Races of Wild

Elves typically include close fighting blades in longswordsor rapiers for their own use. Elf wizards sometimes carryquarterstaffs that contain close fighting blades. In some areas,elves fashion battleaxes, heavy maces, or similar one-handedweapons with close fighting blades, though these items areusually sold to other races.Adding a close fighting blade to an existing weapon, orincluding one as part of a new weapon, costs 100 gp.ARMORElves are famous for lightweight armor that provides good protectionand considerable freedom of movement. Unlike dwarves,who typically innovate in armorcrafting by inventing newexotic types of armor, elves learn to use the materials available tothem—often augmenting them through alchemy or the simpleapplication of skill—to create extraordinarily supple and flexiblesuits of armor. Indeed, the armor popularly called elven chain isnothing but a regular suit of chainmail made from mithral.Over the years, these inventions have spread to halfling andraptoran armorsmiths, whose customers typically have similarneeds regarding a suit of armor’s weight and encumbrance.Each suit of armor described on Table 7–2 represents anexisting kind of armor from the Player’s Handbook with aspecial material used in its creation. These special materialsare detailed later in this chapter (except for mithral, which isdescribed on page 284 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).ARMOR MODIFICATIONSIn addition to their innovations with special armor materials,the races of the wild have also created armor modificationstailored to their needs.Forestwarden Shroud: Elves invented this lightweightset of tunic and leggings, though it was quickly adopted byrangers and similar characters of all races.A forestwarden shroud is worn over a suit of armor. It canbe incorporated into any suit of armor during creation, or itcan be added later. Its slick surface allows branches and leavesto slide easily across it, negating the effect that undergrowthand heavy undergrowth has on the wearer’s Tumble and MoveSilently checks (see Forest Terrain, page 87 of the DungeonMaster’s Guide).A forestwarden shroud costs 100 gp and adds 2 pounds tothe weight of a suit of armor.Netcutter Spikes: The raptorans developed netcutterspikes to help them avoid becoming immobilized in combat.Netcutter spikes are slightly longer than regular armor spikesand have X-shaped cross-sections. Each spike is sharpenedalong all four edges.Netcutter spikes function just like armor spikes (seepage 124 of the Player’s Handbook). In addition, a characterproficient with the armor worn gains a +4 circumstance bonuson Strength checks or Escape Artist checks made to escapefrom a net, a web spell, or a similar entangling effect.Illus. by W. EnglandCHAPTER 7EQUIPMENTAND MAGICLeft to right: forestwarden shroud, leafweave armor, netcutter spikes, thistledown suit, wildwood armor167