woodworking 1 Day 1W Common
Recurve bow Bowyer Forge 1 Week 1W, ½L Uncommon
Longbow Bowyer Woodworking 2 Days 2W Uncommon
Light Crossbow Bow/Smith Forge 1 Week ½I, 1W, ½L Uncommon
Crossbow Bow/Smith Forge 1 Week 1I, 1W, ½L Uncommon
Windlass Crossbow Bow/Smith Forge 2 Weeks 1I, 2W, 1L Rare

21
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 TALENT TOOLS TIME MATS SUPPLY

SHIELDS
Small Shield Tann/Smith Forge 1 Day 1/2I, 1W, 1L Common
Large Shield Tann/Smith Forge 2 Days 1/2I, 2W, 1L Uncommon
Tower Shield - Forge 1 Day 4W Uncommon
ARMOR
Leather Armor Tanner Tailoring 2 day 2L Common
Reinforced Leather Armor Tanner Tailoring 4 days 2L, ½ I Uncommon
Gambeson Tailor Tailoring 3 days 3C Uncommon
Brigandine Armor Smith Forge 1 week 2I, 1C Uncommon
Mail Armor Smith Forge 2 weeks 3I, 1 C Uncommon
Heavy Brigandine Armor Smith Forge 3 weeks 4I, 1C Uncommon
Plate Armor Smith Forge 4 weeks 5I, 1C Rare
Padded Cap Tailor Tailoring 1 day 1C Uncommon
Open Helmet Smith Forge 2 days 1I, ½C Uncommon
Mail Coif Smith Forge 4 days 1I, ½C Uncommon
Closed Helmet Smith Forge 3 days 2I, ½C Uncommon
Great Helm Smith Forge 3 days 3I, ½C Rare

TALENTS: Some items do not have an indicated talent, meaning that anyone with the crafting skill can make
them, but they cannot be made with better stats. Some items can be created using one of two different talents, you
need one or the other, not both.

TOOLS: A forge has both basic tailoring and woodworking supplies, in addition to blacksmithing supplies available,
and all items can be crafted at a forge. Those items that list tailoring or woodworking as tools may be crafted with-
out a forge, given that you have some basic tools available (knife and saw for woodworking, knife, needle and thread
for tailoring for example). The GM decides if you have sufficient tools available for the job.

MATERIALS: I= units of Iron, C= units of cloth, L= units of leather, W= units of wood.

* Dwarven hammerheads are created using the ritual STONESMITH. This is necessary to make a stone head that
is solid and light enough to work on a weapon. A successful STONESMITH ritual with power level 1 is required to
shape the hammerhead. The quarter day required for the ritual is not included in the crafting time.

22
ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 APPENDIX
TALENTS
ARMING DOUBLETS
This section clarifies some of the talents in the
Player’s Handbook p. 62-82, in how they relate to the Brigandine, mail, heavy brigandine and plate ar-
new and altered weapons and features in this compen- mor are all described in this compendium as being
dium. used with an arming doublet. The arming doublet, or
padded jack, is a light form of padded armor or gam-
AXE FIGHTER works with hand axe, battle axe, beson, that is worn underneath heavier armor, both
great axe and poleaxe. for comfort and added protection particularly against
blunt force.
HAMMER FIGHTER works with buckler, as well as
the other blunt weapons. Sometimes the arming doublet is also used to an-
chor or attach other armor pieces to it, and in the case
HORSEBACK FIGHTER rank 1 also works with re- of heavy brigandine and plate armor it has mail voiders
curve bows. sown to it in critical areas. This reduces the weight
compared to wearing a full mail armor underneath the
KNIFE FIGHTER works on knives and daggers. brigandine or plate yet covers all the weaknesses with
Note that it does not work with a Belifar dagger, or mail.
any other short sword. They all count as swords.
There would be many occasions when an armor
SHIELD FIGHTER applies to small shield and large wearer would remove the overlaying armor and just
shield, not buckler or tower shield. wear the doublet, like in camp, while travelling,
onboard boats or for crossing rivers. It is the GM’s call
SPEAR FIGHTER applies to all weapons with the to penalize players for wearing full armor in situations
POLEARM feature. like this, but at the GM’s discretion, players may be
allowed to remove their main armor but still count the
SWORD FIGHTER applies to the falchion, scimi- arming doublet as having ARMOR VALUE 2 and
tar, as well as short sword, arming sword, longsword losing their HEAVY or MOVE – 2 penalties.
and greatsword.
The tuck is also covered by sword fighter but Rank 2 MAINTENANCE

of the talent does not work with the tuck, as it does not Routine maintenance of both weapons and armor
have an edge or a slash attack. are important to keep them honed, oiled, rust free and
effective. One could easily decide that this kind busy
THROWING ARM also applies to thrown short work, is done at the same time as making camp or rest-
spears, as well as all thrown weapons and the sling, in ing, as an example.
the ranged weapon table.
But if you would like to give this activity a bit more
realism, I would suggest adding a new quarter day ac-
tivity “Maintenance”, that every player character
must perform once per week, or they take one point of
equipment damage as decided by the GM.

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ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
 If the player character is wearing plate armor, or
other maintenance heavy gear (windlass), this activity This “shield” counts as COVER with ARMOR
must be performed twice a week. RATING 6 for the person carrying it, from enemy
missiles coming from its front. It takes a FAST action
For player characters that have no armor and very to set the shield on the ground, after which one person
simple weapons and equipment (clothes and a staff or may continue to use it as cover, and a FAST action to
club) the GM could decide that this activity needs only pick it up and keep moving again. It may not be used
be performed every two weeks. for parrying or attacking.

These are suggestions to add a simple maintenance It is a HEAVY item and need both hands to carry.
system, that is simple to bookkeep, at least if you are It costs 3 silver. It is included in the Crafting Tables
using a calendar to track the campaign, but you are of under Shields for crafting information and supply.
course free to ignore this or make up your own rules.

TOOLS AS WEAPONS THE UNDEAD

Knives and hand axes are tools that may be used as One of fantasy’s greatest mysteries is the surpris-
weapons, but I have not included rules for any other ing efficiency of armor and weapons wielded by undead
tools used in combat in this compendium. warriors supposedly long dead and decomposed into
skeletons. Maybe the same sorcerous forces that ani-
Pickaxes, sledgehammers, tree-felling axes, hay- mate the living dead are also preserving their equip-
forks, peasant’s flails, and more, may feasibly be used ment, or maybe even the undead wax, oil and hone
in a pinch, but consider that they are poor weapons. their weapons?
They are usually heavy and not balanced for fighting,
and usually made from poorer quality scrap iron and In reality most armor would be completely useless,
other metals. mail would be rusted solid, and any leather or cloth
would be rotted and brittle. A plate armor would fall
Using the rules for wooden club or large wooden apart due to all the straps collapsing. Axes and swords
club would probably be ok to represent most types of without edges are pretty much just maces, and wooden
tools, maybe short spear or staff as well. I leave it to handles would be rotted to the point that they snap
you as the GM to decide the rules if tools are used as with any significant impact. This would depend on the
improvised weapons. age of the encountered undead of course.

TOWER SHIELD It is up to each GM to choose to suspend disbelief

The tower shield is not really a shield, but a useful and include sharp weapons and functioning armor in
and widespread item particularly during attacks on de- the inventory of skeletal opponents, or to reduce the
fensive positions. This is a 6-foot-tall and 3-foot-wide efficiency of 300-year old armor and weapons to some
rectangular piece of wood, with a grip for carrying, a extent.
viewport and legs so it remains standing when put
down. Often used to march archers and crossbowmen
towards enemy defensive positions. It’s not a usual
tool for adventurers and the like.

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ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM
Afterword: This document started out as an attempt to touch up some of the weapons and armor
in the Forbidden Lands to remove some of the common fantasy tropes and misunderstandings about
medieval weaponry. I’ve personally always felt that good fantasy is rooted in reality, to allow it to be relat-
able and immersive. To me worlds come alive when maps and geography, political borders, cultures and
technology feel believable.

Along the way I started accepting that some fantastical things are more appropriate to a fantasy
setting than historical accuracy, so this is not an historically correct list. I’ve tried to keep the weapons
and armor close to the technological scope of the 14th – 15th centuries in medieval Europe, but as they
could have manifested themselves in the Forbidden Lands.

The greatest changes are made with the weapons, with a rebalancing towards historical accuracy,
and the introduction of new features I hope will give more interesting decisions to make for the player.
One of the difficulties in this lies in the narrow scope of stats available in the Forbidden Lands rules. +1 or
+2 modifier, and 1-3 damage allows for limited variability, but I hope I’ve managed to make the weapons
feel a little bit different from one another.

I do not claim to be speaking with much authority either in relation to the mechanics of the Year
Zero system or with regards to historical medieval Europe. So please take everything in this document
with a grain of salt. Use it, change it and make it your own, as I probably will with mounting experience
with the system.

Thanks to the users of r/ForbiddenLands for their advice and feedback.

This product was created under license. Forbidden Lands and its logo, are trademarks of Fria Ligan AB.

This work contains material that is copyright Fria Ligan AB and/or other authors. Such material is used
with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Free League Workshop.

All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by GEIR OVE THORSVEEN and published under the
Community Content Agreement for Free League Workshop

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ARMS & ARMOR COMPENDIUM