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  1. HYPERBOREA (orig by C. A. Smith) [R18+]
  3. Lore

2. EQUIPMENT

This section lists any important note or differences with armour, shields, weapons, and general equipment available for characters to purchase and then use whilst adventuring. Note that some classes have specific armour allowed, shields allowed, and/or a favoured weapons list (see CLASSES, class terms and definitions). Using your character’s initial 30–180 gold pieces (3d6×10), armour, weapons and equipment may be purchased. ALL EQUIPMENT IS DONE SO NO NEED FOR SRD EQUIPMENT AS THEIR COSTS WILL BE INACCURATE

ARMOUR & WEAPON NOTES:

  • Note that some classes have specific armour allowed, shields allowed, and/or a favoured weapons list (see CLASS REQUIREMENTS [Feature]). Using your character’s initial 30–180 gold pieces (3d6×10), armour, weapons and equipment may be purchased.

  • Armour provides the base armour class (AC) of the character, which can then be adjusted by dexterity, shield, sorcery, and other modifiers. Armour can also inform character movement rate as follows- None/Clothing/Light Armour = MV40; Medium Armour = MV30; Heavy Armour = MV20. The armour types are presumed to include suitable limb protection and headgear (e.g., @Simple Leather Armor will include a reinforced leather cap; @Chain Mail Armor, a coif; @Full Plate Armor, a great helm)

  • Donning Armour: Light armour requires about 1–3 minutes (6–18 rounds) to don; medium armour about 1–6 minutes (6–36 rounds); and heavy armour 10 minutes (1 turn) or more. Certain armour types that give you a bonus to these timings its noted in their descriptions.

  • Anyone can wear armour including spell casters however there is inherent risk of spell failure whilst wearing it for most casters. Please read LORE, Sorcery (Spell casting) Spells in Hyperborea - Armour-Clad Sorcerers section for more details. Also if you are not proficient in its use you suffer all the negative skill and Dexterity modifiers. Characters are however able to get training that will allow them to gain such proficiencies during downtime in the game.

  • SHIELDS: The shield is a standard protective measure and AC modifier versus blows and missiles. Most shields are composed of hardwood covered with leather or animal hide, bossed and edged with iron or steel; some are crafted entirely of metal. Shields improve AC; however, this bonus does not apply to attacks from the rear.

  • MISSILE WEAPONS: True projectile weapons, several of which are properly missile launchers.

  • BOWS & CROSSBOWS: What determines the main damage done by these weapons is the pull of the bow/crossbow. See ITEM, individual descriptions. So most all arrows and bolts can be fired from the different types ie @Longbow, @Short Bow and @Heavy Crossbow, @Light Crossbow, @Crossbow, Light, (Repeating), apart from @Crossbow, Hand (which has smaller bolts and Flight Arrow (which is too long for the @Short Bow. You must note these damages sometimes when you are recording your attack types.

  • SWORD: A straight or curved blade protruding from a hilt of wood or metal. A sword can be single- or double edged, rounded or pointed; sometimes the blade is grooved to lighten and reinforce it. Hilts are of various sizes and configurations, and they may include pommels, quillions, and hand guards that range from simple to elaborate. Specific types are listed below-

@Short Sword: Straight, double-edged sword with a blade of 18–24 inches and hilt of 5–6 inches.

@Short Scimitar: Curved, single-edged short sword with blade edge on the convex side.

@Falcata: Forward-curving, single-edged short sword with blade edge on the concave side.

@Longsword(and @Broadsword): Straight, double-edged sword with blade of 32–42 inches and a hilt of 5–9 inches; some long swords are single-edged, and some broad swords might feature wider blades.

@Scimitar: Curved, single-edged long sword with blade edge on the convex side.

@Bastard Sword: The hand-and-a-half sword is similar to the long sword, except the hilt is longer (about 12 inches), allowing for superior two-handed use.

@Two-Handed Sword: Straight, double-edged blade of four to five feet with a hilt of 12–15 inches. Sometimes referred to as a great sword.

@Two-Handed Scimitar: Curved, single-edged, two-handed sword with a four-foot blade, a hilt of 12 inches, and the blade edge on the convex side. Sometimes referred to as a great scimitar.

EQUIPMENT (General): Standard gear utilized by adventurers of all sorts. Most items will be available for purchase in the towns and cities of civilization. See ITEMS, Gear/Standard.

EQUIPMENT (Clothing): A typical character begins play with normal clothing, boots or shoes, and a cloak or coat. Adventuring can bring about the loss or ruination of such, thus necessitating new purchases. See ITEMS, Gear/Clothing.

EQUIPMENT (Provisions): Foodstuffs an adventurer may stow in a backpack or sack to promote survival. See ITEMS, Gear/Food.

EQUIPMENT (Religious): Normally the province of clerics and the like, these items are also available to other adventuring types. Pertaining to masks in particular, the lines betwixt “religion” and “culture” are blurred in some societies, such as Port Zangerios, where mask wearing is a social requirement. The same can be said of Pictish societies who apply body paint for a plethora of religious and social occupations. See ITEMS, Gear.

LIVESTOCK: Typical animals available for purchase. See ITEMS, Gear/Mounts & Vehicles*.

TACK and HARNESS: Typical equipage associated with equines. Barding is armour for horses; generally speaking, it corresponds to player character armour equivalents (e.g., chain barding is mesh links, just as chain mail). See ITEMS, Gear/Mounts & Vehicles*.

VEHICLES: These are typically available in most towns and cities where cartwrights and wainwrights dwell. See ITEMS, Gear/Mounts & Vehicles*. Just as a side note Sky Ships exist in Hyperborea but they are very rare.

*MOUNTS OR ANIMAL COMPANIONS ETC: In the listings under ITEMS, Gear/Mounts & Vehicles you will only find their cost etc. If you wish to add one to your party you will need to generate it as a character using the appropriate RACE and CLASS options which you will find there. It should also be noted that these are the commoner ones and many other exotic creatures can and have been turned into mounts and animal companions. If you get the opportunity to do that simply use the monsters stats.

HORSES: These solid-hoofed, herbivorous mammals oft are domesticated and trained. Typically they have long, flowing tails and manes and (in Hyperborea) thick, shaggy coats. Many breeds exist and are classified in general terms.

A donkey is a domesticated ass that stands about four feet at the shoulder and has thick, shaggy fur. Donkeys are renowned for their loud braying. A mule is a cross betwixt a male donkey and a mare (female horse); these creatures are similar to donkeys, though generally hardier. A pony is a diminutive horse of approximately 12 hands height (about four feet at the shoulder), covered with shaggy fur. Ponies are of even temperament and can be led through cramped tunnels.

A draught horse is the largest, bred for power and endurance to pull a plough or waggon. Horses of draught-quality breed run wild on the Hyperborean plains; 1-in-10 might be suited to become a warhorse, if raised from a foal. A warhorse is bred for strength, power, and the ability to charge into battle. Non-warhorses must make morale checks each round they are urged to take part in combat. If they fail, they will try to flee and possibly throw their riders. A riding horse is smaller and lighter-boned than a draught horse, but capable of bearing a rider for great distances. Wild horses of riding horse quality run free on the Hyperborean plains. Wild foals may be tamed, though the older the horse, the less likely this prospect becomes.

Special (all horses): Horses (but not donkeys, mules, or ponies) can treble their movement rates in short bursts.

CAMELS: The bactrian camel is a two-humped pack or riding animal also used for its milk, meat, wool, and hide. Bactrians are shaggy, large-boned camels able to withstand the least forgiving Hyperborean climes. The dromedary camel is a one-humped pack or riding animal, similar to the bactrian, though faster, lighter boned, and less furry. The leaper camel is not a true camel; this kangaroo-like marsupial has powerful hind legs that it uses to bound. It has white-and-grey shaggy fur and can endure the harshest Hyperborean winters. Typically ridden by abominable snow-men and men of Leng on the frozen tundra of Hyperborea, these temperamental beasts can be controlled only by men of 16 or greater strength. They rarely are available for purchase and require special saddles that may cost twice the standard rate.