Welcome back dungeon masters and players to your favorite guide blog to the mysterious world of Dungeons and Dragons. Last week, we learned about the importance of the environment in which characters explore throughout the game. Today, we will learn about some of the equipment that all players use to navigate the dangers of this role-playing game. We will touch on three main types of equipment: coinage, armor, and weapons.
Coinage
Coinage is the currency used to acquire other forms of equipment throughout a campaign. This currency usually comes in three main types depending on the metal it is made out of. These most common types are gold, silver, and copper. Further, two rarer denominations, are electrum and platinum pieces. The relative exchange rates are listed in the table below.
In the beginning of a campaign, each player starts with a certain amount of coinage unique to each character. Additional coinage can be obtained by finding treasure and trading it in for currency at the exchange rate given in the campaign.
Armor
No adventurer can be safe without his or her armor! As mentioned in previous blogs, different characters of different capabilities are able to wear various weights of armor ranging from light to medium to heavy. Be aware that while armor does protect you from losing hit points, it also takes away from your character’s dexterity. Along with various weights, there are also different types of armor that are stronger and can give you a higher armor class, and therefore more protection. Some such types are chain mail and ring mail which both fall into the heavy category. In addition to protection, some types of armor also add to a characters strength modifier. These forms include chain mail, splint, and plate.
Weapons
Weapons come in handy as a character is attacked by many monstrous foes throughout the game. They come in two main forms: melee and range. Melee weapons such as swords and clubs can be used when the enemy is within 5 feet of your character. Range weapons such as bows and tridents can be used to attack enemies from a greater distance. On each character’s character sheet, it states what weapons each player begins with. Weapons can also be found or bought throughout the campaign.
While every single item in the game cannot be named in a single blog, these pieces of equipment will be most important to the adventurer. Other items, found or available for purchase with coinage throughout the game, will be described either in the campaign or the rule book. I will leave these as a mystery until you stumble upon them in a great adventure!
Sources:
10, Posted by BadEye Apr. “D&D Beyond.” Races, 10 Apr. 2017, www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/races.
Crawford, Jermey, et al. Dungeons and Dragons Essentials Kit Rulebook.
Super cool Evan! I wonder what happens when you lose dexterity from putting on armor. Does your attack do less damage then? Are you less accurate in general?
I’ve always heard so much about this game, but I’ve never played it. Learning about it now, I may ask the boy on my floor who plays to teach me.
I have never participated in D&D but now I know that if I ever do, your blog is where I will go to be able to beat out my competition.
Unfortunately I haven’t gotten around to D&D. I hear mixed but usually good reviews. I found it quite interesting to learn how the game works and I may have to try the game out sometime!