Materials

Metal is a rare and valuable resource on Athas - only the sorcerer kings themselves or their high templars might have a breastplate, suit of chainmail, or plate armor made of steel. Wealthy merchants, highly skilled artisans, and lucky adventurers might possess iron weapons.

For everyone else, weapons and armor are made from whatever materials are convenient: hardened bones, tough desert wood, and sharpened stone are common. Rigid armors are often made from chitin, fired clay, or scales and armor plates taken from all the terrible creatures that roam the Athasian wastes.

Optional Rule: Armor and Weapon Degradation

A weapon receives a chip each time it rolls minimum damage dice. The number of chips a weapon can take depends on the material it is made from. When a weapon breaks, it deals one additional weapon die of damage and that die is automatically maximized. Once a weapon has a chip, a player can choose to break it intentionally. When broken in this way, the weapon does not deal an additional damage die, but its damage is maximized.

Weapon durability is as follows.Use the dominant material for mixed material weapons. Heavy weapons can sustain one extra chip. Light Weapons can handle one less chip.

Durability also applies to armor - armor chips each time the wearer is struck with a Critical Hit. It can be repaired with the appropriate toolkits during a Long Rest. Broken armor provides no Armor Class bonus. A player can voluntarily add a chip to their armor in response to being hit, adding +5 to their armor class against that attack and potentially causing it to miss; they can also add two chips to negate a Critical Hit’s extra damage. Neither function requires an action. If a character is using a shield, they can choose whether their armor or shield is chipped.

A player can attempt to repair one of their weapons or armor during a Short Rest by making a DC 15 Check with the appropriate toolkit. This removes one chip from the item. A player with the appropriate toolkit can remove all chips on one item each Long Rest.

Athasian Weapons

Athas is home to many exotic tools for killing, borne from the chaos, desperation, and madness that rule the lands. These often require extensive training to use, beyond what most martial weapon proficiencies would cover. For any class that has access to weapon masteries, they may choose to dedicate two Weapon Masteries towards learning to use one Athasian Weapon, gaining Proficiency with it and unlocking the use of that weapon’s masteries. If a weapon has multiple mastery properties, choose which one applies when the attack is declared. For Combination weapons, the mastery applied depends on which part of the weapon is used for the attack.

Weapon Descriptions

Alhulak / Cahulak

These two weapons share very similar construction. An alhulak is a rope with a sharpened, four-bladed grappling hook tied to one end and a sturdy wooden handle tied to the other. Cahulaks feature a longer rope connecting two of the grappling hooks. In either case, wielders typically focus on entangling their opponents with the grappling hook before moving in to subdue them. A particular favorite of the gladiators, slavers, and anyone else who might wish to keep their foe alive for a few moments longer.

Bard’s Friend

This dagger has a bewildering amount of blades and points, including a thin blade protruding from the top and bottom, and spikes along the handle that protrude from between the fingers. Stories tell that bards favor these weapons, and many bear ornate markings and designs, along with grooves or hollows to assist in delivering poisoned strikes.

Carrakal

A hefty mekillot bone lashed to the a sharp jaw from one of Athas’ many fierce predators. These battle axes typically have a large striking head and a smaller serrated surface along the handle. Most feature a leather strap to prevent the wielder from being disarmed.

Chatkcha

These crystalline wedges are a specialty weapon of the thri-kreen. They fly well through the air slicing in an arc before returning to the thrower. A chatkcha cannot be used to make melee attacks.

Crusher

The crusher consists of a large heavy ball, sometimes adorned with spikes, on the end of a 20-25 foot flexible pole. Unwieldy in normal combat, it most often sees use on large battlefields or at choke points with limited angles. The wielder plants one end of the pole and whips the top back and forth to bend the pole, allowing them to launch long range attacks with tremendous force. A crusher cannot be used to attack enemies within 5 feet of the wielder.

Datchi Club

An arena favorite, the datchi club is extraordinarily light for a weapon of its size - one most often made of a wooden handle attached to dried roots or insect hives and studded with sharpened bones. Strikes with a datchi club create horrible bleeding wounds and the light weight construction allows the wielder to land strikes quickly.

Dejada

A scooped basket affixed to a bracer, the dejada is used to hurl stones at a high speed similar to a sling, but can just as easily launch alchemical concoctions or anything else that might fit within the scoop.

Dragon’s Paw

Short blades affixed to both ends of a 5-6 foot long staff with a handguard and a third protruding blade in the middle. This flashy, versatile weapon can be used for long-range strikes with the staves ends and short, sharp thrusts with the central blade.

Forearm Axe

Hefty axe blades, carved from stone, bone, or metal are affixed to a sturdy bracer turning the forearm into a vicious chopping weapon. Some have a perpendicular spike facing outward. The axe blades can serve as both a shield and weapon.

Gouge

This weapon is a hefty spear/battering ram with a wide blade and a shovel handle. The weapon is capable of devastating thrusting attacks, though its weight can be prohibitively heavy for the average Athasian soldier. It usually comes with a harness or strap to distribute its weight across the body; while wearing it, the user cannot wield other weapons, but the weapon has the Secure property, and they can ignore the strength requirement for heavy weapons.

Gythka

A cultural weapon of the thri-kreen, this double ended pole arm has a crescent blade on each end with a lone stabbing point emerging from each crescent’s center. It is light enough to be wielded in one or two hands, and can be thrown as a Javelin.

Handfork

Created by tarek warriors, this tri-bladed dagger has two curved blades on the sides and a shorter stabbing point in the middle. Used to parry and catch weapons in the off-hand, handforks are typically made from three sharpened pieces of obsidian tied to a wide handle.

Heartpick

This tarek cultural weapon resembles a war pick with a serrated edge along the beak and a hammer back capable of delivering crushing strikes. Often wielded in pairs by gladiators all over Athas.

Impaler

A long handle ending in a T-shaped blade with wicked points lining either end, the impaler was created to be swung in broad arcs horizontally or overhead. This weapon leaves massive impaling wounds true to its name.

Lotulis

A double-ended staff weapon with crescent blades and barbed spikes near each point. The hefty handle and snagging barbs defend the user while the wide blades allow them to cut a fearsome path through their foes.

Master’s Whip

A favorite of templars, many have felt the unfortunate bite of a master’s whip. Typically decorated with ivory handles and symbols of office, the tip of a master’s whip sports a bone head with 5 hollow tipped barbs that are well suited to tearing flesh and causing immense pain.

Puchik

A long dagger with a perpendicular handle that protects the wielder’s hand and allows them to make strong punching thrusts. This weapon is specially-designed for close fighting.

Quabone

Four bones lashed together into a simple, light weapon with sharpened protrusions. Normally used by warriors wishing to extend a fight for their own satisfaction or the enjoyment of a bloodthirsty audience.

Singing Sticks

Shortsword-length sticks, weighted near the ends and created in pairs, singing sticks are named for the holes drilled into them to produce a whistling noise as they strike. Skilled wielders twirl and spin them rhythmically between strikes to distract and taunt their foes.

Talid

These hardened leather gauntlets turn a gladiator’s fist into a deadly weapon. Protruding bits of bone and spikes on the wrist let desperate punches threaten an opponent with vicious bleeding wounds.

Tortoise Blade

Often made from tortoise shells, this weapon refers to a particular style of a buckler with a blade or spike protruding parallel to the arm. The shell shields the user and is strapped securely to the arm.

Trikal

This 6-foot-long polearm takes its name from the three serrated axe blades mounted at the top. The opposite end is weighted to increase the momentum of swings. This hefty chopping weapon is more than capable of tearing apart flesh and bone with each stroke.

Tkaesali

A cultural weapon of significance for the nikaal, this polearm has a jagged circular blade at the end. Each tkaesali is created for a nikaal as a sign of accomplishment and standing within their tribe. Treated with great respect by the other nikaal, if one is lost that individual faces great shame and loss of social standing, and if it is taken by a foe they are exiled until they can defeat their enemy in combat and return with it.

Weighted Pike

A long pike with a baked ceramic ball mounted at the base of the spear tip. It can be used as either a piercing or bludgeoning weapon, and the added weight of the ball increases the weapon’s damage potential and makes thrusts harder to deflect.

Widow’s Knife

Originally a harvesting tool, this one-handed weapon has a wide crescent blade, a short handle, and two prongs at the bottom. The top blade can make heavy axe strikes while the bottom is best suited for short thrusting attacks. Some versions conceal the prongs, allowing them to be released via spring with a thumb latch. Recently, nobles have taken to carrying them, decorating their broad blades and using the hollow handles to store poison.

Wrist Razor

Worn as a bracer, the weapon consists of three claw-like blades that just out over the top of the wearer’s knuckles along with sharp razors on the back of the hand and forearms. They can be worn on one arm or as a pair.

New Weapon Masteries

Armor Piercing

These weapons are specially designed to pierce the armor of hard targets. When you hit a creature with an attack, their armor class is lowered by 1 until the beginning of your next turn. If you score a Critical Hit on a creature, their armor class is lowered by 1 until they either repair their armor (if manufactured) or receive healing (if natural armor). This ability triggers once per attack and can stack.

Barbed

When you strike a creature with a Barbed weapon, they gain the Bleeding condition. At the beginning of your next turn, every creature upon which you have inflicted the Bleeding condition \takes Necrotic damage equal to your Weapon Damage Die. A creature can only be affected by the Bleeding condition once, and only the most recently applied Bleeding condition applies. A creature with the Bleeding condition can make a Constitution Saving Throw at the end of their turn to end the condition DC (8 + your Weapon Attack Modifier). A creature with the Bleeding condition or their ally can take a Study action and then make a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check to stop the bleeding.

Disarming

When you strike a creature with a Disarming weapon, you may select one weapon or item that creature is holding and force them to drop that item unless they make a Strength or Dexterity Saving Throw DC (your Mastery Saving Throw) . You can choose for it to land in a spot 10 feet away from yourself, or to take possession of the item if you have a free hand. You may only use this Mastery once per turn.

Entangling

When you strike a creature with an Entangling weapon, that creature must make a DC (your Mastery Saving Throw) Strength or Dexterity Saving Throw or be grappled by you. While you are grappling a creature in this way, you cannot attack other creatures with the Entangling weapon. If you drop the weapon or it is destroyed, then the grapple ends.

Impaling

An Impaling weapon functions just like a weapon with the Barbed property, but can only be applied to Melee weapons and the weapon becomes stuck in the creature struck. If the struck creature fails their Saving Throw, you can then choose to grapple the target as part of the attack. An Impaling weapon cannot be used to make attacks while it is stuck in a creature. You can twist the weapon in place of an Attack, automatically dealing 1+ your damage modifier to the grappled creature.

Mortal

A Mortal weapon focuses on setting up perfect strikes. When wielding a Mortal weapon against a creature you have Advantage against, you may instead choose to forgo your Advantage and increase your chance to score a Critical Hit by your Proficiency modifier (i.e., a character with a +2 Modifier scores a Critical Hit on an 18, 19, or 20, while a Champion Fighter with a +3 proficiency bonus scores a Critical Hit on a 16-20).

Protector

When you attack with this weapon, you receive a +1 shield bonus to your AC until the beginning of your next turn. This does not stack with any existing bonus from a shield. If you enchant this weapon, any magical bonuses to hit also apply to this shield bonus.

Returning

A Returning weapon is typically a thrown weapon. If you throw a Returning weapon, it returns to your hand at the end of their turn whether the attack hits or misses. This could either be an aerodynamic flight pattern or a retractable rope. Catching a Returning weapon requires no action but does require a free hand. When you Critically Hit with a Returning weapon, you may also make an additional attack against the same target after the weapon returns to your hand.

Serpentine

Serpentine weapons are designed with poisoners in mind. Typically, they are made with special grooves, hollow blades, or other additions that make them easier to apply poisons to and increase their effectiveness. Applying poison to a Serpentine weapon can be done as part of the attack action, and the DC and damage of any poisons used with them increases by +1.

Symbolic

A symbolic weapon is designed to be flashy, and is often an inspiring cultural symbol for you and your allies. When you successfully hit a creature with a roll that beats its AC by more than 5 or critically hit, any allies within 30 ft. that can see the attack may add bonus damage on their next successful attack. The bonus damage is equal to your proficiency modifier, and only applies if the attack is made before the end of the ally’s next turn.

New Weapon Properties

Aerodynamic

This property can only be applied to weapons with the Thrown property. They gain 10 feet of range per point of the wielder’s Strength or Dexterity modifier (use whichever is greater).

Bardic

A Bardic weapon contains or is made from a musical instrument. It can act as a bard’s Spellcasting Focus, and you can make Performance checks with it.

Combination

This weapon is actually two or more different weapon ends in one item. Combination weapons occupy your hands as per their properties (Two-handed, Versatile, etc.). You can fight with either weapon and switching between them takes no action on your turn, but you can only benefit from one weapon’s properties and masteries at a time. Enchantments on a Combination weapon apply to all its parts. Instead of an additional weapon end, a combination weapon can have a piece of non-weapon equipment built into it (a crowbar, battering ram, lantern, etc.). Properties listed in the table outside of the parentheses apply to all weapons in the combination.

Double

This weapon has two ends that can be used to attack. The ends share the same properties and masteries, but can have different damage types (B, P, or S). If you are proficient with a Double weapon, you can use two-weapon fighting with it by taking a Bonus Action, but you must then make the extra attack with the weapon’s other end. If it has the Nick Mastery, you can use two-weapon fighting as part of your attack action. The damage types of the weapon are noted with a “/”.

Focused

When you make an attack with a Focused weapon against an enemy, you cannot use that weapon to make attacks or attacks of opportunity against any other enemy until the start of your next turn.

Hands Free

Weapons with this property do not limit the use of your hands; rather, they might be mounted to your wrist, leg, head, or any other part of the body. You can hold a weapon, shield, or object in the same hand as a Hands Free weapon.

Hidden

This weapon is concealed, it does not look like a weapon at first glance. If a creature has not seen the weapon used, they must make a DC 15 Investigation Check to locate or identify it. If a creature is unaware that it is a weapon and you make an attack with it, then you gain advantage on the first attack you make with it during combat.

Linked

The Linked property represents weapons wielded in pairs (fist weapons, natural enhancers, etc.). These weapons are considered to be 1 item. This applies to spells like magic weapon, but also to any enchantments placed on the weapon. If one half of the weapon is destroyed or disarmed the other half of the weapon makes attacks at disadvantage until they’re united.

Massive

This weapon is large enough to only barely be wielded by a Medium-sized creature. When attacking with a Massive weapon, your speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the current turn. If you expend all your move speed before attacking, or if your Strength is below 15, your attacks with Massive weapons have Disadvantage for the round. All massive weapons are considered to have the “Heavy” property in addition to their other properties.

Natural Enhancing

This weapon is made to synergize with your natural attacks or unarmed strikes. If you are proficient with it, a Natural Enhancing weapon can count as either a Weapon or an Unarmed Strike when you attack, using the better Attack Bonus and Damage of the two, and can apply all effects of their Enchantments, Weapon Masteries, and Unarmed Strikes on a successful hit.

Athasian Armor

| Armor | Armor Class (AC) | Strength | Stealth | Weight | Cost | | :—- | :—-: | :—-: | :—-: | :—-: | :—-: | | Buckler | +2 | - | - | 2 lb. | 8 cp |

Buckler

A buckler is a small shield, typically worn over strapped over the forearm. It allows those wielding two weapons or a two-handed weapon to benefit from the protection of a shield while still keeping one hand available to wield a weapon. Unlike a regular shield it, a buckler only provides its shield bonus if you take your Reaction to target one enemy you can see. If you do so, the buckler provides a +2 bonus to AC from all attacks from that enemy until the beginning of your next turn.