Equipment
Starting Equipment
Characters in Against the Darkmaster begin play with a defined set of items rather than a sum of gold to spend. This keeps character creation fast and gives freshly made characters a small practical challenge. Heroes are more important than their equipment — once they reach a town or other civilised area, they can use their Wealth Level to buy additional gear.
The Universal Starting Kit
Every character begins with the following, regardless of Kin, Culture, Vocation, or Wealth Level:
- A set of normal travelling clothes
- A belt with scabbards to hold their weapons
- A side arm of their choice
- A pouch for their coins and personal belongings
- A small bag or rucksack
- The items gained through their Background Points and their Culture Outfitting Options
Starting equipment is never influenced by the character's actual Wealth Level. Characters will always own at least the items listed above. If it would make sense for a character to begin with a particular item and that item would not affect their Wealth, simply add it to their starting equipment.
Culture Outfitting Options
In addition to the universal kit, each character receives extra items determined by their Culture. Each culture provides three or more Outfitting Option sets; the player picks one option from each set.
Most cultures follow this pattern:
- Set 1 — Clothing or armor (choose one option)
- Set 2 — Weapons (choose one option)
- Set 3 — Cultural item or additional gear (choose one option)
Some cultures (Arctic, Woad) have a fourth set providing additional specialised gear.
The outfitting options for each culture are listed in the relevant culture entry: