BARDS - Computer Science House



Equipment

Wealth and Money

Unlike most Dungeons and Dragons settings, Athas is an extremely metal poor world. Gold is often too valuable a metal to use as currency, except in the most extreme transactions. The most reliable source of metal in the tablelands, Tyr’s iron mine, would have been abandoned on any other world. This central fact affects much of the economy of the Dark Sun campaign setting.

This has some interesting effects on the game world. Athas does not use a gold standard for its economy. Gold coins exist, but they are not a significant part of the Athasian system of trade. The cities of Athas use the ceramic piece as their standard of monetary value. The price of gold is determined by the value of the ceramic piece, not the reverse. The value of the ceramic piece is simply stated, generally by Sorcerer Monarch’s edict, to equal a certain amount of freeman’s labor. An average craftsman can expect to earn 1 Cp for one day’s work. The average freeman farmhand can expect to earn 1 bit in one day.

|Table XX: Currency Conversion |

|Glass Bead: bd |Copper Piece: cp |

|Ceramic Bit: bit |Silver Piece: sp |

|Ceramic Piece: Cp |Gold Piece: gp |

|Silver Piece: sp |Platinum Piece: pp |

|Gold Piece: gp |No Equivalent |

The standard units of Athasian currency, the glass bead and the ceramic bits and pieces, can be made from sand and the application of heat, though this is a simplification. They are made, generally once or twice a month, in huge batches by junior templars.

Dark Sun employs different units of currency, but at the same rate of conversion for goods and equipment. All prices in Dark Sun are given in terms of ceramic pieces. 10,000 bd = 1,000 bits = 100 Cp = 10 sp = 1 gp. Prices for goods and equipment in the Player’s Handbook, except as stated here, convert directly from gold to ceramic. For example, rather than costing 10 gp, a suit of leather armor would cost 10 Cp. Items that must be made using metal components, however, retain their full cost. Thus, a greatsword forged from metal would cost 50 gp, a small fortune.

Item creation rules

For purposes of creating magical and psionic items, convert the Market Price entries from the Dungeon Master Guide from gp to cp. The item creation process as per the Dungeon Master Guide and Player’s Handbook requires an expenditure of raw materials equal to ½ the Market Price entry in the Dungeon Master Guide. What constitutes these raw materials is up to the DM. Suggestions include jade, amber, marble and other rare valuables that can be bought at a market place. Inventive DMs who want to make the item creation process more difficult and challenging could resort to components such as “dew gathered from the eyelash of a hurrum”, though these inventive DMs should be warned that such components are difficult to appraise in terms of monetary value, and thus could somewhat complicate the item creation process.

Trade

Athasians use currency at all levels of social status. While the use of silver or even gold, is common when dealing with templars and nobles, the vast majority of the citizens of the Tablelands use ceramic bits or glass beads, or they resort to barter. The various templarates and merchant houses, for reasons of accountability, prefer to count prices out in coin, thus they pay for their goods with silver and ceramic.

Mass Infusions of Wealth

In general, the Athasian economy in the cities is fairly stable. Taxes, the tendency to hoard and the constant price of labor all conspire to keep the values of goods and services relatively constant. The amount taxed, often as high as 70%, keeps most new wealth, such as the one brought back with adventurers, ‘hidden’ and out of circulation, creating the largest buffer between inflation and the value of the ceramic piece. The tendency to hoard wealth, that is to keep it secret, so as to keep ‘opportunistic’ Athasians away from it further cushions the economy. Lastly, the price of the Cp is, when the situation warrants it, adjustable. A sorcerer king can, if he wishes, change the value of the ceramic piece to fit any given situation, though this has not happened in living memory. However, for smaller communities and trade outposts the price situation on certain goods can sway drastically. A raider attack or sandstorm can result in lack of necessities such as food and water, for which people will pay almost any amount of coin.

Weapons

Inferior Materials

Metal is rare on Athas, and many weapons ordinarily crafted using metal components are extremely expensive. Most metal weapons are artifacts items dating back to the Green Age, or have been crafted from the meager resources of Tyr's iron mines. As such, while most items are valued in ceramic pieces, metal weapons are priced at their listed cost.

The following weapons from the PHB can be effectively constructed from non-metal materials, and can be purchased for one percent of their listed price in the PHB (change entries of gp to Cp): all bows, all clubs, all crossbows, dart, javelin, all lances, net, nunchukau, quarterstaff, sap, sling, all spears, and whip.

All other weapons, when constructed from a material other than metal, suffer a -2 penalty to hit and damage. (As per the DMG guidelines on Low-Tech weapons, page 162). All weapons have a minimum damage of 1.

Athasian Weapons

Below, several weapons unique to Athas are described. These weapons have been developed during the reign of the sorcerer kings, and are generally constructed from non-metal materials; as such, they do not suffer from the penalties described above.

|Name |Damage |

|Puchik |1d4 |X3 |-- |1 |Piercing |4 Cp |

|Wrist Razor |1d4 |19-20/x2 |-- |2 |Slashing |15 Cp |

| | | | | | | |

|Simple, Medium | |

|Quabone |1d6§ |X2 |-- |4 |Piercing and slashing |3 Cp |

| | | | | | | |

|Martial, Small | |

|Bard’s Friend |1d4 |18-20/x2 |-- |3 |Piercing and slashing |20 Cp |

|Maquahuital, Small |1d6 |19-20/x2 |-- |2 |Slashing |10 Cp |

| | | | | | | |

|Martial, Medium | |

|Alhulak* |1d8 |X2 |-- |9 |Bludgeoning |20 Cp |

|Datchi Club r |1d6 |X3 |-- |10 |Bludgeoning |15 Cp |

|Maquahuital |1d8 |19-20/x2 |-- |3 |Slashing |15 Cp |

| | | | | | | |

|Martial, Large | |

|Gouge |1d10 |X3 |-- |12 |Piercing and slashing |20 Cp |

| | | | | | | |

|Exotic, Small | |

|Chatkcha |1d6 |X2 |20 |½ |Piercing |40 Cp |

| | | | | | | |

|Exotic, Medium | |

|Master’s Whip |1d3 |X2 |-- |2 |Slashing |20 Cp |

|Elven Longblade* |1d8 |18-20/x2 |-- |3 |Slashing |100Cp |

| | | | | | | |

|Exotic, Large | |

|Cahulak |1d8/1d8 |X2 |-- |12 |Piercing and bludgeoning |120 Cp |

|Dragon’s Paw |1d6/1d6 |19-20/x2 |-- |9 |Bludgeoning, piercing and slashing |80 Cp |

|Lotulis |2d4/2d4 |X2 |-- |9 |Piercing, bludgeoning and slashing |90 Cp |

| | | | | | | |

Weapon Descriptions

Alhulak: With an alhulak, you get a +2 bonus on your opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an enemy (including the roll to avoid being disarmed if you fail to disarm your enemy). You can also use this weapon to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the alhulak to avoid being tripped.

Bard’s Friend: This weapon is crafted with several obsidian blades and wooden prongs, which are fastened to a wooden handle. The bards of Balic frequently coat the blades with poison.

Cahulak: A cahulak is a double alhulak. You may fight as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do, you incur all the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with a light weapon (see Attacking with Two Weapons, PHB page 124). A creature using a double weapon in one hand, such as a half-giant using a set of Cahulaks, can’t use it as a double weapon.

Carrikal: The sharpened jawbone of a large creature is lashed to a haft. The jagged edges are sharpened, forming a sort of battleaxe with two forward-facing heads.

Chatkcha: The chatkcha returns to the thrower on a missed attack roll. To catch it, the character must make an attack roll against AC 10. Failure indicates the weapons falls to the ground 10 ft. in a random direction from the thrower. A non-proficient user who fails in his attempt to catch the returning chatkcha suffers 1d4 damage from the weapon's sharp edges. Catching a returning chatkcha is a reaction and does not require that the character use up an iterative attack for the catch.

Crusher: A crusher has reach. You can strike opponents 10 feet away with it, but you cannot use it against an adjacent foe. The crusher is made from a large stone or metal weight, mounted at the end of a 15’ long shaft of springy wood. The base of the shaft is planted in the ground, and the weight is whipped back and forth. This unusual weapon finds most use in specially trained infantry units.

Dagger, obsidian: The obsidian dagger is crafted from a foot-long shard of obsidian, fastened to a handle of bone or wood.

Datchi Club: A datchi club has reach. You can strike opponents 10 feet away with it, but you cannot use it against an adjacent foe. This weapon, generally found in the arenas, is made by affixing a 4-5 foot length of dried insect hive or roots to a three-foot long shaft. Teeth, claws, or obsidian shards are embedded into the head of the weapon.

Dragon’s Paw: A dragon’s paw is a double weapon. You may fight as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do, you incur all the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with a light weapon (see Attacking with Two Weapons, PHB page 124). A creature using a double weapon in one hand, such as a half-giant using a dragon’s paw, can’t use it as a double weapon.

Popular in the arenas of Tyr and Urik, the dragon’s paw consists of a five or six-foot long pole, with a long, curved blade on either end. A sort of basket guards the wielder’s hands from attack, granting a +2 bonus on all attempts to defend against being disarmed.

Elven Longblade: Proficient wielders can use the weapon finesse feat to apply theirdexterity modifier, rather than their strength modifier, to all attack rolls made with the elven longblade.

Forearm Axe: Strapped to the forearm like a buckler, the forearm axe resembles a double-headed battleaxe, with the wearer’s arm serving as the haft of the axe. You may continue to use your hand normally.

Gouge: Worn in an over the shoulder harness, the gouge is commonly found in the Nibenese infantry. A wide blade of bone, obsidian or chitin is mounted to a three-foot long shaft of wood.

Gythka: A gythka is a double weapon. You may fight as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do, you incur all the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with a light weapon (see Attacking with Two Weapons, PHB page 124). A creature using a double weapon in one hand, such as a half-giant using a gythka, can’t use it as a double weapon.

Impaler: Like most Athasian weapons, the impaler was developed for the arenas. Two blades are mounted parallel to the end of a four-foot long shaft, forming a bladed ‘T.’ The impaler is swung horizontally or vertically with great force. Lotulis: Two barbed, crescent shaped blades adorn either end of the lotulis, which was once popular in the arena of Tyr. The lotulis is a double weapon. You may fight as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do, you incur all the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with a light weapon (see Attacking with Two Weapons, PHB page 124). A creature using a double weapon in one hand, such as a half-giant using a lotulis, can’t use it as a double weapon.

Maquahuital, Small, Medium or Large: A maquahuital is a sort of sword crafted using a core of solid wood, with small, sharp, shards of obsidian embedded into the wood to form an edge on two opposite sides of the weapon. These weapons are used much like any other sword, though they tend to require more maintenance. Maquahuital’s are especially popular in Draj.

Master’s Whip: The master’s whip is usually constructed from braided giant hair or leather, and has shards of chitin or bone braided into the end of the whip. Unlike normal whips, the master’s whip deals damage normally. In all other respects, it is treated as a normal whip.

Puchik: A punching dagger.

Quabone: Four jawbones are fastened around a central haft, at right angles to one anther. The quabone is a particularly impressive looking weapon, designed for use in the arenas. The wounds it inflicts are similarly impressive, as the quabone tends to open up many small cuts that bleed freely – for a brief time. The damage looks worse than it actually is.

Singing Sticks: Singing sticks are a carefully crafted and polished pair of clubs. They draw their name from the characteristic whistling sound they make when used.

A character proficient with singing sticks may use a pair of singing sticks as if he had the Ambidexterity and Two Weapon Fighting feats. The off-hand singing stick is considered to be a light weapon (See Attacking with Two Weapons, PHB page 124). In the hands of a non-proficient character, singing sticks are nothing more than clubs.

Trikal: Three blades project radially from the business end of a six-foot long haft. A series of sharp serrated edges line the shaft below the foot-long blades, while the far end of the weapon is weighted, in order to balance the weapon.

Tortoise Blade: The tortoise blade is essentially a foot-long dagger mounted to a buckler, which grants the wielder a +1 bonus to Armor Class. You may attack with a tortoise blade and still retain the +1 bonus to your Armor Class.

Weighted Pike: A solid head, generally stone or baked ceramic, is mounted on the end of a spear or a pike. A weighted pike is a double weapon. You may fight as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do, you incur all the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with a light weapon (see Attacking with Two Weapons, PHB page 124). A creature using a double weapon in one hand, such as a half-giant using a weighted pike, can’t use it as a double weapon.

Widow's Knife: Two prongs are hidden within the hilt of a widow’s knife. On a successful hit, you may trigger the prongs by releasing a catch in the hilt. The prongs do an additional 1d3 points of damage when sprung, and take a standard action to reload.

Wrist Razor: Several shards of obsidian or bone are fastened to a strip of leather or other binding material, or are lashed onto the forearm of the wielder. Wrist razors are hard to disarm, granting you a +2 bonus when defending against a disarm attempt.

Armor

All forms of armor given in the player’s handbook have a non-metal equivalent that costs 1/100th of the cost listed in the player’s handbook, simply change the gp price to Cp. In addition to being the equivalent of armor on a metal rich world, thousands of years of tortuous heat have lead Athasian armorers to develop ingenious air ventilation and air circulation methods. This allows medium and heavy armors to be worn in the Athasian heat.

Though most of the armors are made using various parts of common Athasian animals, the armor construction process makes use of several different renforcement methods developed over time. Many of the armors are highly composite, made using the pieces of several different animals – no two suits of armor look quite alike. Through the use of hardening resins, shaped chitin and stiff leather backings, Athasian armorers can craft remarkably durable armors from the material at hand.

Breastplate, Full Plate and Half Plate are constructed using choice plates taken from shelled animals, such as the Mekillot.

Studded Leather Armor is crafted using with close-set bone, chitin, hardwood or stone rivets, rather than metal.

Chitin armor: This armor is usually made from the carapace of a kank.

Scale mail is usually made from the scales of an erdlu, inix or other naturally scaled creatures.

Shell armor is usually constructed from the shells of multiple small creatures, such as an aprig.

Banded Mail and Splint Mail are fashioned from shavings of Agafari wood, bonded to softer, more flexible woods, and treated with a hardening resin.

Unusual Materials

Agafari: Agafari is the Athasian equivalent of Darkwood (see DMG page 243). For weapons affected by the “inferior material” rule, Agafari is considered an inferior material.

Dasl: An item made from Dasl is treated as if it was made from iron - Dasl has hardness equal to iron and is not an "inferior material", but for purposes of harming creatures with damage reduction, a Dasl weapon is not treated as being made from metal.

Drake ivory: Drake bone has a hardness of 8 and 15 hp per inch of thickness. For weapons affected by the "inferior materials" rule, drake bone is inferior, and these items are not considered masterwork.

-----------------------

|PHB Metal to DS3 Non-Metal Armors |

|Chain Shirt |Chitin Armor |

|Chain Mail |Shell Armor |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download