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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System $9.95
Average Rating:4.8 / 5
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Chendo L. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/05/2020 09:41:04

Absolutely loved this work! It helps bulk up the PHB's weapons and equipment pages, which are sorely simplified. Additionally, the content is fit for not only enhancing player and NPC weapon/armor variety, but it provides collectors and aesthetic-oriented players with a framework for progressing their character's look/armory.

The Armorer's Handbook provides examples for how to elaborate on homebrew weapons or magical items that goes beyond simply adding different damage dice or simple magical properties. The attention given to maintaining game balance while preserving player autonomy is really helpful for DMs who fear rendering the game too one-sided for the players. Whether its concerning player immersion, customizability, or game mechanics, this supplment has something for every table!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Ted S. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/23/2020 12:48:52

You've likely either seen my face covered in anime hearts either on YouTube or embedded here on this page. That being said, I wanted to make sure I posted a review here as well. This is hands down the best resource for crafting and non magical upgrades for equipment in D&D 5e. If you're like me, you sorely miss titles like The Arms and Equipment Guide. This is about as close as we're going to get to something like that in D&D 5e. If Heavyarms releases anything else in the future, you can bet that I'll be picking up a copy and reviewing it.

Full review here: https://youtu.be/1ddzRf21G_g



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Darin H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/19/2020 15:27:57

This supplement adds a new layer of depth to equipment and D&D in general that improves the game in a gerat way. $10 may seem like a little much, but it was worth every penny.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Richard C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/17/2020 14:49:47

Check out my video review here (I'm the Allthingslich guy!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9vKVp7f88



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by A customer [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/10/2020 11:20:46

Before I get into my thoughts on this book, I want to say that the TLDR; is that this is a very good book.
The look of the high res version is nice and professional, the system is well thought out and interesting, and the ideas for further work that it inspires is nice too. All in all worth the price and a value add to any DM. It does seem that the high res is a resource hog and causes most viewers to stutter when reading the pdf. I suggest using the no background version as it does not have this issue.

Thoughts on Changes or just things that bug me. Keep in mind that the book does mention the golden rule of "Your Game, Your Rules" so these are just my thoughts.

  • Magic Item Interaction: First thing to note is the FAQ section at the end. It addresses a LOT of the initial questions I had. One thing that was not answered to my satisfaction is the possibility of "enchanting" upgraded items or items with runestones and if that is not preferred, then items with runestones need to be treated as magic items to be usable with some of the existing features of the game. I would hate to make the item in the FAQ and then it not be considered magical for purposes other than resistances.
  • Armor Proofing: I get that the math is sound on Armor Proofing being worth the time and money. But my experience leads me to be glad of the Armor Proofing Variant. The prices of the variant are well within the magic item prices for comparable +s to armor. And I would even go so far as to require that you purchase each tier in succession to reach the +3.
  • Tags in General: I love the tag systems!
  • Special Ammunition: I really like this section as well. I think that crossbow bolts should have their own category as some things could be applied to them that may not be applied to arrows. The Bodkin and Broadhead need a little more detail IMO. Bodkin says targets wearing armor, but would this also apply to natural armors? (There may be a rule in the DMG that I am not remembering.) or would you need to use the Broadheads for creatures with natural armor. Using the idea of Firecracker, you could have ammo that are for "grenade" delivery of oils and the like. Maybe even a syringe ammo to deliver health/potions. I feel that the creation rules are a bit strict. To create a pack of 10 Bodkin ammo would require 4 days. Seems a bit much to me.
  • Special Materials: This section needs to be more fleshed out. Prices are kind of vague. And they don't seem to take into account if you are providing the material.
  • Wear and Repair: Great stuff. I would even go so far as to attach a negative tag such as scarred to the item if it is constantly being damaged. Having to be removed by the application of a positive visual tag.
  • Runesmithing: Great stuff. Refer to point #1.
  • Guild system: It is probably just me, but I could use a little more of an example to explain the tuition terms. Is this like monthly dues or is this hiring a tutor for the term at the prescribed cost to advance? If that is the case, then what are the monthly dues? Apart from that, this is good work and could easily be adapted to other guild types for characters to use.
  • Feat: And though there may be controversy about it, the Runsmithing Feat IS less valuable to an Artificer than any other official class. If there are 3 benefits for the other classes, but only 2 for artificer then that is a problem. Easy fix...Artificers can employ their Magic Item: Adept/Savant/Mastery to runestones. And in my opinion, the whole crafting system.

One of my CO-DMs of our group has reservations about some of the Legendary Runestones listed being OP and spell affects used by the imbued item being based on the combat ability of the wielder.

Ideas for expansion:

  • Equipment: You can easily apply the upgrade tags to items. Not much of a change needed. Probably treat them like the armor tags and there wouldn't be a lot of tags per item. But you can come up with some really nice touches. Everything from a simple +1 to tools/sets for skill rolls, to adding properties that help with usage. Oiling theives tools, Shatter proofing vials, or even making them easier to break on impact. Loads of stuff.
  • Actual Crafting: Crafting the items to begin with. There are basic steps in the DMG, but I think going off of this material you could easily have a chapter about creation of the items. And even a bit on putting tags on the item from creation.
  • Magic Crafting: Revamp the magic crafting rules. This would mostly be to clear up the division between your system and traditional magic items. Probably wouldn't be more than a paragraph. Maybe even a path to turning your item into a legendary item.

I hear that you are also working on a system for Potions/Herbalism/Alchemy. I would love to see that and be more than willing to purchase if it is as good as this one.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Thank you so much for this well-thought out review! I have appended some comments below which are intended to act as clarifications for yourself and others reading, and are *not at all* meant to challenge or refute your kind words: * **Magic Item Interaction:** Your interpretation of this section of the FAQ is a fair one, and I apologize for the misunderstanding. Indeed, the magic item in question *should* continue to count as a magic item as you aren't "replacing" it with a simulacrum, but the example is illustrating how you would determine which tags/runestones is already possesses (or equivalent) so you can then see which upgrades remain available and at what cost. This is to prevent, for example, allowing a +3 magic longsword to be upgraded and then applying the full suite of upgrades to it—which would end up at an equivalent of *c.* +6! * **Armor Proofing:** The variant armor proofing rules do require purchasing each tier in succession as the wording is "cumulative +1". This means an upgrade cost of variant-proofed plate would be 3,000 gp (+1), 9,000 gp (+2), and 18,000 gp (+3). As you correctly stated this isn't too far from the guideline prices of +1/2/3 armor in the magic item section on the DMG, which are rare (501–5,000), very rare (5,001–50,000), and legendary (50,001+), respectively. * **Special Ammunition:** (1) *"Against targets wearing armor"* is intentional wording for bodkin ammunition that excludes natural armor. (2) The crafting rules here are just a throwaway sentence that mirrors XGE as the focus of chapter 1 is helping add some mechanical depth/aison d'être to artisan NPCs instead of a complete framework for player-crafting of base equipment. * **Guild system:** The intent behind guild tuition is it is something a character must pay for once in order to sit an exam. They can choose to spend the full term attending classes (take as a downtime activity) in order to gain advantage on the check to pass the exam. A character can re-attempt a failed exam freely at the end of each following month, and they can also elect to pay for another term's tuition and attend those classes for advantage on the check. There are no persistent dues beyond the initial registration fee, as the guild makes its money from taking a large cut of any guild work performed by its members. * **Feat:** Its true that the feat is less valuable to an artificer than other classes, and you are not the first to bring this up. My reasoning here is that the artificer is the **only** class that receives direct and significant "buffs" to two core class features (Infusions, and Tool Expertise) via the introduction of runesmithing—and it gets these benefits automatically without any investment (in addition to this, Intelligence is one of the two options for a check with runesmith's tools and this is the natural primary ability score of the artificer class.) The feat is—in my experience running this system—less about further buffing the artificer and more an avenue for the other classes to close the gap (at a cost): the artificer is already a significant net-beneficiary of the system as a whole, and I am very wary of creating a system who's implementation creates ugly questions like *"so who's going to be the artificer?"* This is a problem that is (or would be) naturally compounded by the introduction of additional similar "toolkit" systems.† Of course, a DM is encouraged to implement whatever changes they wish to increase enjoyment at their table—but this is why the feat is written as it is. † Of which I am planning to release more, and you heard correctly that Herbalism and Alchemy is next!
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Trevor W. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/04/2020 11:17:43

D&D5e's weapon and arms systems are simple, for good reason; and for many people, it's more than enough for the purposes of their game. However, for people who want more in-depth options, magic item alternatives, and more, the Armorer's Handbook is a must-have. The supplement's additions and modifications to the default arms and armor options add a realistic depth, and the improvement options allow characters to develop bonds with simple weapons as they grow alongside them. Making a mundane sword the legendary weapon of a hero has never been easier. The runestone system allows a whole alternative to the standard magical items, creating new tiers of powerful items and allowing the enterprising DM to integrate magical arms and armor deep into the fabric of their campaign. The supplement is brilliantly written, easy-to-understand, and is a fantastic deal for the price. I cannot recommend it enough.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Rob L. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/03/2020 19:05:55

Heard about your handbook from the video by Nerd Immersion. With the bits and pieces he reviewed I was interested enough to snag it. Very fair price for the quality and thought put into the content. Very impressed and plan to incorporate as much as I can into my current campaign. Keep up the great work and hope to see more handbooks like this from you in the future.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Krzysztof K. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/03/2020 15:32:36

Amazing resource which I'm already integrating into my game. A very simple and easy to understand system, extremely natural to adapt in the adventure and bringing something truly special to the game. Money well spent!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by John G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/03/2020 02:24:48

Great resource, wonderful detail into the different enhancements and even guild / downtime info. It'd be great to see more info into nonmagical enhancements. Otherwise, good work!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Sean K. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/31/2020 03:22:03

The simplicity of the system and layout of the information and the ease of use for implementing it into my games is what appealed to me as a DM. When the players started to familiarize themselves without it become a new element for them to keep aware of as now the things they had, could lost by their own actions and choices with chances of regaining or repairing some of the items. They loved the idea of now finding something that as is might not be usable at the moment, but with some time and patience, can become something extraordinary.

The other major selling point is the openness and willingness of the creator to accept, encourage, and incorporate, feedback of their material to make it better for everyone to use in their games. They are also active on their discord for feedback, suggestions, errata. Already recommended this to some of my other DM's and they are in the process of building a few one shots to test this out in for themselves.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Jordan B. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/30/2020 11:31:22

This supplement is fantastic. If you think this might help your games but you are on the fence, trust that it is exactly what you want it to be.

Deep consideration has been made on every upgrade and rune as to how it interacts with 5th edition rules. All the upgrades and effects seem logical and real, and range from minor to major, giving you a lot of flexibility, and the ability to easily insert your own ideas. Every detail you could possibly need has been considered, from an easy to understand pricing structure, to how to apply multiple upgrades, to how long it takes a craftsperson to apply upgrades and runes, to a rune smithing toolkit and everything that entails, to a rune smithing guild that you can add to your world complete with ranks and downtime activities, even a mathematical breakdown for those interested in looking closely at the balance of this system. Something else I really appreciate as a DM is that this system gives the power to the players in what magic items they want. I've rarely seen so complete a supplement, and if you want a robust system for weapons and armor, here it is! It can serve your party from level 1 to 20.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Jason S. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/27/2020 17:40:29

Great options for expanding the in game experience of upgrading gear. Makes armor feel more realistic and less like an empty stat!

The section on rune magic likely won't be used by my current players but it's another great set of options for characters who are inclined to delve into it.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Maximilian H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/26/2020 19:52:27

Brilliantly done! The progression is spot-on, the math is all there, and the art is glorious. I thoroughly plan on adding this into one of my games ASAP.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Matthew M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/26/2020 17:24:59

My players were coming up on a point where they would be back at their homebase and were talking about trying to find various magic items, wanting to craft certain equipment and change weapons up a little and I couldn't construct that on my own as a new DM and the in-built crafting system in the DMG is extremely lackluster.

I heard about this from the crew at The Hook & Chance Podcast and it sounded like a perfect fit for what my players wanted without balance issues without a ton of magic items dropped in, and a actual reason to get gold. Turns out that iy absolutely was EXACTLY what I needed in a very well written format that looks amazing and has some solid mechanics for how it all fits into the game seamlessly.

If you are a DM with a party interested in giving basic weapons an edge (pun intended) and not wanting to flood magic items at them for reward this is your book. If you are a player looking to keep a weapon that was given as an heirloom or symbolic reward and make it viable for higher levels, this is your book, (and of course talk to your DM outside of a session about implementing it first).



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Valentin P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/23/2020 09:21:25

I've always wanted weapon progression in my home game, for many of the same reasons outline in this handbook's intro: I didn't want the characters to just find legendary weapons, I wanted their weapons to become legendary along with them. But because 5e wasn't designed arount that, I completely improvised it, and the lack of structure/clarity resulted in many arguments, a lot of time spent haggling that could have been spent doing more interesting things, and a general sense of frustration towards loot, for both my players and I. So after looking around a bunch, I can tell you this much. This addition bridges the gap between the narrative I wanted to push as a DM all along, and the structure that my players need so that they can experience it smoothly. It's going to save my table a lot of time.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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