Though now like Roderick I don't use equipment bonuses for standard equipment. Only the ratings for the special items for the players, stuff they payed hero points for or character generation points for. For me and the players it makes them much more significant.
Gavain
> evil_edy666 <evil_edy666_at_ yahoo.com> wrote:
> Throughout the rules I read statements like equipment augmenting
> target numbers etc. Where do these numbers come from and more
> importantly how do I determine what those numbers are? Example is I
> have 2 players both are wearing a harden leather and wield dual Short
> Swords. But no where in the rules can I find a mention of how I am to
> determine what bonuses the equipment might give? Or is up to me to
> just wing these numbers and make something up?
As noted in a previous message, page 78 gives the guidelines.
In general, "small" weapons get a +1 bonus, "medium" a +3, and "large" get
+5.
I arbitrarily decided on the categories, but basically, "small" weapons are
things like hatchets, daggers, shortswords, pointy sticks, etc. "Medium"
weapons are the standard of their type - broadswords, 1H axes and maces,
spears, and the like. Finally, "Big" wepaons are pretty much all
two-handers.
Armor is also divided in a similar 1/3/5 system, with shields adding a +1. Armor is generally considered along a fabric angle, with leather, furs, cotton padding, etc. at the low end, flexible metal (Chain, lamellar, Scale) armor in the middle, and Full Plate at the upper end.
The 0/2/4/6 points are for adjectives that indicate that a piece of equipment is significantly better or worse that it's name would otherwise place it. A "Well crafted broadsword" could be a +4 instead of +3, while "Ratty Chain armor" might only be a +4 instead of +5. a "Small stick" might not get any bonus at all!
So your two heroes with hardened leather and dual shortswords would have +1 for armor and +1 for each weapon, for a total of +3 to their Combat Ability rating. If you think that "hardened" should get a +1 as a "better" type of armor, then it's a +4.
And note that, if you *do* allow equipment mods, you should allow them for *all* types of abilities that use equipment, not just combat. A "well designed writing desk" might give a scribe +4 to his "Write" ability" etc. Combat equipment mods can give you up to +12 or so ("Good" Plate Armor, with a "Good" two handed weapon), so that's pretty much the maximum you should give as a equipment mod.
I have since kinda fallen out of love with most equipment mods, prefering instead to have a piece of equipment given a ability rating which can be used as a modifier.
RR
He was born with the gift of laughter and the sense that the world was mad
R. Sabatini, Scaramouche
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