Special Weapons and Armor
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These rules are available as Open Game Content.
Beyond Masterwork
Here are rules for creating weapons and armor that are beyond masterwork quality. This can be useful for low-magic games. An item's natural quality cannot be improved after it is created (that's what magic is for). For example, you cannot take a masterwork sword and turn it into a grand masterwork sword. Note that weapons of this quality are still not capable of by-passing damage reduction.
To create a masterwork item, you create a masterwork component as if it were a separate item in addition to the standard item. The masterwork component has its own price (300 gp for a weapon or 150 gp for a suit of armor or a shield) and a Craft DC of 20. Once both the standard component and the masterwork component are completed, the masterwork item is finished. Note: The cost you pay for the masterwork component is one-third of the given amount, just as it is for the cost in raw materials.
To create a high masterwork item, you create a high masterwork component as if it were a separate item in addition to the standard item. The high masterwork component has its own price (1500 gp for a weapon or 1000 gp for a suit of armor or a shield) and a Craft DC of 25. Once both the standard component and the high masterwork component are completed, the high masterwork item is finished. Note: The cost you pay for the high masterwork component is one-third of the given amount, just as it is for the cost in raw materials.
To create a grand masterwork item, you create a grand masterwork component as if it were a separate item in addition to the standard item. The grand masterwork component has its own price (6000 gp for a weapon or 3000 gp for a suit of armor or a shield) and a Craft DC of 30. Once both the standard component and the grand masterwork component are completed, the grand masterwork item is finished. Note: The cost you pay for the grand masterwork component is one-third of the given amount, just as it is for the cost in raw materials.
To create an unequaled masterwork item, you create an unequaled masterwork component as if it were a separate item in addition to the standard item. The unequaled masterwork component has its own price (14,000 gp for a weapon or 7000 gp for a suit of armor or a shield) and a Craft DC of 35. Once both the standard component and the unequaled masterwork component are completed, the unequaled masterwork item is finished. Note: The cost you pay for the unequaled masterwork component is one-third of the given amount, just as it is for the cost in raw materials.
Weapons
Masterwork - The wielder gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack rolls. The cost of the weapon is increased by 300 gp.
High Masterwork - The wielder gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls. The weapon's hardness and hit points are increased by 1. The cost of the weapon is increased by 1500 gp.
Grand Masterwork - The wielder gains a +2 enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls. The weapon's hardness and hit points are increased by 2. The cost of the weapon is increased by 6000 gp.
Unequaled Masterwork - The wielder gains a +3 enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls. The weapon's hardness and hit points are increased by 3. The cost of the weapon is increased by 14,000 gp.
Armor and Shields
Masterwork - The armor check penalty of the armor or shield is reduced by 1. The cost of the armor or shield is increased by 150 gp.
High Masterwork - The armor check penalty of the armor or shield is reduced by 1. The armor or shield gains a +1 enhancement bonus to AC. Shields gain +1 to their hardness and gain +5 hit points. The cost of the armor or shield is increased by 1000 gp.
Grand Masterwork - The armor check penalty of the armor or shield is reduced by 2. The armor or shield gains a +1 enhancement bonus to AC. Shields gain +2 to their hardness and gain +10 hit points. The cost of the armor or shield is increased by 3000 gp.
Unequaled Masterwork - The armor check penalty of the armor or shield is reduced by 2. The armor or shield gains a +2 enhancement bonus to AC. Shields gain +3 to their hardness and gain +15 hit points. The cost of the armor or shield is increased by 7000 gp.
Crude Weapons and Armor
Crude weapons and armor are generally used by primitive humanoids. These items were either poorly made or were poorly maintained.
Weapons - The wielder of a crude weapon suffers a -1 penalty to attack rolls and damage rolls. The weapon's hardness and hit points are reduced by 1 (but this cannot reduce the weapon's hit points to less than 1). The value of the weapon is reduced by half.
Armor - The armor check penalty of crude armor and shields is increased by 1. The armor or shield suffers a -1 penalty to AC (but this cannot reduce the AC bonus to less than 1). Shields lose 1 point of hardness and 5 hit points (but this cannot reduce the shields hit points to less than 1). The value of the armor or shield is reduced by half.
Savage Weapons
Savage weapons are covered with spikes and/or serrations, and have a very menacing appearance. Because they are unwieldy, a user of a savage weapon suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls. However, savage weapons inflict an additional 2 points of damage. The cost of the weapon is increased by 100 gp.
Refined Weapons
Refined weapons are the exact opposite of savage weapons. Weapons of this type are light, flexible, and well balanced. Popular among women and aristocrats, but used by many, refined weapons weigh only half as much of a normal weapon. Wielders of refined weapons gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls. However, refined weapons are not as damaging as their normal counterparts. A refined weapon's damage dice is one step worse than normal (see the chart below). The cost of the weapon is increased by 500 gp.
To create a refined weapon, you create a refined component as if it were a separate item in addition to the standard item. The refined component has its own price (500 gp) and a Craft DC of 20. Once both the standard component and the refined component are completed, the refined weapon is finished. Note: The cost you pay for the refined component is one-third of the given amount, just as it is for the cost in raw materials.
| Normal | Refined |
| 2d8 | 2d6 |
| 1d12 or 2d6 | 1d10 |
| 1d10 | 1d8 |
| 1d8 or 2d4 | 1d6 |
| 1d6 | 1d4 |
| 1d4 | 1d3 |
| 1d3 | 1d2 |
| 1d2 | 1 |
Star Metal
This special steel comes from the ore found in some meteorites (thus the name, star metal). Weapons made of star metal keep their edges sharp, their points fine, and their heads solid. Armor made of star metal retain their protective qualities more reliably.
Weapons - The wielder of a weapon made of star metal gains a +5 bonus on the confirmation roll for critical hits. The weapon's hardness increases by 5. The cost of the weapon is increased by 3000 gp.
Armor - Armor (but not shields) made of star metal gain a +5 bonus to AC against confirmation rolls for critical hits. Shields gain +10 to their hardness. The cost of shields is increased by 3000 gp. The cost of light armor is increased by 3000 gp. The cost of medium armor is increased by 6000 gp. The cost of heavy armor is increased by 9000 gp.
Lamp Bows
Any bow (longbow, crossbow, etc.) can be designed with a built-in lamp. Because the lamp affects the balance of the bow, it must be added when the bow is created, not later on. The lamp on the bow clearly illuminates a 15-foot radius, provides shadowy illumination out to a 30-foot radius, and burns for 2 hours on one-third a pint of oil. The cost of the bow is increased by 50 gp.
Stronger Crossbows
Just as some bows can have a strength rating, so too can a crossbow. Each point of Strength bonus granted by the crossbow adds 100 gp to its cost. Crossbows with a strength rating are just as easy to fire as a normal crossbow (the wielder does not suffer a -2 penalty if he does not have a high Strength score). However, crossbows with a strength rating are harder to load. To load a crossbow with a strength rating, the wielder must make a Strength check (DC 10 plus the strength rating of the crossbow). Failure means that the wielder was not able to load the crossbow with the required action. For example, a character that fails to load a light crossbow can try again using another move action. A character that fails to load a heavy crossbow can would have until wait until the next round before he could try again.
Crafting a crossbow with a strength rating has a DC equal to 15 plus 2 times the strength rating.
Mounted Crossbows
Mounted crossbows are permanently attached to some larger object, such as a battlement or a war wagon. Such crossbows cost an additional 100 gp. A character using a mounted crossbow gains a +2 bonus to his attack rolls. However, the choice of targets available to the character may be limited due to the crossbow's placement. If a mounted crossbow is somehow detached then it functions as a crossbow of its type, though the wielder suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls and cannot be remounted. For an additional 100 gp, a mounted crossbow can be designed such that it can be detached and used without this penalty and can be remounted. Detaching and remounting a crossbow are full round actions that provoke attacks of opportunity.