KoraKoraKoraKoraKora 3 33 33 33 33 3Madu/SaintiMadu/SaintiMadu/SaintiMadu/SaintiMadu/Sainti 3 43 43 43 43 4MatchlockMatchlockMatchlockMatchlockMatchlock 3 53 53 53 53 5PPPPPasaasaasaasaasa 3 73 73 73 73 7PPPPPata and Pata and Pata and Pata and Pata and Pattana Jamdaduattana Jamdaduattana Jamdaduattana Jamdaduattana Jamdadu 3 93 93 93 93 9PPPPPeshkeshkeshkeshkeshkabzabzabzabzabz 4 14 14 14 14 1RRRRR umalumalumalumalumal 4 24 24 24 24 2SpearSpearSpearSpearSpear, Maratha, Maratha, Maratha, Maratha, Maratha 4 34 34 34 34 3TTTTTaksh-Andazaksh-Andazaksh-Andazaksh-Andazaksh-Andaz 4 54 54 54 54 5TTTTTalwaralwaralwaralwaralwar 4 64 64 64 64 6UrimiUrimiUrimiUrimiUrimi 4 74 74 74 74 7VVVVVitaitaitaitaita 4 94 94 94 94 9ZaghnalZaghnalZaghnalZaghnalZaghnal 5 05 05 05 05 0

CCCCChapter 4: hapter 4: hapter 4: hapter 4: hapter 4: OOOOOther ther ther ther ther WWWWWeapons eapons eapons eapons eapons UUUUUsed in sed in sed in sed in sed in IIIIIndiandiandiandiandia 5 35 35 35 35 3ArrowArrowArrowArrowArrow, Mail-P, Mail-P, Mail-P, Mail-P, Mail-Piercerierceriercerierceriercer 5 35 35 35 35 3Axe, Horseman’sAxe, Horseman’sAxe, Horseman’sAxe, Horseman’sAxe, Horseman’s 5 35 35 35 35 3BattleaxeBattleaxeBattleaxeBattleaxeBattleaxe 5 35 35 35 35 3BowBowBowBowBow 5 35 35 35 35 3BroadswordBroadswordBroadswordBroadswordBroadsword 5 45 45 45 45 4BuckieBuckieBuckieBuckieBuckie 5 45 45 45 45 4ClubClubClubClubClub 5 45 45 45 45 4CrossbowCrossbowCrossbowCrossbowCrossbow 5 45 45 45 45 4DaggerDaggerDaggerDaggerDagger 5 45 45 45 45 4DartDartDartDartDart 5 55 55 55 55 5FlailFlailFlailFlailFlail 5 55 55 55 55 5GreataxeGreataxeGreataxeGreataxeGreataxe 5 55 55 55 55 5HandaxeHandaxeHandaxeHandaxeHandaxe 5 55 55 55 55 5JavelinJavelinJavelinJavelinJavelin 5 55 55 55 55 5LanceLanceLanceLanceLance 5 55 55 55 55 5MaceMaceMaceMaceMace 5 55 55 55 55 5MorningstarMorningstarMorningstarMorningstarMorningstar 5 65 65 65 65 6PPPPPickickickickick 5 65 65 65 65 6ScimitarScimitarScimitarScimitarScimitar 5 65 65 65 65 6SlingSlingSlingSlingSling 5 65 65 65 65 6SpearSpearSpearSpearSpear 5 65 65 65 65 6Staf fStaf fStaf fStaf fStaf f 5 65 65 65 65 6Sword, BastardSword, BastardSword, BastardSword, BastardSword, Bastard 5 75 75 75 75 7Sword, LongSword, LongSword, LongSword, LongSword, Long 5 75 75 75 75 7Sword, ShortSword, ShortSword, ShortSword, ShortSword, Short 5 75 75 75 75 7Zafar TZafar TZafar TZafar TZafar Takiehakiehakiehakiehakieh 5 75 75 75 75 7

AAAAAppendix: ppendix: ppendix: ppendix: ppendix: IIIIIndian ndian ndian ndian ndian Arms Arms Arms Arms Arms &&&&& A A A A Armor rmor rmor rmor rmor TTTTTablesablesablesablesables 5 95 95 95 95 9

SSSSSkirmisher kirmisher kirmisher kirmisher kirmisher PPPPProduct roduct roduct roduct roduct LLLLL ististististist 6 36 36 36 36 3Skirmisher Electronic ProductsSkirmisher Electronic ProductsSkirmisher Electronic ProductsSkirmisher Electronic ProductsSkirmisher Electronic Products 6 36 36 36 36 3Skirmisher Analog ProductsSkirmisher Analog ProductsSkirmisher Analog ProductsSkirmisher Analog ProductsSkirmisher Analog Products 6 46 46 46 46 4

TTTTTable of able of able of able of able of CCCCContentsontentsontentsontentsontents

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IIIIIntroductionntroductionntroductionntroductionntroduction

WWWWWhile some Indian arms and armor have counterparts in traditional D&D campaigns, the richness,

color, and variety of many of the region’s ancient and medieval armaments provide a glimpse of a mysterious world as yet unknown in most roleplaying game settings. Weapons and armor are, of course,

only two pieces in the exotic mosaic of Indian history and culture. They are, however, some that can be used topunctuate the distinct, exciting adventures possible in settings inspired by the vast subcontinent and the equallydistinct characters that might hail from it.

The area traditionally known as India covers a vastarea and included what are now the nations of India,Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and the borderregions with Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Nepal, andTibet.

Historically, much of this area was both subject tomany foreign invasions and enjoyed extensive interna-tional trade — successively with Assyria, Sumer,Greece, Rome, Mongolia, and Turkey, among others —all of which left marks upon its weaponry and armorfrom the 2nd millennium B.C. onward. From around1500 B.C., contact with Persia influenced the develop-ment of Indian arms and resulted in an overlap of theweapons of these two regions. In the 4th century B.C.,Alexander the Great penetrated the subcontinent anddefeated a major army at the battle of the Hydaspes,leaving a Mediterranean influence. Much later, manysorts of weapons and equipment were introduced byMuslim invaders and settlers over a 900-year period,beginning in the 7th century A.D.

As a result of these foreign influences, the weapon-ry and armor used by India’s diverse peoples was nomore homogeneous than they are. The weapons andprotective gear described in this book include both thosethat were wholly indig-enous to the Indian subconti-nent itself and those that have their origins in outsidecultures. Certain weapons were used by India’s aborig-inal inhabitants and only in specific areas, while oth-ers were more universal. Similarly, weapons importedover the ages were sometimes used only in a certainregion, while others gained more widespread usage.Notes regarding this are made where applicable to as-sist DMs in their campaign planning.

The weapons of the indigenous inhabitants of cen-tral and southern India and the Andaman Islands weregenerally the most primitive, while those of the Ra-jputs, who ruled northern India from the 8th to the 13thcenturies A.D., and the Marathas, a people of south-western India, were unparalleled in beauty and crafts-manship. The arms of the northwest frontier — towardmodern Pakistan — those of the hill people of the north-

east, those of the jungle dwellers of Burma and Siam,and those of Nepal all have a unique, distinct, and ex-otic character.

Ornate decorations and embellishments were oftencharacteristic of Indian arms and armor and those whocould afford expensive arms often had them craftedinto works of art unto themselves. Many were chasedwith brass, silver, or gold, or fitted with ivory or jadehilts and the finest arms and armor were often richlyembellished with koftgari work, an inlay of gold or oth-er precious metal applied to the surface of an item inthin layers. Prices given for weapons in Indian cam-paigns thus represent only the base values of the weap-ons, and any sort of decorative work can easily increasetheir value from two to 10 times or more. Indeed, ingeneral the aesthetic level of Indian weapons and ar-mor exceeded that of armaments anywhere else in theworld, including Europe.

What is most important for DMs to consider whenequipping the warriors, monsters, and other denizensof an Indian milieu is that there should be a great vari-ety of such equipment, and that many of the innumer-able tiny kingdoms and enclaves will have their ownvariations and styles of armaments.

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CCCCChapter 1: hapter 1: hapter 1: hapter 1: hapter 1: IIIIIndian ndian ndian ndian ndian BBBBBody ody ody ody ody AAAAArmorrmorrmorrmorrmor

A great variety of defensive equipment was usedthroughout the hundreds of tiny states that once madeup the sprawling Indian subcontinent. The use of ar-mor and shields in India dates from at least the secondmillennium B.C. and continued almost into the 20thcentury. Indeed, in the Indian wars of rebellion againstBritish domination in the 1800s, armor and shields,little different than those used in the Middle Ages, wereused by Indian warriors.

Individual sources are often vague or conflicting withregard to the defensive arms of the Indian subconti-nent. When studied as a whole, however, a compre-hensible picture of the subject begins to take shape.Some of the earliest descriptions of the arms and ar-mor of India can be found in the mythological epics ofthe subcontinent, but like many such sources they aregiven to hyperbole and must be regarded cautiously.Some of the earliest truly historical descriptions of In-dian armaments are from the 4th century B.C., whenMacedonian conqueror Alexander the Great subduedportions of the subcontinent.

Common soldiers did not have access to the bestarmor; most had quilted linen armor and shields atbest, and the most impoverished or technologicallydeprived did not have even that much. Armor, ofcourse, appears in typical D&D scenarios in quantitiesbeyond what was really available in Europe during theMiddle Ages, and DMs may follow the same precedentin an Indian milieu if they wish.

Following are descriptions of various sorts of armorand defensive equipment associated with an Indian milieu.

ARMOR TYPESARMOR TYPESARMOR TYPESARMOR TYPESARMOR TYPES

Accessory:Accessory:Accessory:Accessory:Accessory: This armor can be worn over another suitof armor, granting an accessory bonus to AC but alsoapplying the listed penalties. Like other typed bonus-es, accessory bonuses do not stack. Can only be wornin conjunction with cloth, leather, hide, and chainmailarmor unless otherwise specified in the item’s descrip-tion. Leather and hide armor worn in conjunction with

VVVVVarman is the Sanskrit word used most often in historical and epic writings to refer to various sorts of bodyarmor, as opposed to shields. Some of this armor associated with the Indian subcontinent was intended

to be worn as a set, while other components could be worn individually, either by themselves or toaugment other armor. These latter sorts of pieces benefit the wearer’s armor class but, unlike shields, need not beactively used but only worn. They are indicated on the armor table as giving an “accessory bonus” to AC, ratherthan an armor or shield bonus.

accessory armor is considered heavy armor. Charac-ters may only wear one accessory in Heroic tier, andtwo in Paragon and Epic tiers. Accessory armor maybe enchanted as armor of its same type, but if wornover magic armor its magical properties and enhance-ments are suppressed; only the main suit of armor’senhancements, properties, and powers are active. AtParagon tier, a character wearing magic accessory ar-mor over magic armor can spend a short rest and re-place the magic armor’s properties (but not enhance-ment bonuses) with the accessory armor’s properties;this includes access to the armor’s powers. At Epictier, the character must still choose during a short restwhich properties are active, but has access to both thearmor’s powers and the accessory armor’s powers.

Hide: Hide: Hide: Hide: Hide: Hide armors might be common in areas of anIndian campaign setting where metal is uncommon,the people are poor, or reli-gion dictates that hide mustbe used. Typically, such armor will be of elephant orrhinoceros hide. Nonetheless, it can be quite handsomeand functional, and has the same chances of beingmagical as any other armor in areas where it predomi-nates. Heavy hide armor includes full skirts, and armand leg guards. Lighter hide armor conforms to thecharacteristics of sadiqi armor (described below).

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