07 Items and Equipment

In Apprentices, mundane gear is incredibly useful in the early stages of a campaign, but because the characters are mages, true power comes from their spells and mana. Mundane weapons and armor are abstracted rather than rigidly simulated.

Acquiring Gear

To acquire a piece of equipment during the campaign, you must reach the appropriate Funds Level (see Economy & Funds) and spend a Time Slot to go shopping or black-market dealing in the city.

Weapons

Mundane weapons add a static modifier to the base damage a character inflicts when they successfully strike a target using the Strike in Combat move. If they hit, the target takes damage equal to the weapon's Base Damage rating.

Modifier: Masterwork Quality

A weapon purchased at the Wealthy Funds level or higher is perfectly balanced. It grants a +1 bonus to the attack roll (but does not increase Base Damage).

Armor

Instead of increasing a defense number or target threshold, mundane armor in this system provides a buffer of Temporary Physical Health Boxes, absorbing damage before it hits the character's real health pool. Because this damage is absorbed by the armor and not your flesh, it does not inflict Wound Penalties.

Armor Rules:

1. A character can only wear one layer of armor effectively at a time.
2. When the armor takes more damage than it has Temporary Boxes, it is considered "Shattered" or "Ruined" and provides no further benefit until repaired or replaced (requiring a Time Slot and Funds).
3. Temporary Health Boxes from armor do not heal magically or through rest; the armor must be physically repaired or replaced.

While a thick layer of chainmail or a riot shield provides excellent temporary health, the GM should assess a -1 to -3 penalty to the 2d6 roll when a character attempts to make a Physical or Mental roll involving stealth or mobility while wearing Heavy Armor.

Consumables and Magic Focus

As mages, the characters in Apprentices will constantly need external magical aids, healing supplies, and raw power to survive the grueling repetition of the month.

Acquiring Magic Items

Mundane weapons are easy to buy in the city. Alchemical ingredients, illegal potions, and refined crystalized mana are heavily regulated by the local Guard and the Academy.

Acquiring anything magical beyond standard "student supplies" generally requires:

1. Reaching the required Funds Level.
2. Spending a Time Slot actively searching the black market or smuggling rings.
3. Passing a Manipulate and Provoke or Perceive & Investigate roll to find a reliable supplier.

Alchemical Consumables

These are single-use items that are destroyed (or consumed) upon activation. If a character knows the Alchemy skill, they can spend a Time Slot and significantly lower the Required Funds (by 1 or 2 levels) to brew these themselves, assuming they have access to a lab.

Spell Formula Items

These are pre-inscribed magical items powered by a Spell Formula. They are physically carved with glyph roots. They can be activated almost instantly (a free action) without a Casting Roll, but cost 2 Ticks on your Mana Track to fuel. Unlike alchemy, these items are rarely consumed, serving as reliable but inefficient backup magic.

Magical Focus

A magical focus is a tool (wand, staff, ring, specific gem) designed to stabilize and enhance the shaping of specific spells.

Rules for Focus:

• A character may only actively utilize one Focus at a time.
• A Focus is tied to a specific Core School (e.g., a "Wand of Evocation" or a "Seer's Orb").
• While holding the Focus, the caster gains a +1 bonus to all Casting Rolls for that specific School.
• If a Critical Failure (Natural 2) is rolled while casting through a Focus, the GM may rule that the Focus cracks or shatters instead of (or in addition to) the spell backfiring onto the caster.

Crafting ================================================== Apprentices SRD