Items and equipment

Part of a series about the rules of Breaking Worlds.

Character creation:

See also:

Overview

Adventurers in the world of Arginet can make use of a range of items and equipment. This page describes the various types that are present in game.

Equipment types

As with many LARP games, we represent weapons and shields with specially constructed props. These are constructed from high-density plastic foam, usually with a GRP (fibreglass) or CFRP (carbon fibre) core, sealed with a layer of latex and varnish. They are designed not to cause injury or damage, but you should still be aware of our weapon safety rules when fighting with them.

Weapons

If you are proficient with a class of weapon you can use it normally: you can use it to strike an opponent (for implied SINGLE or any other call you have access to) and you can block or parry with it. If you are not proficient with a class of weapon, you cannot strike with it unless you call ZERO as you do so, and if you parry or block with it you take the full effect of the blow.

Every character is proficient with short and one-handed weapons. Some Warrior skills grant proficiency with other weapon classes.

For safety reasons, you must not stab or thrust except with a specially constructed thrust-safe weapon, and only after you have had a safety briefing. Similarly, you may only use a large thrown weapon or a bow or crossbow after you have had a safety briefing.

Weapon classes are defined as follows:

Short weapon: 8” to 24” in length.
One-handed weapon: 24” to 42” in length.
Two-handed weapon: 42” to 60” in length.
Polearm: 60” to 84” in length. May be thrust-safe.
One-handed spear: 60” to 84” in length. Must be thrust-safe.
Short thrown weapon: 8” to 24” in length. Must be coreless.
Large thrown weapon: 24” to 36” in length. Must be thrust-safe.
Bow or Crossbow: May only be used to shoot padded arrows or bolts.

Shields

If you are proficient with a class of shield you can block with it normally. If you are not proficient with a class of shield, if you block with it you take the full effect of the blow. You may not strike or charge an opponent using a buckler or shield.

Some Warrior skills grant proficiency with bucklers and shields.

Buckler: up to 15” in any dimension, held in one hand.
Shield: up to 48” in any dimension, held in one hand.

Armour

Any character can wear armour to gain one additional Hit; if they have a Mana pool it is reduced by 3 while wearing armour. Some Warrior skills increase the Hit bonus from one class of armour or reduce the Mana penalty for light armour.

Your armour must cover your torso for you to get any benefit from it, and we encourage you to wear armour on your arms, legs, and/or head if you can.

Light armour: leather or padded armour
Heavy armour: metal, imitation metal, or studded leather armour

Resources

As well as more lasting items, various kinds of resources are regularly acquired and spent.

Money

Arginet uses a currency called the Ducatto. The denominations are 1, 4, 16, and 64 silver ducatto (SD) and 1 and 4 gold ducatto (GD) coins; one gold ducatto is worth 128 silver ducatto.

Gold and silver are materials of symbolic and spiritual significance, commonly used as sacrifices to the spirits. Gold in particular is known to be a valuable and powerful offering.

Pocket change

Player characters are assumed to have at least a small amount of income, and at each interactive they receive a small amount of pocket change - normally 10 SD - paid out in 1 SD and 4 SD coins. Some general skills increase the amount of pocket change you receive each interactive.

You must hand back all 1 SD and 4 SD coins at the start of each interactive, as they are assumed to be spent on sundry ‘off-screen’ expenses. This applies no matter what total value of the coins is.
However, you can freely exchange 1 SD and 4 SD coins for the same sum in higher-value coins during or at the end of an interactive.

Serious money

Serious money describes sums of cash that buy magic items and and grease palms. 16 SD, 64 SD, 1 GD, and 4 GD coins are serious money. Faction funds are paid out in serious money, and they expect you to use it to advance their agenda. Hoarding is treated as suspicion of embezzlement.

Coins with a value of 16 SD or more remain in your character’s possession between events.

Reagents

The ingredients used to make such varied concoctions as medicines, dyes, glues, and other alchemical preparations are collectively referred to as reagents.

A number of general skills use standard reagents - to speed up healing, create potions, and forge or analyse documents. Standard reagents are fairly readily available, and usually cost about 8 SD; players may buy them from traders in uptime or with a Minor Action in downtime. They are represented by clear glass pebbles.

Exotic reagents

Since the Breaking a few daring souls have managed to extract exotic reagents from alien creatures. These have incompletely understood properties, but can be used by an expert alchemist to concoct experimental potions and preparations. They are represented by coloured glass pebbles. Single reagents can be consumed without any special skills.

The known varieties are below:

White - wuffalo milk

If you eat this it heals your injuries. Take a CURE ALL.

Red - predator venom

If you eat this you suffer internal damage. Tell a ref and they will give you a Wound card.
If you apply this to a weapon, you must call TRIPLE on your next blow with that weapon in the next five minutes.

Dark blue - spider ichor

If you eat this you suffer hallucinations. Tell a ref and they will give you a Wound card.
If you have the Spycraft skill, you can use the ichor to make a very effective forgery.

Black - insect eggs

If you eat this you gain a burst of speed. You can use the Dodge skill once for free in the next five minutes, even if you don’t have the skill.

Green - sea monster liquid

You can use the liquid to preserve organic things such as body parts.

Yellow - owlbear extract

If you eat this your skin and muscle become temporarily tougher. The first time you take a call of CLEAVE in the next five minutes, call RESIST and take a TRIPLE instead.

Special items

Items with significance to the game are identified with a ribbon: usually gold for valuable items and blue for magical items. Any character can recognise (in vague terms) that an item is valuable or magical, but some skills allow more detailed identification.

Magic items

Magic items in Breaking Worlds are created by binding a spirit into a specially prepared anchor. This can be almost any kind of item, although it is not normally possible to create one smaller than a few inches across. More powerful spirits require more expensive and elaborate anchors. A spirit anchor lasts until a spirit leaves it.

In general, binding a spirit to an item is less powerful but more flexible than binding one to a person. Some magical items have a single use - the spirit can be called forth once and will return to the Spirit World immediately afterward. Others can be used repeatedly or have an ongoing effect on the character using them.

Many spirits will permit themselves to be bound into any item. Some others will only accept a particular kind of anchor - this might be a weapon, shield, garment, or something else. If a spirit is bound to a weapon or shield, a character must normally be proficient with that type of equipment to use it; however, a character whose class is evoker is proficient with any item that contains a bound spirit even if they do not have a skill giving them proficiency.

A character can use or carry up to two magical items at a time. The limit covers all items that are giving them a mechanical effect or that are carried on their person. A spirit anchor always counts towards this limit whether or not it contains a bound spirit.