PHBR14 - The Complete Barbarian's Handbook

Special Hindrances: tary rage won’t end prematurely; it lasts a Con-
Become Enraged (Penalties): A Ravager suffers stitution score’s worth of rounds, regardless of
the following penalties when enraged: circumstance.

An enraged Ravager must choose a particular The Ravager directs his rage at whoever
opponent as his primary target. Once combat insulted him,gave him the bad news, or harmed
begins, he can’t change opponents until his his companion; he attacks relentlessly.If he kills
primary target escapes or is slain. If he his victim, he continues his rage against the
changes opponents, the Ravager automati- nearest innocent bystander (perhaps a fellow
cally loses his rage. PC). If no victim or bystander is available, he
When his rage ends, the Ravager must make directs his rage at the nearest inanimate object.
another save vs. death magic. If the save suc- His companions may attempt to restrain him
until the rage subsides. When the rage ends, he
ceeds, he suffers no ill effects from the rage. If make another save vs. death magic to check for
exhaustion, as described above.
the save fails, he immediately becomes
exhausted. He endures the following penal- Wizard Slayer
ties until he rests for one full hour: He can’t
become enraged, voluntarily or involuntarily; Description: Wizard Slayers are obsessed
he suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls,and his with destroying practitioners of evil magic.
base movement is reduced to 12. They come from cultures where the practice of
magic is reserved for an elite group of elders.
Involunta y Rage. Certain events may cause The elders examine every baby born to the tribe,
the Ravager to lose his temper and become looking for omens. An unusual birthmark, a
enraged involuntarily.Typical events head of white hair, or a complete set of teeth
may be interpreted as a sign that the gods have
The Ravager is insulted or offended. selected the baby to become a Wizard Slayer.
A beloved friend or animal dies unexpectedly. The elders take the child from his mother and
He hears news of an enemy’s victory, an ally’s raise him as their own.Three concentric circles
treachery, or a spouse’s unfaithfulness. are tattooed on his forehead to indicate his sta-
A favorite weapon or piece of equipment is tus.When the child reaches maturity, the elders
lost, stolen, misplaced, or damaged. bathe him in magical oils and direct him to
inhale the fumes of a sacred incense. These treat-
The DM and player may add other events. ments provide him with specialpowers to detect
When the DM decides that a triggering event evildoersand resist their magic. The elders then
has occurred, the Ravager clenches his fists,
grinds his teeth, and growls, thereby warning send him into the outworld to exterminate evil
his companionsa state of rage is imminent; they
have ld4 rounds to hide or otherwise prepare wizards and priests on the tribe’s behalf.
themselves. At the end of ld4 rounds, he saves Requirements: A Wizard Slayer must he nf
vs. death magic. If the save succeeds, the Rav-
ager suppresseshis anger, and nothing happens. good alignment.
Homeland Terrain:Any.
If the save fails, he flies into a rage, acquiring all Role The Wizard Slayerhas few interests aside

benefits associated with a voluntary rage from destroying evil magic. He cooperates with
described above. The involuntary rage lastsfor a his companionsas circumstances dictate, but he is
number of rounds equal to the Ravager’s Con- always seekingevil practitionersof magic.
stitution. Unlike a voluntary rage, an involun-
His single-mindedness discourages friend-
ship. He keeps his companions at arm’s length

and prefers solitude. Grim and brooding, he 90%. The ability works at will, providing the
may go for days without sayinga word, bright- Wizard Slayer does nothing but concentratefor
ening only at the prospect of encountering one a full round. He perceives the presence of magic
of his hated foes. Wary of all forms of outworld as a dull throb in his head(&, faint, moderate,
magic, he avoids associating with the strong, or overwhelming). He can’t determine
magic-wielding members of his party unless the sphere or type of magic; otherwise, this abil-
forced by circumstance. ity works as the 1st-levelpriest spell.

Secondary Skills:Butcher, Forester, Hunter. If successful, the barbarian has a 50%chance
Weapon Proficiencies:Required. Short bow. to determine the general bent of the spellcaster
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Recommended: who cast the spell (good or evil).

Crude Weaponsmithing*, Danger Sense*, Attack Magical Creatures:A Wizard Slayer can
Endurance, Hunting, Light Sleeping), Survival, strike at creatures normally immune to non-
Tracking, Weapon Improvisation*.Barred: All magical attacks. At 4th level, he can make attacks
against creaturesthat normally can only be hit
proficiencies from the shaman list (Table 31, with a +1or better weapon. At 6th level, he can
chapter 4). attack creatures requiring a +2 weapon. At 8th
level, he can attack creatures requiring a +3
Economic System: Both simple barter and weapon. At 10thlevel, he can attack 4weapon
animal products barter. creatures, and at 12th level he can attack
+5-weapon creatures. This ability does not give
Wealth Options: The Wizard Slayer begins the Wizard Slayer any special combat bonuses;
he makes normal attack and damage rolls
with 3d4 gp worth of tradable goods. against these creatures.
Armor and Equipment: He begins with hide
Experience Point Bonus: If a Wizard Slayer
armor, a small shield, and a leather quiver of destroys or disposes of a magical item, he earns
150% of its experience point value. For example,
3d4 spirit a m , gifts from his tribal elders. (See if he tosses a ring of shockinggrasp into a crevasse,
he earns 1,500 experiencepoints instead of the
Chapter 5 for more about spirit arrows.) normal 1,000. This benefit applies only to magi-
Special Benefits cal weapons of an evil alignment, or those cre-
Protection from Evil:As a result of the treat- ated or wielded by an evil wizard or priest.

ments from his tribal elders, a Wizard Slayer In addition, for the experiencepoint bonus to
radiates a pmtectionfmm evil aura to a distanceof occur,he must make certain that no one else can
one foot. The aura is constant and permanent; it easily recover the item, certainly not a member
otherwise acts exactly as the 1st-levelpriest spell of his own party. Generally, items recovered by
of the Samename. other F‘Cs negate the experience point bonus.

Know Alignment: A Wizard Slayer can use this The barbarian earns twice the normal number
of experience points for slaying an evil wizard
ability at will by touching the targeted creature, or priest.
character, or o w .Casting times and spell com-
ponents aren’t necessary; the ability is otherwise Special Hindrances
similar to the 2nd-levelpriest spell.Thecreatureis No Magical Items: A Wizard Slayer can’t use
entitled to a savingthmw to resist the abdiw. magical items of any kind. If the barbarian

Detect Illusion: A Wizard Slayer has a 5% allows a wizard to cast a spell on him,he loses all

chance per level of determining that a phe- special benefits for 24 hours or until an atone-
nomenon with illusory,visual,auditory, or other ment spell absolves the violation.
sensory components is actually an illusion. This
chance can’t exceed 75%.He may use this ability
twice per day, but only once per phenomenon.

Detect Magic: A Wizard Slayer has a 25%
chance at 1stlevelof detectingmagic; thisability
increasesby 5%per level, up to a maximum of

Combat Compulsion. In combat situations, a
Wizard Slayer must seek out an evil wizard or
priest in preference to alI other potential oppo-
nents. If the party encounters a horde of ogres
and an evil priest, the Wizard Slayer directs his
attacks against the priest. If the barbarian hears
rumors of an evil wizard in a mountaintop
castle, he feels compelled to track him down
unless his companions convince him otherwise
or forcibly restrain him. This compulsiondoesn’t
necessarily interfere with his common sense or
his responsibilities to his friends. If a companion
dangling froma cliffcallsfor the Wizard Slayer’s
help, the barbarian will interrupt his attacks
against an evil priest to rescue him,then mume
his attackswhen his companion is safe.

Cleric K€ts

Dreamwalker

Description: Dreamwalkers arise from the
same cultures that produce Brushrunners. But
unlike the Brushrunners, who content them-
selves with art and recreation, Dreamwalkers
attend to the spiritual needs of their moieties
(extended families).

Dreamwalkers refer to the world in which
they live as ”the Dreaming.” People, animals,
and objects are manifestationsof the dreams of
powerful deities occupying a different world,
called “the Dreamed.” When people dream,
their spirits leave the Dreaming and enter the
Dreamed. The Dreamed duplicates many of the
Dreaming‘s physical features; iVs also home to
spirits of the deceased. Dreamwalkers devote
their lives to studying the relationshipbetween
the Dreamed and the Dreaming.

Requirements:Standard.
Homeland Terrain:Required: Plains.
Role: A Dreamwalker is obsessed with
dreams. He ponders his own dreams inces-
santly, coaxes his companions for details of their
dreams, and even studiesslumberinganimals to

determine if they might be dreaming. If a com-

panion falls ill, the Dreamwalkerasks if a dream may trade for armor, but usually confines him-
foreshadowed his condition. If a companion has self to leather or padded. He may carry a shield
a nightmare, the Dreamwalker avoids him for usually making his own by stretching anima
the rest of the day, fearing that his bad luck skins over a wooden frame.
might be contagious.Conversely,if a friend has
a pleasant dream, the Dreamwalker is particu- A Dreamwalker also begins with a device
larly attentive, even attemptingto sleep next to called a dream catcher, which resembles a thin
him, hoping that his good fortunewill rub off. leather headband decorated with colorful feath-
ers and pebbles. The Dreamwalker's moiet
Typically a Dreamwalker leaves his homeland elders present him with his dream catcher whe
and aligns himself with an adventuring party he reaches adolescence. The dream catcher re
because a dream has directed him to do so. He a l l of the dreamsexperienced by the wearer in
remains with the party, obeying their leaders single night; the dream catcher automatically
and helping them achieve their goals, until a releases the dreams after 24 hours, preparin
itself to retain a new set of dreams. It can b
dream informshim it's time to go home. used in either of the following ways:

Like Brushrunners, Dreamwalkers are social The Dreamwalker wears the dream catcher f o ~
creatures who value cooperation and compan- a night, then loans it to another character. I1
ionship. However, they are less concerned with the character wears the d r m catcher when he
comfort than Brushrunners, making them goes to sleep, he experiences the exact d r e m
dependableworkers and fighters who take their that the Dreamwalker had the previous night.
responsibilitiesseriously. A character wears the dream catcher for
night, then returns it to the Dreamwalker. I
So convinced is the Dreamwalker of the exk the Dreamwalker wears it when he goes t
tence of the Dreaming and the Dreamed that he sleep, he experiencesthe character's h a m s .
is dumbfounded when not everyone shares his
beliefs. When others speak of their gods, he rolls If the Dreamwalker loses his dream catcher, he
his eyes. He regards prayer as bizarre, idolatry may return to his homeland and petition hi
as baffling. He is appalled by most outworld moiety elders for a replacement. A replaceme
priests and clerics, and he avoids socializing takes ld4+1 weeks to create.
with such charactersin his own party.
Spheres: Malor: All, Charm, Combat, Divi-
Secondary Skills: Loremaster, Soothsayer, nation, Protection. Minor: Animal, Creation,
Plant, Weather.
Storyteller.
Weapon Proficiencies: Recommended: Boom- Talisman: A shaker made from a hollow
gourd filled with bird bones.
erang (eitherreturning or non returning),blow-
gun, club, short bow, dagger, dart, sling, spear. Special Benefits
Dream Reading:By touching the forehead of a
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Recommended sleepingcharacter or creature and making a suc-
Ancient History, Danger Sense*, Foraging, Sig- cessful Wisdom check, the Dreamwalker experi-
naling', Soothsaying', Weather Sense. Barred: ences the sleeper's dream. The barbarian can't
Religion. interact with the dream or affect it in any way;
he just sees it in his head, exactly as it is bemg
Economic System: Simplebarter and animal dreamed by the sleeper. The Dreamwalker can
read dreams at will, but for no more than five
products barter. rounds per hour. While dream-reading, the

Wealth Options: A Dreamwalkerbegins with

2d4 gp worth of animal products or tradable
goods.

Armor and Equipment: A Dreamwalker
~~

receives no beginningarmor, preferring a leather
loincloth and, perhaps, a feather headdress. He

cleric remains in a trancelike state, oblivious to an innocent child won’t make the subject aban-
the physical world. If disturbed (or the sleeper don his faith, nor can a dream of a tasty bowl of
wakes up), the Dreamwalker automatically snake venom compel him to drink poison. The
loses contact with the subject, and the dream DM decides the exact effects, if any, of all
reading ends. implanted dreams.

Cluimoyance:By closing his eyes and relaxing, Death Dream:A Dreamwalker gains this abil-
the Dreamwalker can see in his mind any loca- ity when he reaches 9th level. Onceper month, a
tion known to him; the ability duplicates the Dreamwalker can induce nightmares so disturb-
3rd-level wizard spell, but requires no compo- ing that the subject dies. The subject must be of
nents or casting time. The Dreamwalker can use the same level or less than the Dreamwalker (or
this ability once per day,for a number of rounds have hit dice equal to or less than the
equal to his level. Dreamwalker’s level). The Dreamwalker places
his hands on the sleepingsubject for five rounds
Dream Implant: Once per day, the Dream- and concentrates. If interruptec-for instance, if
walker can enter the mind of a sleeping char- the Dreamwalker is attacked or if the subject
acter or creature and modify his dream. The awakens-the attempt is over; he can try again
cleric touches the subject’s forehead, and the next month. Otherwise, the Dreamwalker makes
a saving throw vs. death magic, using ldlO
subject saves vs. spells. If the save succeeds, the instead of the usual ld20.If the throw fails, the
death dream also fails. If the throw succeeds, the
Dreamwalker cannot affect his dream. If the
save fails, the Dreamwalker enters a trance-like subject‘s hit points are reduced to 0. On a roll of
state (similar to that associated with the dream
reading ability)and can spend up to five rounds 10, the death dream backfires, and the
tinkering with the subject‘s dream. The barbar- Dreamwalker enters a state of temporal stasis (as
ian can change the details of a dream or implant per the %-level wizard spell).
a new one. Somepossible uses:
Special Hindrances:
He creates disturbing dreams that prevent the Full Night’s Sleep: If a Dreamwalkel uuew L
subject from sleeping restfully; the subject
cannot recover the normal amount of lost hit sleep at least seven hours, he can’t use any of his
points or recover spells. special benefits the following day. The light
He induces a nightmareinvolvinga particular sleeping proficiency may reduce this require-
ment to an hour (seeChapter 4).
character or creature.If the subject encounters
Decreased Defenses:white using any of his spe-
the character or creature the next day and fails cial benefits, a Dreamwalker’s Armor Class is
to save vs. spells, he reacts as if affected by a automatically 10, regardless of any armor or
fear spell. magical protections.
He manufactums soothingimages of tranquil
meadows and babbling brooks to calm a rest- Flamespeaker (Mwanga)
less friend.
He implants a misleadingclue about the loca- Description: The Flamespeaker-also known
tion of a treasure. as a M’wanga-omes from a primitive tribe that
worshipsfire.Any child born at sunsetis immedi-
An implanted dream cannot coerce the sub- ately placedbefore a small campfireand observed
ject to perform an act that goes against his moral
principles or common sense. Nor does it alter for the rest of the night. If the child refrains from
beliefs or personality in any major way. For crying, and the fire still burns at dawn, the child
instance, a dream of a beloved deity murdering
has been chosen by the flame spiritsto learn the
secrets of the M’wanga, including the abilitiesto

change into a fiery sphere and converse with sphere of living firefor up to a~ hsur twice per
I f l a m g . T r i b a l e l d ~ t e a c h h i m t h ~ ~ w h e nday. Except for tiny yellow and wd flames flick-

he reachesadolesceMle. ering over its surface, the sphene is featureless.
RequirementsStandard. In his flame form, the Flameseaker has AC 4

Homeland Terrain: Required: Desert, Moun- and the same number of hit points (and same

tains, or plains. level) as in human form. The flame form also

Role: The Flamespeaker considershimself a has the following properties:

servant of the spirits,a small player in the grand
scheme of nature. His companionswill find him It has no rating for land mo\’ement, but can

shy and self-depmting, quick to blame himself fly at a movementrate of 9 Waneuverability
,
for real or imagined mistakes. He expresses his Class B).
It can see in all directionssimultaneously (to
faith by bowing to the setting sun, passing his
stone weaponsthroughflamgbeforeabattle,and the same distance as a normal human) and
can’t be surprised. Its senses of smell and
apologizingto firesbefore extinguishingthem.
hearing remainunchanged.
His alliance with an adventuring party usu-
It can regulate surfaceheat qt wiU, from the
ally results from an elder’s directive to Season temperature of warm water to a blazing
his skills in the outworld. Though intimidated
inferno. A t low heat, it can gass though dry
by most outworlders, he remains loyal to his
grass without starting a fire. At fullheat (the
friends and obeys the orders of his leaders. He
has no fear of death, coddent that his devotion normal state), it ignites any flammablemateri-
als it contacts; those who touch it suffer 2d4
will be m a r d e d in the afterlife.
Secondary Skills: Fk-maker. hit points of damage.
1-4 tentacles of
Weapon Proficiencies: Any, but the Flame- Atwill,theformcan

speaker won’t use weapons made exclusively of flame, up to 10feet long the Wpakercon-
trols the exact number of tentacles as well as
wood (a wooden arrow with a stone head is their lengths. Though the &me form can’t
acceptable, but a solidwooden club isn’t).
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: Fire-- wield weapons,itcanlashwi~theseflameten-

building. Recommended: Danger Sense*, Direc- tacles, making up to four attbcks per round.
bEach tentaclemaybe direckd t a diffemnt tar-
tion Sense,Religion Barred: Leadership*.
Economic System: Animalproductsbarter. get. Each s u d hit inflicts 4 hp damage.
The flame formis immune t~ all magical and
Wealth Options: The Flamespeaker begins nonmagical fire-based attacks.

with 2d4 units of animalpmducts.
Armor and Equipment: The Flamespeaker
Speak with Flames: Once per day, a Flame
begins with no armor, wearing instead an ani-
mal skin loincloth or smock. He may trade ani- speaker may ask a question of ’imy natural fir<
mal products for armor and a shield, but never source, such as a campfire, a smoldering ember,
a torch, or a burning house. If tkke Flamespeaker
wears armor better thanleather or padded. makes a successful Wisdom chqck, he hears the
Spheres: Mujor: All,Combat, Divination, Ele- answer in his head. The fire dways answers
honestly, using a single word ot a short phrase.
mental, Weather. Minm: Charm, Healing, Necro- Typical questions might include ’Who started
mantic, Prvtection you?” “What are you burnin$?” “Has a man
Talisnan: The Flamespeaker’s flamefotm (see
with a white beard passed this yay?”
below)functions as his talisman
Special Benefits The DM should keep in mind~t a typical fire
Flame Form: Upon achieving 7th level, the
doesn’t know much. It can’t make judgments or
Flamespeaker can become a five-foot-diameter

give dependable advice. In general, its knowl- over funeral rites for the dead. While the con-
edge is limited to events that occurred in the
immediate area while it's been burning. If in cerns of outworld companions may be beyond
doubt, the DM can have the firerespond, "I do
not know." his understanding, he is quick to lend a sympa-
thetic ear. Despite his crude manner, many find
Special Hindrances: The Flamespeaker suf- his mere presence a sourceof comfort.
fersthe followingpenalties when in flame form:
The Medicine Man is unusually reflective for
He can't speak. a barbarian, spending hours brooding over the
He can't cast spells.
He suffers double damage from all magical cruelty of life or his fail= to heal to someone in
and nonmagical cold-based attacks. his care. On the battlefield, he fights fiercely and
Any contact with a gallon or more of water selflessly,risking his life to aid endangered com-
(from rain, a river, a bucket of water thrown panions.
by an opponent) causesthe Flamespeaker to
immediately revert to human form unless he Secondary Skills: Animal Handler, Forager,
successfullysaves vs. spell. Forester, Loremaster.
Certain spells have adverse effects on the
flame form, such as quench fire, pyrotechnics, Weapon Proficiencies: Recommended: Axe
fire quench and others. Afrosf brand or similar (hand,battle, or throwing),club.
item would also harm the fire form. Both
spells and items typically inflict 3d8points of Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: Healing.
damage to the Flamespeakerand cause him to Recommended Animal Handling, Animal Train-
revert to human form. Other spellsand items ing, Foraging*,Herbalism, Horde Summoning,
exist that can effect the Flamewalker while in Leadership*, Religion, Survival.

fire form; the DM has the final responsibility Economic System:Animal products barter.
Wealth Options: A Medicine Man begins
for determining their precise effects.
with 2d4 gp worth of animal pmducts.
Medicine MadMedicine Woman
Armor and Equipment: The Medicine Man
Description: Though a skilled healer, the
Medicine Man or Medicine Woman has re- begins with leather armor that covers most of
sponsibilitiesbeyond curingthe sick and minis-
tering to the wounded. He or she also serves as a his body (a fulltunic, leggings tied at the waist
counselor, teacher, and spiritual advisor, using
gentle words and supernatural forces to pro- and ankle, arm bands reaching from the wrist to
mote the people's well-being.
the elbow).Hisarmor may be dyed bright colors
Requirements: A Medicine Man must have a
minimum Intelligence of 9 and be of good align- or decorated with animal products (porcupine
ment. quills, pheasant feathers, bear claws). A Medi-
cine Man sometimes shaves the hair from his
Homeland Terrak Any head, leaving a long lock hanging between the
Role: The Medicine Man assumes the role of
caretaker for any group with whom he aligns. shoulders or a single strip running from the
He gathershealing herbs for the wounded, stays
up through the night with the sick, and presides forehead to the back of the neck.
Spheres: Major: All, Healing, Necromantic.

Minor: Charm, Guardian, Protection.

Talisman: None (seeSpecialHindrances).

SpecialBenefits
Destroy Disease:This ability allows a Medicine
Man to instantly cure a diseased or poisoned
victim (other thanhimself)by transforming the

debilitation into a physical entity. A Medicine

Man may use this ability to destroy one disease
for every five levels of experience. Thus, an 8th-

level barbarian could cure two diseases in one

week.

56-Uupter3 1

I

The Medicine Man places his hands on the
victim, then saves vs. death magic. If the save
fails, nothing happens; the victim continues to
suffer. If the save succeeds, the victim is cured,
as if affected by a cure disease or neutralize poison
spell; the curing occurs immediately, and the
victim recovers all hit points lost as a result of
the disease or poison.

The disease or poison then manifests as an
undulating black blob, vaguely skull-shaped,
hovering about five feet in front of the Medicine
Man. No one but the Medicine Man can see the
entity or affect it in any way. The entity can’t
attack or move, but if the Medicine Man
attempts to escape, the entity remains with him.

The Medicine Man has two rounds to destroy
the entity. (Imprisoning or burying the entity
won’t help; it simply reappears next to the Med-
icine Man.) The entity has ld4+1 hp and AC 10.
It’s vulnerable to all physical attacks from the
Medicine Man, but is 100%resistant to magic. If

I reduced to 0 hp, it disappears.
If the Medicine Man fails to destroy the entity
in two rounds, it is absorbed into the Medicine
Man’s body; the Medicine Man immediately
becomes affected by the same disease or poison
as the victim he cured. A Medicine Man can’t
use his destroy disease ability on himself,
though he may benefit from any other method
of healing.
Medicine Belt: Once per month, a Medicine
Man can create a medicine belt that grants special
protection to any wearer, including the Medi-
cine Man. To create a medicine belt, the Medicine
Man must spend a full day in his homeland ter-
rain gathering the components(inc1udingthe
skin from a small animal, a few herbs, and the
tooth from a creature that died from natural
causes), then a second day putting it together.
When it‘s complete, he makes a saving throw
versus death magic. If the check fails, the belt
has no special properties; the Medicine Man can
try again next month. If the check succeeds, the
belt grants the wearer one of the properties
listed on Table 25, determined by a die-roll or

chosen by the DM. A medicine belt loses its plaguethe Medicine Man fulfillshis obligation
magical properties in ld4+1 weeks.
if he performs rites for a select two or three
Table 25 Medicine Belt Properties (determinedby the DM). A Medicine Man is not
D6Roll Property obligated to perform last rites fsr skeletal
remains or undead.
1 -1 bonus to Armor Class
2 -2 bonus to Armor Class Seer
3 Wearer gains a +2bonus on saving
Description: A foreteller of the future and
throws versus spell.
4 Wearer heals at twice the normal rate reader of omens, the Seer considers himself a
conduit of the gods, superior to lesser mortals.
(appliesonly to natural healing) The Seer undergoes rigorous training from an
5 Wearer is immune to all natural early age. He is left in the woods for days at a
time, his limbs bound with vines, his eyes and
diseases and poisons (hasno effecton ears covered with bark, to enhance his sensitiv-
diseasesand poisons affectingthe ity to the natural world. Duels with wild ani-
wearer before he donned the belt) mals sharpen his combat skills. Sips of herbal
6 +I bonus to all saving throws brews induceviolent nightmares that harden his
resistance to fear. His training complete, he
Special Hindrances: begins an apprenticeshipin the outworld, shar-
No Turning: A Medicine Man can’t turn ing his gifts with the unenlightened until his
undead.
Last Rites: Whenever a Medicine Man en- elders call him home.
counters the corpse of a human, humanoid, or
demihuman-including those that he or his Requirements: Standard.
companions have killed-he must administer Homeland Terrain:Any.
last rites. The alignment of the corpse is irrele- Role: Proud and arrogant, the Seer interprets
vant; Medicine Men believe that all spirits get a signs and offers prophecies to help his party
second chance in the afterlife. achieve their goals. He often expects to be pam-
Last rites consist of placing a small portion of pered, and can become indignant if his com-
food near the corpse (sothe spirit has something panions show insufficient sympathy when he
to eat on his way to the afterlife), a brief prayer
(lasting no more than a round), and a helpful breaks his favorite weapon or falls ill. He tends
piece of advice, chosen by the Medicine Man.
to socialize with the higher-status members of
(‘‘If you find the spirit of the dragon who killed his party (those of equal or higher level) and
ignore the others. He may make little effort to
you, hold no grudges.” ”Watch over your sons conceal his contempt for the outworld.
and daughters.” ”Do not squander the afterlife
n sadnessand regret.”) TheSeer attackswithout hesitation on the bat-
tlefield, certain that his deities will protect him
If a Medicine Man fails to perform last rites from serious harm. Wounds meke him angry,
for all corpses he encountersin a given day, he increasing his determination to destroy any
may not cast spells for the following 24 hours. opponent who had the audacity to damage an
The DM may suspend this penalty in unusual agent of the gods.
circumstances (the corpse sinks in quicksand
before the Medicine Man gets to it, or a danger- Secondary Skills: Forester, Hunter, Lore-
ous monster guards the corpse). master.

If faced with an inordinate number of corp- Weapon Proficiencies: Any, but he prefers
ses-on a battlefield, in an infirmary, during a melee weapons such as spiked clubs“, knives,

i8 Chapter 3

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: Sooth- Talisman: A ngunga brunch, made of a small
saying*. Recommended: Blind-fighting, W o n limb crudely carved in the shaae of a man.

Sense, Leadership*, Religion. Identificufion:Once per day, a Seer can attempt
Economic System: Both simple barter and to identify the remains of any creature or charac-
ter. The remainsmay be an entirecorpse or just a
animal products barter. body part (bone, hair, skin, or blood); the age of
the remains is irrelevant. Alternately, he may
Wealth Options: The Seer begins with 2d4 gp attempt to determineownership of any weapon
worth of animal products or tradable goods. As or object; the Seer will identify the last creature
a gift from his elders, he also receives ld4 small or character who possessed the item for at least
a day.
ornamental stones (DMs choice) with a total
value less than100gp. To use this ability, the Seer touches the
remains or item, concentrates for one round,
Armor and Equipment: A Seer begins with then makes a Wisdom check. If the check fails,
padded armor. He also begins with a set of fetich so does the identification attempt; the Seer
learns nothing. If the check succeeds, the Seer
stick;, 13small rods of wood bearing carvingsof sees an image of the character or creature in his
mind. The image lingers for one round. If the
human faces, given to him by his elders. The Seer is unfamiliar with the character or creature,
fetich sticks are wrapped in lizard skin, the pack- his companions may be able to provide details
age tucked inside a leather strap the Seer wears from the Seer’s description.
around his waist or shoulder. If the Seer snaps
one of the fetich sticks at dawn, he may increase Know Motivution: To use this ability, the Seer
his resistance to damage. Roll ld20;on a roll of points at the subjectand makes a Wisdom check.
1-19, he suffers only half damage from all forms If the check succeeds, the Seer instantly knows
of attack-including, weapons, poison, disease, the fundamentalmotivation of the subject; typi-
natural disasters, and magic-for the next 2 cal motivations include hunger, fear, greed,
hours. On a roll of 20, he suffersdouble damage affection, and anger. The ability reveals the
from all attack forms for the next 6 hours.There motivation in general terms only; the Seer may
is a delay of ld2 rounds before the benefits or learn that a dragon is hungry, but not what it
detrimentsare realized. wants to eat. He may learn that a stranger is
afraid, but not what he fears. This ability won’t
A Seer can use only onefetich stickper day. No work on those whose minds are protected from
one but the Seer may use a fetich stick. detection by means of spells, magical items, or
psionic powers. Nor will it work on mindless
Thefetich stick set is intended as a one-time creatures (unthinking undead, slimes, most
gift. Should the Seer desire another set, he may plants). A Seer can use this ability once per day.
return to his homeland and petition his elders. If
they approve, they will give him another set of Fear Immunity: The Seer is immune to all
13sticks. However, enchanting a replacement forms of fear.
set requires an infusion of energy from the Seer;
he must sacrificeone magical item and cast spell Special Hindrances:
levels equal to his level to enchant the fetich Victory Ritual: Whenever a Seer completes a
sticks. The Seer may keep acquiringnew sets as successful combat encounter-that is, an
long as the elders approve. He may never encounter in which his enemies have been
receive a replacement until all of the sticksin the
old set have been used or lost. At the D M s
option, the Seer’s elders may first require him to
perform a heroic deed that shows his intimate
relationship with the gods. Thefetichsticks serve
as the reward for this deed.

Spheres: Standard.

-BarbdanKits 59

II

killed, captured, or chased away-he must exe- world and grants them special pow
cute a victory ritual to express his appreciation Requirements: A Spiritistmust

to the gods. The DM determineswhen a ritual is align&&.
Homeland Terrain:Any.
appropriate. Normally, hunting and fishing Role: The Spiritist sees most worldly events
encountem don't require victory rituals, nor do
recreational matches or battles with mixed as consequences of spirit activity. A volcanic
results. eruption is the result of an angry mountain
spirit.Rainfalls when cloud spirits are unhappy.
The Seer selects a specificritual at the begin- Recovery from disease means that the death
ning of his career from the following list. If he spirit was asleep or preoccupied. The Spiritist
prefers, the DM may suggest a differentritual or compulsively shares such interpretations with
allow the player to design one. Once the ritual is his companions.
chosen, it never changes.
%e Spiritist performs a variety of improvised
The Seertakes a lock of hair, a tooth, a scrapof rituals intended to curry favor with good spirits
cloth, or other souvenir from at least one of and keep evil ones away. He may fast for a
the opponents who didn't escape or retreat. week, insist on sleeping 10 feet away from his
He displays these souvenirs on a shield, belt, companions, or wake up one morning an
or necklace for a least a day. (If all of the o p p decide to cut off his beard. He may address
nents were chased away, the Seer is excused tree by name, weep when an axe shatters, an
from performing this ritual.) fall on his knees and beg for mercy during a
He marks the area where the battle occurred hailstorm. These actions defy logic, vary from
with a special tribal symbol, carved in a tree, week to week, and produce no obvious results.
chiseled in a boulder, or cut in the ground. A Spiritist persists in acting on his whims, con-
He "purifies" the area where the battle vinced that his behavior will be rewarded in the
occurred by sprinkling it with water or flower afterlife.
petals.
He silently gives thanks to his gods for guid- His eccentricities aside, the Spiritist mak
ing his hand and giving him courage, a loyal friend and courageous fighter. He resp
process taking at least 10rounds. the natural world, afraid that killing
sport or throwing refuse in a stream wil
The Seer must perform his victory ritual the spirits. Though even-tempered, he is
within an hour after the combat encounter ends. and easily frightened;a sudden wind might b
If he fails to do so, he may not use his special an evil spirit passing by, a hooting owl might be
benefits or cast spellsfor the next 24 hours. the cry of an ancestor.

spiritist Secondary Skills: Primitive Artist, Dancer,
Soothsayer, Storyteller.
Description: The Spiritist believes in the
omnipresence of spirits. They inhabit people, Weapon Proficiencies: Any barbarian
animals, inanimate objects (trees, stones, the weapon of the culture.
moon), and forces of nature (wind, thunder,
death), and have profound effects on the physi- Nonweapon Proficiencies: Recommended:
cal world. According to the Spiritist, all spirits
exude a mystical force called wakan. Wakan fas- Alertness*, Artistic Ability, Dancing, Hiding",
tens itself to humans in touch with the spirit Soothsaying. Burred Horde Summoning.

Economic System: Both simple barter and
animal products barter.

Wealth Options: A Spiritistbegins with 2d4
g p worth of animal products 01 tradable goods.

Armor and Equipment:A Spiritist prefers not

60 Chapter3 ..
..

to wear armor, believing it offensive to the spir- spirit armor as a ghost; if turned, the spirit
armor vanishes for a full day.
its of animals. He will, however, wear simple
Spirit Horde: Once per day, the Spiritist may
animal skin smocks and loincloths to keep him attempt to summona horde of sympatheticspir-
warm. He will also carry a shield. He avoids its to annoy his opponents and reduce their
combat effectiveness. If the Spiritist makes a
bone weapons, again so as not to offend animal successful Wisdom check, the horde appears in
one round, then harasses the indicated oppo-
spirits nentsby fluttering amund their heads, shrieking
in their ears, and tickling their skin. The horde
At 1st level, a Spiritist receives a totem bone will harass a number of opponents whose total
hit dice or levels are less than or equal to the
made from a foot-longshaft of bone from an ani- Spiritist‘s level. For example,a 4th-level Spiritist
mal that died of natural causes. The totem bone could harass a 4 HD monster or two 2nd-level
is engraved with various symbolsrepresenting warriors. While harassed, the opponentssuffer a
at least four key spirits held s a d in his home penalty of 1 to Armor Class, attack rolls, and
land (the DM determines the symbols; a typical damage rolls. The harassment lastsfor a number
selection might include a lightningbolt, a sun, a of rounds equal to the Spiritist‘s level, then the
horde disappears.
bear, and a tree). Without his totem bone, a Spiri-
tist can’t use any of his special benefits, nor can The horde can be repelled by protection from
he cast 3rd-level or higher spells. evil or similar magic that shields the victim from
conjured and summoned matures.
To replace a lost or damaged totem bone, a
Spiritist must locate a suitably sized animal Speak with Spirits: By closing his eyes, con-
centrating for one round, and making a suc-
bone in his homeland terrain, then engrave it cessful Wisdom check, a Spiritist can summon
and speak with the spirit of any dead creature
with his spirit symbols, a process requiring or character he knew in life; the departed
being must have the same alignment as the
about a day’s work. If a Wisdom check fails, the Spiritist. Otherwise, this ability functions iden-
tically to the 3rd-level speak with dead priest
bone won’t function; he can try again with a spell; casting times and components aren’t
needed. As with speak with dead, the Spiritist’s
new bone. If the check succeeds, he expends level determines which creatures he can sum-
1,000 of his earned experiencepoints (subtract- mon, how long he can question them, and how
many questions he can ask. The ability may be
ing them from his current total), and the totem used once per day.

bone functions normally. SpecialHindrances:
Spheres: Standard. No Special Physical Skills: A Spiritist lacks the
Talisman: The Spiritist‘s totem bone also serves standard barbarian’s expertise in leaping,
springing, back protection, and climbing. He
as his talisman. doesn’t use Tables 14 and 15in Chapter 1;he
has the same skills in these areas as a normal
Special Benefits human.

Spirit Armor: Protective spirits constantly Spirit War:As compensation for use of their

hover around the Spiritist, protecting him from wakan, spirits may occasionally call on the

danger. In complete darkness, these spirits are
visible as a hazy blue aura composed of swirling

humanoid figures. The spirit armor provides

him with an Armor Classboost of 3 (to a maxi-

mum of AC 0). Additionally, the Spiritist suffers

only half damage from all attacks from undead.
Level-draining undead only drain half of their

usual amount of levels, subject to a minimum
level drain of one.

If affected by dispel magic (cast against the
Spiritist’slevel) or a similar spell, the spirit
armor disappears for 24 hours (no saving

throw). Likewise, an evil priest can turn the

c
Spiritist to aid them in their battles. Whenever a honzfylng appearance.He paints broad whit
the Spiritistrolls a natural 20 when using speak d e s around his eyes, and streaks his armsand
with spirits or spirit horde, his spirit has been con- legs in red. Stoneslodged in his nostrils make
scripted to participate in an otherworldlywar; his nose flair at bizarre angles. He pierces his
the Spiritist has no choicein the matter. The par- earlobesand lips with sharp bones, and allows
ticipation occurs the next time the Spiritist falls his fingernailsto grow into grotesquespirals. A
asleep and lasts only a few moments. When he red tattoo on his chest, shaped like a jagged X,
awakens, the Spiritistremembers nothing about d&s his oppositionto m’loa.
the battle, but damage incurred by his spirit
may affect his physical body. Occasionally,the Requirements: A Witchman must be of law-
spiritsmay rewardhim instead. TheDM chooses fula l i m e n t .
the effect fromTable 26, or rolls ld20. The effects
begin as soon as he wakes up. Homeland Terrain Required Forest, Jungle, o
swamp.
Table 2 6 Spirit War Effects
Role: To keep the m’loa ghosts at bay, thc
D20 Roll Effect Witchman constantly experiments with new
1-10 No effect ways to make himself more horrifying. He
sharpens his teeth to fine points, snarls like a
11-13 2d4 hp damage tiger, and imitatesserpents by slithering on thc
ground. He may color his face blue one day,
14-16 Suffersthe effectsof a curse for the cake hisbody with mud the next.
next 24 hours (-1 to moraleand
The Witchman takes a submissive role in an
attack rolls) adventuringparty, keeping to himself and rarely
socializingwith his companions. He is cautious
17-18 No spiritarmor for the next 24 around animals, believing that a m’loa ghost can
turn a friendly dog vicious or cause a docile
hours horse to throw its rider.

19 Spirit armor increasedto +4for the On the battlefield, the Witchman advances
with leaps and jumps, shaking his long hair,
next 24 hours eyes ablaze. He tramples falIen enemies and
shrieks at their corpses. He celebrates the death
20 Any one of the SpiritisYsweapons of a hated enemy by dancing around a roaring
(DMs choice)functionsas a +2 fire,long into the night.

magical weapon for the next 24 Secondary Skills: Dancer, Fire-maker,
Herbalist.
hours
Weapon Proficiencies: Required Dagger o
Witchman (Ulogo) knife. Recommended Blowgun, axe (battle o
throwing),dart, spear, spiked club‘.
Description: The Witchman or Witchwo-
man-also known as the Ulogo-is a self-ap- Nonweapon Proficiencies: Recommended:
pointed champion of righteousness.He believes ArtisticAbility, Dancing, Fmbuildmg, Signal-
that some men are contaminated with an evil inf, Religion.Burred Animal Handling,Animal
force called m’lm that compelsthem to perform Lore, Animal Training, Horde Summoning*,
evil actions. The Witchman injures the enemies Riding (Airborneor Land-based), Leadership“.
of good by constructing and damaging clay
dolls imbued with their m’loa. Economic System: Animal productsbarter.
Wealth Options: The Witchman starts wit
The Witchman alsobelievesthat an evil man’s only ld4 gp worth ofanimal products.
m’loa persists after his death, taking the form of Armor and Equipment:The Witchman b
an invisible ghost. Such ghosts cannot be
destroyed or harmed; they can only be fright-
ened away. To that end, the Witchman cultivates

62 Chapter 3

ith padded or leather armor. He may upgrad Table 27: Mloa Doll Modifiers
is armor to hide, but he only wears skins 01
Target's Saving
nimals he kills himself. He covers himselfwith
Condition Throw Modifiers*
'aves, claws, and bone fragments, secured to
IS clothingwith stripsof leather. Witchman's level is less than or tL

Spheres: Major: All, Charm, Combat, N- equal to target's level or hit dice +1
Witchman can see target 0
mantic, Protection.Minor: Divination, Elemen- Witchman has inflicted physical -2
tal, Healing Sun.
damage on target in last 24 how
Talisman:The skull of a rat or a lizard, dyed Witchman's level (chooseone)

red, impaled on a sharpened stick. 1-3
Special Benefits 4-6
M'loa Doll: The Witchman can attempt to 7-12

harm an enemy by creating a small replica 13+
called a m'loa doll. To create a doll, the Witch-
man must gather enough mud or clay in his * Use all that apply.
homeland terrain to form a humanoid figure4-6 **Withweapons, spells, or the m'loa doll.
inches tall. A fingernail, a lock of hair, or some
other piece of organicmaterialfromthe intended Bestow Curse: Once a week, the Witchman can
target is imbedded in the doll's chest. Alter- attempt to curse any creature or character that
nately, a piece of an item owned by the tqet-a
shred of clothing, a chip from a weapon-may he can see. The Witchman must spend one
be substituted for the organic material. A scrap
of food partially consumed by the target also round doing nothing but standing still and star-
works. Once the Witchman has shaped the doll,
he must allow it to dry for a day in the sun. A ing at the target. He then spends the following
Witchman can use only one m'loa doll at any round with both hands on his own chest, cover-
given time.
ing his tattoo; he may not take any other actions
Whenever the Witchman breaks a piece from during this round. The target saves vs. spells. If
the doll, sticks a blade in it, or otherwise dam-
ages it, the target it represents may be harmed. the save succeeds, nothing happens. If the save
No attack rolls are needed to damage the doll; fails, he suffers the effectsof bestow curse, similar
the "attack" succeeds automatically.Nor is dis-
tance a factor, though the target and the Witch- to the 4th-level wizard spell. If the save is a nat-
man must be on the sameplane of existence. The
Witchman can take no other actions during a ural 20, the attempt backfires, and the Ulogo is
round in which he damages the doll. He can
damage the doll a total of four times, but can affected by bestow curse.
damage it no more frequently than once per
hour. The doll automatically crumbles to dust SpecialHindrances:
after the fourth time it's damaged. Vulnerability to Undead: A Witchman can't
turnwraiths, spectres, or ghosts. He suffers dou-
Whenever the doll is damaged, the target
saves vs. spells, applying all relevant modifiers ble physical damage from these creatures, but
sufferslevel draining normally.
from Table 27. If the save succeeds, the target is
unharmed. If the save fails, the target suffers3d6 Reaction Penalty: Because of his intimidating

hp damage. appearance and manner, the Witchman suffers a

-3 reaction penalty in encounters with all out-
world NPCs. This is addition to any other reac-

tion penalties normally imposed on barbarian

characters.

Creating New Kits Cleric

Players interested in a character type not dis- Boneshaper. Her supernatural forces animate
cussed in this chapter may design a new kit skeletons and form weapons from bones.
from scratch, using the previous examples as
guidelines. Begin by copying the Barbarian Kit Cave Painter. Coming from the Brute's cul-
Record Sheet in the back of this book. Fill out ture, he paints cave walls with vivid animal
the description, then write down the informa- images that he can animate to do his bidding.
tion needed in each section. If necessary, refer to
the Kit Subsections descriptions at the begin- Eaglerider. She has a telepathicbond with her
ning of this chapter. giant eagle mount and wears a cape
that gives her a limited ability to fly
When you've finished with the Record Sheet,
let your DM look it over. He may veto some Snake Handler. A cleric who draws
ideas to ensure that characters taking the new cal powers from serpents. He has scaly skin,
kit aren't too powerful and that the kit doesn't fang-like teeth, and can
overlap existing kits.The DM reserves the right poisonous snakes.
to make additional adjustments after he sees
how the kit works in the context of a campaign. Other Kits
Here are a few possibilities:
Other kits dealing with barbarians have
Fighters appeared previously -there have even been a
few kits for wizards from barbaric tribes! Previ-
Arctic Brute. A half-man, half-ape warrior ous treatments of the barbarian theme include:
from a frigid climate, resistant to extreme
weather conditions. The Complete Fighter: Barbarian, Beast Rider,
Berserker, Savage, Wilderness Warrior.
Darkdweller. A native of a subterranean cul-
ture, this semi-blind fighter commands under- The Complete Priest: BarbariadBerserker
ground creatures and wields long, thin Priest, SavagePriest.
stalactitesas spears.
Thecomplete Vhrk Anagakok, SavageWizard.
Desert Rider. Similar to the Plainsrider, she's The Complete Bard Skald.
a nomadic survivalist, skilled at finding water The CompleteRanger: Feralan.
and improvisingweapons.
If any of these are considered for use, the DM
Sharkfighter.With a limited ability to breathe
underwater, he counts marine animals as his should decide how and if they fit into the cam-
closest allies and constructs weapons from paign setting.
seashells.
Demihuman Barbarians
Shield Maiden. An Amazonian version of the
Although (accordingto Chapter 1)all barbar-
..., Ravager, she has an aversion to male NPCs, and ian characters must be human, the DM may
.,, wish to expand a campaign to include other
.,.,~~ 1,~ ' !~.re. ceives double the normal Armor Class bonus races. Non-human races should be subject to
',whenwielding a shield. strictlimitationsto avoid unbalancing the game.
,, Barbariansbased on demihuman races are gen-
:... . ' I erally known as demi-barbarians.

Only demihumansraces for which an existing
barbariai, culture exists in the campaign can be



demi-barbarians(other humanoid races are dis- Possiblekits from other sources includ-.
cussed in The Complete Book of Humanoids).
Lomplete Book of Elves: Herbalist (priest);
Barbarian elves tend to be wild elves or syl- M e r , WildernessRunner, Wmdrider (wamor);
van elves, such as the Kagonesti of the
complete Book ofhms:Battlerager(warrior);
DRAGONLANCE' setting. Barbarian dwarves Complete Book of Humanoids: Shaman, Witch-
doctor, Oracle, Wandering Mystic (priest);Tribal
tend to be mountain dwarves. The relatively Defender, WildernessPmtector (warrior).
advanced gnomes and halflings won't usually
have barbarian cultures, although there are feral Dual-Clmd Barbarians
halllings in the DARK SUN@game world.
Human barbarians can become dual-classed,
Demi-barbarianswill lack many of the special but only as barbarian fighter/clerics. They have
abilities associated with the human barbarian access to any compahile character kit allowed
class.These include: in the campaign.

No increased hit dice; demi-barbarians use To change from a barbarian fighter to a
the standard dicefor their class and level; shaman, the character must have a minimum
No increased movement; demi-barbarians score of 15in Strength,and a minimumscore of
retain their racial movement rates; 17in Dexterity,Constitution, and Wsdom.

No special abilities in leaping, springing, To change from a shaman to a barbarian
fighter, the character must have a minimum
climbing, or back detection; score of 15in Wisdom, and a minimum score of
Demi-barbariansmust take characterkits, and 17in Dexterity,Constitution, and Strength.

only those approvedby the DM; M ~ l t i - C l aB~ar~barians
Demi-barbarians are limited as to the maxi-
The primary multi-class open to a barbarian is
mum level they can achieve. the dwarf fighter/cleric demi-barbarian, using
However demi-barbarians have several any combination of kits available to dwarf
demi-barbarians. The dwarf advances in both
advantages classes simultaneously,up to 14thlevel (fighter)
They retain their racial abilities; and 12th level (cleric).All rules for multi-class
They have all special advantages associated characters from Chapter 3 of the Player's Hand-
with their homeland terrain (seeChapter 1)
book also apply. The DM may permit other
Table 28: Demi-Barbarians
multi-classbarbarian races.
RaceiKit Maximum Level

Cleric Kits: 15
Flamespeaker 15
witchman
10
Elm 10
Fighter kits:
Bmhrunner 12
12
Forest Lord 12

Islander 12
Cleric kits: 12

Dreamwalker
Seer

66 Chapter3

c- Proficiencies aChapter

I

Because of their limited backgrounds and one additional slot per proficiency beyond the
primitive living conditions, barbarians draw number listed.
from a decidedlydifferent pool of profiaenaes
than other characters.This chapter presents all Shamans use Tables29 and 31. If they pay an
of the nonweapon proficiencies availableto bar- extra slot each, they may choose proficiencies
from Table 30.
barians, including those from the Player’s Hand-
book, alongwith severalnew ones. Entries marked with an asterisk P)indicate

Compiled Proficiencies proficiencieswith special applications for bar
barians. These are explainedin the Clarificationr
As a generalrule, barbariansmay onlyacquire and Modificationssection.
proficiencieslisted on Tables 29,30, and 31 in
Boldfaced entries are new proficiencie:
this chapter. Barbariansare ineligiblefor many described in this chapter.
of the General, Priest, and Warrior p u p profi-
Italicized entries require the player to choose
aencies listed in the Player’sHandbook. They lack an area of specialization. For example, a bar-
barian proficient in animal training must spe-
the temperament and aptitude for engineering, cialize in training one particular type of animal,
heraldry, and other proficienciesassociatedwith s u r as a horse or wolf.
sophisticatedcultures.
Clarifications and Modifications
Three Rogue proficienciesrelevant to the bar-
barian-Jumping, TightropeWalking, and Tum- The followingmodificationssupplement the
bling-have been added to Table 29. Because
barbarians aren’t part of the Rogue group, their proficiency descriptions listed in Chapter 5 of
slot requirementhave been boosted from 1to 2. the Player’sHandbook. Thesemodificationsapply

The DM may bar any proficiencyhe decidesis only to barbarians. Proficiencybonuses, where
indicated, are added to the normal check modi-
incompatible with a barbarian’s background. fiers. For example, if a barbarian with Wisdom
For example, if a barbarian comes from a society 12uses the hunting proficiency (Wis -1) in his
homeland terrain (+2),he makes his check at
where bows and arrows are unknown, the DM
may bar him from taking a bowyer/fletcherpro- WE+l;a roll of 13or less is a success.

fiaency. Conversely, as a barbarianspends more Agriculture

time in the outworld, the DM may make profi- Availableonly in the most advanced barbar-
aencies availablethat aren’t listed in this chap- ian cultures, this proficiency gives the character
a primitive knowledge of farming techniques.
ter; a barbarian who spends several months He knows how to care for small herds of live-
observing an outworld companion sew and stock, such as goats and sheep. He can raise
embroider clothing may pick up the seam- modest crops in favorable conditions, usually
stress/tailor proficiency. wheat, rice, and other grains. He knows that
plants grow better in cultivated soil, and uses
Keep in mind, however, that barbarians mist sticks and bones to break the ground. He has
associatingtoo closely with the outworld. In the little or no understandingof irrigation,fertiliza-
course of his career, a barbarian might acquire tion, pest control, food preservation, or crop
one or two proficienciesother than those listed rotation.
in this chapter,but no more.

Using the Tables

Barbarian fighters use Tables29 and 30. They
may select profiaenaes from Table 31by paying

Table 2 9 Nonweapon Proficiencies(General) Table 3 0 Nonweapon Proficiencies(Fighters)

#oIf Relevant Check #of Relevant Check

Proficiency Slots Ability Modifier Proficiency Slots Ability Modifier

Alertness 1 WiS +I Animal Lore* 1 Int 0
Armorer, Crude 1 Int -1
Agriculture* 1 Int 0
AnimalHandling 1 -1 Blind-fighting 2 NA NA
Animal Rending WiS i2
1 Bowyer/Fletcher,
DeX 0
Animal Training* 1 WiS Crude 1 Dex 0
1 0
Artistic Abiliv 1 WlS +1 Endurance 2 Con 0
WiS
Boating -1 HordeSummoning 2 Cha -2
Clothesmaking,Crude 1 Int
Hunting' 1 WE -1
Dancing+ 1 DeX 0 Leadership 1 Cha 0
Danger Sense 2 WlS +1 Light Sleeping 1 Con
Direction Sense 1 WiS -
Firebuilding 1 Wis +2
Fishing -1 Running 1 Con -
Foraging 1 WiS -1 Set Snares 1 Int
Hiding 1 Int -1
-2
2 Int -1 Survival" 2 Int 0

Tracking 2 WlS 0
Weapon Improvisation 1 -1
1 Wk
I h'i -3
Jumping* - Str 0 weaponsmithing, 1
DeX -1 Crude 1
Musical Instrument 1

Pottery) 1 DeX -2 Wild Fighting 2 Con 0

Riding, Airborne* 2 WlS -2

Riding, Land-based* 1 WiS +3

Signaling 1 Int -2

Sign Language 1 DeX 0
Singing 1 Cha 0
Swimming 1 Str 0

Tightropewalking* 2 DeX 0

Tumbling' 2 DeX 0
Weather Sense
1 Wis -1

Animal Lore Animal Training

All barbariansautomaticallyhave the animal To acquirethis proficiency, a barbarian mu
lore proficiencyfor creatures in their homeland come from a society where animals have be
terrain (see Chapter 1).In situations where a domesticated as pets, mounts, or workers. Ge
proficiency check is required, the DM should erally, a barbalian can only train animals native
make an Intelligencecheck instead. to his homeland terrain, though the DM may
approve related species. For example, with the
If a barbarianspendsa slot on thisproficiency, DMs permission, an arcticbarbarian may train
he acquiresa knowledge of animal lore for crea- a brown bear, even if the polar bear is the only
tures other than those native to his homeland speciesnative to his homeland.
terrain. He then uses the rules in the animal lore
proficiencydescriptionin the Player's Hnndbwk.

cI
Table 31: Nonweapon Proficiencies (Clerics)

#of Relevant Check

Proficiency Slots Ability Modifier
Bartering 1 Int
-2

Healing 2 WE -2

Herbalism* 2 Int -2
0
Languages, Ancienr 1 Int 0
Local Histo* 1 Cha
average: Slow-runningstream or river; mod-
soothsaying 2 Int 0 er6tely deep pond or lake; shore of body
Religion 1 WlS 0 wdter (as opposed to the center); sunny area
w v weather, shaded area in cool weather.
Artlstlc Ability
G o o d Rapid-running stream or river; dee
A barbarian must select an art form common
to his homeland. Acceptable choices include opposed to the shore); shaded area in war
cave painting, plainsong (a style of singing welather, open sunny area in cool weather.
based on approximate pitches instead of fixed
intervals, performed without harmony or instru- Ta+le 3 2 Quality of Fishing Spots
mental accompaniment), crude sculpting (in
clay, wood, or bone), and primitive mosaics (col- Qdality Multiplier
ored pebbles or bits of bone arranged in appeal-
ing patterns). pObr X (round down)

A barbarian with the artistic ability profi- Avkrage 1
ciency receives a +1 bonus to dancing and musi-
cal instrument profiaency checks. GW 2

Dancing

A barbarian with this proficiency knows the
ceremonial and recreational dances associated
with his homeland. Such dances may be aug-
mented with hoops, sticks, rattles, and other
objects that enhance both the complexity and
aesthetic quality of the performance.

fishing tini has been poisoned by a creature, the crea
must be native to the barbarian's homelanc
Instead of fishing with hooks and nets, most
,barbariansuse spears or their hands.When fish-
ing, a barbarian makes a proficiency check every
hour. If the check succeeds, the number of fish
caught equals the differencebetween the die roll
and the barbarian's Wisdom score. An adult can
live on two typical game fish (such as trout,
bass, or bullhead) per day.

Herbalism left of the slash indicate the number of

A barbarian may only identdy and work with rations obtained when a character of aver
vegetation native to his homeland terrain. If he age skill handles the butchering. The figure-
has both the herbalism and healing proficien- to the right show the number of rations
cies, he may prepare and treat poisons in accor-
dance to the restrictions outlined in the healing obtained by a character with the anima
proficiency description above. With the DMs rending proficiency (see below).
permission, assume that a barbarian carries a
reasonable number of healing and poisonous Jumping
herbs from his homeland.
ASdiscussed in Chapter 1, barbarians al-
Hunting
ready have exceptional leaping and springing
A barbarian has a +2 bonus when hunting in abilities. In most cases, spending slots on the
his homeland terrain, or when hunting an ani- jumping proficiency won't improve their nat-
mal native to his homeland terrain. For example, ural skills. Barbarians usually won't attempt
a barbarian from a jungle homeland doesn't pole vaults, regardless of whether they have
qualify for a bonus when hunting in the plains. this proficiency.
But if he stalks a jungle animal on the plains
(such as a tiger that escaped from a king's pri- Lanpages, Ancient
vate game preserve), he makes his proficiency
checksat +2. The barbarian has mastered an obscure lan-

Table 33 indicates the number of rations pro- guage associated with his homeland. Ancient
vided by various sizes of game animals. These barbaric languages don't necessarily involve
figures are approximations; the actual num-
bers depend on the consumers' sizes (a bulky words; they may consist of grunts, snorts,
fighter may need more food than a slim cleric), tongue clicks, or whistles. This proficiency
ages (adolescents may eat more than the enables the barbarian to vocally reproduce the
elderly), health (a healthy character can do
with less food than his ailing companion), and lang..uag-e; he can't write or read it. The player
activities (a character who spent the day fight- .should provide an explanation for the barbar-
ing may need more food than a friend who . .. ,1 '
spent the day reading). . . .;- . . .
.(i_ .,
ble 3 3 Rations Produced Per Animal ian's fluency "..i.,

Number of rations* , .
1-2/2-3 . : ..
-/'M . ,

L 5-8/%12 I
H '%15/15-25
Local History
* A ration is the food necessary to feed an
average adult for one day. The figures to the A barbarian with this proficiency must spe-
cialize in the legends and lore of his homeland.
An oral historian, the barbarian can recite from
memory a plethora of information concerning
events, characters, and locations from bygone
eras.

Musical Instrument

A barbarian must choose an instrument from
his homeland. Typical instruments include the
bow and gourd (an animal sinew stretched taut on
a curved stick with a hollow gourd attached;
bending the stick when the string is plucked

70 Chapter 4

varies the pitch, which is amplifiedby the gourd);
elephant horn (a hollowed tusk with openings

at both ends, played like a trumpet);
reed whistle (a hollowed branch or reed, perfo-

rated with holes that can be covered with the
fingers and played like a flute);

log drum (a hollowed log with an animal skin
stretched across the top, played with sticks or
hands);

and lamellaphone (a thumb piano, made from
bamboo strips secured to a small box; the
plucked strips produce tones that resonate
inside the box).

A barbarian’s approach to rhythm and har-

mony may be unusual, but the complexity and
emotional content of his performances are
comparable to those of a trained outworld
musician.

of his exceptionalphysical prowess, a barbarian He gainsthe Armor Classimprovements, attack

can execute any of the special feats listed in the roll;bonuses,and damage reductionsfrom falls

Player’s Handbook descriptionswithout a saddle. describedin the Player‘s Handbook.

For instance, he can leap onto an airbornemom-

t’s bare back and spur it into the air as a single Nkw hoficiencies
action. He must still make all required profi-

ciency checks. Barbariansof any characterkit can acquirethe

followingproficiencies by~spendingthe slots

I survival listed in Tables 29,30, and 31. The ”Crossover
Grobps”listed at the end of each entry may buy

Every barbarianhas basic survivalskills in his the proficiency at the normal cost. Groups not

homeland terrain; the survivalproficiencyisn’t listdd may buy the proficiency by paying one

necessary. If a barbarian spends slots to acquire additional slot beyond the listed cost.

this proficiency, he chooses a terrain type other

than his homeland terrain, thus giving him the Alertness
survival proficiency in two terrains. More slots

give survival skills in additional terrains. D u r - A,characterwith this proficiency has an

ing character creation the player should justify insqctive knack for noticing disturbancesand

how the barbarian has these proficiencies. discrepanciesin the immediatevicinity. A suc-

c e s s b proficiencycheck reduces the character’s

Tightrope Walking chance of being surprised by 1. (This replaces
the qescription of the alertness proficiency in

A barbarian with this proficiency has an The complete Thief’s Handbook.)
unusually developed sense of balance. In his
+ssover Group: General.

homeland, a barbarian might use this skill to

negotiate a narrow mountain ledge or scamper Anlmal Rending
across a vine strung between two trees. The

same bonuses and penalties apply as described This proficiency confers expertise in skin-

in the Player’s Handbook; however, a barbarian ning and butchering animal carcasses.It lets a

rarely uses a balancingrod. character derive the maximum amount of food

from a carcass (seeTable 33 in the hunting pro-

Tracking ficiehcy entry). It also lets him harvest valu-
able products from the carcass without

A barbarian automatically has the tracking damaging them. Such products typically

proficiency in his homeland terrain (seeChapter include furs, horns, teeth, hides, and organs.

1). If he spends two slots, he acquiresthe track- (Seethe appendix for more about animal prod-

ing expertise of a ranger of equal level. General- ucts.>Use of this proficiency requires access to

ly, his chance of successis halved in urban and the necessary tools.

man-made terrains. N o proficiency checks are necessary to

butcher most animals, but the DM may require

Tumbling checks in unusual situations. For instance, a
check may be required to butcher an animal the

In most cases, a barbarian won‘t use the tum- character has never seen before, or to success-

bling proficiency for entertainment purposes. fully harvest a delicatebody part (say, the eye of

Instead, he uses it to eludeand confuse enemies. an immature beholder). If the check fails, the

72 Chapter 4

character is only able to obtain an average The DM makes the proficiencycheck in secret.
amount of food (the number to the left of the Ifthe check fails, the character receives no spe-
slash on Table 33), or he damages the body p a t
he was attemptingto harvest. cial information. If the check succeeds, he has
correctly determined the value of the item
Crossover Gmup:Warrior. within 10%.(Tell the player the value of the

Armorer, Crude item, plus or minus lo%, or gives him a range
within these values. For instance, if the actual
With this proficiency, a character can make cost of a small canoe is 30 gp and the check suc-
crude but effectivearmor from natural materials ceeds, any of the following responses are appro-
like hides, furs,and shells. He can’t create armor priate: “about 27 gp,” ”somewherebetween 28

better thanAC 6. and 30 gp,” ”closeto 33 gp.”) On a natural roll of
It takes one week per level of AC below 10 to 1,the character has assessed the exact price. On

make crude armor (assuming the availability of a roll of 20, the assessment is wildly inaccurate
the necessary materials). A character can make
hide armor in four weeks, a shield in one week. (the DM might tell the player that a 30 gp canoe
is worth 50 gp,somewhere between 1-5 gp, or
Crude armor tends to be more flawed and less
durablethanstandardarmor. After crude armor is nothing at all). Note that value of an object may
mated,makeapfiaencych&Ifthecheckfails be different from the asking price; the seller is
free to set prices as he sees fit.
by more than 4, the armor is unusable. If a fded
Discount Check. This proficiency can also help
check is within 4 of the amount needed for suc-
cess, the armor is flawed and functionsat an AC 2 the character purchase items at bargain prices
through intimidation,stubbornness,and sheer
worse thannormal (but never worse thanAC 10).
force of pemnality. The character must indicate a
Flawed crude hide armor has AC 8; a flawed particular item (worth50 gp or less) and make a
crude shield offers no protection whaisoever. profiaency check. If the check s u d s , the char-
acter may buy the item at up to 20%less than the
If flawed crude armor is struck in melee with
a natural die-roll of 19 or 20, it falls apart. The asking price. The DM determines the discount
wearer’s AC immediately worsens by 4 (to a
limit of AC 10). Removing the useless armor (between 10-20%); if he prefers, he may deter-
takes ld4 rounds; during that time, the wearer mine the discount randomly (rollld4 and multi-
moves at half his normal rate and suffers a 4
penalty to all attack rolls. ply the mult by 5%). If the check fails, the buyer

Crossover Group:Warrior. receives no specialbenefit from the proficiency

Bastering (he may still purchase the item at the asking

This proficiency, which simulates an expertise price). On a natural roll of 1,the buyer receives a
im trading and appraising, has two applications:
30-50% discount (DMs d m t i o n ) . On a roll of
Value Check. With a successful proficiency 20, the seller becomes offended by the buyer’s
check, the character can access the approximate attitudeand refuses to sell anythingat all to him.
value of a common item (a spear, a chicken, a
bag of rice). The proficiency only works on Only one discount check may be made per
items with an actual value of 50 gp or less. It
does not work on magical items. A character item. However, both a value check and a dis-
may make only one attempt per item. count check may be make on the same item(the
discount check may be made regardless of the

outcomeof the value check).
Barbarinns:Whenever practical, values should

beacpressedin a mediumof exchangeusedin the

barbarian’s homeland. If a barbarian commonly
tradesbobcat furs (worth2 gp each)and correctly
determinesthe value of a small canoe (worth30

I

gp), the DM might tell him the canoe is worth Table 3 4 Constructionlime for Crude Bows
and Arrows
“about 15bobcat furs” or ”between 14and 16
bobcat furs.” If he makes a successfuldiscount Weapon ConstructionTime

check,and the DM decides to give him a 20%dis- Arrow, flight 7/day
count, the canoe will cost him 12furs.Fractional Arrow, incendiary
values should be resolved in favor of the seller; if
the barbarian receives a 30%discount on a 30 gp or poison 5/day

canoe (for a final price of 21 gp), the canoe will Bow, short 12 days

cost him 11furs(valuedat 22 gp). As with the standard bowyer/fletcher prori-

Crossover Group: Rogue. ciency, weapons made with the crude bow-

Boating yer/fletcher proficiency must be checked for

This proficiency lets the character pilot small quality. A failed Proficiency check, made when
boats, including canoes, rafts, and kayaks, A the weapon is completed, means the arrow shat-
successfulproficiency check is necessary to pilot
them at maximum speed or to execute a difficult ters on the first shot; a bow breaks if the charac-
maneuver, such as steering around rocks in a ter using it rolls an unmodified 1 on his Id20
rapid river or spearing a fish without capsizing.
attack roll.
Barbarians: A barbarian may not take this
proficiency unless water vessels are common in This proficiency does not allow the option of
his homeland.
creating fine quality weapons, including the
Crossover Group: General.
long bow.
Bowyer/Fletcher, Crude
Crossover Group: Wa ’
With this proficiency, a character can make
short bows and arrows. To make short bows, the Clothesmaking, Crude
character must be proficient in the use of short
This proficiency enables a character to create
bows. To make arrows, he must be proficient in
some type of bow. simple garments from furs, skins, leaves, and

If the character has the hunting proficiency, he other natural materials. Although crude clotl-
receives a +3 bonus to all crude bowyer/fletcher
proficiency checks. ing isn’t attractiveor stylish, it‘s generally com-

Because crude bows and arrows use natural fortableand functional. Fur cloaks, grass skirts,
materials-such as bone, wood, and stone-
and fine craftsmanship isn’t required, con- and hide loincloths are typical examples. (See
struction time is reduced (see Table 34). Chapter 5 for more about primitive clothing.)
Arrowheads must be made by weaponsmiths,
but the bowyer/fletcher fashions the bows, Crossover Group: Gener ,
shafts, and drawstrings.
Lger Sense 11
I

~ 11

This proficiency provides Me character with

a sixth sense that warns him of impending dan-

ger from traps, hazards, and ambushes. When

the character is approximately one round away
from triggering the threat (for example, in one

round he’ll step on a rattlesnake if he keeps

moving at his current rate), the DM makes a

secret proficiency check. If the check fails, the

DM tells him nothing. If the check succeeds,

the character feels a tingling in the back of his

neck or on the tips of his fingers; the DM tell

him the general direction of the threat (in front, ter may search a diEerentarea, requiring another
to the right, overhead, and so on). The charac- 2d4 hours and a new proficiency check.
ter doesn’t learn anything about the type of
threat; it might be pool of quicksand, a con- Tossover Group: General.
cealed lion, or a hidden trip wire. It’s up to the
character to figure out how to respond to the character use the nat-
warning.
depressions-to conceal
If the threat is an impending ambush from an
elf. A successful check means he’s virtually
NPC or a creature, the character automatically
gains the initiative on the first round of combat The hidden character
(assuming that combat ensues one round after and silent to prevent
the character is altered by his danger sense).
e concealed character stays hidden unless
The DM may decide that the character’s for him

danger sense does not work against unfamil- ”.che k on the highest Intelligence score in the
iar dangers. If an island barbarian has never e DM may prohibit the use of the hiding
seen a poisonous snake, he might be oblivious
to the rattlesnake’s danger. Exotic magical pro ‘ciencyin situationswhere no natural cover
traps or illusions may also circumvent danger is a ailable (a smooth stone plateau, a feature-
sense. lessjroom).Further, the proficiencyhas no effect

Crossover Group: General. who detect their prey with senses

Foraging explained in Chapter 1, a bar-
has the hiding proficiency
By using this proficiency, a character can If he spends two slots,
search a wildernessarea in an attempt to locate a in all types of ter-
desired substance, such as a medicinal herb, a
wren‘s egg, or wild rose. ‘%ssover Group: Genera

The charactermust seardlfor 2d4 hours in an I

area where the material is theoretically available Table 3 5 Hiding Modifiers
(rosepetals aren’t available in the desert, wren’s
Searcher’s
eggs aren’t available in the arctic). The DM
Intelligencl Modifier
decides if the material is actually available; he -5
doesn’t reveal this information until the charac- $ or less -3
, 4-5
ter completeshis search. If the DM decides the
!@ -1
material isn’t in the area, he reveals that the 0
character’s search was in vain; no proficiency ! 9-12 +1
check is needed. I 1S15 +2
16-17
If the DM decides the material is available, a
! 18 +3
successful pmficiency check means the charac- l 19 +5
ter found what he was looking for. Generally, +7
the character locates no more than a handful of 1 20+

the material, though the DM may make excep-

tions (if searching for rose petals, the character

may stumbleupon an a m of rosebushes). If the

check fails, the material isn’t found. The charac-

hofidender 75

Horde Summoning aide for every 500 members, rounded up; the
aides have one-half the level of the summoner
Though a character may spend the slots to (rounded up) and should be the same class as
acquire this proficiency at any point in his the summoner. Additionally, each aide has two
career, he may only use it when he reaches loth assistants; the assistants have one-half the level
level. The profiaency enables him to summon a of the aides (rounded up) and may be any class
horde of like-minded characters to carry out a of the DM’s choice. Finally,the DM may include
specific mission. one wizard or priest per 1,000 members
(rounded up); these characters have half the
The character may only summon a horde in level of the summoner. (Example: A 14th-level
his homeland. Only members from his home- warrior with 1,500,OO experience points sum-
land will join the horde. No evil-aligned mem- mons a 750-member horde. The horde consists
bers will respond. of 675 0-level fighters, 75 1st-levelfighters, two
7th-level aides, four 4th-level assistants, and one
To summon a horde, the character must meet 7th-level priest.)
the following conditions:
The horde tries to fulfill its mission to the
He must state a clear and specific mission for best of their ability. The summoner may not
the horde, such as ”Defend our homeland
from invasion,” “Gather food for our starv- change the mission. If he attempts to do so, the
ing neighbors,” or ”Drive the ogres from the
forest.” horde immediately disbands and the members
He must designatea stagingarea in his home- return home; the original mission fails. Like-
land where the horde will gather. wise, if the horde remains inactive for more
He must remain in his homeland for a week than two weeks, the members desert; again, the
to spread the word of his intentions. mission is a failure.

At the end of the week, he makes a pmfiaency Otherwise, the summoner can hold the horde
together for a period of weeks equal to his level.
check Ifthe check fails, the horde failsto respond. Controllingthe horde is a full-timejob. During
this time, the summoner is constantly required
He may spend another week attemptingto rally a to settle disputes, assign duties, and punish the
horde, making a second proficiency check at the disobedient. Though his aides can handle many
end of this period, this time at a -3 penalty. If the of these chores, the ultimate responsibility
check fails a second time, he cannot rally a horde belongs to the summoner. In any given week
for a period of one month. that the summoner fails to devote his full atten-
tion to his horde, he must make a proficiency
If the check succeeds, the horde begins to
assemble in the staging area at the rate of 500 check. If the check fails, the horde disbands and
men and women per week. The total number of
members is equal to the summoner’s experience the mission is a failure.
point level divided by 2,000. (If the summoner If the mission hasn’t been completed in a
has 1,500,000 experience points, the horde con-
sists of 750 members; 500 amve the first week, number of weeks equal to the summoner’s
250 the second week.) The number of members level-and the horde is still intact-the sum-
can’t exceed the eligible population of the sum- moner may appeal to the horde to stay to-
moner’s homeland. gether longer. The summoner must make a
proficiency check; if the horde is on the verge
Approximately 90% of the horde consists of of success or they’ve managed to accumulate
0-level fighters. The remaining 10%consists of substantial treasure, the DM may modify the
1st-levelfighters. The horde also includes one
check by as much as +4. If the proficiency

check succeeds, the horde remains intact for

76 Chapter 4

sI

another week. If the check fails, the horde dis- acters from his homeland, however, he uses his
bands and the mission fails. N o horde may standard +1 bonus.
stay together for more weeks than 150%of the
summoner's level, rounded up. (Theoretically, Crossover Group: Warrior.
a 13th-level summoner could keep a horde
together for 20 weeks. Note, however, that this Light Sleeping
would require successful proficiency checks
for seven weeks in a row.) This proficiency lets the character receive
the benefits of a full night's rest from a
If the horde disbands after a successfulmis- one-hour nap. The character must make a pro-
ficiency check before going to sleep. If the
sion, the summoner will have a better chance of check succeeds, the character awakens in an
rallying them again;forthe next year, he receives hour, fully refreshed; he recovers the same
a +2 bonus when summoning a horde. But if the amount of lost hit points as if he'd rested for
mission fails, his reputation suffers; he must eight hours. If the check fails, he remains
wait a full year before he can attempt to sum- asleep, awakening as usual. He may use this
mon another horde. proficiency only once per week, regardless of
whether it fails or succeeds.
Barbarians. A barbarian horde consistsentirely
of barbarian fighters, in the same proportions This proficiency is not effectivefor purposes
described above.At the DMs option, the horde of spell memorization.

may includea shaman (halfthe level of the sum- CrossoverGroup: Warrior.
moner)for e v q 1W membtm, rounded up. The
Signaling
summoner may not order a horde to undertakea
mission that requires them to leave their home A character with this proficiency can send
land unless he also has the leadershippfiaency. and receive messages over long distances. He
must designate a specific method, such as
Crossover Group:Warrior.
drums,smoke signals,or whistling. If he spends
Leadership
additional slots, he may designate additional
A characterwith this proficiency has a com- methods.
manding manner that makes others of his own
kind inclined to respond favorably. The char- The recipient must see (or hear) the signal in
acter adds his level of experience to his Cha- order to interpret it. He must also have the sig-
risma score when determining reaction naling proficiency and know the same method
adjustments (see Chapter 1of the Player's as the sender.Messages can be sent and received
at the rate of 10words per round.
Handbook). Thisreaction bonus is only in effect
To transmit a message, both the sender and
when he deals with people from his homeland; receiver must make successful proficiency
the reaction bonus does not affect those of evil checks. If either fails his check, the message is
alignment. garbled; they may try again in the next round. If
both checks fail, or either rolls a natural 20, the
Example: Grog, a 7th-level barbarian, has a message is received, but has the opposite of the
Charisma score of 13and the leadership profi- intended meaning.
ciency.According to Table 6 in the Player's H a d -
book, he has a standard reaction adjustment of Crossover Group: General.
+l.But when dealing with people from his
homeland, he has a reaction bonus of +9
(7+13=20; accordingto Table 6, a Charisma of 20
gives a +9 bonus). When dealing with evil char-

ProRdencies 77

Si@ Language Soothsaying

A character with this proficiency can com- This proficiencygives the character a limited
municate with hand movements instead of ability to see into the future. When he acquires
speech. Sign language can convey messages of the proficiency, he must select a soothsaying
the same complexity and nuance as a spoken technique. Possibilities include casting pebbles
language, providing the participants can see on the ground, snapping a branch and checking
each other’s hands. the splintered wood, studying the wrinkles on a
subject‘s face, examining the entrails of an ani-
If two characterswith this proficiency wish to mal, or gazing at the stars. Once he selects a
:ommunicate, both must make proficiency technique, he can’t change it. To use this profi-
checks. If both succeed, they may use sign lan- ciency, he must employ his technique; for
instance, if his technique involves gazing at the
guage to silently converse for a fullround. They stars, he can’t make a soothsaying attempt dur-
ing the day.
may continue their conversation by makingsuc-
cessful checks on subsequentrounds. During a If he can employ his technique, the character
round when either character fails his check, the may pose a single yes-or-no question. The
communication is garbled; the sender’s finger question must relate to an event occurring
movements weren‘t precise, the receiver wasn’t within the next 30 days. Among the acceptable
paying attention, or something blocked the line questions: “Will we find treasure in the dra-
of sight. On a natural roll of 20, the receiver gon’s cave?” ‘Will OUT leader survive until the
interprets the message as the opposite of what next full moon?” ”Are these mushrooms safe
the sender intended. to eat?”

A character with this proficiency may also try The DM makes a proficiency check in secret.

to convey a simple message to a character with- If the check fails, the character receives no infor-
out the proficiency. The player must first whis-
per the phrase to the DM, who decides if the mation. I f the check succeeds, the DM answers
phrase is acceptable.Acceptable phrases include the question honestly; if the DM isn’t sure of the
“Don’t move,” “Follow me,” and ”I’m hurt.” correct answer, he may say that the outcome is
Complicated phrases or those containingproper uncertain. If the character asked a question that
nouns are unacceptable, such as ”My name is the DM wishes to remain unanswered-for
Grog,” ’Take three steps north, then look up,” instance, he may not want the character to know
and ”We can find the antidote in Elk Valley.” I f that the dragon’s cave contains treasure-he
the DM deems the phrase unacceptable, sign may decline to give the character any informa-
language can’t be attempted; no proficiency tion, even if the check succeeds. On a natural
roll of 20, the DM gives the character an incor-
check is necessq. If the DM allows the phrase, rrb answer.

he character makes a check. A character may use this proficiency once per
I f the check succeeds, the phrase is success- week, regardless of whether the check succeeds
or fails.
fully communicated. If the check fails, the
phrase is garbled. On a natural roll of 20, the Crossover Group: Priest.
receiver misunderstands the phrase,
interpreting it as the opposite of its actual d q o n Improvisation
meaning. A character can’t attempt to com-
municate the same phrase more than once to With this Proficiency, the charactercan impro-
the same recipient. vise a weapon from natural materials. He must

Crossover Group: General.

search the area for ld6 rounds, then make a prw the check fails, the weapoLt 15 >U O ~ U L Y
ficiencycheck. If the check fails, he finds noth- d that it can't be used. On a roll of 20, it
ing useful; he may try again in a diffmnt area. If
the check succeeds, he finds an object that can be on the first use. On a roll of 1, the
wielded as a club, such as a branch, a bone, or won't break unless struck against a
an icicle. The improvised weapon inflicts ld6+1
damage to man-sized and smaller creatures, or barbarian may only fashion
ld3+1to larger opponents. O n a natural roll of 1 used in hishomeland.
or 2, the object has jagged projections or is suffi-
ciently heavy to cause additional damage: ssover Group: General
man-sized and smaller creatures suffer ld6+3
damage, larger opponentssuffer ld3+3damage. Tab14 3 6 ConstructionTime for
On a natural roll of 20, the improvised weapons
shatters or splinters on its first use, causing no Crude Weapons
damage; it's useless thereafter.
We+n Construction Time
The DM may veto the use of this proficiency
Atlat 1day
in inappropriate environments, such as a bar-
ren plain or a snow-filled valley. Likewise, he 1 day
may impose penalties or bonuses to the check
in areas where improvised weapons are exceg 6 days
tionally difficultor easy to find. For example, a
1day
hill covered with stones might merit a +I 2 days

bonus; an empty plain might merit a -2 Club 1day
penalty.
Dart 3/day
Barbarians. A barbarian receives a +2 bonus
when searching for an improvised weapon in 1day
his homeland terrain.
3 days
Crossover Group: Warrior.
2 days
Weaponsmithing, Crude
2 days
This proficiency allows the character to make
3 days
simplenonmetallic weapons using stone, wood,
bone, and other natural substances. The charac- 2 days
ter can only fashion weapons for which he has
weapon proficiencies. For example, a character Wild Fighting
with a proficiency in spears can fashion crude
spears but not crude axes. with this proficiency has the
himself into an attack frenzy,
Table 36 summarizes the constructiontimes
fighting style devoid of
for various weapons. The DM may augment this
the character must make
list with additional weapons (see Chapter 5 for before combat ensues. If
ideas). receives the following

After completing a weapon, the character make one more attack per round
must make a uroficiencv check. If he has the normal limit.
+3to all damage rolls.

Class is penalized by 3 (to a limit

If tde check fails, the character receives both

.Profldencies 79

of the penalties but neither of the benefits. Table 37: Barbarian Secondary Skill
Regardless of whether the check succeeds or
DlOO
fails, the character receives the proficiency Roll Secondary Skill
effects for the duration of the battle or for one 01-04 Animal Handler (soothe,control, an
hour, whichever comes first.
tame wild animals)
After the battle ends (or an hour expires), the 05-06 Artist, Primitive (cavepainting, sim-
character must rest for an hour before he can use
the proficiency again. while he rests,the charac- ple sculptures, drumming)
ter may take no actions other than light travel 07-09 Bowyer/Fletcher, Crude (construct
(such as riding a slow-moving horse).If he must
walk, he can't use the proficiency until four short bows and amim~fromwood,
bone, and other natural materials)
hours pass. If he neglects to rest, he suffers the 10-12 Fire-maker (build fires from natural
materials)
following penalties: 13-20 Fisher (swim, small craft handling,
hand and spear fishing)
A -3 penalty to all profiaency checks. 21-30 Forager (locatefood, water, stones,
A -5 penalty to his Armor Class. small items)
A -5 penalty to his THACO. 31-39 Forester (basic wood lore)
1extra point of damage from all successful 4&41 Herbalist (identifymedicinal and ed
enemy hits. ble plants)
42-57 Hunter (stalkingand tracking)
The penalties remain in effect until the charac- 5%59 Loremaster (oralhistorian)
ter rests for the indicated period. 60 Metalworker (copper, bronze, or
hammered iron)
Crossover Group: General. 61 Soothsayer (tellfortunes, predi
futureevents))
Secondary Skills 62-63 Storyteller (composeentertain
instructive fables)
If the DM prefers secondary skills to non- 64-69 Trapper (basic wood lore, sna
weapon proficiencies, barbarian characters skinning)
should use Table 37 instead of the secondary 7&71 Weaponsmithing,Crude (construct
skill table in Chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook. and repair simple weapons of natur
Players may choose a secondary skill from Table materials)
37 or roll randomly. Random rolls may result in 72-85 Tribe's most common skill (likely
one, two, or no skills. The DM may veto any hunting, fishing, or foraging)**
skill he feels is incompatible with a particular 8Mw) Roll twice (rerollany result of 86-00)
barbarian character.
* The Soothsayer has a knowledge of primitive

fortunetelling techniques, such as studying
the movement of stars and casting bones. He

has no supernaturalabilities.If the DMwishes

this skill to encompass magical powers, see
the Soothsaying proficiency for ideas.

** There is no entry for "No skill of measurable

worth." All contribute to the basic survival of
the tribe.



Chapter

Weapons and Equipment

Because most primitive societieslack the tec charactersand keep them distinct from standard
nology to mine ore and produce metal (with a fightersand clerics, the DM should discourage
few exceptions, discussed in Chapter 6),barbar- them from using outworld items. He can accom-
ians rely on weapons and equipment made of plish this in several ways:
wood, stone, and other natural materials. Their
ignorance of sophisticated craft skills-carpen- Cultural taboos. Tribal tradition obliges the
try, cobbling, and engineering-limits the qual- barbarian to use items only available in his
ity and variety of their goods. homeland.
Superstition.Fear of supernatural retribution
This chapter describes the armor, weapons, compels the barbarian to avoid outworld
clothing, and transportation available to bar- goods. Wielding a steel spear or carrying a
barians, along with some new magical items. mirror risks the wrath of angry spirits.
Most barbarians have access to all this equip- Ability check and attack-roll penalties. Sug-
ment, though the DM may impose restrictions. gestions appear in the ”Forbidden Armor”
An arctic barbarian may be forbidden from and ”Forbidden Weapons” sectionselsewhere
using flint weapons if flint isn’t available in his in this chapter.
homeland. A desert barbarian may be banned
from wearing armor made of fur. In all cases, adjudicate equipment restrictions
with common sense.A barbarian dangling from
Tools and household goods aren’t discussed a cliff probably won’t refuse to grab a rope just
here. It may be assumed, however, that most because it’s made of hemp, nor does he turn
barbarian societies have a reasonable number down a chunk of venison because the deer was
of common items, such as torches, scrapers, killed with a steel sword.
and bowls. Of course, many items listed in
the Player’s Handbook are unavailable in any Values
form, including those made of silk, paper, or
glass. Because of their crude materialsand primitive
craftsmanship, barbarian versions of items from
In the outworld, a barbarian continues to the Player’s Handbook equipment lists are worth
favor items similar to those in his homeland. He only a fraction of their outworld values. Most
uses daggers of bone, not steel. He prefers a barbarian equipment is worth 10-50% less than
lizard-skin loincloth to one made of velvet. He the Player’s Handbook prices. A small barbarian
would rather drink from a monkey-skullbowl tent might be worth 1 or 2 gp, a barbarian raft as
thana crystal goblet. He is baffled, even intimi- little as 10 gp.
dated, by mirrors, girdles, merchant’s scales,
and other outworldinventions. Food items generally have the same value. A
pound of outworld salt and a pound of barbar-
Using Outworld Items ian salt both fetch 1 sp. Rare foods, however,
foptional) may be worth many times their listed values; a
pound of pecans from a remote jungle might be
Will a barbarian ever use an item not assoa- worth as much as 5 gp.
ited with his culture? No hard and fast rules
prevent barbarians from using whatever they Barbarian items made of valuable materials,
like. In theory, at least, a steel kniie is no more such as ivory or obsidian, may bring more than
difficult to wield than a bone dagger. And any- their outworld equivalents. An ivory signal
one with a modicum of common sense can learn whistle may be worth several gp. Likewise, col-
to use a spyglass. lectors may pay inflated prices for items with

But to preserve the integrity of barbarian I ‘I
I

.I

exotic decoratib,,.,, cLmJ yu.ll be worrll

only a few cp, but intricate designs may boost its Making this style of armor requires little
expertise, and the raw materials can be found
value to 10g p or more. just about anywhere. Fur tends to be thickest
during the winter, but quality pelts are generally
Armor availableat any time of year. To minimize dam-
age to the fur, the carcass should be cut along
Without metal to make armor, barbarians the belly, from the tail to the throat. The skin is
must make do with animal products-mainly
skins, furs, and hides. They prefer lightweight, peeled away from back to front, then stretched
loose fitting armor that‘s easy to don and doesn’t over a branch or flat stone, fur side in. After the
inhibit movement. Despite the crude design and furdris for two or three weeks, the remaining
often haphazard construction, barbarian armor flesh is scraped away. The pelts are then
provides a dependabledefense against the perils trimmed, cut up, and tied together to make the
of the wilderness. desired garment.

Following are descriptions of the most com- Though easy to make, fur armor is bulky
mon styles of barbarian armor. For convenience, and hot, uncomfortableeven in the best of con-
outworld names are used,though the barbarian ditions. Worse, it soils easily, attracts lice and
versions differ in materials and appearance. insects, and eventually wears out. As shown in
Table 38, different types of fur wear out .at dif-
Note that these armor types have relatively ferent rates. Furs of low durability (short hair,
low Armor Class. None has an AC better than 6, easily shed) last only a few weeks. Moderately
which makes barbarian adventurers more v u - durable furs (rich hair, reasonably long) may
nerable to damage thantheir outworld counter- last a few months. Furs of high durability
parts. And of course, some barbarians shun (coarse hair, thick and stiff) last up to a year.
armor altogether; a Forest Lord or Plainsrider Furs wear out faster if not cared for (they must
wearing nothing but a loincloth will have a base be kept as clean, and occasionally brushed
AC of only 10. To increase a barbarian’s chance with stone or bone combs) or subjected to
of survivalin the outworld, the DM may wish to extreme stress (high temperatures, insect
make availableone or more of the magical AC swarms, rainstorms).
improvements from the “New Magical Items”
list at the end of this chapter. These items may Table 38 Fur Durabili

be lucky discoveries, rewards from grateful Quality
NPCs, or gifts from the gods.

LOW

Padded (AC 8) 4Moderate Weasel, lion, fox, owlbear, dog,
The barbarian equivalent of padded armor
wolf, leopard, buffalo
consistsof one or more layers of animal skins or Mink,beaver, muskrat, raccoon,
seal, skunk, bear, mastodon, lynx
furs.A bear skin may be slit in the center to
make a hole large enough for the wearer’s head, If the DM judges that a set of armor made of
furor skins has worn out, its Armor Class drops
then slipped over the shoulders. Pelts of small
animals, like raccoons and weasels, fastened to AC 9. If the armor isn’t abandoned within a
together with strips of gut, make a garment
resembling a tunic. Thick sections of wool reasonable amount of time, it continues to rot,
shred, and tear until useless (it provides no prc-
secured around the chest with leather bands tection). If the barbarian stubbornly hangs on to
it, the rancid garment reduces his Charisma and
make a crude vest. Lion-skin shawls, hoods

made of wolf pelts, and mastodon capes also

Weitpons and Equipment 83

;.#I%.. .,
.. : ,:.

I . " ! b*

his saving throws against disease and Studded leather armor comes from the same
disease-causing spells by -2. The stench also types of animal skins as regular leather. Because
increases the likelihood of attractingpredators. the skins must be soft in order to a f f i x the studs,
herbal hardening agents aren't applied, nor are
Leather (AC 8) the skins smoked. The studs consist of sharp
Leatherarmor, made from h t e d animal skins, pebbles, small bones, or bits of stone, inserted
through the back of the garment. Studs can be
takes the form of simple tunics, cloaks,and vests, securedto the skins with a gelatinous glue made
roughly shaped to conform to the wearer's body. from crushed bones and fish scales boiled in
If a piece of leather is large enough, the wearer water.
may slit it in the center, then slip it over his head
to hang over chest and back. Alternately,a large Though studded leather provides more pro-
piece may be secured with leather straps across tection than padded armor or standard leather,
the wearer's shoulder or around his waist. Small iYs cumbersome and heavy. It wears out quickly,
pieces may be gouged with holes, then attachedto lasting no longer than padded armor made of
each other with leather strips, lengths of gut, or Low-durability fur. The holes for the studs
tough vine.Barbarians occasionally wear a layer weaken the leather's natural strength, and
of animal fur under their leather armor for com- sooner or later, the holes widen and the studs
fort and warmth. fall out.

Any animal with skin thicker than that of a Bone Armor (AC 7)
man is a potential source of leather. Cattle and This is essentially bone fragments strung
deer are common sources, but horses, camels,
hogs, goats, and sheepare also used. together with pieces of leather. Bone armor is
typically worn over a suit of leather armor, with
Primitive leather-making begins with the the bones secured over the leather to prevent
removal of hair and flesh from the skin. Skins them from sliding around too much during
are piled in stacks and left in the sun. In a few combat.
days most of the flesh rots away, taking much of
the hair with it. The remaining flesh is scraped Larger animals are preferred over smaller
away with knifes or sharp stones. Soaking the ones when creating a suit of bone armor.Smaller
skins in water removes the last of the flesh and bones are used to cover the arms and legs, while
washes off dirt and dried blood. A mixture of the larger bones are used to protect the chest
nuts, leaves, wood, and herbs boiled in water and back.
creates a thin paste that hardens the dried skins
and inhibits further rotting. To prevent cracking, Wood Armor (AC 6)
a barbarian oils the skins with animal fat or
smeared with brain matter. Fmally, the skins are Stripsof wood are attached to an undercoat of
smoked over an open fire or placed in a cave
with smolderinglogs; smoketoughens the skins leather for this armor. The wood is first carved
and gives them a pleasing scent. and treated with oils to increase its durability;
this process typically takes two weeks or more,
Though leather armor is stiff and scratchy,iYs depending upon the amount of carving and
much lighter than padded armor and therefore shaping done to the wood. The wood is then
more comfortableto wear. IYs also quitedurable. attached to the armor with bone spikes, leather
If kept clean and in good repair, leather armor strips,or with some other natural material.
should last a year before wearing out. Frayed or
torn leather armor has AC 9; once damaged, it This annor requires almost constant upkeep,
becomes useless within a few weeks. and numerous natural disasters, ranging any-
thing from fire to termites, can quickly render

84 CluDter5

the armor unusable. After a battle, the wood Although the wearer may get used to the smell,
needs to be treated with preserving oils to seal his companions may find it disgusti
the wood against the elements. Strangers may refuse to have anything t
with him. Hide armor made by a barbarian
While some suits of wood armor last several begins to smell in few months, sooner in hot cli-
years, a barbarian adventurer can expect such mates. Until the wearer replaces his rotten
armor to last ld4 months. Depending upon the armor, he suffers a -2 penalty to his Charisma
activity of the barbarian, this time could be d r s score.
tically alteredto one extreme or another. Barbar-
ian adventurers who are in one pitched battle equally bothersome is the weight of hide
after another might consider themselves fortu- armor. Even the strongest character strains
nate iftheir armor lasts one month. Advisors to under its bulk and requires frequent rests. To
their tribal chieftainwho never see battle may minimize fatigue, the wearer might have to
keep a suit for several years. remove his armor when traveling or camping.

Hide (AC 6 ) Despite these drawbacks, hide armor re-
Hide armor is made from animals with thick, mains a popular choice for barbarians. It pro-
vides a better AC rating than padded or leather
tough skins, such as elephants, rhinoceroses, armor and is just as easy to make. It's excep-
sharks, and alligators. Large pieces are worn tionally durable, lasting a year or more if given
intact, draped across the body or secured with proper care. And some believe that the spirit of
leather straps. Smaller pieces may be tied or an animal watches over whoever wear its hide,
stitched together to make crude tunics, leggings, granting strength and courage in times of
vests, and robes. stress.

Members of a tribe often wear the same type Shields
of hide to denote allegianceto a deity or identifi-
cation with a particular m a k . Swampbarbar- To a barbarian, a shield may be any object he
ians may wear nothing but alligator hide;
worshippers of an elephant god may wear only can hold in front of him-a tortoise shell, a
elephant. Further, some tribes decorate their dragon scale, a slab of stone. Such improvised
hide armor with grisly trophies, like scalps, shields, however, are problematic, as they're
teeth, claws, or entire heads. These decorations awkward to carry and often quite heavy.
don't affect the Armor Class of the hide, but
instead are displayedto show off kills or demon- Most barbarians prefer hand-made shields,
strate ferocity. usually consisting of frames of wood or bone
covered with hide. A stick wedged inside the
Hide armor is made more or less the same frame serves as a hand grip. Hand-made shields
way as leather armor. The hide is stripped fmm tend to be small, rarely more than 2 or 3 feet in
the carcass, then left in the sun until the flesh diameter, so they don't interfere with hunting
rots away. After it's washed and shorn of excess and running.
hair, the hide is oiled with fat or smeared with
animal brains. To toughen the hide and p v e n t If he has no firm cultural restrictions and the
decay, it may be soaked in a mixture of water DM doesn't object, a barbarian may experiment
and wood (oak, chestnut, mangrove, and hem- with chain mail or other armor types normally
lock are preferred). unavailable to him.But the barbarian may find
metal armor so cumbersomethat it inhibits his
But even with meticulous preparation, hide concentration and physical skills. To simulate
armor eventually begins to smell like rotten
meat, particularly during warm weather.

! Weapons and Equipment 85

this discomfort, the DM may imposesome or all in herbal brews prevents rot. Animal skins
be cut with daggers or sliced with serrated
of the following penalties: stqnes. Bone slivers serve as crude needles,
sinpw stripsas thread.
His movement rate is reduced to normal for
his race. produce wool which can be made into
The barbarian suffers all effects to his abilities
for the armor worn as detailed in TheComplete of wool, weighted by large stones,
Thief's Handbook (pages 114-115). For example,
a barbarian wearing chainmailarmor suffers &I, compress until the material becomes
a -40% penalty on his climb walls rolls, as well dense, and smooth. The raw felt can be cut
as reducinghis jumping abilities. intv patterns with any edged tool. Felt clothing
He suffers a -1 penalty to all attack, damage, is durprisingly durable, because it doesn't
davel.
ability and nonweapon proficiency rob. If the
pair of sticks. The weaver winds a
barbarian persists in wearing forbidden
armor, the DM may boost these penalties by other end attaches
-1 every few days, to a maximum of -3. called the distaff.The weaver

Optional Hide Armor Rules 99ti together or sewn with vines. Inner layers of
bark are softened by soaking them in water,
The following rule may be used for characters thep pounded with stones to make them as flat
wearing hide armor.
archment. At best, clothing made from
Preferred Animal Bonus.The DM may desig- and bark lasts only a few weeks, but it's

nate a particular animal as a preferred source of typical barbarian wears the same clothing
hide m o r in the barbarian's homeland, such an climates thick fur or lay-
alligator or elephant. If a barbarian kiUs the pre-
ferred animal by himself, then makes armor or malebarbarians in tropical lands, a simple
from its hide, the armor grants him the effects of
a bless spell; when wearing the armor, his sav- &rudetunics are popular in temperate cli-
ing throw rolls made against fear effects are makes. A typical tunic is made from a rect-
raised by +1, and he gains a +1 bonus to all
attack rolls. These bonuses aren't transferable; if ar section of fur or leather about half again
anyone other than the barbarian wears the hide, as the wearer's body, cut, folded, and
it acts as normal hide armor. If the barbarian as described under "Armor"above. In
loses the hide armor, he may make a replace-
ment that grants the identical bonuses, provid-
ing he single-handedly kills another animal of
the same species.

Clothing and
Body Decoration

Barbarians use skins and furs for clothing as
well as armor. Hides may be chewed to make
them soft and flexible, a process that can take
several weeks. Smoking the hides or soaking

I I II I'

cooler climates, a barbarian may also wear a ody paint to make themselves attractive;
shaggy skirt called a kuunake,made from wool a man with yellow fin-

or fur, which hangs nearly the ground. Fringes thighs, and blue cheeks?
pular, particularly
added to the edges of garments prevent them
mountain, and plains barbari-
from unraveling. their skins with

Simple shoes, necessary in environmen& with holes with vegetable
hot sand or rocky soil, are constructed from ver every square inch of exposed
pieces of hide strapped to the feet with vines or
of humans, animals,
leather strips. Some island barbarians wear symbolize author-
leather sandals called pampootie, waterproofed
with waxy plant fibers. A basic moccasin con- rs a tattoo shaped like the sun
sistsof a square of softleather folded around the nor success in war (a fighter
with two parallel slashes for
foot and tied to the ankle. Primitive boots are
dicate marital sta-
made from sectionsof leather wrapped around
the leg up to the knee; layers of hide or skin any barbarians adorn themselves with
Bone pendants are common, as
under the foot Serve as soles. made of seashells, the vertebrae
Occasionally, a barbarian augments his every
,and the teeth of predators.
day clothing with a special piece to celebrate ood hairpins; so do parrot
victory over an enemy or to curry the favor of
his gods. He may don a fox fur that he believes s or lips with small bones,
will inmase stealth, or put on a necklace of wolf bes by attaching heavy
ribs to honor the death of a comrade. He wears ecorate their faces and chests with
the piece for a fixed period+y, from dawn to of scars, or stretch their necks with

sunset, or until the next fullmoon-then hides Trhsportation

it, destroys it, or gives it away. e barbariansrely on their
Barbarians usually let their hair grow long nsportation. If they need to
desert, they walk. If they Want to haul W-
and shaggy. It bunches around their shoulders, they hoist them on theirbacks.A basket or
er sling helps, but transporting goods
often reaching their waists. Unless forbiddenby ces remains an exhausting
ition. Even the healthiest warrior canman-
custom or religion, men wear fullbeards. If the few dozen milesa day on foot.
domesticatedanimals, the bar-
hair becomes a nuisance, it may be braided,
knotted,or shorn with a dagger. fromplace toplace increases
train wolves and
Most barbarians enjoy bright colors, and are
eager to trade dull gray elephant hides for blaz- gs to pull sleds.Junglebarbariansuse ele
ing orange tiger skins. They make dyes in pri-
mary colors-red, blue, and yellow-from ts. Plains barbarians ride horses.
buffalo, yak, donkeys, and camels are
flower petals, clays, roots, and berries. Barbari-
ans not only color their clothes, but they deco-

rate their bodies as well, painting their skins in
gaudy patterns. Body paint often denotes status
within the tribe; bright yellow lips may indicate

the senior cleric, blue splotches on the chest and
arms may designate warriors of exceptional
skill. To frighten their enemies, they may paint
their faces white and streak their mouths with
red to represent bloody skulls. Some barbarians

Weapons and Equipment 87

88 Chapter5

used as beasts of burden. for& with logs inserted through leather loops
Advanced cultures also benefit from wheels,
...Jpdto thebottom. A roller sled canbe pushed
which may be nothing more than ordinary logs,
jammed beneath sleds to make them easier to by man, or dragged by a mule or horse.
pull. Disks cut from trees are attached to the Wheelbarrow. Used for transporting
ends of the log rollers, making them crude axles. device consists of a flat wooden
Wheeled transport, however, remains limited. to a pair of 3-foot wooden han-
For the most part, barbarians lack the know-how wooden wheel, 2-3 feet in diam-
to incorporate wheels into devices more sophis-
ticated than carts and wheelbarrows. eterj is affixed between the slats of the frame,
on an axle made from a small log. One
Land Transport the frame, while a camer
and pushes. Vines or leather
Sleds. Designed for snowy terrain, a runner the handle and looped over
sled consists of a rectangular frame made of provide support.
wood or bone, about %12 feet long and 2-3 feet from two long branches
wide. A rider stands on a wooden platform of the V drags on the
attached to one end of the frame.A team of 6-10 to the flanks of a
dogs or wolves is tied to a lattice on the opposite may be tied to a
end. Wooden runners, greased with fat, are
secured to the bottom. sides. The rider straddles the slab,
against the indentations. He pro-
A sail sled, also called a bikik, can be made with his hands or small paddles.
from a runner sled by erectinga mast in the cen- the dugout canoe, is made
ter of the frame. A sail of light hide, about four feet in diameter and six
feet square, catches the wind to propel the sled with one side
at impressivespeeds.

Only two dogs or wolves are required to pull a
hide sled, a small sled that holds one man or his
weight in goods. used pnmanly as an emergency
vehicle in arcticclimates, a hide sled is made by
stacking three or four deer hides, gluing them
together with a paste of mud and animal hair, then

makingthem with water. While the hides freeze,a

pair of slits are cut near the edge of the stack, and

leather strips are insertedto be used asreins.

In the temperate plains, barbarians ride in an
enclosed sled, pulled by a single horse. The sled
resembles a small hut resting on a pair of
wooden runners, s e d with leather strips to a
yoke around the horse’s neck. The hut consists
of a frame of branches, roughly shaped like a
cube,with leather walls. Flaps in the walls allow
passengers to look at the scenery.

The roller sled can be considered a primitive
wagon. It’s nothing more than a wooden plat-

Weapons and Equipment 89

water-dwellmg creatures. Once attached to the 1eapons
frame, the skinstighten as they dry, and are then arbariansuse asweapons any natural objects
coated with animal fat for water resistance. The th t can inflict damage. The leg bone of an ele-
passenger squeezes through a hole in the top, p t serves as an effective club. A crocodile rib
sitting with his legs extended into the bow.
Water-resistant animal products, such as wolf km y be wielded as a dagger. In a pinch, a bar-
skin or whale intestines, are stuffed in the hole,
sealing in the passenger. A single oar with a ba ian can always throw rocks or pummel an
paddle on each end propels the kayak. op nentwithhisfists.

Kufa. This vessel resembles an immense tub, anufactured weapons, deadlier and more
made of skins attached to a latticeof rreds. Used require a bit more inventiveness. To
by river riders, it’s propelled with poles, much axe, a barbarian secures a sharp
like a raft. with leather straps.A bow can be

Palm Boat. Used by tropical fisherman, the e froma flexiblebranch strungwith a taught
palm boat looks like a narrow raft made from on of gut.
stripsof woods. A half-dozen large palm leaves, egardless of whether a weapon is manufac-
erected like sails, catch the wind. A single pas-
senger who sits near one end steers the craft or improvised, it must be made of materi-
with a flat paddle. 7als advailable in the natural environment. The

Table 3 9 BarbarianTransuortation Mvmt $m t common materialsare wood, bone (includ-
Value‘ Cargo Rate*
in claws and teeth), and stone. Barbarianspre-
Vehicle (gP) (lbs) 21
Bikik 20 700 dfer quartz and quartzite over granite, as granite
9
Passenger wheel- te ds to crumble. Ivory is highly desirable but
15 to find. Perhaps the best mineral for weap
barrow 20 300 15 idian; it’s quite strong and can be
21 variety of shapes without crum-
Sled 21 ivory, ills rare.
15 y barbarians favor flint, especially for
RUnner 15 700 g and piercing weapons like knives and
15 ds. Flint is not only as hard as granite,
Enclosed 20 300 12 n easily chips into fine edges and
6
Hide 5 200 20 use of their crude materials and crafts-
9 ip, barbarian weapons tend to be less
Roller 5 300 6
their outworld counterparts. At
Travois 2 150 time, they’re lighter and easier to cany
lists the weight and outworld value of
Canw rian weapons, expressed as a percentageof
orresponding figures from the Player’s
Dugout 15 500 book. A bone harpoon, for instance, weighs
pounds (50%of the PH weight) and is
Plank 2 200 6 gp (30%of the PH value.
p the following in mind when designing
Coconut raft 50 lpO0
Pba arianweapons:
Kayak 30 250 ot every type of material can be made into
type of weapon. Ivory arrowheads and
Kufa 20 250

Palm boat 10 200

* Land movement rates may differ depending

on type, training, and number of animals
used. Water movement depends on currents,
wind speed, and the skill of the pilot. Values
given reflect average rates.

bone daggers are acceptable, but obsidian e barbarian weapons, which increases
value substantially. An amber dagger
bows and granite blowguns are unlikely. The be worth 100 gp, a diamond arrowhead

DM may veto any weapon he deems inappro- Weapon Materials Weight
Value 100%
priate. 100% 50%
10% 50%
If a weapon consists of more than one type of 30% 50%
200% 75%
material, use the most prominent material to 50% 50%
determine the weight, and the most valuable 100% 75%
material to determine its value. For a spear
ental stones** 150%
with a wooden shaft and an obsidian point,
use the wood to determine the weight and the reference only (metalgenerally isn't avail-

obsidian to determinethe value. minerals such as quartz, quartzite,
crudely cut.
Table 41 lists approximate values only. The

DM may decide that a finely crafted stone

knife is worth just as much as a steel knife.

Weapons made of ivory and ornamental
stones may be worth severaltimes as much as

their listed values, particularly larger weap-
ons such as clubs and spears.
Gems and p"d0Us minerals may alsobe used

Table 41: BarbarianWeapons wt. Speed Damage
S-M L
Weapon (lb.) Size e' Fado?
Atlatl
Atlatl dart *1* S P 5- ld6- ld6
Artengak S ld3 ld2
Axe, forearm
Bolas 4L 5 Id6 ld8
Boomerang
4S 3 ld6 ld6
Nonreturning
Returning 2M 8 ld3 ld2
Celt
Club 1S 6 ld3+1 14+12
spiked 1S 6 ld3+1 ld4+1
Throwing 3S 4 ld4 ld3
Iuak (Snowblade)
Rabbit stick 4M 4 ld6+1 ld4+1
Sling, Stick
sling, string 2S 4 Id4 ld2
Flint Disk
Grooved Stone 3M 4 ld4 ld6
HS
P 5 ld3 ld2
1S 11
1S B 11 --
B --
wS B - ld4+1 ld6+1
B - ld4 ld4
HS

* The "Type" category includes Bludgeoning (B),Pien: (P),and Slashing (S).See Chapter 6 of
and speed factors.
the Player's Handbook for definitionsof types,

** Weight is no more thana few ounces.

Names of Weapons. To add flavor to combat ak. On a roll of 1on a d6, a stone weapon
encounters and help the DM keep track of which On a roll of 1or 2, a bone or wood
weapons are being used, barbarian weapons
should include their raw materials as part of weapon breaks. Enchanted weapons of wood,
their names. For instance, a barbarian might styIne, or bone are not subject to the above rule.
wield a bone club, a flint axe, or an ivory spear.
for instance, Grog swings at an orc with his
Magical Weapons.Barbarian weapons may be
enchanted. A barbarian may wield and ivory st ne axe and inflicts 1point of damage. The
dagger +1,a bone axe +2, or any other magical pl yer rolls a d6. On a roll of 1, the weapon
weapon the DM cares to incorporate into his b aks,and Grog must use a differentweapon to
campaign. Remember, though, that a barbari- cohtinue the attack. On a roll of 2 or more, the
an's cultural values may limit his access to wkapon withstandsthe blow.
magic (seeChapter 2).
h e above material replaces the rules for sav-
Penalties for Crude Weapons
a& weapons in The CompleteFighter's Handbook.
Most crude weapons inflict less damage than
their metal counterparts. They're also less accu- arian Versions of
rate and easier to break. Weapons

Whenever an attack roll with a stone, bone, or k4rrow. The simplest arrowheads consist of
wooden weapon inflicts minimum damage to slivers of bone or stone attached to wood
an opponent, there is a chance the weapon will with lengths of gut. More effective a

calved arrowheads, preferably made of fli
ped like diamonds or triangles, then pol-
with sandstone to sharpen the points.

-92 Chapter 5 ..

..

Hooked barbs cut into an arrowhead make it Dubger. Many barbarians use ipoiefcoersmofpfoliinntts.
difficult for a victim to remove the arrow from chipped at one end
his body (the victim must spend one round
pulling the arrow free;if a Dexterity check fails, either side prevent the weapon from
he suffers l d 2 points of damage). Feathers
attached near the head may attract helpful spir- the hand. A barbarian desiring a

its and improve its lethality. (Optionally, the DM handle squares off the blunt side

may designate a particular rare bird-an albino gelatinous glue, made from
canary, a black parrot, a talking raven-whose the blade to the handle
feathers increase damage by +1 when attached slab of obsidian or
to an arrow.) or leather to a

Arrowheads are secured to wood or bone useful for sawingand slicing.The
shafts with lengths of gut. Thin-shafted flight etched with ripples and
arrows, about three feet long, are mainly used
for hunting. The barbarian equivalent of sheaf usually made of bone or
arrows-thicker, heavier, and shorter than flight aped flat and thin, often with ser-
arrows-are used in warfare and can only be along the side. Heads average 3-4
fired by long bows. Hunters use blunted arrows
to kill small game animals without damaging ome exceed a foot in length. The
the fur. into a notched shaft of bone or

Incendiay urrms are constructedby wrapping with strips of leather or gut.
small bundles of kindling or cloth scraps cov- cross-hatched to make the
ered with animal fat around the shafts, then
lighting them. Incendiary arrows cause an extra used by arctic barbarians to
1point of damage on impact unless the target consists of a wooden
makes a saving throw vs. death magic; at the a needlelike bone
DMs option, the arrow also ignites combustible
materials. point A long leather cord attaches to the blunt
end the shaft. The user loops the cord around
Arrowheadsmay also be tipped with venom, his A t ; the cord helps prevent an impaled ar ’
usually from serpents. The victim must save vs.
escaping with the weapon.
poison or suffer an extra 2d4 damage. The DM The atlatl is a curved piece of wood

may allow other poisons. grip that is used to propel javehns
Axe. A typical axe head is made from a chunk
A javelin is placed along a
of stone or bone, ideally about 1-2 feet long, 6
inches wide, and %inIches high. The center of and then the wielder throws
the head must be perforated with a hole, a
on to the atlatl. The
tedious process requiring a chisel-like tool made and causes no

of a stronger material thanthe axe head. A thick

stick is then wedged into the hole to make a
handle. Grinding one or both sides of the head
creates sharp edges.

Bow.Primitive bows are made from flexible
lengths of wood with strings of animal tendons
or, occasionally, tough plant fibers. Short bows
average five feet long.

to grip the head with the projections pointing in the samediredion until it dropsto the ground.
outward.
The returning bwmerang is curved at an angle
Bola. Useful as a weapon for entangling as of 90degrees or more and can be thrown at dis-
well as damaging victims, the bola consists of tances up to 60 yards. If the boomerang misses
one or more two-foot leather straps with 2-10 its target, it arcs in the air and may return to the
weights attached to the ends. The opposite ends thrower. If the thrower makes a successfulDex-
of the straps are knotted together to make a han- terity check, the boomerang returns within a
dle. The weights may be stone, bone, or ivory, few feet of the thrower, allowing him to catch
spherical or egg-shaped. For good luck, some it. If the Dexterity check fails, the boomerang
users carve the weights to resemble birds or misses the thrower by a number of yards equal
other animals. to the differencebetween the die-roll and the
Dexterity score, multiplied by 10. A ld8 roll
To attack, the user grips the handle, whirls the indicates where the boomerang lands in rela-
weighted strands over his head, then flings the tion to the thrower (l=north, 2=northeast,
bola at the target. If it hits, the strands wrap 3=east, 4=southeast, and so on). For example, if
aruund the target, the weights smashing into his the thrower’s Dexterity is 12, the Dexterity
body. It takes the victim one round and a suc- check is 16, and the l d 8 roll is 5, then the
cessful Strength check to free himself; if the boomerang lands 40 yards southwest of the
check fails, the victim remains entangled. thrower.

A bola can also be used to make various C e l t . A prototype of the battle axe, a Celt
Called Shots: resembles an axe head, roughly oval in shape,
less than a foot long and a few inches wide.
Legs. The victim must make a Dexterity check Celts are made of flint, quartz, granite, or obsid-
to avoid falling down. If the victim was mov-
ing, he suffers a -3 penalty to the check. The ian.If a suitablysized stone or mineral fits com-
victim must untangle himself (witha Strength
check)before he can runor walk again. fortably in the hand, no modifications are
Arms. The victim can’t wield a weapon nor necessary. Otherwise, the edges is chipped to
take advantage of his shield’s AC bonus until make it easier to hold. Holes may be bored into
he frees himself. Because he has no leverage, flat Celts; the user inserts his thumb and fingers
the Strength check to untangle is made with a into the holes, then grips the Celt in his fist. A
-2 penalty. Celt may be polished by grinding the surfacesin
Head. Unless the victim is wearing a close-- water and sand. When not wielded as a blud-
faced helm or a great helm, he begins to stran- geoning weapon, a Celt serves as a chisel or
gle, suffering an automatic l d 3 points of woodsplitter.
damage per round until he frees himself with
a Stwngthcheck. Club, Spiked. An ordinary club may be
Boomerang. This curved throwing stick can hit improved by imbedding it with sharp objects,
targets at long distances. There are two types of essentiallytransforming it from a bludgeoning
boomerangs, both less than 2 feet long, weigh- to a piercing weapon. Typical additionsinclude
ing under half a pound, and typically made of shark’s teeth, obsidian insets, and porcupine
wood. quills. The spikes tend to fall out, however,
The nonreturning boomerang is curved at an requiring the user to replace them at regular
ang.le of less than 90degrees and can strike tar- intervals. Whenever the user rolls a natural 20
on an attack roll, the weapon loses some or all of
its spikes; it then functions as a normal club. It
takes 1-2 days to find and attach replacement

-94 Chapter 5

Club, Throwing. This is a blunt, slender club Table 4 2 Barbarian Missile Weapons
ght enough to hurl but heavy enough to blud-
geon. It may be made of wood, stone, or bone, RangeX
ROF** S M
and is 1-2 feet long. If used in melee combat, a Weapon Y

throwing club inflicts only half the listed dam- Atlatl 136 9
age (Id2 instead of ld4). 3
Atlatl dart 1 12 9
luak. This is a bone blade resembling a
machete, about six inches wide and two feet Bola 1 3 6 1
long. The end is flat rather than pointed. Arctic
barbarians use the iuak to cut blocks of ice to Boomerang
make houses, but it can also be wielded as a
weapon. Nonreturn. 13 7

Sling, Stick. This weapon is made from a flexi- Returning 1
ble treebranch, about two feet long and no more
than an inch in diameter. A notch is cut a few Club,
inches from the far end of the stick. The user
places a disk-shaped piece of flint, 2-3 inches in throwing 11
diameter, in the notch. Whipping the stick flings Sling, Stick
the disk at a remarkablespeed. 2/1 -

Sling, String. The end of a vine or thin strip of sling, string 2/1 -
Flint disk
leather, about 2-3 feet long, is pressed into a -3
grooved stone sphere. The user gently rotates
the vine or strip over his head, than snaps it Grooved Stone - 3 6
with a flick of the wrist, firing the sphere at the
intended target. * Range (Short, Medium, and Long) is given in

Rabbit Stick. A favorite weapon of horse rid- tens of yards. Modifiers for range are -2 for
ers, the rabbit stick can be used to dispatch small
game and injureunmounted enemies. To make a Medium and -5 for Long.
rabbit stick, two flat strips of wood about three
feet long and threeinches wide are tied together ** ROF Rate of fire (how many shots the user
at one end. Long notches are cut into the untied
ends, then sharpened to fine points. Several can fire in one round).
holes are pierced in the center of the strips to
reduce wind resistance. The user holds the rab- Forbidden Weapons
bit stick by the tied ends, then smacks or slashes
the notched ends at the target. The DM may impose any of the following
penalties when a barbarian uses a steel weapon
I or other weapons normally unavailable to him
due to cultural or religious restrictions:

Because of the weapon's weight, texture, and

shape, the barbarian has difficulty making
effective attacks. He suffers a -2 penalty to all

attack and damage rolls. (If he likes, the DM

may increase thispenalty to -3 or -4.)
Thebarbarian's gods may inflict any of the fol-
lowing punishments: his AC is reduced to IO,

regardless of what armor he wears; the weapon
shatters on a naturalroll of 19or 20; a handheld

weapon glows with a ghostly flame after ld6
rounds of combat, inflicting an automatic 1hp

damageto the wielder every round thereafter.

If the barbarian is a cleric, his deities may

deny him access to spells above 2nd level or
limit him to spells of a singlesphere.

I I14 ~

Weapons and Equipment 95

New Magal Items Mask of Beastliness. Carved from wood and
colored with dyes, the mask of beastliness re-
The following magical items are intended for sembles an animal head with grotesquely
barbarians, but at the D M s discretion, other exaggerated features. The DM may choose the
characters may use them, too. These items are type or roll ldlO on Table 43 for a random
extremely rare and should turn up no more determination.
often than a typical item listed in the Miscella-
neous Magic Tables in Appendix 2 of the A mask of beastliness covers the wearer’s entire
DUNGEONMASTER” Guide; if you like, use face, secured by a leather strap around his head.
any of these items as an option when a DMs The wearer sees through a pair of eye slits and
Choice is rolled. breathes through holes in the nose. If the wearer
presses the mask against his face for five consec-
A DM may forbid a barbarian from using a utive rounds, it fuses with his flesh. The mask
particular item if the raw materials aren’t nor- becomes animated, transforming the wearer’s
mally available in the barbarian’s homeland, or head into the head of the animal it represents.
the barbarian has cultural biases that restrict The mask lets the wearer make a special attack,
him from carrying certain objects. For instance, as described in Table 43; he may make this spe-
an arctic barbarian who’s never seen flint may cial attack in place of any attack he’s normally
not be able to use a spirit arrmu. A mountain bar- allowed.
barian who comes from a culture where eagles
symbolize death might be afraid to cany a spear A mask of beastliness can be activated for one
of the eagle. hour per day. The wearer deactivates the mask
by slipping his fingers under the chin area and
Bone Seed (500 XP).A bone seed looks like a gently pushing it away from his face, a process
taking one round; the mask can’t be reactivated
human skull the size of a pebble. If buried until the following day, even if a full hour hasn’t
beneath a foot of earth and left overnight, by yet expired. While using an activated mask of
morning the bone seed sprouts into a small tree beastliness, the wearer can’t speak, eat, or cast
made entirely of bones. The trunk of the tree, spells with verbal components; he continues to
2-4 feet tall and as thick as a man’s arm, can be breathe normally through his nose.
wielded as a club. The branches include 1-4
bones that can be used as daggers, 3d4 slivers Table 43 Mask of Beastliness
that can be made into arrowheads,and an assort-
ment of teeth, claws, and ribs that can be uti- D10
lized as various tools, ornaments, or units of Roll Animal Head, Damage, and XP
barter. If a bone seed is planted in a burial ground,
there is a 10%chance that it will produce a mon- 1-2 Raven (bite:ld6+2damage; XP 500)
key skull (seebelow).
3 4 Wild stag (horns:2d6 damage; Xl’ 700)
Fish Dust (200XP).A handful of thisdust may
5 6 Lion (bite: 4d4 damage; XP 800)
be sprinkled over any 10-foot-radiusarea of a
lake, river, or ocean. If any fish are below, the 7-8 Rhinoceros (horn:3d6 damage; XP 1,000)
dust paralyzes them and causes them to rise to
the surface, making them easy to harvest. The 9 Buffalo (horns:2d10 damage; XP 1,200)
dust affects up to 10 HD worth of aquatic crea-
tures that have animal intelligence or less; no 10 Cobra (bite: ld3 points of damage;
single creature can have more than 1HD. Once venom results in death 2d4 rounds after
the fish surface, the paralysis persists for 4d4 a strike unless victim saves vs. poison at
rounds. -2, in which case he suffers only 10 hp of
damage; XP 2,000)

Monkey Skull (2,000 XP). This resembles the using it as a club, the attacker may strike a
skull of a small monkey, four inches in diameter, victim with the front, back, or side of the
mounted on the end of a stick. If a chunk of
fruit, a plump insect, or other food item nor- skull, depending on how he holds it. If a vic-
mally eaten by monkeys is placed in the skull’s
mouth, the item vanishes and the monkey skull tim is successfullystruck with the back or side
activates; its teeth begin to chatter and bulging
eyeballs appear in its eye sockets. It remains of the skull, he suffers ld4 bludgeoning dam-
activated for an hour. It can be activated once age. If struck with the front, the skull attaches
per day.
itself to the victim, causing ld4 chewing dam-
An active monkey skull has the following prop age. The skull continues to chew, inflicting an
erties:
automatic ld4 damage per round until the
Anyone other than the person who activated victim yanks it off with a successful Strength
the monkey skull who sees its face must save check. A thrown monkey skull that success-
vs. spells. If the save fails, the victim reacts as fully hitscauses ld2 damage and also attaches
if he had been subjected to the 1st-levelpriest
cause fear spell. The victim flees in panic at to its victim, chewing for ld4 damage per
maximum speed for ld4 rounds. round until removed.
A monkey skull may used as a weapon. It may
be thrown (short range 10yards, medium 20 Potion of Pebble Flesh (1,500 XP).The user rubs
yards, long 30 yards) or used as a club. If
his entirebody with this greasy potion before he
goes to sleep. When he awakens, his skin has
become rough and lumpy as if it were made of
pebbles, and colored a dull green.

The pebble flesh improves the user’s natural

Armor Class by +4; a human’
from 10to 6. The effect is cum

I

with pebble flesh wearing leather armor has an age; the damage is subtracted from the pouch of
effective AC of 4. Pebble flesh lasts for 1-4 protection's hit point total.(Example:An enemy
Weeks. makes a successfulspear attack against Grog,
calling for 5 points of damage. Grog makes a
Because of pebbleJ7esh's rough texture and odd
appearance, the user also suffers the following saving throw vs. spells.Grogs pouch of protec-
penalties: tion, made of shark hide, currently has a hit
point total of 34. The pouch absorbs the damage,
His movement rate is reduced by 1/3. reducingits total to 29. Grog is unharmed.)
He cannot swim. The extra weight of the peb-
ble flesh pulls him down, as if he were wearing A pouch can't lose more hit points than its
metal armor. current total. In the previous example, if Grogs
His Dexterity and Charisma checks are made pouch had a current total of 3, the pouch would
at a -2 penalty. absorb 3 points and Grog would suffer the
He is vulnerableto stone s h p e and any other
spells that affect stone. (Stone to flesh negates remaining2 points.
pebble flesh, causing the skin to revert to its
normal form.) All losses suffered by the pouch are perma-
nent; it doesn't "heal," nor can it be repaired.
Pouch of Protection. This is a pouch the size of a When a pouch is reduced to 0 hit points, it crum-
man's fist, made from the hide of a particular bles to dust.
animal. The DM may choose the animal from
Table 44 or roll ld4 for a random determination. A pouch ofprotection is effective against all
(The DM may use other animals if he likes, pro- forms of magical and nonmagical attacks. How-
viding they have hides similar to the animalsin ever, it provides no protection against disease,
Table 44.)
poison, or any other attack form that inflicts
The pouch of protection contains products of cumulativedamage over time.
the animal from which the hide was obtained,
such as teeth, claws, powdered bones, and dried Table 44: Pouch of Protection XP
meat. The pouch is sealed with the products 300
inside.The owner ties the pouch to his clothing, D4Roll HideType HPValue 500
hangs it from his neck, or attaches it to his 600
shield. 1 Boar 4d8 1,000

Every pouch of protection has its own hit point 2 Crocodile 7d8

total. When a pouch is acquired, the DM deter- 3 Shark 8d8

mines its hit point total by rollmg the indicated 4 Elephant 11d8
dice on Table 44. For instance, if a character has
a shark pouch, the DM rolls 8d8. This total Spear of the Eagle (50 XP per feather). This
should be noted on a scrap of paper. resembles a normal wooden spear, with 4d6
eagle feathers(the exact number is determined
A pouch of protection absorbsdamage normally at the time of acquisition) attached near the
blunt end. When thrown, the spear of the eagle
uffered by the owner. If the owner is a victim of sprouts a small pair of wings in mid-flight,
allowing it to unerringly strike its target, much
a successful attack, the owner has the option of like a magic missile. As with a magic missile, the
suffering the indicated amount of damage or target must be seen or otherwisedetectableto be
saving vs. spells. If the saving throw fails, he hit. Unlike a magic missile, a spear of the eagle can
be directed to strike inanimate objects. The tar-
suffers the indicated damage from the attack. If get suffers ld8 damage. The spear of the eagle
has the same range as a normal spear.
the saving throw succeeds, he suffers no dam-
After each strike, the spear ofthe eagle loses one
of its feathers. When all of its feathers are lost,

98 Chapter 5

the spear loses its magical properties; it still wearing armor. For instance, a character may
functionsas a normalspear.Feathersmay not be wear leather armor along with his war paint,
reattached. but he only receives a bonus from one or the
other (whicheveris greater). If the armor cov-
A spear of the eagle only gainsits magical prop- ers more than half of his body, he can not ben-
erties when thrown. If used as a thrusting efit from the war paint. A war paint user may
weapon, it functions as a normal spear. Suc- carry a shield, however, which boosts his AC
cessful thrusts won't cause it to lose feathers. by the standard +1(a human wearing yellow
war paint and carrying a shield has an effec-
Spirit Arrow (500 XP).The spirit arrow con-
tive AC of 5).
sists of an arrowhead of white flint attached to a If available, two colors may be combined;the
wooden shaft. It may be firedfrom any bow, and effective AC is determined by adding the
if the attack is successfulthe victim suffers ld6 bonuses shown on Table 48. For example, a
points of damage. character wearing white and red paint
receives an AC boost of +8. In no case, how-
Spirit a r r m s ignore various protection spells ever. can war uaint can uroduce an AC better
that seek to protect the target of the attack, such
as stoneskin, fire shield, and others. In addition, War paint lasts for ld4 weeks. If the wearer
Armor Class gained by magical means (armor,
bracers of defense, rings of protection, cloaks of pro- or other character with the artistic ability
tection, etc.) are also totally negated. Only the proficiency (with a specialty in painting) ap-
actual armor class of the target is used for deter- plies the war paint and makes a successful
mining attack rolls; a wizard wearing bracers of proficiency check, the effects last for 2d4
defense AC 2 and a ring of protection +3 is consid- weeks. War paint is unaffectedby rain, extreme
ered AC 10for purposes of striking. temperatures, or the normal wear and tear of
the road. Dispel magic and similar spells, how-
Regardlessof whether the spirit arrow strikes ever, can render it useless.
its intended target, the arrow is destroyed.Spirit
arrows have no bonuses to hit save for any Table 4 5 War Paint ACBoost XP
granted by the wielder from high dexterity, D12 +3
magical items, or other abilities. Roll Color 1,500
1-3 White +4 2,000
War Paint. This magical paint increases the +5 3,000
wearer's natural Armor Class. The amount of 4-6 Yellow +6 4,000
increase depends on the color of the paint, as 7-9 Red +9 7,000
shown in Table 45; a human with a natural AC
of 10 has an effective AC of 1when wearing 1&11 Green
12 Gold
gold paint. The DM may choose a particular

color, or roll ld12 on Table 45 for a random
selection.

At least half of the user's skin must be bare to
use war paint; in general, this means that his
arms, legs, and head must be m y exposed.The
paint must be applied to approximately75%of
the exposed skin. Additionally:

If the user covers more than half of his
exposed skin with a blanket, cape, or other
garment, he loses the benefit of the war paint.
The user receivesno additionalbenefits from

Weapons and Equipment 99