EDRulebook: 16 Goods And Services

ARMOR AND SHIELDS

Characters in Earthdawn use armor and shields to protect themselves from damage when engaged in combat. For information on the use of armor, see Combat. Game statistics for armor and shields are listed in the Goods and Services Table.

RESTRICTIONS

Because the races of Barsaive have different physiques, the cost and weight of armor and shields will vary for each race. Specifically, trolls, t’skrang, and windlings must add a 10 percent fitting fee to the armor and shield prices listed in the description and the Goods and Services Table. Multiply the standard weight of armor and shields by 1.25 to determine the weight of armor and shields tailored for trolls. Multiply the standard weight by .2 to determine the weight of armor and shields tailored for windlings.

Obsidimen can only wear “living” armor such as fernweave, blood pebbles, and crystal armor.

INITIATIVE PENALTIES

Some armor and shields reduce their wearers’ Initiative. An Initiative penalty reduces the Initiative step number of the character wearing the armor. For example, plate mail creates an Initiative Penalty of 4, and so any character wearing this armor must reduce her Initiative step by 4 steps. Initiative penalties are cumulative; a character wearing plate mail and sporting a footman’s shield with an Initiative Penalty 2 must subtract 6 steps from her Initiative step. Initiative penalties for armor and shields are listed in the Goods and Services Table.

Delthrien has an Initiative Step 7, or 1D12. He wears crystal ringlet armor and carries a buckler; the armor carries an Initiative Penalty 2, which reduces his Initiative step to Step 5, or 1D8.

The die for an Initiative step reduced to 2 is recorded as 1D4 – 1. For an Initiative step reduced to 1, the Initiative die is recorded as 1D4 – 2. A character with an Initiative step reduced to 0 by penalties can only move every other round. Note that a character cannot voluntarily reduce his or her Initiative Step to below 0.

ARMOR

The following types of armor are available in Barsaive.

Padded Cloth
Padded cloth armor comprises two layers of quilted raw cotton. It protects the wearer’s entire body except for his head, forearms, and legs below the knee. Padded cloth does not come with a helm.

Leather Armor
This armor is made from one to three layers of soft leather. The thinner parts of the armor provide freedom of movement for joints and limbs. Leather armor protects the wearer’s entire body except for the head, forearms, and legs below the knee. It does not come with a helm.

Padded Leather
Padded leather armor combines padded cloth with a covering of leather armor. It protects the wearer’s entire body except for the head, forearms, and legs below the knee, and does not come with a helm.

Hardened Leather
Hardened leather armor has been boiled to be made harder than normal leather. This armor protects the wearer’s entire body except for the head, forearms, and legs below the knee. It does not come with a helm.

Hide Armor
This special armor is made by sewing animal hides to leather armor. Hide armor retains the shape of the animal the hide came from, including its paws and head, which is often worn as a helm. The paws cannot be used as weapons. Common types of hide armor include bear, jaguar, lion, and gorilla armor.

[Fernweave Armor] Fernweave
Woven from deep-forest vines and herbs, fernweave is “living” armor that must be watered once every three days. If the armor is not watered, the magical properties of the herbs disappear, along with the Mystic Armor advantage this armor provides. Dormant herbs will revive if watered, even after a lapse of time. Watering fernweave consumes one day’s water ration. Fernweave armor does not come with a helm.

[Obsidiman Skin Armor] Obsidiman Skin
This armor is made from the skin of a slain obsidiman: the negative reactions it elicits in much of Barsaive outweigh its protective value. Obsidimen will attack anyone wearing this armor on sight. Dwarfs and trolls consider the wearing of obsidiman armor an ugly and distasteful practice, and react to the wearer with loathing. Obsidiman skin armor does not come with a helm.

Ring Mail
Ring mail is leather armor reinforced with metal rings to deflect blows. It protects the wearer’s entire body except the head and the legs below the knee. A full set of ring mail includes a helm.

[Blood Pebbles Armor] Blood Pebbles
Blood-pebble armor is a form of living, elemental armor. Hundreds of small elemental stones are embedded in the wearer’s skin, drawing power from the magic in his blood. A character wearing this type of armor takes 4 Damage Points, which cannot be healed as long as the character wears the blood pebbles. Implanting or removing blood-pebble armor requires eight hours of work by a trained Weaponsmith. Note that obsidimen can wear blood-pebble armor. This armor does not come with a helm.

Crystal Ringlet
Made from carved, interlocking rings of living crystal, this armor protects the wearer’s entire body except the head and the legs below the knee. A full set of crystal ringlet armor includes a helm.

Chain Mail
Made from interlocking metal rings, chain mail is flexible but slow to bend, which impedes the wearer’s movement. Chain mail comes with a chain hood to cover the head and protects the wearer’s entire body except the legs below the knees. A full set of chain mail includes a chain hood that acts as a helm.

Living Crystal Armor
Living crystal armor is made up of small columns of crystal that are embedded inside the wearer’s body. The magic in the character’s blood causes the crystals to grow until the armor covers the wearer’s skin. Implanting the crystal causes 5 points of damage that cannot be healed as long as the character wears the living crystal armor. Because the crystal is alive, the wearer can feel through the armor and move within it as if it was his skin. Portions of the armor, particularly the crystal columns, retain their hardness. Living crystal armor protects the wearer’s entire body except for the head; attempting to grow crystal on the head causes fatal brain damage. Implanting or removing living crystal armor requires three days of work by a trained Weaponsmith or an Elementalist. Living crystal armor does not come with a helm.

Plate Mail
Plate mail is composed of carefully fitted and jointed pieces of steel plate. Though the armor moves smoothly for such a massive and ungainly-looking construct, the heaviness of the plate metal makes quick reaction almost impossible, reducing the wearer’s Initiative. Plate mail protects the wearer’s entire body. A full set of plate mail includes a helm.

[Crystal Plate] Crystal Plate Armor
This form of plate mail is made from living crystal rather than metal. To provide sustenance for the living crystal, the armor is enchanted. The enchantments must be renewed each year, which costs 2,000 silver pieces. Without the enchantment, the armor loses its Mystic Armor bonus and the living crystal becomes dormant. Renewing the enchantment automatically renews the living crystal, even on centuries-old armor. Crystal plate is extremely heavy, and joints sometimes grind against one another. A full set of crystal plate armor includes a helm.

SHIELDS

Characters of dwarf size and larger use shields. Obsidimen and trolls use shields modified to fit their larger arms. Because of their small size, windlings do not use shields.

Buckler
This small shield straps to the bearer’s forearm. Your character may fire a bow while wearing a buckler, but cannot use a melee or throwing weapon with the shielded hand.

Ferndask
A ferndask is a buckler made from vines and herbs, similar to fernweave armor. The ferndask is alive and must be watered once every three days or its magical properties will disappear along with the shield’s Mystic Armor Rating bonus. The magical herbs of a ferndask become dormant when unwatered but can be revived. Watering the ferndask consumes half a day’s water ration. A ferndask shield is denser and heavier than fernweave armor and also heavier than a conventional buckler.

Footman’s Shield
A footman’s shield is made of wood and rimmed and reinforced with metal. Properly used, a footman’s shield protects most of the bearer’s upper body and can also be used to block some low blows.

Rider’s Shield
A rider’s shield resembles the footman’s shield, but is designed to protect a rider on the back of an animal. Cavalrymen use this kind of shield exclusively. Though it protects the rider, it does not protect his mount.

[Crystal Viking Shield] Crystal Viking Shield
A crystal viking shield is made from living crystal embedded in a wood or metal frame. The enchantments that sustain the crystal must be renewed each year at the standard cost of 25 silver pieces. Without the enchantment, the shield loses its Mystic Armor Rating bonus and the living crystal becomes dormant. Renewing the enchantment automatically renews the living crystal, even on a centuries-old shield .

Body Shield
A wooden frame completely sheathed with metal, these tall shields cover the bearer from the neck to the shins.

CLOTHING

Each of the races of Barsaive wears its own style of clothing, and individual clothing choices can vary greatly. Several distinctive items of clothing with special properties are described in the following pages. The Goods and Services Table contains an extensive list of clothing available in Barsaive, including entire outfits packaged as a single unit. Many Barsaivians frown on those who purchase and wear Theran clothing, because it hurts local trade and strengthens the economic power of the Theran Empire.

PACKAGE DEALS

Package deals offer a simpler way of purchasing clothes for your character than sifting through the lists of clothing to find the items you want. Each package deal contains all the items listed in that package. Players are not limited to the clothing available in the package; if you want your character to have additional items, feel free to purchase those items separately.

DISTINCTIVE ITEMS

The following items of clothing offer player characters useful magical protection against some of the hazards of adventuring.

[Cloadsense Broach] Cloaksense Brooch
A cloaksense brooch infuses any cloak it is fastened to with magic. The brooch uses a character’s Initiative step as a magical probe. When a character wearing a cloaksense brooch is in immediate danger of a surprise attack, the player makes an Initiative Test against the attacker’s Spell Defense. If the test is successful, the cloaksense brooch warns the character of the attacker’s presence, foiling surprise or blindside attacks. Cloaksense only works on attackers within 5 yards of the target, however, and each use costs the wearer one point of Strain, whether or not the cloaksense brooch detects anything. In a situation where cloaksense might come in handy for a character, the gamemaster should ask the player if he wants to use it or not, at which point the character makes his choice.

Espagra-scale Cloak
Espagra-scale cloaks, fashionable among dwarfs, are made from the hide of an espagra and provide the same protection as leather armor. This effect does not add to the protection of any other type of armor a character may be wearing, however. Espagra-scale cloaks are perfectly suited to those social occasions when an individual desires some protection, yet does not wish to look awkward by wearing full armor. An espagra-scale cloak adds +1 to the character’s Mystic Armor Rating when worn.

Dwarf Winternight Cloak
Dwarf winternight cloaks are made with magically treated cloth. These waterproof garments have a lining with a special ribbed design that produces enough heat when rubbed to keep a traveler warm on the coldest night. These cloaks provide 4 Armor Points against damage from cold spells and ice weapons.

Quiet Fingers
These gloves muffle the sound of the wearer’s hands bouncing or bumping against someone else’s property. If a character tries to spot the wearer of these gloves attempting to pick a lock or a pocket, quiet fingers add +1 to the Difficulty Number of the character’s Perception Test. Quiet fingers only works when the wearer is using his hands.

One-size Hat
This high-quality headgear is made with minor magics that makes the hat fit perfectly to any head. Any one-size hat of the correct basic size tailors itself to fit the individual customer’s skull shape. Any race, including obsidimen and t’skrang, can wear a one-size hat.

Elfweave Robe
These beautiful garments display a fine, delicate craftsmanship that human and dwarf weavers envy, but cannot yet copy. Most often, elves wear elfweave robes, though some humans also wear them. Though the elves disclaim the rumors attributing magic properties to the robes, courtiers have long noted that the robes never sit quite right on an ork or dwarf.

ADVENTURING EQUIPMENT

Adventuring equipment includes backpacks, bedrolls, tents, rope, and other equipment used by adventurers during their travels. Most of the adventuring equipment listed in the Goods and Services Table is basic gear that requires no explanation. Items with specific game functions are described below.

PACKAGE DEALS

As with clothing package deals, the adventuring equipment package deal includes basic equipment most adventurers can reasonably expect to need and use, including a backpack, a bedroll, flint and steel, a torch, a waterskin, and a large sack. The package deals offer players a simple method of buying adventuring equipment.

SPECIALIZED ITEMS

The following specialized items, though not part of the adventuring equipment package deal, are among the most useful additions that a player character can purchase.

Healing Kit
A healing kit comes in a small shoulder bag and contains bandages, salves, and herbal potions that can speed a character’s recovery. When treated with a healing kit, a character adds 1 step to his Toughness Step for his next Recovery Test. Each healing kit contains enough supplies to treat three people. If a character wishes, he may buy the supplies included in the kit individually, at a lower cost.

Lanterns
Lanterns are used for light by the ordinary inhabitants of cities and towns as well as by adventurers. A hooded lantern lights an area roughly 30 yards in diameter. A bull’s-eye lantern focuses the light into a beam that extends for 150 feet. Most lanterns burn oil, but some use light quartz.

Oil
Used as fuel for lanterns and torches, oil can also make a deadly weapon for combat. Each flask holds enough oil to fuel a lantern for 8 hours, and characters can hurl flaming flasks of oil at opponents. See Throwing Weapons earlier in this section for information on using oil as a weapon.