Modular Equipment

The rules here represent a possible approach to weapon upgrades in the New Dawn Memories campaign.

The design philosophy follows a principle of making weapons more diverse in the world and unique depending on who wielded and took care of them.

Since the main resource for upgrades is gold, it is advised to use these rules only if you have a firm grasp on your campaigns' economy. If inflation hits your campaign and your players have enough gold to buy of kings, just adjust the here presented costs to accommodate your campaigns' economy.

# Weapon Hit Points and Conditions

A weapon’s hit points represent its durability and affect the condition the weapon is in.

When you deal damage with a weapon, the weapon’s current hit points are reduced by the amount of damage you dealt with it (regardless of how much damage the target actually received).

There are five conditions a weapon can be in:

* Pristine
* Normal
* Deteriorated
* Broken
* Unusable

***Pristine.*** The weapon’s damage dice are rolled with advantage.

***Normal.*** The weapon’s damage dice are rolled straight.

***Deteriorated.*** The weapon’s damage dice are rolled with disadvantage.

***Broken.*** The weapon’s damage dice are rolled with disadvantage, and you don’t have the benefits of any upgrade on the weapon.

***Unusable.*** The weapon looses a random upgrade and becomes an improvised weapon.

Every time a weapon’s current hit points reach zero, its condition worsens by one level. After that, the weapon’s current hit points are equal to the hit point maximum.

For example, if a weapon has a hit point maximum of 50 and is in Normal condition, and the current hit points fall to zero, then the weapon has a condition of Deteriorated and the current hit points go back to 50.

## Repairing Weapons

Spending a short rest repairing a weapon you are proficient with restores it to the next highest condition and fully restores its current hit points. During a long rest, you can repair two different weapons this way. If you are proficient with Blacksmith tools and have them at your disposal, you can repair one additional weapon during a short or long rest.

If a Broken weapon reaches zero hit points, it becomes **Unusable**: it looses a random upgrade and can only be repaired by the *fabricate* spell or by spending a long rest to repair it, after which it gains the Normal condition and restores its maximum hit points. You cannot repair any other weapon during this long rest, unless you are proficient with blacksmith tools, which grants you to repair an additional weapon's condition of Broken or higher. An Unusable weapon has the same properties as an improvised weapon (1d4 damage rolled with disadvantage).

## Increasing a Weapon’s Maximum Hit Points

A weapon’s maximum hit points can be increased by repairing it. Every time it is restored to the next highest condition, the weapon’s maximum hit points increases by an amount equal to one roll of the wielder’s hit point die.

# Weapon upgrades

All weapons can be upgraded by a blacksmith. The amount of upgrades a weapon can have is represented by its number of upgrade slots. The better the weapon, the more upgrades it can hold, i.e., the more upgrade slots it has.

A skilled blacksmith can even upgrade magical weapons.

## Increasing Upgrade Slots

Every upgrade requires a certain number of upgrade slots in order to be imparted onto a weapon. A weapon’s amount of upgrade slots can be increased by a blacksmith. The cost of an upgrade slot is the weapon’s maximum hit points multiplied by the already present number of upgrade slots on the weapon in gold pieces.

A weapon cannot have more upgrade slots than the number of its maximum hit points divided by 20.

## Upgrade Levels

An upgrade that has levels requires the previous upgrade level to already be present on the piece of equipment.

For example, Sharpened +2 can only be added to a weapon if Sharpened +1 is already on the weapon. The lower level upgrade stays in the weapon’s upgrade slots. If the lower level upgrade is removed from a weapon, all higher level upgrades related to it are also removed.

## Melee and Ammunition Upgrades

The following upgrades refer to upgrades that can be done on melee weapons and 10 pieces of ammunition (if applicable) respectively:

### Enchantable (1/2/3)

Upgrade slot(s): 2, 4, 6

Cost: 60 gp, 150 gp, 500 gp

Effect: A weapon can only have this upgrade if the Magical upgrade is already present on it. This upgrade enables a weapon to hold a number of enchantment stones (see Enchanting Stones chapter) equivalent to this upgrades' level.

### Sharpened (+1/+2/+3)

Upgrade slot(s): 1, 2, 3

Cost: 25 gp, 70 gp, 125 gp

Upgrade slot(s): 1, 2, 3

Effect: Adds a bonus to damage rolls to weapons and ammunition that deal piercing or slashing damage.

### Fuse (90%/85%/80%)

Upgrade slot(s): 2, 5, 7

Cost: 175 gp, 280 gp, 350 gp)

Effect: A weapon with the fuse upgrade can be fused with monster parts. The fused monster part adds a bonus to either the weapon's attack or damage roll (your choice when you fuse the monster part to the weapon) equal to the enemies Chalalege Rating (minimum 1). Fusing a part to a weapon or one piece of ammunition takes ten minutes. The fused monster has a percentile chance of breaking off after you hit a target with it. This percentile chance increases by one point every time you land a hit with a weapon. (Ammunition breaks of fimmediately). Only one viable monster part can be obtained from a monster. A successful Wisdom (Survival) check (DC 20) may yield two parts if at least one hour is spent on the extraction.

### Coated (+1/+2/+3)

Upgrade slot(s): 1, 2, 3

Cost: 25 gp, 70 gp, 125 gp

Effect: Adds a bonus to damage rolls to weapons and ammunition that deal bludgeoning damage.

### Spiked (30%/50%/70%)

Upgrade slot(s): 2, 4, 5

Cost: 30 gp, 80 gp, 130 gp

Effect: Dealing damage to a creature with a spiked weapon has a percentile chance of wounding it. A wounded creature takes an additional 1d6 damage of the weapon type and 1d4 damage at the start of its turn. A creature can have more than one wound at a time. A wounded creature can spend its action to make a medicine check (DC 10) to remove a wound.

### Railed

Upgrade slot(s): 2

Cost: 95 gp

Effect: When you deal damage with a railed weapon, you add the number rolled on your damage die (or the lowest roll if there are multiple dice) to your AC until the start of your next turn.

### Magical

Upgrade slot(s): 3

Cost: 250 gp

Effect: Your weapon attacks are magical in regard to resistances.

### Bouldered

Upgrade slot(s): 2

Cost: 40 gp

Effect: Hitting an inanimate object or construct with a weapon deals damage as if it were a critical hit.

### Stacked (+1dx/+2dx/+3dx)

Upgrade slot(s): 2, 3, 6

Cost: 30 gp, 80 gp, 140 gp

Effect: A stacked weapon deals additional weapon damage dice. Every additional damage die reduces your movement speed by 5 feet if the stacked weapon is equipped. (Stacked weapons cannot have the Diluted upgrade.)

### Diluted (-10%/-20%/-50%)

Upgrade slot(s): 1, 2, 3

Cost: 25 gp, 60 gp, 80 gp

Effect: A diluted weapon gives you a penalty on your damage rolls, but increases your movement speed by 5 feet for every penalty. (You cannot benefit from a diluted weapon if you have a Stacked weapon equipped at the same time.)

### Gripped (+1/+2/+3)

Upgrade slot(s): 1, 2, 3

Cost: 25 gp, 70 gp, 125 gp

Effect: A gripped weapon adds a bonus to attack rolls made with that weapon.

### Extended

Upgrade slot(s): 3

Cost: 200 gp

Effect: The range of your weapon is extended by 5 feet.

### Spell Focus Slot

Upgrade slot(s): 3

Cost: 70 gp

Effect: A weapon can only have this upgrade if the Magical upgrade is already present on it. This upgrade enables you to add a spell focus onto your weapon and hence use that weapon to cast spells from.

### Magic Shard (+1/+2/+3)

Upgrade slot(s): 2, 4, 6

Cost: 125, 350 gp, 600 gp

Effect: This upgrade grants you a bonus to your Spell attack bonus. The weapon has to have the spell Focus Slot already present on it. A weapon with this upgrade requires attunement.

### Magic Splinter (+1/+2/+3)

Upgrade slot(s): 2, 4, 6

Cost: 125, 350 gp, 600 gp

Effect: This upgrade grants you a bonus to your Spell save DC. The weapon has to have the spell Focus Slot already present on it. A weapon with this upgrade requires attunement.

### Lanced

Upgrade slot(s): 2

Cost: 125 gp

Effect: If you hit a creature with a lanced weapon after moving at least 20 feet towards it, you add an additional damage die to that attack.

### Finisher

Upgrade slot(s): 1, 2, 3

Cost: 25 gp, 70 gp, 125 gp

Effect: Dealing damage to a prone creature enables you to add an additional weapon damage die to that attack.

### Poison Reservoir

Upgrade slot(s): 2

Cost: 225 gp

Effect: Your weapon holds one dose of poison that can be delivered when you hit a creature. Poison in the reservoir never dries, and it takes 10 minutes to refill the reservoir. (see Poisons in DMG, p. 257)

### Charged

Upgrade slot(s): 3

Cost: 125 gp

Effect: If you ready an action with a charged weapon and deal damage to a creature before the start of your next turn, you add three additional weapon damage dice to that attack.

### Enhanced

Upgrade slot(s): -

Cost: 250 gp

Effect: An enhanced weapon has its maximum hit points increased by 10. This upgrade can be done multiple times and does not require an upgrade slot.

### Wardened

Upgrade slot(s): 3

Cost: 25 gp, 70 gp, 125 gp

Effect: When an attack hits you, but before the damage is calculated, you can use your reaction to distribute half of the taken damage to your weapon. It is up to the DMs discretion what kinds of attacks can be shielded against this way. A rule of thumb could be that any physical attack that could be reasonably deflected by a melee weapon can be deflected, while AOE and elemental effects cannot.

### Precision Edged

Upgrade slot(s): 3

Cost: 225 gp

Effect: Your critical margin increases by 1 (normally, going to a critical attack in a 19-20).

### Ripostable

Upgrade slot(s): 3

Cost: 135 gp

Effect: When a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can make an Acrobatics check against the attack. On a success, you can make an opportunity attack with this weapon against the creature (does not use up your Reaction). On a failure, the hit is considered a critical hit.

## Ranged Weapons Upgrades

The following upgrades refer to upgrades that can be done on ranged weapons.

### Enchantable (1/2/3)

Upgrade slot(s): 2, 4, 6

Cost: 60 gp, 150 gp, 500 gp

Effect: A weapon can only have this upgrade if the Magical upgrade is already present on it. This upgrade enables a weapon to hold a number of enchantment stones (see Enchanting Stones chapter) equivalent to this upgrade's level.

### Silenced

Upgrade slot(s): 2

Cost: 225 gp

Effect: A silenced weapon is able to hit a creature before rolling for initiative if the target is not aware of your presence. Hitting a creature immediately initiates combat, and the target is aware of your location.

### Balanced (+1/+2/+3)

Upgrade slot(s): 1, 2, 3

Cost: 25 gp, 70 gp, 125 gp

Effect: Adds a bonus to damage rolls to ranged weapons.

### Gripped (+1/+2/+3)

Upgrade slot(s): 1, 2, 3

Cost: 25 gp, 70 gp, 125 gp

Effect: A gripped weapon adds a bonus to attack rolls made with that weapon.

### Magical

Upgrade slot(s): 3

Cost: 250 gp

Effect: Your weapon attacks are magical in regards to resistances.

### Silked String (x1.5/x2/x2.5)

Upgrade slot(s): 1, 2, 3

Cost: 25 gp, 70 gp, 125 gp

Effect: The range of your weapon is increased.

### Spanned (1/2/3)

Upgrade slot(s): 1, 2, 3

Cost: 25 gp, 70 gp, 125 gp

Effect: Whether you hit or miss a target, your ammunition continues to travel in a straight line and attacks a number of additional enemies in that line equal to the level of the upgrade.

### Precision Edged

Upgrade slot(s): 3

Cost: 225 gp

Effect: Your critical margin increases by 1 (normally, going to a critical attack in a 19-20).

### Scoped

Upgrade slot(s): 3

Cost: 225 gp

Effect: You have no disadvantage beyond the weapon's normal range.

### Twirled

Upgrade slot(s): 2

Cost: 250 gp

Effect: You can choose a roll of any one damage die and reroll it. You have to use the new roll.

### Enhanced

Upgrade slot(s): -

Cost: 250 gp

Effect: An enhanced weapon has its maximum hit points increased by 10. This upgrade can be done multiple times and does not require an upgrade slot.

### Poison Reservoir

Upgrade slot(s): 2

Cost: 225 gp

Effect: Your weapon holds one dose of poison that can be delivered when you hit a creature. Poison in the reservoir never dries, and it takes 10 minutes to refill the reservoir. (see Poisons in DMG, p. 257)

### Refined

Upgrade slot(s): 8

Cost: 600 gp

Effect: If you miss a creature with a refined weapon, and you target the same creature on your next attack, you hit automatically. The attack is a critical hit if neither you nor the target have moved, and you haven’t taken damage since your previous attack.

## Specialized And Other Upgrades

The above upgrades represent the main upgrades most of the blacksmiths in the world know. However, there are many masters of the trade who keep their secrets close at heart.

They might have knowledge of additional specialized upgrades unknown to the rest of the world. Who knows… daring adventurers might find them travelling the world.

# Finding Weapons

When you find a weapon on defeated enemies or in the wild, you roll on the Random Weapons Tables below to establish its condition, maximum hit points, and possible upgrades.

## Weapon Condition Table

 4-5
 6-9
 10-11
 12

## Weapon Max Hit Points Table

 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8

## Weapon Rarity

 15-17
 18
 19
 20

# Selling Weapons

Only a weapon with a condition of Normal or above can be sold. The selling price of a weapon is equal to the number of the maximum hit points of the weapon multiplied by the number of upgrade slots available on the weapon in silver pieces. Every upgrade slot that has an upgrade present is counted twice for the sake of this calculation.

## Rarity Modifier

Depending on the weapon’s craftsmanship, its selling price can vary. Once you determine the weapon’s selling price, apply the weapon’s rarity modifier in the Rarity Modifier Table to get the real selling price of the weapon.

 Uncommon
 Rare
 Very Rare
 Legendary

# Enchanting Weapons

Enchantment stones are magical objects scattered across the world which posses properties that can enhance weapons, shields, and armor that have the Enchantment upgrade.

One piece of equipment can at most hold three enchantment stones. An enchanted piece of equipment requires attunement.

If an enchantment stone or its corresponding enchantment upgrade is removed, the stone is destroyed.

## Infusion: Artificer’s Prowess

This Artificer infusion grants the maximum number of Enchantment Stone that can be added to the infused weapon, armor, or shield to be increased by one. If the infusion on the weapon ends, one stone (the player’s choice) that exceeds the limit is destroyed.

## Enchanting Equipment

Although blacksmiths can upgrade equipment to hold enchantment stones, they are unable to enchant an item with it. This job is left to artisans and artificers who dedicate their life to mastering this craft.

A piece of equipment can be enchanted with an enchantment stone by a skilled artificer either in exchange for money or out of the goodness of his heart using the following artificer features.

### Enchantment Artisan

4th-level artificer feature

You’ve infused enough items in your life to know how the properties of different enchantment stones will react to different kinds of equipment.

If you have a piece of equipment with the enchantment upgrade and an enchantment stone, you can spend your light activity during a long rest to enchant the equipment. The number of items you can enchant during a long rest equals to your proficiency level.

### Fingerspitzengefühl

8th-level artificer feature

Fumbling around with enchantment stones has become a routine for you. You can now remove enchantment stones from equipment without destroying them.

### Infused Enchantment

13th-level artificer feature

You can use your infuse item feature to create enchantments stones from ordinary rocks.

### Stone Sense

17th-level artificer feature

You have been exposed to enchanting stones for so long that you developed an instinct where to find them.

At the end of every long rest, roll on the Stone Sense Table to see if you are sensing an enchantment stone nearby.

#### Stone Sense Table

 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
 10
 11
 12

## Enchanting Stones

The vast majority of enchantment stones are Spellstoring Stones which can imbue the wielder of the weapon with the ability to cast spells from it, while others are mostly harboring one effect from well-known magic items.

The following list describes the more rare and exotic stones travelers have come across in the world.

### Alchemist Stone

Enchantment Stone, Rare

Item: weapon, shield, or armor

While you have this weapon, shield, or armor equipped, the number of hit points restored by drinking a healing potion is doubled.

### Arrow-Ward Stone

Enchantment Stone, Uncommon

Item: weapon, shield, or armor

Once per day, you can create a vibrating wall of energy as a reaction to shield you and up to 5 creatures 10 feet around you when targeted by a ranged weapon attack. The attack is done with disadvantage.

### Berserker Stone

Enchantment Stone, Rare

Item: weapon

When you hit a creature with this weapon, you can add any number of your hit die rolls to the damage of the attack. You take an amount of damage equal to the extra damage you added this way.

### Blood Stone

Enchantment Stone, Uncommon

Item: weapon

If the target is organic, every critical hit with this weapon causes you to regain a number of hit points equal to the damage dealt by the hit.

### Bound Stone

Enchantment Stone, Rare

Item: armor

As a bonus action, while you aren’t wearing armor, you can cause this armor to appear in a flash of light around you—instantly donning it. Also ,as a bonus action while you are wearing this armor, you can cause the armor to vanish entirely, instantly doffing it.

### Chaos Stone

Enchantment Stone, Rare

Item: weapon

Every time you score a critical hit with this weapon, roll on the Wild Magic Surge table in the Player’s Handbook to create a magical effect. If the effect is a spell that requires concentration, it doesn’t require concentration in this case and lasts for its full duration.

### Death Stone

Enchantment Stone, uncommon

Item: weapon

When you kill a small or medium creature with this weapon, you can use your reaction to immediately reassemble it as a flesh golem with one hit point under your command.

### Displacement Stone

Enchantment Stone, Rare

Item: armor

Once per day, when you take damage from a weapon attack, you can immediately teleport (no action required) to an unoccupied space within 30 feet of you.

### Earth Stone

Enchantment Stone, Very Rare

Item: weapon, shield, or armor

Once per day, when you take damage from a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to make the earth around you tremble. All creatures 10 feet around you make a Dexterity saving throw contested by your AC or an attack roll with this weapon. On a failed save, the creatures are knocked prone.

### Feather Stone

Enchantment Stone, Uncommon

Item: weapon, shield, or armor

You a have a standing distance equal to your movement speed. Jumping this way costs the same amount of movement as walking.

### Hunting Stone

Enchantment Stone, Rare

Item: ranged weapon

Once per day you can teleport as a bonus action to an unoccupied space within 30 feet you that can see whenever you hit a creature with this weapon.

### Legacy Stone

Enchantment Stone, various

Item: weapon, shield, or armor

Legacy stones are the second most common stones one can come across. Depending on their rarity, they possess one effect of a legacy magic item of the same rarity.

### Mage Stone

Enchantment Stone, very rare

Prerequisite: weapon has to have the Spell Focus Slot upgrade

Item: weapon

Once per day, you can reroll a failed Constitution saving throw for maintaining concentration on a spell.

### Precision Stone

Enchantment Stone, legendary

Prerequisite: weapon has to have the Spell Focus Slot upgrade

Item: weapon

Once per day, when casting a spell using this weapon as a spell focus, you can make the spell immune to being counterspelled. After casting a spell this way, you become Paralyzed and your turns ends. At the end of each of your turns, you can make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC to end the condition.

### Save Stone

Enchantment Stone, legendary

Prerequisite: weapon has to have the Spell Focus Slot upgrade

Item: weapon

Your spell save DC increases by half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) when casting spells using this weapon as a spell focus.

### Spell Stone

Enchantment Stone, legendary

Prerequisite: weapon has to have the Spell Focus Slot upgrade

Item: weapon

Your spell attack bonus increases by half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) when casting spells using this weapon as a spell focus.

### Thief Stone

Enchantment Stone, common

Item: armor

Once per day, you can reroll a failed Dexterity check.

### Vessel Stone

Enchantment Stone, various

Item: weapon, shield, or armor

Vessel stones are the most common stones one can come across. Once per day, you can use your action to cast the spell stored in this stone (+6 to hit, spell save DC 16). Depending on the level of the spell stored in the stone, the rarity varies.

# Other Equipment Upgrades

In contrast to offensive equipment like weapons, defensive equipment like shields and armor are upgraded differently and don’t require as much attention in their day-to-day usage.

Armor and shields don’t have hit points, conditions and upgrade slots, but upgrading them can be somewhat costly for most adventurers.

## Armor and Shield Upgrades

The following are the most common armor and shield upgrades most blacksmiths know by heart.

### Coated (+1/+2/+3)

Item: armor or shield

Cost: 100 gp, 250 gp, 380 gp

Effect: Adds a bonus to your armor AC.

### Silenced

Item: armor

Cost: 250 gp

Effect: Armor does not incur disadvantage on stealth checks.

### Concealed

Item: armor

Cost: 250 gp

Effect: Armor does not appear as armor.

### Spiked (1d4/1d6/1d8)

Item: armor or shield

Cost: 250 gp

Effect: A creature rolling a one on attack against you receives piercing damage.

### Extra Protection

Item: armor or shield

Cost: 250 gp

Effect: Creatures making opportunity attacks against you receive -2 penalty on their attack rolls.

### Spring Loaded

Item: shield

Cost: 420 gp

Effect: Your shield is tinkered with and entails a spring that causes it to unfold and retract faster. Donning and doffing a shield with this requires a bonus action instead of an action.

### Decorated

Item: armor or shield

Cost: 500 gp

Effect: You gain advantage on Persuasion checks once per day.

### Camouflaged

Item: armor

Cost: 420 gp

Effect: You gain advantage on Stealth checks against Perception checks relying on sight.

### Marked

Item: armor or shield

Cost: 250 gp

Effect: You have advantage on Intimidation checks once per day.

### Magical

Item: armor or shield

Cost: 400 gp

Effect: Your weapon attacks are magical in regards to resistances.

### Enchantable (1/2/3)

Item: armor or shield

Cost: 200 gp, 350 gp, 750 gp

Effect: A weapon can only have this upgrade if the Magical upgrade is already present on it. This upgrade enables a weapon to hold a number of enchantment stones (see Enchanting Stones chapter) equivalent to this upgrades' level.