CHA4036 RuneQuest Weapons and Equipment Q&A

Official Answers from Chaosium

A Bronze Age World (pages 11-20)

Gloranthan Metals (page 11)

Enchanting Bronze?

Gloranthan Cults with the Enchant (metal) Spell

Gustbran has all of the Enchant (metal) Spells, so he has Enchant (Bronze)?

No, excluding Enchant (Bronze).

Difference between an Enchantment and a Spell Matrix

If bronze cannot be ‘enchanted’, then what is the difference between an ‘enchantment’ and ‘having a spell matrix’?

An enchantment makes a permanent change in the world, and involves a permanent loss that is usually POW. See RQG, Enchantment, page 249.

A spell matrix is an enchantment (either Spell Matrix Enchantment or Matrix Creation) permanently makes an accessible spell part of something, costing a permanent POW loss.

Is it the presence of a powering spirit for the matrices?

• With Spell Matrix Enchantment, Magic points are usually supplied by the user of the enchantment.
• With Matrix Creation, Rune points are supplied by the enchantment.

It is possible to supply magic points using Link Magic Point Conditions (RQG, page 250), but from magic point storage. There is currently no usual way to use a bound spirit, but someone likely knows this Enchanting Condition (my money is on the dwarfs).

Orlanth and Enchant Silver

Orlanth has ‘Enchant Iron’ and ‘Enchant Silver’. Is this correct?

Yes. Note that silver has the special property that it can damage creatures normally affected only by magic, and is Uleria’s metal.

Enchanted Iron

In RQG Weapons and Equipment pages 12-14 it says:

So does that mean only unenchanted iron gives the -5% penalty to magic and enchanted iron does not? I recall reading somewhere that iron gear can be attuned to the wearer to negate the -5%, is that referring to enchanting it with the Enchant Iron spell? Also if the penalty is removed does it remove both the penalty to use magic and also the penalty to be affected by magic?

Yes, both penalties are removed. Unenchanted iron gives -5% per ENC to casting and being successfully targeted by a spell (usually POW vs POW), and attuning = enchanting.

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Common Goods (pages 18-35)

Tools (page 24)

Locks

Thieves’ tools include lockpicks, and there is a price for a lock hasp but there’s nothing for locks themselves – what kind of locks would there be in the bronze age, would some be more complex/difficult to pick than others?

Most will be the wooden pin lock kind, which consist of a bolt, door fixture or attachment, and key. When the key was inserted, pins within the fixture were lifted out of drilled holes within the bolt, allowing it to move. When the key was removed, the pins fell part-way into the bolt, preventing movement. The lock pick allows the pins to be lifted. See

• https://www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventions/hsc09b.htm

The next kind is the sliding bolt lock:

• https://www.historicallocks.com/en/site/h/articles/locks-of-wood-and-iron/sliding-bolt-locks/

and the warded lock, these will generally be the most expensive, made of bronze (not iron). The early roman types would exist, see: 

• https://www.historicallocks.com/en/site/h/Articles/The-history-of-padlocks/Roman-Era-500-BC300-AD/

Finally, the Dwarfs make the best locks. A Dwarf made lock could be of any (including modern) mechanical design, material and complexity, and rare outside of dwarf complexes.

Don’t forget the Issaries spell of lock (RQG 333) makes a very good magical lock, and is available to all Orlanth initiates too.

Smithing Tools

What might smithing tools weigh and cost?

Smiths usually make their own tools as part of their apprenticeship.

Tools, metal working: A basic collection of tools including hammers, chisels, sets, punches and tongs. This does not include an anvil, casting materials, fuel or the forge itself. Weight: 13 kg. Price: 30 L.

You may find this a useful resource: 

• https://www.fao.org/3/ah637e/AH637E00.htm

Food and Drink (page 27)

Cheese

In context of a list that’s mainly about single meals this sounds like it’s the price of a dainty portion of after-dinner cheeses, but I’d assume given the price something like a 2kg wheel is intended.

As this is the food on a stick section, assume this is a one to two hundred grams of cheese. Two kg of hard cheese from a farmer would cost at least a 1L or more. Remember that the good stuff doesn’t usually leave the stead.

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Beasts (pages 36-46)

Awakened Beasts (pages 44)

Awakened Beasts as initiates

Can awakened animals, with full INT, POW, and CHA statistics initiate into cults?

Yes. 

If awaked animals join cults, there is a necessity for some spells to be devised for animal members of the cult. Cat’s Claw [Yinkin Rune spell] doesn’t do a alynx a whole lot of good?

No new spells are needed. When an Alynx joins Yinkin, likewise a bear joining Odayla, it’s as an Ancestor worship cult (Daka Fal is an associate cult). Note that if an Alynx casts Transform Self with Catseye, Claws, and Identify Scent, they transform into a magical, semi-divine Alynx.

Awakened Snake (page 45)

Awakened Tiny Animal (page 46)

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Weapons (pages 58-76)

Melee Weapons (page 60)

Illustrations (page 61)

Troll Mauls

There is a picture of both a ‘Maul’ and a ‘Troll Maul’. I presume they have identical stats and the two visuals are merely stylistic choices?

On page 61 there is a picture of both a Maul’ and a ‘Troll-made Maul. Other than manufacturing process they’re identical.

Illustrations (page 64)

Illustrations (page 71)

Crossbow Clarification

Picture #3 is captioned “Repeating Crossbow” and #5 as “Crossbow (Mostali)”. This might be correct but confusing, if they’re two different designs for what’s game-mechanically and in Lore terms the same thing. Or the latter might just be intended to be (for example) “Crossbow, Medium” and there’s been a transcription error.

The repeating crossbow is as the text. The crossbow (Mostali) is also the same as an arbalest.

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Armor (pages 77-89)

Rhino Hide

Why does the hauberk gives a lower penalty than even just one location (skirt)? Is that correct?

Yes, per Rhino Hide (page 79), rhino hide armor maintains a little flexibility, allowing for comfort. This flexibility comes at the cost of stealth, for it not only creaks… A Hauberk’s scales are much less flexible and so cause little noise, the skirt covers the most flexible body area and so moves much more, so more noise. Look at the armor types on page 81.

Also, Rhino Hide Skirt (Abdomen) only has 4AP, whereas all the other Rhino Hide items are 5AP. Correct?

It’s scraped down to be more flexible at the cost of AP, but still unwieldy with an ENC of 3.

More flexible, so why does it have double the Move Quietly penalty of a tougher piece of armour that covers two locations for the same ENC?

Its flexibility, and cover of the Lower abdomen, hips, and thighs means it creaks more. A hauberk has hide sewn onto a base so it not only moves less, it’s individual pieces of hide.

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Shields (page 85)

Spiked and bladed shields starting skills (5%)

In the core rulebook, the shield skill says that each size of shield is its own skill, so presumably you have skill in small, medium, and large shields (all of which have base skill 15%).

Yes, per the core rules 216-218:

• Small Hide (8C) or Wood (4L) 15%
• Medium Hide (14C), Wicker (1L), or Wood (12L)15%
• Large Hide, Wicker (25C), or Wood (40L) 15%

However, in the weapons and equipment book, spiked and bladed shields are listed with a base of 5%

Yes, they are weighted differently, and are harder to manipulate (more unwieldy).

Note:

• there are no large spiked or medium or large bladed shields.
• small bladed and spiked shields have a higher required STR.

Note the costs compared to Hide, Wicker, or Wood:

• Small Spiked Shield (25L)
• Small Bladed Shield (10L)
• Medium Spiked Shield (30L)

and small bronze shields have a base of 10%.

Heavier. Double the ENC of a small Hide or Wooden shield.

Note there are no medium or large bronze shields.
Note the cost compared to Hide, Wicker, or Wood

• Small Bronze Shield (40L)

What’s going on? Should different types of shields (bronze, spiked, bladed, etc) be separate skills?

Yes. They aren’t available in the core rules, so just add it to the blank line under shields.

Note that extra large wicker shields are also unwieldy, and so have a 10%

And why are spiked/bladed/bronze shields so hard to learn to use compared to regular ones?

Mainly due to the weight distribution.

Note that while the base starting value is lower, training will cost is the same as any other weapon skill (professional – see RQG 417)

Are there Babeester Gor enchanted copper shields?

I imagine the Babeester Gor Axe Maidens would have those, and since copper has a lower ENC than bronze, I can see them making use of it.

Note that per EG 53: Axe Maidens receive a complete suit of enchanted copper armor and a copper axe from their temple. They don’t receive a shield and the cult doesn’t train shield either. Their special Copper Enchantment would not affect the ENC of a copper shield (as it would be the same as a bronze shield). The hammered copper armor rule would not not apply to copper shields.

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Travel (pages 90-98)

Chariots table (page 94)

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Dwellings (pages 99-112)

Reputation and Land Grants

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Homes

A Small home is the default for a Free standard of living

Or the or the right to live in such a place with family or allies. […] and may be either owned or provided by a landowner.

It has an upkeep cost of 50 L per year?

Only if the owner, otherwise it’s the landowner.

Maintaining a Free standard costs 60 L, which according to the core rulebook is enough to provide for up to two adults and three children.

Yes.

Is the intent that the leftover 10 L is enough to feed and clothe the entire family of five for the whole year?

No. There is a deliberate shortfall in the adventurer money calculations, so they need to earn more. See 7.1 Shortage of money at the end of the year in the Q&A

2 L per season seems remarkably thin for a Free household, especially given that grain for only one person is at least 1 L per season, and the Free standard also indicates that it provides weekly meat, new clothes every year, and (according to the Starter Set) repairs for damaged equipment.

These are the rules for adventurers, not NPCs. An adventurer who owns a house had better have the income to maintain it and their SoL.

When one of the adventurers in my group became Thane of Apple Lane, his SoL jumped to 250L, and he had the five tenants and their houses (5x50L), and the other adventurers to support too – warriors and retinue (4x60L). This is why Manage Household is such an important skill.

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Hides of Land

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Training (pages 113-118)

Characteristic Improvement (page 115)

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Sages (box page 115)

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Exotic items (pages 119-126)

Crystal Type table (page 119)

Binding a Spirit (page 120)

Note that if the spirit is not quickly rebound, it may slip away (escape).

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Minor Enchantments (pages 121-126)

Clarification – Common Enchantments Table (page 124)

The 9th item in the table is “A charm that gives +5% Dodge and -10% to Climb”.  Was that what was intended or should it be +10% to Climb?  It seems to me that a charm that affected two Dexterity-linked skills would improve both rather than worsen one.

It is correct. The item demonstrates a magical trade off. Look at the Typical Item and you should see why.

Related Pages

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Page Last updated: 2025-07-07 15:06:40