Welcome back to the world of STORM EDGE: THE ADVENTURES IN EIGHT ISLES! This week, we are delving into the Equipment options in the Eight Isles.
Armors of The Eight Isles
Armor in The Eight Isles is very different from standard 5th edition armor. Most combatants wear light armor built for speed. Only Generals or Warlords tend to wear heavy metal armor. However, with recent western influences, standard metal-made armor and shields are available in certain places, though they are rare and a lot more expensive (Plate armor is almost exclusively limited to Renowned Warlords of a certain class and their trusted generals and is often magical as well). Traditional metal armor is twice as expensive as the price listed in the Player’s Handbook, and it requires certain backgrounds to wear it as part of their starting equipment.
The following backgrounds allow you to have metal armor as part of your starting armor: Clan Crafter, Far Traveler, Inheritor (as part of the inheritance), Knight (You are a member of a Samurai Clan or a foreign Knight), Noble (and other variants of the Highborn background), Pirate
Additionally, industrial races that know how to work with metal like Dwarves, Gnomes and Orcs/Half-Orcs may have any metal shield or armor that the Player’s Handbook allows as starting equipment for their race and class.
These following armor from the Player’s Handbook may be purchased at regular price in The Eight Isles and is available as starting equipment for anyone (as long as your class allows it)
Padded, Leather, Hide, Chain Shirt, Shield (Wooden)
Armor Specific to The Eight Isles
Armor Cost Armor Class Strength Stealth Weight
Light Armor
Pawn Armor 25 gp 12+ Dex mod. — — 20 lb.
Leather Scale 35 gp 13+ Dex mod. — — 20 lb.
Medium Armor
Brigandine 100 gp 14+Dex Mod. (mx 2) — — 40 lb.
Partial Armor 300 gp 14+Dex Mod. (mx 4) — — 30 lb.
Heavy Armor
Lamellar 500 gp 15+Dex Mod. (mx 3) Str 13 — 35 lb.
Great Armor* 2000 gp 17+Dex Mod. (mx 3) Str 14 Disadvantage 45 lb.
Shield and Other Additions
Wooden Stand Shield 10gp +3 — Disadvantage 5 ib.
(Takes an action and a free hand to stand it, and you may not move once you use this action until you take un-stand it with a free action. Shield Master Feat will let you stand it as a bonus action)
Gunpai (Iron Fan) 12 gp +1 — — 1lb.
(You may not wield a weapon in the same hand however you can use it as an off-hand weapon with 1d3 bludgeoning damage. If used this way, you lose its AC bonus until your next action.)
Vermillion Silk Kimono 500 gp 12+ Dex Mod. — — 4 lb.
(When not wearing armor)
Weapons of The Eight Isles
Many of the weapons that can be found in the Player’s Handbook and Western Sunset Lands are also available in The Eight Isles, though some look different and some have replacements. Please see below for specifics.
Weapons from the Player’s Hand Book
The following weapons from the Player’s Hand Books are available in The Eight Isles under different names as listed.
Simple Melee Weapons Simple Ranged Weapons
Club > Tanjou Crossbow, Light Keido
Dagger > Tantou Dart (Ninja Stars, can put poison on it)
Handaxe > Ono Shortbow > Yumi
Javelin > Uchine Sling > Pachinko
Light hammer > Tsuchi
Mace > Kanabou
Quarterstaff >Jou
Sickle > Kama
Spear > Yari
Martial Melee Weapons Martial Ranged Weapons
Battleaxe >Masakari Blowgun > Fukiya
Greataxe > Senbu Crossbow, hand >Shudo
Greatclub > Konbou Crossbow, heavy > Dokyuu
Maul > Okanabo Longbow > Oyumi
Morningstar > Fundoukon Net >Ami
Pike >Nagayari
Scimitar > Ryuyouto
Short Sword > Sasuga
Trident > Sannsahoko
War Pick > Kuwa
Warhammer > Tettsui
Whip > Muchi
Weapons Specific to The Eight Isles
Special Melee Weapons (*available to Fighter, Monk, Ranger, Rogue)
Name Cost Damages Weight Properties
Jitte 5 sp 1d4 Bludgeoning 2 lb. Light
(+2 bonus on your opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an enemy.)
Ninja Blade 15 gp 1d6 Slashing 3 lb. Finesse, light, thrown
(Scabbard can be used as a Blowpipe (gun), a Club, or a ladder rung, range 20/60)
Sai 10 gp 1d4 Bludgeoning 2 lb. Finesse, light
(+3 bonus on your opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an enemy.)
Tonfa 5 sp 1d6 Bludgeoning 2 lb. Finesse, light
War fan 10 gp 1d6 Slashing 3 lb. Finesse, light, thrown
(range 20/30, Can hit two targets within the closer range)
Chain 15 gp 1d6 Bludgeoning 5 lb. Finesse, reach
(+2 bonus on your opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an enemy.)
Iron Claw 5gp 1d4 Piercing 2 lb. Finesse, light
(Comes in a pair, can help with Climbing, add +1 AC to unarmed combat, not considered armed)
San-setsu-Kon 4 gp 1d8 Bludgeoning 8 lb. Heavy, finesse
Chain Sickle 10 gp 1d6 Slashing /1d4 Bludgeoning 3 lb Finesse, reach, two Handed
(Reach applies only to chain, +2 bonus on your opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an enemy.)
Martial Melee Weapons
Name Cost Damages Weight Properties
Wakizashi 15 gp 1d8 Slashing 2 lb. Finesse, light
Naginata 10 gp 1d10 Slashing 6 lb. Two-handed, reach
Katana 30 gp 1d8 Slashing 3 lb. Finesse, versatile (1D10)
Sasumata 8 gp 1d4 Bludgeoning 8 lb. Heavy, reach
(A wielder who hits a Small or Medium-size opponent with it can immediately initiate a grapple (as a free action))
Tachi 20gp 2D6 Slashing 6lb. Two-handed (unless mounted)
Dragon Halberd 30gp 1D12 Slashing 6lb Two-handed (unless mounted), reach
Martial Ranged Weapons
Name Cost Damages Weight Properties
Chakram 15 gp 1d6 Slashing 2 lb. Light, Thrown
(Range 30/90, will return if used in attack within 30 feet, can be used for melee)
Blowgun, greater 10 gp 1d3 Piercing 4 lb. (Range 30/120 ft.)
Firearms
Firearms are a new and volatile technology in The Eight Isles, (also limited for the use of war lords normally, made by the cooperation of gnomes and orcs in Taneka Island) and as such bring their own unique set of weapon properties. Some properties are followed by a number, and this number signifies an element of that property (outlined below). These properties (copied from Gunslinger class by Matthew Mercer) replace the optional ones presented in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Firearms are ranged weapons.
Reload. The weapon can be fired a number of times equal to its Reload score before you must spend 1 attack or 1 action to reload. You must have one free hand to reload a firearm.
Misfire. Whenever you make an attack roll with a firearm, and the dice roll is equal to or lower than the weapon’s Misfire score, the weapon misfires. The attack misses, and the weapon cannot be used again until you spend an action to try and repair it. To repair your firearm, you must make a successful Tinker’s Tools check (DC equal to 8 + misfire score). If your check fails, the weapon is broken and must be mended out of combat at a quarter of the cost of the firearm. Creatures who use a firearm without being proficient increase the weapon’s misfire score by 1.
Explosive. Upon a hit, everything within 5 ft of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or suffer 1d8 fire damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so.
Ammunition. All firearms require ammunition to make an attack, and due to their rare nature, ammunition may be near impossible to find or purchase. However, if materials are gathered, you can craft ammunition yourself using your Tinker’s Tools at half the cost. Each firearm uses its own unique ammunition and is generally sold or crafted in batches listed below next to the price.
Firearms available in The Eight Isles
Name Cost Ammo Damages Weight Range
Taneka Musket 300 g 5g (20) 1d12 Piercing 10 lb. (120/480)
(Two-handed. reload 3, misfire 2)
Ryuzutsu Cannon 600 g 10g (20) 2d12 Piercing 25 lb. (200/800)
(Two-handed. reload 1, misfire 3)
Shakka Mortar 1000 g 10g (1) 2d8 Fire 10 lb. (30/60)
(reload 1, misfire 3, explosive)
Starting Equipment Substitutions
Since many of the weapons given as an option for a Class’s Starting Equipment are not available in The Eight Isles, here are the list of equivalent weapons that could be substituted:
Weapon Substitutions
Rapier > Wakizashi
Long Sword > Katana
Armor Substitutions
Studded Leather > Pawn Armor
Scale Mail > Brigandine
Chain Mail > Lamellar
Special Weapon Substitution
For the classes that can wield Special Weapons (Fighter, Monk, Rogue), the martial weapon in the Starting Equipment (or in Monk’s case: where it concerns Kensei weapons) may be substituted with Special Weapon from the weapon list.