Treasure Tables: Weapons and Armor

Old tombs and ruined towers dot the Periphery and the Stonelands, the former domains of petty wizard-lords. There is a brisk market in wizard-forged weapons and armor plundered from these ruins, supplied by adventurers and the occasional band of Stonelander goblins or elves coming south to trade looted treasures for Realmish goods. While enchanted swords command high prices in the Heartland of the Realm, a monied traveler can sometimes pick up a bargain from a merchant looking to offload their cargo in the markets of the Periphery, or from an old family with a dusty heirloom in their basement.

Wizard-Forged Blades

All magical weapons made in the Periphery and the Stonelands have a Color and a Detail. As they were forged long ago, often by minor wizards, many of their enchantments are beginning to fade. These weapons carry an Enchantment instead of the usual +N bonus. 

Note: Enchantments make magic weapons worse than the typical +1. It’s recommended that any weapons purchased have an enchantment. DM’s who want to reduce the number of magic items in their game without doing a lot of conversion work on a module should feel free to add them to items found while adventuring too.

Color – d6

The metal of wizard-forged blades is often tinged with an odd color, reflecting the spells and potions used in their making, as well as the stylistic preferences of the wizard-lords of old.

1. Lavender

2. Deep indigo

3. Pale rose

4. Amber

5. Darkly iridescent

6. Curious Metal: 1-2) corroded bronze, 3-4) smoked glass, or 5-6) tarnished silver

Details – d6

1. Hilt set with tiny gems

2. Stamped with a wizard-mark, identifying the maker

3. Inscribed with a latticework of magic sigils

4. Produces strange chiming sounds when struck

5. Dusting of powdered glimmister on the blade catches the light in odd ways

6. The work of an old alliance: 1-3) Orc Motif, 4-6) Elf Motif. Incorporate the motif as an inscription, hilt design, or other decoration.

Enchantment – d6

Enchanted weapons count as magic weapons, but give +0 to attack and damage rolls except where indicated. When a weapon says “the enchantment fades,” it loses its powers and becomes a +0 magic weapon.

1. Glimmering: Sheds light as a candle

1. Has d4 charges of Light. The enchantment fades after the last charge is expended.

2. Flickering: +1 on odd-numbered attack rolls. Has d4 charges. Each attack roll of natural 1 expends 1 charge. The enchantment fades after the last charge is expended.

3. Fading: A dim light pulses within. Has d4 charges. Each adds +d4 to an attack roll. The enchantment fades after the last charge is expended.

4. Sparking: Crackles with colored sparks when touched — +2 vs trolls, undead, and other creatures weak to fire

5. Warning: Rattles feebly in the presence of:

1. Secret doors: the wielder gets a +1-in-6 chance to find secret doors when searching.

2. Traps: the wielder gets a +1-in-6 chance to find traps when searching.

3. Hidden dangers: reduce the chance of surprise by 1.

6. Unstable: +1 weapon, blade smokes slightly in battle. The weapon explodes on a natural 20 attack roll, dealing damage to the target and everyone adjacent to them (including the wielder) as blade fragments fly everywhere.

Optional Rules

Fancier Weapons

• Roll 1 Detail for each “plus” the weapon has.

• I like the idea that swords and daggers are more culturally important than other weapon types. I roll one fewer Detail for spears, axes, etc. So a +1 axe get a Color (and possibly an Enchantment) but no Detail, a +2 axe gets one Detail, and so on.

Mixing Bonuses

Each Enchantment effectively replaces one “plus”. A +2 sword could become a +1 Fading sword, or a +0 Glimmering, Flickering sword. If multiple enchantments give a weapon charges, combine them. The Glimmering, Flickering sword would have 2d4 charges that could be spent to cast Light, and would lose a charge each time the wielder rolled a 1.

Shop Talk

OSR rulesets often say that certain things can be sold “to the right buyer” but don’t specify who that is or how much they’ll pay for it. Wizard-forged blades can be sold to members of the nobility, any warrior who can afford the weapon and doesn’t have a better one, or merchants who sell to either of those types of people.

When buying a wizard-forged blade in the Periphery (where such weapons are fairly common), the merchant will ask for 1,000 + [weapon’s damage die x 100] gp. For example, a shortsword would cost 1,000 + [1d6 x 100] gp. In the Realm (where such weapons are sought after) the price increases to 2,000+ [weapon’s damage die x 100] gp.

Wizard-Forged Armor

All magical armor made in the Periphery and the Stonelands has a Color and a Detail.

Color – d6

The metal of wizard-forged armor is often tinged with an odd color, reflecting the spells and potions used in their making, as well as the stylistic preferences of the wizard-lords of old.

1. Lavender

2. Deep indigo

3. Pale rose

4. Amber

5. Darkly iridescent

6. Curious Metal: 1-2) corroded bronze, 3-4) smoked glass, or 5-6) tarnished silver

Helm Details – d6

1. Plumed

1. Hawk

2. Horse tail

3. Harpy feather

4. Griffin feather

5. Shimmering unicorn tail

2. Aventail — roll on the Mail Details table for the material

3. Set with tiny gems

4. Beast crest

1. Horse

2. Boar

3. Wolf

4. Owlbear

5. Griffin

6. Dragon

5. Winged

1. Bat

2. Bird

3. Butterfly

6. The work of an old alliance: 1-3) Orc Motif, 4-6) Elf Motif.

Mail Details – d6

1. Coat of large metal scales

2. Coat of fine metal scales, like fish’s mail

3. Dragon scales, colored:

1. Cream

2. Tawny brown

3. Ocher yellow

4. Red-Brown

5. Wine-colored

6. True red

4. Forged of links of different-colored metals

5. Dusting of powdered glimmister catches the light in odd ways

6. The work of an old alliance: 1-3) Orc Motif, 4-6) Elf Motif.

Leather Details – d6

1. Embroidered with wizardly symbols

2. Quilted of multi-colored fabrics

3. Cloth shimmers with odd metallic colors

4. Made of supple hatchling dragon-leather, colored: 

1. White

2. Cream

3. Yellow

4. Orange

5. Coral pink

6. True red

5. Troll-hide

1. Hair still on

2. Rubbery and slightly damp

3. With a troll-tail belt

6. The work of an old alliance: 1-3) Orc Motif, 4-6) Elf Motif.

Shield Details – d6

1. Stamped with a wizard-mark

2. Inscribed with a latticework of sigils

3. Jeweled boss pulses dimly when struck

4. Stretched with hatchling dragon-leather, colored:

1. White

2. Cream

3. Yellow

4. Orange

5. Coral pink

6. True red

5. Bears an antique device:

1. Lightning-Struck Tower

2. Beholder

3. Star-headed warrior

4. Quill and Book

5. The Golden Bees

6. Hand holding a wand

7. Twin Harpies (red/blue)

8. Twin Harpies (black/white)

9. Manticore Guardant

10. Dryad-at-Arms

11. Salamander and Stars

12. The Music-Tree

6. The work of an old alliance: 1-3) Orc Motif, 4-6) Elf Motif.

Enchantments

I think it’s harder to come up with good +1 replacements for armor, because AC tests are made by your opponents on their turn. That said, if a DM feels like there’s too much magic armor floating around, consider the following:

1. Rotting: +1, but permanently loses 1 point of AC after taking a critical hit.

2.  Light: +0, but does not take up an inventory slot.

3. Heavy: +1, takes up two inventory slots.

4–6. +1

Shop Talk

When buying a wizard-forged armor in the Periphery the merchant will ask for:

• Leather: 2,000 + [1d6 x 100] gp

• Shield: 2,000 + [1d8 x 100] gp

• Mail: 2,000 + [1d10 x 100] gp

• Helm: 2,000 + [1d12 x 100] gp

In the Realm, the base price increases to 3,000 gp.

Eveningstar Weapons & Armor

As an extended example of how I’d use something like this, I’ve gussied up all of the magical weapons and armor in my solo OSE game. The list contains a mix of custom items, picked from/inspired by the table, and purely random results.

Trigg’s Sword +1/+4 vs Reptiles (Scalebane)

Scalebane’s hilt is of reddish metal, with a guard shaped like a pair of outstretched dragon wings. The hilt is set with a green gemstone eye. Runes scored into the sword’s blade burn a hungry red in the presence of its enemies, growing hotter the more fearsome the foe is. (bespoke)

Trigg’s mail +1

A heavy coat of silvered scales. (picked from the table to fit my pre-existing mental image of the item)

Tansy’s Hand-Axe +2 (Clasher)

The axe-head is made of pale rose metal, and the handle is set with a tiny pink gem. (fully randomized)

Dolf’s Spear +2 (Shimmer)

Elf-forged and made of icy white metal. The dusting of powdered glimmister on the point glitters oddly in the light, and the pale wood of the shaft is etched with fine carvings of unicorns. (A mix of picked and rolled elements to fit the pre-existing theme)

Ivy’s Sword +2 (Blackstar)

The fabled sword of King Rivior is made of lustrous black steel and set with glittering black gems. (bespoke)

Ivy’s Helm +1 of Alignment Change (Rivior’s Warhelm)

Made of dark metal, with a star on the brow and a pair of raven wings rising proudly from either side. (bespoke)

Ivy’s Shield +1

The boss and rim are made of dark metal, with a black star in the center and a pattern of constellations around the rim. (bespoke)

Ivy’s Hand-Axe +1

Has a blade made of amber-colored metal. (rolled randomly)

Ambrosius’s Wargear (Snake Staff, Shield +1, Mail +1)

All made of ancient, corroded bronze. The shield is made entirely of metal and worked with serpent-forms, and the mail is made of heavy scales. A pair of purple gemstones form the eyes of the snake staff. (bespoke)

Mothclaw’s Hand-Axe +1

Has a blade made of amber-colored metal. (rolled randomly)

Mothclaw’s Shield +1

The boss and rim are made of a curious metal like tarnished silver, inscribed with a latticework of sigils. (rolled randomly)

The Silver Daggers’s Three Daggers +1

Seemingly from a set, or made by the same wizard. Made of a curious metal like tarnished silver, with tiny blue-green gems in the hilt. (I’d already established that the daggers were silver. The decoration was rolled randomly)

Flarkin’s Shield +1

Dwarvish work: made of silvered steel and scored with runes. Painted with a heraldic mushroom crest. (bespoke – I thought I’d established that the shield had runes on it, but checking over my work this does not appear to be the case. I rolled an Orc Motif for the badge)

Behind the Curtain

A common complaint about +1 weapons and armor is that they don’t feel magical enough. Many fixes for this are mechanical, where the author substitutes some ability that they find more interesting or flavorful for the +N bonus to attack and damage rolls. I agree that magic items should be flavorful. However, because +N bonuses are so simple and relevant, proposed mechanical changes are often more complicated for the same effect. Therefore, I think you can get more mileage out of a good table of interesting descriptions.

The other common complaint/fix tends to be that magic items are too prevalent, especially in old TSR modules, and that +1 swords and so on should be rare. I like a more fantastical world, so I don’t mind having a lot of magical items in the mix. My solo OSE game has gotten through most of B2’s The Caves of Chaos, and the magic item spread feels pretty good. However, with 6 PCs and two NPC adventuring parties, those treasure hauls are effectively getting spread around between 17 characters, which is far from usual. I also like magic item shops, and I particularly like the idea of bargain bin magic items. The idea of buying a magic sword from a traveling merchant sounds great to me, especially if there’s a chance that you’re being swindled.

My solutions here are some small, focused tables of magic item description, followed by optional rules for effectively making magical arms and armor into consumables.