ARMOR AND SHIELDS The various armors, shields, and extras listed on Table 7–2: Armor and Shields are described below (in alphabetical order) along with any special benefits they confer on the wearer.
CHAPTER 7
Swordcatcher, Gnome: This short, heavy sword resembles a broad-bladed short sword with two heavy prongs extending up from the hilt. These prongs are designed to help catch and disarm opponents’ weapons. When using a gnome swordcatcher, you gain a +4 bonus on attack rolls made to disarm an opponent (including the roll to avoid being disarmed yourself if such an attempt fails). Tortoise Blade, Gnome: This contraption is designed to be used by a gnome in his or her off hand. It is particularly useful in cramped tunnels or warrens where swinging a weapon is difficult or impossible. It looks like a turtle shell strapped to the wielder’s wrist, with a daggerlike blade jutting out where the wielder’s fingers should be. A tortoise blade grants a +1 shield bonus to Armor Class. As with any shield, when you attack with a tortoise blade, you do not get the shield bonus to your AC. A tortoise blade also provides a –1 armor check penalty and a 5% arcane spell failure chance. Like a spiked shield, a tortoise blade can be enhanced as a weapon, as a shield, or both, but such enhancements must be paid for and applied separately. Warpike, Dwarven: The dwarven warpike resembles a halberd with a greatly elongated shaft, to the end of which a counterweight has been added. A dwarven warpike has reach. You can strike opponents 10 feet away with it, but you can’t use it against an adjacent foe. Normally, you strike with a dwarven warpike’s axe head, but the spike on the end is useful against charging opponents. If you use a ready action to set a dwarven warpike against a charge, you deal double damage on a successful hit against a charging character. You can use the hook on the back of a dwarven warpike to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the dwarven warpike to avoid being tripped.
EQUIPMENT AND MAGIC
Table 7–1: Exotic Weapons Exotic Weapons Cost Dmg (S) Dmg (M) Dmg (L) Critical Range Increment Weight1 Type Light Melee Weapons Buckler-axe, dwarven 20 gp 1d4 1d6 1d8 ×3 — 4 lb. Slashing Hammer, throwing 30 gp 1d4 1d6 1d8 ×2 20 ft. 2 lb. Bludgeoning Tortoise blade, gnome 10 gp 1d4 1d6 1d8 19–20/×2 — 3 lb. Piercing Quickrazor, gnome 45 gp 1d3 1d4 1d6 19–20/×2 — 1 lb. Slashing One-Handed Melee Weapons Swordcatcher, gnome 35 gp 1d4 1d6 1d8 19–20/×2 — 5 lb. Slashing Two-Handed Melee Weapons Greathammer, goliath 30 gp 1d10 1d12 3d6 ×4 — 30 lb. Bludgeoning Spear, dwarven double 115 gp 1d6/1d6 1d8/1d8 2d6/2d6 ×3 — 15 lb. Slashing or piercing Warpike, dwarven2 45 gp 1d8 2d6 3d6 ×3 — 15 lb. Slashing or piercing Ranged Weapons Crossbow, great 150 gp 2d6 2d8 3d8 18–20/×2 120 ft. 14 lb. Piercing 1 Weight figures are for Medium weapons. A Small weapon weighs half as much, and a Large weapon weighs twice as much. 2 Reach weapon.
Battle Cloak, Gnome: This exotic shield is not a shield in the typical sense, but rather a special cloak that can be used to foil an opponent’s attacks. Since the cloak is not really a shield, it confers no shield bonus to wearers who do not have the appropriate exotic shield proficiency. You cannot use a battle cloak to make a shield bash attack, but a proficient user can use it to make a disarm attempt. When using a gnome battle cloak, you gain a +4 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an enemy (including the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt fails). When used in combat, a gnome battlecloak occupies a hand just as a light shield does, allowing you to carry other items in that hand but not wield a weapon with it. Gnome battlecloaks are retrieved and readied just like other shields. Battle Plate: This exotic heavy armor consists of reinforced metal plates, a layer of padding worn under the armor, and a suit of light chain worn between the two. The armor includes gauntlets, metal-shod boots, a heavy helm, and carefully wrought joint guards. As with full plate, buckles and straps distribute the weight over the wearer’s body, so battle plate hampers movement less than heavy plate even though heavy plate is lighter. Battle plate is dwarven armor, so a character with the Dwarven Armor Proficiency feat is considered proficient in its use. Fast-Donning Straps: Armor with fast-donning straps has been fitted with a simpler system of straps and buckles, making it much easier to don hastily. Whenever you don fast-donning armor hastily, you do not incur the normal increase in armor check penalty (although the armor’s armor bonus to AC is still 1 point less than normal). Heavy Plate Armor: Forged for the strongest of warriors, heavy plate armor is simply a heavily reinforced suit of full plate armor. Interlocking Plate: This specially crafted suit of exotic armor consists of a suit of chainmail with metal plates covering vital areas. The plates are cunningly wrought, so that they lock together to offer greater protection when the wearer is relatively still. If you move no farther than 5 feet on your turn while wearing interlocking plate,
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